Image Up Advertising & Design

| OHCC LIVING | FEBRUARY 2025 | 37 It's Not at Hard! The basics of pool are not very hard to learn. That is IF you begin by learning the correct fundamentals. No matter where you are starting from… we'll get you there! Practice doing it wrong and go nowhere. Practice doing it right and advance steadily. "Choose wisely, Grasshopper." After the Basic Lessons, we will offer seven advanced lessons on technique, seven more lessons on how to play various games, and eleven tournaments, all taking place on Thursdays at 1:30 pm. We do have the best pool hall for "miles around." The finest cloth, balls, and members. Say goodbye to beer-stained tables, exorbitant prices, and rowdy drunks – join us for a mere $9 per year. A Little Secret: How to Look Like You Know What You Are Doing: You may be a beginner, but you don't have to look like one. Take advantage of these little tips, and people will just assume you are a pretty good player… even if you don't actually make that many shots. This won't make you play much better. That will take time and practice. But you will be able to blend in and avoid those embarrassing newbie gaffs because you will "look like you know what you are doing." 1. Fold the table cover like a pro, ending up with a neat package. 2. Wear a glove ($6-$15, or free to members from our Glove Faerie). 3. Have your own cue. It can be cheap but should have some flash. (You can buy any of ours for $25.) 4. When someone else is shooting, don't make noises, crowd the shooter, talk to the shooter, or end up in their line of sight. 5. When you are shooting, chalk before EVERY shot, but don't chalk over the table (messy), and do leave the chalk right side up (not messy). 6. Identify balls and pockets by their numbers. 7. Get low, stroke long & smooth, stay down! (You'll still miss, but you'll be stylin'.) 8. When you miss, shake your head slightly and mutter: "Too much damn English." Even if you didn't use any. Even if you don't know what English is. Cost of this information: zero! Being able to fool them all: priceless! Visit our website at http://ohccbilliards.wixsite.com/billiardsclub for more information about the club, upcoming events, and additional resources. Written by Charlie Payne Billiards Walkers & Hikers Club We are barely into 2025, and we have already started the new year with a bang – a fabulous hike on Denk Mountain on Jan. 2, led by Janet Congel. Even the weather was sunny and warm, as the hikers peeled off their layers of clothing. The hike was somewhat steep in parts and rocky in parts, but the view at the top, where we saw all of Carlsbad and of course the Pacific Ocean were worth the climb. Before this article delves into the hikes and the walks we have scheduled for the near future, I want to let all our residents know about a walk the group did that closed out 2024. On Dec. 17, in the cold evening hours, about 20 walkers walked up and down several streets within OHCC to view the beautiful Christmas lights and decorations. Some of the highlights included Candy Cane Lane on Patmos Way and Piros Way, and our grand finale on Malea Way. OHCC residents really know how to decorate! But the real highlight was when the holiday spirit kicked in, and we knocked on different people's doors and sang Christmas Carols to some very surprised residents! We all said we want to do the walk again next December and sing Christmas carols to many more residents. So, if you want to be a lucky recipient of our caroling, look for more information in the November 2025 issue of OHCC Living. Please bear in mind, we are walkers and hikers, not singers!! Now back to 2025. Also in January, Walkers walked Rose Canyon Trail on Jan. 10, and Hikers hiked Daley Ranch Sage Trail and Stanley Peak on Jan. 16. Also on the upcoming schedule is a walk on Santa Fe Valley Trail on Feb. 1 and a nice beach walk at Encinitas Beach on Feb. 7. A hike on Bernardo Mountain is in the works, and the date will be scheduled shortly. By the time this issue comes out, Do Dues Day will be in the past. We hope that many more residents have decided to join OHCC Walkers/Hikers for exploring the outdoors and getting exercise. Where else can you expect to meet new friends and have great conversations, and see parts of San Diego County, all for the very low annual price of $8? Submitted by Marla Reiter

• Cover