Grange Fair ending soon, schools starting next week, Penn State football about to fire up.  The end of August is always a period of transition around here.  But we do have one constant, our love of pickleball.  Monitoring  the names being added to the Pickle Jar blog (314) and the Team Reach app (434) even I am a bit caught off guard at how fast the game is growing locally.  Sadly the growth in available courts has not kept pace.  Most players know the main sites.  I wonder if some of the smaller 1 court pop-ups are like knowing a location to find morel mushrooms.  A closely guarded secret.  Now I'm hungry, time to run to the fair and eat.  So the tour of the Pickleverse will take the long way around via the Grange Fair.  OK, I'm back now where did i put the keys to the rocket?

1. Good Luck - There are a few folks headed out to a tournament or tournaments tomorrow so good luck to them.

2. Dink For Pink (State College) - I checked a bit earlier and all three skill levels have spaces available for this event.  The informational flier and a link to register is on the Tournaments page.

3. Dink For Pink (Johnstown) - The flyer and link for registration is also on the Tournaments page. The one thing which makes this tournament different is the offering of cash prizes.

4. The Centre - Just an early heads up that The Centre will be closed on Labor Day.  Next week's Pickle Jar link will reflect that.

5. C3 Sports - C3 has chased all the dinosaurs out of the building so they should be back to their normal schedule this week.  Also, kudos to them for remaining open for indoor play for the summer.  In the past they would shut down in July and August and then reopen after Labor Day.  If this benefited you, be sure to thank Lance and staff.

6. Cooler Weather - With cooler weather during the early mornings players are showing up in hoodies and jackets. These usually come off after the first game or two.  Please take time before you leave to make sure you have all your belongings.  

7. Tip Of The Week - Sorry gang, the well is dry this week.  Feel free to send me something if you have a favorite tip.

8. Great Cycle Challenge - This past week I was in New York City for a few days.  I specifically went up to see my photo on a Times Square electronic screen.  Riders that reach a specific fundraising goal can submit a photo of themselves and a photo of any person they wish to honor for their battle with cancer.  So my photo and a photo of my brother-in-law Craig, who passed from cancer in the Spring, each got 8 seconds of fame.  As I have done in prior years I have my wife take a photo of me with the screen when my photo comes up.  This year I had a special guest join me for the screen capture.  While waiting for my assigned time I saw Times Square's famous Naked Cowboy and asked if he would pose with me if he was in the area about 30 minutes later.  To his credit, he asked what the time was and headed off down Times Square but reappeared about 10 minutes prior and then finally returned 2 minutes prior to show time.  He was funny and enjoyable to talk to and sing with as we sang "rain" songs since it was raining at the time.  When the photo came up he even coached my wife about taking several photos and to adjust the angle to get the board.  The end product is attached at the bottom.  On September 1 the real rides start and I have 30 days to log 500 miles.  Thanks to the generosity of many of you I have raised $1900+ so far.  If you have not donated but are interested and want to learn about my efforts to fund pediatric cancer research, this link with take you to my fundraising page: If Randy Can Pose With A Mostly Naked Person In Times Square, I Can Donate A Few Bucks

9. Grange Fair - OH, I almost forgot.  My most memorable Grange Fair memory is from the mid-80s when some friends and I mud wrestled the Chicago Knockers at the grandstand of the fair.  Allegedly the largest crowd and traffic jam up to that time in the fair's history.  FYI the young ladies were mostly college athletes and kicked our behinds and we (4 officers) left bruised and sore.  The mud came from potting soil and water. After the show, clean-up was a cold water hose down behind the stage.  For years after the event people would recognize me and say hello when I went to the fair.
   
   

Below are the links for indoor play.  I hope to see you on the courts soon and maybe meet some of you folks that are new to the list.

The Centre:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BA5AA28AB9-58122455-nvsc

C3 Sports:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BA5AA28AB9-58122461-c3pickleball

Randy Hoffman

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