civilized ku # 583 ~ small town news
Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 10:57AM 
Pool table drama ~ Lake Placid, NY - in the Adirondack PARK • click to embiggenSo the wife and I are sitting at the bar - she's doing the conference client schmooze thing - at our hotel (in the Great Room) when, for no apparent reason, a fire truck and a bunch of volunteer firemen in their own cars, along with a local cop, pull up in front of the place. Whereupon, they rush into the Great Room and up the stairs to a balcony over the bar.
There was no smoke, screaming, or commotion of any kind that would indicate the reason for their presence. Curious fellow that I am, I grabbed my camera and up to the balcony I went only to find a kid with his arm stuck in the corner pocket of a pool table.
He was cool as a cucumber while what seemed like a small army of would-be rescuers scurried and milled about. I immediately started making pictures. I stopped making pictures just after the ax and pry bar appeared at the pool tables edge, primarily because I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe...
...like what? were they really going to hack the pool table apart or try to pry his arm out the corner pocket?
Reader Comments (10)
Mark, there are so many comments going through my head I have to restrain myself and be a good boy.
so did he live?
Great image, an almost absurd scenery with all those earnest faces and the axe well lit in the foreground - and the story well told.
I get sort of an absurdist Normal Rockwell vibe from this shot.
So how was the young boy finally extricated from his predicament? And how is it even possible to get your hand stuck in a pool table??
An endoscope would have been handy.
Was the "Great Room" really great? If it was, compared to what? Do just get the "Really Good" room if the great room isn't available? This also implies that there are bad rooms.
"Hi we're here for the racist rednecks with gun racks conference?"
"Uh… Yeah go down the hall way take your first right, you'll be in the Awful Room. All powerful entities Club has already booked the Great Room."
"Hello I'm Zeus...?"
"Follow those guys, you'll be across the hall from them."
I wasn't thinking Rockwell, but for some weird reason all I can see is this painting when I look at this shot.
(http://i546.photobucket.com/albums/hh427/thecathoderaychoob/Blog%20Pics/last_supper_davinci.jpg)
Could this be a "monkey and peanut" situation? Tell the kid to let go of the ball ....
aaron: link seems to be defunct - keep getting image removed message.
try this one mike... but basically it reminds me of the last supper because of everyone leaning inward and their arm positions and the boys posture, etc...
http://www.art-reproductions.net/da-vinci-leonardo/the-last-supper