Tonight was one of those nights where the scores don’t tell the full story — but the progress absolutely does.
Machines felt a little floaty early on (Attack from Mars especially… center shots had no energy at all), but the bigger win was recognizing adjustments in real time instead of getting frustrated. That alone shows growth.
Highlights:
• Hit Rescue the Innocents and robot multiball again on Uncanny X-Men → consistency building
• Practiced better trap control and recovered from danger-zone room multiple times.
• Black Jack felt like a control game instead of chaos → finished 2nd
• Watched Brian Pinney play Black Jack and honestly… it was art. Watching high-level players manage tempo is always a learning opportunity.
• Recognized mistakes quickly on Addams Family (fast trap that got away from me) → learning moment, not spiral moment.
The biggest change since January is emotional steadiness. Even when a ball goes badly, the reaction is calmer and more analytical. That makes it easier to execute the next ball instead of carrying frustration forward.
Confidence didn’t come from one event — it came from stacking results: multiple 2nd place finishes and a 3rd place finish in February.
Proof that the improvement is repeatable.
Pinballer wellness hack that worked great tonight:
Park at the far end of the parking lot. Between rounds, walk back to the car, hydrate, breathe, reset, walk back in.
Extra steps ✔️
fresh air ✔️
mental reset ✔️
better focus ✔️
Fitbit thinks I played 3 hours of golf 😂 but the reality:
8,600+ steps
3.8 miles
3+ hours on my feet steady movement all night
Incidental exercise still counts.
Incidental Exercise Receipts
Car sushi dinner + good people watching + supportive community = pretty great Tuesday night.
Nothing you learn is ever wasted. Every rep teaches something.
Still counts.
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