Tonight was one of those reminder nights:
not every league night is going to be a highlight reel.
And honestly? That’s okay.
We had a stacked room, several newer Sterns, a few games I still don’t fully understand yet, some family friends visiting league for the first time, and my brain was apparently running somewhere between “competitive pinball mode” and “golden retriever at a family reunion.”
So… focus was occasionally questionable. 😂
The good stuff first:
We had new players tonight, including people connected to my kids and family history, which made the whole place feel extra warm and welcoming.
I got to watch some really high-level pinball and learned a LOT.
I spent time talking with friends, sharing grandbaby pictures, and catching up on life.
I got stairs. LOTS of stairs.
I got movement.
I got community.
I got chocolate.
I got pinball.
That still counts.
🎯 Machine Highlights / Chaos Report:
James Bond went off like a rocket for me. It was really fun. Especially, after having a good warm up on it, then going straight into playing it? I figured it would be a total hot mess. Instead, I got skill shots, modes, multiballs, missiles, the works!
Ghostbusters absolutely ate Andrew alive despite him normally being capable of monster scores on it.
John Wick punished me for rushing plunges and abandoning my pre-ball rituals.
Deadpool actually turned around after a rough start and I clawed back into 2nd place. Scores were not pretty. Still counts.
Beatles… well… Serge annihilated me. 😂
I learned mode order matters more than I realized on several games.
I also learned that “excited yapping before stepping up to plunge” may not be peak tournament strategy.
Important scientific discovery:
On John Wick, short plunges into safer feeds are sometimes smarter than full send chaos plunges. Duh.
📈 Final Results:
Not my strongest league night overall. But not catastrophic either.
The beautiful thing about a 6-week league: your two worst weeks get dropped.
Translation: survive the rough nights, learn from them, come back smarter.
And honestly, I did exactly that.
👟 INCIDENTAL EXERCISE RECEIPTS: According to Fitbit, I apparently spent FOUR HOURS playing “golf.”
Sure, Fitbit. Sure.
Meanwhile in reality:
• walking laps around the arcade
• climbing stairs repeatedly between rounds
• standing for hours
• nudging machines
• adrenaline spikes during close games
• pacing
• carrying drinks/bags
• stress heart-rate bursts
• social movement all over the building
Results:
8,791 steps
57 active zone minutes
3.88 miles
2,316 calories burned
4 hours of sustained movement/activity
But because pinball movement is weird and fragmented, the tracker mostly labels it “light activity.”
This is why I keep saying: fitness trackers do NOT understand pinball.
Your body absolutely does, though.
💚 Final Thoughts:
Not every night is about crushing scores.
Sometimes the win is:
showing up,
learning,
moving,
laughing,
reconnecting with people,
and getting a little better than you were last week.
And honestly? A night involving pinball, stairs, Kit Kats, and weird food-share vegetable roulette?
Still counts.
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