Puck's bad boys

All the numbers were in the negative over the weekend -- was that when we were vetting Sarah Palin?

Oh, sorry, nobody vetted Sarah Palin.

It was during the shuffleboard marathon that started early Saturday and finished just before lunch on Monday.

Rick, the ace accountant, was keeping the scores and stats as well as competing -- games played, games won, regardless of teammate.

It got brutal at times. Was a puck on the line, and thus invalid? Independent judges were called in to avert fistfights. Was a 10 sitting there like a fat duck? Just wait for the opponent to obliterate it, sending it careening off into an ankle (or a flowerpot -- we lost only one this time on the arbor side of the court, though it was a particularly nice one in blue and yellow).

And then there was that amazing string of 10-offs by both sides, leading to the scoreboard at the top.

But there were moments of grace. Corey had the best form -- at his height, all he had to do was bend properly at the knee to get a perfect glide. Ken did the best down-the-court prances after a particularly deft shot. And Jerry, of course, was masterly and incessant with the jibes and trash talk.

When the last puck whooshed, we had lunch, and Robert and Ken came out with the grand prize for the best percentage. The crown and boa went to Enrique, who couldn't have looked more regal.