Eric Sommer, International Pool Shark

  Spiez, Switzerland
Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Eric Sommer is a pool shark. He is ridiculously good at pool. Throughout the trip Eric would continuously ask "Hey do you want to go shoot some pool?" I would disappoint him most of the time, using the argument that I didn't come to Europe to shoot pool at 2pm in the afternoon. On one occasion when I took a nap for a couple of hours, Eric disappeared only to reappear completely hammered (it was about 5pm when he showed up). He had been out playing pool for beers and he kept winning. In general you meet some pretty sketchy people playing pool, however with Eric you meet some really sketchy people playing pool. One time in Amsterdam, Eric was playing this older Irish guy, his wife thought Eric was such a catch and was hitting on him (she gave him this really nice lighter that her husband had bought for her earlier, he got really pissed and almost started a fight with Eric).

Eric had his few days in Barcelona (where he got quite sick) and has returned to Switzerland only to drop off the "Europe on a Shoestring" guide and to catch an earlier flight back to the US.

It was great travelling with Eric because he is easy going. I'm sure if he had his way on the Europe trip, he would have spent it in various bars in various cities playing pool. Although he didn't shower much at the beginning of the trip, I am happy to report that the last week and a half that I was travelling with Eric... he showered every day. I actually couldn't believe it, I never knew the day would come. He admitted that it was the most he had ever showered continuously.

By the way Erics pack for Europe was the size of some high schoolers school bag (Eric you might be showering every day, but in my book bro, your high school nick names of "dirt bag" and "crusty" still stand).



Eric, I hope you had a good time bro, it was fun travelling with you and I will miss your company. Good luck teaching high schoolers math (I still can't believe he got a job teaching math to high schoolers, what is the world coming to?).