Chance Gibson (2008-2023)

In 2008 our dog Jessie died of cancer. A few months later, on July 1, 2008, we brought Chance Benedict Gibson home from the breeder.

A very small brown and white puppy on a light green comforter on the floor. He's chewing a pink stuffed bunny.

Many adventures ensued.

On Sunday September 3, 2003, Chance died of a sudden and catastrophic health collapse.

A brown and white jack russel with a grey muzzle sleeping in a dog bed with his head perched up on the bed's bolsters.

Fifteen years is a hell of a run.

At some point, I’ll have the ability to talk more about my boy, but right now my heart is too full.

Sleep well, Bug. Don’t fight with JessieDog. I’ll see you later.

Excalibur

Photo of the backglass for excalibur as described in the post

Excalibur, another goddamned Gottleib, 1988. It’s no wonder I’m playing like shit tonight.

A giant man emerges from the ground (the waist up, anyway) wearing armor and swinging a big sword around while his cape

Other warriors smaller than the palm of his hand battle around him. A castle stands on a hill in the background.

Embryon

Photo of Embryon's backglass as described in the post

Embryon, Bally, 1980.

There is some wild shit going on here.

First, the background: we are in a hallway of metal walls and grates like something off the set of Alien.

Dead center is a big circular metal tunnel with two human brains in semicircular containers clamped to the outside.

On the left, organic spheres about the size of basketballs are pouring out of something conveyor-like.

On the right, a sphere that comes to about waist height has a decidedly humanoid shape growing in it.

In the center, a man in a tight metallic blue shirt, red suspenders, with pilot goggles perched on his forehead stands behind a sphere that comes to his waist. His right hand rests on it.

A semi-feminine (or possibly starving) humanoid with red skin, a green drape, sits some kind of yellow goo inside the sphere. This, we presume, is the embryon.

This is some kind of fucked up, y’all.

Eight Ball Deluxe

A photo of the backglass for Eight Ball Deluxe as described in the post

Eight Ball Deluxe, Bally, standard edition, 1980.

A tough looking cowboy shoots a cue ball at the eight ball in the center of the backglass. To the left, a cowgirl rides a mechanical bull. To the right, a cowgirl and two cowboys stand leaning their backs on the bar. Rope is used as the border of the various designs.

Bad Girls

A photo of the backglass for Bad Girls as described in the post

Bad Girls, by Gottlieb, 1988.

This backglass is a giant photo of a bar or possibly pool hall.Front and center is a small pool table with chrome stripes around its table walls. Women are playing pool – one in black stockings and a pink strapless dress, one in a black strapless leather shirt and pink shirt (and again with the stockings) and one in a black bikini top and pink skirt. Some random men stand around in the background watching the girls. “Bad Girls” is written in a handwriting script up in the top right corner.

All I can say is between the stilettos and the tight clothes, that’s a hell of an uncomfortable way to play pool.