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Stephen Coates starts up the email: Well, well, well, It has been confirmed, just moments ago,
that Beagle and the Coates' will be making it to Chicago for the August 4th
Digger. We will be arriving late, late Wednesday. We were unable to get a
decent air fare, because of our late decision to come and we will be driving
the 1,000 miles to Chicago.
 The
Denver Diggers were weary after their cross-country drive. Their
determination throughout the weekend was only matched by their
thirsts. This was by far the soberest you would see them all weekend.
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Brently throws out the opening salvo - Marc, I'm worried about Karch
playing. I don't think they have volleyball at retirement homes.
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Karch's Rebuttal: Now Brent , didn't you ever learn to respect your
elders???!!!! Maybe you need a little refresher course.....? See you at the
beach !
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 The
stars came out to party at Durkins. Joining us from Ohio Digger
Contingent, Drs.
Kevin "Karch" Forsyth and Maria were among the first to enter on
the red carpet.
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The Washington DC digger contingent was on hand (Pat "X" Xourias),
but managed to stealthfully avoid the camera's view.
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 Let's
take a video journey with the digger's most lovable mutt, Beagle.
Pictured here the most cuddly of the original diggers, Greg
"Coach" Neal.
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 Can
you tell which one is the dog, and which one is the t-shirt? It'll be
awhile before Beagle closes his mouth.
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 Gettin
kooky.
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 A
little butt-grabbin' goin' on!
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 Steve-o's
checking beagle for a heartbeat. Luckily the camera doesn't show what
Mary Jones is going with her left hand. Let's just say that Beagle's
not complaining.
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 check
out Brently in the background!
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 And
this will end our "Tour de Beagle". Yes, that's beagle
underneath the t-shirt.
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 Could
they BE any tanner?
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 What's
wrong with this picture? I'm in a picture with two women and nobody's
kissing me.
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 That's
better.
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 Robaho,
me, and our high school buddy Mac.
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 Hey,
if Mary Jones is gonna pull up Kimberly's shirt, I'm not gonna say no.
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 My
soon-to-be-traveling-mates in Australia
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 Frankie
and the boys
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 All
the rock 'n rollers were on hand to celebrate. Steve, the drummer from
the world-renowned "Common Ground" is escorted by Susan "Roller Girl" Schmidt.
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 Oh
my god, johnny has been surgically attached to Mary Ann's neck!
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'Da Digger
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Brently reminisces - I had this memory of one of the first times I met Randy
and Beagle. I was playing right by the boat house with my partner and they
challenged us. I remember them hustling their butts off, shanking passes
left & right, running into each other like the Keystone Cops and
competing very seriously. I remember being especially impressed with how
they could run into each other so hard, fall down and not yell at one
another. At the time, I recall thinking to myself how they must have a
really great friendship. I'd be willing to bet that the miles haven't done
anything to these two. I bet they still hustle (although it would take Randy
about 7 points to get going---like an old horse who needs to gallop around
to take that first poop of the day), shank many passes and still run into
each other like the Keystone cops.
Beagle's reply: Hey Brent, will we have to make your side a bit
smaller? Because I think your mobility is of the constipated horse variety.
Looking foward to knocking into Randy a few more times (thank god for that
extra inch of cranium). Here's to a few six-packs.
 So I made it
happen.
Is it me, or does
beagle look like the lead singer from the Red Hot Chili Peppers with that
grin?
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 All
right people, let's get out and play some ball!
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 Karch
and Maria posing for the latest "Ken and Barbie Hit the Beach"
dolls.
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 What
is up with my hair?
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 Gaye's
getting a little excited (you need to blow this one up to get full
appreciation)
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 Insert
your own caption here.
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 The
Official Digger #35 Group Shot
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 "The
Man Who WANTED TO BE King" &
"The Man who WOULD BE King"
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 Hail
to the drinker's bracket!
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 Superstar!
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 The
finals pitted wily-Digger-veteran Johnny B and relative-newcomer Becky
vs.
former champion Amanda "Da Ripper" and newly-married Dan Anderson.
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 And
in the end, Dan and Amanda would emerge victorious.
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the many faces of the diggers
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POST-DIGGER THOUGHTS
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Randy starts the post-digger banter -
Brently, According to the website, you predicted Gilby as the loser. [that
was wrong] But you did correctly predict the consumption level of Pat X. She
hit a digger drinking level that is reserved only for Marc. Oh, the little
people!
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X's reply - Randy, Why do you think that
Marc used to include me in his Golf team on the outings, it wasn't for my
putting that for sure! "one of the little people" X p.s. Plus, I
had to live up to Brentley's prediction.
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Karch looks back - Marc, You did a great
job as usual!!!! It was great to see everybody (except Cousino) again and
just having a great day on the beach. After a 5 year hiatus from the beach
and volleyball in general, my arms were awfully sore the next day. I only
wish I could have stayed longer for the other parts of the weekend. See you
guys sometime again hopefully in the near future. Karch............
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Pete Gillin summarizes the weekend vicariously:
Hello all,
Amy and I had drinks with Marc last evening before he caught a plane back
to the Hub of the Midwest. Talk of the Digger dominated our conversation. I
thought I would pass along excerpts from our conversation with the lead
Digger to confirm their accuracy.
1. Marc swears that he only had one beer during the Digger and were it
not for the lackluster play of many of his partners, he would have made it
to the finals. He boasted that, even at the end of the day, he was hitting
it straight down. Straight down I asked incredulously. Straight down he
said. I don't know if he said this verbatim, but it was something to that
effect.
2. Marc thanked Pat X for taking on the role of the drunkest person at
the Digger (and possibly any Digger). Apparently, X was slurring her words
before end of the second round. Impressive. Marc didn't come right out and
say it but I think the pressure of living up to his past drunkenness at
Diggers was starting to weigh heavily on his shoulders. It is good to see
others help pick up the mantle.
3. Condolences go out to Brently for evidently his game has died. From
what Marc was telling us the physical ailments and expanding girth are
finally taking their toll. Predicting the weather and talking trash may be
all that is left for the aged one.
As with everything Marc says, I took it with a grain of salt.
Randy replies: If you think
Brent's skills have left him on the beach, you should have seen him playing
3rd base on Sunday afternoon. Now that was ugly!!!
Brent puts his 2 cents in: Let
me just say, that I partied hard till 6:00 in the morning which I'm guessing
eclipses any other pre-digger effort to date. I'll also say that with just a
bit over 3 weeks since rolling my ankle (and given the large amount of
bruising--- tearing ligaments, I was still playing some moderately
competitive ball. I think, and you'll all agree, that I deserve kudo's just
for being me.
As for Marc, I think Randy and I hit him in the head with one too many
grapes.
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Just woke up from a day and a half of being asleep. Driving 2,000 miles in 5
days would be considered a lot but...
Beagle, Kari & I (Kari was slighted that she was not included in the
Denver contingent that strapped it on) did that and much, much more...
Playing in the Digger, Drinking at Durkin's(twice)(I, personally, will never
take off my Corona Beer Necklace) slugging wine and eating pasta somewhere near
Wisconsin, playing golf (It wasn't the rain the frightened us off, it was the
lighting, you know swinging lighting rods in a storm is not the way to survive
and get to Durkin's again), chugging bourbon, props to Johnny for the great
dinner set up at Adobo(Fab margaritas), Dublin's which I only could handle until
1:00AM, Jack and Jen's Barbecue(did that other team have ANY women on it).
Just so everyone concerned, and I know Robaho is, my sunburn is now under
control and I am in full reptile mode.
A very special thanks to Marc, who once again, kept me from being the
drunkest at the Digger.
Thanks to everyone involved, who planned, made drinks or food (mostly the
drinks), participated and made it a week-end worth trying to remember (Booze has
that effect)