So I have had the most busy month ever! September has been very good to me. Everything from winning the preliminary rounds in Atlanta , GA to getting sick. The practicing is starting to get kinda boring I really need to freshen its up a little. Work is getting a little bit busier with every day that passes by and I'm loving all the new faces that are coming and going from the hotel. I have to go to Tampa, FL in a couple weeks for the APA Championships and I'm so excited. I wasn't even expecting to win the preliminary round. I sent in $50 to play in the tournament and planned a family meet up in Atlanta. My Aunt Jaci lives in Stockbridge, GA and I was dying to see her and my two wonderful cousins Chason and Colton. I had my Aunt accompany me on the first day of the tournament. I had to wait for a while but I finally got to play and I ended up beating the girl I played 5 to 0. I wasn't playing very confident ether so I was shocked that I did that well. The next girl I played I beat 5 to 0 as well which sent me into the next day.
I woke up the next morning and got ready. As you know Georgia has so much humidity that you can get out of the shower and still be soaked so getting ready was a chore. I get to the tournament with Aunt Jaci and Chason. Colton went to church so unfortunately he didn't attend my event I was so sad, but I'm glad that he can realize that God is times 10 more important than my tournament. He is a great kid! I play a woman I don't remember her name but she had me 4 to 1 YIKES! I end up coming back 4 games in a row GO MEEEEEE! I beat her and move on to the final match where I end up playing the young lady I beat 5 to 0 the prior day and she has a vengeance! We go back and forth for the 8 ball section of the set so the score is 3 to 3. When the 9 ball section took off I went ahead and started to play more of my speed and I ended up beating her 9 to 4. It was a good trip I didn't win any money but I got a really cool glass trophy that I'm very proud of might I say!
When I got back to Scottsdale, AZ it was time to start warming up for the AWBT tournament in a couple of weeks. Practice was brutal and stressful thanks to the new stroke I have discovered for myself. It was so hard to adjust because I was so used to playing a certain way but I feel this new stroke is the right way so I have to learn it no matter how hard it is to adjust. I was playing alot of ghost sets using 6 balls so I could practice running 6 balls consistently. I did my 100 times also but I have been cutting back and only doing 50 times with more shots so I'm getting to practice more shots in the time that I'm at the pool hall.
The day of the tournament came and I felt ready. The tournament was held at a pool room called Bullshooters. We only ended up getting 10 girls that showed up and that's a horrible turn out. So we voted to make the event a one day shabang and have a normal tournament the next day. I end up having to play a women named Susan Williams who I end up having to play all the time. I win the back and forth match 7 to 6. I go on to play another woman to which I also go hill hill with and I make a 9 ball snap on the break. YEAH! After I play my matches I try to sit and calm down a little by listening to my MP3 player with all my favorite Britney Spears songs on it. I have to play my next match against Iris Ranola who is someone I also always come in contact with. I win the first 4 games and then I get distracted and I end up not winning another game and she takes the set. I'm thinking well at least I only have to beat one more person to play her again. I have to play Susan Williams again and she torches me with good play and the best rolls I have ever seen in my life I wanted to puke. I end up getting 3rd place and $85 plus $79 for my points for the year. I played OK I guess I'm just not very sure of this new stroke yet but ill get there with time.
Some other event I have encountered this month ...... Miley Cryus Concert with my sister Tiffany and Britney Spears Concert with my Mom!

Anger Is A Gift

So on the weekend of Aug 15, 2009 I took a journey down to Tucson, AZ for an AWBT event at Pockets.I drive in late Friday 14Th and check in to my hotel. I stayed a this really nice Comfort Inn for like $35 a night. I have a great employee rate with my job lol. I get a good nights sleep and I'm extremely excited for the next day. I love going out of town for these tournaments. Its a great chance to get to know fellow women pool players in different areas.Usually all the same women come down for the AWBT events so everyone except a few are recognizable. I wake up on that beautiful Saturday morning at 7AM and get ready because I like to look my best for tournaments. If you feel good you play good that's a fact believe it or not. I go down to the front desk and I eat a yummy waffle and have some apple juice. On this trip I brought along my good pal Laron because I hate traveling alone. I don't know why but breakfast plus excitement doesn't make a good combo because I started to feel sick.
We drove to the pool hall at about 9:30AM and they weren't open yet so I took a little siesta in the back seat of my car. At 10AM they opened the pool hall doors and I walked in only to find a face that is becoming more familiar to me with time Stacy Novack. We chit chatted about pool and all the goings on in mine and hers life.I grabbed a set of balls and started to practice on a table in the back and from the looks of my ball making and stroke it seemed like it was going to be a good day for pool. I practiced until they call sign ups at about 11:30 AM. I have to interrupt my story for a second so a little bit of my mind - Why do good players show up late to everything? Why not be on time? I have noticed on various occasions that some individuals like to show up like a minuet before they close sign ups. Now if you did it like once or twice I could deal but every time! That's ridiculous! Word to all of you who are late comers NO ONE is waiting for your grand entrance! I cant stand that why not be on time. Is being on time not cool any more I must have not gotten the memo. So any ways at the players meeting I was scoping out the COMPETITION! I notice that there were only a couple girls there I think the head count for the day was 15 can you believe that what a bad turn out. So in my head I'm thinking - Ashea you've been playing really good lately and I dint think there are but 2 people here that can really have a good chance to beat you. My Brain is a motivator to me and some times shes my worst enemy. My Brain likes to mess with me while I'm playing just to test my concentration skills. So I'm already in the right mind set for the tournament right? Or is that the wrong mind set 'I cant beat all these people'. I'm not sure if its Right or wrong but the worst is yet to come.
So they call all of the first matches and I dont know about you but I really like to draw someone I can kinda dominate the first round. It gets me in stroke and boosts my confedence. I never get good draws though I always have a COMPETITOR that wants to beat me so bad that they are scarping my name in their wall and throwing drats at it. Im the bad draw queen.
So they call my match ASHEA ERDAHL vs STACY NOVACK on the live stream table. O goody I get to play number 2 in points one of the only two people that can beat me remember that. Last time I played her I got off to a 6-0 started I was playing near perfect then she came back to make it 6-5 and I hit a break and run to win. That was last time so I felt like I was kinda intimadating to her. Ok now for me the first game is always the game that determines how your going to play. The first game im playing great im focused and in control of the table until i miss a 6 in the side pocket. Now stacey is at the table and she takes her time shooting. She misses the 7 ball and leaves me an easy run out but like a dumb ass I make it so complex. Im shooting soft and not stroking the ball and I run to the nine and I get this straight in onthe rail shot. I lightly stroke the cue ball toward it and it rolls off. I couldnt believe that I missed it HOW EMBARASSING! I miss it pretty good and she goes for a bank and nails it. I never knew that a whole day could be ruined by one shot. After that game I lost all my confedence and rolls. I end up losing 7-2 YIKES! I feel like screaming when I lose because I beat myself. That has to be the worst feeling in the world. Its like all that practice was worthless. I have like 5 minutes to rekindle my thoughts before I have to play again. Now 5 minutes thats not long enough to do anything. I have to go straight in to a match with the number 1 on the tour Angel Paglian. Remeber only 2 people that I feel can beat me lol what a bad draw. I didnt even try to beat her I was just banging balls and I end up losing 7-3. What a bad day. I felt like I was about to break down and cry. I feel like the better I get the worse I get. Without me getting angry I probably would not be as dedicated to my practice and my game as Iam. Losing is a part or a stage of being a winner. I will never be a world beater unless I learn the worst part of the game.

Im Getting Ready

So I have an AWBT tournament this weekend in Tucson,AZ at a pool hall called Pockets.Last time I ventured into this pool hall i did very poorly. It was about a year ago when I first stepped foot into that little hole in the wall. To get ready for this tournament this weekend I have been going to Kolby's and practicing my 100 times and playing in the Tuesday night tournament.To be honest i don't feel very prepared for this tournament. I could have spent a lot more time in the pool hall practicing but I've had a lot of stuff on my mind lately. The other night while I was playing in the Tuesday night tournament I caught myself thinking about my pool friend situation. I thought about how it seems like it is so hard to make friends in this environment. I have to see everyone as my competition how in the world do you make a competitor a friend. I have always been good with keeping good friendships with guys but girls on the other hand is another story. I feel like I have to keep a poker face on at all times so no one can see my emotions but I think that drives people away. Ive been told that I'm intimidating. ME INTIMIDATING! If people would only get to know me.I also get people that say things about me that are untrue and pretty hurtful. I don't understand why people have to be so ignorant.
So I'm trying to figure out what I do to make myself some pool partners. I have always dreamed of going on the road with a couple of people and doing the ROAD POOL TRIP. I just need people that will take the time to get to know me. So anyways the reason I went off on the friend thing is because in July I had an AWBT tournament where some of the women there were very rude to me. I have never in my two years of pool witnessed people with such low class. I would never say names but to kinda sum it up all the women had one thing in common lol. That's all I will say. I'm just hoping that this same occurrence wont happen again this weekend. Just a quick note to anyone who wants to act like an unclassy lady at these events- some women come here to accomplish something for themselves and just because these tournaments are meet and greets to some of you its not to me and all the others that really want our pool careers to go some where thank you! Now that's off my back so this weekend I have to play well. I'm in 3rd place on the points scale and I got an e-mail about the regional tour championships that said 1st and 2CD place from each tour will be seated. If I grind out the next two tournaments Ill have a shot at 1st. I just need to focus and play my game and that's whats going to take me to the top. I have the ability to beat these women but I don't push myself hard enough.
Yesterday I took a day off and went to the recording studio to listen to my first song 'Untrue'. It was so exciting to hear the song that I created and now finished.We started to work on the next song on the album. Its a fun dance song with alot of energy! I'm not to sure what I'm going to name it but the lyrics have been flying threw my head all day. Music really takes my mind some where and it really helps me express how I'm feeling. Whats great about music is that if you can create a song from you heart it can really take some one on the journey that you are describing. When I'm in the studio its as if nothing else in the world exist. There is no pool tournaments no car payments no problems. I think Ive said it before and ill say it again EVERYONE NEEDS A RELEASE! You have to get away every once in a while and just be yourself for a day. I love playing pool more than any other hobby out there but just like in relationships you have to have a break every once in a while to get back to the real world. I really am hoping the best for this new singing hobby that i have dug up from the past. I hope it will open my eyes up for new opportunity and new adventures. You only live once!

And Here We Go!

Today is my first day back at work. It seems like forever before I get to see these great people I work with over here at the Clarion Hotel Scottsdale! Everyone here always wants me to keep them updated on MY POOL LIFE lol. Yesterday I took a day off from my practicing routine. Sometimes I just need a day to myself, to think and process all of the angles and english that I hammer into my head each day. I started back on my practice routine last Monday when I went back to drilling shots 100 times each. Ive found that it really helps to have my MP3 player on for these long practice sessions.The time goes by so quick. For my 100 times each i usually pick a shot that I don't feel to confident about when I'm at the table under pressure. Its good to keep track of shots you need to work on that way your not hitting and hoping. After about 60 times i notice that the shot isn't as complicated as it use to be. Whats funny is that after you practice a shot 100 times you cant wait for it to come up in a match, but it never does. I also like to play a couple of ghost sets after I'm done with my 100 times just to practice my pattern play. I practiced for about 6 hours before I just felt like collapsing to the floor. The first day back isn't very easy but it has to be done.
I went home , took Cheese my chihuahua out side, popped open a Vanilla Coke and played my Game Cube for 2 hours.Just for future reference Nilla Cokey aka Vanilla Coke is my Favey lol. I know my life is so glamorous ,but I think everyone needs an escape. Like for instance ive been going to the recording studio for the past two months. Singing is something I LOVE to do. When I was younger that was my dream. I won the National American Miss Talent competition in 2004 and I used the money to go to the recording studio to record a demo. I never really ran with the whole singing thing so I picked up a new dream of being a professional pool player. What a huge difference in dreams. What I'm getting at is when I'm singing at the studio I take my mind completely off pool for two hours or even more. Pool gets extremely stressful when that's all u do day in and day out. I think its a very good thing to take sometime to yourself and give yourself time to absorb all that you are learning.
Tuesday I usually get to the pool hall around 4pm because I play the TUESDAY NIGHT TOURNAMENT at Kolby's in Tempe , AZ. Its a great tournament you get to play with all the best players in the area and you have a great chance at beating them. Ball weighted tournaments are great for beginners. When I was just starting out I would come up to the tournament and get the 6 out from some players that's a lot of weight if you ask me. So I practiced on my favorite table #16 for about an hour before my good friend Billy Mac came to join me. We have an inside joke where we play for the championship lol. He reminds me of and older gentleman that befriended me back when I first started playing pool. I called him Squid but his real name was Bob or Robert Cole. Sometimes we would play for 7 hours straight at the first pool hall I ever laid a foot in CUE D's. We would take road trips to California in one night. To this day he is one of my best friends and is someone who genuinely cares about where I'm going with my career. He always calls me and asks my if I'm a world champion yet. He can see my devotion to the game and I think that he understands how much I want to be the best. I really attached myself to Billy Mac because he posses some of Squid's personality trates and some of his own that are just as good. He is one of the few people I can practice with at Kolby's. I convinced him to play in the tournament because he never does all he wants to do is watch that darn ball game lol.
I lost my first match to Bobby Emmons who used to be a good friend of mine but we just grew apart after the last year. He dashed threw me 5-0 i kept running to the five ball and missing it. Every game i did the same thing. I won my next 3 loser side matches then lost to some guy I had never seen before and he had what I call the I'M BETTER THEN ALL OF YOU attitude lol. I really love to beat those kinda people. You just wanna say Who's good now ? lol.
I walked out of Kolby's aggravated but I played very well if do say so myself. All of my practicing is really paying off. I think ill be more then ready for the qualifier in Tucson,AZ next month. I have a winning feeling about the whole idea!

In The Beginning

Welcome everyone this is my blog where you will find out what i am up to from day to day. First off i would like to thank my great friends at ONTHERAILTV.com for helping me out on this long journey to the pool hall wall of fame. Thanks Lenny and Steve!

On July 17Th I got on a plane to Philly, PA for a tournament out in New Jersey. For some reason before I take these trips I always like to fantasize about how I will do in the tournament. I always picture myself winning and how the feeling would feel to accomplish my goals. I arrive in PA at 2:30 pm and I get picked up by my good friend Matt Krah. We made a pit stop a local pool hall in PA called Drexeline Billiards. From the outside of the building it looked like an underground pool hall lol. When we walked in there were quite a few players in the room. We got a table and played a few racks , but for some reason I just wasn't feeling the whole playing pool after a 5 hour flight thing. I took a break and watched Matt play. Now Matts a great player don't get me wrong when I say what I'm about to say but whenever he plays I always try to figure out his stroke. Its a short stroke or something it cracks me up. Don't get me wrong he plays jam up , but every time he shoots you think hes gonna miss. He plays a couple racks with one of his good friends Josh then we take off to the Asian Buffet. After we ate I was so tired so we headed to his house so that I could get some sleep for the big day tomorrow!
I woke up at 6:00am and started getting ready for the tournament. I'm a girl it takes me a while to get ready OK! We had to leave by 8:00am to get to New Jersey by 10:00am so that I can practice because I find myself playing horrible in the morning. The drive threw Delaware was so beautiful. Big green trees everywhere! I kept thinking I was in Atlanta, GA both the states have so much in common even the smell. My favorite part of the drive was the huge bridge we drove over ( HOW COOL) ! The one reason I would never live in this state is that there are toll booths EVERYWHERE OMG they must make $1,000,000 a day with those things.
When we finally got to the tournament that was held at Prime Time Billiards, I stood around with my friend Matt for a couple of minutes. I like to eye ball all of the players and get a feel for the place. Luckily for me everyone was so nice. I jumped on a table and started practicing, and just like everyone else probably does I try to practice perfectly so everyone knows where I stand as far as my pool game go's. I just try to show myself that I deserve to be here just as much as anyone else does. At 11:30 am they had a players meeting and they did the draw. I got a BYE the first round which to us pool players is a blessing to the next round. I sat around for an hour anticipating my match. I'm pretty much cool and calm until i here my match called, then the adrenaline starts to run. I draw a very pretty young lady named Rio. Let me now share a secret with the world ( i underestimate every woman I play). Now back to my match. She won the first game , then I went on to win the next three. Then I let her catch up to me and get to four before me. I then snapped back into it and won two games, then she won two game which put her on the hill. With some careful thinking and clever strategies i won the next game which made it HILL HILL! This is when you start to question yourself and the stress kicks in. There is something about HILL HILL game that make you think so hard about every move you make on the table. I break the balls and start off the game. I miss a ball and she takes over the table she runs 3 balls and missed the 5ball with the 5,7,9 left on the table. I pocketed the 5ball in corner pocket with a lot of draw and the cue ball stops perfect for the 7ball. Now the 7ball was a very simple shot , just a hair of top left and I'm good to go. So because this is a HILL HILL game this shot just became the hardest most sot out shot in the world. In my mind the little mind devils are asking me questions like 'What if you miss this?' 'How embarrassing would that be?' So I look at the shot one more time and go for it. I hit it perfect with perfect shape on my game winning 9ball. YEA GO ME!
I won my next match 7 - 5 which was another one of those stressful matches. After winning that match I take a gander at the board only to notice that i had to play one of the best players in my book, Karen Core. We shook hands and lagged. I lose the lag and the first game. The woman only missed two balls the entire set and beat me 7-2. I feel that I played rather well against her. I took advantage of my two chances. So I had to come back Sunday to start on my loser side match.
SUNDAY MORNING - I'm ready and pumped when I get to the pool hall. It turned out that I had to play one of my good friends Iris Ranola. I really love her game very well kept and strong she seems to never be out of line. I win the lag and the first game, but shes close behind me winning the second game. Then Iris took a lead and only let me have a couple more chances to put away the 9ball. She beats me 7-3 and walks away victorious. In the tournament I ended up with 9Th place which as far as I'm concerned, was pretty good for the amount of fantastic players that attended the tournament.
We took a drive down to Atlantic City were I witnessed my first Blaze tour at a place in Atlantic City , NJ call Atlantic City Billiards. I cheered my friend Matt on as I sat and played the touch screen. I love the photo hunt game. After the Blaze tournament I started my long awaited journey home. After I lose in a tournament it seems like the only place in world that I want to be is at home here in Phoenix, AZ with my cat Meowy Crackers Erdahl , my dog Cheese, and my best friend Laron.
In the past two weeks I have played some of the best women from Allison Fisher to Karen Corr. It has given me so much drive to improve and sharpen up my game. I hope next time ill come back and give everyone a run for their money. I just have to remember that anything is possible if I want it bad enough. IF YOU WANT WHAT YOU NEVER HAD THEN YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU'VE NEVER DONE!