Paintball -- something different

I did something different last night. Some friends invited me to play (if that's the right word) paintball. This is where you run around with guns that shoot balls of paint. You shoot at the other team and they shoot at you. Well, mostly what I did was hide behind the inflatable objects that are there for that purpose. Once in a while I'd peek my head and gun out and take a few shots, and then quickly duck back down and hide. Despite my cowardly tactics, the other side still found ways to get me.

I think most paintball is done outdoors, but Albany Paintball now has an indoor paintball field in Albany.

It was fun at first, but after a few rounds, my arm felt like it was falling off due to the weight of the gun. Yes, I am out of shape. Also, I realized how much I don't like having other people shoot at me.

While I realized it wasn't for me, it seemed like those who were there really enjoyed it, and I can see why. For anyone who's interested, I encourage you to check it out. But be warned: if you're a newbie, there's a steep learning curve and the experienced players will probably get you a lot. We had the benefit of getting some time for ourselves, newbies against newbies, which was a much better learning experience.

The other warning is that this can become an expensive habit. I paid $30 for last night, but I understand regulars spend as much as $60 per week on ammo, and the guns can cost as much as $800. There's plenty of other equipment you either can or should buy, so if you get addicted, that might mean less money for paying your speeding ticket lawyer. You'll have to slow down.