Written on 5-28-15.
This is different. I am writing this from the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque. I’ve found a shady spot at a table just off the big park area where we will all meet in about 46 minutes for lunch.
I have so many things to write, so I’ll get right to it. First, some sad and bad news about Belinda. My wife and partner for life has been officially diagnosed (twice now) with M.S. or Multiple Sclerosis. I think she may have had it for three or more years now. Who knows? She has always talked about foot pain and switched out shoes to find a more comfortable pair, but I brushed that off as a hereditary problem. Jess has had surgery on her feet, that’s how terrible they were. She still has problems.
It went down like this.
On Monday last week, we had our school retirement parties on the same day and at the same time. Poor planning! I went to B’s for the first 40 minutes or so before going to mine. I digress.
So, it went retirement parties on Monday. Four MRIs on Tuesday. Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis on Wednesday. I call it a cruel irony. Retire. M.S. diagnosis. Ugh!
Here, however, is some good news to temper the sad and the bad. It’s mild. Also, she’s “older,” and it’s better to get a diagnosis like this later in life vs. earlier. New medications are available now that can help prevent episodes. When episodes are prevented, the damage the can cause is also prevented. Here’s my question: Can this news be both discouraging and encouraging at the same time? In this case, my answer is yes. We’ve survived worse, and it seems every challenge we are presented with is more difficult, but we make it through it all.
Speaking of challenges, Belinda and I are officially almost done after 50+ commingled years of service in the Aztec Municipal District. Only today and tomorrow remain. I taught all 25.5 years at McCoy, and Belinda all 25 at Park. She taught 4th grade the entire time, and I mixed it up teaching 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade.
We are having a HUGE celebration at our house this Saturday, and I am so looking forward to visiting and just hanging out with all of our family and close, close friends. Mom and Dad are even making the trip.
I have four birdies to records, so I’ll jump right in with those, too.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #1-Birdie #13 of 2015
I used my driver off the tee, of course. I don’t know that I have ever used anything but my driver on this hole when starting out. It came out low and left, stopping in the fairway on the left side of the cottonwood, a great position. My 7-iron put my ball in another super position, below the hole, which was on the front right side. I used my putter from off the green, and my ball rolled past the flag on its right side, went up the slope, and then rolled back to a spot about two feet above the hole. The putt barely moved right, so I aimed a little to the left.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #11-Birdie #14 of 2015
This was one of the best drives ever on this hole. My ball flew high, sailing directly over the middle of the first cottonwood on the other side of the ditch. Then it faded slightly and headed towards the green. This was the same round as the previous birdie. It took a bit to find my ball; Bruce helped. We weren’t looking “right” enough. It was just slightly past and left of the green in the taller grass. I swooshed it out with my A-wedge, but it came out low, and then it hit something hard, a shell? So, it kicked forward even farther than it expected. It came to rest a few feet to the left of the hole, and with this green still a little slower than the others, I added a little more zing to make sure it got to the hole.
With that birdie, I had a 3, 3, 3 start compared to Bruce’s 4, 4, 4 start. On any other day, it would have been reversed, but on this day I won the skins game we played and shot a 36 to his 37. Rare, but fun!
This is different. I am writing this from the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque. I’ve found a shady spot at a table just off the big park area where we will all meet in about 46 minutes for lunch.
I have so many things to write, so I’ll get right to it. First, some sad and bad news about Belinda. My wife and partner for life has been officially diagnosed (twice now) with M.S. or Multiple Sclerosis. I think she may have had it for three or more years now. Who knows? She has always talked about foot pain and switched out shoes to find a more comfortable pair, but I brushed that off as a hereditary problem. Jess has had surgery on her feet, that’s how terrible they were. She still has problems.
It went down like this.
On Monday last week, we had our school retirement parties on the same day and at the same time. Poor planning! I went to B’s for the first 40 minutes or so before going to mine. I digress.
So, it went retirement parties on Monday. Four MRIs on Tuesday. Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis on Wednesday. I call it a cruel irony. Retire. M.S. diagnosis. Ugh!
Here, however, is some good news to temper the sad and the bad. It’s mild. Also, she’s “older,” and it’s better to get a diagnosis like this later in life vs. earlier. New medications are available now that can help prevent episodes. When episodes are prevented, the damage the can cause is also prevented. Here’s my question: Can this news be both discouraging and encouraging at the same time? In this case, my answer is yes. We’ve survived worse, and it seems every challenge we are presented with is more difficult, but we make it through it all.
Speaking of challenges, Belinda and I are officially almost done after 50+ commingled years of service in the Aztec Municipal District. Only today and tomorrow remain. I taught all 25.5 years at McCoy, and Belinda all 25 at Park. She taught 4th grade the entire time, and I mixed it up teaching 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade.
We are having a HUGE celebration at our house this Saturday, and I am so looking forward to visiting and just hanging out with all of our family and close, close friends. Mom and Dad are even making the trip.
I have four birdies to records, so I’ll jump right in with those, too.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #1-Birdie #13 of 2015
I used my driver off the tee, of course. I don’t know that I have ever used anything but my driver on this hole when starting out. It came out low and left, stopping in the fairway on the left side of the cottonwood, a great position. My 7-iron put my ball in another super position, below the hole, which was on the front right side. I used my putter from off the green, and my ball rolled past the flag on its right side, went up the slope, and then rolled back to a spot about two feet above the hole. The putt barely moved right, so I aimed a little to the left.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #11-Birdie #14 of 2015
This was one of the best drives ever on this hole. My ball flew high, sailing directly over the middle of the first cottonwood on the other side of the ditch. Then it faded slightly and headed towards the green. This was the same round as the previous birdie. It took a bit to find my ball; Bruce helped. We weren’t looking “right” enough. It was just slightly past and left of the green in the taller grass. I swooshed it out with my A-wedge, but it came out low, and then it hit something hard, a shell? So, it kicked forward even farther than it expected. It came to rest a few feet to the left of the hole, and with this green still a little slower than the others, I added a little more zing to make sure it got to the hole.
With that birdie, I had a 3, 3, 3 start compared to Bruce’s 4, 4, 4 start. On any other day, it would have been reversed, but on this day I won the skins game we played and shot a 36 to his 37. Rare, but fun!
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