Bruce's Big Comeback

    Now that I’m back home, I’ve played a couple of times.  My back feels better, but it still has some unpredictable issues.  Just yesterday, it was “catching” while I was standing to do the dishes.  I’ve never had this type of feeling in my back before, and I am considering visiting my friend Dave Rakita again if it persists. 
    C.J., Bruce, and I played this past weekend.  C.J. and I walked while Bruce rode in a cart, and it was my idea for C.J. and I to take on Bruce.  Bruce was riding since he said he also had a cold.  He said everyone in his family had a cold, and he didn’t want to overdo things.  My cold was in its fourth day, and I wasn’t feeling too badly.  I could walk eighteen holes, so I believe it was on its way out, despite a nagging cough.  C.J. and I were playing well, and we were actually 4 up on Bruce after nine holes.  For the first time ever, we all...

Lake Carlsbad Golf Course

    Despite my exhaustion, I gathered a second wind after returning to the hotel.  Belinda was going to settle down for a nap, so I took my opportunity to go play golf in Carlsbad.  I’m so glad I did, because I played one of my best nine hole rounds in a while, and it was on a course that was unfamiliar.  I broke the pattern of having my score go up ten strokes when playing a course that’s new to me.  I played the front nine at Lake Carlsbad Golf Course.  My back was still fragile, but I was able to swing my clubs without causing more damage.  The tender back helped me to swing more consistently and smoothly, not ever trying to kill it.  I played the gold tees because the blues were the farthest ones back, and I didn’t know how hard those would be.  Looking back, I would have been better suited for the blues, but it was still some great scoring from the gold tees.  I earned three birdies total, including one on the back nine. 

Lake Carlsbad Golf Course-Hole #4-Birdie #37 of 2015

    I was +2 after three holes when I came to this one.  This course was the first one I have ever seen where holes #3, #4, and #5, were a par three, a par four, and a par five consecutively.  I thought that was a unique aspect of this course, and it helped me to remember the holes.  If I had played from the blue tees, I would have had to angle my tee shot from...

First Class Carlsbad

Written on 10-27-15.

    Belinda and I were overwhelmed with happiness after visiting the Carlsbad Caverns.  It’s an experience I know I will never forget, and it was so unique that it was well worth the trip way down south.  It started two nights ago when we arrived after our visit with the children.  The timing worked out so perfectly.  We got to the Caverns just before dusk, the time when the bats come out of the main cave’s entrance.  There was a time change issue, too, so we thought we were going to miss it, but after coming out of Texas, we gained back one hour, so we had plenty of time to not only see the bats as they made their exit, but listen to and learn from a knowledgeable park ranger moments before that.
    The ranger stood at the bottom of the auditorium, where the seats were all made from stones.  Belinda and I chose to stand up at the top, glad to have a break from sitting.  Behind the ranger was...

25th Anniversary Trip, My Tweaky Back, and the First of Five Birdies

Written on 10-27-15.

    Belinda and I are about 41 minutes outside of Ruidoso.  We’re headed home after our 25th anniversary vacation/trip to the Carlsbad Caverns.  On the way down there, we also stopped to ride the tram up to Sandia Peak and stayed at Danielle’s place and visited the kids in Las Cruces, too.  It’s been an amazing trip so far, and it’s hard to resist the temptation to say it’s over since we are on our way back home today.  Our plan is to stop to see Mike Speck and get my Time to Teach books back.
    I have five birdies to write about, and I also want to relay the stories about Carlsbad and our vacation, so I’ll get right to the birdies and mix in other details as I go along. 

Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #11-Birdie #36 of 2015

    I am going to count this one.  A birdie is a birdie no matter how small.  On the final day of The First Tee for the Par group, we played three holes of golf with the participants.  I took Lily and Garret in my group.  We played hole #12 first.  Then we walked over to #10, and we finished up on #11, which worked out well to finish right next to the pro shop.  C.J. and I decided before playing that we should let this group play from the ladies’ tees since they were the advanced group.  It was his idea, and it was an excellent one.  I wouldn’t have to put up temporary teeing grounds, and this group would be up for the increased challenge of the “longer” holes. 
    This is the first birdie with my tweaked back.  My back gave out on me while working on my presentation for Time to Teach for Koogler.  It was caused by many hours of cramped airplane seating, golf in Virginia, stress, and too many slight bends forward while sitting and testing Response Cards for the training. 
    That’s when I got...