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...
zapped! I leaned forward slightly in our tired black office chair to grab a Response Card on our weight bench in the computer room, and ZING! Pain shot through my lower back, a familiar pain that has not surfaced for many years. It’s been a good run, but it’s over. I am working hard to repair my back now, but driving to the bottom of the state has not helped. Belinda driving more than she usually does, however, has.
So, my back was tender when I took my swing with my 3-wood. Since we were playing from the reds, I knew my driver could put my ball over the green. Because I was playing with the kiddos, it took about 20 or more combined swings before we could get up to the green, but my ball was just short of the green, and I had a pitch from down below the green to a pin that was centered, but towards the back. After helping and directing the participants some more, I took my shot and my pitch put my ball within three feet of the hole. C.J. came down to watch and help since his group was already done. I was the last one to hole out, and C.J. announced that there was a ton of pressure on me to make this birdie putt, but it certainly didn’t feel that way. I lined it up, let it go, and it fell in. I’m counting it even though it was from the reds. I took three quality shots to get my golf ball in the hole there, and I set a good example for my First Tee golfers. I went three, three, three on those three holes!
It’s later in the day now. The sun is angling right into my face as we head towards San Ysidro. We are getting closer to home, but it’s been a long day of driving, for sure. It makes sense because we are driving from one corner of our state to the opposite corner in one day. We are both road weary, but we must power on because Belinda has to report to work again tomorrow in Durango. My coffee is helping.
I did get to meet Mike Speck, and I did get two of my books back. I let him have and keep the “little yellow book,” though. I did the same for Jesse Fuentes from Carlsbad. I met with him earlier this morning. He is the Director of Secondary Education there, and I called ahead to set up a meeting with him. Time will tell if it ends up in a training, but I won’t know unless I ask. I’m glad I made the effort.
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...
zapped! I leaned forward slightly in our tired black office chair to grab a Response Card on our weight bench in the computer room, and ZING! Pain shot through my lower back, a familiar pain that has not surfaced for many years. It’s been a good run, but it’s over. I am working hard to repair my back now, but driving to the bottom of the state has not helped. Belinda driving more than she usually does, however, has.
So, my back was tender when I took my swing with my 3-wood. Since we were playing from the reds, I knew my driver could put my ball over the green. Because I was playing with the kiddos, it took about 20 or more combined swings before we could get up to the green, but my ball was just short of the green, and I had a pitch from down below the green to a pin that was centered, but towards the back. After helping and directing the participants some more, I took my shot and my pitch put my ball within three feet of the hole. C.J. came down to watch and help since his group was already done. I was the last one to hole out, and C.J. announced that there was a ton of pressure on me to make this birdie putt, but it certainly didn’t feel that way. I lined it up, let it go, and it fell in. I’m counting it even though it was from the reds. I took three quality shots to get my golf ball in the hole there, and I set a good example for my First Tee golfers. I went three, three, three on those three holes!
It’s later in the day now. The sun is angling right into my face as we head towards San Ysidro. We are getting closer to home, but it’s been a long day of driving, for sure. It makes sense because we are driving from one corner of our state to the opposite corner in one day. We are both road weary, but we must power on because Belinda has to report to work again tomorrow in Durango. My coffee is helping.
I did get to meet Mike Speck, and I did get two of my books back. I let him have and keep the “little yellow book,” though. I did the same for Jesse Fuentes from Carlsbad. I met with him earlier this morning. He is the Director of Secondary Education there, and I called ahead to set up a meeting with him. Time will tell if it ends up in a training, but I won’t know unless I ask. I’m glad I made the effort.
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