Written on 11-16-15.
I just accidentally typed 11-16-16. Whoa! Slow down. Let’s live one year at a time, okay? This year isn’t over yet. Although it makes me wonder what we will be doing a year from today. Good thing I keep this journal. It’s highly likely I will be writing again one year from now.
Belinda and I are headed back home after going to Lakewood for Joe’s step-grandfather’s funeral. I missed his mother’s and his father’s funerals, so there was no way we weren't going to go to this one, especially now that we are “rewired” and we can take the time. He truly appreciated our making the trip.
Belinda is driving, and we are listening to Alan Parson Project’s Games People Play, a perfect song for us as we are figuring out where we go from here now that all of the children are grown up. We are figuring out how to live our lives now that nobody lends us a hand…or gives us a damn. Just kidding. We have plenty of help if we need it, and plenty who care about us.
Personally, I feel we are doing fine, just fine. Although we went to a funeral, I love road-tripping with my wife. In eight days, we will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary with our children. That’ll be fun. Where did the time go? When it was my turn to drive about an hour ago, I reminisced about...
driving back to Fort Lewis College after spending a weekend at home, possibly after a Thanksgiving. That was over a quarter of a century ago. Belinda and I talked about how happy we are with the decisions we’ve made so far. 25 years each as respected educators in our community. Two wonderful children. Four, really. Plenty of great times and events together with family. No regrets. Life is not only good right now, it’s great! We have much to be thankful for. Thank the Lord, it’s great.
Charlie’s funeral was held at the Ivy Chapel just off of Quebec, about a 27 minute trip from Mom and Dad’s. His widow, Anne (as she sat in her wheelchair in the spotlight of the late afternoon sun), was presented with the flag of the United States with a silent and solemn ceremony. Taps was played. Amazing Grace was sung. I swallowed.
Those incredible moments, however, did not get me as much as the dismissal. Charlie’s great granddaughter, Brooklyn, loved to visit and listen to one particular song that he owned, and he loved playing it for her as much as she loved dancing to it. I could picture this little girl be-bopping in her diaper while he looked on…and smiled.
We were all dismissed to K.C. and the Sunshine Band’s Shake Your Booty, and anyone who felt inclined was welcomed to let the music move him or her. I thought of his generosity and kindness, and it just got me. I silently wiped tears from my eyes while waiting for our turn to leave, and as we walked out, I let the music move me a little. It seemed inappropriate for that music to be in the chapel, but it wasn’t. It was extremely appropriate, and I am certain Charlie was smiling as the music played.
On to golf…
When C.J. and I played on Friday, I earned another birdie and we won the game we played, working together to finally beat the Bogey Man, and actually beat him handily. I had another great back nine, adding just one stroke more than the last time I played it, shooting a 38.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #14-Birdie #44 of 2015
We set the goal at +4 for the front nine, and that’s exactly what we shot together. On the back nine, we set the same goal, and then we beat him by two strokes. This birdie helped us get back to even. I drove my golf ball right up the middle, and it landed even with the 150 yard marker. My caddy C.J. told me to club down two clubs, but I ignored his advice. I wanted it to land at the front of the green, so I chose my 150 yard club, my 8-iron. Sadly, it still ended up just short and left. I was on the hill in some thick grass just above the green, and I was staring down into the bowl straight on. I knew a baby chip would land my ball just off the green and that would be all I needed to get it to slowly roll into the bowl. That’s what I did, but my ball still rolled past the hole about six feet. From the last time, I knew this putt would move left to right, but it looked straighter this time. I aimed more for the left edge than the center of the hole, though, and I peeked just as it went in.
On #10, C.J. and I reversed roles. Last time, I was way short, catching my tee shot thick. I ended up making a long putt for a bogey, and he, although his ball was much closer with his tee shot, ended with a double.
This time, C.J. was way short, at least 50 yards away, but he made a recovery type bogey, and I blew what should have been a bogey and made the double. Ugh.
After that, I played steady golf. I went par, par, par, birdie, par, bogey, par, bogey. The new putter really helped me on hole #13 where I needed to make an uphill eight foot putt for my par after driving my ball just past the green on the left side. In the round before, that new putter helped me earn that birdie, but it also helped with that long bogey putt on #10 and a similar length putt for par on #14 after getting a read from C.J.’s putt. This putter has helped with my distance control. With my other putter, my hands are split, and it feels a bit awkward, like I’m sticking out my left shoulder and elbow too much causing mis-alignments and pulls. With my hands together, I feel more aligned, and I can swing through to a better follow-through. It’s also giving me more confidence on shorter putts because it feels so heavy. I can just swing it back, and I know it will swing through smoothly with the added weight. I’m trying to over analyze this, but the confidence boost is the best thing about it; I can see my targets and swing that putter knowing that every swing gives me a better chance of having my golf ball go right where I’m looking.
I just accidentally typed 11-16-16. Whoa! Slow down. Let’s live one year at a time, okay? This year isn’t over yet. Although it makes me wonder what we will be doing a year from today. Good thing I keep this journal. It’s highly likely I will be writing again one year from now.
Belinda and I are headed back home after going to Lakewood for Joe’s step-grandfather’s funeral. I missed his mother’s and his father’s funerals, so there was no way we weren't going to go to this one, especially now that we are “rewired” and we can take the time. He truly appreciated our making the trip.
Belinda is driving, and we are listening to Alan Parson Project’s Games People Play, a perfect song for us as we are figuring out where we go from here now that all of the children are grown up. We are figuring out how to live our lives now that nobody lends us a hand…or gives us a damn. Just kidding. We have plenty of help if we need it, and plenty who care about us.
Personally, I feel we are doing fine, just fine. Although we went to a funeral, I love road-tripping with my wife. In eight days, we will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary with our children. That’ll be fun. Where did the time go? When it was my turn to drive about an hour ago, I reminisced about...
driving back to Fort Lewis College after spending a weekend at home, possibly after a Thanksgiving. That was over a quarter of a century ago. Belinda and I talked about how happy we are with the decisions we’ve made so far. 25 years each as respected educators in our community. Two wonderful children. Four, really. Plenty of great times and events together with family. No regrets. Life is not only good right now, it’s great! We have much to be thankful for. Thank the Lord, it’s great.
Charlie’s funeral was held at the Ivy Chapel just off of Quebec, about a 27 minute trip from Mom and Dad’s. His widow, Anne (as she sat in her wheelchair in the spotlight of the late afternoon sun), was presented with the flag of the United States with a silent and solemn ceremony. Taps was played. Amazing Grace was sung. I swallowed.
Those incredible moments, however, did not get me as much as the dismissal. Charlie’s great granddaughter, Brooklyn, loved to visit and listen to one particular song that he owned, and he loved playing it for her as much as she loved dancing to it. I could picture this little girl be-bopping in her diaper while he looked on…and smiled.
We were all dismissed to K.C. and the Sunshine Band’s Shake Your Booty, and anyone who felt inclined was welcomed to let the music move him or her. I thought of his generosity and kindness, and it just got me. I silently wiped tears from my eyes while waiting for our turn to leave, and as we walked out, I let the music move me a little. It seemed inappropriate for that music to be in the chapel, but it wasn’t. It was extremely appropriate, and I am certain Charlie was smiling as the music played.
On to golf…
When C.J. and I played on Friday, I earned another birdie and we won the game we played, working together to finally beat the Bogey Man, and actually beat him handily. I had another great back nine, adding just one stroke more than the last time I played it, shooting a 38.
Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #14-Birdie #44 of 2015
We set the goal at +4 for the front nine, and that’s exactly what we shot together. On the back nine, we set the same goal, and then we beat him by two strokes. This birdie helped us get back to even. I drove my golf ball right up the middle, and it landed even with the 150 yard marker. My caddy C.J. told me to club down two clubs, but I ignored his advice. I wanted it to land at the front of the green, so I chose my 150 yard club, my 8-iron. Sadly, it still ended up just short and left. I was on the hill in some thick grass just above the green, and I was staring down into the bowl straight on. I knew a baby chip would land my ball just off the green and that would be all I needed to get it to slowly roll into the bowl. That’s what I did, but my ball still rolled past the hole about six feet. From the last time, I knew this putt would move left to right, but it looked straighter this time. I aimed more for the left edge than the center of the hole, though, and I peeked just as it went in.
On #10, C.J. and I reversed roles. Last time, I was way short, catching my tee shot thick. I ended up making a long putt for a bogey, and he, although his ball was much closer with his tee shot, ended with a double.
This time, C.J. was way short, at least 50 yards away, but he made a recovery type bogey, and I blew what should have been a bogey and made the double. Ugh.
After that, I played steady golf. I went par, par, par, birdie, par, bogey, par, bogey. The new putter really helped me on hole #13 where I needed to make an uphill eight foot putt for my par after driving my ball just past the green on the left side. In the round before, that new putter helped me earn that birdie, but it also helped with that long bogey putt on #10 and a similar length putt for par on #14 after getting a read from C.J.’s putt. This putter has helped with my distance control. With my other putter, my hands are split, and it feels a bit awkward, like I’m sticking out my left shoulder and elbow too much causing mis-alignments and pulls. With my hands together, I feel more aligned, and I can swing through to a better follow-through. It’s also giving me more confidence on shorter putts because it feels so heavy. I can just swing it back, and I know it will swing through smoothly with the added weight. I’m trying to over analyze this, but the confidence boost is the best thing about it; I can see my targets and swing that putter knowing that every swing gives me a better chance of having my golf ball go right where I’m looking.
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