The Appropriate End of 2019

     The last time we played was also probably the last time we would be able to play this year.  With 2019 coming to an end in a few days, and with no decent weather days, this journal is winding up.  This was the round that had our regular threesome and ended up being warmer than I expected.

     We chose stroke play, and I took two pops on each nine vs. Bruce.  I started well.  I went par, par, double, par, bogey, and that’s when it unraveled.  C.J. and I got so far behind with stroke play that we chose to start over with a new game, and since Bruce was playing so well (he shot a 41 on the front), C.J. wanted the two of us to take on Bruce in match play on the back nine.  This really is going to end up being the last round of this year, unless some miracle happens in the last days of December and we have a warming trend.  Not likely.

     Here’s how it happened.  Bruce started off with a par on hole #10, and C.J. and I were all...

The End of the Tractor Story

Written on 12-26-19.

     The tractor driver saw it coming, and although it was well below where he was sitting, he dodged to the left in his seat for safety.  The ball bounced off the one of the big tires, and it made a sound like a red playground ball bouncing off the pavement.  Poink!  Instead of flying off into the desert and some miserable or impossible lie, it bounced toward the green and stopped on the fringe near the famous rocks.

     Leave it to Bruce to have a shot that hits a tractor and ends up just off the green.  I wish I could write that Bruce sunk his shot from just off the green for a par.  That would be an incredible story!  My first thought at that moment, however, was that Bruce gets all the lucky bounces, but I know that simply isn’t true.  He has had his share of wacky, awful bounces, too, but his game is a super example of the more he practices the luckier he gets.

     He rolled his putt for par too far past the hole, though, and then he missed the comeback putt for a bogey, but I am pretty sure that the bounce off the tractor gave him a much better score than he would have earned if his ball continued on unimpeded by the tractor tire.

The Beginning of the Tractor Story

Written on 12-14-19.

     I am in our computer room, and it’s a cloudy December day.  We attended the funeral/life celebration of Kirk Carpenter’s wife earlier today.  It was beautiful; she appeared to have lived a great life in her short 51 years.  It hit close to home, because that’s how old young Belinda is.  We are so fortunate and fragile, and I take none of it for granted.  

     We didn’t know her, had never met her, but we showed up to support Kirk, of course, one of the most resilient people I know.  What he has had to put up with these past two years with the shooting at the high school, with deflecting the blame for what happened with a certain person, and with his wife’s illness and eventual death has been astounding.  He has strength of character in endless reserve, although he wouldn’t say it.  He’s a super example of a human being, and I am proud to say I know him.

On to golf…

     We played yesterday at Pinon Hills, and it was so fun.  I thought it was going to be a really chilly round (brrrrr), but after we got going at 12:50, our tee time, it was really pleasant.  I even took off my sweatshirt for about nine holes in the middle of the round.  The sun came out a few times, and I could feel the warmth on my face.  Eric could not play again due to a tweaked back, but at least he got another invite.  It was our usual golf threesome, and we finished right at dusk, just in time to see a vibrant, Bronco orange sunset from the parking lot.

      I want to write about the incident that happened on hole #6, actually on a different day.  It happened when Eric came out to join us for nine holes.  Eric got the par to win the hole, which I did write about, but what I haven’t written about was what happened to Bruce, or rather, what Bruce did.  

     His tee shot came up short.  We were playing from the teeing grounds that are down below this time around.  We’ve been playing there more often recently.  On this day, about five people were working on the landscaping around the picturesque rocks by the green.  They were digging around the rocks, and making room for smaller gravel-type rocks.  They had shovels, gloves on, and they had one guy on a tractor.  We all teed off despite them working near the back of the green.  They didn’t seem to mind…or even stop for us to play through.  Bruce lined up for his second shot and let it go.  It shot out sideways, though, and headed straight for the tractor.  He shouted, “FORE!” but it happened so fast.

To be continued in the next post...

Happy 29th Anniversary, Belinda!

Written on 11-24-19.

     Well, this is spectacular!  We are staying in the Sunrise Casita at Blue Lake Ranch for our 29th wedding anniversary.  How did we not discover this place before?  Belinda mentioned we might want to stay at the place where Kelly and Rocky got married, but we would have to do a little research first.  We wanted to go somewhere, do something.  After a quick Google search, here we are.

     I don’t want to sound like a brochure for this place, but hardwood floors, a gas fireplace, southwestern decor, outdoor patios, gardens, vigas, latillas, and much much more comprise the many things that make this place special.  We’ve got it all to ourselves, too.  The Sage and Sunset casitas that are next door are completely vacant.  We just came back from breakfast, and we only saw one other guest.  It’s as if we have it all to ourselves.  Oh, and the veggie frittata was sublime.

     Last night, we ate at the Kennebec Cafe, and of course, our thoughts were with Dale.  He would have approved...

We Play One Time at Hidden Valley Again

     That was fun!  I’ve been on the receiving end of a beating from Bruce and C.J. at Hillcrest many times before, but Mike and I had come back from being two down.  It felt good.

     We played at Hidden Valley on Thursday, too.  I went early to get breakfast and get warmed up.  I saw Randy, and I ordered a breakfast burrito.  We talked about how things were going with the golf course, and he said he is still looking for some people to step up and take over with a non-profit.  It sounds like things are still in limbo.

     Bruce and C.J. showed up, and we were off.  I chose escalating skins, and they agreed.  I won’t go into detail, but it did come down to the last hole again.  Bruce never really got anything going, so this contest came down to C.J. and me.  I won the front nine, but all the big money comes on the back side.

     When we came to the last hole, I figured C.J. had the edge.  He had won four skins on the back, but I had a chance if I played the last holes well.  I finished par, par, par, but it wasn’t enough.  I won #16 and #17, but C.J. finished with a par of his own, and with a pop on the last hole, he gained a net birdie and won the the skins game.  Even my hitting the fairway on the last hole for the last big bonus could not beat him.  The final scores were Bruce: 250K, Pat: 770K, and C.J.: 990K.  

     Although I took second place it felt like a win with my strong finish.  C.J. had to get that net birdie to beat me, which to his credit, he did.  I shot an 82.  Bruce shot a 91, and C.J. earned a 90.  He really had a brain break on hole #6, where he piled up multiple strokes with bad pitches.  I gave him a handicap seven on that hole.  

     I feel good about my game right now.  I am killing it off the tee.  I go back and forth with my new Warrior driver, which I am calling my driver/3-wood, and my Wishon driver, or the White Knight.  What I struggle with is my irons.  I fail to find the bottom of my swings on some of my approaches.  If I could figure that out, I would get some really low scores.  

     Enough for now.  I wrote a lot today, but I have my cardiologist appointment tomorrow, so I am going to go to bed.  

Until next time…

It's Fun When It Comes Down the Last Hole

Hole 10: Mike saved us on this hole.  My first tee shot sliced wildly down the hill (the hill that goes downtown!), so Mike stepped up and earned a tying bogey to keep us at two down.  Thank you, Mike!

Hole 11: I returned the favor on this hole.  My drive actually went to the right side of the green (a little dangerous due to the out of bounds), and I had a tough lie on my second shot, so I flubbed it toward the green.  I recovered with a decent chip and a putt for a par, but Bruce earned a par, too.  Still two down.  We could have easily been four down, but Mike and I were playing well, taking turns having good holes.

Hole #12: I earned the only par by hitting the green and using up only two putts, but we also got a gift on this hole.  Bruce should have had a par, but he had another putting malfunction and got a bogey.  

     He said that the time away from golf causes him to lose confidence with short putts, so he tends to want to peek to see if his golf ball is going in instead of keeping his head down and trusting his stroke.

Hole #13: Bruce and I tied with pars on this long, difficult par four.  Still one down.

Hole #14: Bruce made a third birdie with a long putt, so we found ourselves two down again with four to go.  Not the best position to be in.  

     I wondered if I should have gotten relief due to the sprinklers that were on my line of my putt from just off the green.  Mike said he would do some research after our round to find out, but I bet he’s forgotten about it by now.  I probably would have earned a par, or at least a bogey, instead of the double I got, but it didn’t really matter with Bruce’s birdie.

Hole #15: Mike and I both earned bogeys, and that was good enough to win this hole.  C.J. and Bruce struggled to double pars with unbelievable and rare mental lapses.  Bruce even shanked his tee shot into the bushes!  Back to one down with two three holes to go.

Hole #16: After Mike hit his approach onto the green, I told him he could have a birdie if he wanted.  I should have told him the same thing on all the other holes, because he drained his fairly long putt…for a birdie!  Boy, did we need that.  He also had an incredible drive, getting his ball to stop up on the top of the hill close to the 100 yard marker.  Impressive!  We were even with two holes to go.  It was anybody’s game at this point.

Hole #17: I had another swell drive.  I really drove it well that day, only losing that one shot down the hill on #10.  I messed up my second shot with my 5-iron, though, barely getting it to the corner.  My utility club, however, redeemed my lousy second scuffed shot with a smooth 200+ yard shot to the fairway just in front of the green.  I then made a decent pitch and a better than decent putt for my par!

     C.J., however, made a clutch and tricky four-footer from above the hole to match my par and Mike’s par to push the match to the final hole.  Wow!  What a putt.

Hole #18: It’s always fun to come to the last hole with a chance to win it.  That just doesn’t happen very often.  Before I teed off, I said as much, and I commented on the fantastic weather, too.  Bruce concurred.  

     Then I hit another grand drive, right on the fairway and approximately 160-165 yards from the hole. Bruce went left towards the trees.  Mike found the fairway, too, and then C.J. went farther left than Bruce, out onto the dirt actually.

     Mike’s tee shot was just behind mine, so we talked while the other two struggled from behind the trees.  He said we had a pretty good chance of winning this match from the way things started, but I knew better.  Strange things can happen in golf, and I knew it wasn’t over until it was over.  I accidentally said, “Never say never,” but that isn’t what I meant to say.

     Must have been the stroke talking.  I meant to say, “It’s not over until it’s over.”

     Thankfully, I had an approach just short of the bunker.  From there, I made a pitch that stopped to just to the left of the hole, leaving only two feet.  I should have had a par, but I missed that putt.  I could hear the small gasps escaping from everyone’s mouth (not really), but I made the putt that won the match after that.  That one was only a foot away, and a bogey was all we needed to close it all out.  Bruce and C.J. had continued to struggle, but C.J. managed a double, so to miss would mean we would have tied.  Phew!  We won!

I Keep Trying to Include Eric, But...

Written on 11-9-19.

     I am in our computer room on a Sunday afternoon.  B went to Kelly’s school to help her move to another classroom (not sure why she has to move), and Danielle is reluctantly facing her bedroom.  She plans to go through everything in a Konmari Method kind of way to declutter and basically clean things up.  She watched the movie Yesterday with me, and that helped her procrastinate…until now.  Because of that movie, I am listening to Beatles Radio on Pandora.

On to golf…

     I’ve played golf twice recently, and both times, we had a blast.  I attempted to include Eric, too, but both times he couldn’t play.  He said he could play, and then something came up.  We wanted to play our usual fall round at Hillcrest and go out to Cuckoo’s after, so I set it up for a Sunday afternoon with great weather predicted, but he couldn’t play because Kyle was in town.  A very legitimate reason.  I called Mike (last name) to take his place, which he did.  More on that round coming up.

     Then Bruce and C.J. wanted to play Hidden Valley again for some reason (to support local or to reminisce?), so I set up a day to play there on another super weather day, considering it’s November.  I invited Eric again, but he called me in the morning to let me know he couldn’t play, but he might join us on the back nine.  

     This time, the police were with him...

I Find My Inner Warrior due to Warrior Golf

Written on 10-27-19.

     Hello again.  I’ve been avoiding my golf journal, my silent friend, because I struggle with the keyboarding.  It’s frustrating.  What would take minutes to write before takes…well…more minutes due to the constant mistakes.  I feel ready to write again, though, because writing is integral to my life.  And, how will I get better without the attempts, the practice?  Actually, my golf journal is the ideal spot to practice.  I just didn’t feel ready until today, so I avoided it.

     I just posted the above entry in FB.  Haven’t posted anything from my golf journal on FB in a long time, but I felt this was important to share.

On to golf…

     I did a trial with the company, Warrior Golf.  If I tried out their 3-wood, 5-wood, and their 7-wood, I would get to keep their driver…for free.  What a deal!  I would have 45 days from the day they were delivered to try them out, and I took them to the range a couple of times.  They were fine.  They just didn’t outperform my TaylorMade woods and my Wishon utility club.  Truthfully, I hardly use those three clubs.  I use my utility club the most, and I have had great success with it, so I see no reason to trade it in.  So, I prepared to return them all…except for the driver.  

     I called to get my return authorization number, expecting to get a pitch to get me to keep all four golf clubs.  Bless their hearts, because they really did try.  They wanted me to try out new irons and a putter for a special deal, and they tried to get me to keep the woods for a lesser price.  I finally acquiesced to the woods for a much lesser price.  I paid $150.00 per club, minus the driver, but I agreed to get $300.00 refunded to my America Express, so I would get to keep each club for about $50.00 each.  I could live with that.

     Now, I will get to continue to work with them if I want to, and I might even use them.  Shawn expressed an interest in trying they out, so now he can do that, too.  

Until next time…

Our Trip of a Lifetime

Written on 9-29-19.

     I’ve escaped death two times now.  First with my brain surgery back in 2011, and now with a stroke on September 8th.   Wow, am I a blessed man.  What a miracle.  What a trip.  

     We had just finished up a long podcast with 12 episodes when it happened.  We were driving into Sterling and Belinda, who was driving thankfully, said something like, “This has been the trip of a lifetime, hasn’t it?”

     Then she waited for confirmation, but she never got it.  Or, she got it two weeks later when I had recovered enough to answer her.  Yes, it had been the trip of a lifetime…especially after this. 

     I remember trying to figure out the podcast still.  I know this.  This is silly.  My feeling at that moment was that of incredulousness.  This is so simple to operate, isn’t it?  I know how to operate the podcasts, but I couldn’t solve this puzzle.  Then I heard B’s questions.  “What’s wrong?  Are you okay?  Can you answer me?”

     I’m fine.  Yes.  Sure, just give me a minute.  

     But I wasn’t fine.  I certainly was not okay.  I couldn’t answer her at all.

     I could hear the panic in her voice.  It escalated.  She asked me to step out of the truck.  I could do that.  When I got out, she came around to meet me face to face.  To look into my eyes.  Later, she told me my eyes looked dead.  No warmth.  No spark.  That’s when I could see the panic in her eyes, and not just hear it in her voice.  I was afraid.   

     I kept thinking I am fine. I just need to find out what’s wrong with me.  I can find the solution to this problem, but not here.  I need to go somewhere to find it?  I started to turn around and walk off, but B insisted I get back into the truck, so I listened.  I could do that.  I could get back into the truck.

     But, I was trapped in my mind, my body.  It was a frustrating and helpless feeling.  My entire body had become mute.  I could think of the words to say (barely), but I could not form the words.  She asked me to write something when we got back into the truck, but all I could manage were three numbers, 344.  I was in trouble, but Belinda saved me.   

     She called 911, and that started everything that happened from that moment forward…all the way up to today.  B knocked on the door on the back of the ambulance vehicle to say goodbye…possibly for the last time.  They told her, “Ma’am, we have to go!”  

     After that, it was a series of events. Ambulance ride.  Stay at the Sterling hospital.  Consult with some lady doctor/expert from Denver via video conference.  I couldn’t answer simple questions like how old am I, what’s my name, and when was I born.  Yes, I was having a stroke!  Clot busting drug administered in the first two hours.  Second ambulance ride to Greeley.  No flight for life due to storms on that day.  Multiple visits from friends and family.  I am loved.  One night in ICU. Another night out of ICU.  Checked out of the hospital.  Two days and nights spent recovering at Mom and Dad’s.  Road trip home, and then finally an appointment with my PCP, Dr. Lavengood to begin to figure out what happened.  That’s where we are now, trying to figure out what happened.

One Spot Over and One Last Night at Algonquin Park

Written on 9-3-19.

     We ending up moving over just one spot to the adjacent Campsite #12, so we still have the same view of the lake.  I’m looking at it though one of our porthole windows at the front of our Alto right now.  I’m sitting at our dining room table, and B is all snuggled up in a throw in the back.

     This morning, we did take a hike like we said we would, but the canoe is unfortunately out of the question for two reasons.  First, they stopped delivering the paddles and the life jackets earlier today, so we could not even get a canoe after lunch.  Second, it’s raining and chilly out there.  It would not be a fun time to be out on a lake, so we are enjoying quiet time in our new trailer instead.

     We also enjoyed lunch at the Lake of Two Rivers Cafe and Restaurant, and while we were there we bought our dinner for this evening at the grocery store.  Tomorrow, we will get back on the road again and head toward our port of entry, Sault St. Marie.  That’s it for now.  I am going to work out before I change my mind.

Until next time…

How Shawn and I Won Together for the First Time

Written on 9-2-19.

     It’s Labor Day, and now is the “next time I write.”  I never know when the next time will be, but this time it happens to be Labor Day, and we happen to be in our new Alto about to spend our fourth night ever in our fabulous new camper.  It’s been dreamlike and surreal.  Multiple times, B has asked, “Are we really doing this?”

     We are.  This night, we are staying at a campsite in Canada called Algonquin Provincial Park, and we are at the campground called Lake of Two Rivers, Campsite #14.  Somehow, we managed a spot that is by the lake, so that is where it begins to get dreamy.  I wonder how we were able to reserve this spot the night before.  We are a pitch shot away from the beach, and our site is roomy and away from the other sites.  

     Tomorrow, the plan is to hike, have lunch at a nearby cafe, and then go out in a canoe.  We like this place so much, we plan to reserve another spot (or this same one if we can) for a second night.  Life is so hard right now (over the top sarcasm there). 

On to golf…

     On the back nine, I played more like I am capable.  Would it be enough for Shawn and I to get our first win together, though?  Here’s what happened.  

     We were one down after the...

Shawn and I Team Up Together Again

Written on 8-26-19.

     Belinda and I are somewhere in Ohio.  We’re on I-80, and the sky is drizzly and gray.  It’s a lighter gray, though, like the lightest gray on our new kitchen floor with its faux wood pattern.

     She’s driving and listening to Harlan Coben’s audio book Hold Tight.  It’s 3:22 here, but it feels much more like the 1:22 back in Aztec, the time we’re used to.  It feels more like it’s just after lunch, not heading towards dinnertime.  Our next stop is Niagara Falls where we’ll be staying at another Hampton Inn.  Because Tink and Laura are not inviting us to come to their cabin tomorrow night, we’ll have all day tomorrow to explore Niagara and then possibly drive halfway to Maine in the PM.  We shall see what we decide.  We’re two crazy lovebirds who are doing whatever we want, so we’ll just decide when the time comes.  Born to be wild!

On to golf…

     I wanted so desperately to get a win before we left, so I could have this moment here, the moment where I get to recount how it all went down to get a victory.  Here’s what happened the last time we played before going on our adventure.  Ah, we are 34 miles from Toledo.  That’s a bit more specific than somewhere in Ohio.

     Bruce is out when it comes to golf for now.  He e-mailed me to let me know not to invite him when we have tee times anymore.  He’s happy doing other projects at home.  I said in my reply that that was fine, but I also asked him about Hillcrest.  I haven’t heard back from him yet, though.  We hope to play at Hillcrest again when I return.  We haven’t done our usual Hillcrest/Cuckoo’s combination yet this season.

     Since Bruce wasn’t there, Tim joined us to make up our foursome.  Although I learned on the first tee that Shawn had bashed in his left thumb with a hammer while helping a buddy with his flooring, I still recommended that he and I take on Tim and C.J. this time.  His thumb was swollen and sore, but he could still play.  Everyone agreed, and we were off.  C.J. would get his usual three pops per side on the six most difficult holes to make it fair.  Hopefully, Shawn and I would prevail this time.  We had never won together before, but I had a good feeling.  

     We had a great start.  I won the first hole with a par.  My driver put my ball just off the fairway on the left, and my 8-iron landed my ball on the correct tier on the green for an easy two-putt.  We were one up.

     We stayed one up for the next two holes, but that was all Shawn.  I struggled with two double-bogeys in a row.  I made a long putt for that first double, though.  Then Tim got the only birdie of the round on hole #4 to get his team back to even.  C.J. got a par, too, and we talked about how that hole was his hole; he always plays it well.  My par and Tim’s par kept us even on hole #5.  Shawn’s bogey and C.J.’s bogey kept us even on hole #6.  I hit the green on #7, but I triple-putted for a bogey, so we stayed even on #7, too.  It was a good match-up.

     Tim and C.J. both earned pars on #8, so we were down for the first time.  Thankfully, Shawn matched Tim with a par on hole #9, and it was a superb par, too.  He had to pitch out sideways after his tee shot, and he made an excellent pitch to less than a foot for his fourth shot.  After nine holes, we were one down.  

     When I started this round, I had six new Bridgestone golf balls.  I checked to see how many I had before pulling out of our garage.  When I finished the front nine, however, all six golf balls were gone.  I won’t tell how each ball was lost, but once again, it was comical.  My buddies joked about having to stop and buy a sleeve of new golf balls.  Thankfully, I had extra golf balls in the pocket of my golf bag where I keep my sunscreen, too.  

     Shawn lectured me about going to the range before playing, and he’s right.  I should.  He joked that I could take those six new golf balls down to the range, whack them, and get rid of them there instead of losing them out on the course.  Point taken.  At Hidden Valley, we could tee off without warming up and take our one mulligan on the first tee if necessary, but that doesn’t work at Pinon Hills.  Too much danger lurks near the fairways over there.  Thankfully, I avoided most of the danger on the back nine.  

     We are past Toledo now, and I’m going to take over driving again.  I’ll write about the back nine the next time I write. 

Until next time…

It's Our Daughter, Danielle's, 24th Birthday and a Dream About Dale

Written on 8-25-19.

     Today is Danielle’s 24th birthday.  She’s 24 on the 25th!  We already celebrated with her on the way to Lakewood.  Today, she celebrated again when the Edgertons (sans Becca) flew to have lunch with her in Pagosa Springs.  Our children are now 24 and 26.

     I will have slept on three very different beds in three days after tonight’s sleep.  Two days ago, I spent the night in Mom’s hospital room, #361, at St. Anthony’s after her shoulder replacement surgery.  It was her second night, but my first.  She wanted some company, and I was the logical, best choice.  Bev and Belinda went home with Dad, and I slept on the leathery twin bed that was right under the window.  Mom and I both slept well, so it was a good decision.  I believe it comforted her to know I was there.

Last night, it was back to Mom and Dad’s house and the downstairs bedroom with the two twin beds.  One is really noisy/squeaky, so I stopped sleeping on that one many visits ago.  I move around a lot compared to Belinda.  B, the still sleeper, slept on that one, and I got the quieter one again.

     While there, I had my first and only dream about Dale since he died just over a year ago.  I had received an e-mail from Shutterfly that asked if I remembered some photos from eleven years ago recently.  I’ve gotten those before, and I normally delete them without going to their site to see the rest.  Before it had arrived in my inbox, though, I had been thinking about and remembering a photo that had Dale, Craig, and Dad leaning against some vehicle in Eric and Amanda’s driveway.  Lo and behold, this group of photos had that photo and one more that was only slightly different.

     Because of our road trip and seeing those photos, I was set up to dream the dream that I had.  I was driving our truck, and Belinda was with me.  We had not left for our trip just yet, but I told B that we were just previewing where we were going to go.  Then I saw a large red brick wall on the side of a building.  Centered on that wall, was a single door, and it instantly reminded me of the door that is in the middle on the side of Aztec Media.  Out of the dark came a figure, a striking figure with a large belly.  At first, I didn’t know if it was Dale, although the silhouette looked very much like him.  Then I saw and knew that it was Dale.  As soon as I recognized him, I said to Belinda, “There’s your dad!”  

     Like other dreams that are similar to this one, the more I wanted to get near the person, the farther away he became.  I turned the steering wheel towards the building, but the truck stubbornly drove the other way.  It was like turning a steering wheel on an amusement park ride.  Futile.  

     And, like the other dreams of loved ones who have left this earth, chills ran up and down my body.  Sometimes, the chills (or flames or bolts of electricity) center on my neck and brain, but these went all over.  And then he was gone, and the chills went away.  

     In one other way, I was set up to have this dream, too, and that has to do with our Alto that we are picking up in five days.  On the Facebook group titled Altoistes, they have a thing where members post when they have a “sighting” of another Alto when out on the open road.  Belinda and I had our first “sighting” just outside of Johnson Village.  I jolted B out of her nap to make sure she saw it, too.  

     Seeing Dale like that in my dream was similar to that.  It was better than seeing a silly camper on the highway, of course, but it was also a rare and beautiful thing, and I felt fortunate to have it happen.

     That’s enough for now.  We have another long day tomorrow as we head from Iowa City to Niagara Falls.  I have yet to write about my last round of golf before we left, and it will be fun to write about that.

     Happy 24th birthday, Danielle!  

Until next time…

A Truly Cruel Golf Story

Written on 8-14-19.

     It’s a Wednesday evening, and it’s dusk.  Hopefully, I won’t get a mosquito bite, because West Nile has been discovered in San Juan County.  Yikes!  I am watching my legs and arms between sentences.  

     Belinda and I are on sitting on our back deck, “Sanctuary,” and we are talking with Anna.  We are making plans to go to the cabin tomorrow.  It’s the year anniversary of the death of Dale this Friday, so we want to go do something to keep our minds off of it, or celebrate it, depending on our moods.  Em is planning a surprise birthday party for James for Friday, too, so we need to be home in time for a FB video chat as part of that surprise.  It will be a short trip, but we need this.  It’s going to be a rough couple of days.  

     “Sanctuary” is even better now with the new deck cover, and the outdoor white “Christmasy” lights really add to this pleasing atmosphere.  Steely Dan is singing Do It Again on Pandora, and I just let Misty and Kody out here to join this private summer party. 

On to golf…

     I played yesterday and today.  I played with Shawn yesterday, and we decided to replay the GIR Game.  He beat me this time, and the final score was 44 to 23.  I played poorly on the back and never really challenged.  He shot a 91 to my 94 this time.  It was super hot again, and I was dragging by the time we made it to hole #16.  Those last three holes take all of my mental and physical energy to finish respectfully.  The game was close...

Three Birdies in One Round...at Pinon Hills

Written on 8-9-19.

    After he drove away, Danielle showed up and we had a wonderful dinner together before she went dancing with her friend, and then I headed home.  For the entire trip, I got to be with some of my favorite people.  I saw Emily, Carter, Bev, Daryl, Katie, and Adi in the Springs.  I spent an entire evening with Mom, Dad, and Joe, and we had great conversations while enjoying Mom’s Spanish Rice and Joe’s usual entry ticket into their home, another lemon meringue pie from the Village Inn.  Mom and Dad destroyed Joe and me in two games of Sequence.  Heck, Dad even finished us off with one move that completed two sequences at once in the second and final game.  Ouch.  It was a fabulous trip!

     Now, I’m back home, and I could have gone to play golf today, but I chose to stay home and get caught up on some writing, so that’s what I’m doing.  B is doing tire inventory for Big-O, and I’m home alone with the pets.  If I had gone to play, I would have been alone there, also.  Shawn took his mom to Albuquerque, and C.J. chose to swim instead.  The weather is overcast, though, so it would have been a super day to play due to the cooler weather.  Oh well.  I want to catch up here, especially because I have three birdies to record.

    I chose to buy a brand new, slate gray, North Face backpack from Dick’s with my prize money.  It actually cost over $150.00 with tax, so I used the gift card as a $100.00 discount.  I am really happy with my choice, even though it’s not golf-related.  From here on out, every time I look at or use that new backpack, I will...

My Failure Pitching Single Length Irons to a Drunk Man

Written on 8-8-19.

     I am waiting outside on the dining patio at Rosie’s Pizzeria in Pagosa Springs.  Danielle will be here soon after getting off work.  I am coming home after my training at Carver Elementary yesterday.  It went really well, and the bonus was having a private lunch with Daryl, Katie, and Adi yesterday during the training.  This was the third Time to Teach seminar at Carver, and they are well on their way.  I see them taking off with Time to Teach this year, and my focus for this training was more about home connections, Teach-To’s, and letting them have more time to discuss and plan.  I was more of a facilitator than a presenter this time.

     I was eavesdropping just now on two gentleman who were talking golf, and one of them was talking about what types of irons he was hoping to get next.  It was hard not to eavesdrop, because he was talking loud enough for all of us to hear and with a bit of a slur.  He took one last shot of tequila before driving away in his truck, too.  He was young, and he talked about how he liked the variety of shots he can make with different length irons and adjusting his hands on the grips, so he didn’t buy what I was selling.  I told him I was playing better with them due to their consistency.  Oh well.

Mass Shootings, A Sign of Our Times

     Belinda and I are in a KOA Campground in Quebec City, and we are doing some laundry and some wi-fi stuff while we wait for our clothes to dry.  She just told me there was yet another shooting in Texas.  Sigh.

     We are in Quebec, because we picked up our brand new Safari Condo Alto F2114 yesterday, and we spent the first night in it just last night.  That's a bit of good news to help offset all of this tragic news.  For this last post in August, here is what I wrote at the beginning of the month.

Written on 8-4-19.

     Another day, two more mass shootings.  So sad.  This time, it’s a Wal-Mart in El Paso, Texas, and somewhere in Dayton, Ohio.  My director, Rocio, from CORE lives in El Paso, so I am truly hopeful that she’s safe.  What is happening in this world?  Why aren’t these individuals getting the love, support, and attention they need?  What will eventually reverse this dangerous trend?  Is this the new norm?  It has already struck close to home, too, right here at our Aztec High School, but that does not in any way make us feel safer.

On to golf (something to keep my mind off of these tragedies)…

     Shawn, C.J., and I played on Thursday, the first day of August, and we chose, or rather I chose, the GIR Game again.  They didn’t want to choose the game this time, so it was up to me.  GIR is always a great choice, because that’s what the game of golf and playing it really well is mostly all about.  The players who score well hit more greens than the ones who don’t. 

     Bruce has better things to do right now, according to his reply to me, but we are going to have dinner at their place tomorrow night, and we are bringing Kody, so he can have a play date with their dog, Rocky.

B/G Club Scramble Part 2

Written on 7-28-19.

Hole #15-I was the last to tee off again, but I had less pressure for this tee shot, because we had two on the fairway already.  I chose to wait, because the group ahead of us was still on the green.  After they left, though, another group was on the green on #16, so I hollered at them to let them know I was going to go for #15’s green.  They politely hid while I went for it, and I made one of the best driver swings of the day here.  My ball flew high and over the cottonwood, and Mike thought it would be either on the green or just short of it.  

     It took us a while to find it.  It wasn’t on the green, in the hole, or in one of the bunkers.  I noticed it in the weeds between the first bunker and the green, though, so we were a short chip away from the hole.  The scramble format helped, because we were able to place our golf balls and improve our lies.  Sadly, our best shot went over the green and stopped on the fringe, and I believe that was my shot.  We let Roger use a mulligan here to get it closer, but his club went under his ball and barely advanced, so we took mine instead.

     I was the first one to go, and I chose to putt it.  Amazingly, my ball hit the stick and dropped in.  We all hooted.  I had hogged all of the shots for this birdie, but I am choosing not to count it as an official birdie for this journal, because I certainly improved my lie for the shot from the weeds.  Eight under after ten holes.

Hole #16-I drove really well on #11 and #15, putting my golf balls right next to the greens and pin high for those, so I thought I might as well give it go on this hole, too, so I did.  Jeff Newland is the newest manager of the pro shop and the course after retiring from teaching this past year, and he showed up in a cart to watch us all tee off.  I went last again, and I did...

It Feels Like Summer and Our B/G Club Scramble Part 1

Written on 7-25-19.

     It feels like summer.  Zero to very little stress.  Swamp cooler on low.  Only commitment today was taking our two pets to the vet.  In just a little bit, Belinda and I are going to continue to finalize our trip to Quebec.  Oh, and lots of golf.  Golf yesterday and golf tomorrow.  Write about golf today.  Life is good.  

     Yesterday, Shawn and some guy I’d just met named Gary played at Pinon Hills.  It was dry and hot and exhausting, but we made it, and it was a tad better than when C.J. and I walked while Shawn and Davis rode this past Friday.  C.J. and I were struggling at the end of that round, moving so slowly and gasping for breath as we walked the last three holes.  Just beat.  I played better, so that was encouraging.  No birdies again, but I managed to shoot a lower score than Shawn for the first time in a long time.  He shot a 96, and I shot a 91.  My goal was to beat my 98 from that Friday round.  I did just that, but I really should have broken 90; I just had a really rough time focusing on #18, and that led to a snowman.

Written on 7-27-19.

     It’s 7:35 PM on a summery Saturday evening.  Belinda and I have already our dinner and dessert.  She’s on the back deck with her iPad, and I’m in the computer room writing this.  We washed both vehicles today, and I tried out the “new to us” car-washing “wand” that I was given when I helped Mom and Dad clean out their smaller storage shed during the 4th of July week.  It worked really well, and I know that thing will save us money on car washes.  Why pay when we can do it here at home easily and efficiently?  We plan on having a Facebook Video Chat with James in a couple of hours, so I am writing now before we take Kody for his evening walk.

On to golf…

     When Shawn and I played with that Gary guy earlier this week, Shawn asked me if I wanted to play in a scramble on Friday back at Hidden Valley.  I checked with B, and we had...

Who Is This Guy?

Written on 7-23-19.

     It’s Tuesday, and I will play at Pinon Hills again tomorrow.  I set a tee time for 8:40 AM, hoping to avoid the heat and the monsoon storms that will likely come in the afternoon.  I might be playing by myself, though.  Bruce and C.J. are working on a trellis at the Spence house, and I haven’t received a reply from Shawn yet.  

     The last time we played, Shawn suggested the three of us (Shawn, C.J., and I) take on this new Davis guy that C.J. and I had just met.  He took Eric’s place in our foursome, and that worked well, because he had just gotten the day off from working for UPS.  C.J. thought he was going to be really tough to beat, because he saw what he was doing down on the range.

     Shawn obviously knew how well this guy could play, and that’s why he said all three of us should take him on.  Davis started out with a bang!  After his approach ended up in the bunker behind the green, he splashed his ball out, and although it had too much speed on it, it clanked dead center on the flagstick and...

The Back Nine at 1757

Written on 7-20-19.

     The dog is in the backyard.  The sprinkler guy is working on our sprinklers in the front yard.  The television and the Chromecast are working.  Moving day at The Open at Royal Portrush is commencing.  The laptop is on my lap, and life is good.  

     Eric didn’t play yesterday.  Craig is not improving, so he told me they were looking at hospice care.  Sigh.  Taking Eric’s place was a new guy named Davis.  Shawn invited him to join us when he found out Eric couldn’t play.  More about him later.

Back to the round a 1757…

Hole #10-The group that caught us passed us up when we stopped at the cafe for lunch at the turn.  For the rest of the round, an older gentleman followed us, but he never pushed us and he even stopped at one hole to practice and that let us get even farther ahead.  That helped our round be even more relaxing and just better.  It was just the two of us and the course.

     On another note, Guy remembered this course as having very little shade (he played it once before), but we discovered it had plenty.  It was stinking hot, but we found places to park or stand in the shade on most holes. 

     Guy’s tee shot went right and into a swampy area again.  Mine went left and into a forest.  I teed it up again, and my second shot went farther left and into the forest (okay, maybe second shots aren’t always better) again, so it was not a great start on the back nine.  

     My tee shot ended up...