Last Post of 2022-A Swing Trainer Junkie?

Written on 12-21-22.

        This is fun!  James and Danielle came home from Lakewood with us yesterday, so the four of us are hanging out.  They will be here through Christmas, so it’s a celebration in many ways.  Casey will drive from Albuquerque on Friday, too.

James rode along to my cardiologist appointment this morning just to keep me company, which was very nice.  I had a good report: no atrial fibrillations!  B and I just came back from town where we exchanged our iPhone 8’s for accessories for our iPhone 13’s.  I got a wall charger, and she got a slim wallet that attaches to her phone.  Danielle just left to go to Safeway for a grocery run.  B and I meant to go to Sam’s Club today, but she forgot her club card, so we made new plans.  We will go tomorrow or Friday now.  No biggie.

We watched Spielberg’s The Fabelmans last night, and it was wonderful.  I could see many of the references from his movies throughout, such as Close Encounters, Schindler’s List, and Saving Private Ryan.  It was an extremely well-done movie.  He’s a master movie maker.

Tomorrow, it will be A’s and B’s 56th birthday, and we plan on going to Griego’s for lunch together.  Life is good.

On to golf…

Eric and I played at Pinon Hills the first day it opened after all of the renovations.  Construction was still going on, but they allowed play, and it was fun.  Eric came up with a game that was similar to the Reverse Handicap Game.  It just wasn’t reversed, so holes were worth a thousand times whatever the hole’s handicap was, which was weird.  If I won an easier hole, like hole #4, I won a lot of points.  If I lost a difficult hole, it didn’t really hurt as bad.  

It wasn’t busy (we played later in the day), so we added a little putting game that escalated as we played our round.  The winner of the hole would pick a spot on the green from far away, and we would attempt to get a one-putt or a two-putt from that location.  If one of us made it in one shot, we would get double the money, but neither one of us did that.

To wrap this up quickly, I won the game with the handicap system at the end of the round.  I think I won by around $2000.00, but we missed out on three of the putting contests (holes 7, 8, and 9), because someone who was walking came up behind us, so we kept moving to keep the pace up.

We had a putt-off on the practice green, and I just needed to two-putt two of those to win it all.  Unfortunately, I only got one, and Eric got two, so his score surpassed my score.

It was a different competition, and it was fun.  I had a seven-footer for my final putt to win it all, but I missed it, so he truly deserved to win.

For Christmas this year, I asked for (and ordered it myself) the Precision Impact Swing Trainer.  The first one I ordered never showed up, though.  It got stuck in Lansing, Michigan, and I had visions of what had happened last year happening all over again.  

However, I reached out to Mike, the president of the company and customer support, to explain what had happened, and he sent me another one!  He was very easy to deal with, so kudos to him and his company.  Hooray!  I will get my gift this year.  I look forward to using it.  I believe I am a swing trainer junkie.

James and I are going for a late afternoon walk now. 

Until next time…

Ice Golf for Arthur

Written on 12-10-22.

        Kody and I just came back from walking down to the mailboxes.  I saw an e-mail telling me my replacement Abaco sunglasses had arrived, so I decided to go get them.  Kody did an excellent job of walking on his leash.

Back to golf…

Arthur (again, not his real name) had two funny things happen at Hillcrest on hole #12.  The teeing grounds were all moved forward because of the winter conditions like I had written before, so it was only around 130 yards to the pin.  For his first shot, his ball landed short and ricocheted back towards the water.  The water was mostly ice, though, so his ball skittered across the ice heading over towards hole #17.  Eventually, the ice ran out where it was water, so his ball fell in and went sploosh.  He teed it up again, and this time he chunked it fat.  His ball was headed towards the middle of the ice, so he turned away in disgust, but I kept watching.  His golf ball bounced off the ice with a loud crack and landed on the green.  It was only about 15 feet away form the hole.  I told him that I write about my golf adventures, and this story was definitely going into the journal.

Final Round at Hillcrest During the Pinon Hills Renovation

Written on 12-4-22.

        I am lying next to Belinda on a Sunday night.  We are in bed, and we have a new comforter to help with the colder nights.  It worked so well last night that we turned down the thermostat for tonight.  I woke up once, and I was a little sweaty.  Hopefully, tonight will be better.  

It’s deceptive.  It feels light, but it keeps the heat in well.  Another reason for buying it was that we were putting on quilts and extra blankets, and I just wondered aloud that if we had a comforter that was warm enough, we wouldn’t have to keep doing that.  It worked.  I can see the light green of the fabric reflecting the light of my MacBook screen.

On to golf…

I played with Herman (not his real name) and Eric at Hillcrest recently.  The weather was fantastic for this time of year, so I arranged it all.  Eric had an appointment with Dr. Lavengood in the morning, so we moved it from Riverview to Hillcrest.  I got a tee time for four, because Herman said his daughter would play, but she changed her mind.  Somebody named Arthur (not his real name either) was added to our group instead.  He was from Bayfield, but he worked for an oil field company in Ignacio.

I will continue this later, but I am glad to have gotten it started.  I am getting sleepy myself, and it is an uncomfortable position for my neck.  Until tomorrow then…

Written on 12-5-22.

I go to work on Tuesday and Thursday this week and next week.  I got a lot of stuff done for this week’s visits today.  I have a little bit of time to write before B and I go over to the Edgertons’ for dinner.  We are having pork chops tonight, and they are making everything.  They are working on eating better, and Eric has lost 11 pounds.  This will be the last time we see them before they go to Moab for some camping.

Back to golf…

Eric only played the front nine, and he rode in a cart.  He got some good news from Dr. Lavengood about his sciatica at his appointment, so we were happy to hear that.  He had a lot of double bogeys, though.  

Herman beat me by four strokes on the front nine with a 41 to my 45.  I didn’t keep score for him on the back nine, but he struggled, and I really wish I did keep his score, because I think I might have beaten him this time.  

On hole #13, he topped his tee shot, so it did’t go far at all.  I didn’t see it (I was taking a bathroom break), but I saw where it ended up.  For his second or third shot, he shanked one over by the fence.  I know he moved it or replaced it from off the fence line, and then he struggled a bit more after that.  I know it wasn’t a legal score, but I am pretty sure it would have been a high one.

On hole #17, he hit one OB.  He decided to just play it from OB, though, so it wasn’t a legal score either.  The thing is I don’t know if I will ever beat him, because he doesn’t hole out sometimes, too.  I know he is an excellent putter, but on those greens, he might miss one or two.  It was a putt I would have liked to have seen, but he informed me he gives himself putts sometimes.  I had a four-incher on hole #14, and I teased him that I was giving myself that one just like he did.  He didn’t laugh.

When we came to hole #18, he wanted to bet Arthur and me, and I should have taken him up on it.  I scored a bogey into the wind from the blues, and he didn’t fare well at all.  I ended up shooting a respectable 44 on the back for an 89 overall.  What helped were the par three holes.  Due to the freezing conditions (it was a struggle to get a tee in the ground on many holes), they had moved all the tees up to a spot in the sun on the par three holes, so they were all within 150 yards.

Eric and I played at Pinon Hills for the first time since it had all the improvements done.  I think it was the very first of the soft opening, and we got a tee time close to 1:00.  Melton said he got into a group with an earlier tee time.

I will write about that round soon, and I still have one more story to relay about Arthur’s tee shots on hole #12.

My Aunt Cynthia Dies

Written on 11-17-22.

        I am at Newcomb, and I have no plans with teachers as of this moment.  They have an assembly at the high school at 10:30 and 1:00, so three of the plans I had set up got postponed until next time.  I have found other things to do, though, and I feel I can write until noon when I meet with one of the Navajo Language teachers.  I am making this little break my writing and lunch break.

Yesterday, we learned that my Aunt Cynthia died.  She had a heart attack a few days before, so I wasn’t surprised.  It hurt to see Dad cry during our chat.  Mom cries, but Dad hardly does.  My eyes got watery, and my throat felt warm and full, too.  Many of her friends had died, and her social network fell away, too, after Covid.  Mentally she declined, also.  Her mail was stacking up I heard.  Sadly, Dad said that is what has happened to them as well.  I reminded him that they still have family, and he agreed, but I could see something has changed in Dad now.  It was like a resignation.

I said that it was a great thing to outlive your friends and to have a good, long life, but he didn’t sound too convinced.  Is it better to outlive your friends like Mom and Dad have?  I think so, but it must get discouraging at times.  

B and I will go visit them tomorrow for her first weekend of Thanksgiving break.  We plan to leave before 3:00.  Hopefully, the weather won’t be too bad, and we’ll make it.  We talked about staying at the new Hampton in Salida if we get too tired.  

We will have the usual Swoperton Thanksgiving Dinner next week on Friday, and all of the kids are coming.  This weekend and next week will be bountiful for us.  We have much to be thankful for.

On to golf…

The last time I played was with Troy (Casey’s stepdad) at Hillcrest.  I arranged for us to play nine holes at 10:30.  I couldn’t get a tee time before 2:00 at Riverview, but it worked out for the best.  We arrived just before our tee time, because I thought we might have a frost delay, but everything was running on schedule.  We took a few swings for our warm-up and we were off.

We both had a rough start.  I got a double, and he had problems getting out of a fairway bunker and some short game miscues on the first hole, hole #10.  He got a bogey on the next, though, and then I got the first par on hole #12.  

Things got even better for him after hole #15.  He got a double on that hole, but he said that would be his mulligan hole, so it would be a par instead.  He had a misfire on his tee shot there, but he recovered nicely.  After that misstep, however, he went par, par, par on the final holes.  It was great to watch, and he said I was his favorite playing partner now.  He consistently outdrove me, landing his ball an average of 20 yards ahead of mine.  I was impressed!  For the last three holes, he would play golf the way it’s mostly supposed to be played: a long drive on the fairway, an approach that hit the green, and then two putts.  He was so happy that, even though we could have stuck around to play nine more holes, he thought it should be left alone.  I said he was going to have a satisfied feeling driving home thinking about how it had gone at Hillcrest.

He shot a 46 with the mulligan, and I shot a 46 without using any, so we agreed that he tied me.  I agreed to let him have the mulligan when he asked me, but I bet he will be able to beat me without using any mulligans the way it’s going for him.  He was so encouraged to continue playing golf, and I was just thrilled that he had had a fun time.  Despite the two doubles I started with, it turned out to be an okay round for me, too.  I earned two pars.  

Okay, my lunch break is over.  I am off to meet that teacher.

Until next time...

Rounds of Golf Like This Don't Come Around Often

Continued from 10-29-22.

Back to more golf…

        Patrick (last name) bought a yardstick for our round at the Bishop’s Classic.  This was the first time I had seen one of those.  So, if we got the shot within the yardstick, we could count it, but we had to measure how much length was used on each hole you used it.  The good thing was that you had both sides, so that was 72 inches of advantages.  We used it to help our score on at least nine holes, and we used it for one eagle, many birdies, and a couple of pars.  It made a big difference on our final score, and we also used up all four of our mulligans.

I heard the winning score was a ridiculous 43.  The 2nd place score was 50-something.  At least we played better than the team we were matched up with, and we did very well with only two players.  Patrick said he used to be a 12 handicap, and I could totally see that.  I love this tournament, and I believe in the cause.

I got the certificate for the free round of golf at Hillcrest from Greg in the mail.  He enclosed a note that said we should use it before it expires, so I arranged...

B and I Celebrate our 32nd Anniversary

        It's Belinda's and my 32nd anniversary today!  We already celebrated a month ago (read below), but it's wonderful to have made it to our 32nd anniversary today.  I love you, Belinda!  We are waiting to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow with the Edgertons, and the Swopertons will be together again for the first time since Becca and Matt's wedding celebration.  That is way too long.  

Written on 10-22-22.

We have just winterized our sprinkler system and our camper on a beautiful fall day.  I am taking some time to write, and I am a bit amazed that I haven’t had much time to do so lately.  I’ve had many more important things to do.  Here’s the thing that frustrates me: I only have time to write the details, so I will begin with that.  

On to golf…

I played with Patrick (last name) in the Bishop’s Classic.  I completely misunderstood Roger’s intention.  I thought he was recruiting me to set up a team.  I thought he was going to play, too, but when I showed up, he wasn’t there.  It was just Patrick and me.  

Because it was a three-person tournament, they allowed us to take turns taking our third “person’s” shot.  On the scorecard, it said TBA for our third person, so for the rest of the tournament when Patrick and I took a shot for TBD (we changed his last name to TBD for To Be Determined), and it was a bad shot, we were berating and making fun of him.  If we didn’t say who was taking the shot (either TBD or ourself), we would consistently blame TBD for whichever shot was worse.

Patrick was fun to play with.  He told he was 81 years old (same age as my mom), and he was a bundle of energy.  He did some things 81-year olds tend to do, though.  He asked me to repeat what I had said sometimes.  He lost his Raiders ball marker…and a head cover, and something else.  We got his ball marker back on hole #9, though, our second to last hole.  A group had actually picked it up.

He was a super partner to have.  He thought the world of Roger.  We did really well, I thought.  We made it to ten under, and we got the better of group of three players we ended up playing with.  Because he could tee off from the turquoise tees, he garnered a bunch of the longer drives on the front nine (which was our back, because we started on hole #11).

Written on 10-23-22.

I am not going to recount every hole, but I will count the shots we each had that we ended up using to see if it was as even as I thought.  Generally, we used more of my shots on the first nine holes, and then most of his on the second nine holes.  

I was right.  We used 19 of my shots, and I counted 15 for him, so it was mostly even.  He did have more shots on the second nine, too, like I wrote above.  That’s funny to me, because I remember him telling me on hole #16’s tee box that he might get tired later in the round.  It was just the opposite; he gained energy and focus.

I also want to mention the use of the yardstick.  He bought a yardstick, and I had never heard of using one of those in a scramble.

I will continue later to explain…

Written on 10-29-22.

I am sitting across from a fireplace in the Fireside Cabin at the Apple Orchard Inn.  B set this all up for an early anniversary gift.  I see yellow leaves out one window, our picnic table out the back, and the inn and the fantastic yard and its landscaping out the front.  It’s a Saturday, and we check out in about 15 minutes.  We met the new owners, Jim and Leslie, and they served a mean breakfast with made to order omelets and pecan pancakes.  The have owned it since September of 2021.

Now, I am (we are) back home again after the nearly hour-long drive.  We spent most of that drive catching up with Danielle, which was marvelous.  She talked about her recent adventures with dating, her new nanny jobs, and her visit with Becca and Savannah.  It was just great.

I am watching the Good Good Cup Major, and I have my little putting strip behind me from yesterday.  I was listening to, and taking breaks from, the two trainings that I am taking for the CORE by practicing my putting.  It helped.

A Trip to Lakewood for Dad's Eyes

Written on 9-29-22.

        It turns out that we are not playing with Greg this Sunday, but Eric and I chose to play anyway.  Greg texted us to let us know that Nan’s sister suddenly died.  He gave no details.

*Eric and I chose not to play either.  We woke up to rain, and the forecast predicted thunderstorms later in the day for Durango, so we chose to pass on the golf that day.

Written on 10-16-22.

It’s been a while.  It’s a Sunday, and that’s the reason I’m writing.  Have I had time to write?  Yes, but I haven’t taken the time. However, I have been busy, too.  I recently took a trip to Lakewood to help out with Dad’s second cataract surgery.  It all went well, and we had the whole family together for a day and a night when Bev drove up for the surgery day.  It was complete with a visit with Joe and Tammy at Tacos Selene (a new place Joe had discovered and recommended), and I got a lot of chores done for Dad, too.  Guy and I played golf at Troy’s golf course again, and I will write about that later.  We played the full 18 holes this time. 

We had a relaxed conversation with James and Casey this afternoon.  We are just beginning to have discussions about their wedding day (10-14-23).  I don’t think I have written about it in here yet, but James proposed to Casey at a Rare Americans (a Canadian band) concert.  We are super excited to have Casey join our family!

Danielle is back in Albuquerque after completing her fifth fire season, her third at Boise.  We were unable to make the trip this time, but we are so glad she is home and safe again.  I am hearing she applied for and got the job of being a nanny on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and she is applying for yet another nanny position.  She would be very good at that. 

On to golf…

I have played three times since the last time I wrote, so I will catch this up chronologically.  First, I got to play 18 holes with Guy as I wrote above, which is always a dream.  I decided to have us work together this time instead of competing.  We were a little wrecked after I picked him up at 2:15 AM at the airport, but we both caught up on sleep the day after, sleeping in until around 10:30.  Despite that, my sleep schedule was now off, so I was tuckered out.  

We chose to get eight pars and...

Playing at Pagosa Springs

Written on 9-28-22.

        Today is Casey’s birthday.  It’s on the 28th, so she was already a member of the “28 Club” that I became a part of when I had my brain surgery.  

I am at home today, and I am relaxing.  I got a lot of cleaning done yesterday and a lot of stuff off of my “To Do” list, too.  I am tired today (I’ve only walked Kody and gone shopping), so it’s nice to have a bit of a reprieve.  I still have many items on my list, but I feel I can relax a bit today.

I go to my physical therapy appointment for my shoulder at 9:00 tomorrow, too.  Hopefully, it will be resolved, but it has been feeling better lately.  I can go to sleep on it now, so that’s a change.  At least I could still play golf this whole time, because it has taken a while to get some physical therapy set up.

On to golf…

I played with Grant and Eric this past Saturday at Pagosa Springs.  It was fantastic!  All of us camped at the West Fork Campground the night before, and the (their last name) ended up in the spot right across from Amanda and Eric.  B and I were set up just around the loop, just a short walk away.  It was beautiful there, and we all hope to go there again.

The golf was okay.  We started on the blue tees thanks to silly Eric’s suggestion, but we learned on hole #7 of Ponderosa that those were the farthest tees.  Boy, did we struggle, and Grant...

A Par on Hillcrest's 9th Hole

Also written on 9-15-22.

        I played 18 holes at Hillcrest yesterday, nine holes with C.J. and Hart, and the other nine with three strangers: Lance, Michael, and Troy.  After I played, I went to the range to hit more than a medium bucket, too.  It was more than a medium, because I scrounged a dozen or so from nearby.  

I came back happy and exhausted.  I didn’t play too well, but I played from the blues again, and that is a challenge on the back nine, and the last three holes on the front nine.  I shot a 94 or a 95.  I need to check.  My Garmin said 94, but I think I missed an extra push of the score button.  On the front, I only got one par.  On the back, I got three.  The back was better than the front, because I was tired, and it showed in my lack of concentration.

I tried something new, and it was affecting my contact.  I was making more of a turn on my backswing, and I was consciously trying to point my left shoulder at the ball.  I was thinking left shoulder down, let the club fall, and then hit it hard with my right hand that would make the essential divot.  I was gaining distance, but I was losing control.  

I played the par three #12 better, because I hit the green with my 6-iron.  I triple-putted, but I finally hit that green.

Written on 9-22-22.

I am at Newcomb Elementary today, and I am taking a break here at the end of the day to do some writing.  It was a busy day, and I am tired.  I just yawned.

I was writing about the good parts of the last round at Hillcrest.  This won’t take long then.

I wrote that I managed a par on my final hole on the front nine.  I don’t remember many pars on that hole, but I do remember the two bogeys I got there from the recent rounds.  I think bogey is a good score, especially with that tricky green, and it’s made harder playing it from the blues.  My tee shot fell short of the lone, front bunker, and I managed to pitch my ball onto the green, but it was far from the hole.  The hole was cut on the front left side of the green, so I didn’t have a lot of green to work with on my pitch.  

Lance had a putt of about the same length for birdie, so my putt would help him with a read.  I rolled mine into the hole, and he was calling it good when it was still five feet away.  He called it correctly!  It dropped in the hole, and I said something about not being able to give him a better read than that after I gathered my ball from the cup.

That’s all the time I have.  I am going to get on the road.  Next up, we play at Pagosa Springs on Saturday.  I am so looking forward to it!

Until next time…

High Expectations Yield Higher Results

Written on 9-15-22.

        I’ve gotten a lot done this morning, so I am taking some time to write.  I go back to McCoy and Newcomb next week, so I e-mailed both schools to remind them, and I also confirmed plans with teachers who set up times with me on my last visits.

I still haven’t gotten a call from the CORE, but I will remain patient.  Hopefully, by tomorrow?  

On to golf…

I played so well on the back nine, I thought I could handle playing from the golds.  I did okay, just three strokes higher than the front nine.  I stumbled a bit at the end with a couple of double bogeys.  

I did manage to be the only one to get a par on the first hole, and I did it with another masterful pitch and a putt.  Everyone else got bogeys, so it was a good start.  I hit a decent tee shot with my “turf buster” on the par three over the water after that, but everyone got a par to my bogey on that hole.  I did better than Tyler, because I don’t think he got a legal score.  Some of his tee shots went...

A New Discovery That Worked

Written on 9-9-22.

        I see 20 quail on our front yard.  John, our neighbor, is using a trimmer in their “oasis,” so they have come to our yard to hang out while he works.  They are so funny.  Heads bobbing about.  Skittish.  Always on the move.  Tiny legs.  And then, just like that, they are gone.

It’s a Friday afternoon, and it’s just past 3:00.  I was at Newcomb yesterday for my first visit there for this school year, and I don’t work again until I go to McCoy on the 20th and then back to Newcomb on the 22nd.  

I am in limbo until I hear from the ladies in charge.  I have no idea what I will do or where I will go for the next contract.  Hopefully, they will give me another contract!  It’s a little suspenseful, since they haven’t called me yet, and they said they have started calling coaches.  If I work for the CORE again, it will be my seventh year.

Written on 9-11-22.

21 years ago.  Never forget.  We have our flag out today to honor those who died.

B is in the living room, and I am in the computer room.  I just started Pandora, and I am listening to Running Up That Hill Radio.  It’s playing Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart.  

Kody is resting in the cool grass outside my window.  We spoke to Dani-Girl this morning, and she is in Idaho for her final roll.  Hard to believe it’s her fifth year now, and it’s coming to a close.  We worry about her safety often.  I wonder if she will extend this year, since she doesn’t have a teaching position back at Cleveland Middle School in Albuquerque.  

On to golf…

I played with...

I Get My Parents to Myself-What a Gift!

Written on 8-27-22.

        I am back from Lakewood, and it was a fantastic trip.  Who wouldn’t want quality time with their loving parents?  It was just a marvelous three days, and I am so grateful that I had the time to go be with my folks.  They are slowing down, for sure, and I see it more and more on every trip.  I helped out with whatever they needed, but we mostly just visited and hung out this time.

It’s a Saturday, and I am fighting back yawns and sleepy tears.  My sleep schedule is off after going, but I am getting it back in sync.  It’s difficult to focus, but writing will line me out.  It usually does.  I just did some light house cleaning while B went to Hobby Lobby with Amanda.  Now, it’s 12:39, and she is lying down in our bedroom for a well-deserved nap after her third week of school. 

On to golf…

I wanted to write about Riverview with Melton and C.J. the last time, but we started dinner early that night after the BMW Championship ended.

I played well, and I was encouraged.  Melton shot a 77, and I shot an 88.  When we came to hole #18, I had outscored him on the previous five holes.  My score on those holes was 19, and his was 21.  I even scored a birdie on #17.

Riverview Golf Course-Hole #17-Birdie #10 of 2022

Yes, I made it to double-digits this year!  I used my pitching wedge, and I am wondering how I could have scored such a big number earlier this year on such an easy hole.  It was just over 100 yards to the pin, and I made great contact, so my golf ball landed on the green and short of the hole around 18 feet away.

When I putted, I thought I didn’t put enough speed on it.  It broke a bit from left to right, and it kept on rolling and rolling until it spilled into the cup.  Melton said something like, “Look at this guy.”

Unfortunately, I played #18...

James Gets a New Car! It's About Time

Written on 8-13-22.

        Do you have troubles slicing the golf ball?  How many times do you have people tell you that you have an “over the top” swing?  I am watching a myswingevolution commercial before I watch another Good Good Golf video on YouTube.  I will keep it going while I write.  

James and Casey came here for another wedding, this time Cari (last name's).  James brought his new car to surprise us, too.  It’s a black Kia K5, and it only has the mileage from Albuquerque so far.  It looks long and sleek.  I enjoyed the quiet cabin, too.  James has made a super choice for his first brand new car.

We also celebrated his 29th birthday.  We invited Char and Jess here for lunch today, but Char had a deadline to make, so she couldn’t come.  We enjoyed some gooey dessert!  Casey tried if for the first time.  This year’s gifts were a rolling toolbox, a ratcheting screwdriver, and the Catan game with treasures, dragons, and adventures.  We think he was happy with our choices.

We spent some time to write letters and postcards to Danielle for her birthday as well.  She will come back to Boise on the 15th, so it will be wonderful for her to find all the love in her mailbox when she arrives.  She is in Bend, OR, right now.  A firefighter on another crew died because a tree fell on him!  One of her crew went to go retrieve the body, and he had a tree fall on him earlier, too, and that accident broke his back.  I am betting it was very emotional, even though he didn’t know the guy.

Written on 8-21-22.

I am watching the conclusion of the BMW Championship.  Patrick Cantlay needs two putts to repeat.  He has done it, and he nearly holed his first putt for a birdie.  Xander needs to putt out now, and then it will be over after Patrick taps in from two inches.

B and I just did a bunch of food prep to get ready for this week.  I am going to Lakewood to visit the folks, and B goes back to work for another full week.

B Starts Full-Time Work and the 1, 2, 3 Game at Riverview

Written on 8-10-22.

        I am watching the Good Good boys playing their UK Major with Rick Shiels.  It’s fun to watch, and I like their energy.  I have watched many of their videos lately, and if they knew about that, they would say, “Subscribe!”

I don’t, though.  I can see their latest videos in my feed anyways, and I may lose interest.  I could always unsubscribe.  

It’s a Wednesday, and I have gotten most of my chores done.  Kody walked.  Check.  Dinner made.  Check.  Vet called.  Check.  Clothes put away.  Check.  New sunshade and connectors for the new deck in the cart at Amazon.  Check.

Belinda started her full-time Title 1 job yesterday, so we are working together to make it all survivable.  I am taking over on meals and cleaning the kitchen and the bathrooms.  WE can do this, and we are definitely a team.  Kody is helping by being a bit more patient for his morning walks.

I did my first workout with Matt after nearly three years yesterday, too.  I survived, but it wasn’t as hard as it could have been.  He wanted to see...

Camping at Vallecito and Swinging My Lag Shot

Written on 8-1-22.

        B, Kody, and I are camping at the Vallecito Campground for the first time.  It’s beautiful here.  We are the only ones camping in Loop D.  One couple left this morning and someone else has a spot reserved for tonight, so we get this all to ourselves.  It’s tremendous and rare.  

I just let Kody outside, because he heard a chipmunk.  I think it was eating his food out there, but Kody fixed that; he ate it himself (the food, not the chipmunk).  B is watching a movie on Netflix with the two bars on her phone as a hotspot.  We took a short walk earlier on the Weminuche Trail, and we barely made it back in time before the rain came down.  As soon as we came inside, it started.  We took a drive to the Country Market for something to do, and we bought some ice cream.  Lighting and thunder came at the same time all around us as we enjoyed our treat.  It was a spectacular nature show!  We actually felt the vibrations in the Jeep.  Amazingly, Kody doesn’t get scared with thunder.  He doesn’t like fireworks, but he hardly reacts to thunder.  Weird.

I read and did some editing on the first half of this journal this morning.  I don’t have anything to catch up on after doing that, and it all looked and sounded good to me.  I am just so grateful to be able to play, and my takeaway was I am playing a lot.  Hooray!

I could recount my last round at Hillcrest with Hart and C.J., but there isn’t much to tell.  We played from the golds again, and I did poorly…again.  Then I went to my doctor’s appointment with Dr. Lavengood for my right shoulder.  He decided to order an M.R.I.  It felt better after my appointment (figures), but something is wrong.  It hurts to sleep on my right side, and if it gets in a “bad” position, I have tremendous pain.  

After my appointment, I went back and played from the blues with some people from Albany, Texas.  I shot a 45, and I wondered why?  Why do I play better from the farther tees?  Why do I play badly with Hart and C.J.?  I texted C.J. after my second nine holes, and he agreed a 45’s a better score for me.  I putted better the second time around.  I had multiple three-putts and even one four-putt on the final hole when I played with them.  Sigh.

I swung my Lag Shot some more on this camping trip at our spot here, D12.  It’s a weird trainer, and I am still figuring it out.  I wish the Kalassy Swing Trainer allowed people to hit golf balls like this one does.  With that one, you cannot swing over the top either.  I guess you can do that with the Lag Shot, but it’s really difficult.

Next up, we play at Riverview again, but this time with Grant and Debbie.  That’s a different group, but it’s going to be a fun outing.  Eric got a tee time at 12:30 on Thursday.

I texted Matt (last name) to set up my final two workouts with him in August, so am I looking forward to those?  Yes, I am, but it will be difficult to do an hour or longer workout after being so weak, but that’s why I’m doing them.  I need to get my stamina up again.

I am thinking about going to Lakewood to visit the folks in August, too.  I won’t start work until the end of August or the beginning of September, so I thought that now would be an opportune time.  I will talk to them about it in our chat tonight.  I will bring my clubs if I do.