A Cozy Saturday at the Swope House

Written on 11-18-23.

        B just made some pancakes for herself.  I walked Kody this morning, and I just made a tee time for this Tuesday at 11:50.  B is hosting a bridal shower for Grant and Rachel’s daughter, Zoe.  It’s a cozy Saturday at the Swope house, and we are relaxing on our first day of Thanksgiving vacation together.  I am in the computer room, and I hope to get caught up on my writing and do some reading today, too.

On to golf…

Eric, Greg, and I played at Hillcrest on the day I went to my cardiologist appointment.  Eric and Greg...

A Week With Mom and Dad

Written on 11-10-23.

        I am tired.  I am in Colorado Springs, and it’s been a blur of a week.  This is the second week Bev has been gone to Dublin and London, so I wanted to come help out and visit with the folks.  She went to Carter’s brother Zack’s wedding in Ireland, and then she spent some time in Amsterdam and London afterwards.  

I have spent lots of wonderful quality time with Mom and Dad every day since Monday, and we have gotten some stuff done.  Tomorrow, we are hoping to organize some mail and their files, so I am going over there early.  Dad wants to order an electric wheelchair, too, and I hope to get their pills restocked before I go, too.  Dad says Bev comes home tomorrow, but I don’t know if I will see her.  I probably will. 

Joe, Tammy, Darrell, and I went to...

The Last Two Birdies of 2023?

Continued from 10-30-23.

Now, for the latest two birdies.

Pinon Hills Golf Course-Hole #3-Birdie #6 of 2023

I am getting closer to double digits, but I am running out of months.  It’s getting colder, too, so I don’t know if I will get three more.  Tomorrow’s round might help.

My drive headed right, but it barely made the fairway on the left side.  I earned a point for that, because Eric and I were playing the 1, 2, 3 points game again (we played that a lot this year).  I chose my 7-iron for my approach, because the pin was on the front, and it landed on the green out to the right of the flag.  I had a 30-35 foot putt for my birdie, and Greg helped me with the read.  I put my putt further out to the right after seeing his putt fall below the hole.  It kept rolling and tracking, and then it fell into the hole.  That’s two birdies on this tough hole this year!

Pinon Hills Golf Course-Hole #13-Birdie #7 of 2023

Eric and I played our game, but we also challenged Greg and Marc to best ball match play.  We killed them, but Greg had his worst round of the season, and I thought Marc was supposed to be a near scratch player.  Russell and Greg said he was a good player.  He recently got over being sick, though, (remember I took his place at the Hillcrest tournament), and he had just returned from a trip to Italy, too.  He played...

Did the Superintendent Get His Revenge?

Written on 10-29-23.

        I am listening to the Broncos on my little radio, and they are beating the Chiefs on a Sunday afternoon.  Yes, the Broncos are beating the Chiefs!  Don’t adjust your screens.  The score is 21-9, and we have about seven minutes left.  Recently, when I have tuned in to hear the game, they give it up at the end.  Hopefully, they will hold on.

They won!  Mahomes went for it on a 4th and 20-something, and he threw an interception.  Go, Broncos!  The final score was 24-9.

I have a lot to catch up on in here.  I want to write about the Superintendent’s Revenge Tournament and what happened in that tournament.  I also want to write about the last round at Pinon Hills with Greg and Marc, the guy I replaced for that tournament.  I earned two birdies during that round, one on the difficult par four #3, and the other on the easier short par four #13.  Lastly, I want to write about the fitting I did for new irons at Dick’s with John and what we discovered.  Basically, the search for my new set of irons has been a bit of paralysis by analysis (Luke Tanner’s words).

Written on 10-30-23.

I am going to get right into the golf this time.  I play with Eric tomorrow, and it will be Halloween.  If I don’t get the stuff I mentioned above in here, it’s going to be spooky.

The Superintendent’s Revenge Tournament was...

A Couple of Pregnant Blondes

Written on 10-24-23.

        B and I are settled into bed, and the new mini-split is humming above us.  It’s a Tuesday night, and it’s 8:56.  Ah, the “rewired” life.  Oh, and I get to go play golf again tomorrow.

It’s Ekko’s and Indie’s 1st birthday, so we got a lot of adorable pictures of them on ‘Pupdates’ today.  Pupdates is the group thread on our cell phones that took the place of the “Swopertongs” in order to include Amy, Kyle’s girl.

In other family and baby news, both Emily and Becca are...

James and Casey are Married and Quality Time With Guy

Written on 10-20-23.

        Kody and I are hanging out in the living room on a Friday afternoon.  The house is quiet except for the sound of the ice machine.  I just filled up my cup with some ice, so it’s working hard to replace those cubes.

What a busy two weeks it has been.  James and Casey were married successfully last Saturday.  They drove to Aspen for a mini-honeymoon the day after the wedding.  They were reunited with Ekko when Danielle took him back to Albuquerque two days ago.  

Our house is soooo quiet.  Kody is exhausted, and so are we.  His eyes are closed, and he is on his dog bed.  B just finished parent-teacher conferences for the fall, so she is napping in our bedroom.  I know that nothing is “normal,” but we are getting back into a routine again with just the three of us.

On to golf…

I played golf with Guy, Eric, and Greg at Hillcrest on Tuesday.  Guy stuck around for a few days, and it was surreal even for him.  He said more than a few times, “I can’t believe I am here.”

I put him through the Pat Swope Golf Academy (his words) on Monday.  We did a workout with some of my training aids, and we also played games on my chipping area and putting green.  Before we left for the airport, we did some more pitching and putting, too.  It was fun, and I wish I had my brother here all the time.  Sigh.

Greg and Eric beat Guy and me in best ball match play. They played well together, and Eric earned a par on hole #10 to get their team to four up.  Then Greg got a birdie on hole #11 to take them to five up!  Guy was the only one to get a par on the next hole, the par three over the water, but Eric nailed a long putt from just on the green for a magnificent par to get them back to five up on the very next hole.  I earned the only par on hole #14 to get us back to four down, but it was over on hole #15.  We were dormie, so they won when Greg got another par.  Greg played very well, and he matched the 85 I managed to score the last time I played there.  I played poorly, shooting a 96 this time.  Greg’s play was even more impressive, because it was wildly gusty at times, and the greens were super fast.

For the 1, 2, 3 game, Greg beat all of us with 18 points.  Guy and I tied with 11 points, and Eric managed 8.  The fall colors were at their peak, and it was just a gorgeous day.

Greg texted me today to invite me to play in a tournament tomorrow at 11:00.  It’s called The Superintendent’s Revenge, so it’s going to be wild.

Playing With a Former Student and First Tee Participant

Written on 10-8-23.

        I am listening to the Broncos game, and they are playing the Jets.  They are down 21 to 13 at the end of the 3rd quarter.  Belinda did some anxiety cleaning this afternoon, and she just sat down to relax.  She is stressed because of the wedding coming up this Saturday.  I am looking forward to getting to the other side of it.  It’s been a lot of work and organization, and I don’t see how it could be unsuccessful.  We are in the home stretch now.  James had his bachelor party up at Vallecito at the Edgerton’s new cabin, so that is done.  Sounds like it went well and nobody died, so that’s a good thing.  I have yet to finish my recipe for them; I just need to copy it again.  I also need to write the letter making my prediction for where they will be in five years and what they will be doing.

We heard that Rachel Banash wrecked herself on her bike during a race.  It was a mountain bike race, and she hit a tree.  She broke her collar bone and her scapular bone on the same side.  Poor Rachel.  We are praying and hoping for a quick recovery.  She will be forced to take off this week.

On to golf…

I got to play with Kyle (last name), a former student and First Tee participant.  It was a struggle to find a time when we could both play, but after some persistence, we ended up playing yesterday.

What a fine young man.  We had a fabulous time together on a beautiful fall evening.  Our tee time was 2:40.  I saw Herman (not his real name), and we almost worked it out to play with him and his son.  This was the first time I got to meet his son, Carl ( not his real name either).  Herman always said it would be a good match between Carl and me.  Because Kyle wanted to go to the range and Herman found a spot for them with a group ahead of us, it didn’t work out.  Kyle and I ended up playing with a Chris and a Kevin, but we separated after the second hole.  I thought that they were really good, or at least Chris was, so I didn’t want them to be slowed down.  I was wrong, and I will explain later.

We talked about driving; I let him drive the cart.  He got his permit last year, and he will get his driver’s license this January when he turns 17.

We talked about Star Wars.  I told him that Ahsoka was a good show, and he said he had watched all of the Rebels shows.  Because of that, I told him he would really like Ahsoka.  

We talked about school.  He is doing really well, of course.  In one class, they joke about him being the most humble student.  So, I said that he brags about how he is the most humble, and we laughed about that.

We talked about golf…a lot.  Because we were playing golf, the topic came up often.  He has played in some JV tournaments, and he has done pretty well.  He said he took 2nd place at one of the tournaments at Civitan.  He said that he laughs (privately) at the players who get so angry when they play.

The Final Three Holes

Written on 9-23-23 later that night, 9:06 PM.

     We just wrapped up sitting around our little fire pit with A, Grant, and Rachel.  Roscoe went to bed early, but Kody stayed with us until we were done.  What a super day!  Golf, writing about golf, and camping with friends.  Just wonderful.

I still have a cold or allergies going on.  After the round, Grant and I went to Walmart, so I could buy some more tissue.  I also bought some more Afrin, because I left the one I have at home.  I just used it, and I hope it will help me breathe easier tonight.

Grant had such a good time today that he wants to come back in late October after James’s wedding.  That most likely won’t happen, but we could go to Hillcrest.  He said that he had not played there before, and I told him it was more wide open like the Meadows course today.  He liked that.  We shall see what happens.

Back to golf…

I said I would write about the last three holes, so here I go.

On #16, My drive made it past...

Guy Turns 58 and the Rest of the Round at Pagosa

        Today is Guy's 58th birthday!  We spoke this morning (close to noon for him), and we joked that he was having such a wonderful day that it would be fine if he would keel over at the end.  He wanted to make it to the end, but then he could die.  Ha!  We joke like that, but the point is that he is very blessed.  It's hard to believe, but Guy is close to 60, and Bev will turn 60 this March.  I was talking with my friend Darrell the other day, and we realized that we had known each other for forty years.  Time is a funny thing.

Continued from 9-23-23.

Pagosa Springs Golf Course-Hole #7 on Meadows-Birdie #5 of 2023

        I am so happy I was able to get another birdie, because my score on the front nine was abysmal: a 49.  This one was pretty straightforward. I hit the fairway.  I hit the green.  I made the putt.  I used my driver and my 7-iron, and I got all the points that were possible on this hole.  Eric managed a par, so I was thrilled to have made my putt to get the points for winning the hole, too.

I want to get some of the lessons from this round in here, too.  Many things were not good, especially on...

Lake Capote and Pagosa Springs

Written on 9-23-23.

        I am sitting outside our Alto, and we are staying at Capote Campground with the Banashes.  Eric and Peter Long came to play at Pagosa Springs earlier this morning, and now we are all relaxing back at the campground.  Eric and Peter are headed back to Aztec,  Grant and Rachel are taking Kody and Roscoe for a walk, and Amanda went to go pay $5.00 for using the lake yesterday.  B just took a shower in the “pristine for the campground” showers, and she is hanging out in the camper.  I am amazed that it is near the end of September.  Soon, James and Casey will be married, and I will be wrapping up this journal after another year.  How many more years will I be able to do this?  Hopefully, many, many more.

On to golf…

While it is fresh in my mind, I want to get the round from this morning in here.  I played at Pinon Hills with C.J. and Patrick Smith recently, but I didn’t do too well.  I broke 100, but I didn’t get a score in the 80’s again.   Darn it!  On the front nine, I had some blow-up holes, and I managed a...

A Long Journey to a Lower Score

Written on 9-8-23.

        It’s a Friday, and I am at home with Kody.  I took our Alto to Durango yesterday, and I was able to play 18 at Hillcrest.  More on that later.

Work has been going well.  I have gotten in three visits already, and we had a super start to the year with our meeting two days ago.  I really enjoy the work that I do and the team that we have, and it suits me.  I looked in my first field notes, and this is the eighth year I am starting with the CORE.  I am one of the few who has worked with them this long.

Mom and Dad are holding steady.  Dad is back at Legend, and Mom is doing well with her rehab. I don’t think I have written about it in here, but Mom fell and broke her hip over a month ago.  I went up to Colorado Springs on the day of her surgery, and I helped her out for a week.  She moved into the same rehab facility, Mount Saint Francis, where Dad was after that.  Dad spent nine days in the hospital after another UTI, because he had...

A's and E's New Cabin Home at Vallecito

Written on 9-2-23.

        B, Eric, Amanda, Kody, Mido, and I are up at the cabin for Labor Day weekend.  I think that’s how Mido’s name is spelled.  He is Eric’s sister’s Debbie’s dog.  I found out Mito is the correct spelling for Debbie’s dog.  It comes from the word mitochondria when Debbie was in medical school?  Hmmm.  

B has a cold, but she still went with Kody and me for his walk this morning.  It’s 1:10 now.  She gave me a haircut, too, because my hair was getting long and I remembered to bring the kit.  I thought Eric might have some work for us to do, so I didn’t shower, but when I asked, he said no.  It’s wonderful to just relax and not have something to do, but I feel a bit guilty again.  They just arrived here, but B and I got to spend last night alone.

I just moved out of our bedroom, since B came in and kicked me out.  She wanted to take a nap.  I have moved outside, and it’s just...

A Birdie on the Signature Hole at Pinon Hills

Written on 8-27-23.

    The wedding was fun.  I would say it was similar to Savannah’s wedding which was at that same venue.  The weather was wonderful when we didn’t end up in the sun.  Thankfully, shade from all the trees, and later from the house, gave relief from that.  The ceremony was short.  A person would barely be able to get water to boil before it was over, but it was as beautiful as it was concise.   The Edgertons made it more fun for us after it was over by keeping us company during the time between the wedding and the reception.  Some people handed out cookies in that time, and we also ate some chips and salsa.

Okay, back to the birdie.  I played with a Texan named Brad and his wife Jessica.  Jessica felt ill on the front nine, because she didn’t get her medication before the round.  He said she had some kind of auto-immune problem with her belly.  I think he mentioned a belly ribbon?  They were both very nice, but I could tell she was hurting.  She brought her clubs, but she never played.  They are from Gainesville.

She left after the first nine to go pick up her meds, so it was only Brad and me on the back nine.  

Pinon Hills Golf Course-Hole #6-Birdie #3 of 2023

This is what is considered as the ‘signature hole’ of Pinon Hills, so that is fun for me.  Also, I have never birdied it before, so that’s another bonus.

I used my 6-iron, because the white tees were moved up to the 169 yard range.  I swung with gusto, and it clipped my golf ball neatly.  It headed high and straight for the flag, and we could see it was on the green and left of the flag.  Brad hit the green as well.  I gave him advice for his putt, because we were just playing for fun.  This was his first time playing there, and he really enjoyed it.  After I gave him advice (it was good advice to putt his ball out to the right because of the break), I lined my putt.  My putt was mostly straight and it was from 20 feet.  I rolled it right in, and Brad gave me a fist bump.

Until next time…

Danielle Turns 28 and a New Birdie on a Difficult Hole

Written on 8-26-23.

        Let me think about what’s happening on a Saturday afternoon.

B just left to have lunch with A, Char, Jess at the Thai restaurant, and I am home alone with Kody.  I just watched the third episode of Hard Knocks, the HBO NFL series.  This year, they are highlighting the New York Jets.  I like those episodes, because it showcases some of the best athletes in world, and the coaches depart some great wisdom.  I don’t like it, because of all the f-words and the over-the-top bravado.

I am making my iced coffee for the week ahead.  I make batch after batch, and then I...

James Turns 30 and Rypstick Results

Written on 8-20-23.

        Belinda has had two full weeks of school, and it’s gone pretty well so far.  August is always a bit rough since she has to get her schedule set up.  She hopes to have it all done by the end of next week.

I signed my contract yesterday, so I will get my first visits in for this year in August.  I am excited to get going, but it’s only a seven month contract this time.  Not sure why.  That might be a good thing if I am needed again up in Colorado Springs, though.

James turned 30 last week, and we just came back from his party yesterday.  We drove up on Friday with Amanda, and we spent the night in the Tru Hilton Hotel on I-25.  Amanda spent $200.00 on her room, and she hoped...

A Win in Wisconsin?

Continued from 8-6-23. 

        It was fun!  We waited until all the kids had left and it was just us “parentals”.”  Eric drew first blood by hitting the fairway on #1.  We used the first few holes to figure out our rental clubs, even though we had gone to the range.  I bounced back by winning the third hole and hitting its fairway.  We both tied with two points on the easy par four #4 by hitting the green in regulation.  That was the hole I had the best chance at a birdie.  My approach stopped past the hole by just four feet, but my putt stayed straight and missed right. Then Eric got a par on the very next par three by hitting the green and winning the hole.  He had me by one point after that.  

        I won the next hole.  He won the next and also hit the fairway for six more points, but I won the last two holes to finish out the back nine.  I was ahead 17 to 15 at that point.

On the back, we exchanged blows, and it came down to...

A Putting Warm-Up Turns Into an Competition in Wisconsin

Written on 8-1-23.

        I am sitting next to B on our last leg to Albuquerque on a Southwest airplane.  We are tired, but we are determined to get home to Kody tonight.  I am betting we will get home at around 9:00.  B is reading a book on her iPad, and her tray is littered with things like unopened Southwest snack bags, my iPhone, and a small bag of unwrapped Kit Kat bars I bought in the Dallas Airport.

It was a really pleasant and full vacation, but now that it’s August I know B will be aching to get ready for school.  She starts on Monday, the 7th.

The Farmers Market meal was a highlight for sure.  I bought some horseradish at the Piggly Wiggly to bring out the flavors of the meat.  The pies were heavenly, and they were made better with the vanilla ice cream.

I have to shut down now, because they just made an announcement that we will be experiencing some turbulence for the rest of the flight.  

Until next time…

Written on 8-5-23.

The turbulence was fine, but the pilot had to take it around one more time to get us to land.  We made it home before...

A Wisconsin Vacation Photo Review

Written on 7-29-23.

        I am sitting in the basement of our VRBO in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.  We came her for a Swoperton reunion, and the main event is/was the Air Show in Osh Kosh this week.  We went on the hottest day, Thursday, and it was so very hot, but it was so cool, too.  The Swopertons know and understand that Eric and Kyle are the two who get jazzed the most when it comes to anything aviation related, but everybody had a great time.  

Becca organized an album for all of us online to link our photos, and they have trickled in throughout the week to show what we have done.  Let me look at them to give an idea of what the past week was like.

First up, I see a picture of James and Casey kissing out by the fire pit while James is holding a sparkler someone found (I think it was Eric).  We had numerous conversations by that fire pit, but the twins didn’t like getting smokey, so we have since moved to the gas fire pit by the house.  We’ve had multiple conversations up there, too, of course.

I see a picture of Matt lounging and reading a book up on the top deck.  He joined the 50+ crowd up there when we first arrived.  Belinda and I got a picture sitting up there all relaxed and happy, too.  It was such a good picture of the two of us I shared it with my family.

I see pictures of Kyle and Eric with that silly visor that has...

Breaking 90! Now, to Break 85

Written on 7-8-23.

        I am sitting in our cool bedroom (the new mini-split is working well) watching the U.S. Women’s Open.  It’s being played at Pebble Beach for the first time.  James, Casey, Neily, and Belinda are working on the wedding, so I took this time to write.

I have been going through the stuff I brought home from Mom and Dad’s.  I have gone through FLC stuff like college graduation cards, the diploma holder (without the diploma), brochures from California from senior year spring break, Denver Nuggets stuff like programs and pictures from magazines and old tickets, and the random receipt from when Dad bought the Buick Family Estate Wagon for me.  Now, I am delving into the papers that they had printed out from e-mails and the internet.  

One of the small treasures I have found is a $50.00 savings bond from Grandma Ruth; she gave it to me as a graduation gift from college.  I hope to cash it in and put it towards my new irons.

On to golf…

I broke 90 finally two rounds ago.  I was super happy with that, and I have seen my scores slowly go down this season stroke by stroke.  I shot quite a few 92’s, and then a 91, and I shot that 90 against Shawn recently.  The best part (or maybe the worst depending on how I look at it) was that I scored an eight on the par three 12th, so I could have broken 85, too.  That was encouraging.

I am still working on taking a healthy divot for all of my iron swings, but it hasn’t been working out so well.  I may take a divot, but it’s a straight pull sometimes.  Often, I don’t take a divot at all.  I think my iron swings are the worst part of my game.  I am driving it generally well (not super long, but...), and I rarely have three putts, usually getting only one per round.  I escape most bunkers easily, too.  I am not hitting many greens in regulation, however.  

My asthma has been worse, since I have been back from Lakewood and Colorado Springs when the Canadian fires were spewing smoke all over the state of Colorado.  I use my rescue inhaler more often, and I am taking the recommended two puffs of my Advair, too.  What a bummer!  I feel it when I walk 18 holes at Pinon Hills, of course.  It’s always hard to walk in the summer heat there, but it’s much more difficult now.  Somehow, I manage.

I have been working out fairly regularly, and I have lost some weight and gained some strength.  I hope to continue that, of course.  Mostly, it’s the eating.  I have refrained from having desserts after dinner, or anything for that matter.

I set a tee time again for this Wednesday at 7:50 AM.  Herman (not his real name), Shawn, and C.J. have all said they are coming.  I hope I play well that round, because that is the last time I will play before we go to Wisconsin for a Swoperton vacation.  It would be super to have something fun to write about.  Eric and I plan on playing at least one time during the week, too. 

I have been looking at the Speed Sticks lately online, but I could also just use what I have.  I could swing the hoe again, and I could use the impact bag, too.  I know I have lost some distance, so I need to do something to get it back.  I have been playing from the whites, and I know my scores would go up if I played from the blues.  

I know I am a left-leaning swinger of my golf clubs now.  Doing that gives me much better consistency.  I bought a new umbrella at teeprize.com this morning.  My Hard Rock Cancun one finally broke (Ugh!), so I thought it would be the perfect place to get a new one.  I only pay around $30.00 for shipping and handling.  I don’t want to play without an umbrella.  It’s one of the best ways to beat the heat.

Until next time…

An Incredible Gift for My 12th Birthday

Continued from 6-30-23.

        Unfortunately, I won’t play on this trip.  No golf courses nearby except Bernalillo, and that’s about an hour away.

        I played with Herman (not his real name), C.J., and Patrick at Pinon Hills before we came here.  That was on my 12th brain surgery birthday two days ago like I had written about earlier.

The best birthday gift I received that day was beating Herman on the front nine!  He said he was ten over when we were on #10’s teeing ground, and I ended up being eight over.  I teased him by saying I was basking in the light of having a lower score than he did after those nine holes as I held my arms open and looked up at the sky.  He laughed.

He said his brother-in-law, John (not his real name either), had kept him up the night before due to bathroom troubles.  John has Down’s Syndrome.  I didn’t even know he had a brother-in-law with Down's living with him until he mentioned this.  

Herman moves pretty slowly most of the time, but he was really dragging on this round.  I told him after the round that he was like a zombie on the front nine.

Well, he woke up on the back, and my play slowed down.  He shot two over, and I didn’t even get a legal score on #18 after my third shot out of the greenside bunker went sailing into the trees behind the green.  I also really loused up the par three #16, scoring a seven.  Still, I am more optimistic about being able to beat Herman.  I am beginning to believe it’s possible, and that’s more than half the battle.  He just has to play really badly, and I need to play out of my mind.

It was great to see Patrick and C.J., and I was glad they could join us.  C.J. only played nine holes to help him get warmed up for his ENMU fundraiser.  Patrick ended up having a bone spur in his knee, but he was able to play by riding in a cart.  He didn’t do too well, but he was joyful to be out.  This was Herman and Patrick’s first meeting.

We played earlier (8:10 AM) due to the heat.  I managed to get a tee time, and I believe things are slowing down a bit at Pinon Hills after all the curiosity about the construction and remodeling.  Normally, I wouldn’t have been able to get a tee time early in the morning in the summer.  I have even set another tee time for this Wednesday at 7:40 AM, and I invited Herman, C.J., and Eric.  Herman replied this morning that he thought he could play again.  Good.  Another opportunity to beat him (wink, wink).

That’s about it.  I am just so happy to get another opportunity to write.

Until next time…