Crater Lake

Written on 8-15-25.

       As we were driving to Crater Lake yesterday, we learned that Danielle had failed her test, so she was “let go/fired.”  Or, she could take Academy all over again and go on probation for another year.  Basically, two more years of her life with lower pay and humiliation.  My goodness!  It sent a dark pall and chill over our vacation, and our rented Chevy Trax was filled with silence for most of the trip after we received the news.  We tried to call her, but she didn’t answer.  We called Amanda instead, and she was as mad and shocked as we were.  We could only conjecture at what had happened, and the ‘not knowing’ was increasingly frustrating.

Finally, after our boat tour today, we were able to connect with her.  She talked, and we listened.  We were thankful that Kyle was the first one to see her after he came home from Becca’s house where he is currently working remotely.  Dani-girl needed her family, and soon she was surrounded by them.  Great job, Albuquerque crew!  

She took the test that involved hoses again, but the evaluator gave her...

Redwoods and Pacific Coast Highway

Written on 8-13-25.

    I am sitting on the deck attached to our VRBO chalet near Crescent City, CA.  I see Jamie, our host, watering the lawn and spraying off the shed below me.  She has been a wonderful host, and we have enjoyed our stay here.  The location has been super, and we’ve visited Redwoods National Park and the ocean yesterday and today.  Yesterday, we drove to

(and then hiked) Stout Grove and Grove of Titans.  Both were...

A Necessary Facelift and Our Grandote Experience

Written on 8-3-25.

    Shane and crew just left after doing the final part of this very long house project.  The last piece ended up being the hole where our vent used to be in our master bedroom, the one for the old swamp cooler.  Now, I am sitting under our mini-split AC, and I am enjoying the view of a filled in, orange peel-textured, white ceiling.  This room is the only room with that kind of texture, and it’s only on the ceiling, but we just kept it that way after the bathroom remodel.  Maybe five years from now, we will have it retextured to match the rest of the house, but until then we will be the only ones who will know or notice.  I know we would like to have the garage retextured eventually, too, but let’s enjoy a break for now.

It was a long journey, but it was worth it.  All of the doors are sanded, lacquered, smooth, and shiny.  We have new white trim throughout the house.  All of the house now has the Santa Fe/skip trowel texture (except for the master bedroom’s ceiling), and they look exceptional.  We have new paint with a semi-gloss look for a bit of extra brightness, and the best part of it all is the...

Looking Forward to Blue Lake and Grandote

Written on 7-21-25.

        I played with Herman (not his real name) on Thursday last week, and I didn’t play so well.  I shot a 44, 47 for a 91.  I hoped to break 90, but the last hole ended those hopes.

I did have two spectacular pars on holes 6 and 12.  On #6, I hit the green with a beautiful tee shot with my 5-iron/wood.  On #12, I missed way left.  The pin was on the back, and I was in the grass bunker even with the hole.  I made a brilliant pitch to about five feet, and made the heavily breaking putt for that par.  

I did feel like I had more energy toward the end of the round, but I still made short game errors on those last couple of holes to miss my goal.  In other words, more energy still resulted in making unforced errors.  

I am still always trying to get my golf ball on the green in regulation (or one over regulation) and then one- or two-putting after that.  Most of the time, it works out for either a par or a bogey, but it didn’t on those two holes.

A week from today, A, B, Eric, and I are going to camp at Blue Lake outside of La Veta.  Eric and I will play golf on Tuesday at the Grandote Golf Course there.  I am very much looking forward to that.

Okay, I am going to go.  Shane and crew are back after lunch, and I don’t want to be in the house.  They are nearly done, but they have more cleaning to do and a few touch-ups.  I am so ready for this project to be done.  Amanda and Belinda are nearly home after their weekend in Albuquerque, too.

Until next time…

The Yellow Ball Tournament Experience-Part 2

Written on 7-20-25.

   I did pretty well on my “yellow ball” holes.  I earned two pars, one bogey, and two double bogeys.  Not bad for my first time.

On my last hole, hole #13, we hadn’t lost a yellow ball yet, but I lost focus.  My tee shot went low and left and headed for the little creek.  When we got up there, thankfully Greg spotted it stuck on some rocks with the cold water rushing over it.  Phew!  

Now, we just had to get it out.  I debated taking off my shoes and socks, and we were all working on a solution (Chuck had a ball retriever) when Greg simply got down on his stomach, reached in, and snagged it out.  Phew again!  

I was still far away (215 yards), so I...

The Yellow Ball Tournament Experience-Part 1

Written on 7-15-26.

       Greg asked me to play with him in the Yellow Ball Tournament at Hillcrest.  I didn’t know who else would be on our team, but I had an idea Marc would probably be one of them.  I was right.  He and another guy, Chuck, made up our foursome.

It was a tough tournament for four reasons.  First, this was my first time playing with this format, so I didn’t have the benefit of experience.  Second, I had not played at Hillcrest yet this season, so I was “Hillcrest Rusty.”  Third, when I played the yellow ball it was on some of the most difficult holes (I will explain later), and the last reason is because I was the A player.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I was the A player, a 16.6 handicap.

Until next time…

Written on 7-16-25.

We did decently well.  Our team score ended up...

New Windows, a New Birdie, and a Special Gesture

Written on 7-14-25.

     We bought some paintings.  We saw two mountain scenes that had gorgeous greens, blues, and creamy whites with even brighter whites for the snow.  I thought they would look wonderful with the new creamy white paint on our walls, and they do.  B doesn’t like them as much as I do, because they aren’t reflective of a true mountain scene in the world somewhere; he just used his imagination to paint them.  We got the certificates of authenticity in an e-mail a few days after the purchase.  Hopefully, they will grow on Belinda.  I know she doesn’t hate them.

Danielle did...

Vacation in Vallecito

Written on 7-5-25.

      I am in our Alto, and we are still up at Vallecito.  It’s quiet time now, and B left to go be on the river porch.  It was hot in here, and that’s the reason she left.  She is not feeling very well.  Now, however, the AC has kicked in and cooled the inside, and it has become very comfortable.  I am all alone.  Kody is hooked up outside, and he has learned it’s a super cool spot to be in the shade under the camper.  

It feels like a recovery day after lots of water sports and dealing with small people yesterday.  I came back with A, B, Casey, Ben, and Rowan after a little over an hour out on the lake.  The rest stayed and played for a few more hours.  They got home sometime after 2:00, and I cooked burgers, brats, and hot dogs on the grill for them.  They were very hungry when they got here.

Danielle just did a...

I Did It! Part 2

Written on 7-3-25.

Jordan, Herman's brother-in-law, turned 52.  Herman told me yesterday when we played again.  He looked older to me, but that is his age.

We are up at the Vallecito cabin for the 4th of July weekend.  James, Casey, Rowan, Eric, Amanda and I are here now, but the others are coming later tonight.  We have four dogs, but Penny is coming, too, so she will make five dogs here.  That’s a lot.

Back to golf…

Hole 10-We tied with bogeys.  My drive ended up on the upslope of the grass bunker on the right side, and I hit a really high approach because of that.  It ended short in the second bunker on the left side.  My third shot came up short again, but I was able to two-putt after that.  

Hole 11-We both got pars here.  My drive went the right side of the fairway, but I usually go left.  I even mentioned that to Herman.  I found the green from there, and I used two putts again for my par.  The hole was on the middle tier, and I putted from the lower one.

Hole 12-I pushed my approach out to the right side of this green.  I used my Sandy Andy again, because...

I Did It! Part 1

Written on 7-1-25.

      I’ve done it!  It took a while.  Okay, it took several years, but I am so glad to be able to write that I beat Herman (not his real name) straight up last Wednesday!

I played out of my mind, and I scored the best score for a long time, a 79.  Okay, it was really an 81 with a breakfast ball, but even with the 81 I was able to beat him by one stroke.  I made a lot of putts, and that really helped.  I remember him making putts from everywhere one round, but it was my turn this time.  I am going to write about this hole by hole, because it has been a goal of mine ever since I started playing with him.  I also scored a birdie!

Hole 1-Corrie (last name) drove up at the last minute to play with us.  He was on his lunch break from Hi-Country Kia, and he wanted to get in some golf.  He played only four holes, but it was great to see him again.

I pulled out a red Callaway ball I had found and cleaned up recently, and I promptly...

My 14th Birthday Post

Written on 6-28-25. 

        Today is my 14th birthday.  Once again, I have much to be thankful for, especially after receiving 14 gifts of extra years to live here on this magnificent earth.  I pray every night before I go to bed, and one of the prayers I say is, “Thank you, God, for bringing me to the end of another day.”  

        I think back on what happened that day, both bad and good, but mostly always good.  Then I nod off to sleep hoping God will grant me yet another day.  I started doing that after I had my stroke (six years ago this August), and it has continued since.  I can hear my dad saying, “You’re a mess, kid.”

Aren’t we all?  Everyone has some sort of health issue (or issues).  It’s a part of the human condition.  

As I reflect on this past year, as always, I have so much to be thankful for.  Mostly, my thoughts go to...

The Gift of Pain/Health

Written on 6-27-25.

     Rocky and Kelly just drove away from the cabin at Vallecito, and it’s quiet time now.  They stayed one night, and we all went out on the lake this morning.  It was beautiful.  The conditions were calm and sunny, a perfect summer morning on a mountain lake.  Eric let me drive his brand new, more powerful boat, and I got to bring it in to the dock, too.  Thankfully, the conditions were conducive, and I put it back in the slip with expertise.  I even amazed myself.   Soon, we will have our family here for the 4th of July.

On to golf…

I am working out with Matt (last name) again, and I have had two sessions already.  I asked for that as a gift for Father’s Day, and then I got two rounds of ten workouts accidentally.  Belinda had already gone down there to pay for the first ten sessions, and then I charged ten more.  The lady didn’t tell me B had already paid for the first ten, so I just kept them all.  She told me I had money left over from the previous time, too, so I am set for a long time.  It feels great to...

My Return to Casa Bonita

Written on 6-24-25.

      It’s a Tuesday, and I am lying on “our” bed here in the Edgerton’s house.  I was sleeping at our house until it became too unreasonable.  With our kitchen taken over and no doors in our bedroom area, I decided to move completely over here.  I have grabbed multiple items from our house to make our stay over here easier.  Things like my haircut kit, vitamins, and allergy medicine are things apparently I can’t live without.  

Shane and crew are working on the kitchen now, but they are still two/three weeks out from being done.  Sigh.  B and I are tired of living out of our bags.  Every night, we go over to see the progress, and somehow we end up grabbing even more items we need.

Speaking of living out of our bags, we just came home after my...

ShyShay and I Share a Par

Continued from 6-16-25.

        I played with Guy, ShyShay, and Garth Sr. when we went out to Virginia.  I see the date I wrote on the scorecard was June 3rd, the day of ShyShay’s graduation.  We played at Algonkian again.  Guy and I played there before, and I remember seeing the deer on hole #10 and comparing it to heaven in this journal a long time ago (I just looked and it was from 2003!).  We were greeted with a delay due to an outage, though, and we used the extra time to go to the range.  After an hour late start, we were off.  It was difficult.  Guy and I both started with pars, but it went south pretty quickly after that.  The grounds were sopping wet in many places, and the rough was long, so we lost a few balls that should have been easily found.                                     Shylah and I both earned a par on the first par three.  She was playing from the senior tees with Garth until that hole.  She rented her clubs, and she chose the driver for her tee shot from the whites where Guy and I were playing.  Her shot ended up past a bunker on the right side of the hole.  She made a great chip to a few feet for her par.  I made a fine swing with my 5-iron/wood, but it landed well short.  It looked like it would end up on the middle of the green, but it surprisingly dropped well before it.  My pitch put my ball past and above the hole.  The putt was a longer, downhill, breaking from left to right putt which I made for my par.  We had a little bonding moment for our pars together there.                          Shylah had to leave to get ready for graduation, so she and Garth left together.  Guy and I played on alone, but we only got in four more holes.  It was glorious, but it was short-lived.  I was just happy to have that short time alone with Guy.  I scored a bogey for every hole for those four, and I played a bit better than I did for the first nine holes.  I say it was better only because I never lost a ball.  We chose to leave when we were close to the pro shop to make it back to shower and get handsome for the photos.  I was happy I brought my clubs to be able to play and have fun with them for this graduation trip.

The First Summer that Feels Like Work

Written on 6-12-25.

     I am sitting on Amanda’s recliner in the Edgerton’s living room.  It’s 10:53 AM, and I just finished a workout.  It’s just Kody and me, but Lance is outside mowing and trimming their lawn.  The Edgertons are up at Vallecito.  Belinda just left to go have lunch with Kelly, and I will meet her afterwards to look at different paint color possibilities for the kitchen.

I am marketing Time to Teach consistently, and I just reached out to Phyllis (last name), former principal at McCoy.  They are looking at Title funds to pay for my training, so I reached out to Aaron to help answer her questions.  We will see what comes from all of this. 

We are spending our mornings and afternoons here, because they are still working on our walls by texturing and painting them at our home.  They are making their way into the living room, and then they will head to the kitchen and laundry room.  It’s looking fantastic, and I am so pleased with how it is turning out.

I have cooled off enough to go take a shower, so I will be right back.

Written on 6-16-25.

Okay, I did not just take a four day shower, but I did get distracted and not get back to writing on that day.  Typical. 

I am back at the Edgerton’s, though, and it’s a Monday morning.  I just worked on e-mails for...

ShyShay Graduates from High School

Written on 6-5-25.

     I am in Seat 30D on our United flight back to Albuquerque.  They just delivered drinks and snacks, but I have set them aside for later.  This flight is less crowded than the one coming.  B has moved to the window seat, and we are using the seat between us to hold our snacks, phones, and trash.  I am drowsy after all the hubbub from the last few days.  We were very well fed and taken care of by the VA Swopes.  It was an organized whirlwind, but here are some highlights.  

We went to the O Street Museum with Guy’s in-laws Garth and Anne.  ShyShay and her boyfriend, Adam, joined us there, too.  It was an eclectic place with a room where Rosa Parks lived for ten years.  They had all sorts of

Grant, Eric, and I Play Monticello-Part 2

Continued from 5-6-25.

1. I turned it around on the back and scored better: 48 to a 44.  I had the best score on the back nine.

2. I only had one score above a double bogey where they had multiple scores higher than that.  I just counted, and Eric had three and Grant had four, so I played more consistent golf. 

3. I outdrove Grant on the last hole!  He can hit it farther than Eric and I can usually.  He drove his golf ball past the Eric, me, and the fairway on the par five where he earned his birdie.

4. I played the extremely difficult par five #13 well.  I won that hole with a bogey, and that was very gratifying.  During that hole, I made a recovery shot from the deep grass well below the fairway to help me do that.

5. My driver worked very well, but I was forced to use it sparingly.  It was very strategic golf, and many holes didn’t require it.  When I did, however, it worked out well each time.

Okay, I think that is about it for the Monticello this time.  It’s 12:31, and the temperature is rising.  A is sitting out by our little table in the shade, and our spouses are napping.  Eric is his R.V. with the generator and the A.C. going while B is sweating through a nap in our Alto. I am going to cool off by eating some Ben & Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream.

Until next time…

Grant, Eric, and I Play Monticello-Part 1

Written on 5-26-25.

     I am sitting in our Alto at the Wooden Shoe Group Site, and it’s cooling off at 7:40 in the evening.  Grant, Eric, and I played at the Hideout Golf Course in Monticello today, and it was so fun!  They had never played there before, so it was a kick to watch how they reacted to it with its mountain beauty, elevated tee boxes, and challenging layout.  Grant played better than I have ever seen him play before.  Usually, it comes down to Eric and me, but he mixed it up well this time.  

On to golf…

It’s fun to be able to type that, because I have not played since Troy and I played at UNM North.  How long ago was that?  Let me check.  It was on April 11th, so nearly two months ago.  Too long.

I didn’t get any birdies, but they each got one.   Eric got his on hole #10 with a close approach.  Grant got his on the par five #14 with a close approach, also.

Written on 5-27-25.

We all played well.  It was close, like I wrote yesterday.  After much deliberation, we went with the usual points game: 1 for a fairway, 2 for a G.I.R., 3 for winning a hole, and 2 for the bonuses of long drives on par fives and closer to the pins on par threes.  

I started off well by winning...

End of School 2025

Written on 5-23-25.

     I am back again, and my classroom is nearly ready for whomever the new Gifted teacher will be.  I only have to stack the tables and chairs and grab my pun calendar off the wall to check out of here.  Here comes summer!  

I have enjoyed this diversion.  It got me back into the schools to see what is really happening there, and I really liked working with my students.  It has been wonderful to earn some income this year, too, after Mom and Dad’s passing.  I asked Copilot if I should take the job back in December/January, and one of the best questions (with paraphrasing) it spit back at me was, “After it is over, will you have any regrets?”

The answer to that was...

Tim and Eric Bring Baby Theo Into the World!

Written on 5-22-25.

       I am sitting at my desk at Park Avenue Elementary, and it’s the second to last day of school.  Big things are happening.  Belinda is ‘rewiring’ again after 34 years at Park Avenue.  We ‘rewired’ together ten years ago.  My stint as the gifted teacher long-term substitute is coming to a close, too.  Bev and Curt are on their way to visit their newest grand baby, Theo.  He is Tim and Erica’s baby, and he was born on May 19th, and everyone is happy and healthy.  Bev just sent a picture of them visiting Rowan, James, and Casey.  They went out of their way to stop and see them and Danielle.  We head to Canyonlands and our Wooden Shoe Group Campsite again, but this time with the Banashes.  Kody won’t be coming this time, though, and I know it will be hard on him and us as we get the camper ready to go.  We are having the walls retextured at our house, also.  See? Many things are happening.

I have had two fifth grade groups today, and they took all of their stuff with them, so I only need to stack furniture and get a few more initials from people.

A Garage Sale, a Hidden Valley Reboot, and Belinda's Second "Rewirement"

Written on 5-17-25.

     I am sitting in the ever-reducing shade in our garage.  It’s just now 12:30, and Belinda and I are having a garage sale as part of our Kokopelli neighborhood yard sales.  One customer told me he had been to 17 in our little community here.  We have done fairly well.  Many early birds came when we were getting set up.  I am always amazed at what sells and what doesn’t.  We have not sold our armoire or our flat screen television.  We have sold some gauze and a Star Wars belt, though.  The Edgertons threw in their stuff, too, and we rallied to put it all together.  Things are winding now, and it’s getting a bit windy.  It’s been so wonderful to meet and visit with everyone, strangers and friends alike. 

Some lady just told me (breaking news) that they are trying to revive the Hidden Valley Golf Course, and her son was working out there to get it going again.  Wow!  I had heard rumors, but that information sounds reliable.

We have one week of school left, and Belinda is retiring after 34 years at Park Avenue.  What a legacy!  They held a small party for her and three others (one of them was Zoe Daney) this past week.  It’s hard to believe that 34 years of service can be quickly honored with a few words from the assistant principal during an hour celebration, but that’s the way it goes.  She served our community, her school, and most of all, her students, very well.  I am so proud of her.  She has been a steady presence, role model, and leader at Park Avenue.  She will be missed at Park, but I am looking forward to having her at home more often now.  Although, she has said she will be a substitute there next year, so she isn’t really going anywhere; she is just gaining more and more freedom.

Breakout Presentation and Preparing to Break Out of School

Written on 4-27-25.

     I am writing on a Sunday evening, which is out of the norm.  Usually, I write on a Sunday afternoon, but I watched Ep. 3 of Andor Season 2 with Guy (using FaceTime) and went to the store instead.  We had a busy weekend here at home getting stuff done (cleaning, shopping, doing laundry, etc.), so I when I found this moment to write and catch up a bit, I took it.

We have a month left of school now.  The last day is May 23rd, and it will be here very soon.  I have been spending multiple hours (off and on) getting ready for my breakout presentation on Time to Teach in Santa Fe on May 7th.  It’s shaping up to be a great hour.  I still have much to do, though.  I will make a list of what needs to get done here…

1. Get my books ready for sale and practice selling some.

2. Figure out how my Square app gives receipts.

3. Check to see if I can attach my MacBook with an HDMI cable, or do I have to use their computers with a flash drive.

4. See if I can even sell books there.

5. Practice, practice, practice.

6. If I can’t connect my Mac, get my presentation set up with whatever format they will have.

7. Decide if I will do a handout, and then get it ready.  Upload it to the google link they have provided by tomorrow.

8. Get my business cards and brochures ready for handing out.

That is all I can think of now, but my mind will churn until all of those are taken care of.  I just saw the info on the PDF that I should upload that handout by tomorrow, so I had better get on it.  I have never used one before.  Maybe I will skip it.

Oh, I was asked to attend the Aztec Honor Graduate Banquet by Kyle Vandruff.  That is coming up on May 5th at 6:00.  What an honor!  I didn’t intend to make a pun there, but I like it.  This will probably be the last one I will attend, because my final class graduates this year.  Sigh.

On to golf…

What is that?  I haven’t had time to play or even think about golf since I played with Troy.  I have been sick with allergies, though.  That hit super hard two weeks ago.  This past week, I also had a small cyst removed from my left eyebrow.  It is healing nicely, but that has interrupted golf, too.  

I know I have golf coming up soon, though, and that is exciting.  Grant, Eric and I will play in Moab or Monticello right after school gets out.  We will be camping at Wooden Shoe again.  Then I will bring my clubs to Virginia to play with Guy and his father-in-law, Garth Sr.  I will dream about playing those two times as I am getting ready for the end of school and my impending presentation.