The Force Awakens as the Year Winds Down

Written on 12-19-15.

    I am sitting in my mom and dad’s basement.  It’s a couple of hours before the surprise pick-up basketball game for Guy’s 50th birthday.  He has no idea.  Yesterday, we all got to see the latest Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, on its opening day.  What a treat.  I’ve been a Star Wars fan since the late 70’s when I first got to see Star Wars, A New Hope.  One of my best memories ever was being in the audience for The Empire Strikes Back on opening day in May of 1980 with what we are now calling the original gang, Joe, Laura, Bev, Guy and me.  We got to take a picture of the “original gang” again yesterday in front of a pretend Rebel Blockade Runner hallway just outside the theater.  I have it on my camera, but the battery is charging for the surprise game right now.  We watched the movie at the Regal Continental, formerly the Continental, and we saw it in 3-D.  It was FANtastic! 
    I have so much to discuss about this movie, but...

Caught up with November Before December Ends

Written on 11-28-15.

    Thanksgiving is over.  Our 25th anniversary is also over.  We ended up getting fillable lamps for our living room as our anniversary gifts to each other, so no pearl earrings this time.  Maybe Christmas?  The lamps are beautiful.  We filled one with dark chocolate-colored wood chips, leftovers from our landscaping from Mother’s Day.  They look great in there.  In the other one, the smaller of the two, we added colorful rocks, pottery shards, and some other knick-knack gems with pewter-like figures glued on top that the children bought years ago on our trips to Lake Powell.  It also looks fantastic, and they both add a level of coziness to our living room that we have never had before.
    C.J. and I played yesterday, and I earned another birdie.  I should have had three, but my short game and putting were not “up to par” to make that happen.  I was ready to take on the Bogey Man again, but C.J. preferred...

Dreamlike Driving

Written on 11-20-15.

    C.J. and I played nine holes yesterday, and the weather was fabulous.  I could go with short sleeves starting at hole #4.  He wanted to play stroke play this time, and he thought three strokes would make it fair and close, but he had some blow-up holes, so it didn’t end up close at all. 
    He played again today, but I have things to do before all the company comes.  We are so looking forward to seeing our babies for this Thanksgiving, and this holiday is made even more special with our 25th wedding anniversary coming up in four days.  She wants pearl earrings, so my plan is to find the most beautiful pearl earrings around.  If I get most of my stuff done today, I can go shopping this afternoon before she comes home from work. 
    I earned another birdie when we played yesterday.  This round, though, in my mind had an even better outcome.  On every par five, I had a consistent drive that put my ball in play where I was intending.  Four huge consistent drives.  What a confidence booster.  No pulls.  No hooks.  No slices.  No low unintended punch shots.  No topped shots.  Every drive was long and straight, and except for #9 when I didn’t aim for the fairway, all were in the fairway, too.  It was...

Time for a Funeral

Written on 11-16-15.

    I just accidentally typed 11-16-16.  Whoa!  Slow down.  Let’s live one year at a time, okay?  This year isn’t over yet.  Although it makes me wonder what we will be doing a year from today.  Good thing I keep this journal.  It’s highly likely I will be writing again one year from now. 
    Belinda and I are headed back home after going to Lakewood for Joe’s step-grandfather’s funeral.  I missed his mother’s and his father’s funerals, so there was no way we weren't going to go to this one, especially now that we are “rewired” and we can take the time.  He truly appreciated our making the trip. 
    Belinda is driving, and we are listening to Alan Parson Project’s Games People Play, a perfect song for us as we are figuring out where we go from here now that all of the children are grown up.  We are figuring out how to live our lives now that nobody lends us a hand…or gives us a damn.  Just kidding.  We have plenty of help if we need it, and plenty who care about us. 
    Personally, I feel we are doing fine, just fine.  Although we went to a funeral, I love road-tripping with my wife.  In eight days, we will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary with our children.  That’ll be fun.  Where did the time go?  When it was my turn to drive about an hour ago, I reminisced about...

My First Two Birdies With My New Cleveland Putter

Written on 11-10-15.

    I have two birdies to recount, so I’ll get right to it.

Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #6-Birdie #42 of 2015

    Belinda and I were having a most enjoyable Sunday together.  No more Sunday blues.  No reason to go to our schools to finish lesson plans, grade papers, or write a weekly newsletter.  After mass, I asked her to go to lunch with me, so we did one of our usual lunch dates: Wendy’s and Riverside Park.  After parking and eating at our usual spot, the road right next to the river and the walking path, we chose to park in an “actual” parking space and walk around the entire park.  It was a gorgeous fall day again, and after we made one loop we talked about going around again, but it was so pleasant outside that I had said I was considering golf, and she told me she wouldn’t mind walking with me out on the golf course, so we spontaneously went home, got my clubs and my shoes, and headed out to Aztec Municipal Golf Course.
    Hardly anyone was out there, so when we walked over to #1, it really felt like we were the only two people on the golf course.  J.P. was disgusted that more people were not taking advantage of the beautiful weather, but it made it better for my shy Belinda.  She walked and talked with me for the first four holes.  I did most of the talking, hoping to...