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…

Black Canyon Golf Course

Written on 6-30-23.

        I am sitting outside our Alto, and Kody is asleep under the table right next to me.  I have my headphones in, and I am listening to music and catching up on some writing.  Belinda and I just drove back from Jemez Springs where we had brunch and caught up with our iPhone messages.  We are off the grid here at the Jemez Falls Campground in spot #25.  James and Casey travel here tonight with Ekko, and then we will take Ekko back with us for a week.  Heaven help Belinda, Kody, and me.  

I am enjoying some iced coffee in my new Black Canyon Golf Course “Ecovessel” thermos (triple insulated) I chose for myself for Father’s Day.  Danielle bought it for me, but I picked it out after our round in Montrose.  I wanted a new one that would keep my coffee colder than the old red one I’ve had for years.  It does do that, and it holds 24 oz., so it’s bit bigger, too.  Thanks, Danielle!  I am wearing my new shirt from James, also.  He found an Under Armor polo for me for his gift.  Thanks, James!  I am waiting on another polo shirt from Amazon, and I will say that is from Casey.  She gave me a hat that said something about golf and retirement, but I have plenty of hats, so I got a refund.  I spent it on a purple polo instead.  Thanks, Casey!  Hope it fits.

On to golf…

I haven’t written about Black Canyon Golf Course yet.  It was unique, and Eric and I really liked it.  It was a par 34 on the front, and a par 36 on the back.  The front had more established trees, and a few elevation changes.  Two of the tee shots were intimidating, because we were right next to the road, and a pull could have easily gone...

The Denver Nuggets-Finally!

Written on 6-15-23.

        I am sitting in back of our Alto.  I just had a snack of Dot’s pretzels and Fairlife milk.  Don’t tell anyone, but I drank out of the container and I licked the spices off of my fingers.  Boy, do I go crazy when I’m on vacation.  Those pretzels are addictive.  *Belinda did give me permission to drink from the bottle.  

I just watched a YouTube video of the Denver Nuggets and scads of their fans celebrating their recently won NBA championship.  The number of fans there was the most impressive part.  Even I am still glowing a bit from their winning their first championship, too.  I remember the 80’s when they had Alex, Dan, and Kiki.  They sure could score, but they could’t defend, and that was how other teams exploited them.  Then I remember the Dikembe Mutumbo years and the time they upset the #1 seed (I believe it was the Seattle Supersonics) when they were the #8 seed.  I don’t know how long they lasted after that, but they didn’t...

My First Birdie of the Season!

Continued from last post... 

        When we were done, we saw Shawn in the Grill on the Hill.  He was hiding, he said, from his mother-in-law and work.  He bought the beer I said I would buy for Herman (not his real name) and the iced tea for me, too.  He said he owed Herman anyway.  After a mix-up when I said I would play on Friday with Herman, I ended up playing with Shawn instead on Thursday.

He shot a 44 on the front, and I had another 46.  I thought I had a chance to catch him on the back, and I got a birdie on #12 to help.

Pinon Hills Golf Course-Hole #12-Birdie #1 of 2023

This is fun!  I was hitting my driver well.  I had just hit three fairways in a row, 9, 10, and 11.  This is a par three, and I had hoped to keep hitting it straight.  Boy, did I.  The flag was on the back, so it was 208 yards, even from the whites.  I chose my 21º utility club, and I hit one...