My Birthday Weekend

My birthday always falls around Memorial Day. This year it fell on Memorial Day. Uncle Ronnie plays in a golf tournament for Marion Motley's scholarship fund every Memorial Day weekend and has invited Brent and I to play before. This year our schedules allowed us to make the trip up.

So, in spite of my reluctance to travel (especially on holiday weekends), we headed for the two hour trip to Columbus on Sunday. We got to Brent's house in the late afternoon and the kids enjoyed a day of playing Wii and we even kicked them out of the house in to the great big "outside" for a while. The other day when I tried to force Kayla and Shayna to go outside, you would have thought I had asked them to spend a year in a gulag. They absolutely refused to go and asked me why we keep insisting they go play outside where there is "nothing to do".

After arriving in Columbus, I asked Brent for a few details about the tournament. Since the invitation from Uncle Ronnie had come through Brent, I thought perhaps they had done something like, well you know, talked about it. Bad assumption on my part. It wasn't until Aaron left a voicemail on Saturday that I found out our tee time was AM instead of PM. That was actually a relief for me because I planned to drive up from Columbus to Cleveland on Monday morning and all the way back to Cincy on Monday night. It's hard to be out of the office especially after a three day weekend and I did not want to spend this morning (the Tuesday after the holiday) driving back. Anyway, Brent knew nothing (and I mean nothing) about the tournament. Brent is a "need to know" kind of guy. He needed to know the day, the time and the location and that's all he knew. I spent about half a hour trying to find some info on Google. But to no avail. I wanted to know things like -what type of course is it? Are there prizes? Is there breakfast/lunch? Sponsors? You know. Just general information. Something to kind of set the expectations for the day. After all, in addition to the Marion Motley Memorial Scholarship Fund Tournament, in a sense, this was the Brian Smith Birthday Tournament.

Driving up to Cleveland turned out to be quite a challenge for my goal of radical acceptance and of living in the moment. The weather sucked. I got up around 5am for a 6am departure. The trip up was Googled at 2 hours and 15 minutes and we had no idea what traffic would be like (and there's always the possibility of construction). I hate being late and with 9am SHOTGUN start, you can't be late. If you're late, you don't play. So, we hoped to get to the course around 8-8:30. The closer we got to Cleveland, the more dense the clouds. Then, about 5 minutes from the course we saw our first flashes of lightning. Then, as we pulled into the parking lot, it began to pour. I had brought no rain gear because the forecast was for mid-80s and all my raingear (the one jacket) is warm weather. Plus, Uncle Ronnie doesn't play in the rain and if he hears thunder, he is the first one back in the clubhouse. I just knew there would be no golf today. But, we had to stick around to say hi to Uncle Ronnie. OK. So, it's a holiday weekend and I'm driving hours and hours through holiday traffic to play golf in the cold and rain. These are all things I do not do and on my birthday no less.

Brent and I grabbed some breakfast (I had grits which everyone else frowned at). As 9 o'clock approached and no one had checked us in and we hadn't even gotten our clubs from the car or put our shoes on, I asked Uncle Ronnie "Shouldn't we do something?" He said "Like what?" "Like putting on our shoes. Getting our clubs." To make a long story a little shorter, now I know why the lack of concern about the 9 o'clock hour approaching. We didn't tee off until after 10!

Uncle Ronnie was in his element. He was like Norm in Cheers. The tournament was full of long-time golf buddies, ex-Cleveland Browns and people who are both. Uncle Ronnie knew every guy in the place and he took the time to introduce us to each and every one of them as we passed them. D'art (my cousin and his son) joined us for the day. Uncle Ronnie took up golf in his 30s. He is a self-taught, golf nut. He plays several times a week, always has his clubs in his car and has played all over the country as he drives to various family functions and to appointments for work. He coulda/shoulda gone pro on the senior tour. But, he only tried to qualify once and missed the cut because it started to rain and he picked up his ball before the horn blew. He cared more about getting his son back to safety than making the cut. Anyway, it's a joy to watch him play golf because he has a really interesting, very compact, very functional swing. He's about 6'2" and very lean. He could have been a power hitter. But, he's a student of the game. While all of his buddies were trying to pound the ball and spraying it all over the place, he learned to take a very short, controlled swing and put the ball exactly where he wants it to be. His view of golf is it's not about making great shots, it's about making the least amount of mistakes. And, because of that, he beats nearly everybody he plays. The young guys and the big hitters get frustrated because his swing is so efficient he can nearly drive out there with them. He hits the ball perfectly every time. His short game is amazing. So, while he's probably not going to hit the green in two on many par fives, he rarely makes a bogey and he makes enough birdies to beat just about everybody.

Another really cool thing about yesterday is D'art (amazingly) was on the golf course playing with Uncle Ronnie for the first time ever. How you grow up in a household with a semi-pro golfer (Uncle Ronnie doesn't pay for golf or for equipment- he wins his green fees back and more and he wins equipment in tournaments) and not ever go out with him astounds me. But, D'art had a great time. It was funny as he compared real golf to Wii golf or PlayStation golf. He thought it would be just like that. Watching D'arts highs (as he managed to pull off a 200 yard drive) and his lows (as he missed the ball three times in a row) was interesting. He finally got how difficult golf is and how it's not as easy as it looks on TV. Each and every put is a different speed and breaks a different way (especially at Highland Golf Club). Highland is not a modern or fancy club by any means. It's a municipal course in Cleveland. The amenities are kind of run down. And it looks easy. That is until you realize how tiny the greens are and how every single putt we had outside of 5' yesterday was a speed putt. We didn't have single birdie putt all day that you could put in the front of the hole. Everything had to be dropped in from the side. It was cool to see D'art get an appreciation for the game and an appreciation for just how good Uncle Ronnie is.

Uncle Ronnie is very special to me. Ty called him the glue that holds the family together. I don't agree with that assessment. But, he's only about 18 years older than I am. So, I remember him when he was young and single. Since grandbaby (his mother) lived with us, he came to visit a lot (and he was single and there was always a good meal to be had). He was there for a lot of holidays and never missed one of our graduations and other life events. Uncle Ronnie has done the same with all his nieces and nephews. He doesn't fly. So, he drives everywhere. Want to go to Florida? Call Uncle Ronnie, he'll give you a ride down, play golf while you do your thing, then drive you back. He's a talker, a story teller and he used to be a great tall tale teller (he's backed off of the tall tales as he now has real life experiences to share). My mother had six brothers. Uncle Michael (murdered several years ago) was really close to me. But, Uncle Ronnie is the Uncle I physically resemble most. As I get older, I can him in me more and more. I just wish I could play golf half as well as he does.

We finished up the tournament at 4 under. Not great. I played like I had never seen a golf club before (just barely better than D'art). But, I hadn't touched a club since September other than a trip to Pebble Creek the week before last and a quick trip to the driving range on Friday. We even had a bogey, which is absurd in that format.

We got back last night and I was so exhausted I couldn't sleep. Up at 5am, playing 18 holes of golf, then another 5 hours on the road coming back was a lot on this 47 year old body. But, it was a great day spent with family. It was fun watching Uncle Ronnie in his element where he is a master. It was cool watching him bond with D'art. Even though I was embarrassed by the way I played (Uncle Ronnie taught me golf over 20 years ago and I'm not much better now than I was then), it was a great birthday- one of the best ever.

Golf At Walden Ponds

Jon and I finally got to play golf again (after about a month off). I started off terrible. But, I was able to relax and ended up having a pretty decent round. Jon hit his tee shot on number 9 (our 18th since we went off the back) to 2-3' and then popped in the birdie putt.

It wasn't crowded, especially considering it was the Friday before Labor Day. But, it was expensive. $55 is about double what we normally pay for 18. I'm sure after that birdie on the last hole though Jon thought it was well worth every penny.

Pebble Creek

Jon, Andy and I went out to chase the little white ball today. I don't know what happened. But, there were scores of old people on the course. We ended up waiting and waiting (and waiting). It was a miserable day on the course.

What Was He Doing?

If you can figure it out, let me know. I took the picture and I don't know what this pose was about.

Tuesday all the day-time workers took off a day early and they were all at Walden Ponds. It was more crowded than most weekends (so I hear). We played with Andy Ransdell and Tim Armstrong, two acquaintances from the Vineyard days.

I had a good round. I didn't keep score. My drives were unbelievable. Rarely (never) have I been the long hitter in the group. But, I think I was pretty close today. The lesson and the practice are paying off. My iron play was not so hot. Jon had a good round, too. Jon had an appointment, so we had to rush through the last few holes. I was feeling pretty flustered. But, then, I hit my tee shot onto the green on 9 (we played the back first) and made a 30 footer for birdie. All's well that ends well.

Click on the picture to see more photos in the set. I'm going to try to start putting photos up in sets. So, this will work for the last few posts, also.

It's All Jon's Fault

My golf addiction was under control. I was a recovering golfaholic until Jon stirred up the demons again. Oh, several summers ago, B.K. (before kids), I had a spell where I went out and played every week, took lessons and bought new equipment (as if it would help). I even got to the point where I was pretty pleased with my game (handicap below 20). But, I had put that behind me. Playing 3-5 times a year was acceptable. My clubs couldn't be blamed for my game when I was playing so infrequently. That is until Jon began tempting me with the idea of sneaking out to the course once a week. "C'mon Brian.We can play in the middle of the week, when the courses are empty and the prices are cheap." How could I pass on that?

If you don't watch golf you probably haven't seen the commercial where people are caught in embarrassing places practicing their swings- that's me. Guilty. I practice my grip whenever anyone's not looking and have even practiced my swing in the shower! The other night I couldn't sleep. It was one of those weird nights where I just couldn't get into a deep sleep but my rational side had pretty much shut down. I kept envisioning my sleep that night as a skulled shot (one that never gets up off the ground).

Now, in the past month I've bought a new driver (TaylorMade r7 460 Draw), a utility wedge (Ping 50*) and I just replaced my three fairway woods that aren't even a year old yet.(TaylorMade r7 3 and 5 woods in steel and r7 7 wood Titanium) I have about 200 golf balls because I just can't resist a great deal on them. They say the first step is admitting you have a problem. I wonder if there's a 12 step program for this. But, enrolling in one would mean I want to get help. There's no better rush than being on the golf course when you know the rest of the world is working. So for now, I'll live with the addiction.

You can buy Tiger's shirt...

but you can't buy his swing. This is the shirt Tiger wore on Sunday this year at the U.S. Open. I got a great deal on it at Games People Play and decided to treat myself. I am a huge Tiger fan. No, it doesn't quite look the same on me as it did on him. But, he cheated. I think he bought his a size too small.

Jon and I had a great time at Walden Ponds today. It was our first time there. Normally, it's out of our price range at $45. But, today was two-for-Tuesday. $57 with the cart and the GPS (which is invaluable). After a double bogey on the first hole and realizing it was going to be a very difficult course, I set my sites on breaking 100 today. I had a decent front (way too many double bogeys), shooting 47 with one birdie. Now that I look at the card, I realize I only had one par. On the back, I was on fire. I shot 41 with 5 pars (no birdies- I could not hit a putt. I think I had a birdie putt on every hole except two. This hole was number 12, a 144 yard par 3. I hit an 8 iron onto the green and two putted for par. Wait! What's more amazing is we had some extra time and decided to play the hole again and I did the exact same thing. I was in the zone today.

Click on the image to get to the Flickr site. You can see the picture full size there and/or click on the set on the right to see more pix of Big Jon and me wailing away at the little white ball.

Injured Playing Golf- Is This Possible?

You know those embarrassing injuries, like walking into a door and getting a black eye? Well, I got one of those yesterday, only much more embarrassing. On the 18th hole, after a fantastic round of golf, I reached for a ball under a pine tree and didn't see the sharp branch that laid my ear wide open. It sliced my ear down to (and including) the cartilage.

The fun part was I got to spend the rest of the day finding out first hand just some of the problems with our medical system. I was just going to ignore the cut. After all, everything was still attached and it wasn't bleeding. But, Ty and Shell insisted I go to get stitches. I called our family doctor to learn she doesn't do stitches. I'm still trying to figure out what she does do besides take blood pressure. The nurse there told me to go to Urgent Care. I went there, filled out all my paper work, paid my deductible and after being weighed (don't know what that had to do with my ear), was finally taken into an exam room where they asked me why I was there. The powers of observation of the staff there are about on par with their medical skills since the nurse was standing on my right side when she asked and I had a pretty good gash in my ear. She oohed and ahhed and finally called in the doctor who told me I'd have to go to the ER. The cartilage was "nicked" and I might need to see a specialist. I was incredulous. I asked her why she couldn't fix it and she just said I'd need to see an ER doctor. Shouldn't the people working at URGENT Care be ER doctors? Their website says they handle any non-life threatening medical emergency. If they can't stitch up an ear what can they do?

So, then I was off to the hospital ER for a cut ear. I avoided Mercy Fairfield (near us but notoriously bad) and went to Bethesda North. All the while I'm thinking this will be a chance to see how well my patience practice is going because I know I'm going to be in for some trauma going through the system. They had one intake person who almost immediately took my name. Good start, I thought. She asked me to have a seat and said she would call me back soon. When she called me back (about 1/2 hour later), she took my name, age and asked me why I was there. I told her the embarrassing story. She said "OK, please have a seat again and you'll be called for Triage. Then, you'll go back to Pod D where you will see a doctor." By now it was about 3 o'clock. I had been there for about an hour. I was still under the illusion I might be home by 5. When I was called back for Triage, they asked me all the standard medical questions. As a person into computers, I found this extremely frustrating. But, I maintained my patience (like I have a choice). Why don't we have electronic medical records yet? I see my doctor every six months. They shouldn't have to ask people like me for my medical history, it should be available on an computer network. This is a huge waste of time. But, I thought, I'm one step closer to seeing a doctor. But, something is wrong. They haven't asked me for my insurance information yet. I knew no one gets any treatment without this. So, I asked why I had not been asked for it yet? The nurse answered "Oh, you'll give that when you get back to Pod D". So, it dawned on me, Pod D is not where I get to see a doctor, it's just one more step in the process. She sent me through the big double doors to Pod D, where I discovered Pod D is just another waiting room. After another hour or so in Pod D, someone finally took my insurance information and sent me to a bed in a room with about five other people. I'm not sure how many rooms there were like this. But, there were several and there was one ER doctor on duty. Long story, a little shorter, when he finally got to me, he was thoroughly disgusted (actually he came in and asked me about my Urgent Care experience long before he actually looked at me). He told me that the Urgent Care centers (and this one in particular) refer way too many patients to the ER. He told me I didn't need to be there and that the Urgent Care had done me a disservice by sending me there. He ended up calling the Urgent Care to speak to the doctor who had seen me. But, miraculously, she wasn't there. From his demeanor, I'm guessing this wasn't the first time this had happened.

Finally, a Physician's Assistant sewed me up and about 6pm I was on the way back home. The whole time I was thinking "What would happen if we had a real emergency that sent a lot of people to the ER?" I overheard the ER doctor telling the lady next to me that 1/2 the people there on any given day do not need to be there. People go to the ER for colds, she had a dog bite and all kinds of injuries and illnesses that could be treated in other places.

Anyway, the ear's fine. It's a little sore. The stitches were extremely painful. I guess because the ear is basically cartilage it's very difficult to numb. And, lidocaine doesn't work well on me. They always have to give me multiples shots at the dentist. I didn't want to be a big baby about it when it was hurting while the doctor stitched it. But, I was expecting a stitch or two. I didn't get an official count. But, it turned out to be at least 8 or 10, most of which I felt.

The next time a ball rolls under a pine tree, I think I'll leave it. That was one expensive little golf ball.

p.s.- On a happier note, it was a great day on the course. I broke 90 for the second time in a row and I think the third time this season (yippee!). The real fun though was convincing Jon I had bought a $400 Nike Sasquatch Sumo2 driver on a whim in the Pro Shop at the turn. In reality, the guy working there let me demo the club for the back 9. It is sweet. Like swinging a sledge hammer. But, I'm not sure it's better than my 2 week old Taylor Made r7 Draw driver that I got for 1/2 the price.

Here's a picture of my ear- post stitches. It's much prettier now than it was before. But, still- not for the squeamish. Scroll if you want to see it.

Golf- My Next Obsession

Golf- My Next Obsession
Originally uploaded by BrianWestChest.

I think Jon's got the golf bug about as bad as I do. We stopped by GolfTec for a free evaluation lesson. I think it is going to help. But, I'm going to find someplace less expensive to continue the lessons. They have all the fancy bells and whistles (my lesson is stored up on the Internet for me to review at any time along with audio and video of the instructor and me interacting). But, since my chances of turning pro are nil, I'm not sure I can justify the type of instruction they get.

Golfing Again...

Tuesday is the day! $25 with a cart at Pebble Creek. Jon got me on one of my good swings of the day. (to see more shots, click the picture to see the set). This one was a 9 iron 140 yards right on to the green (downhill).

Jon's obsessed with numbers 11 and 12 at Pebble Creek. After poking two 7 irons all of 125 yards right onto the green at 11, he was determined to make the over 200 yard carry on #15 to reach the fairway (200 yards over a ravine). It was into a stiff breeze today. I barely made it with my driver, nailed a 3 wood then hit the 2nd longest wedge I've hit in my life (the first longest was earlier in the day when I hit it 130 yards). Unfortunately, each time was about 10 yards too long. Visit the set to see Jon wailing away at his drive on #12

Golfing with Jon

Jon and I are getting out once a week. It's great. We go out during the day when no one else is on the course and play about three rounds in one. We still get done in less than 4 hours and it's great practice. If only the balls weren't so expensive.