Day 59: Executive Course

I am SOOOOO proud of Liz!

We have been playing golf for a little over three and a half weeks and she finished her first nine holes today! Granted, we didn't keep score and it was a Par 3 executive course, but none the less she DID it! I would have to say it was a bit of trial by fire to boot. I kinda threw her to the wolves so to speak. I didn't explain much about chipping or ball lie. The first thing we learned was pace of play. More precisely that there is one.

After she ditched her skinny latte we were in good shape. She was doing exceptionally well for her first time and made a few really good shots. As we moved through the holes I took the time to explain some of the finer point of the game and the rules. She finished up very strong. Strong enough that she wanted to go to the range and continue to practice.

Afterwards she even wanted to go look for clubs at Golfsmith. Did I mention that I think I have created a monster. Soon enough she is going to be kicking my ass. I just can't get over how well she is doing in such a short time. I guess I know what to get her for her birthday coming up.

Day 58: LBC

Liz and I hit up Long Beach today for the LA Golf Show. Let me just say that I think I have created a monster! We wanted to go practice a bit, but the weather didn't permit it. It was a pretty good time at the show. Liz got a chance to see some photos really cool courses. This is important because she now is stoked to take a golf vacation... as soon as we can finish a full course that is.

We left the show and toured around downtown Long Beach. It amazes me that I have lived here for 3 years 11 months and 11 days and there are still cool places I have never been to. I highly recommend a trip there during the day. It is really beautiful. We went and ate in Belmont Shores at a place called The Creperie. We actually ran into a bunch of my old neighbors from Hollywood in random fashion. Made even more random due to the fact that they live in Austin and Boston now.

All in I would say it was a pretty great day! I think we are going to take it easy tonight and I am not complaining! I could use an easy night in with a beautiful woman watching movies. So, I going to do just that...

Day 46: Holidays

I am going to revert back for a moment to the Monday after the Super Bowl, or "Super Monday" as it were, to bring up the fact that Presidents day is stupid! Don't get me wrong, I fully agree that there should be a day devoted to our Presidents. Furthermore I believe it should be a national holiday. Is too much to ask that the damn thing coincide with the Super Bowl? It is like a week later! More importantly NO ONE observes it! Sure, schools and government agencies do, but hell, UPS even delivers!

I am not trying to bad mouth this day... I just think there should have been some forethought into the whole thing. Imjussayin...

Day 45: V-Day

Cue Wagner's  booming classical overture "Ride of The Valkyries"


Valentine's Day! What a day.  Some people akin it to single's awareness day (SAD for short). Others, mainly female, seem to think that there is a special type of magic tat can happen on this day. They stand firm that for 24 hours there is nothing that can go wrong in this world. I would venture to say that 80% of said group is sorely disappointed by about 2PM. There is yet another faction that tends to disregard the day exists and scorns the thought of it to any who may broach the subject.

I like to think that I am somewhere in the middle of all of this. I am always excited at the prospect of a romantic day and now that Liz and I have been through three of them we both are beginning to realize that the thing that truly matters on this silly day is that you are spending it with the one you love. The monetary gifts don't matter as much as the quality time spent being with each-other.

We kept it easy this year for gifts. We both know where we stand with our money so I asked her not to do anything for me and she did the same for me. I assumed she listened to me... we all know what a dumb-ass I would be had I listened to her. I ended up getting her a really cheesy card that happened to actually have a meaningful script in it and a makeup bag. Hers had broken about a month ago. I was very excited to get her something that she would really use and that she would really appreciate. She, of course didn't listen to me and got me two t-shirts and a kick-ass gym bag from  Puma.

After we traded gifts we headed over to a Sunday brunch space called the Overland Cafe. They happen to have a $4.99 all you can drink champagne special until 2PM. Two bottles later we "Floated" a couple of blocks away to the driving range and spent close to three hours there. It was awesome! We ordered a couple of beers on the range and I finally sold Liz on the whole idea.  She is hooked! She did extremely well and I was very proud of her.

We spoke with an older gentleman for about forty minutes. He was very interesting. He was waiting to go pick up his girlfriend from the mall to take her out to dinner when she got off work. Mind you he is 89 and she was 70! He told us about WWII, designing suits for men, and how beautiful Liz was multiple times. It really was a blast.

I am so thankful to have such a great friend for a partner and I couldn't have asked for a better day. I hope that you all had a great day as well and that your night continues accordingly. Good luck!

Day 39: Super Monday

I read an article today in which someone proposed the idea that the Monday following the Super Bowl be deemed a national holiday. I completely agree! While I didn't even drink yesterday, I know a lot of people that did! I think that driving on the 405 this morning was exponentially more dangerous than any other day of the year due to the fact that I am pretty sure the majority of the drivers were still probably drunk! To make matters worse I have a stomach bug and would have loved to not even come into to work at all, but I have a big presentation to prepare for. Just my luck.

The game itself was fantastic! I couldnn't have predicted that one and overall I would say that it was a truly deserved win by the Saints! The commercials wer mediocre at best though. I wonder what has happened over the past three years in the ad world. It seems that the recession has forced all the major companies to lay off any of their talent. Ultimately I would have to say the evening was entertaining. Moreso for my sister, who actually happened to be there! Too bad she was rooting for the Colts...

Day 38: Golf Lessons

I know that the wrong sport is represented in the tagline today... being that it is the superbowl and all. The reason it is up there is because I finally got Liz out to a real  golf course and went to a real  golf range! Verdict??? She LOVED it! We started out slow... with an extra large bucket of balls. I think the important thing about fostering an interest in someone for the game of golf is patience. On both ends for that matter! As a teacher it is very difficult to not see automatice results in your students. What you have to understand is the golf is not an "automatic" process. It take years of practice to develop the muscle memory required to consistently and accurately hit the ball. That being said I was just shooting for her to actually make contact with the ball! Which she did! She nailed a couple nine irons about 70 yards... down the pipe! I was ecstatic with her performance and so was she. She was enjoying so much actually that we went back and got another bucket.

This gives me hope for her journey into the world of lunacy that is the game of golf. To be honest, her swing looked pretty damn good! I am excited to actually find her a club that fits her. I have total faith that her skills will only skyrocket! Now we are off to cook fajitas and watch the big game in the comfort of our living room!

Day 35: X-Ray

Wow... This week isn't going so great. I went to the doctor today to get an X-Ray on my foot that they had ordered a while back. I believe I have mentioned that I hurt my foot last summer playing soccer while training for the Chicago Marathon. I actually have a condition called Planters Fasciitus. Long story short we all have a tendon under our feet that connects from the heel to ball of our feet. When you don't have proper arch support this tendon can be stretched and irritated. It is VERY hard to heal. It takes time and minimum exertion. This condition doesn't bode well for someone who is trying to run a marathon and is required to run at least 3 miles just about every day of the week.

Let's just say I wasn't very happy when Doc told me I can't run for at least 6 months! That puts a rather large damper on my whole entire year! I now have to do all the things I have been talking about in this blog without actually running!?!? He said that it may heal a bit quicker... in the 3-4 month range. While that is still a long time I may be able to train for LA again next year. So, here I am, at square one...

My plan is to get to the gym more. The workouts are going to consist of 20-30 minutes of elliptical and then in to weight training. I figure I am going to have to work on getting my muscles toned and trim in order to stay off my foot and be ready when I can get back on it. I guess it isn't the end of the world, but it isn't exactly the greatest news ever. I am upset that I can't play soccer, wiffle may have to take a bit of a break, and I can't even walk the golf course...

I will work through this! I have made a commitment to myself and I expect to honor it.

Day 30: Golf

Back on the subject of hobbies... I find it extremely crucial to find something important to you that you're continuously good at. This activity should be relaxing and stress free! It should be a time to become one with your surroundings and thereby make it possible to let go the worries on your mind and achieve something akin to inner peace... if you have ever tried to play golf then you know that it is not what I have just described.

One of my favorite quotes ever goes something along the lines of:

"Golf is like a mistress, if you keep it casual it will be a lot of fun. Tell her you love her and she will break your heart!"
                                                        Lee Trevino


Mind you, I really have no basis of comparison for the quote and the game, but I sure can appreciate the analogy. I watch my brother practice and play, and practice and play some more. He is so focused on becoming a scratch golfer that he has become obsessed with the game. Being that I don't have the expendable income that he does I am relegated to going out once every three or four months. I know I am not going to shoot a 72 on that level of practice... and I am okay with that. In fact I shot a 96. I would be lying though if I were to tell you that I don't get frustrated. In fact I hate the damn game! I don't really know why I play it other than the fact that I always know that I have the chance to do better the next time.

For that reason I love the game. You have 18 chances to start over. if you get a 5 on hole one you can get a 3 on hole two to make up for it. It puts life in perspective in a way that few other things can. A man's character can truly be seen on the golf course. Don't ask me how or why, but the best and the worst in people shows up on the course. I am guessing that is why so many companies use it for business deals. The overall key is to realize that this hole is not the end of the world. There are 17 others that you still need to play and they could be entirely different. I try and take that away from the course. In life there are numerous holes of golf, be it a work week, college, marriage, or debt. The key is to remember that all of these things make up a part of your life and that if they are not going according to plan, you can make it up! There will be an opportunity for a par save, but sometimes you need to take a double bogey. When you write down your score the important thing to focus on is not double bogey you are taking now, but the birdie you are about to!

FORE!!!!

Day 24: Favre

I think that I am just going to completely give up on football. It would be okay if I liked the Cleveland Browns and Texas A&M. If that were the case I really wouldn't get my hopes up or care too much in the face of utter defeat. But to have watched my Longhorns go down in flames and now my football hero, Brett Farve, choke in almost the EXACT same way as two years ago is almost unbearable. I am at a loss for words.

I think that I am just completely switch over to English Premier League Football/Soccer. Manchester United isn't having a banner year (even though they are only a point out of first) so I think if I make my move now I can wash away any of the hurt before the San Antonio Spurs suck in the NBA!

Red Devils out!

Day 23: Aging

Week two of wiffle came and went. All in it was a good day. I got some pretty decent exercise and really went after a couple. I may have actually gone too far. As I close in on 30 I have come to realize that I can't do the same things I did ten years ago. I mean... REALLY! Now, some of this may be in part because I am out of shape, but I really think that my body is giving out! I feel as though I need to look into some multi-vitamins and joint care because my knees feel like someone took a sledge hammer to them! I can only imagine how soar my thighs are going to be tomorrow morning.

I guess it is part of the territory and, truthfully, it should only spur me on more! I know that if I can drop fifty pounds that the majority of these issues will take care of themselves. That being said I still get a constant reminder every time I workout that Father Time is a bastard! So seriously, anyone know of a good vitamin... maybe Centrum Silver.

Day 17: Sickness

As you may have read earlier, I am training for the Los Angeles marathon. I was supposed to wake up this morning and run 8 miles with my training group. It was raining outside and my throat is about twice the size it should be. I didn't think it was the best idea to take the chance of getting more sick on the run. As much fun as wiffle was yesterday I think I may have pushed a bit too hard. This makes me very worried though because I have missed quite a few weeks of training now and feel that my overall performance is going to be lacking moving into the crunch.

There are really only 8 weeks left to train for the big race and I am beginning to wonder whether that is enough time. I don't want to postpone my race, but I fear I may have to. I know that it is most important to be healthy and ready for the race, but I just don't want to quit. I will feel terrible about the whole thing. I am tired of pushing things out. I know that, again, this is a health concern, but it doesn't make me feel any better about the whole thing.

I guess I will ponder this as I prepare for the Golden Globes...

Day 16: Wiffle

At 8:45 this morning the 2010 Wiffle Ball season began! I can try to explain to you what this means but I don't think that you can ever truly understand unless you have played it. For those of you that don't know, wiffle ball is baseball with plastic bats and balls. A very simple description for an amazingly complex game! About two years ago a buddy of mine invited me to go play some park wiffle ball with some of his friends. I happily agreed thinking that it would be a fun Saturday morning. That one Saturday turned into five and then another five again. The next thing I know I am three seasons deep of plastic action!

It is pretty well akin to "The Sandlot" when we get together. A group of about ten guys between 25 and 40 acting like they are 12 years old at a time when most people in their right mind are still in a comfortable bed. No matter how late we are out the night before we respect "the wiffle" enough to be bright eyed and at the park ready to connect some plastic.

I am pretty sure that just about all of us have played it at one time or another growing up. We try and keep it fun, but normally our self divided allegiances get the better of us and some serious competition sets in. Today was no different! I hit 4 home runs and brought about 8 runs in throughout our 3 game set.  After all that I was the only one to not win a game the whole day. It was ironic though because I had the best stats. The season is young though and I have faith after todays exhibition. The off season training I have done has paid off (no, I didn't train in the off season).

I guess the thing to take away from this is I feel very fortunate to have found something in my life that is simple, yet gives me a lot of joy. It has brought me together with some great people, some of whom I would consider friends that will be in my life for years to come.

So take time to appreciate the little things in your life because often times that is where we get the most joy...


Play Ball!

Day 7: Disappointment

You know... I was really hoping that we could have pulled it out!

For those of you that watched the BCS National Championship game you know what I am referring to. Texas lost tonight and the final score doesn't do the game justice. Alabama played well, and they effectively only had to beat our second string team due to Colt McCoy's early injury.

I am actually running short on words right now, but I will say that life is consistently going to present you with disappointments. To quote the best boxer of all time, Rocky Balboa,

"it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not point fingers"

I think I will leave it at that!