Like Churchill said

Once again, through the game of golf, I learned (better said, re-learned) an important lesson about stick-to-it-ive-ness. A few words of explanation:

Every year, around the middle of August, there is a local Columbus amateur golf tournament. It is flighted so all levels of players can enter and compete against their peers. It is a lot of fun and something I look forward to each year with anticipation of having two days of good competition and pressure and performance under said pressure (I wish there were more tournaments like it that I could play in).

This year, as the tournament approached, I felt better and better about my game. I was striking the ball well, putting and chipping well and just playing very well. Of course, that was my first clue that something was not quite right.

On the first day of the two day tournament, I got to the course early, warmed up well and was ready to go when my tee time rolled around. Then, from almost the first hole to the last, I played as if I hadn't seen or touched a golf club in the last long while (days, weeks, months, who knows, as Eeore would say). I struggled mightily and at the end of the day, shot a score which essentially, in my mind, took me out of the running for any of the prizes in my flight. Two of the other golfers in the foursome shot 4 and 5 shots better than I did and there were another 5 golfers with the same kinds of lower scores.

On the second day of the tournament, I again warmed up well and then for the first 6 holes played a bit worse than the day before (hard to do, but achieved nonetheless). I was discouraged and then, basically, stopped worrying and relaxed, since I was playing only for my own enjoyment and to see if I could execute shots the way I wanted and planned to execute them.

At that point, I challenged myself to bring things back to bogey golf. That meant that I needed to make just 3 pars in the next 12 holes. Almost immediately, my game shifted into a relaxed, tension free, athletic state. My next drive was powerful, straight with a slight draw, right down the middle of the fairway. I parred the 7th hole.

Okay, now I only needed to par 2 of the next 11 holes to reach my goal. Tee shot on 8 was perfect, leading to a par. Tee shot and approach on 9 led to another par. I had reached my goal in three holes, not 12. Cool and still relaxed, I played extremely well on the back nine, shooting a 38, just 2 over par (including a birdie on a par 5). Kinda fun, actually.

I shook hands with my fellow golfers (two of whom would eventually win 1st and 3rd place) and went in to turn in my score. After handing over my score card, I went to get a plate of lunch provided by the tournament sponsors and then sat down.

I looked up at the posted scores for the flight and found the lowest, next lowest, 3rd lowest scores. As I looked for the 4th place golfer's score, I didn't see anyone's score that beat mine for 4th. Not believing it, I looked again and then again, finally believing what I saw. There were four more golfers left in the flight who hadn't finished yet, but each of them had shot much higher scores than I had the first day and would have had to shoot under par to beat me. They did eventually come in and hadn't been under par, so, when the prizes were awarded, I was announced as the 4th place finisher for my flight. Cool stuff and a lesson in not giving up, in setting small goals and enjoying the little triumphs in life.

Have a good one and never, never, never, never give up. KipK

word verification

Over the past several months, I have commented on several blog entries. With the submission of each comment, there is a brief process which includes the commentor attempting to match the letters of a wavy lined, word by typing its equal into a box labeled "word verification". Most or all of you know that the words are semi randomly generated combinations of letters. In this blog, I am going to attempt below to define eight of these word verification letter strings. Wish me luck.



the word verifications:

reweak

snyersyn

caltsyin

surnal

milain

memeoshi

supre

ladde



"reweak" - easiest one on the list - this string is actually spelled backwards and should read "kaewer", which of course, as everyone knows describes someone who does not have courage, spoken with a lilting Irish brogue. An example of this word in a sentence would be, "poor Johnny McMichael, he ran all the way home to avoid the school bully. He's a bit of a kaewer."


"snersyn" - inner city origin, having to do with sleep. "don't make any loud noises, Uncle Bob is snersyn".


"caltsyin" - a shortened phrase that has to do with a phone call and wanting to see you in a very few minutes. "I "caltsyin" five minutes in front of the drug store. Don't be late." Alternative definition would be if the person making the call wants to see the person named "yin", as in, I called to see yin or caltsyin"

"surnal" - unfortunate word combination of nervous junior officer, who, instead of saying, "yes sir, colonel", said yes, surnal (said junior officer was then made an even more junior officer).

"milain" - Irish driver's possessive of the road, as in, "get out of the way, that's milain"

"memeoshi" - happens when a singer is warming up and gets something tickling his/her nose, as in. " me me -oSHI', to which the polite response is, "Bless you", or "geshundtheit"

"supre" - very specific question to any person whose name is Ray, Raymond, JayRay, Desiree, and occurs when soup is the appetizer to the meal, as in, "supre, or would you like the salad?"

"ladde" - old English version of the very popular laddie.

Count it. Have a good one, KipK

It's been awhile

I been busy . . . Or, how about, I was doing other stuff . . . How's this, "something suddenly came up" (Brady Bunch reference).

Okay, I love to blog but haven't since the 22nd of June (a little tiny bit over a month). Between that last missive and this, there was a very fun birthday celebration for my beloved mother-in-law out west. All her family was there and we had a great time.

Said beloved mother-in-law was the life of the party. She kept us hopping from sun up to sun down and we had so much fun every day that we didn't even get to Rack Rummy (Rumm-E-O is the official product's name, in case you were wondering and wanted to find it via google).

Along with a host of other activities (boating, cooking/grilling, hiking, historical site seeing), we also went white water rafting. It was fun and I think we had the best boat (with the best people in it and the best guide).

In other news, my wrist is better and I am playing golf again. And, I'm seeing progress in quite a few areas of my game, which has led to some recent scores I have been happy with, which possibly bodes well for a tournament I play in each year (note that I am not ever, not even once, saying that things are "great", because the golf gods do not take lightly any person who possibly intimates they are conquering or dominating the sport - seriously, you have to be really careful). I had fun in league tonight too. And, I made a birdie, which in the skins competition would normally mean that I won some money (which actually did happen last week - half of which said money went to the quenching of my fellow league members' thirst), except that tonight, a fellow golfer birdied the same hole and cancelled out the birdie. There were two other holes where two league golfers birdied, cancelling out each other. So, the skins money carries over to next week. I hope to play well enough next week to make another birdie and win DOUBLE the skins (wish me luck - perhaps I could pay you a bit of the winnings if you really did wish me luck . . .).

Our tomato garden has been growing and producing cherry tomatoes at an ever increasing rate(pictures forthcoming, I promise). Sadly, these tomatoes were not ready when my youngest daughter came for a week's visit. And, sadly, I don't think there is an economical way to send her a large quantity of these fresh pop-in-your-mouth treats. I surely would if I could.

AND, I am the happy new owner of a brand spanking new, iPhone of the new variety. It was a gift from my wife and girls (they thought I should join the 20th, oops, 21st century). I have been working on my thumb flexibility and dexterity. I'll admit, I'm not fast, but I get the job done. The phone is fun and keeps me in contact with the WOML (women of my life - to whit, the aforementioned wife and two girls). I can call, I can text, I can e-mail. I'm working on creating ringtones from my favorite music. So far so good but I'm not finished.

En fin, I'll be back sooner than the last time.

Have a good one. KipK

Happy Father's Day to Me

Yesterday, I was well taken care of on Father's Day.



Multiple cards arrived

multiple phone calls were received, multiple blogs were posted,



all with the goal of wishing me a Happy Father's Day


(they worked by the way - I was a happy father, all day - actually, I've been a happy father for a long, long time).



AND, I did about 10 minutes of grillin' and enjoyed a very tasty steak, potatoes, green beans and salad, accompanied by some of my favorite liquid refreshment, pink lemonade (which, amazingly, looked just like the picture/pitcher below).

I also, mighta had a Popsicle to top it all off, I can't remember (I think I might have another one tonight).

To the Women Of My Life, I say: Thank you for your love (tried to find a really macho heart but was not successful).

To all the good fathers and dads out there I say, love your wife and children. I hope your Father's Day was as good as mine.

KipK

G - double O - D - E - Y - E

There are basically three kind of "eye" days for me now that I am an experienced, savvy contact wearer.

The first kind of "eye" day is one without contacts. There is absolutely no hassle getting the little miracles in because they stay, hydrated, calm and peaceful in their cases. The slight downside to a no contact day is, of course, glasses for various types of eye work must be worn (reading glasses, far away or close in glasses, magnifying glasses, whatever).


The second kind of "eye" day is the not so perfect fit or feel contact day. In this instance, the contacts are put in with or without some trials (but the trials are independent of the way the eye and contact battle through the day). Once the contact are in, the unknown source of irritation begins, sometimes causing the wearer (moi, just in case you were wondering) some increased amount of blinking, eye rubbing (which may cause more irritation, not sure), use of eye solution (of course, no eye drops, which react badly with contacts - a little antithetical if you ask me) and some times a trip to take the consarned (actual word) things out and try to put them in better or in a more comfortable state (which almost never works, at least for me). Sometimes, as the day wears on, the nerves in the eye (if there are any) give up, decide to give the contact wearer (again, me) a break and stop firing their pain signals to the brain. This break can be anywhere from an hour after getting to work in the morning to right as I am about to go to bed (ah, perfect feel, now, I need to take them out). Of course, this kind of a contact day is not the end of the world, just as having sand in your eye is not the end of the world. Still, there are more enjoyable things than sand in your eye (I'm just sayin').

The third and best kind of a contact day is when the contacts, once applied, become one with your eye and you see clearly, with no watering, no pain, no . . . basically, you forget you are wearing them, until you go to bed and think "I should really take my contacts out". I had one of those days today (and, really, yesterday). They make the hard, pioneer like suffering days a lot easier to get through, because there is always hope that tomorrow, everything will be perfect.


Have a good one, KipK

Totally Desolated

The quote in the title comes from Little Women (the movie - don't know about the book) and describes the way I felt yesterday after injuring my left wrist, not being able to play in golf league, going to the doctor (a big plus that I was seen), getting x-rays and then having the doctor tell me that I had torn a ligament and would be out for 4 - 6 weeks while the ligament fully healed.

Of course, there are worse things in life. And, of course, there are millions (billions) of people who have a LOT more important/significant problems than my poor ligament and my poor self now that I will not be able to play any golf (or racket sports . . .) for the next little while. Yeah, I get that my little injury is not as bad as the majority of bad things in the world that could happen. Still, it kind of stinks and is no fun.

In related news, two days ago, I had the chance to teach the Young Men (12 - 18 years of age) a little bit about the game of golf. I showed them the fundamentals of grip, stance and swing and then watched them hit a lot of golf balls on the range, with increasing success as they became more adept. After the range, we did a little bit of putting and I had three putting contests, which they enjoyed, the winners getting a soda as their prize. It was a fun night and I really enjoyed teaching them and then watching them improve in leaps and bounds. Next Wednesday, they plan on playing a game at the local executive course, scramble format. This past Wednesday evening, I told them that I would play them and put my score against their scramble score and would buy them a soda (each) if they came out on top. Now, with the wrist thing, I will not be able to play and that is a bit of a disappointment.

Thinking about the current 4-6 week forced hiatus, I wonder aloud if there was/is a reason for the injury. Is there something I need to be doing in the next few weeks that I wouldn't be able to do if I were practicing and playing golf? If I find out that there is a reason and what that reason is, I'll let you know.

Back to the desolation, er, devastation, I came home, a bit in shock, I suppose. I told my lovely wife what had happened and she was very caring and also sent the news to our girls and her sister and mother. Everyone responded with empathy (her sister and mother have both had injuries that have stopped them from doing something they wanted to be doing). Her sister called and asked me all about it - a very thoughtful gesture.

Thinking about it, I guess the most shaking part about this was the fleeting but powerful thoughts that I had really done something permanent and the question of would I be able to play again (I know, a bit fatalistic, but sometimes that's where thoughts go). In reality, the loss of playing in league is probably the most impactful to me. I really enjoy playing the game with guys that also enjoy the game and who are good guys who care about and have fun with their fellow man. My wife had a good idea and suggested that I go to the clubhouse and be there when they finish each week - which I think I might do.

The actual injury happened while I was on the range, before league last night. I was hitting wedges and doing very well. I had also been hitting a 3 iron (also very well). On the swing that produced the injury, I set up well, had a good back swing and down swing. The ball was sitting up a bit and when I came through, the club head seemed to go a bit too fast and out of control and I felt a sharp pain in my left wrist. I thought that maybe I had just tweaked it because of an awkward swing and hit a few more shots, including my driver (pain was there and didn't change much - which is to say, it hurt). I thought, however, that I might be able to play so I went to the first tee. My first swing was not so bad but I didn't roll my hands over (the ball was a block to the right). My second tee shot hurt a LOT and at this point, I started thinking that I should stop. But, I reasoned, if I swung a bit easier, perhaps the pain would not be so severe. So, I finished the second hole and went to the third tee. I teed up the ball, got set to hit the driver and then remembered the pain I had with the last tee shot. I decided to stop and get to the doctor.

A saga, I know, and fairly insignificant in global terms but, that's what's going on. I hope your day and your week have been much better. Have a good one. KipK

birthday day

Today is my birthday.

I am over abundantly blessed with a lovely wife, two lovely daughters, great in-laws, gainful employment, a healthy body and mind and a bunch of other wonderful blessings.

Despite some last minute changes, my birthday was a good one, one that I really enjoyed. The first of my original plans that changed was a game of golf at a nearby course. Due to the accurately predicted, very windy (24+ mph constantly gusting) weather, I postponed the golf game for a later, more settled day and instead had breakfast with the aforementioned lovely wife. Then, while my wife was at the hair salon, I went the library and found a couple of new books that look interesting (and looked into a non-related subject I wanted to know more about). When I finished at the library, it was still gusting and blowing, so I came home to cut, trim and edge the lawn as well as trimming a couple of bushes (while doing the cutting, trimming and edging, I thought of a good subject for a non-fiction story, one that I will enjoy researching and writing - I'll keep you posted). The wind kept it cool while I cut and trimmed, a double bonus. The lawn looks good, in case you were wondering (okay, maybe not as good as the baseball field - but good!).

After the lawn and bushes, at the insistence of my lovely better half, I went to one of my favorite places, the driving range, and practiced putting (1 hour),

chipping and sand shots (1 1/2 hours)

and then finished with full swings (the final 30 minutes). I left the range satisfied with the work I did and the finely honed skills which will help me score better the next time I play in league or a regular round of the King's sport.

I drove home from the range and we ordered and picked up one of my favorite foods, a meat lover's pizza from Dominos. This was another change in plans as Friday night, after going to dinner (a birthday eve celebration) we went to Kroger and purchased a steak for me and salmon for her, planning on grilling both for my birthday dinner. We could have them tomorrow for Mother's Day.

I opened cards and presents and was wonderfully surprised at the thoughtfulness that went behind the presents. I also checked the blogs of wife and daughters and they all had a birthday message for me (again, very thoughtful).

During the course of the last couple days, I have received multiple wishes of happy birthday via e-mail and telephone.

If everyone was as lucky as I am and had the great people around them I do, I think the world would be a pretty happy place.

Have a good one. KipK