Another Year

It's hard to believe another year is "in the can" as Rush would say. But, 2009 is over and for my way of thinking it won't be missed. We seemed to have weathered a great number of storms and in some cases I'm not sure how well. Only time will tell. Let's hope 2010 and the beginning of the new decade bodes well for us all. Speaking of Rush, I saw a news flash they took him to the hospital last night in Hawaii. Sounded serious but no other info at the time.

Not much to report on. The club is going into hibernation for a couple of months and we'll have to fend for ourselves. Current plans are for lunch at Moe's on Monday and some where in Levis Commons on Friday. We can decide at a later date. I'm sure this will be hit or miss for most everyone due to various travel plans. Speaking of travel, did you hear TTS got a Garmin the other day. Now he can find his way to Kroger's for ham loaf fixing's. This is on top of putting Skype on his new computer. Wonder what will be next? A replacement for his Kodak Brownie? Just kidding TTS, but remember to get to Naples it 's turn right on I75 from State Rte. 795 and drive about a 1000 miles straight South.

Back To Normal

Well it's back to normal after three days with the grand kids ( aka the wrecking crew). Great fun Christmas Day with all the presents, food and visiting family. Everything went off without a hitch and the kids were surprised that Santa found them. One fun thing was following Santa's progress on Christmas Eve using Google Maps on my smart phone. We helped pack the van Sunday morning ( my son was muttering the whole time) and got the dog wedged in the back and waved goodbye. Normally we've been know to take a nap, but this time just we kinda sat there in daze for a few minutes before getting busy around the house. We spent the rest of the day watching football between trips to the storage closet with some of the house decorations. We still have the majority of the decorations up but did put away stockings, dishes and etc ( at least a good start). I'm always amazed at the amount of trash we generate during one of these visits. It took five trips to get it all to the curb this time (new record).

Last night we got back to our normal lives. Went to our last seasonal party (very nice) and then went to the movie and saw Sherlock Holmes. Not a great movie but entertaining. After coming home I really got back to normal by falling asleep in my recliner while watching TV.

Next up is New Year's Eve and then winter hibernation. But first there is lunch at Moe's today and the club on Wednesday.

Christmas Eve

This always one of the great days of the year. When I was young it was always the climax of the anticipation of Christmas and presents. As I got older this has changed to waiting for the grand kids to show up and the excitement they have about Christmas. My grandson was concerned that Santa wouldn't know where to bring his presents this year because he wouldn't be at his own home. We all had to assure him that Santa would find him no matter where he was. Thus a special trip was made to pick up the Santa gifts without him realizing it. This may be the last year for he is a believer since he's at the age when you find out the truth. Then it will take a few more years before he realizes, like we all do, that Christmas is much more than gifts. Any way enjoy the time and have fun.

No golf to report on. Duh, snow on the ground. But lots of gatherings with friends and good conversation, food and adult beverages. One more lunch at Moe's on Monday and the at the club on Wednesday before the winter shut down. Then you'll have to check the blog for the schedule. I understand the Board has hired a new manager, who will start after the first of the year. Don't really know anything other than he is lives currently in Bloomfield Hills, MI. We made it through a very difficult year and we are still standing. I also understand that almost all the delinquent accounts have or will be paid. Tell me posting delinquencies doesn't work. Any way a lot of people should be congratulated for all their efforts. That includes the board, members and staff. Time will tell but I think we'll be astronger club in the long run.

Friday Lunch

As most of you know we meet on Fridays and some Mondays for lunch when the golf season is over. We'll meet at the club on Friday (when open) and at some designated place like Moe's, Bar Louie's, 0r Biaggi's on Monday. Six of the faithful showed up yesterday and we had a pretty lively discussion about a lot of topics. Not much of a consensus on anything but a lot of hot air was moved around the table. About the only thing we agreed on was to meet at Moe's on Monday and the club on Wednesday. So hope to see some of you there.

The weather has turned decidedly winter like with a dusting of snow and cold temperatures. It seems to be following the 2010 Farmer's Almanac pretty closely (I was killing time in the check-out line at The Anderson's the other day). I don't remember everything about the long range forecast but we could be playing golf sooner than normal in 2010. It sounded like it was going to be dryer than normal with an early warm spell. OK with me!

I had the accounting firm of Dewy Cheat'em & Howe perform the annual audit on the Shake of the Day Fund. Their cash count showed we have $70.00 on hand. As expected they gave the fund an unqualified opinion and the Trustee a clean bill of health. Plus they didn't see any need for a surety bond (Whew). So we're good to go for another season.

Mexican Night

As you know Wednesday is Mexican Night and yesterday was no different. Just a small group since Uncle Bob is still having problems with his knee (had it scoped last week): TTS put his ham loaf in too early and said he forgot. So it was just LBB, CSS, the Gilhooley's and myself (the Mrs was picking up the Santa gifts in Germantown). But even though we were a small group we still had a fun time. A few adult beverages and some pretty good food. Home early and fell asleep in the recliner in front of the TV; woke up watched the Science channel until I was tired again and then finally went to bed (yeah I know - too much info).

I'm still working on the rules questions that will be published throughout the winter. I plan on using our everyday infractions as the basis to try to bring everyone up to speed. And, believe me I've got a lot of material to work with.

Remember lunch tomorrow

Holiday Season In Full Swing

The holiday season is in full swing. And, my guess our golf swings are getting rusty by this time. It has been two weeks since the last round I've played and I know how quickly you can lose your edge. But, we all need a break to recharge our batteries. That is unless you're a snow bird. We picked up Bill and Laurie Sunday at Toledo Express, and Bill said he had played four times the previous week. The only problem is he doesn't seem to be getting any better. That's kind of the same thing with Gilhooley who always comes back from Arizona no better than when he left. The only one I've heard of improving is Tom Z; a recent email said he broke 90. That sounds like the Miracle on 34Th St or some other feel good movie that is out at this time of year.

Hard to believe Christmas is next week. Hope everyone has their shopping done. I know mine is. Now we are just trying to get ready for the wrecking crew. Two grand kids and a dog can create a fair amount of chaos, but certainly a lot of fun to have around. Also, it's time to get our second wind for the remaining holiday festivities.

One final note of caution. Good friends of all us have had their home burglarized twice in the past week. Jewelry and money were the items taken. A word to the wise. This is the season for mischief like this. Make sure you are careful when leaving home. Set your alarms, and be vigilant when shopping. These are tough times for many people, especially at this time of the year, and temptation can be a powerful force.

Talk at you later.

White Caps On The Lake

Yes you read correctly, there were white caps on the lake yesterday. This doesn't happen very often but when it does you know you don't want to be out there. The wind chill was especially brutal yesterday. Even LBB said there was no way he was going to play in that weather. I think he spent the day by the fire with a nice warm toddy to keep him company.

We broke with tradition last night and didn't do Mexican but rather had standard American fare at the Granite City Brewery at the Fallen Timbers Mall. If you haven't been there the burgers are pretty good and the micro brew beer even better. Before going to eat we stopped at LBB's and Mrs LBB's (aka CSS) for a cocktail or two. What a surprise to find Frosty The Snowman taking a bath in the guest bathroom. Mrs. Gilhooley said it was a little strange with Frosty there. Didn't look anywhere else but maybe there was a sleigh with tiny reindeer in the garage.

The wind seems to have slowed a bit this AM, but still gusting a times. I did note my grill cover is in tatters. I guess I'd better check the paddle boat cover too, but I think I'll wait for a warmer day.

Remember lunch Friday.

Is It Over?

Is the golf season over? Boy, looking at the Weather Channel this AM it doesn't look good for the rest of the week. Rain, snow, and winter conditions for Wednesday and Thursday. Maybe a slight warming trend for the weekend. Someone said they saw LBB looking for snow chains for his cart. I guess the snow tires weren't enough. Personally I think he should be looking for snow shoes.

Had lunch with a few of the boys at Moe's yesterday. The waitress said golf season must be over since she hadn't seen us for a few months. One constant in this ever changing world is Moe's. You can always count on good burgers and the same decor (early 50's bar). Even some of the same faces were sitting at the bar. The only change I could find was the smell of smoke is slowly dissipating since the smoking ban went into effect. But, it's probably like radioactive material with a half life of about 1000 years.

More later when I have something to report. Waiting to hear the results of TTS using Skype since he finally has his notebook computer straighten out.

The Winter Dance

Well another great evening last night at The Winter Dance. The club looked great, the food was delicious, the band was entertaining, and the staff did a great job. A big thanks to the committee who put in the time and work to put everything together and make it another great party.

Of course the members who attended had a lot to do with making it a fun time. And, of course there are always little things you hear or see happen that add to the experience. There was a good number of the JR/SRs in attendance and they are always a source of material for my reporting. To protect the innocent (wives) I'm not going to mention any names, alias' or the like. I no particular order here goes:

1. Someone was overheard to say that the suit they were going to wear had mill dew on it and they had to find something else to wear. Wonder when the last time they had a suit on?
2. One JR/SR was caught in the ladies coat room. Wonder if he lost his way or was trying to use the lessons learned recently form Tiger. Fortunately his wife wasn't carrying any clubs in her purse.
3. One person was told he couldn't sit with his wife at dinner and thought he had to find another table. They sent him back and bought him another drink.
4. Another person was overheard to say he thought Rascal Flats was a stop on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama, and was disappointed to find out it was a country group his wife had just made plans to go see (with him in tow) with their neighbors.

I'm sure there were a lot more things I could report on but these were the ones I could remember.

Lunch on Friday at the club; Monday at Moe's if your interested, and golf when and if it warms up enough to melt the frost. In the meantime be safe an enjoy the season/

Not A Good Sign

Looking out a the lake this AM, while having coffee and watching the news, I discovered a thin skim of ice. This is not a good sign since winter weather truly can't be far behind. I know it wasn't realistic to hope it would stay mild but one can always hope. At this point I settle for more mild day so I can say I played in December. I imagine TTS was looking for an extra sweater and LBB was putting snow tires on his cart.

Yesterday the final interviews for Evans Scholars were held in Columbus and BCC had a candidate - Zack - that was invited to be a finalist. While not a sure thing the odds were in his favor. The Evans people normally don't invite candidates to this interview if they aren't really good. Let's keep our fingers crossed for him. I understand he was one of the very few candidates from the Toledo area this year (none from Inverness in 2009). BCC has had a lot of Evans Scholars over the years. This in spite of the fact we have a limited caddie program. In case you didn't realize it the award represents about $60,000 per person for 4 years of school.

Hope to see a lot of you at the big party tonight. If not then at lunch next Friday.

December Golf

Yesterday was another nice day. Unfortunately I didn't play so I could have some time to finish putting up the outside holiday decorations. Plus, TTS wanted to have lunch off the reservation.
Anyway I probably missed the best day of the week. There were some players out and I'm sure they enjoyed the day.

We're still working on putting up/out inside decorations. Since this is the year that the "Wrecking Crew" aka the grand kids are here for Christmas day we will put out more decorations than normal. I'm not sure where all this stuff came from! It's like rabbits, it just keeps multiplying no matter how hard you try to stop it. The only big problem so far is that we have a string of lights out on the prewired tree. This is like looking for a needle in a hay stack. So far I haven't a clue, but the pool table is covered with fake evergreen. Maybe the best solution is to put a new string of lights in that area.

The Winter party continues to attract reservations. We heard last night there are 130 planning on attending. That's the largest crowd I've seen in quite a while.

Remember we are now in the lunch on Friday mode. See you at noon in the grill.