Surf'n This Morning

If you haven't tried surfing in the morning it's a lot of fun.  I followed that up with a quick tour of London.  By now you think I must have been smoking something funny.  Wrong.  I did all this Virtual Reality.  The Nurse saw these goggles when she was getting her new phone set up and thought they would be cool to have.  So she asked Santa for them.  Santa must have been overwhelmed with requests because he had to go to Best Buy.com before he could find a pair (the store couldn't keep them in stock).  Even then it took five days.  One of Santa's elves (UPS) put them on the porch yesterday.  After reading the instructions three times (I thought they were too simple) I fired them up and away I went on the surf board.  You really have to see this technology to believe it.  I hear the roller coaster is too real.  Can't to watch a video.

Santa also brought the Nurse an Amazon Fire Stick.  Since the Rabbit Wrangler was here he set it up in no time.  It was also so simple that I could have handled it, but use the expert when possible.  If it wasn't for the sports I might consider getting rid of cable TV.  There is definitely no need for the premium channels like HBO (I'll explain if you want to know).  Plus, one big advantage we can take it with us when we travel.

Enough about Christmas.  If you haven't noticed the hours of daylight are getting longer.  But, the weather has been so mild that many haven't missed plsying the course.  The rain and recent cold snap may slow that down a bit, but the long range forecast still looks pretty good.

Remember today is our last day at the club before adjourning to the casino.  This will probably be our last SOTD for a while.  There is $150.00 in the pot.  We're due for a winner.

See ya,

CC

 

New Old Tech

Yesterday at the weekly lunch gathering the discussion evolved to the next date we could meet because of the upcoming holidays and the clubs schedule.  We finally determined that for the next two weeks we would gather on Wednesday.  LOA said he needed to check his "yellowberry" to make sure he was available.  Where upon he withdrew a paper calendar from his sport coat, unfolded it and penciled in the dates.  Mind you the rest of us made the notation on our smart phones (except for Twinkle Toes who doesn't own either and stated he would just remember to show up).  They all work as long as they don't get wet!  Think about it.

Not much else to report on.  See ya.

CC

Getting Close

Not many days left before the big holiday week.  Usually when it arrives I'm ready for it to be over.  This year not so much.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe it's the pace has been a little slower, or the shopping a little easier.  And, just maybe it is because the weather has been so mild.  That must be it.  No snow, rain, sleet or ice to deal with.  Plus we're still playing golf.

LTG and I got nine holes in on Saturday.  It was just nice to go play, not keep score, and get some fresh air.  Thirty others thought the same thing according to the pro shop.  But honestly how could you pass up the opportunity.

The Winter Dance was another nice affair.  Chef Kiel really does an outstanding job.  The House Comm. has done a great job decorating the clubhouse.  I hope the membership is enjoying it.  There is still a few more days to take advantage before we go into winter hibernation.

Yak at ya later,

CC

PS - The SOTD pot is north of $100 and waiting for a winner.

Fast Approaching

Christmas is not far away, but it looks like we'll still be playing golf this weekend.  It's going to be 65 today and carts will be out.  You just can't pass up the opportunity to get some fresh air and frustrate ones self one more time.  I've got plenty to do, but there is always tomorrow.  I was reminded the Winter Dance was tonight and to get ready in time means I may only get nine holes in (have to dig out the tux). 

Lunch on Thursday was well attended.  I couldn't stay until the bitter end, but had a quick bite to eat and then left for Miss Emma's 5th grade holiday program.  She was the ghost of Christmas Present (non speaking part) and the Nurse insisted we be there.  She did a good job, as did all the kids.  I couldn't believe the truck traffic on I75 on the way home.  It was kind of scary in the construction before Toledo.  We watched a trucker almost lose it on one of the lane shifts.  He was driving way to fast.  Luckily he saved it and we weren't part of the debris.  Needless to say we backed off and let him go ahead ( he had trouble staying in his own lane).  Where is the Highway Patrol when you need them?

Just a few shopping days left.  Is yours complete?

CC 

Mouse In The House X2

After several attempts to capture the little pest we had success using a sticky mat.  This resourseful rodent kept taking the bait from the traps without trigering them.  Thus we went to plan B and finally snag the little guy.  On the off chance we had more than one I left a couple mats out while we went to see the family in Germantown.  Sure enough upon our return another one was caught on one of the mats.  Of course now the Nurse is convinced we have more and is a bit freaked.  Me, I'm not so sure, but will leave the traps out for a bit longer.  This is the first time in 45+ years we have ever had any rodents in our house (and I hope the last).

A pretty quiet holiday for the most part.  We did watch the big game with our son who can get a little intense over the whole thing.  He was pretty calm but on the edge of his seat for the first half.  Personally Iwas surprised by the way the Bucks trampled the team from up North.  It makes you really wonder what the hell was going on the week before.  The only explanation I can come up with it just wasn't meant to be.  My only question for the pundints is how does the Big 10 (who doesn't play anybody) have four teams in the top 15?

The weather has the potential to sneak a round in this week.  Also, the SD is going to start Thursday lunch this week.  Watch for his emails.

CC

Mouse In The House

I seem to remember a kids story by this name.  Anyway the other evening the Nurse observed this blur rushing across the carpet in our living room.  After getting over the shock of the "EEK" I was able to determine we probably had a mouse in the house.  I'm guessing it got in during a cooking incident where we were trying to empty the house of smoke from the oven (another story).  The only trap we owned was a rat trap (total overkill, literally), but I set it anyway.  The little sucker didn't take the bait.  Off to the store for mouse traps.  Do you know a bunch of people believed in the old adage someone "will build a better mouse trap".  The selection is mind boggling.  I finally settled on the old fashioned kind,  but did buy some supper bait (supposed to better than cheese).  The bait worked, but the trap didn't (yet).  The little sucker emptied two of the traps.  Well they're re-baited and moved to a new location.  We are just waiting to hear the telltale snap.  I suppose if that fails we might consider borrowing a cat.

Looks like golf is possible today.

CC

Double Bummer

First, the weather turned to winter conditions and we got our first snow on Saturday/Sunday.  True to form it was around the 20th of November.  This seems to the date that we always start to get cold and stop playing golf on a regular basis.  I imagine we'll get the odd round in, but it may not be until after the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Second,  what a bummer it was to watch the Buckeyes lose in the manner they did.  I know there is still dim hope for the Big 10 championship game but I'm not holding my breath.

We had a very rare event on Sunday.  There was a flock of sand hill cranes on #2 fairway.  There must have been 20 of them.  It was really strange to see them milling around.  I didn't even think they ever came this far north.  They had to be migrating and got caught up in the snow storm.  I know some good photos were taken and will be posted on Facebook.  So if you are friends with the Nurse check them out.

I've got to go find some gloves before I go out to run errands.

CC 

Still Playing

We're still able to tee it up most days even though we have reached the middle of November.  There may be the short frost delay, but for the most part the sun is out.  I will admit the cart cover and heater were helpful on Saturday. 

Since it is "silly season" we have had some fun formats.  Playing a shamble for team skins makes for an interesting day.  I don't think we have the format quite right yet, and continue to refine the rules to make it equal for all.  Although you can't equalize LTG's talent, but we'll keep trying to make it fair. 

I guess I was remiss in not mentioning that the GWH and the SD won our last competition of the year.  It didn't really register with me since I was just losing some of their money that I had previously been stockpiling over the year.  However the reality of their inflated handicaps set in for Dr AH and I when we realized that we'll have to deal with them until next July.  That's probably the earliest they would probably go down based on the system.  Remeber they'll have to record 10 rounds before any serious impact is seen on the computation.

Hope to see ya at the training table a few more times.

CC

PS - The SOTD pot is over $100.  Do you feel lucky?

Saturday

Saturday was my first day with both the cart cover and heater.  It was warm enough to keep the cover doors open and not over heat the Appraiser and myself as we rode around the course.  The weather was pleasant enough with lots of sun and little wind.  Since there were only a few of us we joined forces and had a little fields skins game.  The guys with the most strokes seem to always make out in these competitions.  Such was the case Saturday.  As always not alot of money involved, but bragging rights are usually more important. 

The weather this week is forecasted to be conducive golf.  But we are finally starting to have frost overnight.  It never fails to have a frost covered windshield when you are in a hurry.  It seemed like forever before the car warmed up and the windshield cleared.  But I digress.  With a little luck we be able to play golf beyond Nov. 20.  That seems to be the date we normally stop playing.

Hey.  Don't forget the bourbon tasting after the annual shopping trip to Somerset Mall.  Now I'm not suggesting the guys go on the bus trip, but rather we all come and sample the bourbon while we wait for the wives to return and we meet for dinner.  I remember last year (vaguely) and know we all had a great time.   Or so I was told by the Nurse.  She said we were having so much fun that some of the wives started dinner without their partners.

Hope to see you Tuesday at the training table.

CC

PS - I opened a 35 year old bottle of Port Sunday night to go with desert for small dinner party we had and was surprised how good it was.  I was afraid that it might have gone bad after all those years. 

On Vacation

OTR said he was going to take vacation for the rest of the week so he could take advantage of the weather.  As a result he made a rare Tuesday appearance and became our Captain.  Unfortunately he didn't inspire us.  The Lr Dr ran the daily game and stacked his team.  Being our scorekeeper I tried every bit of "pencil whipping" I'd ever heard of but couldn't get us higher than 3rd (out of three teams).  The funny part was no one even questioned our score.  The greed was really showing from those "gravy sucking pigs".  Oh well today is another opportunity.  There's at least two more days of great weather.

Went to the UT game last night.  Stayed till the bitter end.  They still can't break the NIU jinx.  Too bad, since they had an opportunity to have one of those special seasons.  The only negative about being televised nationally is the commercial breaks.  It took one hour to play the first quarter.  I almost needed a nap.

Don't forget the prime rib dinner tonight.

CC

We're Done

We're done recording data for the season.  Friday was the last day any JR/SR teed it up for official purposes and Saturday was the last day for posting scores for handicap purposes.  LTG played the most rounds and I believe had the lowest handicap.  Congrats to him.  Based on what I saw from the rest of us it was probably a season to forget.  I think in general our handicaps inched up in relation to our aging games and the degree of difficulty of the course.  I don't think it is my imagination that the rough was tougher, and made it much more punitive.  There's always next year.

Speaking of Friday.  The weather proved to be a non-factor.  It was cold, but no wind.  Saturday was a little different.  Cold with wind.  Neither day stopped the hardy from playing.  All things considered there were quite a few who teed it up.  This week looks absolutely balmy.  It is supposed to hit 70 for three straight days.  I hope to see a lot of you at the training table.  But,  remember we're playing at noon due to the change time.  It really is getting dark by 5:30 pm.  Ugh!!

Remember the prime rib dinner.  The SD says a big crowd has already signed up.

CC

PS -  The SD's game didn't improve in California (no matter what he says). 

The Last Wrangle

It wasn't rabbits, but nose tackles instead for the Rabbit Wrangler.  Unfortunately his season ended with a hard fought loss, but a winning season for his first year in high school football.  It was my first opportunity to see him play this year and I was impressed on how he has progressed from last year.  I was also impressed on big these kids are these days.  Admittedly this was Jr. Varsity so not all players were freshmen, but they were good sized for 14-15 year olds  (especially the opponents).  Now it will be on to basketball.

The weather is still great for golf.  Friday saw six of us show up to take advantage of the day.  We ended up with a split format because LTG had to leave after the front side.  At the end of the round everyone broke even.  One note - TZ is currently the JR/SR with the most rounds played at 41.  Impressive for a guy who goes to Florida monthly for a haircut.  LTG and Gilhooley are right on his heals.

Some great costumes at the Halloween party.  But the best part was when Chef Kiel sang on the Karaoke stage.  The staff really got into the evening and had some costumes of their own.  Crystal did a great job with coming as Greg.

See ya at the training table.

CC

Closing In

Yes we are closing in on the end of the JR/SR golf season (for recording purposes).  To date we have played 548 rounds (that I have records for).  That is close our all time high, which is just over 600.  I'm not sure we can break 600 by 10/31 but we have a shot.  The weather looks good and we are getting good turnouts daily. 

Yesterday we had a good crowd and tight scores.  Twinkle Toes, TZ and I lost in a score card playoff to Bob D. and his crew.  It took four holes, and that shows how tight the scores really were.  We had to take their scores on faith since their score card some how disappeared (go figure).  No winners in the SOTD.  The pot is some where around $50.00.  I guess I should count the money for an actual total.  But, every time I do someone wins.  Enough said.

See ya at the training table.

CC

PS - Congrats to our resident Appalachian American (OTR for short).  He's off to Pittsburgh to receive some big award from Fed Ex.  They said he's some kind of super business leader.  Well deserved from my perspective.

Really

Has it really been a week since my last post?  It seems like it was just yesterday.  Anyway,  time flies when you're busy.

The weather has decidedly turned Fall.  Every morning this week has been brisk when I go out to feed our resident Mallards, but this AM was down right chilling.  Golf has been tolerable even though it has been windy.  Participation is starting to show who likes the cooler temps.  Gilhooley bailed the other day;  said it was too cold for him.  This coming from the guy who grew up in the Northeast and was a skier.  Anyway the hardiest have been teeing it up and winning most of the time.  OTR commented he lost for the first time in four rounds yesterday.  Yesterday scores were closely bunched, but not super spectacular.  The winners really hammed and egged it while shooting to there handicaps.

The greens have healed well and our up to speed.  I think that surprised most of us.  I know TZ wasn't expecting it as he blew his first putt on #1 by the hole about 15 feet.  And yes he he left the come backer short. 

Watch for some interesting rule changes coming in 2016.  They should benefit all of us, and make a lot of sense (based on what I've heard).  The SOTD is growing again.  Maybe we'll have a breather from all these recent winners.

Get your mittens out you might need them the rest of the season.

CC

When The Cat Is Away.....

While I was off playing at TCC we had another SOTD winner.  JJ claimed he did it in two rolls and laid claim to $25.00.  I wasn't totally convinced about the validity of his win since I couldn't find anyone willing to verify his claim.  Finally one poor soul stepped forward and said he was present.  I was still sketical, but paid off anyway.  JJ is no longer on double secret probation.  He's just on plain probation.  For those who follow such things consider the following:

1. A total of $4210.00 has been won with the SOTD.
2. The average win is $81.00.
3. There have been 52 winner.
4. Six winners have won over $300.00 each.

I'm sure the LR Dr. thinks that's a load of useless information.  A complete summary is on the bulletin board.

Thursday was a great day to play golf, and ten took advantage of the day.  Scores weren't exceptional, for the most part we had fun.  Putting was a challenge for most as we struggled with the green speed.

Did you see the President's Cup yesterday?  There was one of the most bizarre rulings I've ever heard of.  One that I'm sure will be talked about for some time.  if you missed it ask the guys in the pro shop to explain it.  Remember the USGA and PGA rules aren't always the same.

CC

Not A Sniff

Tuesday was a grand day for golf and scoring.  Being the captain for the day I decreed that we would play 3BB of 4.  A tough format, but we are all good players and up to the challenge.  My team posted the pretty score of -21 (LTG shot 71) and we didn't even get a sniff at first.  Bob D's team posted -29 (hard to believe).  LOA played extremely well and Gilhooley brought Uncle Bob as a guest.  I'm guessing they ham and egged it and didn't all blow up together.

Yesterday I played at TCC as part of the TDGA's team in the Toledo Golf Hall of Fame fund raiser for The Evans Scholar Foundation.  We game really close to winning, but got beat by tenths of a point due to the handicaps.  I'm not sure what is going on with the greens at TCC, but they were not in good shape.  There was a definite lack of grass on many.  Someone said they were going to re-grass them, but that's a pretty expensive proposition.  All I know is that ours (keep your fingers crossed)  are really in great shape.  We should give Eric and his staff a "big pat on the back" for the well conditioned course we've had this year.

Great weather for today.  It could be the last day for shorts.  Hope to see you at the training table.

CC

PS - Rounds played thru 10/6/2015 - 511.  With some luck we could reach 600 by the end of October.

Miserable

As most of you remember (if no senior moments) Saturday was cold, windy and rain.  The GWH was holding his annual Big Hole Tournament at BCC East and had invited Dr. AH, LTG and myself to join him.  We were playing quite well through 11 holes when we realized that Dr. AH was turning blue and in desperate need of some warmth and dry gloves.  So we made a strategic decision and went to the bar for some cold weather adult beverages.  LTG told us that Captain Morgan was pretty good in hot chocolate.  Frankly anything at that point would have been good in anything hot.  We soon learned that we were actually leading the front side and tied for second overall after only playing 11 holes.  But, the powers that be DQ'd us for not finishing.  So much for being the boss and owner.  Although I heard the GWH say there was going to be a lot of splaning on Monday for that decision.   Anyway we had a great prime rib lunch and headed home.  I don't know about my partners but I walked in the house and put all my wet clothes in the dryer and took a hot shower.

Yesterday I took advantage of the weather and did some of the prep work around the yard before bad weather sets in.  Besides I don't want to miss golf the rest of the week.

See ya at the training table.

CC

Oh No, Not Again!!

I may have to put myself on double secret probation after I rolled three's in two rolls yesterday.  Thanks to Twinkle Toes my win was only worth $18.00.  But a win is a win is a win.  Fortunately there is still money in the pot so the rest of you shouldn't fret.  At least I was able to use the money for paying LTG and tips for valet parking plus have a little left over for next week.

After the conclusion of our round we were standing in the pro shop and the GWH picked up one of the training aids for perfecting your putting stroke.  He asked what it was supposed to teach you and Sarah responded that when you didn't put a good stroke on the ball it would either roll right or left.  Where upon Dr. Ah responded and said the GWH really shouldn't buy it since he already had a bunch of putters that did the same thing.  Now that is really cold, but sadly true.

See ya at the training table.   Remember they will be doing the greens this week.  We'll probably have some kind of fun contest rather the regular old stuff.

CC

Not Again

Twinkle Toes is not allowed to roll the dice left handed in the future.  He has been on a hot streak ever since he started rolling left handed, and extended it yesterday by rolling sixes in two rolls.  He has now tied Dr. J for the most wins, but not the most money since he only won $27.00 this time.  He still has a ways to go to catch Dr. J.  But, enough is enough.

We played the same game but had a different winner yesterday.  That's what happens when you mix the players up.  Surprisingly the scores were very close to the day before.  I will say it was another beautiful day and the course was in super shape.

There is a one day member guest (aka stag day) today so I don't expect much to report on.

See ya,

CC

PS -  The Nurse went to the TSL Annual Purse Auction and won three purses in the raffle portion.  Just what she needed.  We're now trying to figure out where to put these.  Maybe Christmas shopping is partially done.

Perfect Weather

It was just another "$#&#@ in paradise" yesterday (for golf).  They crawled out of the woodwork in hopes of picking up a few rubles from the masses.  The competition was stiff but, my team was able to beat back the challengers.  Gilhooley brought in a ringer (Scott E. former member) and tried to sneak one past the group.  They did manage to pick off 2nd place and get their money back.  The course was in great shape and the greens were starting to speed up.  Conditions seemed to change during the round since there was a lot of grumbling during the after round Golf Talk Live session.  The rest of the week looks like it will be a repeat of Tuesday.  Since we are now officially in Autumn you'd better show up since the weather could turn on a dime.

No SOTD winners, but several close calls.  The pot is growing and stands at $55.00.  We're probably due for a large one before the snow shuts us down for the season.  Total JR/SR rounds played is at 468 and I expect will be close to our normal average of 570 before the year is over.

The Nurse reminded me there is one more couples event on Sunday.  The format is using the par three course.  I'm not sure whether it's a scramble or a shamble.  Either way it won't be as easy as you might think (based on previous scores).  Should be a fun time.  SIGN UP!!

See ya,

CC

JR/SR'S Rule

Yes the team of the LR Dr. and Bob D took the top honors in the JPK.  If my memory is correct they had a fantastic score of 71 in the two ball aggregate.  That's some pretty good playing considering the wet condition of the course.  I can't recall who finished second or third, but know Gilhooley and T Squared were 5th.  While LTG and I finished just out of the money it wasn't a total washout since I bet smartly in the para mutual and collected a nice return on my money  (over 200%).  It was too bad we had a shortened tournament because of the rain.  I was looking forward to the alternate shot portion.  We just can't seem to get away from the cycle of monsoon rains every 10 to 15 days.

Today is the last day of Summer.  Where did the time go?  Seems like just yesterday it was the beginning of June.  We still have some great days left to tee it up.  This week looks great with mild temps and clear skies forecasted.  So don't put the clubs away yet.

The SD made it Caliiiiifornia safely.  He called yesterday and said the weather was beautiful (told him he should see ours) and he was going to try hitting some balls later this week.  His arm is mending (slowly), and he no longer has any pain.

See ya,

CC

Wow, Even Par!!

Yes that's right Bob D. shot even par yesterday to help my team to prevail in the daily game.  TZ was "on fire"  on certain holes and made some major contributions to our winning team score of -24.  Me, I just cruised along and didn't have any big blow ups, but did contribute on occasion.  Bob's golf was a thing of beauty, and kinda snuck up on us.  He was really consistent with only two birdies and two bogie's.  I was really surprised when I added up the backside and realized what he had done.

The weather yesterday was really fantastic.  The course is drying out again and the greens were starting to speed up.  The fairways were firming and we are starting to get some roll.  Perfect conditions for the upcoming JPK this weekend.  This is always a great way to wrap up the golf year.  Hope to see you out there.

See ya at the training table.

CC

A Day Of Firsts

First let me congratulate our JR/SR champions for 2015.  Both were first time winners.  Winning low gross shooting 79 was LTG.  Winning low net shooting 66 was LOA (he also won a skin on #4 with a net 1).  Another first was OTR (our only Appalachian American) beating the field out for DFL.  That was a hard fought win since there were several contenders (including yours truly) who had trouble with the great playing conditions.   Kudos to our golf professionals and grounds staff for another great job in contributing to our day. 

We also have a new club.  Dr. AH and I formed the 9's club.  We are looking for additional members, but I'm not sure many will be willing to admit to the notoriety one must have to qualify for membership.  Some times it is just better to admit to the truth than trying to hide from it.  All I'll say is we didn't join on the same hole.  But one key qualifying requirement is that no penalty stokes can be involved with scoring a 9.
Yes, it doesn't get much worse.

There were no SOTD winners.  Remember Twinkle Toes spoiled the day by winning the day before and running off with all the meaningful money.  We are back to $20 (approx.) and the pot is due to build before the snow flies.

And, the final first was there were no required playoffs.  Now that really is a first. 

See ya at the training table,

CC

PS - I have a picture of OTR's score card puzzle which I hope to publish as soon as I get it off my phone, into a folder, and downloaded to the blog site.   If I can accomplish that then it may the most amazing first of the week.




















a

Another Holiday Come And Gone

Well another Labor Day has come and gone.  This one was the hottest in my memory.  What a scorcher.  The Nurse and I played Sunday and Monday and thought we might melt.  Saturday, as we all know, was a washout.  Where does all this rain come from?  We actually had planned on going to the Rabbit Wrangler's JV football game on Saturday, but it was cancelled due to the Varsity game being moved to Saturday because of lightning on Friday.  The Junior Fair was also this weekend.  No grand championship this year, but a couple of top five placements in a big field.

College football kicked off with some great games.  Of course the best (in my mind) was last night with OSU beating VT.  Yea I know it was interesting for a while, but it was a matter of time before all that talent overcame the emotional side of the game.  I don't know whether they can repeat as national champs, but they will be hard to prepare for.  And, personally I thought the best QB was sitting on the bench.

The plans are set for the JR/SR Championship.  A field of 22 will tee it up on Thursday.  This should be another great day of competition.

See ya,

CC 

Can't Please 'Em

With 17 players it is hard to keep it interesting.  Because of the odd number we ended up with uneven teams.  For the first time I took a suggestion that we allow the three man teams to use any players twice score if necessary for a 3BB format.  As might be expected the scores were somewhat higher than normal.  Of course when TZ has an out of body experience and has one of his rounds of the year his team would be hard to beat (minus 27) and win by a wide margin.  After all the whining we probably won't allow that format  again.  The one good thing about the day was we all survived the heat and humidity.

Not much else to report on.  The SOTD pot is now $63.  Oh yea, we did welcome a new member, Dr. Lou.  The LR Dr. said with his handicap he is going to be real handy to have around.

CC

That Time Of The Year

Annually the publisher of the Webster's Dictionary (or variations there of) come out with a list of new words which have become popular in daily use.  Not to be out done the JR/SR Glossary of Terms is being updated.  Just in the past week there were four new terms born.  Please review the following:

1. A Wise - the act of hitting the forward tee marker with one's tee shot and having it careen back scattering anyone in the vacinity for fear of their life.  Remember it the erratic shot come to rest in a flower bed the player is entitled to relief without penalty.  If said ball is lost then the standard lost ball applies.
2. An Ah Stroh - The act of T. C. Cheening a putt (yes a putt).  Standard USGA rules apply.  However an "atta boy" is awarded if the putt is made.  Two strokes are recorded when developing personal putting stats.
3. Lumberjacked - Hitting the same tree twice (from behind).  This is rather difficult because the odds of having to play the second shot from a position where the the tree is still an obstacle is rather remote.
4. Chippewa'd - When one partner intentionally leaves his putt short so he can show his partner the line.  This requires real skill since the first putt should have provided the same information.

The annual lunch with the grounds was another success.  I must say that Kennel Club's beans were the hit of the lunch.  Thanks to all the guys that showed up to show their appreciation.

We played golf after the lunch and had a skins game.  I had a hard accepting that my net 2 on #18 wasn't a winner.  I think Silk felt the same way, but he had a couple of other winners to sooth the disappointment.  I didn't.  It looks like another great week before we hit the holiday weekend.

See ya at the training table.

CC

Really!!!

Dr. J returned from his month long vacation with the rich and famous in Harbor Springs to play with the less fortunate.  While his game hadn't improved his canny ability rolling the bones was as good as ever.  On his first attempt on returning he rolled the mandatory five of a kind (in two rolls) to win $20.00.  Granted it isn't a large amount of money it's the principle of it.  He has been our most prolific winner, and I think also has won the most money.  We put him on double secret probation to no avail;  then on the TSA no roll list;  finally on the special witness verification required list.  All to no avail.  I'm open to suggestions on what to do next.  At present there is at least $40.00 awaiting his next assault.

The competition was keen on Tuesday.  Two man teams playing 1BB.  Scores were close ranging from -10 to -3.  We paid 4 places so only six would be unhappy.  I couldn't stay to see all the moaning and crying by the losers, but heard it was long and loud.  Twinkle Toes finished so early that had time to go home to change clothes before the next group finished (just a quirk of the day).

The latest Rounds Played sheet is up on the bulletin board.  So far there are 16 qualified for the JR/SR Championship, and 6 more are on the cusp.  And, anyone gets their panties in a wad this may not be totally accurate since I may not have all the daily sheets.  As long as you make a good faith effort (and slip me something under the table) I'm pretty sure you'll make it in.   Plus if you're not close you are still welcome to play and compete in the skins game.  Remember we will add $5.00 to the entry fee, again this year, to cover photography cost.  So make sure you have $25.00 cash money on Thursday September 10th (money to paid to the pro shop).  See me if you have any questions.

CC

Funny Business

As you know yesterday was the annual Mars vs.Venus tournament.  After many years (Mars quit counting after 6 straight wins) the Venus Team finally won.  I don't want to sound like sour grapes, but there was some really funny accounting going on.  There was an unusual adjustment made by the pro shop due to the difference in women's vs men's par.  Somehow that magically seemed to be the winning difference.  Now I will admit the Venus Team had a couple of exceptional scores which was a real plus.  But, our Pig Trophy is sitting in the ladies locker room for at least 12 months before we can take it back and put it in it's rightful place.

The weather looks great for this week.  Moderate temps, sunny skies and no rain in the forecast.  Just the right formula  for honing your game before our big day.  Make sure you sign up so we can get a good read for the post tournament dinner.

see ya, CC

Every Once In A While

Occasionally it serves the purpose to fall a bit short.  Such was the case Saturday.  We were having a hard fought match with our worthy competition.  Coming into the last hole the match could swing either way.  It actually came down to the last putt.  Unfortunately Dr. AH and I both missed difficult but makable putts, and lost acouple of bucks in the final accounting.  While not happy losing I did realize that a small loss can pay off  in the long run.  Our opponents now have hope that they will prevail and will eagerly look forward to the next match.  I know there are no sure things in life and especially golf,  but you don't want to discourage the underdogs.

Remember we are having our annual lunch with the grounds crew on Friday.  All JR/SRS are encouraged to attend.  Kennel Club and I are handling the details , but will happily accept contributions to help defray the cost.  These guys have worked hard and provided us we a really great conditioned course.  There were a number of guests on Saturday who said they have never seen BCC in better shape (even better than their own club).

A sign up sheet will be posted on the bulletin board for the The Championship.  Please sign up if you are planning on playing.  Remember if you are well short of the necessary rounds you can still play in the skins game.  If you are reallllly close to qualifying you can apply for a waiver from the tournament committee.  The entry fee is $20.00 (paper money, no coins OTR) payable the day of the tournament.  So mark September 10th on your calendar.

The weather looks good for the upcoming week.

CC 

Fast Approaching

Yes, it's almost time for the JR/SR Championship.  The field is starting to take shape as more players get those final qualification rounds in.  Check the locker room bulletin board if you think may be a round or so shy.  I'm posting an updated list weekly so you can see where you stand.

We had another SOTD winner.  Not a big win.  Only $22.00 this time, and the winner was yours truly.  It's been a long time since my last win.  There's still money to be won.  Remember you can't win if you don't roll the bones.

Golf was some what limited this week because of the rain Wednesday night.  It really came down, if only for a short period, enough so that they wouldn't allow carts on Thursday. (Wow, that is an award sentence,but I'm too lazy today to rewrite it.)

If you missed Trivia at Belmont you missed a great time.  No prises awarded, but bragging rights are valuable.  A good sized crowd was present for the evening mc'd by our own Twinkle Toes.  He does a great job and always has something humorous to leave the audience with.

Just a reminder the annual appreciation lunch for the ground crew will be August 28 at the maintenance building at 11 AM.  Come show these guys how much we think of their hard work in keeping the course in such great shape.  We'll probably play golf afterwards.  Remember Thursday is Stag Day and we always have a limited field in the morning.

See ya,

CC 

Alert!!

The Nurse reminded me the Mars vs Venus Event is around the corner.  Like right around the corner and we need a Mars team.  Check the sign up sheet in the pro shop.  Remember we have a tradition of never losing and I would hate to lose by forfeit.

I was right about the coming monsoon.  The rain Friday night soaked the course, and it was really wet on Saturday.  While it slowed down Dr. AH and myself at the beginning of the round it didn't keep us from prevailing.  I will admit it is almost impossible to overcome the backside press (aka the Inverness) when you start out -1 1/2 (that's how bad they were on the front).  It would have been worse in my putt on 9 wasn't a little aggressive and popped out of the hole.  We still finished the day by winning a couple bets and tried not to gloat.

What a great finish to the PGA yesterday.  I was happy with the outcome and all the records that were set.  I would have been happy with Jason or Jordon winning,  but really enjoyed the overall play.  It was hard to imagine all the scores that far under par at the beginning of the tournament.

See ya at the training table.

CC

Depleted Again!!

Once again we have had a run on the SOTD pot.  Earlier in the week we had a winner for $53 (Can't remember who) and then again yesterday LTG rolled five of a kind in two rolls.  His winnings weren't as great, only $33.  I don't if there is something the water or if the stars are aligned, but we seem to have had a lot of winners recently.  With yesterday's money we still have $43 available.

This has been a good week for play.  We are averaging about about 13 players per day.  That's pretty good for this time of the year.  Plus the weather has been absolutely great for golf.  The course is in great shape and finally starting to dry out again (means a monsoon is on the way).  The only problem I noted was that Ken L has been on the winning team four days in a row.  I'm sure future pairings will take care of that.

All is quiet on the varmint front.  I don't whether they are planning an attack on the homestead or we have eliminated the problem for the present.  Some of the plants are starting to recover.  Only time will tell.

See ya at the training table.

CC

No Mas

Please recall my post about varmits.  Well it's time for an update.  After the experience with trapping a skunk and the inherent problems involved with releasing it I was a little hesitant about continuing with the live trap idea.  But, seeing few other options I went ahead with the idea of using it during the daylight hours.  That seemed reasonable since skunks are basically nocturnal.  The idea was OK, but I didn't think about the number of squirrels we have running around our yard.  You guessed it.  And we found out they really don't like being caught.  Since I was on the golf course it fell to The Nurse to release the angry critter.  From what I was told it was too bad we didn't have a video of the release (ask her for details).  The ground hog was becoming more brazen and seemed to be taunting us.  So Sunday afternoon I set the trap, and baited it with a PBJ sandwich.  We went off to the movie to see Mission Impossible (yes it is pretty good) and hoped for the best.  Upon our return I found one very pissed off varmit with PBJ on his cheeks in the trap.  Since we had dinner plans I waited until early evening to release the intruder.  I can honestly say ground hogs don't really like car rides.  I won't disclose the release location, but suffice it to say the varmit would have sore feet if he made it back to our neighborhood.  Plus there were a lot it's cousins around to welcome the newcomer.  So far no one has appeared to take it's place.  

See ya at the training table,

CC

What A Great Day!!

On Thursday we held the first Steve Hopkins Memorial Invitational.  Originally we had planned an informal day of golf with our lady college golfers on the staff, members and some of the UT Lady Golf Team.  As the idea evolved it seemed appropriate that we had an opportunity to remember Steve by naming the day in his memory because of his interest in women's athletics at the college level.  We ended up with eight teams of three players (2 JRSR's / 1 college player) playing a 1BB of 3.  In general the scores were pretty good, but the LR Dr., LOA, and S. Ruenreong (from UT) were low with the great score of 59.  Because the day was such a success it has been decided to hold the tournament annually during the first week of August.  Knowing our group I fully expect this will only grow in popularity.  All the underclassmen all want to come back next year and hope to get their name on the plague we'll be putting in the JR/SR corner of the locker room.  Many thanks to our golf staff and anonymous host of the lunch buffet for adding to the success of the event.

Next up is the JR/SR Championship.  Are you ready?

CC

Now What?

If you recall I said we were having a varmint problem.  Well, I received a number of suggestions on what to do to rid ourselves of the pest.  We finally settled on the live trap approach, and set one up late last week to no avail.  Someone suggested the little rascal would go for peanut butter.  So I moved the trap to a new location and baited it with a PBJ sandwich.  When I checked this AM I found we had captured something.  No ground hog, but a baby skunk instead.  Now what do I do?

Congrats to the Senior Club Championship winners.  I had to withdraw Saturday morning due to injuries suffered the day before at the Senior Inter club at Stone Oak CC.  I tripped going up the steps on #1 tee and banged up my knee and strained my back.  The LR Dr. says I'll be OK and no major damage, but I should take it easy for a few days.  SOCC really needs to rethink those steps.  I'm pretty sure I'm not the first person to take a tumble there.

Thanks to LTG, The Appraiser, and Al P. for their help in painting the pump house yesterday.  It looks much better now.  Also a  big thanks to OTR for donating the paint rollers and brushes.  And, to all of you who donated the money to buy the paint.

Remember we are going to host our women college players on Thursday (plus four from UT).  As of today it looks like we'll have at least 5 foursomes.  I'm planning on doing the pairings on Wednesday.  I hope this is the beginning of another JR SR tradition.

See ya at the training table,

CC

Wet Finish

When we started on No. 10 we were guessing when we would get called off the course for lightning.  The popular thinking was No. 14 tee.  Actually we made it all the thru No. 18 before it started to pour and the lightning didn't really hit until we were in the clubhouse.  Of course by that time we were wet.  We could have saved ourselves the trouble and quit after No. 17 since we ended up being a distant 3rd.  No real surprise since we couldn't get much going, but there is always hope.  Hate to say it but we needed a little rain.

Painting the pump house is scheduled for 10 am Monday, August 3rd.  We could use a couple more painters.  Two more would give a total of 5 which would make pretty quick work of the job.  let me know if you are willing to help.

There's a stag today.  Senior Interclub tomorrow, and  the Senior Club Championship on Saturday.  Plenty of golf to fill your calendar.

CC

PS - An updated Rounds Played list is on the bulletin board.

Varmits

Last week a cute little ground hog showed up sleeping on our deck.  It must be a young one since it didn't have any fear of the Nurse or I.  I really didn't think too much about it until I woke on Thursday to discover all the leaves gone on the sweet potato vines in the big flower pots on our deck.  Plus to add injury to insult it had been rooting around in the Nurse's fairy garden (a big no no).  Now it is all out war.  We have a live trap set and hope to catch the little sucker post haste.  Haven't decided his fate yet,  but there is a definite debate going on.

The golf course looks to be back to summer conditions.  Faster fairways and greens.  I'm sure we'll all adjust quickly.  I'm sure we dodged a bullet with the temps slowly rising instead of rocketing up.  I can't remember who won on Thursday, but it wasn't me.  I heard of some unbelievable score on Wednesday and think the drug test was scheduled for the winners.  Golf this week looks good although I'll miss Tuesday due to family matters.

See ya,

CC

Banned

The Appraiser is quickly becoming a professional dice roller and could be banned from the SOTD after he won again on Tuesday.  My understanding is he's already banned from the local casino and their affiliates across the country.  Now I know he would give you the appearance of a low key, unassuming gambler, but those are the ones you have to really look out for.  Fortunately he only one $36.00 (and didn't even take the wife to Moe's).

The competition was intense with 5 groups.  The old scorecard playoff was necessary to decide 2nd and 3rd.  Plus it was absolutely a gorgeous day to play golf.  Maybe the best we've had this year.  Could summer finally be here?  The forecast for the next 10 days looks great (especially for golf).

We've started to collect money for the paint for the pump house on 16.  So, bring an extra $5.00.  I think we're going to do the painting on Monday, August 3 (mark your calendars).  If we have five painters it should go fairly quickly.  See me if you are willing to help.

See ya at the training table,

CC

The Open (and shut)

Well that certainly took along time to find out Jordon would come up one shot short of making history.  Zack J. is a deserving champion and congrats to him.  But, if it wasn't for a balky putter (we all can relate) the outcome could have been much different.  Talk about balky.  How about Lefty's drive on the Road Hole?  I've hit some wayward missiles but don't think I've ever left one on a balcony.

As most know we suffered through another wet weekend.  Makes one wonder if this is ever going to quit.  Maybe we'll have a great Fall.  So far Summer has been nothing to write home about.  I know the JRSR round count is down for the year.

The SOTD pot is growing again.  $72.00 after Saturday.  Maybe we get to $100.00 before someone gets lucky. 

See ya at the training table.

CC

Rain Gear

Yesterday was one of those days where rain gear was part of the attire.  Well, periodically at least.  when we got to the back nine it was on off, on off....  I'm sure you get the idea.  But, it was enough of a problem it convinced some of us to pack in and head for the bar.  My group played on and collected the money.  Just for the information of the group we were beating everyone like a cheap drum.  Primarily because The Appraiser was hot as a firecracker and Bob D.  threw a little 75 at the field.  Twinkle Toes and I stepped up on occasion and helped at the appropriate times.  Anyway we didn't win much, but a win is a win.

Today looks it will be a beautiful day.  Too bad I'm not going to play.  Too many other things that have to be taken care of.  Plus I want to save myself gor the Lobster Night.  I heard we have a good sized crowd and I'm sure we'll have good time.  Tomorrow is the rescheduled round with our women college players.  Hope the LPGA tourney doesn't take too many away from playing.

T Squared is heading up the project to paint the pump house on 16.  The building has been prepped and we are waiting for some dry weather.  It should be about a four hour project.  So we need a few painters and a $5.00 contribution from everyone to cover the cost of the paint.  Once we're done it will be a major improvement to the aesthetics.  I plan on taking up a collection tonight at the lobster dinner, so bring five bucks.

See ya,

CC

Another One

Saturday there was another SOTD winner.  Gilhooley used two rolls to get 3's for $36.00.  That's like the 5th time in three weeks or something ridiculous like that.  Considering all the rainy days we've had that's pretty remarkable.  Speaking of rain.  Can you believe we lost another couple of days late last week.  This is starting to get serious.  Some have questioned whether they will get the necessary 10 rounds in to qualify for the championship.  I am posting a summary of rounds played through July 10th so you can see where you stand. 

Not much else happening.  A quick reminder the TDGA will have it's rating committee at the course on July 13.  The USGA requires every course to be rated every ten years.  It will be interesting to see the results, but I don't expect any dramatic changes from our current ratings.

Hope to see ya Tuesday,

CC  

Red, White, and Blew

That's the 4th of July in a nutshell.  What a great weekend!  We deserved some great weather for a change.  The fireworks at the club went off without a hitch.  I hear the family picnic was a huge success with good time being had by all.  We couldn't attend due to the family arriving late on Thursday, but we did take advantage of the pyrotechnics from Dave B's patio, and had great seats.  The rest of the weekend was packed with a lot of activity packed into a short period of time.  One of things everyone enjoyed was the trip to the Museum of The Great Lakes.  It is really well done, and another plus for Toledo.

Golf on Thursday was well attended.  A couple of new members showed up and joined the fun.  One notable was Big PP who played hooky from practicing law and borrowed $5 from his secretary to get in the game.  His handicap is really handy, and he played his best game ever.  Unfortunately his partners weren't as helpful, but he did get some of her money back.

The weather looks good for the upcoming week.  Remember on Thursday we are going to be joined by our female college golfers.  Since they would in all likely hood beat us like a "cheap drum" we  are going to pair them up with the JR/SRS so everyone has at least one A player.  Should be fun.

See ya at the training table.

CC

It Was Dry

That was the course on Tuesday (relatively speaking).  But after the shower on Tuesday evening the Nurse said it was pretty wet for the ladies on Wednesday.  But, according to the weather report we should be in for a dry period for the next few days.  Let's hope we get the fireworks in without any major rain.  Most of us can remember a few years ago when we got washed out the evening of the event.  What a mess that was.

Kennel Club managed to herd his group around the course on Tuesday in fine form.  They ran away from the field and hid.  TZ said he had is best round of the year to make a big contribution to their winning score.  His Old Pal partner was heard muttering something about why he didn't do that when it really counted.  I guess they didn't fair well in their march.

My apology to John W. (aka John S.) on my mistake when crediting him with the SOTD win.  I got totally confused because he has one of those "Ski" names.  Any way the John S moniker may stick since we always try to disguise and protect the innocent.  No one came close to winning so the pot grew by $10.

Finally it was good to see the SD return to the links.  He was asked how he played and responded he ran out of gas on the back nine.  The person asking the question (who shall remain nameless) responded that maybe he should play the back nine first and avoid running out of gas.  Honestly, you can't make this stuff up.  If I didn't know better I'd think we were on the set of "Caddy Shack".

See ya,

CC  

Enough Already

If it keeps raining like this I'm going to start filling sand bags.  Fortunately we haven't had any water in our basement, loss of power or other problems many people are experiencing.  It looks kike the course has taken a major shoot and Grassy creek turned into Grassy River.  I saw a picture of #10 and it looked like we had a new lake (right in our landing area).  I'm sure #'s 14 and 15 had a similar look.  With luck we could be playing within the week.  Although more rain is in the forecast so who knows.

Thursday's golf was cut short (wait for it) by rain.  I had elected not to play, but did go over for lunch.  There were a few of our crowd having breakfast while waiting for their jockey shorts to dry.  And no they weren't going commando.  We did roll the bones and had another winner.  John S. won $20 (two rolls).  This was his first time he'd ever played.  Surprisingly this was not the first this has happened.

Keep the faith,

CC

Whew!!

TZ was given the opportunity for a three-pete yesterday and to the relief of all sitting around the table didn't pull it off.  Actually he said he didn't want to win since the pot was low and he'd be forced to take the Mrs. to Rudy's for dinner if he won.  So now we are growing the pot again and are close to $40.00.

We had a good sized crowd, 14 for golf.  Kennel Club and his crew posted the low score. Since none of them were present to collect (they wanted to be off first so they could run off to meetings) we are holding the money in escrow.

There has been a running debate for years about the difference in handicaps between the white and blue tees.  Most everyone seems to think there should be a greater difference because of the yardage difference.  Hopefully this issue will soon be settled.  The course is scheduled to be rated on July 13th.  In preparation for this process I brought in the USGA rating manual for everyone to look at.  One person exclaimed and I quote "this is really complicated".  My reaction to that was no kidding.  I've been working with the rating group for 5 years and am just starting to have a basic understanding and appreciation for the process.  I also ran a simple test on one of our own who seems to think he is 5 strokes better off the whites than the blues.  Much to my amazement using 5 recent scores form each tee I learned that the average difference was less than one stroke (this was after discarding one unusually high score from the white).  You can draw your own conclusion.

Golf over the next few days will be limited because of scheduling issues. 

CC

Back To Back

A new first!  TZ won the SOTD two days in a row.  On Wednesday he hit for $52.00 and on Thursday he won another $30.00.  No one has ever done that before.  He said and I quote " I took the Mrs. to Moe's for her birthday with the winnings from Wednesday, and now I guess we'll go to Mickey D's tonight."  What a spender.

Golf has been a little soggy this week.  Lots of rain to soften the place up.  The grounds crew has done a great job getting the course ready for play.  Considering we had the Ohio Golf Assoc. Mid Am. this week it's a wonder we even got to play with the weather and all.  Scores from the Mid Am reflected how tough and wet it really was.  Only two players broke par.  I think all the JRSRS broke par, but it was going the wrong way. 

Did you watch any of the US Open?  I saw quite a bit yesterday and am amazed anyone was under par.  A one point with three holes to play Tiger's threesome was +26.  I don't know what the projected cut is but I don't think any of them are going to be around for the weekend unless they catch fire today.

See ya,

CC

Casual Water

Well the course has been so wet it has been hard to get any golf in.  Saturday there was casual water over the entire course.  Or at least that what it seemed like to me.  It's not much fun to play in slop like that.  We did manage to get a game in on Saturday.  Since the GWH was running the pumps at his course we had LTG make a cameo.  He won $2.00 for the only money to change hands.  Sunday he and I played our Old Pal match without a positive result.  I knew it was going to be a long day when the scores on the first hole were 7,7,7 and 8.  It got better, but it was a struggle at times.  It seemed like every time we stepped to the tee the wind picked up about 15 mph. Oh well, there's always next year.

Hope you have been watching the Golf Channel's pre-open coverage.  Chambers Bay promises to be a unique venue.  I think that is one course I have no real interest in playing.  This should be an exciting US Open, and I could see a winning score over par.

The SOTD is at $104.00 with some close calls, but no winners.

See ya,

CC

One Better

Dr. J called yesterday morning (early) to confirm that he had done one better than the LR Dr.  He is now the proud grandfather to triplets.  Owen, Nick, and Juliet to be exact.  The triplets were born Monday afternoon,and all are doing fine.  As he said "we kinda have our hands full down here."  Anyway, congrats.  My guess he will really be looking to take our money on his return.  Those kids will need a big diaper fund.

No golf to report on from yesterday.  Wet course conditions kept the carts in the barn.  It seemed like most of us spent our time on the lesson tee.  It's amazing what the trained can detect.  A minor tweak here and there and the swing comes back.  Now if I can only remember and execute what I was told.

See ya, CC

Quotes

Over the years JR/SRS have made some memorable quotes.  One of the most notable came from TTS when he said "you three are a ffoursome".  This week we had a couple more that are worthy of mention.  First there is TZ standing on a par three tee and inquiring of his playing partners about which club they intended to use.  When told by one he was using his 150 yard club TZ responded "but your 150 yard club goes farther than mine".  Don't ask me to explain that.  Next we have Silk who was preparing to putt or chip (not sure about which).  One of his playing partners asked do you want the pin or out.  His response - wait for it was "yes" (or something very close to that).  You know you just can't make this stuff up.

We finally had winner in the SOTD.  T Squared rolled five of something (I wasn't present) in two rolls for half the pot - $75.00.  It was confirmed by several people.  However they wouldn't provide the written documentation required for verification so I'm not sure about the validity of the win.  After a close vote the Executive Comm. decided to payoff anyway.  For the rest of you don't worry there is still @$85.00 waiting to be won.

The new Costco opens this Thursday.  There is a rumor that the LR Dr. will present and signing copies of his newly published book as part of the Grand Opening.  Is an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel next?

See ya,

CC

The Spread

The golf week started with high hopes by everyone to score well since it was the beginning of June and all the rust should have been knocked off.  Well the best laid plans and hopes often go astray.  So was the case with my team on Tuesday, and I might add one other team also.  Being the Captain for the day a format of two best ball of four seemed reasonable.  The pairings were made with the mindset to try to equalize the teams.  Everything was fine until the second hole.  My group started out like a hose a fire and was -3 after one.  Then the golf goblins woke up and played a nasty trick.  We played the next hole in four over, and it was down hill after that.  We finished 34 shots off the winning score.  While there are no official records no one can remember anything like that happening before.  The second place team wasn't much better.  They were 22 shots behind the first place team.  To say it was a run away is an understatement.  The next days returned to normal with much closer competition.  I might also add that scores improved dramatically from Tuesday to Thursday.

The SOTD had a number of close calls, but no winners.  I need to conduct a money count, but think there is around $130,00 in the pot.  I haven't been able to update the section of the blog that tracks this for some unknown reason, but hope to solve this problem soon.

Since Jack's tournament will conclude on Sunday we should be able to look forward to Summer weather.  Hope to see ya all at the training table.

CC

PS - Dr. J is on triplet alert and expects Monday to be the day.  We'll keep you posted as info becomes available.

Home Again

By now you all know we made it back from "Springtime In Paris".  Besides the extended jet lag the trip back went off without a hitch.  The Nurse was concerned about making the connection from Air France to Delta at Charles Degalle, but it was made with time to spare.  Although I'll admit we had to hustle.  It seemed like we had to go a mile from one plane to the next using multiple methods.  Anyway we made it back without incident.  It seemed to take forever at DTW to clear customs.  The automated system doesn't seem to be quicker, but who am I to question the wisdom of our government.  Speaking of jet lag.  This was the worst case I've ever had.  My sleep pattern was all screwed up and I'm just now getting over it.  As for the trip I only had one problem.  I didn't pack any underwear (had an extra pair in my carry-on).  Thank goodness for Woolite and sinks.

Saturday was the first time in a month I was able to play golf.  Well let's say attempted to play golf.  Consistency is not part of my game presently.  Wish I knew the reason' but don't have any reasonable explanation for all the double boogies.  As it turned out The SD was still a bit under the weather and stopped at 9.  The GWH and Dr. AH and I carried on for the remainder of the round.  Fortunately the rain held off until after we were done.

The SOTD now has $132.00 in the pot (can't update the home page for some reason).

Hope to see you at the training table.

CC

A New Port (Wine)

After a few hectic days in gay Parie we packed our bags checked in with Air France (an experience in it's self) and flew to Portugal.  I'd forgotten this was the home of the first great European explorers.  The pace of life was more relaxed and the weather much warmer.  The Portuguese are encouraged to learn English because tourism is a great part of their economy.  We stayed at The Sofitel (rated 5 Stars) which had much larger rooms.  It had other challenges to deal with, but a breath of fresh air compared too the Hobbit quarters of Paris.  One thing I learned on our trip is that Europeans are really energy conscious and like to use technology to confuse most of us from the new world.  It took a while to understand the light switches and we never did really figure out the shower controls.  Another confusing feature was that the ground floor was always zero in the elevators.  But, I personally enjoyed our short time in Lisbon.  Not as many sight s to see, but all were very interesting.  The food was much different, and the bread wasn't quite as good,  but the Port wine was very good.  We always ended the day with a night cap and a sweet.

Yesterday was a light day on the golf course due the monthly member guest.  Only four showed for a quick round and a spot of lunch.  The SD's prime rib dinner on Wednesday was well attended with over 100.  The prime rib was very good, and the cheese cake great.  Saturday will be a return our standard game.  Personally I haven't played Saturday golf for a month and am looking forward to it.

I'll wrap up the trip in my next post.

CC

PS- One comment about checking in at Air France.  It seemed like everything that could go wrong did.  Everything is automated with very little help.  My boarding pass wouldn't print;  my luggage got stuck on the conveyor; another conveyor wouldn't move.  You get the picture.

Road Trip

The Nurse and I took a day and made the trip to Normandy to where the invasion of D-Day started.  It was a very moving experience.  Once you see the terrain the American forces faced you asked yourself how they ever managed to gain a foothold and eventually move inland.  The only remnants on the beaches are the bunkers, pillboxes, bomb craters, and some ruins in the ocean.  The area is now a resort area like we would expect along our Atlantic shore.  The visit to the American Cemetery is difficult to describe it's a small version of Arlington National Cemetery and strong statement on the sacrifices our troops made.  Remember 90% of the first wave on shore was lost.

We made the trip as part of a private tour.  There were only five of us in the van which allowed us to get to know our guide.  It was over 500KM round trip and took over 12 hours.  I'm sure our guide worked time as cabbie in Paris.  He never drove the speed limit and never missed an opportunity to pass a vehicle on a narrow road.  But, he was a wealth of information and we learned a lot.  The day ended with us having French onion soup, wonderful bread and wine at our favorite sidewalk cafe.  Comparatively speaking Mancy's soup is just as good. 

Back to daily golf.  We had a good group show up yesterday.  Eleven plus Seth.  For the second time this year my group won.  We "ham and egged" it well and thought we would win by a wide margin.  But, -23 was just a good score, and enough to hold off all others.  I finally sat down and counted the SOTD money and am happy to report we are again over $100 in the pool.  We are due for a winner and had several close calls yesterday.

More about the trip tomorrow.

CC

Continuing

After a much needed night of (fitful) sleep our second day in Paris began with a great breakfast of bread, pasties and all that go with a continental breakfast at our hotel.  We had decided on taking a half day guided city tour to ensure we covered the major tourist sites (and frankly I had no desire to try to navigate my way around such a confusing place).  As it turned out this was an outstanding idea.  I would probably be still stuck on the Metro if left on my own.  Our driver/guide was very good at scaring the hell out of me as he weaved in and out of traffic while barely using his horn or cryptic language (which I presume was derogatory comment on some one's lineage).  I will admit I never saw one accident my whole time in France or Portugal, and can't explain why.  But I digress.

The tour covered almost all the major sites.  We had a few problems thanks the President of Singapore.  I don't know whether he was in town for official  business or shopping but his motorcade screwed up traffic, and we seemed to be in his path periodically.  I will give the French credit, they take terrorism seriously.  Their security people (police or military) have the most up to date gear and they looked like they wouldn't hesitate to use it.  I was a bit taken back by the military patrolling Notre Dame.  They were in full battle dress with assault weapons.

At the conclusion of our tour we were deposited at the Louvre and thrown the mercy the hoard of tourists trying to get a glimpse of the famous art work.  I basically saw three things.  First the Mona Lisa.  Since it was a total mob scene that was from thirty feet.  I refused to get into a shoving match with half of China.  Second was the Venus and third was the Winged Victory.   The last two from uch closer vantage points.  It took almost two hours to see these three works due to the size of the museum and our inability to agree on how to read the map guide.  So we called it a day and took the Metro back to the hotel.  We didn't get lost in spite of ourselves (and thanks to some helpful Parisians).  However, before going to our room we stopped at one of the many Cafes for an adult beverage and a bit of people watching.

I have a lot more to tell but must go get the mail now.

CC

PS - Twinkle Toes are the greens to your liking now?  I noticed a big change from 10 days ago.  Or maybe it was jet lag kicking in.

Tale Of Two Cities

Unlike the beginning of the novel it was the best of times over the past week.  After a smooth flight from DTW we landed in Paris to sunny skies and mild temperatures. After clearing immigration and a white knuckle ride in to Paris (by private shuttle) we arrived at our hotel on the edge of the university district on a narrow side street.  Since we couldn't get in our room we stashed the bags and headed off to see some of the city.  I will admit I stuck close to those of our group who thought they knew their way around since I didn't have a clue.  I tried dropping bread crumbs as way of leaving a trail, but didn't count all the pigeons.  You can ask the Nurse what we saw.  All I'll say we walked what seemed forever saw a lot of old buildings, a big park,  lots of people, and cafes which they wouldn't let me stop at.  We finally took a break some where around the Sorbonne for lunch at a nice little spot where I could people watch.  After a nice break it was time to try to find our hotel.  Surprisingly we made it back without asking for directions. 

My thoughts on the accommodations are mixed.  Great staff,  completely modernized, but our room was made for a Hobbit.  How they squeezed a king size bed in was an engineering miracle.  The bathroom was about the size of a closet.  Not surprisingly I found it difficult to sleep most nights since I thought the wall on my side of the bed was closing in (about a foot away from the bed).  The breakfast provided was very good.  Too bad I can't have it served to me like that everyday.

I'll let this serve as Chapter1 to my tale and write Chapter 2 tomorrow. 

CC

PS - Being the holiday weekend we are trying normalize ourselves as quick as possible and plan to hit the links this afternoon.  Hope the jet lag doesn't kick in too quickly.

A Teaser

The weather has been teasing us for the past week or so.  Just when you think it has finally made the turn towards Spring we get hit with another cold front.  In retrospect I guess that is pretty normal, but it is certainly hard on these aging bones.  Speaking of aging bones a couple of former members (we all know) were guest recently and remarked on the fact none of the "old guys" were around.  Our retort was that they were looking at them.  Plus if they were still at the club they would be part of the group.  One was heard to murmur under his breath that was a sobering fact.

Tuesday was pretty much of a freeze-out.  Yesterday was a little different.  The sun kept peeking out and the wind laid down for the most part.  I finally guessed right and picked the right partners, and won the daily game.  That was in spite of my poor play,  But Twinkle Toes was on fire and found remnants of his old self.  Seth joined the group and actually called his birdie on 18 before teeing it up.  I can predict the double bogey but not the birdie any longer.

I checked on all the walking wounded and all seem to be doing well.  TTS continues to go to rehab and make positive progress.  The SD is getting back to normal after having an a-fib event.The rest of us just pop the "golf candy" and play on.

Looks good for today, but real iffy for Inter Club on Friday.

CC

Technology

Yesterday I was driving up Ford Rd.  and attempted to change Sirius radio stations using a voice command.  It so happened that I sneezed in the middle of trying to tell Marilyn (the female voice of Sync) what station to tune to.  You guessed it she, tuned the radio to HUCU.  I didn't even know such a station existed.  If you think this was a one time thing, think again.  OTR's i-phone has a term of endearment for him.  If it doesn't understand his command it will respond with "I don't understand Numb Nuts".  Then at other random times it will call him Numb Nuts without any provocation.  These things are starting to scare me.  Especially when you think about the ads for cars that perform a number of safety functions without driver input.  And, we all know they are working on cars that will drive themselves (not just parallel park like mine does).

Back to golf.  The LR Dr. was OJTing yesterday and a came up with a crazy format that favored the chosen few.  Needless to say I wasn't in that group.  Gilhooley and I were paired up with T Squared, who turned into a real load.  He was wearing the high handicappers costume instead of his normal one.  Oh well it was only $5.00.

The SOTD almost had several winners, but they all came up one dice short.  The pot grew by a respectful $13.00.  The LR Dr. is trying a new tack.  Instead of using the "one and done" convention he now applies that concept a monthly basis.  It didn't help him even come close.

See ya,

CC

PS - For all you La Creme consumers.  The Anderson's is selling it for $15.00.  They say that is the lowest price in history of the area.

Coastal Golf

The desert isn't the only place where you can get target golf.  Much to the dismay of OTR and myself we found a course just off HHI where we had a number of holes where we had to play to target areas.  No easy task when the wind is coming off the ocean at about 20 mph.  It kinda took all the fun out of it.  Then throw in a fairway mower that wouldn't get out of the way and you really get your rhythm screwed up.  Or, at least that's the excuse OTR used.  I have to concur about the wind but not the mower since I couldn't hit that far.  Plus if you throw in several forced carries and the score tends to balloon skyward.  Actually OTR found the solution in a "wee nip" to calm the nerves.  Personally I'm not much of a scotch drinker but I certainly helped put a big dent in a bottle of Chivas during the week.  It didn't help the golf game, but I slept better some nights.

It took most of yesterday to get back into the swing of things back at the ranch.  I find it hard to understand that the USPS is going broke based on the volume of mail they were holding for us.  Now granted I could throw most of it away, but it filled up reusable grocery bag.  I also found out that Fed Ex will drop off undeliverable packages with the USPS after several attempts to deliver to the house.  Is that a new program?

I'm not sure about golf today since showers are predicted.  But, will plan on lunch at a minimum, and maybe a few range balls.

CC

A Long Ride

It seems like I've been away longer than a week.  But, for some reason know only to the computer Gods I couldn't access the "new post" function with my tablet or Mrs. OTR's computer.  Maybe they were trying to tell me something.  Anyway we are now back in our friendly surrounds and happy to be home after a long 13.5 hour trip on Saturday.  To say my butt was numb was understating it, but the drive overall was easy unlike the trip down.  We decided to take the turnpike East to I77 and then head South.  That went well for about thirty miles, Fremont to be exact where they had everyone get off because of a construction closure.  Who in their rigth mind plans something like that for a Friday?  That little detour cost us an hole, but not a big deal since we only planned driving about 500 miles.  We got to HHI without any delays on Saturday, but had heavy traffic all day.  After doing some shopping for provisions and other items we checked in to our place right before the monsoon started.  I have never seen rain like that.  Locals said they got 9 inches between Friday and Sunday.  It was so hard OTR almost hat to pull off the road on the last 20 miles of his drive.  You know it must have been bad when a trucker says that (ask him to show the video). 

I have to state that what happens in HHI stays in HHI (for the most part).  I will say we had a lot of laughs, played some golf (not so good at times), and ate plenty of good food.   Once the rain moved on we got to get out and walk the beach and enjoy the sun.  The temperatures were a little cooler than normal although we did have one day in the high 80's.  One day of mostly rain so OTR and I could hit all the local golf stores.  We also had to take him out to get retreaded (find flip flops) so he could go to the pool in style.

Time to sign off so I can go catch up on recorded TV with the Nurse.  There'll be more later on the trip.

CC

PS - I see that while I was gone the SOTD was active but no winners.

April Golf

The weather is always a big question mark for golf in April.  So far April 2015 is no different than previous years.  One good day, one marginal, and one bad.  That sums up last weekend pretty well.  So, there's not much to report on.  And, there seems to be a number of people out of town for various reasons.  Therefore not a big field to draw from.  This week doesn't look a whole lot more promising.

The Nurse and I are getting ready for the annual trek to Hilton Head where we'll hook up with the GWH and Mrs.  This year we are being accompanied by OTR and his Mrs.  Should be a fun time.  The long range weather calls for sunny skies and temps in the mid 70's with an occasional shower.  Great weather ot play golf.   The GWH said they had a good time attending The Heritage at Harbor Town even though they caught some rain.  We have found some new restaraurts to try this year (one specializing in grits).  The food has always been good in the Low Country.

The high winds don't look good for golf today.  I hope to get in a round before we head South, but who knows.

Hope to see ya at the training table,

CC

First Official

Yesterday was the beginning of the season for tracking purposes.  Since we only had six players we played the "old skins game".  It must be a carryover from last year but the old winners showed up again this time.  No one walked away with a lot, but the money was only spread around a small group.  I don't exactly know who won, but it wasn't me. 

We did add a new term to our glossary.  If you make a Euting you are guilty of whiffing a green side chip and then sinking the next shot.  What some people won't do to get their name on the list commemorating special events.

Not much else.  The course was still wet but starting to dry out.  Keep your fingers crossed that we don't get more heavy rain.

CC

Opportunity

Life only presents so many opportunities and you have to be ready to take advantage of them.  You have to admit Jordan Spieth did just that at The Masters.  That was an amazing exhibition of golf over the four days.  I heard one announcer say Justin and Phil would have won 72 out of the last 78 Masters with the score they posted.  I'm we'll see more of  young Jordon in the days to come.  Now on to Harbour Town, another one of my favorite events on tour.

Speaking of opportunity one presented itself over the weekend that I just can't pass up.  It isn't very often that rookie a JRSR does something that earns him a name that he will be know by before he really tees it up.  But we had such an event over the weekend.  Eric W. (who plans to play with us this year) was at the same Masters party I was present at.  A spouse of another attendee (who will remain nameless) said will you look at this and showed me Eric's putter.  Now you might ask why he brought his putter to a party.  I don't really know why, but it had just come back from Titleist (Scotty Cameron to be exact) where it had been restored to it's original finish.  Plus it had a new soft white grip.  But the best part was the toe of the head had been stamped with " Big PP"  Read into that what you will,  but I lost it when I was asked if I wanted to feel his Big PP.  I politely declined, but muttered it was better to have a Big PP than a Small PP.  Where upon his wife agreed.  Well that brought the house down,  and it was decided on the spot that his JRSR name was to be Big PP.  Now for all you uninformed Big PP stands for big pro platinum.

The weather decidedly has turned to Spring.  With the wind today we should get some significant drying of the course.  See ya at the training table.

CC    

PS -  If you didn't play in the club's Masters event you missed a fun  event.  I'm not sure of the final results but I do know the pro pairings will make a difference.  Can't wait to see the final standings.

It's Been A Wet One

April showers certainly are a reality this week.  That was quite a storm that moved through last night.  I watched the sky from our porch while the The Nurse headed for the basement after the sirens went off.  I know they said there was severe weather at Levis Commons, but just heavy rain and strong winds around us.  I was concerned about hail since we had a car in the driveway.  Anyway, I'm sure the course is soaked.  We'll be lucky to get the Masters event in on Sunday.

Speaking of the Masters.  That was quite some round by Jordon S.  Plus it looks like he's keeping it up today.  This should be some weekend.  There's always drama with the Masters.  It's still my favorite major golf tourney.  

Lunch was well attended yesterday.  We had a returning snow bird - Gilhooley - is back from the desert.  Kennel Club was in town also.  They both looked like they wintered well while the rest of us are trying to shake off the effects of snow mold.

See ya at Happy Hour,

CC

Finally

Saturday was another one of those sunny but cooler days.  Initially it didn't look like golf was in the plan for the day.  But after care full consideration of the weather and a look at the alternatives (working on my tax return or the yard)  LTG and I decided to delay our start in hopes of a warming spell.  Well it didn't really warm up but we decided it was tolerable and played anyway.  The course was a little soggy to say the least and it played fairly long.  At the turn we picked up two more stragglers - Slap Shot and the LR Doctor.  They were of the same mind as us and wanted to get in a few holes before the afternoon nap.

When we finished we noted there a lot more people on the course.  Mainly new members with pent up demand.  Since it was still too early for a nap we decided to have an adult beverage and a little lunch.  We found OTR, JJ and the El Presidente sitting at the round table passing quarters around.  My guess they were paying off bets.  I guess they had heavier sweaters than we did.  Anyway we had three more players to roll the bones.  Six more dollars were added to the pot (remember the LR Doc. is "one and done" for the year).

Loved the Wisconsin vs. Kentucky basketball game.  For some reason I have never cared for Kentucky and wasn't the least bit sorry they lost.  I will admit that if they won out the record would probably stand for all time.

let's hope for good weather,

CC 

One and Done

We all are familiar with the term "one and done", especially this time of the year.  But, did you know the JRSRs have come up with a couple of new versions of it.  Consider the following:

1. the LR Doctor rolled the dice at lunch yesterday and came up a loser (for the umpteenth time) and declared he was (wait for it) OAD for the year.  What a surprise.  But LOA went him one better.  He never rolls and declared he was "none and done"
2. OTR and I played one hole and got caught in the rain and were (wait for it) OAD.  We made it back to the pro shop without getting completely soaked.  Bob D teed off with a guest and as far as we know may still be out there on the course.

I think everyone was happy to be back at the club.  We had so many people we had to add another table to accommodate everyone (we used the lolipop configuration).  We swear the round table was smaller, but the staff said no.  Upon entering the grill we were greeted with the aroma of fresh pop corn.  I don't what we use, but the grill has the best.  And, I'm not a big consumer of the stuff, bit do look forward to the club's.

The SOTD is now back.  Because funds were depleted we had a double roll day so you can win more than 50 cents.

Think warm weather,

CC

Lunch

The season is about to begin this Thursday.  Base on the SD's email lunch is at the normal time with golf to follow.  Brad knows we're coming and says carts will be available as long as we don't get any drenching rains.  The forecast looks a little iffy in that regard.  Keep your fingers crossed.  Even if we don't tee it up we can roll the bones.  So, make sure you bring an extra dollar.  We might even have two rolls since we don't have any money in the pot.

TTS is coming home on Friday.  He's been doing well in rehab at St Charles.  Visitors will be allowed for short periods.  The Doctors told him he must have nine lives, but he needs to change his eating habits.  That's easier said than done though.

See ya at the training table,

CC 

Update

I talked with St. Gwen Tuesday afternoon.  TTS came through the bypass surgery with no problems.  She indicated he was slowly getting back to normal (trying to boss everyone) but had a minor set back yesterday afternoon.  The problem was not heart related and the doctors were trying to decide on a course of action.  Haven't heard anything since then.  Working on the assumption "no news is good news".

We all know the rich get richer.  Well it seems Don M. went back the video poker machine after lunch on Thursday and hit a royal flush.  You can ask him what it was worth, but I'm sure it wasn't small change.  I consider my self lucky if I get a full house which doesn't pay much.

Later,

CC

Finally

Yes we finally got to tee it up on Saturday.  While it was the first full day of Spring it was still pretty chilly.  I was finally able to use the cart cover the Nurse gave me for my birthday last fall, and it did help with the cool breezes we were getting around the lakes.  I didn't break out the cart heater since I was only planning on playing nine holds.  Now if I could only figure out how to fold the cover and get it in the small little bag it comes in.  Right now it is stuffed in the back of my SUV.  but, it was great to get out and hit the ball.  The course is really in great shape.  The greens were slow, as expected, but rolling true.  The slow melt we experienced really has helped to keep the fairways firm and dry.  Too bad the weather is going to turn cold this week.  Maybe we can sneak in some holes on Wednesday if it doesn't rain.

Put TTS on your prayer list.  He is going in for open heart surgery this morning at St. V's.  They discovered two blockages that need to be taken care of.  I know this surgery is pretty common, but it is still major.  St. Gwen has promised to keep me up to date, and I'll pass along info when available.  It has been a rough couple of years for TTS but he's hanging in there.

Remember one more lunch at the casino.  Last Thursday was pretty well attended even though a number of people were missing.  As usual Don M. was seen with a slot machine ticket in his shirt pocket.  I don't know how much he won since the amount was hidden from view,  but he's been pretty lucky the last few times.

See ya later,

CC

PS - If you need to get up to the minute traffic/ road conditions go to ohgo.com.  There's a wealth of info there.  I learned about it from who else but OTR.

Orange Barrels

You know it is really Spring when the construction delays get longer.  Yesterday I was heading to the casino for lunch and was coming from the Westgate area.  I got caught in the construction delay on I475/75 for over 45 minutes.  I thought about getting off at several points but thought it would take longer using surface streets to get across the river.  My mistake.  I don't who schedules these things, but I don't think they are the sharpest knives in the draw.  The bad part is we have years of these delays to look forward to.

Lunch was well attended.  Everyone was excited about seeing grass for the first time in months.  Now if the warming trend continues we may get to play some golf in a couple of weeks.  I would suggest you check with the Pro Shop before just going out and playing.  The greens could still be in a fragile state and Eric may not want us on them. 

For you "jail house" rules officials the TDGA will hold their annual rules seminar on April 20th at Heather Downs.  We usually have 4 or 5 attend from BCC.

Remember we will still meet at the casino through March and then return to the "Round Table" for the season beginning in April. 

I saw a great picture recently.  It looked like T Squared moonlighting on the grounds crew at Tucson National.  The person who took it (his wife) thought he was trying to work off his green fees.   We all know he has a lot of the road crew wear that he has on all the time.  So it was highly possible it was him.  Go figure.

See ya,

CC

Maybe

Maybe we are starting to see a shift in the weather.  If you want to call freezing rain a shift.  But, it has to be a bit warmer to get freezing rain.  But the truest sign that warmer weather is on the way is that Mr. Freeze is open.  We drove by it on the way to dinner Sunday night and the lines were out the door and the parking lot was jammed.  I didn't know people had been deprived of soft serve ice cream.  We thought about stopping, but thought better of it in the final analysis.

In case you missed it (and almost all of you did) Saturday night was the Kids Winter Carnival at the club.  Just think of 40 plus kids (ranging from 2 to 12) playing carnival games in the dinning room.  The only thing we lacked was the bearded lady and the two headed cow.  Based on the number of prizes I exchanged for tickets I'm sure they all had a great time.  I know some parents were scratching their heads on how to get 3 large blow up dolphins into their compact cars. 

Thursday lunch was lightly attended since many JR/SRS had left for warmer climes.  We still had a good time and decided we will continue to meet at the casino through March.  Predictions are we will be playing golf starting on April and can return to our normal spot in the grill.

See ya,

CC

PS - has anyone talked with TZ?  Also TTS spent some time in the hospital after being hit particularly hard with the respiratory flu.  He's OK,  but was having some problems.  I can definitely relate.

When????

We are fast approaching the beginning of March and the first day of Spring.  The PGA Tour is starting it's Florida swing this week.  People are starting to ask when we will be able to tee it up for the first time.  That's a good question.  Consider this:

1. It's still colder than $#@&^ (but could turn on a dime.)
2. The frost is down about 30 inches and the ground won't thaw any time soon.
3.  It gets really mushy when it starts to thaw which is usually accompanied by rain.
4.  The wind starts to pick up in March and blows in from the lake to make it really seem colder.

So the answer is probably not anytime soon.  My guess is that we'll be lucky if we get a round in before the 1st of April.  For years I always planned on Good Friday as the first day to play and I think that's a good bet this year.

I did talk with Eric yesterday and he thinks the course will make it through without much damage.  The Snow cover is really a good thing and tends to protect the turf versus last year when we had all that ice which created real problems. 

Think golf.

CC

PS  Heard a rumor that ABE (remember him) got beat like a cheap drum on the golf course by his wife recently in Las Vegas.  What is the world coming to?