Oh Happy Day...

Yes it was.

My knee hurt, I had cotton mouth, and I woke up in the middle of another Army dream, but as I always seem to do lately at 6:45 a.m., I tossed the covers back, slipped out of bed, put on my slippers and robe and went out to the "Pentagon" to see what kind of day we were in store for.  What a treat -- the birds were already out, the sky was a light blue and the sun was just coming up.  It held out the promise of a very nice day -- a day that would enhance Brian Davis's credibility as a weatherman.

So it was off to the shower, followed by a nice, hot cup of coffee.  It was about that time that Pam came in and told me she had popped some rolls in the oven so we would soon have a light breakfast.  That was good because I forgot to tell her that I had wolfed the last of the corn flakes the day before.

So...now I am clean, I am fed and I am ready to get the day started.  And what a day it turned out to be.  First, I went out and picked up sticks in the yard and after burning all the yard junk,  proceeded to the burn barrel to get rid of the paper waste.  Following that, I went out to cut some holes in the pond -- that ice is still over 7" thick and it has been covered with very thick ice since about early January.  Since this year we went without our traditional January and February thaws, I am beginning to worry that there will be a fish kill.  I have been trying to cut holes in the iced on a regular basis to keep them open to allow some air into the water.  Unfortunately, the water would refreeze within a few hours of my cutting it open.  But I thought today would be different because it was predicted that our thermometer would top out at 50+ degrees and maybe melting would open a bigger hole in the pond.  (Later in the day, still no noticeable thawing or open water)

After all that, I called Dave to see if the driving range in Troy was open.  Knowing that he would be as anxious to go hit golf balls as I was, I told him I would meet him there in a while.  Knowing that I would soon be whacking away at those little dimpled spheres, also known as:  (FYI -- this is the scientific symbol for a closed metric ball -- a.k.a "golf ball"), the extra 15 min. delay in driving due to construction on the Interstate didn't get into my head.

So here we are -- the sun is still shining, the birds are still singing, and it's 54 degrees.  It doesn't matter that the ground is still frozen solid -- that's what artificial turf hitting mats are for.  And, if I must say, we did a rather splendid job of it on our first day.  Check these out:

Dave was making pretty good contact and hitting the ball real straight.  Looks like he's almost ready for the "Man Trip."  And no, didn't shoot these backwards.  Dave's a "leftie."

I, on the other hand, have been watching golf videos every night during the winter, telling myself, "I can do that."  So my goal this year is to hit a draw and a fade (as opposed to a duck hook and a slice) "on demand" (as the guys in my golf league call it).  They say it's like basketball -- if you hit a three-pointer using the backboard but don't call it first, it doesn't count.  So if you hit a fade or draw but don't call it first, you have to rehit.  I certainly don't want to have a "redo" in league play so I thought I would practice it today.   And I must say, for the first day, I hit it real well.  Check out this form:

I had a few shots that had a mind of their own, but, for the most part, I was able to call my shot and hit it like the guy on the golf video.  Well, maybe not "JUST LIKE" the guy on the video, but good enough to get through a round or two in the Tuesday Night McCartyville Golf League without having to do any "rehits" or buy any rounds.

Can't wait for the next trip to the range, and then the course, and then -- "da, da, da...dummmm" THE MAN TRIP!!

Being out on such a day, hitting the ball with some sense of regularity and skill reminds me of a quote from Arnold Palmer: "What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a well-struck drive."

So...now, I know what I want to do and what it is supposed to look like. I just have to do it.


A golf ball is like a clock. Always hit it at 6 o'clock and make it go toward 12 o'clock. Just make sure the two of you are in the same time zone. (Chi Chi Rodriguez)

Hooah