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may

May 3, 2008 ~ Saturday
Uncle Johnny arrived around noon yesterday so we went to lunch. I got hung up at the office for a while but I did manage to leave in time for us to play 18 holes. After golf, we grilled steaks and watched the Braves while we ate. We went out for breakfast this morning and he accompanied me on my flea market run. Jack was unable to join us as he was taking the SAT again. We got good stuff and he took off for his annual MB Golf-a-Rama.
Beckie and I played 9 holes after lunch and stopped by Mickey Finn's afterwards for a consultation with one of my beer experts. He suggested the Chimay Grand Reserve and a six of Hoegaarden. As we were in a beer mood and feeling a little peckish, we stopped by Wholesale on the way home for a few cold ones and some snacks. The snacks were tasty and my beer guru was absolutely right about the Hoegaarden.

May 1, 2008 ~ Thursday
Happy Birthday Jay!

april

April 30, 2008 ~ Wednesday
Jack and I played 9 holes Sunday afternoon. The weather was great but I couldn't talk him into 9 more.
I had some business out of town yesterday. There was this golf tournament and dinner at the Grandover Resort in North Carolina. It was really business. Somehow my team (me and some other guy I don't know) won second place. The scoring was complicated and I did not play well but who cares - I won!
Uncle Johnny will be visiting us tomorrow on the way to his Annual Golf Buddy Week. I may get to leave work early so that we can play 18 before dinner.

April 27, 2008 ~ Sunday
Almost time for Tripp to come home. That means time for Jack and me to drive to Lander U and fill up the mommy van and haul the bulk of Tripp's stuff home. So that's what we did yesterday. Tripp is well and his grades are still good. After we loaded his stuff, we went to breakfast at the Waffle House. Then Jack and I started home. As usual, we stopped in Columbia and visited some excellent independent music stores. This time we went by Manifest and Papa Jazz. I got several movies and Jack got some albums. It was a good trip but I haven't played golf in weeks. Maybe today if the weather cooperates.
It's Youth Sunday and Jack's ushering. He will attend both services. Just for the record, I need to mention that our pastor is leaving us in a couple of months. We wish him luck.

April 22, 2008 ~ Tuesday
Happy (late) Birthday Macon, Jaydyn and John!
Jack had big fun at the beach but he had to leave early since we had passes to The Heritage. I picked him up just in time for us to swing by Krystal before we began the long drive to Hilton Head. It was a long drive and we did manage to find a cheap hotel room Thursday night on Hilton Head - the luxurious Motel 6. We had dinner at the Hilton Head Diner (not such a great dinner place but the breakfast we there on Sunday morning was much better). Jack and I got to the course early Friday morning. Parking is nowhere near the course. You park your car, get on a big bus, wait for it to fill up and ride to the course. Security is lax. We left our phones in the car Friday but realized that as long as you don't use the phone in direct view of a security guard or a marshall, nobody cares. We wandered around and saw many famous golfers and ended up at a luxury box on the 17th green for which I had one pass. Security would not let both of us in on one pass so I went up to the box and scammed another one. Jack and I enjoyed free beer (for me) and chicken wings and and an excellent view of the 17th green. While I was at the restroom, Jack noticed one of the caddies scurrying around the green, fiddling with clubs and generally drawing attention to himself. When I returned, Jack pointed him out to me and asked if I recognized him. I didn't at first but when he checked the wind (on a green?) and plum-bobbed his player's putt, I knew that it must be Don Donatello of Big Break (BB II Vegas and BB VII Reunion) fame. He was caddying for Kevin Na. We kept an eye out for him and saw him a number of times over the course of the weekend.
We hooked up with Tripp when we checked into our new hotel - the Marriott Resort & Spa. Upon check-in, we were told that we had been upgraded to platinum club status and that our room was also upgraded from Resort View (parking lot view) to Ocean Front (ocean front). The room is a serious upgrade from the Motel 6 where Jack and I spent the night. The boys tried sharing a double bed but it was decided that I should call the desk and request a roll-away. They took one night each on the roll-away. Friday dinner was at Giuseppi's. We dined alfresco.
We were at the course early again Saturday. We ate breakfast in the clubhouse at the course. They serve an excellent buffet. It should be excellent for about $19 per person. We did not eat there again. After breakfast, we hung around the putting green and the driving range and watched the pros hit one perfect shot after another. The rest of the day was spent watching our favorites tee off and drifting from hole to hole finding certain golfers we wanted to watch (Justin Leonard, Tim Herron, Stewart Cink, Jim Furyk, Boo Weekly, Brandt Snedeker, Cory Pavin, etc.). We had dinner at Conroy's which is in the hotel where we stayed. The food was good (not great). Jack almost bought an autographed copy of a Pat Conroy (for whom the restaurant is named) book.
Sunday breakfast was at the Hilton Head Diner. Not quite as good as the clubhouse buffet but considerably more affordable. Jack and I brought chairs to the course and we bought one for Tripp. After some time around the putting green and the driving range and the first tee, we hiked the outlying holes that we hadn't seen yet. It was decided that we would find a good spot on a suitable par 3 and watch the groups play through. We scouted 7 first and decided to have a look at 4. We set up on 4 but Jack reconsidered and decided that 7 was a better venue (due to restroom and concession considerations). It proved to be an excellent spot and we watched until all the players had finished the hole. Tripp left a little earlier than Jack and me as he had a longer drive. Jack and I packed it up about 4:00 and headed home.
We had a great time and the course was beautiful and we saw lots of good golf. However, it did not compare to The Masters. The course was not quite as perfect, the big names weren't there, the crowds were larger and rowdier. But it was still good golf and I enjoyed spending time with my boys.

April 14, 2008 ~ Monday
Jack left for the beach Saturday afternoon. We've talked with him and he is having big fun. Beckie and I had Sunday dinner at Olive Garden and played a little golf afterwards. We stopped by Best Buy on the way home to look at big TV's. We talked with the most knowledgeable TV salesman in the world and decided to look around before buying a big TV. When we left BB, we swung by Circuit City. We were wandering around the big TV section when we spied this Open Box Value. The price on the display ticket was $279.96. A 37" 720p LCD HDTV for $279.96? The salesman who helped us was just as confused about the price as we were. After consulting with a manager and an audio specialist, it was decided that the TV was on sale for $279.96. No one could figure out why. I didn't care why and I still don't. It's in my living room hooked up to a digital HD cable box and a dvd home theater system and it looks great.

April 11, 2008 ~ Friday
The Masters has begun and I am neither in attendance nor watching it on my new 40-something inch flat screen in HD. I didn't get any passes to the event and I didn't get my new tv. Oh well. We (the boys and me) will be in attendance next week at The Heritage. Jack will leave sometime tomorrow for Spring Break at the beach with friends (and adult supervision). I will pick him up Thursday afternoon and we'll travel to a cheap hotel somewhere near Hilton Head so we can get up early Friday and be at the course for the first tee time. Tripp will meet us there late Friday afternoon. It ain't The Masters but it is PGA. John Daly is scheduled to play so that's good news for Jack since Daly missed the cut at the 2006 Masters and we didn't get to see him. So we got that goin' for us... which is nice.

April 8, 2008 ~ Tuesday
Happy (late) Birthday Jordyn!

April 5, 2008 ~ Saturday
Rain all day long so no flea market and no golf. Jack left the house a little before 5:00 to begin the pre-prom ordeal. We met up with his gang and the gang's parents a while later at the country club for lots of photos and fun. There will be mucho photos here later but here's one for now.

April 4, 2008 ~ Friday
Jack and I picked up his tuxedo a couple of days ago. It needed a few adjustments but the old men at the formal wear shop got him all straightened out. He looks real sporty in it. Prom has changed a lot since I last attended ~ more complicated and more expensive.
The Braves ended their 2 game losing streak and immediately started a new one. Another PTV game tonight.

April 3, 2008 ~ Thursday
Happy Birthday Gene!

April 1, 2008 ~ Tuesday
There was something here about the Braves losing a couple of games and an April Fool joke but I deleted it somehow.



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