Rain stay up there!
As the first one of our foursome who arrived at Seneca Golf Course Sunday morning, I had great hopes that perhaps the gray day would at least remain dry until my daughter Elisabeth, her boyfriend George III and his father George II and myself got our nine holes in.
I walked around and snapped the scene setter shot above.
I putted on the practice green.
I texted Elisabeth as our starting time came and went, and she assured me they were one way.
Indeed, they were all in the same car, arriving from nearby Baldwinsville happy and ready for the dry first hole. That’s all of us putting on green No. 1 in the photos below.
My daughter putted much better on this day.
George II gets a nice roll.
George III putts like his dad, only taller.
I putt, my daughter snaps.
And then we felt the first drops on the second tee.
The drizzle turned into something more on the second fairway. I put my phone away inside my little black bag for keys and money, inside my big blue golf bag for clubs and balls and tees.
For a couple of holes, Elisabeth refused to get out of the passenger side of cart she shared with George III, his black jacket draped over her shoulders as he played with her new iPhone 6, purchased the very day before at Best Buy. Can’t say I blame her much, those the thought of stopping never entered my mind.
We three guys played on. What’s a little ran for mid-September golf in the outskirts of Syracuse, N.Y., anyway? We smacked our drives and swatted our irons and rolled our putts. Some of them even went into the hole.
On the fifth hole, the rain stopped, Elisabeth stepped back out of the cart, and we all had even more fun in the non-sun.
I rolled in a 35-foot putt for a par, and smoted two fairway woods from the tee on par-threes that landed on or just off the green.
George II hit every drive straight as a string. George III hit every driver really long, and every iron off the tee long and straight. Elisabeth putted the best I’ve ever seen her, not scuffing her putter behind the ball once.
Afterward, we went to Geno’s on Route 11 in Cicero for Philly Cheesesteaks. We all ordered the Angus beef version and split one order of fries. I wondered who would opt for the offered chicken option in a Philly Cheesesteak.
Our golf outing tradition, this foursome of ours, took until September to live on this year, for one reason or another. It was worth the wait.
Happy Ryder Cup Friday, by the way. May the Americans and Europeans put on a good show in Scotland on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course. I just woke up and turned on the Golf Channel a little after 7 a.m. EDT, and they’ve been playing for more than five hours already. So far, it’s 1-1 in the morning matches completed with each squad leading a match still out on the course. Americans two rookies on the team, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, walloped Europe’s veterans Ian Poulter and Stephen Gallacher.
I do enjoy the great golf and shows of patriotism from both sides that show up every other year during this traditional battle. I’ll put a little something that’ll let me tie ol’ Samuel Ryder’s matches in here all three days of the Cup.
Would you play on in the rain, sit in the cart, or go driving to the car and go home? Beef or chicken in your Philly Cheesesteak? Provolone, mozzarella or bleu? Pepper, onions and mushrooms or naked?
Mark Bialczak 
I would have gladly sat in the cart and photographed all of you playing in the rain. Or I may have even got out and held the umbrella for you. 🙂 Chicken in a cheesesteak is just wrong. 🙂
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We had no umbrellas, Rachel. Or maybe the others did and left them in the bag. I did not have mine with me. Poor planning. 😦 As a chicken cheesesteak would have been, in my book!
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LOL! Don’t they actually make something called a golf umbrella? Which I though was named that because it doesn’t fold up and is long…I thought the idea was it fits in a golf club bag. 🙂
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Yes to all of your questions. And yes to the one you politely didn’t ask. I’m dumb for leaving mine at home that day. 🙂
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LOL! It’s kind of like when you and Karen went to the beach for the week and left your beach shoes at home. 🙂
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I am like that. Yes, I am.
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Mark … Florida’s the ‘Lightning Capital of the U.S.” At the first drop of rain, I would race to the nearest shelter to avoid being struck by a bolt out of the blue or very dark, gray skies.
Glad you and your family had a good time. 😉 Let’s see: On my Philly cheesesteak would be: beef, provolone, peppers, onions and mushrooms. Yum!
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All but the ‘shrooms for me, Judy. There’s a fungus among us, is what I have to say ’bout that.
Yes, avoid getting cooked on the course. I agree with you there, my friend.
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I think I would have joined, Elisabeth, Mark. However you can get the golf time in, I think you should get it in. Rain or not, so glad you all had fun.
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You and Elisabeth could have huddled under the cart roof. At least she stayed out on the course, no complaints about it. I admired that!
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She, like me, wouldn’t dream of leaving all the fun.
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I probably would play on through the rain, if it is warm. Sometimes I prefer beef in my Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, but would enjoy the chicken, too. I have to ask for more onions and no green peppers, since I am allergic to them. I love provolone’s flavor and its gooey, stretchy texture. It makes a mess, sticking to your chin and all! Any time with family or friends, laughing, playing and eating is time well spent, Mark!! Enjoy your weekend, my friend!
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Yes, provolone has great texture and taste, Robin, chin-sticking and all. Great mental picture, there, thank you. 🙂 Sorry to hear about the green pepper allergies. I love those in my Chinese pepper steak especially. You have a great weekend, my friend.
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I would first see if any holes were laid out for me to be a human slip n slide. If not, I’d definitely golf in the rain. Beef and moz with pepper and onions, please. And don’t be stingy with the onions.
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The holes did not have us slipping or sliding. Much. Good fret to have, though, Apple Pie. Geno’s was plenty generous with the onions AND peppers, thankfully.
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I can answer this pertaining to golf. If you change the question and swap “bike ride” for golf, yes I would ride in the rain. 🙂
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Of course you would, Colleen. I never had a doubt to that! 🙂
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Friends know that about me, 🙂 so thank you friend.
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Golf huh? Worked part time at a golf club one winter, but never played the game. Between my crooked vision, and my even crookeder aim, I would only fan the ball, the way I fan the house flies with the fly swatter. As for the sandwich, who ever heard of a chicken steak??? Keep the blue cheese, but pile the rest on please. Especially the onions. I don’t mind offending anyone who gets close enough to tell I’ve been eating them. Extra mozzarella also, please. Love that stuff, I’ll take the heart attack to go. Maybe a draft beer to wash it down with if someone else is driving. I managed to sideswipe a car with my power chair without benefit of the beer, so I don’t drink and drive.
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The onions and peppers are grilled, so I find them less offensive to others that way. We went with soft drinks, since driving was necessary afterward. In cars. We were done with the golf. Careful with your power chair after that draft beer, Angie.
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I’m just not a very good driver any more Mark. I do wear my seat belt though. And the cops who came to investigate the incident were more worried about me than they were about the kid I sideswiped. I think he was really bummed out about it, but he was parked a little bit over the line, and didn’t leave enough space for me to get through.
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Golf – oh my, the memories. A couple my husband and I used to golf with took to traveling around with the business cards of their son when they golfed with us (he was in the home repair / construction business). From that statement you can deduce how horrible I was at golf. If there was a barn or a house nearby, I was much more likely to hit IT than the HOLE.
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I just hope you worked out a percentage deal with their son, Kate. 🙂 Commission work is tough, but it sounds like you had good pay coming your way for your golf game!
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😀 Yeah, that boy coulda grown rich off of my talent with a golf club!
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Thanks for taking us along for this fun outing, Mark, I enjoyed it, weather or not I put any steak in the game of golf.
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Oh, Ann, you always play the fair way even when life gets rough.
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As usual, to a tee, Mark.
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Beef, extra provolone and naked, please. I’ll have two, thank you. I stay in the rain if I don’t need to be anywhere in particular afterwards and my frizzy hair can remain frizzy without any worries. 🙂
Sounds like a fun time with your family! Wonderful that you have the love of golf in common with your daughter. When does Mrs. B return from her cruise? Mañana?
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Au natural frizzy after-golf hair is a thing of beauty, Mrs. B. Just saying.
Mrs. B got home Thursday night. She got dropped off from the airport at my bowling league. Sweet! We had a great Friday. We attended a benefit for our local food pantry called Empty Bowls, which I will write about for my Wednesday community blog for the public media site that was very inspiring. You donate $20 and get a handmade, one-of-a-kind bowl and a lunch of soup and bread. We saw a movie for my review blog for Monday. And now the whole weekend ahead before she returns to work on Monday. Yay! You enjoy your homecoming game at UMass today with Mr. B. Ask questions!
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Play in the rain! I miss you, rain! Beef! Seriously–who would order chicken? That’s like turkey bacon; why bother? Pepper, onions and mushrooms all together! Pile it on! (I would get on the cart to eat it, out of the rain).
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I want you to get rain so badly, Kerbey, and I want you out there dancing in it. You will not find me eating turkey bacon, turkey pastrami … I’d rather eat smaller portions of the real stuff. PIle on the side veggies. On a hot dog or pastrami, the more sauerkraut the better. This cheesesteak place was 10 miles from the course and in a separate storefront with counter seating. Almost like a diner from your book!
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Cold and rainy don’t work for me, but warm and rainy? Sure why not. It takes a lot of rain to make me consider using an umbrella and though I know everyone is different, I don’t “get” people who freak out over the first few drops and have to have an umbrella immediately.
Then again I don’t wear silk, expensive suits or have a nice hairdo, so that may be part of my nonchalant attitude. 🙂
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When I’m at a ballgame or an outdoor concert I do get a chuckle out of the umbrella brigade, Jeanette. Up, down, up, down, with every rain drop, it seems. I sit there in my baseball cap and windbreaker, happy as a clam, until it pours down and I putt out the umbrella. And, no, stuff that ruins in the rain, I do not think I own. I’m not even sure!
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I’m not a golfer Mark, but I know it’s not the cheapest activity one could be involved in…so if I paid to golf, I would do so even if it started snowing! And cheesecake would be a must!
Diana xo
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A good Philly cheesesteak *always* contains steak, dammit. ALWAYS. Mozarella, but provolone works, too. Bleu? What is this heresy? Onions and peppers, YES! Mushrooms: optional. NAKED? Dude, you’re killing me…
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never played golf, so only know the answers to your sandwich questions. It’s not cheeseSTEAK with chicken, so that one stumps me. Beef. Blue cheese sounds good. Peppers, mushrooms, and onions–I don’t have to pick just one, do I?
Glad you get to keep playing with your kids 🙂
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You can pick one, two, all, Liz. Yeah, chicken cheesesteak is a stumper to me, too.
I went with the provolone. That’s what I get on my pastrami reuben with spicy mustard instead of russian, too, by the way, even though you didn’t ask. New Yawk thing.
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I am an eager student in all things food-related, Mark, so please continue to share the New Yawk culinary things. Spicy mustard sounds way better than Russian dressing.
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Beef please with mozzerella, mushrooms and peppers – no onions. Yum. You’re making me hungry Mark. I used to unload down on the docks in New York and Newark at the Port Authority and I’d always get up early so I’d have time to have a Philly cheesesteak for breakfast – they were the very best I’d ever tasted anywhere. Memories.
i’d play in the rain Mark, that’s a ltmless water than I’m used tomon the course – Ha!
Great Post. It is wonderful that you guys have a tradition of playing together at least once a year.
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Elisabeth and George started the tradition by inviting us for Father’s Day the year they first started dating. I think that was pretty wonderful, and still do.
You were smart getting the cheesesteak while down at the Port Authority, Paul. Yum, indeed. Breakfast, lunch or dinner!
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what a fun day and glad everyone emerged from under the black cloud to finish the round. as for the philly cheese steak, i’m traditional all the way and would never think of ordering a chicken philly cheesesteak, wouldn’t that be the ultimate oxymoron?
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Yes, there’s healthy and then there’s too healthy, and I put chicken cheesesteak in the second category, Beth. For sure. If you’re gonna, you might as well do the real deal. Geno’s does it right, with lots of variables on the big board menu. I’m glad George II introduced me to the joint, and it IS a joint in the best definition of that endearing word.
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exactly, mark. sometimes you just have to go with the original, legends are made for a reason. i’m drawn to great ‘joints’ as well, and they are most often found by knowing a reliable local or word of mouth. )
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I tried golf once but that one by the zebra and giraffe cost me so many strokes I’ve never gone back.
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Carl, living in Miama, it’s too hot to golf anyway. Put on your straw boater, order a drink by the pool and relax.
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Good idea.
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