It’s time for the golf league to start! Ka-boom

/ May 13, 2015
The golfing gang at Northern Pines.

The golfing gang at Northern Pines.

The Commish has been busy since the last time we made the ups and downs of Northern Pines in Cicero last September for our little golf league.

Tweaks and changes for 2015, all good. The biggest was moving our weekly get-together for nine holes one day earlier, to Monday nights, scheduled start time, 5:45 p.m. Better for the course, and us, we hoped with group texts about the leagues that have stacked up in front of our groups in recent Tuesday nights past.

First night, Commish declared a while ago, May 11. Bring your check for the season’s fees made out to her, and she’ll pay Northern Pines with one check. Be there or be square.

Of course the forecast was dire when that start day rolled around. Thunder boomers rolled in mid-afternoon. Commish texted that we should all meet anyway to settle the financial score as promised with course hierarchy.

I arrived to find Commish, Marie, Bird, DJ and Lovely Linda sitting on the porch of the new clubhouse enjoying beverages and catching up with stories from last season. They immediately all knew that’d I’ve played twice this season. Good blog readers! Commish said she’d ordered chicken wings from the kitchen in the old pro shop, finalizing my notion that we weren’t going to play this evening. Thing was, it was sort of bright and not raining. Of course. Pun intended. Yet all smart phone holders informed me quickly that radar said that window would be short-lived, certainly not nine-holes long.

We’d danced this dance before and dashed back in dodging bolts after three or four holes. I did not quibble. I went inside with Marie, got my beverage and refilled DJ, and returned for stories. Amy joined us shortly. Mrs. Bird will be our eighth this season, but she’s in the Big Apple on a combo business/family visit. Bird and the missus will be grands soon! Happy days!!

Our former colleague at the big daily, Jeff, recently got a job in Philly for the stamp collector association on the back of the mystery novel he wrote with stamp collecting as the underlying theme. Way to go, Jeff!

DJ sketched out work being done by the financial folks for the big track being built up north by his uncle. We’re talking big plans and big people.

Father-in-law Dave called Marie on her cell, and it was good to hear that this former league member was doing well, along with her wife and their two kids.

The chicken wings arrived. They looked and smelled delicious. Commish offered them around, but I declined, reminding all of my intent to bring dinner home to my dear wife Karen from nearby takeout joint China Chen, because we love it so. Commish said if I ordered chicken wings instead I wouldn’t have to bother with the extra stop. I joked that sure, if it were anybody else, I might call it a rut, but since it was my dear wife Karen and I, this was a tradition.

Amy still really, really loves Charlotte, and Commish agrees that the airlines have jacked up fares from Syracuse when DJ recalls the cheaper days.

How easy it was to get back into the swing with these friends.

The skies darkened and then a flash appeared. Boom. It rained. And harder. I finished the beverage I’d been nursing and phoned in my take-out order, remembering Karen’s request from the morning and coming up with mine on the fly.

Marie and I said our so longs, see-ya-next-weeks and dodged the drops as we walked to our cars between the drops.

What are your favorite ruts and traditions lately, and why? Sit on the porch and shoot the bull, or go out on the course and play as many holes as possible before the storm? Chicken wings or Chinese takeout?

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39 thoughts on “It’s time for the golf league to start! Ka-boom”

  1. It looks like you had fun even tough you didn’t get to play. One thing I always loved up there was that the rain made it so much cooler. Here when it rains, it just gets more humid, hot, muggy and steamy. Next time, you should pack a deck of cards just in case. 😉

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  2. I’m sorry you didn’t get to play, but as it turns out, they were right. It did rain. Quite the rainy spring this year. And while I agree that wings are perfect w/ beer (as Audrey said above), takeout Chinese with the wife is even better. Plus, you get more range of flavor!

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  5. I am excited for your golf season to really get into ‘full swing, ‘ Mark!!
    I also liked that you were not easily persuaded to take the ‘easy way’ out for dinner. (Chicken wings) Also, how you described this as a ‘tradition’ and this is your favorite place for take-out with Karen waiting for this and NOT chicken wings, Mark! Good save and defending hearth and home! Smiles!

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    • And my dear wife Karen enjoyed her spring roll with chicken and Chinese vegetables as the entree, and also had some barbecue ribs to split from my order, too, Robin! 🙂

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  6. Why do I always want to tag along when I read about your social gatherings? Because you make them sound like great fun! (Chicken wings!)

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  9. sounds like the start of a great season. so funny how your friend got the job, the universe works in strange and unexpected ways sometimes. and the wings have my vote.

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  10. Enjoyed your friendly golfing get together, good company and good food with something in common.
    The picture captured it all beautifully.
    Enjoyed reading of your golfing adventurous outing.
    Regards

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  13. Dialysis times provide a lot of the “fixed” habits in my life, which is fine. I actually did a course in Change Management Mark and “habits” are an important part of the way we process our world and make decisions. They are really only “ruts” when they become destructive and we still hold them unchanged. Habits ensure that we stay safe and happy and that critical activities get priority. So, for instance, your relationship with Karen is important and spending time and sharing activities and time together is a critical part of that relationship. So, you create habits that ensure that you spend time together – like Chinese on Tuesday nights. This blocks out interfering activities from that time period and creates a framework around which other activities are organized. We do this a lot in our lives and it makes things much simpler and more effective. For instance imagine if your favorite grocery store reorganized the location of all their products every night after they closed. Imagine how inconvenient it would be if you had to search for your favorite products every time you visited.

    That is all pretty much a given. The neat part is that we also crave change, newness and difference in our world as well. So, continuing with the grocery store example – they are constantly bringing on new products and dropping slow movers. They have weekly specials where they will build end displays of different products – and they often do that nightly. We are comfortable with this because all the coffee even the new coffee, is together where the coffee as always been – and we know that the aisle ends will change constantly – with new and special products. But the change takes place within areas that do not change.

    Anyway Mark, you sounded a bit down about your habits – rest assured they are a critical part of the way we maximize our effectiveness. I wouldn’t be concerned about the fact that you guys have played in worse weather. You just changed your night to Monday and this has not yet become a habit. As soon as Monday is always associated with playing regardless of the weather – then you’ll be back to playing through storms. Some folks have higher and some lower tolerances for change. Oddly enough that too can vary within one life, depending on how much change is currently present in their lives. In fact books have been written on how too much change can cause stress, even when all the changes are positive.

    Great post Mark, it is cool to see your colleagues. Thank you

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    • I am a veteran of change, Paul. I’ve been weathered by much in my life. You are correct about my default position, though. The familiar feels more comfortable. Thanks for filling us all in with some intriguing theory.

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