I play golf. Yesterday afternoon was the first day really warm enough for golf, and I played my first round of the year.

Michigan has beautiful, plentiful golf courses. The problem? Winter. Good Lord, the winters here…. But each Spring, my friend and golfing-partner Mike and I would go reclaim our home course. For seven years, as best friends, we played the first round of the season together. And we couldn’t this year.

Golf is not some occasional thing for me – my Grandfather took the field next to the house (he farmed for a living) out of production to make a driving range for himself. Golf is a serious addiction in my family. Here, in Michigan (frozen tundra), I have learned to play in the cold; and in the summer, I get to work by 7:30 so I can be on the golf course by 4.

Mike couldn’t be with us to play the first round this year. We lost him to a severe stroke at the end of last summer. Mike brought me back to the sport, reminding me what a well-struck shot feels like singing out in the middle of the fairway. He brought me back to the powerful good that closing off the struggles of this life to simply play and enjoy being out of doors can do for the mind. I’ll never forget him for that. And when I made the shot pictured below? I laughed. I’d hit my 3-iron straight down the middle of #10 to about 90 yards from the green. The next shot I stuck right at the pin (even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then). And the little “tap-in” birdie pictured below made me think of what Mike would have said by way of congratulating a good shot: “How come you don’t do that on league night when it counts?!?”

I laughed out loud.

You weren’t playing with us Mike, but you were there. Thanks pal; you are much missed by the entire Brookshire golf-addict crowd.

For Mike:

Detail from an OECG original.

sun’d glass

There’s a wooden bowl in my living room where, when I come in from an overseas trip, whatever small currency is left in my pocket gets dumped. I like keeping coins from other countries, and sometimes I decide the smaller bills are worth keeping too. I always figure I’ll land there next time with some local currency in my pocket – want to go back anyway, right?

The Francs and Deutsche Marks, the Lira and Guilders… well, I kinda ate it on that, but am happy to have them. Same thing happened with the CFA a few years ago. Still, I like having the old coins. Remembrances of fun trips.

travel

Rebel XT ISO 100
f4  1/30 55mm

By the way – it’s snowing here. I’m not kidding. Maybe 2-4″  (a little over 10cm max) tonight. Spring? They call this Spring? Sad….

I tend to use my laptop a lot – it’s like an appendage, and everywhere I go so goes the laptop. My first laptop was a PowerBook 180 and I’ve hardly looked back since. Desktop? Too much for my carry-on bag.

When the battery in my current MacBook Pro began to lose the ability to take a long charge, that became a serious problem. Apple knows of the problem in MacBook Pros, but I wanted something better. I bought an extended life FastMac battery from SmallDog.com (good folks there at Small Dog). The battery arrived today, and I couldn’t help but notice the tiny print on the back.

geek humor

Rebel XT ISO 100
1/30 f5.0
55mm