Eagle 2!

***Text in this color authored by Shena***

Work & Play
A busy Saturday. For once we were busy and didn't spend most of the day in the house bored.

First thing this morning I went to help Joe Hamilton, Brad Crockett, Trent Larson and Ed Plummer cut down a tree at the Neese's house. He was afraid that this tree in his front yard was going to grow into his sewer lines and cause problems. It only took us about 2 hours with all of us. And we had a good time talking while we did it.

After that bit of service, Bart and I went golfing at Crooked Tree in Browns Summit. They comped him since he is a PGA Course Superinendent, so we only had to pay $30 for my greens fees. They also comped us a cart. Not a great round for me, but I did shoot 98, which is about typical for me. Bart didn't bring his clubs with him, so he used that as an excuse all day. However, he decided he wanted to use my clubs, so I got stuck with my dad's, which I haven't played with in years and years. I had a rough round with them...I don't think I hit a single ball where I wanted to on the front nine with his King Cobra irons. Back 9 I decided to use my own clubs. It made a bit of a difference (mentally, anyway). My score wasn't that much better, but I felt like I hit the ball better. The highlight of my day was my 2nd (kind of, I'll explain in a second) shot on #4 (316 yard par 4). Had one of my best tee shots ever, which put me 70 yards away from the green, but only about 60 yards from the hole. I used my dad's 64 degree lob wedge and gave it a full swing. Beautiful flight path...looks nice...should be close...one hop on the green...the ball bounces into the air and moves left...and it DROPS IN. I don't think it even hit the pin. How it moved left, I don't know, but it caught me by surprise. Now, the bad news. If I was playing in the tournament, I wouldn't have been able to put down a "2" on the scorecard. After Bart & I teed off, we had both gone towards the right side of the fairway, his looked like it had skimmed the trees...maybe even going into the trees. When we pulled up to where the balls fell, we saw one ball, and we both assumed it was mine. It was a little further than we thought Bart's could have gone, and it wasn't as close to the trees as we thought his ball went either. We looked around for his a bit, but didn't find another ball so we thought it had gotten caught in the branches. He decided he would drop one near where he thought his ball would have been, and then I walked up to him "my" ball. I didn't even look closely at the ball because there was no doubt in my mind it was mine. I took the shot and pulled it left and missed the green by about 10 yards...just missing a sand bunker. Bart hit his shot and we got into the cart to finish the hole. As we drove up the fairway (up and over a little hill), there was another ball in the fairway. There was no way it was anybody else's, so we stopped and looked...sure enough, it was my ball. That was when I played my "2nd" shot that I knocked in from 60 yards away. To be completely honest, I don't know what the ruling would be in that situation. I know that it is at least a one stroke penalty, but I don't know if I am supposed to finish the whole playing the "wrong ball" or if I'm supposed to drop nearest where the "wrong ball" landed, or if I was supposed to go back and play my correct ball (which I did). A little help from aybody out there who knows would be appreciated...just so I know next time! The rest of the round was good. It was a beautiful day. I wouldn't have minded if it was about 8 degrees warmer, but it was sunny, just a very slight breeze and about 53 degrees. Not bad at all. Bart enjoyed the course.

After we got done playing, Shena and her mom had decided a while back that we would go out on a double date tonight to celebrate mine and Shena's birthday. The girls wanted to go see a movie. We couldn't really decide what to go see, but Hotel Rwanda (official site...better description)met the "action" criteria for Bart & I, and it also meet the "emotional" criteria for the girls and it also happened to be showing at a good time, so we went and saw it. I hadn't seen previews for it, so I didn't even know what it was about, but I had heard it was based on a true story. It was excellent. Very good, moving movie. If you get the chance, go and see it. Only one or two "funny" (light laughing...nothing outrageous) parts, not very much blood (which there could have been a lot of), no nudity and the language is somewhat mild. It makes you both grateful to live in a turmoil free country, but also frustrated that more wasn't done by not only our government, but by the other "white" countries. And to see that these people were killing their own countrymen, women and children too, was disheartening. I know it isn't the only place it has happened...but it still is tough to watch.

On a slightly related, but different note, I really don't like seeing movies at The Carousel. It had been a while since I had been there, but the place already is starting to smell "old" and the ticket taking system just stinks. They have five theaters on either side of the snack counter, and they don't check tickets until you get to the doors immediately leading to the theaters. That means there is ONE line for FIVE theaters that are showing movies at DIFFERENT times. It was a mad house in there and you never knew if you were cutting in line, or if others were cutting in front of you. The Grande certainly has a MUCH better system. They take your ticket BEFORE the snack counter, then trust you to go into the right theater at the right time. When we walked out after our movie, the line was all the way backed up into the lobby and all the way across it. I'm sure there were people in the back of the line who were missing their movie because they thought they had to wait until they got to the front of the line. There popcorn was also horrible and we bought a pretzel that tasted like it had been sitting there for a week. They DO have coliseum seating, but the seats don't recline and are skinnier than The Grandes. About the only good thing I can say about them is that their "commercials" that they show before they even start the previews are better put together than The Grandes cheesy slide projector that looks like it came from the 80's. I will be sure to avoid The Carousel as much as possible in the future.

After the movie we decided to go out to eat. We wound up at Elizabeth's Pizza on Lawndale. Not much to report about that. Just dinner.

Llano Update (Cheeto's Brood)
While Bart & I were golfing, the boys and girls ran a couple of errands. They were good kids again, which I love to hear from Shena. Makes me feel like all the rough times trying to teach them the right thing to do may be rubbing off a little bit. They aren't angels all the time, but it sure is fun to see them be good and obedient.

Arellano Update
None to report today.

Christensen Update
Don't have much more to give you than what has already been said.

Daily Report
LAST NIGHT:
Sleep: 12:05 - 7:20 - My eyes opened at 6:50, but they didn't stay open long. Just long enough for me to think "It's Saturday, I can sleep a few more minutes."

TODAY:
Breakfast: One bowl of frosted mini-wheats (had to get energy for clearing the tree and golf!)

Lunch: Chili dog with ketchup and mustard, oatmeal creme cookie, water (at the golf course)

Dinner: Elizabeth's Pizza - three pieces of Ham pizza, water, later had a home made chocolate milkshake