I have been playing golf early each Wednesday Morning in the weekly men's club tournement at San Loius Rey Downs Golf Club in Bonsall. Don't try to find Bonsall on the map--It is mainly a corner store and gas station although in the last few years some developers have started building tracts up in that area--It is east of Oceanside and still has a rural flavor and feel to it, but I wonder for how long.
The golf club was originally built by a wealthy horse breeder who owned a big patch of land which included his horse ranch. He decided to develop some of it with some homes oriented to retirement, as well as building a golf and tennis resort. I would guess it has been there for a good 30-40 years now, and still has a tennis club as well as an inn where one can stay and enjoy the area. The Clubhouse, Resturant, and the golf course is very nice for the $$ it cost to play there, and if one is a member of the men's club (only $100 a year) there are discounted green fees. So there are about 500 members in the club. On Wednesdays about 100 usually play in the morning. There is another big group that plays regularly on Sat morns.
My goal this year was to get my handicap into the single digits. I'm slowly making progress. I have improved from an 18 to a 16 and am still trending down. This morning I thought I was going to really get it together. I was only 1 over standing on the 9th tee. That was very , very good! As I left the 9th green, however I was 3 over!! I guess I lost my "grip"! But a 39 on the front still was very good. If I could do anything close to that on the back nine, I could be a possible winner of the tourney--say I shoot an 82--with my 16 handicap that would be a net 66. Even Tiger would be proud of that score!
Parred #10, bogeyed #11, doubled bogeyed #12, tripled bogeyed #13, etc. and added up a 47 on the back nine for a total of 86. Better than some scores I have recently posted, but an opportunity missed!! With my net 70 I may still be in the money somewhere, but there is a precipitous drop in the payout from first place to an also ran down the page of the leaderboard somewhere. Maybe instead of $80 only $5? Oh, what could have been!!!
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Friday, July 23, 2004
A Digital Life
I finally broke down and got a good digital camera. The pictures I was producing with my palm pilot just were not cutting edge! The lens on the Zire 71 was so small that it amazed me that it picked up anything. Pictures taken with it were instant email quality and worth one quick look and a delete button.
The new camera was purchased at Wall Mart, which was a surprise to me, since, to my knowledge, I had never before been daring enough to enter one of those stores where one had to sort through huge piles of consumer goods. However, it was right next to Best Buy, and I had to comparison shop. Wal Mart is a very scary place! But they had the best prices and a good selection of cameras so I guess they won again, and I made a contribution to their world wide dominance in retail!! It was really kind of a dreary place, though!
As I was plugging the download cord into my computer, and hooking up the battery recharger to an outlet, I looked around the room at all the gadgets and connections that it takes to be considered at the minimum level of the digital age: Hi speed internet connection by Cox, digital phone line from Cox, Palm Pilot cradle hookup and recharger, 3 cell phone cradle rechargers, printer hookups, wireless box set up for the 3 computers in the house (one a laptop).
Our cat even has a digital chip surgically implanted for identification. I think that is a great idea. That is about the only thing I personally am missing. In the next few years I predict that tatoo parlors will start offering chip implants which will not only provide identfication to old codgers like me wandering the streets in a daze, but will also allow people to "google" directly into their cerebelum by wireless connection 24/7.
I often wonder if all these gadgets improve the quality of life, or just complicate and add stress to it!
The new camera was purchased at Wall Mart, which was a surprise to me, since, to my knowledge, I had never before been daring enough to enter one of those stores where one had to sort through huge piles of consumer goods. However, it was right next to Best Buy, and I had to comparison shop. Wal Mart is a very scary place! But they had the best prices and a good selection of cameras so I guess they won again, and I made a contribution to their world wide dominance in retail!! It was really kind of a dreary place, though!
As I was plugging the download cord into my computer, and hooking up the battery recharger to an outlet, I looked around the room at all the gadgets and connections that it takes to be considered at the minimum level of the digital age: Hi speed internet connection by Cox, digital phone line from Cox, Palm Pilot cradle hookup and recharger, 3 cell phone cradle rechargers, printer hookups, wireless box set up for the 3 computers in the house (one a laptop).
Our cat even has a digital chip surgically implanted for identification. I think that is a great idea. That is about the only thing I personally am missing. In the next few years I predict that tatoo parlors will start offering chip implants which will not only provide identfication to old codgers like me wandering the streets in a daze, but will also allow people to "google" directly into their cerebelum by wireless connection 24/7.
I often wonder if all these gadgets improve the quality of life, or just complicate and add stress to it!
Monday, July 19, 2004
Painting, Homeowners Assns, and Termites
I got a letter from the homeowner's association a couple of weeks ago. It seems that every time the landscape committee walks around inspecting the development, they send me a letter suggesting that I paint the garage door, clean the stains off the stucco on the front of the house, or paint my fence! I usually hold them off for a few months until they send me a couple more reminders, then I take an hour or so some Saturday and do it! One time they sent me a letter asking me to attend one of their monthly meetings to explain why I had not completed the task they had "assigned" me months ago. I decided to accept their invitation. You know what they say, only a fool represents himself in front of the HOA board. But, since the HOA board president lives next door to me, and I had been the real estate agent for the Treasurer when she bought her house, I thought I might have someone there who might keep me from being led away in chains!
My goal was to try to create a more neighborly way to deal with a problem owner like myself, who was just a bit slovenly, but, in general, a pretty good neighbor!
The meeting was held at one of the board member's home. Cookies and coffee were served. We all sat around the kitchen table. It was right neighborly!! When the agenda came around to me, I told them that the task had been completed. (I wanted to remove their edge!) However, I read the board the letter and indicated that I did not appreciate the threatening tone. After all, it is a small development and most everybody knows everybody else. I asked the board members if they would have sent this letter to their best friend. One of the younger, least experienced with life members said "that was not the point, and I wasn't his friend in any case!", which I thought was a telling answer. My client treasurer spoke up and was very nice, and thought perhaps the letter could be "tuned up" a bit. When I mentioned that the board has to understand that this letter sounded like the first step towards "foreclosure" of my property, the response was,"Oh no! No one would do that". I reminded them that they had the power to do just that!
I think there were at least two of the board members who would have taken pleasure in doing so--to anyone they could squeeze into that foreclosure position! In any case, the topic was closed with the direction to the HOA manager to see if a re-phrasing of the "request" letters could be reviewed!!
The letter I got a couple weeks ago "suggested" that I should paint my house. Well, it probably should be painted. But it is a 3-4000 $$ job and I sure wasn't going to take that on at my advanced age of 61.5 yrs.
One of my neighbors happened to be having her house painted when I got home from work one day, and my Board President neighbor was standing out front talking to the painter. He was thinking of painting his house too! I told him I got a letter from the board suggesting that recently and he said "Man! I told them I would talk to you and that they should NOT send you a letter"! (He remembered my history with letters.) We bounced it around for a couple days and put together a package deal on both houses!! So it looks like I will be clear of letters for the next few years, or until one of my trees starts breaking up the neighbors sidewalk with roots!!
Unfortunately, we have a deck off the master bedroom upstairs that has been producing multiple colonies of termites for a number of years. It is something that should be repaired prior to painting. Every time I step out on it I shake it a bit just to see if it will still hold me up! I figured that on a Saturday I could get out there, rip off some of the most badly damaged wood , nail in some replacements, and I would be home free!! Except, every time I removed a board, the structual piece underneath it or beside it was rotted or termited! Not only that, the deck turned out to be the only part of the house that was well built, using 3.5 " nails. So it was going to be hard work taking it apart, and most all of the structual wood had to be replaced. It is the deck from hell, and unfortunately I do not think I am up to the task. I consulted my painter who also does carpentry, and he estimated $1500 with a gleeful look on his face. I added it to his all ready inflated pricing for the paint job!!
There goes my golf budget for about 5 years!! When all is done I am going to have the termite guy out and have him tent the house with me in it and kill every living thing in every nook and cranny. I will die like a bug, but in peace, knowing that my wife can stand out on our newly rebuilt repainted deck without worry and watch the sunset, sip a margarita, and think of how I was gassed and died with no pain.
My goal was to try to create a more neighborly way to deal with a problem owner like myself, who was just a bit slovenly, but, in general, a pretty good neighbor!
The meeting was held at one of the board member's home. Cookies and coffee were served. We all sat around the kitchen table. It was right neighborly!! When the agenda came around to me, I told them that the task had been completed. (I wanted to remove their edge!) However, I read the board the letter and indicated that I did not appreciate the threatening tone. After all, it is a small development and most everybody knows everybody else. I asked the board members if they would have sent this letter to their best friend. One of the younger, least experienced with life members said "that was not the point, and I wasn't his friend in any case!", which I thought was a telling answer. My client treasurer spoke up and was very nice, and thought perhaps the letter could be "tuned up" a bit. When I mentioned that the board has to understand that this letter sounded like the first step towards "foreclosure" of my property, the response was,"Oh no! No one would do that". I reminded them that they had the power to do just that!
I think there were at least two of the board members who would have taken pleasure in doing so--to anyone they could squeeze into that foreclosure position! In any case, the topic was closed with the direction to the HOA manager to see if a re-phrasing of the "request" letters could be reviewed!!
The letter I got a couple weeks ago "suggested" that I should paint my house. Well, it probably should be painted. But it is a 3-4000 $$ job and I sure wasn't going to take that on at my advanced age of 61.5 yrs.
One of my neighbors happened to be having her house painted when I got home from work one day, and my Board President neighbor was standing out front talking to the painter. He was thinking of painting his house too! I told him I got a letter from the board suggesting that recently and he said "Man! I told them I would talk to you and that they should NOT send you a letter"! (He remembered my history with letters.) We bounced it around for a couple days and put together a package deal on both houses!! So it looks like I will be clear of letters for the next few years, or until one of my trees starts breaking up the neighbors sidewalk with roots!!
Unfortunately, we have a deck off the master bedroom upstairs that has been producing multiple colonies of termites for a number of years. It is something that should be repaired prior to painting. Every time I step out on it I shake it a bit just to see if it will still hold me up! I figured that on a Saturday I could get out there, rip off some of the most badly damaged wood , nail in some replacements, and I would be home free!! Except, every time I removed a board, the structual piece underneath it or beside it was rotted or termited! Not only that, the deck turned out to be the only part of the house that was well built, using 3.5 " nails. So it was going to be hard work taking it apart, and most all of the structual wood had to be replaced. It is the deck from hell, and unfortunately I do not think I am up to the task. I consulted my painter who also does carpentry, and he estimated $1500 with a gleeful look on his face. I added it to his all ready inflated pricing for the paint job!!
There goes my golf budget for about 5 years!! When all is done I am going to have the termite guy out and have him tent the house with me in it and kill every living thing in every nook and cranny. I will die like a bug, but in peace, knowing that my wife can stand out on our newly rebuilt repainted deck without worry and watch the sunset, sip a margarita, and think of how I was gassed and died with no pain.
Sunday, July 11, 2004
Twas a gloomy day on Moonlight Beach, a day after the 4th
Clouds hung low in the sky! A wispy wind rippled the waves as they rolled towards the shore. Only tourists on vacation dared onto the beach, looking for a stray ray of sun to complete their annual tan.
Small patches of sand crabs thrust their feeding filters into each acending wave, leaving small wakes in the sand as the sea inhaled the froth back down into its fathoms.
A lone fisherman silently dug fingers into the sand, feeling for the wriggling crabs as they desperately dug deeper to escape imprisonment in the fisherman's bait box, and perhaps a fate of unimaginable horror, being impaled and ripped apart by giant creatures of the sea.
Most escape, and the fisherman is selective, chosing only the youngest, softest and most vulnerable to carry away from their sandy home to an unknown fate. The bait box is attached to the fisherman's belt, and seems cozy. An occasional wave splashes over the crabs huddled together in the box, giving them refreshment and a false hope of escape.
By the end of the day, the bait box will be empty! All the crabs will have been impaled! Sea creatures will have terrorized and tortured these small innocent crustaceons, each in its turn. Some will have their flesh picked and sucked til it is but a shell. Others will have been shocked and smashed and eaten in their entirety!
The fisherman will have hooked and fought a 16" corbina and many surf perch. Each will have fought valiantly, only to be lifted from the sea in defeat. All creatures hooked on the fisherman's barb will be greatly relived to be released and allowed to speed back to the depths to tell their tale of near disaster, a true fish story, if ever there was one!
Twas a gloomy day on Moonlight Beach, the day after the 4th.
Small patches of sand crabs thrust their feeding filters into each acending wave, leaving small wakes in the sand as the sea inhaled the froth back down into its fathoms.
A lone fisherman silently dug fingers into the sand, feeling for the wriggling crabs as they desperately dug deeper to escape imprisonment in the fisherman's bait box, and perhaps a fate of unimaginable horror, being impaled and ripped apart by giant creatures of the sea.
Most escape, and the fisherman is selective, chosing only the youngest, softest and most vulnerable to carry away from their sandy home to an unknown fate. The bait box is attached to the fisherman's belt, and seems cozy. An occasional wave splashes over the crabs huddled together in the box, giving them refreshment and a false hope of escape.
By the end of the day, the bait box will be empty! All the crabs will have been impaled! Sea creatures will have terrorized and tortured these small innocent crustaceons, each in its turn. Some will have their flesh picked and sucked til it is but a shell. Others will have been shocked and smashed and eaten in their entirety!
The fisherman will have hooked and fought a 16" corbina and many surf perch. Each will have fought valiantly, only to be lifted from the sea in defeat. All creatures hooked on the fisherman's barb will be greatly relived to be released and allowed to speed back to the depths to tell their tale of near disaster, a true fish story, if ever there was one!
Twas a gloomy day on Moonlight Beach, the day after the 4th.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Not just another 4th of July at the Del Mar Fair
During the last 5-6 years, my wife Nancy has worked at the Del Mar San Diego County Fair setting up the Student Showcase on the first floor of the Grandstand. As a valued employee, she gets free tickets and a parking pass, so I have always had the ability to go visit just about any time I wanted. One year, she and both our kids were working at the fair. The only way I got to see them was to go! So I went alot!! Over the years, I have seen just about everything at least two or three times, and have had lots of "fair" food. Every year it seems all pretty much the same! I have a big bag of kettle corn. I have a chocolate dip soft ice cream cone. I have a hot dog on a stick and lemonade. I have a dozen of those small, hot donuts that the old ladies make over in one of the sales pavilians. And, of course, I have a basket of those fresh potato "chips" with a bit of vineger and catsup. I do try to stay away from all the deep fried battered stuff. I swear, every very overweight person in San Diego County seems to go to the fair on the day I go. That seems to keep me from over-indulging!
The fair runs for about 3 weeks and usually ends on the 4th of July with a big grandstand extravaganza!! I usually try to pick my days I visit the fair based on the appeal of the evening concerts at the grandstand. The concerts are generally weighted towards the younger set, the country fans, and the Hispanic fans. The "younger" concerts always hurt my ears, and make me "vibrate". Country Western is not really "hot" with me, and Hispanic all sounds the same--in spanish!! Most of the concerts are free in the general "admission" seats. In the better boxes, and tables in the front part of the grandstand one can reserve seats for 12-20 bucks, and have waitress food and drink service, plus a much better view of the concert. In addition, with a reserved seat, one does not have to stand in line, rush up the escalator or stairs, and hustle to get the best seat available in the "stands" 1 1/2 hrs prior to the concert. One can just amble in anytime! What a luxury!
Since I usually was alone at these things (Nancy always works), I always was one of the "peons" in the general admission area, rushing in early to stake out a seat!I usually ended up soewhere under the balcony overhang and couldn't see the fireworks after the band concert. Then I would have to move or leave the grandstand.
This year I didn't see any concerts to my liking, and had no big urge to go to the fair just to hang around. I decided, however,I was not going to miss the Grandstand show on the 4th. It starts at 7:30 with a concert by the U. S. Navy Southwest Concert Band, then about 30 minutes of fireworks, then a pop concert by a "headliner". It is a BIG Sheeow!
But this year it was going to be different!! I was detgermined to go first class!! Soooo, the first day of the fair I bought a reserved ticket for the 4th extravaganza--cost $18 (not including fair admission since I was free)! My seat was front row, right in the middle of the stage!! Wow!! It was at a table with food and drink service. Where the elite meet to eat!!
On the 4th, the group that my wife works with has a pot luck buffet set up in the back room on the first floor of the grandstand--so I was all set. I had the best seat in the house at a table, as well as a source of food at the buffet!! All I could wish for beyond that, was that the waitress would go back to the buffet and load up a couple plates for me and deliver them to the table!! Fat chance! The waitresses work for the catering food service and were probably going to be ticked that I brought my own food!! Ah well, I could handle that!!
It was great to notice the long line outside the grandstand waiting for 6 pm to come around so they could rush in to grab the best FREE seat! It was great to cruise right into the front of the grandstand about 1/2 hour before the concert and be SHOWN to my FRONT ROW CENTER seat. It was great to go back to the buffet, fill up two paper plates with all kinds of picnic food, then go back to my "table" and eat leisurely while waiting for the concert to start. It felt great to turn around in my seat and look back at the thousands of people in the stands, ALL BEHIND ME!!
During the evening I stood for the National Anthem twice along with everyone else. I also stood when the Navy Band played Anchors Aweigh (I was Navy). I oohed and aaahed at the fireworks! The star of the concert after the fireworks was Mary Wilson of the Supremes. She was much better that I thought she would be-and had two very good backup "Supremes", and they sang all the great hits of 30 years ago!
It was $18 well spent!!
The fair runs for about 3 weeks and usually ends on the 4th of July with a big grandstand extravaganza!! I usually try to pick my days I visit the fair based on the appeal of the evening concerts at the grandstand. The concerts are generally weighted towards the younger set, the country fans, and the Hispanic fans. The "younger" concerts always hurt my ears, and make me "vibrate". Country Western is not really "hot" with me, and Hispanic all sounds the same--in spanish!! Most of the concerts are free in the general "admission" seats. In the better boxes, and tables in the front part of the grandstand one can reserve seats for 12-20 bucks, and have waitress food and drink service, plus a much better view of the concert. In addition, with a reserved seat, one does not have to stand in line, rush up the escalator or stairs, and hustle to get the best seat available in the "stands" 1 1/2 hrs prior to the concert. One can just amble in anytime! What a luxury!
Since I usually was alone at these things (Nancy always works), I always was one of the "peons" in the general admission area, rushing in early to stake out a seat!I usually ended up soewhere under the balcony overhang and couldn't see the fireworks after the band concert. Then I would have to move or leave the grandstand.
This year I didn't see any concerts to my liking, and had no big urge to go to the fair just to hang around. I decided, however,I was not going to miss the Grandstand show on the 4th. It starts at 7:30 with a concert by the U. S. Navy Southwest Concert Band, then about 30 minutes of fireworks, then a pop concert by a "headliner". It is a BIG Sheeow!
But this year it was going to be different!! I was detgermined to go first class!! Soooo, the first day of the fair I bought a reserved ticket for the 4th extravaganza--cost $18 (not including fair admission since I was free)! My seat was front row, right in the middle of the stage!! Wow!! It was at a table with food and drink service. Where the elite meet to eat!!
On the 4th, the group that my wife works with has a pot luck buffet set up in the back room on the first floor of the grandstand--so I was all set. I had the best seat in the house at a table, as well as a source of food at the buffet!! All I could wish for beyond that, was that the waitress would go back to the buffet and load up a couple plates for me and deliver them to the table!! Fat chance! The waitresses work for the catering food service and were probably going to be ticked that I brought my own food!! Ah well, I could handle that!!
It was great to notice the long line outside the grandstand waiting for 6 pm to come around so they could rush in to grab the best FREE seat! It was great to cruise right into the front of the grandstand about 1/2 hour before the concert and be SHOWN to my FRONT ROW CENTER seat. It was great to go back to the buffet, fill up two paper plates with all kinds of picnic food, then go back to my "table" and eat leisurely while waiting for the concert to start. It felt great to turn around in my seat and look back at the thousands of people in the stands, ALL BEHIND ME!!
During the evening I stood for the National Anthem twice along with everyone else. I also stood when the Navy Band played Anchors Aweigh (I was Navy). I oohed and aaahed at the fireworks! The star of the concert after the fireworks was Mary Wilson of the Supremes. She was much better that I thought she would be-and had two very good backup "Supremes", and they sang all the great hits of 30 years ago!
It was $18 well spent!!
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