Titanic Struggle

I was up early so not to waste any time. I must’ve been up just after 7am. Like the day before, the first thing I did was log into work. After finding work in order, I made a pot of coffee and then started my exercise routine. By 7:30am I was walking Ykraps. It was gray and chilly – about 58 degrees. 

The coffee was ready by the time I made it back. Bella was up and asked that I get her breakfast together. She ordered mini-waffles, of course. After satisfying her request, I satisfied my own by pouring myself a hot cup of fluffy coffee. For the next hour I split time between work and playing on the internet. Mindy eventually joined us downstairs for coffee. When she headed up for a shower in preparation for church, I readied and left for a run. My run went very well. I felt fine and also took two Advil just to curb any possible stiffness that might come along with golf later in the day. 

The family was still home when I got back from my run. They weren’t there long, however. They left for church around 10am. I checked in with work then headed for a much needed shower. I was ready early so I took some time to make myself steak and eggs. While eating, I did a little more work and made sure things were sitting well before heading out for the afternoon. I took my laptop along just in case I’d need it later. Plus, I made my team aware of how to reach me. 

I left the house at 11:20am. The first thing I did was fill up the BM’er. I paid $3.57 per gallon. I headed northeast on I-70/670 to I-270 north. I took I-270 to 161 then east to Rt 310. Willow Run is right at that intersection in Alexandria. The lot was packed in as tight as sardines. The weather, meanwhile, was gloomy. It couldn’t have been much warmer than 62 degrees with gray skies, although the forecast called for clearing skies and temperatures in the mid 70s. Just before leaving home I grabbed a long sleeved wicking shirt just in case. Glad I did, too. I needed it right away for comfort. 

I immediately went and found Joey Dooley, who runs the Steve Weese Memorial golf outing along with John Vereb. I paid my fees then moseyed around the club house. I checked in with work a number of times even before we tee’d off. Things were going well. I ended up spending about 30 minutes talking with Joe Dooley’s father and mother, who were there just to be part of the festivities. Joe Sr advised that he’s bored with retirement after four years. The latest market crisis isn’t helping either. Says the first two years were fun but not anymore. He doesn’t drink, doesn’t golf, doesn’t do much of anything. We talked a lot about investing and 401Ks. 

Jonh Vereb rounded me up just before 1pm and let me know where our cart was. There were 144 golfers playing the event – a great turn out. The format was a 4-man scramble with a shot gun start. We were going off #10. There were your typical four-man scramble rules along with several prize ops, too.

To keep it short, we had a really good time and ended up shooting six under par with no bogeys. We left three other birdies on the course. But in the end, I was in it for fun only. I didn’t care about winning anything. I was simply happy to be golfing with two of my old pals. 

The round of golf ended just after 6pm. I made sure to steer clear of the TV in the shelter house.  I didn’t want to know how the Vikings fared until I got home. Since John & Joey host the event, they had to move directly to their emcee/administrative duties. I thanked them for inviting me then bid them farewell. We agreed to meet at the upcoming Muff Bros. reunion at the Newport the weekend of Thanksgiving. Should be fun! 

It was 6:30pm. The sun was already beginning its final descent. The drive home went incredibly fast and was most pleasurable. I was home before 7:00pm. The Columbus cops had the west entrance ramp to 70W blocked from Wilson Rd. Not sure what that was all about. I walked Ykraps as soon as I got home. A check of work revealed nothing significant. After 11am, I only had to respond to one issue via phone – very cool! 

After getting settled in it was after 7:30pm and Mindy was readying the kids for bed. I decided then was as a good a time as any to check on the Vikings game. Crap!! They lost 30-17 to the Titans. After I finished crying I reviewed the box score and read the accompanying headlines to see what went wrong. Quite a bit apparently. Four turnovers were cashed in for 21 points by Tennessee. We’re now 1-3. My hopes may be dashed or the season, and we just got started. 

Often, after a Vikings loss, I am in no mood for football. Tonight, however, I was still eager to catch Sunday Night Football on NBC. Mindy and I watched The Bears and Eagles square off. I lasted longer than Mindy but not by much. We both were in bed by 10pm.