Birthdays, Vacation, and Thiefin'

Well, it's been some time since my last post, so this should be a doosey.

I'd like to send thanks to Dad and Sharon for their gifts. Dylan really looks forward to using his Academy credit card on something worthwhile. The books are awesome and he wants us to read them at bed time...Everytime. I hope that you received our little package for local vittles. Call or shoot me an e-mail so that I know.

A few weeks ago was my birthday. Yeah, no biggie, but it marked my third decade of presence. Thirty years. It wasn't as traumatic as I thought it could be; it was just another day at work. In a way, I don't have to be some twenty-something little bitch about things. I can be a thirty-something bastard instead. Yeah, whatever.

Since I've got a bit of leave for the holidays, I decided to make an I-35 visit. Kind of cool, my brother lives in North Austin, Grandma just an hour further north, and Mom another hour north of that. Sweet, road trip. Although the whole trip was a three day, two night sojourn, it was quite nice seeing that much of my family in so short a period of time. Grandma took Nelson and me out to lunch (a birthday gift!) and it was simply nice. Good vittles and great company. Perhaps most significant was the gesture from Grandma. I won't spoil it for any others who may be reading (Lisa and Jessica! Heathens!), but the gifts for Nelson and me were simply from the heart and most impressive.

The trip up to Mom's was just nice. Her house is about half done, and what's completed is quite impressive. Just looks marvelous. Mom made plans to cook up authentic Asian vittles for her boys, and my mouth is just watering at the memories of it. The sticky rice, the chicken with bones, the slow burn from the peppers...[slobbering noise ala Homer Simpson]. That's just the good stuff. We spent the night and headed back south the next day.

Grandma went with the two of us to see Syriana, that new flick with Clooney and Damon. A bit slow, but depressing because most of it could very well represent factual events. blah blah blah.

I'm not going to talk about theft, but that's just a reminder to me. Instead, I'm breaking out the Ivory packaging.

What's the frickin' deal about saying Happy Holidays? Is it now the flavor of the week to push Christianity into the faces of everyone? "Hey, let's let everyone know that I'm Christian, celebrate Christmas, and don't give a shit if I offend anyone by saying "Merry Christmas"." A bit extreme. but I think you get the gist. I'm tired of hearing about "Well, you should be proud and say "Merry Christmas", " You shouldn't excluce the birth of Christ in this season.", blah blah blah.
I'm a converted Catholic, but been Christian my whole life. I happen to have had the opportunity to work with and teach a number of individuals from different walks of life, including other religious beliefs. Do I take affront from others wishing me a happy holiday? No, I'm happy that they included me, and what helps make a happy holiday for me is worshipping in my own way. I say to others "Happy Holidays", "Seasons Greetings", Peace to you and your family," blah blah blah because I want them to have those things in their own way.
Are you so insecure that you can't be happy unless someone says "Merry Christmas"? If so, I'm wondering what you're doing come Easter. Yeah, that's an even bigger deal, you whiny bastages. Quit complaining. Part of the holiday spirit is to consider others beyond you, you pious little righteous wannabes. How would you feel if, assuming you don't celebrate any of the following (because you assume that most don't, therefore giving you cause to say "Merry Christmas") holidays, "Happy Hanukkah" or "Happy Kwanzaa"? Not just a few, but everywhere you looked, it was there. Reminding you that you aren't part of that particular celebration. "Oh dear, I'm sorry. Didn't realize that you weren't [insert your choice]". Makes you feel damn good, doesn't it?
Most folks, upon reading this, will either say "Hell yea! This boy is saying it like it needs to be said!" (Thanks for the support!). Others will immediately say, "This little bastard is going to burn in hell twice then have pineapples shoved up his arse for citing this blasphemy." I'm not trying to start a war, but only share one point of view. Consider the view of others; it's not consideration that is seen, but the humiliation of being inconsiderate. Is being politically correct a bad thing? No. Is it okay to bitch about being PC? Sure, but not at the expense of others religious views. And that's what this is about. Freedom of religious views.


Still want to express your Judeo Christianic views upon others, portray that Western dominance in the cool way? Then click on the picture to the left. They seem to the the current flavor of band most popular right now. Two bucks gets you Red, Green, and popular with the Nondenominational couple who insist that their fruitcake is better than any you've ever tried. Believe it baby!





Folks, be cool. Be safe. Travel in good company. Don't get any on ya! And most of all, happy holidays.

Baby Pictures

Here it is.


The first baby picture of my little one. About twelve weeks old, s/he was quite active in the womb, working those arms and legs up and down. May be a bit hard to make out the different aspects but I'll try my best to help out.

From the top, you can see a black bubble. That would be the womb. Within that bubble is the baby. Notice towards the top of bubble on the baby is a striking white line. That is the back bone. Working to the right would be the head of the fetus; you can see the makings of a jaw and the cranium. You can even make out the brain. A hand appears to be close to the mouth, but actually the baby was working them back and forth, swimming. There are two blurs towards where the legs are. The blurs are the legs, again working back and forth.

Sorry I couldn't increase the quality of the pic; it was a laser print out of what the wife got at the facility. As I find out more, check it out here.

Cheers and enjoy the weekend,

Dave

Christmas List!

Well, I've thought quite a bit about what I would put on my list for Christmas. I'm sure some of you will say, "He's being greedy" or "No way I'm getting him that." Hello? It's called a wish list. I don't pretend that I'm getting most of these things, but were someone to win the lottery (Dad, I don't know if they have Powerball in Indiana), well then, things could be different. Let's begin. (Note: I've tried to include a picture/link for each one, so for more info, click on it!).

1. X-Box 360.

1. These are quite nice and quite impressive from my understanding. Maybe a bit overpriced, but I understand the price will go down in time. $2000 on ebay? People, it's called patience. And those of you that bitch about it? Welcome to the free enterprise system. You don't like it, don't support it. Awesome games, the best onlining ever, and it just aesthetically looks good.

We'll see, eh?

2. Ogio Grom

This is but one bag from their collection. Really some of the nicest bags around. A Woode system to protect your clubs from all the banging around that can deface your clubs. Innovative pockets and shouldering system (still waiting on the Schling, though!). A bit pricey, but worth it in the end.

3. Sunday Bag

This is simply a small bag that can readily hold a small collection for practice and what not. I'm looking at using for practice, holding a few key clubs and balls. Just an idea. I wouldn't say that it has to be this one, but any small, bag. They are called pencil bags, sunday bags, etc. Just google it!

4.Ecco Golf Shoes

Another industry best. There are more expensive shoes, but these are just really worth the coin. Comfortable, innovative styling, and my personal favorite, stands out amongst the crowd regarding the typical shoes on the course. Quite nice.

5. The Winning Lottery Ticket

I don't imagine that anyone would purposefully give this to me, but for the greedy and selfish bastard that I can be, this is the one for me. Now, I'm sure that a many of you would likely say that I would blow it on stupid stuff, like golf equipment, but you can just STFU. I would do the simple things in life: pay off my debts, redo my kitchen, and just kick back to enjoy life. I don't even pretend to say that the money would not change my life, but I would try to stay humble. I would build a athletic center for the public and open it up for the underpriveleged, donate to the church and other charities, and really just get into teaching and create opportunites with the money for advanced learning and experiences. I couldn't see myself living in a huge mansion, owning a dozen cars that go too fast (not that they aren't cool), or owning a number of simply wasteful items (do I really need to name them?).

I couldn't think of anything else right now. See, I've been quite fortunate to really have a great many things in my life now that are fulfilling and make me happy. If I could have one thing, I'd say to have Dad move back to Texas. Sucks that he's out of state, but I really hope that he's happy. Boo hoo, no more crying.

Cheers for now. Comments? Let me know.

Dave

Six Months to go...

Turkey day is coming. No, not that turkey exactly, unless you go turkey hunting with a Turkish gun. Mmmm, mighty fine guns they are!

Gonna be at the house (actually the in-laws) and munching out, but not too much. I've gotten back on track and the L-B-S are still melting away. UT should have a great showing, but I don't want to jinx them, so just click on the link to vote for Vince for the Heisman Trophy.

Six months to go. I'm not nervous; I just want the baby to be happy and healthy.

I'm a bit nervous right now, not because of the typical stuff, but from work. I've got to do this technology bit (relates to those really nice laptops we got earlier) not only for myself, but to supervise a group of teachers also. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but just a bit frustrated. A great many things have changed since having received the initial tasks, but not all the changes in expectations have been discussed clearly. Grrrr!

I'm getting set to order a number of things for Christmas, so I should be posting (not meant to sound greedy, so watch your mouth, Dad!) a wish list. Obviously, some things are exactly that, a wish. Others are quite conceivable as Christmas gifts that would be nice, but wouldn't necessarily make or break my Christmas. I can honestly say that a baby on the way is gift enough. A healthy baby would only make my decade. I'm pretty sure about most of my gifts, but some people (read: Lisa!) need to say something to get something decent. If you have questions about the wife or Dylan, email me at davidmerten@gmail.com .

That's all for now, so be cool and wipe off that drool.

Cheers,

David

PS - I hate postscripts, but damn, I'm thinking about this. I've been in a Digital Underground mood lately. Thinking about the Sex Packets or Playwutchalike albums. Check back later for the cd I pick. For more info, check it out at www.shockg.com.

Leaving' Texas and Music

Well, my dad is rearing to go and head out, so I visiting for pehaps the last time he will be officially residing in Texas.

On Saturday, I went up to Austin to visit Dad, Grandma, and Nelson, so it was something I was really looking forward to. Left the house early, because I had to get tires for my truck, but otherwise, made good time.

I got into Austin a bit before noon, and Dad and I drove up to visit Grandma and drop off a few things. I also brought the pictures of Dylan and the newspaper articles with him in them. Grandma made some stew and mashed potatoes. Mmmm! Good stuff there!

After Nelson got off work that night, we ate at this quaint little joint called Springhill Diner or Restraunt. I didn't really dig the Chili's rip-off decor ( I don't like it at Chili's either), but the fried catfish was really something good.

After dinner, we watched Jarhead, a very interesting movie about Marine sniper life during the Gulf War. I liked it and the message it presented, but there are a million critics and each one has a smelly anus. Don't just give in to the same old crap that every one says; judge for yourself and make an informed decision.

Hoo-Ah. 'Nuf said 'bout that.

Nelson was also kind enough to procure for me a little toy I've been lusting after for quite some time.

I've been working out for a bit now and it's shown some results. What thing I've felt that has held me back just a bit is the music. I've a ton of it on the PC, but only a CD player that skips like a little girl after school.

I am now the owner of the Samsung YP - T7J 512 MB digital audio player. I didn't really think I would need anything too large, and this just fits quite nicely into that niche. Easy to load up, but not a pain in the arse to swap out songs or pics. I'm loving the skip free exercising so far. I was most surprised by the headphones that came with it. A pair of white buds, I intially noticed that the magnets seemed quite strong and would easily repel each earphone. A good amount of depth and bump come with the understated buds. I'll post more later on how well the Yepp is working for me is we progress.

Well, I left town on Sunday after a well enjoyed weekend. I truly enjoy spending time with my family and just hanging out. Dad, I'm going to miss you and the simple things that come with hanging out with you. Thanks for all that you have given me. Hopefully, things work out for 4th of July 2K6.

Cheers for now,

David

Most Important of News

June 29, 2006.

A minor date in the whole scheme of things. Ever wonder how a little date can become of the utmost importance? Perhaps when that date is spoken by the doctor.

It's official. Renee is due with Baby #2 next summer. Yes, it has been planned. Yes, we are excited. And, we're pretty sure that this will probably be our last child.

So Dad, when you're up there Indiana, make sure to get some Colts paraphernalia for the child and boy while your at it.

Okay. That's it for now. Back to your normal routine lives.

LOL,

Dave

Golf at Quail Run

Man what a week.

I got to help out this past week after school on so many different things. Monday was concession stand at Family Night for the girls' volleyball. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday had me at hole #7 at RiverBend helping monitor and measure the Hole in One Shootout. Not hard, just hard on the ol' arse.

Finally thought, Saturday came. I had my high school team set up, so I was clear to go out and had a great time. Played with Richard, Ron (new guy), and Paul. Old dudes, but fine just the same. The only thing that sucked was that I wasn't hitting my driver for jack, so no long ball and ended up just trying to save par on most of the holes. The thing from this weekend was I learned how strong my iron game and short game was. No chip in's, but some damn close chips, most within 2 feet. Irons were so strong, I was using a 7 or 8 iron for my 150 yard shots.

In the end of it all, we finished in the bottom half of the contestants. My players finished slightly better than we did, so I felt good about that. I bought a picture, so I'll post that up.

Cheers,

Dave

Houston Astros!

Love it. Plain and simple. Astros fan all the way. See the poster.




Visit the site, http://houston.astros.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/index.jsp?c_id=hou.

Hell yeah. Any White Sox fans just need to keep rolling, 'cause your in the wrong place.

Special news too to go with the 'Stros win, but I'll keep that nugget until November 1.

Counting down,

David

Fishing and Workout Results

Wow. Check out the pictures below. This past weekend, Dylan wanted to get a Batman Shakespeare Fishing Rod set. Being a good boy, we went ahead (it was $15, so no biggie). Picked up a kid's set of lures and such, and went fishing on Sunday. He was really excited just to be out there and was making some good casts. Stupid me, I suggested/told him to work the worm, but all he wanted to do was reel it in really fast. Well, we moved so that we were at the narrow end of the pond and was casting out. Dylan wanted to go, so I was reeling in very fast. POW! A good sized perch hit on the hook right at the weed line and Dylan freaked out. Well, I forced a few pictures, then we went home.

Tonight, we went out around 6:45 or so and just wanted to cast a few. Dylan was really wanting to just try it again, so I got a good cast out for him, and he started reeling in a bit fast. BOOM! A fourteen inch bass hits the line and he starts grunting. I finally see a flash and he starts freaking out again. I try to keep him excited and he is until, after reeling the fish in, the fish flops off the hook and and is "dancing around" on the grass. I'm able to catch a few more bass, and the second one, he poses for, resulting in the best picture.




FYI, the equipment was a Batman rod/reel combo, chartreuse jig head, and a chartreuse grub worm.

Same day we bought Dylan's rod and reel, I purchased some Adidas running shoes. Brand new, I only paid....$19.99!!! No box, but sometimes Academy has some really good deals. They've really worked out the last few days, just really squisy and supportive. I've picked up the pace with a bit of running. I'm almost getting frustrated by the plateau of weight loss, but I've noticed a physical difference in my appearance. Having talked with some others who work out, they claim this is normal. We'll see.

That's all for now. Hope all of you guys are doing well. Peanut festival is this weekend, so that's we're I'll be some of the time. I'm also looking for a birthday gift for Renee, so if you have suggestions, I'm listening.

Cheers,

David

Hurrican Rita and more

Wow. San Antonio really got lucky, but I still feel for those that are dramatically affected by Hurrican Rita. Good thoughts and prayers to those affected.

My workouts have been productive. I've started added some running to my workouts; not too much, but for each lap, about 1/4 of it is running/light jog. I figure to lengthen the running portion of each lap every week or two. Just got to keep motivated.

I'm getting observed next week by my principal. Not too much of a biggie, but still on my mind. Lesson plans are done, so we'll see how it goes.

Will have a chance to play golf in a few weeks in a charity tournament down the road. I'm a bit excited. Tell you more later.

Last for today, I just wanted to wish Lisa and Ron happy anniversary, along with happy birthday to Nelson. Cheers to all of you.

See you later Darth Vader,

David

Update

Okay gang,

I know it's been a while since my last post, and perhaps I should apologize. I've been a bit preoccupied lately.

Working on our new tablets have almost given me a recharge in the creativity department. I've started allowing my students today to input through the laptop and project their writings via LCD projector.

I've also begin working out in the evenings. During my trip this summer to Austin, I probably ate a bit more than I should have, but what the hell, it was summer and I was with my family. But nonetheless, this is something that I've been wanted to do for some time.

I've got a support system in place. Renee and a few co-workers are all in place to help me through those times when I get discouraged or want to cheat myself out of my goal. At this date, I've lost about ten or eleven pounds, but it's a goodstart towards my ideal weight goal.

What's really funny is how I've really been looking forward to working out. I don't do much; I've done some circuit training, but mostly it's been six laps at River Bend, about 3.6 miles in under an hour. I haven't thought about not working out, nor have I gotten bored with my workouts. I'm just excited about doing what needs to be done to slim up.

Speaking of slimming, I've really thought about the reasons for wanting to do this. First and foremost, I'm a bit vain, so I really want to look as good, if not better, than when I got married. Second, this will only help my golf game. A slimmer trimmer me will have a more effecient swing. And lastly, it will benefit my overall lifestyle and health. As you may know, my father and grandfather both have had heart ailments that dramatically affected their lives. I want to best avoid those ailments, and this only helps towards that. I know that building up good habits now can only lead to good habits and lifestyle in my old age.

Now, my only problem: my cd player is fine, but I'm almost to the point of a light paced jog. I'm looking at various MP3 players. I really like the new Apple ipod nano and even the ipod shuffle, but for as much as I would change the songlists, I would be pretty content with something to hold around 1.5 to 2 hours of music. I'm checking out the bargains at Wally world and Target, so if you know of any, feel free to suggest something.

Well, that's all for now. Pray for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Cheers,

David

New News

Wow. It's been sometime since my last entry. I can't imagine someone would think that nothing has been going on lately, but it has.

Today was a training day for what are called PTC's. We met to have delivered our laptops. Very cool. I'm using a Gateway M275 tablet laptop right now. All The teachers at FISD are getting them. Its just part of our plan to really step forward with technology in the classroom.


To check it out, visit www.gatewaycom.

And Dad, don't freak out over the pictures. I did send them to you; they just returned due to a daemon or something. I ill try again later.

Cheers for now. My batty is dying.

Love,

David

Grandma's Move and First Week of School

Well, I've started school, but I did want to comment on helping Grandma move.



A bit of work, but I think that it's good, as now Grandma doesn't have to worry about upkeep and yard work. It was really nice getting to see my brother and sister (and brother-in-law). It's not often enough that we all get together.

I've got a few pictures, but those will come later.

School started on Monday, so that was exciting. I really look forward to the kids each fall. I think I've got a good bunch of kids, but it's still early. Look for more comments later.

Back to School

Summer has wound down, and school's back in session in about 18 hours or so. The kids won't be back for another week, but what the hell, it's not too much different. Now, don't get this wrong; I truly enjoy my work. Being an English teacher and golf coach really has its rewards. In fact, all week long, I looked for reasons to go in to the office and "work" on my room. I even took the boy with me.
To check out the district, check out Floresville Independent School District. I work at the middle school campus, so you can click on Middle, then departments, then language arts. Click on Mr. Merten and check out the cool stuff.

People have asked me, "Well Dave, are you ready to go back to work and handle the kids?" My response, surprising even to me, is that yeah, I am ready. I miss having that sense of purpose that one gets during the school year. I am absolutely excited about the fact that this year, all the teachers in the district will be "given" tablet laptop computers for use in the class, in conjunction with some Bluetooth capable projectors. Sweet gear! To check out the tablets, check out Gateway.

Not too much else going on. I found out my grandmother has some plans on moving. Not sure where, but I can only hope for the best. I'm going up to Temple on the 12 with the wife and boy, so it should be a fun day trip. I'll write a bit when I come back and talk about my week then.

Cheers!

Golf at The Bandit

Well, I had the fortune of playing a really nice course for a really nice price. One of my co-workers invited me to go out with him to The Bandit, a really nice course located in New Braunfels, Texas. Owned by Fore Sight Golf, its one of the trio including The Republic and The Buckhorn. Having heard many favorable reviews, I was anxious to go out and play well.

Took just a bit to find, as there weren't any signs indicating the location, but we almost drove past it! As the usual rate is $40 for weeday, we ended up paying about $16 a piece. We loaded up and headed out to the course. After teeing off, a couple, Todd and Sam, joined us for play.

The course was beautiful. A few really picturesque holes. Some elevation on a few holes, but not too crazy with the water. Well protected greens with swales and bunkers. Fairways were smooth, but more sandy than my preference. Greens were soft, but considerably dry. A few blind shots made it tough but playing in the future will allow for less risk reward and more intuitive shotmaking.

Didn't quite get the score I was looking at. Took more risks than usual, but I figured that I may not be back in a while, so may as well go for it. Enjoyed playing with my partners

Have a great weekend!

Trip to Austin

Well, I just got back from a workshop up in Austin.

My campus sent me, along with two other teachers, to the Double Tree Hotel in Austin to attend the Future Problem Solvers Program. It's quite an interesting program, which I beleive will really help our kids out. For more info, check them out at www.fpsp.org (Please note: At the time of this posting, they were in the midst of moving their headquarters from Tennessee to Florida, so the site may be down temporarily).

What I enjoyed most about the trip was my chance to visit my family that lives up their. When I had arrived in Austin on Monday and had settled in, my father picked me up and we had dinner at Outback. Never eaten there before, so I really enjoyed that. They kind of messed up on my fish, but it was quickly straightened that out. I had a frozen type drink that was delicious. A great meal, made even better by my father's company.

Tuesday held some other adventures, as my brother picked me up after I was done in the conference, workshop or whatever you want to call it. We ended up going to 6th Street for a romp around the famous street (pretty tame for a Tuesday night; just not my thing that night!), then dinner at Bennigan's. Weird thing: They were out of liquor. Just weird.

Wednesday, I had the great luck of dining with both my brother and my father, at a frequented Asian buffet. Typical fare, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

I'm sure that many would look at the activities and mention that I was on a working trip; I took care of business during the work hours. I simply enjoy the company of my family during off hours.

Thank you to my brother and dad, for joining me when you did. We don't visit nearly enough, and you both really made my trip that much more valuable.

Cheers

Weekend and Tiger

Well, I just got back from a few days down on the coast. It's nice to be able to just get away for a bit, but it's even nicer to come back home.

Stayed at Holiday Inn Emerald Beach, which has a private little beach and an indoor pool. The boy loved it! Did more cannon balls than I care to count. What's of greatest interest is how many people complained about one thing or another. It's too damn hard to just go out and forget about some things and just enjoy the company and gulf coast breeze.

Tiger won the British Open. Awesome. I've been a Tiger fan since his second Amateur Championship, so it was nice to see him really take off and have the work he's done really come through for him.

Golf at Hyatt Hill Country

Wow. I got the opportunity to play golf on Saturday, July 9, 2005 at Hyatt Regency Hill Country Spa and Resort in San Antonio.

A bit of a long story, WOAI had sponsored a give away, and I was fortunate enough to obtain a few of the passes, but at 7:30 Friday evening. After calling around and trying to find a few people, I was able to gather a foursome: Mike, Jamie, and Ryan. A good group, I was excited about playing this course.

We got to the course about 7:00 and it was really jammin'. Checked in and was looking in the pro shops. A six pack of Titleists logoed with the club logo: $22.00. Wow....

Walk out to the range and they have the pyramids of range balls ready to go. Long tees in a metal container available for all. Hitting off the grass was nice, but it was a bit sandier than I expected. The range balls were Nike. Damn that's nice!

Get on the carts with the GPS screen. You can even order food and drinks via the GPS system and have them deliver it! Didn't do that, but just played.

Of special note, I broke out my new putter on the course for the day. We'll get to that in a moment.

The course was immaculate. Fairways were slightly firm, but felt awesome going throught them making a divot. The rough was aptly named, with the grass cacthing on the hosel and turning my clubface a number of times. The greens were absolutely gorgeous. Firm, but approachable and holdable with a softer ball.

Play for me during the day was hot and cold. My driver decided he was still on vacation, so I only used it about six times; the rest of the time I used either 3 or 4 wood. My 7+ wood and my iron play was on, and that really saved my ass a number of times. What shocked me was that I was really hitting my irons farther than usual. I usually carry my 7 iron around 150, but on Saturday I was hitting 9 iron almost 150 carry!

Putting could have been so much better. The Contender goes where you hit it, no doubt about that. My problem was alignment and feel. It's solid aluminum without an insert, so I was worred about blowing past the hole on so many putts. Few too many three putts, but ended up only about ten strokes over my average. Everyone had a great time, so I was simply happy to share the experience with a memorable group.

Hopefully, the putter will just get better, and O2 (my driver!) will come back from R&R.

Putter and Cover

I finally got my putter in on Tuesday!

I quickly put it together and allowing it to bond, I began putting.

I have to say that it putts quite well. I've been using a Wilson Harmonized for a few years now (I know all its nuances) and the Contender has a few tricks up its sleeve just yet. Feel wise, I think the solid aluminum is better than the insert common in so many other putters. I have a tendency to leave the ball short, so the insert has never really been an issue (except for a duller feeling).

The putter sets up nicely. I thought it would have a more pronounced forward press, but after some practice, that was just me. I find that I can easily get it within a foot on almost any distance, but holing it from distance can be accomplished with the utmost concentration and fluid stroke. In fact, it's so easy to hit the sweet spot on the club that I find myself almost wanting to "stab" at the ball. Not good, just needs a bit of work.

As I mentioned, I decided to make a cover for the putter. Since nothing exists outside of the original DOC headcover, I used that as a starting point. I used neoprene as the material. Initially, I wanted it to have a magnetic closure, but after experimenting with that, it wasn't really coming out very clean. I went to one of my original plans, a very simple zipper along a third of the perimeter. It took about six to eight hours for me to finish the cover, but considering I haven't sewed in about fifteen years and I did this all myself, I'm happy with the results: A complete putter system put together entirely by myself.

Since it didn't make the trip with me to Lackland, I'll probably use it later this month, either at La Vernia or Kenedy (we'll just wait and see). I'm looking at dropping my putts to around 28-30 per round, but again, we'll have to see.

Cheers for now,

David

London Bombing

Say your thoughts and prayers for those that were hurt or murdered during the recent terrorist bombings.

David

Golf at Lackland

Hey folks!

While I was mad that my order STILL hasn't come in yet, I did get to play golf on Saturday July 2. I was invited by Mike, my wife's friend's husband, to join him at one of the military bases in San Antonio, Lackland AFB. Having never played there before (or in the last 8 weeks), I was more than eager to join him.

Tough thing about the whole day, I was busy in the morning, so we ended up leaving for the course around 2:30 or so. We got warmed up and I was feeling loose and hitting everything pretty well.

First tee box: Kill drop. You can see in the picture of me the drop that you get from the tee box.

I hit the ball with my 2.5 wood and got an overly excited draw that ran under some trees (yeah it was a hook; so what?). When I got down to the area where my ball should have been, there were a couple of guys who had just hit. I asked if they saw my ball. "No we haven't" and quickly drove off. Weiners took my ball!

I was lucky enough to find another ball (story on that later). I ended up playing that ball through the hole and got a bogey.

For the day, I really enjoyed the course. Was a bit challenging, more so on certain holes, but the elevation changes was something I wasn't accustomed to seeing. In fact, the killer hole was 9, which approaches this same hill above on a parallel just to the left. I made the mistake of actually climbing up to hit my shot, then finishing climbing up. This just really didn't help as the temperature was in the 90's or low 100's.

Cool Math Trick

Okay, I did crib this one from a member at freegolfinfo.com, but c'mon...It's a really cool trick.

Here is a math trick so unbelievable that it will stump you.

1. Grab a calculator (you won't be able to do this one in your head).
2. Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the area code).
3. Multiply by 80
4. Add 1
5. Multiply by 250
6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number.
7. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again.
8. Subtract 250
9. Divide the number by 2.

Do you recognize the answer?

Work and the Weekend

Okay. It's Friday and I'm not mad, but perhaps just a bit peeved. See, I ordered the clubs on Monday, but they haven't gotten here yet...That's okay, as we are still within the window of delivery. I guess I'm just impatient. It's 8:15 am and I'm also working today. Oh, you didn't know right?

Well, school was supposed to be out, but due to circumstance beyond my control, a few students needed some additional time. It was determined that we could open up today for about seven hours to allow the students to finish. I was asked, and considering I get paid by the hour (it's pretty nice), I went ahead and said, "Sure!"

Do you have any plans? For me, I plan on barbeque brisket, grilled corn-on-the-cob, and a bunch of other vittles (that's the scientific term) this weekend. I don't know if I'm playing any golf yet, but we'll just wait and see.

Okay, here's the picture of the week; but first, the story behind it.

I've got a good friend, Pope, who along with his girlfriend, just had a baby boy named Cade. Congrats dude! Still waiting on the pics though....He's always been one to send along really good pictures and jokes to me (my brother does too, so don't be hating, Nelson!). He sent me this picture, which in all honesty, is pretty true and funny in the subtle kind of way. Let me know what you think.

Google

Well, I just figured out how to place this search bar and ad bar atop this blog. I'm a bit excited as I'm not the best at decoding HTML, but hey, I got the job done today!

Cheers,

David

'Sup!

New Putter

Okay. We'll it would seem that I've just ordered a new putter and a demo iron. I'm quite excited as I've been salivating over the Ping Doc 17 ever since I saw it. Tried it out, felt nice, but two bills! That was just a bit much for me. Ever since then, I've been looking at the decent components out there trying to find a comparable version. Almost pulled the trigger on a few of head, but none were really like the DOC.

Finally, saw the Tech Power/Kittyhawk Contender P163. As it has been referred to by many golfers in a particular forum as the "Tater Masher", it really looked identical to the Ping.

It's face is actually 6.5 inches wide, where as the Ping's is ~6.7 inches (17 cm, hence the name DOC 17). Mass is a bit heavier, but I'm getting the same shaft and the identical grip (in black/gray as opposed to the green color).

Of interesting note, the Contender doesn't come with a headcover, so one has to either find one or make one. Me being the cheap b@$t@rd that I am, I decided to make one. I've made a rough template, but as I do not have the head yet (Thursday it should be here!), I cannot make the final template design.

In addition to the putter, I've ordered a demo 5 iron head.

I've been looking at replacing my current irons, Academy specials for the newbie hacker. I've become proficient with them, but I feel that the technology out there can allow me to hit the ball a bit more consistantly, going lower than my current average.

After really being honest with my abilities, I found these irons. I had a hard time finding the offset specs, but I think they will work well. According to one vendor, these irons shafted up with TT TX-90's will perform as well as the Nike counterparts. I'm going to test them out and see if works.

That's all for now. Check back later for my review of the putter.

Introduction

Hey gang,


I've just set this up, so here we go. Wanted something I could quickly access and mess around with. Let me know how I can improve things!

Cheers!