It's getting down to the wire. So far my playing partners and I have dodged rain, hail, and snow storms  managing to squeeze in six rounds in the last six weeks. Tomorrow will be number seven and the skies look clear. The longer we can play the less likely that we'll have to pack up and head for warmer climes.

The problem with traveling to golf is that most of us work for a living and that makes for some difficult decisions- paycheck or golf? Not easy and getting harder.

I  was running out of excuses until a happy accident brightened my golf world considerably. In the Spring I had a brief encounter with a taxi while jay walking to work. It resulted in a minor back injury and at the time I thought it was a dirty trick since it screwed up about three weeks of golf but there was a bright side- my doctor prescribed a weekly therapy session.

I handed off the Dr's note to HR and was given time off every Thursday to get tuned up. But, like I said after about three weeks I was feeling much improved. However... funny thing, the Dr's note didn't specify a time limit. So...... I just kept going to "therapy" only now it's 18 holes with my pals. It's getting to be so ingrained in the office routine that no one will schedule a meeting for me on Thursday's, "...it's his therapy day". People are really considerate that way, God love 'em.

Unfortunately, my wife is a little upset at this, considers it to be dishonest. I point out that I put in more than 50 hours a week and there's no  reason I shouldn't be allowed to flex the time a little.  The fact that most of the execs are too narrow minded to recognize the value golf has in raising productivity- particularly mine- is one of those Dilbert kind of blindspots.

Although, she could be right, and it could be causing her some distress as well. That might eventually cause us some marital issues. Hmmmm?

Fortunately we have a marital counseling program available through work so.... if my back therapy should have to end I can always sign up for "marital counseling" every Thursday- that ought to get me through the winter. I think they even offer marital "retreats" - no reason they couldn't be in Palm Springs or San Diego?

Later

OK, so here's the deal. I am a bad golfer. No brag, just fact. And I know that there are a few of us out there so I figure what the heck. I'll share.

I  began the year with a 32.2 handicap (I mean really, why bother?) and I am proud to say I'm down to a 28.4. Primarily because I played more this year than all the other years combined. Duh. Playing more means more improvement, what a novel idea! Also- I took four lessons this season from a very good pro. Fourteen years ago whenI first trotted onto the field er.... course I'd had two lessons. This enabled me to join some friends for a golf "outing" sponsored by the company we worked for. If you want an idea of how that went feel  free to check out the story I wrote in Chicken Soup for the Golfer's Soul called Brush, Brush. No lie, that was my first experience at golf. That story was actually written for a contest related to the Shivas Irons Society, I never intended it to get beyond their web page but hey the Chicken Soup folk offered money!

I like to write- I don't consider myself a writer, I'm too damn lazy to work at it as a craft but it's a good hobby and a blog seems to be the way to go these days for everyone on the planet.

 I tell people I've been playing golf for six years. I figured, if you only get out twice a year that doesn't count as playing golf, that's just socializing. Now that I'm playing almost weekly I see real improvement. Fewer blow-up holes and the occasional well-played hole. Like yesterday, I chipped in from about twenty yards for a par. Whoo_whee!! That's only my second chip-in and it feels good!! I could get used to that. Funny, the next hole was my blow-up hole for the day; triple-bogey. Why does that always happen? I mean I wasn't being cocky honest.

Last year I played the mens league as a regular after having played as a subsititute for several years. What a blast and what a group. I'll share a few tales from that world later on. I think this league has been around about 40 years, believe me- there are some real characters in the bunch and from what others have told me about their leagues these guys are unique. 

Later