Unlucky "8"

According to the Chinese, the number 8 is suppose to be a lucky number. But if you have an 8 (or the "snowman") on your score card... it's definitely not a good thing! Yup... Snap hook off the tee with out-of-bounds left is not a good combination. It happened on my 16th hole (#7) so it was very disappointing. I could not convert my birdie putts on the last 2 holes either. So, no birdies for today :-( We did have a snapping turtle in the middle of #8 fairway and a deer that almost tried to run across the 9th green. That might have made the round more interesting today!
Well... back to Houston for the week off. Looks like some chipping practice will be on the agenda.

Chilly Wisconsin!

After driving by a bison farm, 2 dead raccoons, 7 cop cars, 11 dead deers, ... and watching a wild turkey cross the road, I finally reached my housing host in Lake Geneva, WI. The weather was beautiful here yesterday. Wish I could say the same for today. It's currently 46F... feels like 39F according the weather.com... and windy too! BRRRRR...!!! Guess I shouldn't have complaint about MN! Well, it's suppose to warm up again as the week progresses, but then rain is fore casted for Friday and perhaps Saturday. This tournament has had rain delays 2 years in a row now. Just need to make it to Sunday, where it's going to be sunny 79F :-)

Broken string

I was trying to tune my little guitar yesterday when the string broke. Almost seems like you need safety glasses when tuning the guitar...! Looks like I just added another item added to my to-do list now. Does anyone out there know how to change guitar strings???

Little nephew

I decided to spend my week off with my sister and bro-in-law, Scott in MN... and not forgetting my little nephew, baby Michael. He's almost 5 months old now and is just adorable. Ok, perhaps I am bias... I mean, I am his favorite aunt! :-)
Being away this week instead of going home to Houston has been a little rough on my loving hubby though. He'll just have to wait another 12 days before I finally fly home again. And I will be missing his birthday on May 30th. Sorry honey!

Ye ol' faithful driver!

Guess I should have used my old driver the first 2 days for this event in Kansas City! Today, it was a great round of 72 (1-over par), with the help of a friend on the same tour - Stephanie Ruiz. I hit 7 fairways today - 100% better than yesterday (a comment made by Bob!) and for the fairways that I did miss, I could at least still see the ball in the rough. And the putter worked beautifully today, despite 3-putting the first hole. Moved up from T-48 to T-24 for the tournament... can't be happier! :-)

Another cut made!!! :-)

3 cuts made in a row! Yay! Can't be happier... wait... I could be. If I could only hit more fairways and greens! Yesterday, I was only able hit 6 fairways and today... only 4!!! For tomorrow's round, I've decided to switch back to the older driver. Perhaps it will produce better results. Wait... not perhaps... IT WILL! Need to keep it on the short stuff. The rough is thick out here!

Attempt at US Women's Open local qualifier

One of the sites for the US Women's Open local qualifier was recently held at one of our home courses here in Kingwood - Forest Course. We figured it would be an advantage to come home and play here, but the course was set up at almost 6800 yards! It definitely played different... and long obviously. Yesterday, I saw parts of the golf course that I've never seen before. And I guess it probably would have helped if I didn't put my ball into the water not once but TWICE! Oh well,... guess it's not meant to be this year (again). It's my 3rd attempt at the US Women's Open qualifiers. I was able to advance to the sectional qualifier in 2005 and 2006.

If anything, I suppose the long setup will prepare me for this week in Kansas city. And I'll need to keep it on the short stuff this week. Let's just say the rough in KS is VERY HEALTHY!

Flowers... for me?!??

I arrived at Bush Intercontinental airport yesterday evening and Bob greeted me at the baggage claim area. Well, actually, I had to wait for him because he was at the wrong terminal! Anyhow, he showed up with FLOWERS! For the first time ever... Bob actually bought me flowers!!! So of course, my first reaction was.... Ok, what did you do wrong? What did you break? What did you buy? The thoughts were just endless!

Back in the house, everything looks fine. The plants are all still alive. The garden is healthy. The gecko did lose his straw hat. Hmm... I wonder who took it. Either the birds have it as part of their nest or a squirrel is running around with it showing it off to his buddies. Now THAT would be quite a sight!

Rain, rain,... Go away!

Started out of Dallas this morning, heading towards Kansas City... and it basically just rained ALL day long. So I finally got tired of the rain... and tired of only being able to drive at 55-60mph... so I decided to stop over in this little town called Blackwell, OK. The city only has a total area of 5.5 square miles, with the population of 7,800.

As I'm checking into the hotel here, the local tv news is on - reporting on possible tornadoes touching down and strong winds in Oklahoma county. Yikes! And I was there just a couple of hours ago! The hotel attendant then proceeds to tell me that if the sirens go off tonight, just come down to the lobby with a blanket. And use the stairs, not the elevators. Grrrreeeaaat...! I suppose I can't forget my passport either!

On my way through Kansas City today, I decided to stop by in Shawnee, OK to see a friend that also plays on the FUTURES Tour. Stephanie's grandfather passed away last sunday and the service was at 2pm in Shawnee, OK - about 1/2 hour away from OK city. Ben Dee Curtis was 86 years old. Included in the program was this poem, which hit near to my heart...

-- To Those I Love --

When I am gone, release me, let me go,
I have so many things to see and do.
You mustn't tie yourself to me with tear,
Be happy that we had so many years.

I gave you my love, you can only guess,
How much you gave to me in happiness.
I thank you for the love you each have shown,
But now it's time I traveled on alone.

So grieve awhile for me if grieve you must,
Then let your grief be comforted by trust.
It's only for awhile that we must part,
So bless the memories within your heart.

I won't be far away, for life goes on,
So if you need me, call and I will come.
Though you can't see or touch me, I'll be near,
And if you listen to your heart, you'll hear.
All of my love around you soft and clear,
And then, when you must come this way alone,
I'll greet you with a smile, and "Welcome Home."

Get me out of this bunker!!!

So it took me 3 shots to come out of this greenside bunker on #8. I quit my swing on the first shot, so the ball did not travel very far. REMEMBER - ALWAYS FOLLOW-THROUGH on your bunker shots! Anyway, the ball ended up falling straight back into the sand divot, or should I say "crater" that I had first created. So I hit it again... and this time it got a little bit further but the ball still caught the slope and trickled back into the bunker. And of course... back into the now bigger and deeper crater! Just my luck! So by now, all I want to do is GET IT OUT!... which I finally did on the 3rd try. The ball rolled about 30 feet pass the pin and then I proceeded to 2-putted for a 7. OUCH! This was a rather painful lesson.
I suppose I will still have to look at things on the positive side. I did have 2 good days and if not for the triple bogey today, it would still have been a decent day. I am $567 better off than what I started with so perhaps I could think about either fixing the transmission or the struts of my car :-)