The first game I played was only nine holes, and I was exhausted be the end of the game. We walked the course, and I carried my own clubs. Yes, I mean I really did carry my own clubs. The first couple of holes were better than I had hoped they would be, but I was nowhere close to par. Thankfully I avoided the sand traps and the water hazard, but I really have to chalk that up to blind beginners luck. By the end of the ninth hole, my body was so sore that I was just hitting the ball wildly and although I never ended up in the rough, the ball never went very far down the fairway. More than once I asked my father if I could just forfeit the hole, pick up the ball and call the game over, but he was insistent that I finish the hole. If I recall correctly my score on that hole, which was a Par 3, was a very embarrassing nineteen. From that point on, every time I played golf I insisted on renting a golf cart. I understand that golf is great exercise, but I wanted to survive the game!

Maybe next year I’ll try to go online to a website that sells cheap sports tickets and get my father a ticket to go to the Masters himself so he can be part of the action, instead of watching it on television. I’d love to see the look on his face when he realizes what the ticket is for!

When I think of all of the great ways the Internet has made life easier, I am simply amazed. For example, back when I was a young adult, looking for Flats to rent in Glasgow I had to depend on a newspaper advertisement. And if I was coming int own from a place far away from there I had to first rent a hotel room for several days before I could get my bearing.

Now it seems as easy as pie because with the Internet you can go to to a variety of websites designed to help people who are looking for Flats to rent in Edinburgh or Flats to rent in Aberdeen or any other place in the UK.

The website I was just looking at is called lettingweb.com, and what I like about the website is that in addition to looking for flats to rent, you can also use the searching wizard to find a room mate. I think that is an especially handy feature for single people, to be able to find not only a place to live, but someone to share the rental fees with. Yes, the Internet has definitely made life a lot easier for a lot of people.

I can still remember the summers that I spent at my cousin Betty’s farm when I was an kid. I was crazy about horses, and she had plenty of them. She ran a boarding and training stable, and she even had a grandson of the famous race horse “Man of War” in her stables. I was awestruck. I still have the old hand-me-down riding boots that no longer fit and the now too-small horse riding helmet that she let me keep. Her daughter BJ competed in horse events that I never did get to go see, but I do remember one summer that I stayed with them she was off with some friends on a dream trip Horseback Riding in Italy that they had given her as a college graduation present.

I sure wish my folks had given me such a great gift like that!

I guess that particular groundhog didn’t get the memo to go back to bed!

Keith has such a strong work ethic that whatever company of Los Angeles movers were lucky enough to get him will certainly get their money’s worth out of him! I can remember one time when Mom wanted our refrigerator moved out from the wall so she could clean behind it and Keith just picked it up and said “where do you want it Mom?” My jaw hit the floor when that happened!

Finding myself in an internet cafe at the hotel that I’m staying in, a couple of young ladies interrupted my work, asking me where my restrooms are located! It took me a moment to realize that they must have thought that since I was dressed in a business suit that I must work there! I apologized to the ladies and explained that I did not work there, and I don’t know where the restrooms are. As they walked away I had to suppress a chuckle. I hope they find what they are looking for!

Right before Christmas my mother decided that she wanted me to accompany her to a fantastic display up at the Shenandoah Caverns. The display was of historical parade floats, and antique
Christmas window displays from storefronts.

Having always been fascinated by things like that, I readily agreed, although I would have preferred doing it after Christmas. Nonetheless, we went up there and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the window displays. One of the things that I really appreciated was the fact that the main room of the window displays was decorated with artificial flowering wisteria hanging from garden arbors.

The effect of the flowers climbing the arbors was very effective, and it made the entire room feel charming and romantic and old fashioned. The display has inspired me to put an arbor on my “wish list” for the landscaping plans for the side yard of the house.

I thank you and take the key, and turn to go to the elevator. I was anticipating some kind of farewell greeting from her, something like “you’re welcome” or “have a good night” or “thank you for staying with us” or ANYTHING. Not a sound. Very surprised. If I was secret shopping, she would have flunked for sure.

Don’t get me wrong, they are all great vacation spots; I’m sure that a lot of people go there and have a lot of fun. But when I go on vacation I tend to go visit family, and they don’t live near any fantastic tourist spot that is going to offer great cheap rates on any kind of travel, whether it is last minute or not. In fact, the closer the travel date, the more expensive the tickets seem to be. Sometimes I miss the days of my youth when I would just throw my sleeping bag in the back of my station wagon, grab some maps and drive south until I reached someplace that seemed interesting. I looked at life like it was one great big adventure back then. I’m no longer interested in roughing it any more than staying in a five star hotel!