Birthday

Monday was my birthday…I don’t want to talk about it.

OK. OK. There actually isn’t much to write about. But here ya go.

Since mine fell on Monday and SMC’s fell on Tuesday, we decided to celebrate them both last weekend. Mine started on Saturday morning when I met Fred and Scott at The Greens in Valencia at 10am. Its a form of miniature golf with real grass including rough, sand, and water. You use real putters and golf balls and there are no “unnatural” obstacles like there would be in putt-putt. Its always a blast. They have a club house with restaurant and bar just like a real public course (no locker room). Unfortunately, the bar didn’t open until 11am but Fred brought a cooler and Scott parked right next to the second hole. So before we started the second, we opened some beers. Off to a good start.

We played skins for 25 cents each per hole, two-tie-all-tie, with 50 cents for low score on each 9. There are three 9-hole courses of varying difficulty. I started well, winning the first skin. Later, on the 6th hole, there was a bunker blocking the path to an elevated green. Both Fred and Scott laid up to an opening on the right side that would give them a clear path to the green. I was last to hit and decided to go for broke taking a line slightly left of the bunker, through some heavy rough, and up to the green. I barely missed my target and ended up in the bunker as my playing companions laughed at my foolish attempt. But I assured them that I would be okay from there. Scott’s first run up the hill at the green came up short and his ball rolled back past him and came to rest under a bush. Fred’s approach was too hard, sailing through the green and into some deep rough on the other side.

The back of the green was bordered by a wall of wooden posts fronting a hill. I sized up a shot and proclaimed that I would be playing it off of the back stop. Using the opposite side of my putter like a wedge, I got set for a left-handed blast and let it fly. The contact was perfect, sending the ball high over the lip of the bunker and back to the wooden posts. It rebounded with some heat and, luckily, hit the flag stick coming to rest two feet from the cup. After they missed their third shots, I made mine and took down an additional 4 skins.

I took that 9 easily. Scott would win the second and Fred the third. But after being crushed all day, Fred pulled out an overall win by taking seven skins on the last hole netting $1 from Scott and 50 cents from me. We drank throughout the play so we were all winners when you think about it.

I went home after that to get some rest as my sister would be taking some other friends (including SMC) and me to the Rainbow that night. There isn’t much to note about that night. It was just a really good time with great friends and alot of scotch.

On Sunday, my mother hosted a get-together for SMC and me with some friends and family that included wives and infants. So that party was more for my mother than it was for us. When she had asked if she could throw this party for me, I said with a roll of the eyes, “Yeah. That’s perfect. If you throw a party in my honor, make sure there are plenty of women and babies.” It turned out to be nice, though. SMC was there, of course. And Scott and his wife, Carolina brought Nick, my godson. Lewis and Denise brought their daughter Brynn. She and Nick got a kick out of each other…and no one got hurt!

I took Monday off of work for my actual b-day and, apart from a couple small chores around the house, I didn’t do anything. That was awesome. I was able to rest up and recover from the long weekend.

Of course, I know, this isn’t a very interesting post. I just need to recap what went on while I wasn’t playing poker. But there will be some card stories coming. I’ll be playing at Commerce again soon. More importantly, I will be making my return to the monthly tourney night at Paul’s this Saturday. I’m psyched about that!

SEEYa