It's a Good Life

Too often I find myself plagued by negativity these days, or maybe I plague others.  But really when I think about it, life really is pretty good.  I've got a good job I enjoy with people I like, I've got a good wife, the kids are all healthy, seem happy, and none of them are in jail or on drugs.  I got no complaints.  I was thinking about this earlier this afternoon.  It's a hot sunny day, I'm floating in a swimming pool, I feel good and relaxed.  I'm not stressed, I'm not hating work or my life choices or anything else.  It was just a good afternoon weekend and I was actually enjoying it.

Saturday we played golf at the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor.  Gorgeous place.  It's where the Valspar Golf Championship is played every year.  Tough course, even the pros struggle on.  I looked at the scores from this past year and only 17 guys out of the 80 or so who made the cut shot under par.  Needless to say I am not one of those 17.  I played not so good.  Drove pretty well, hit crap irons and didn't chip well around the green either.  Not to mention putting.  Those greens are hard to putt.  Everything breaks one way or another.  I shot about 8 shots worse than usual and it could have been worse but I did manage to birdie the 4th hole.  Hit a sweet 7 iron to 12 feet and actually made a putt for the birdie.  Only one for any of us on the day and it definitely kept my round from being a complete waste.  Next year when I watch the tourney and I see some of these pros struggle on the 4th hole, I'll be saying, "I can't believe he messed up that hole, hell I can birdie that one".  I won't mention the 16 or so holes I didn't play well.  Earlier today I went out to the range and hit the irons pretty well.  Some days you just don't have it and I didn't yesterday.

Contrary to local reports, Michelle Wie is not my playing partner

I started playing a little online poker again recently and while the results aren't anything to write home about, I think I've found my niche.  While I love playing Omaha 8 or better, the variance I keep seeing with it just can't be handled with the small amount I have left in my online account.  It got really bad for a while but I found the $3.30 SNG tourneys where the top 3 all get $9 seems to be where I fit in.  I hit the money about 60% of the time.  Relatively small sample size but so far/so good. 

My knee is feeling pretty good still.  Only a little pain occasionally but nothing bad at all.  I have noticed some clicking when walking quickly a couple of times but it didn't hurt at least.  Unfortunately I got a call this week about the xray they took on my knee telling me I also have arthritis in it as well.  Next month I see the orthopedics guy so we'll see what he says. 

That's about all the news fit to print in my neck of the woods.  For me life is pretty good.  Hope it is for you as well.  Say a prayer for the 50 families in Orlando who may not feel that way right now. 

Another week in the books

Its the weekend again.  And it couldn't come to soon.  Work was a chore even though it was only 4 days long.  I'm being pulled in multiple directions at work trying to handle my normal work, answer questions for other people, research some in depth problems and run the point on a new report we're putting together.  And answer phones, handle emails, etc.  It gets a little wearing.  I enjoy a lot of it, especially the research but every day I get questions from 4-5 of my coworkers who don't understand this or that.  And now that a couple of our more tenured people are going to a different department, I expect to get more questions.  I don't mind and I enjoy helping others but it does get wearing from time to time.

Last weekend we played golf at a private course nearby called Bayou Club.  My buddy's dad had won a pass for 4 to play there.  Nice course.  Tough.  Apparently the Chairman of the Board of my company lives there.  Anyway we had a good time.  I was really hitting the ball (for me anyway) on the front 9.  Not scoring great sometimes because I hit it too far.  Had a couple of holes where shots I expected to land short or just on the green ended up hitting the back of the green and going over it.  But it was nice to really be hitting it.  A couple of holes I out drove all of my playing partners by 10 or 15 yards and on one hole it was 50.  That one I really hammered.  Felt good.

By the time we reached the 9th hole there were storm clouds brewing and lightning nearby so we went inside for a while and let the storm pass.  It was really weird.  A little storm sprang up right near the course but there was no other rain anywhere else in the Tampa Bay area.  And the storm sat there not moving for 45 minutes or so then just broke up.  Strange.  It killed my golf game though.  I lost my swing after the wait and everything on the back 9 was a struggle.  I did ok but not nearly as good as on the front and while I thought I would break 90, the back 9 wiped that chance out.  Still we had fun, I hit it well for a while and it was a good time. 

Went to see the Dr about my knee last week.  She thinks I have a bad meniscus.  She referred me to an orthopedic doctor but told me to hold off on going for a month or so.  She gave me a prescription for an anti inflammatory - diclofenac or something like that which has helped greatly.  I started taking it on Thursday and by Saturday the pain was nearly gone.  Didn't feel any pain the next day which is a nice change from how I had been feeling on the day after golfing.  I have to take it for a month and then see where I am after that.  I forgot to take a dose yesterday and I did feel some pain so I'd best stay on top of taking it twice a day.  I have to take it with meals so sometimes I forget when I don't have the pills sitting with me.  Hopefully this fixes me up and I don't need surgery.  Then again it might be better for me to have surgery instead of dealing with this issue from time to time. 

Well it looks like I'm going to get out and play tomorrow so I better head off to bed.  Hope some of you are heading to Vegas for the WSOP.  One day I will but its not gonna be this year.  Till then I'll lead my somewhat hum drum life, soaking up sun, playing some golf, and working like the dog I am.