12 Annual Pinehurst Golf Weekend

Thanks to my wife who made this weekend possible.  She is a superstar.  I love her with all my heart.

LA pulled the first weekend duty of all three kids at home by yourself and let me attend the 12th Annual Pinehurst Golf Weekend.  I haven't played all 12 years but I haven't missed many.  This group is anywhere from 11 to 25 people.  You need a sense of humor, be quick with a comeback, and some thick skin to survive a weekend with this group.  I won't get into all the details of the weekend because Pinehurst is like Vegas of the South with golf courses, no casinos/gambling (except on the golf course and in the rooms), no fancy hotels, no clubs and no women.  Pretty sure the only reason you come to the Pinehurst area is for golf.  I haven't found another reason yet to just visit.  I just wanted to give a brief review of the golf and some of the food establishment from the weekend in case you ever find yourself in the are looking for something to do.

Golf Courses

Tobacco Road 

• Mike Strantz Design (one of my favorite golf designers, I have played a few of his designs - Bulls Bay in Charleston, Caladonia and True Blue in Pawleys Island (superb golf courses) and Tot Hill Farm (in the middle of nowwhere NC)  - click the links to see the courses)
• Golf Digest 4.5 Star Rating
• Top Ten Hardest Courses by Golf Digest
• Golf World Readers Top 4 Public Course
• Our Life Top 10 in Courses I've Played

I had a great round of golf there and shot a 79.  I haven't shot that low in a number of years and it came after a looooooong lay off.  I am not sure I can remember the last round I had played that I had kept my own score in the past year.  I remember a couple of captain choice tournaments but there's not a whole lot of golf going on in my world...making babies, yes, changing diapers, yes.

I attribute the round to low expectations and trying to keep up with my playing partner Alex who shot 75.  I started leaking oil on the back nine around 13 and limped home.

We played an additional 9 holes as two man teams in a Captain Choice Format. Tim D and I were paired together and it got difficult carrying him the whole 9 holes.  We were just out of the money at -1 par (winner -2).

It was a great start to the golf weekend.

Don't miss out on any opportunity to play this course.  It's one of my favorites.

Carolina Trace

• 36 holes, traditional golf course, private gated community, surrounded by a huge lake
• Watch out for some of the older members - no hats in the bar area (sorry, didn't know the rule, there isn't a sign, not a member).

Nothing fancy about either of the courses at Carolina Trace.  I returned to my normal self and shot a 95 (the * to the round was that I was 11 over on 3 holes).  I wish Leroy could have played those 3 holes for me.

After battling for 18 holes, we thought it would be fun to play another 18 in a 6-6-6 format....great idea.  We played as two man teams and played the holes - 6 as Captain's Choice, 6 as Alternate Shot, and 6 as Best Ball.  In case you are wondering, none of us are ready for prime time.  The alternate shot was quite interesting and the only words you heard the entire 6 holes were "I'm sorry".  My partner JP and I put each other in some creative places.  When you put mediocre golfers together you get mediocre golf.  We had a few laughs but it was a long day at the office.

Dormie 

• Golfweek 3rd Best New Course 2011 (opened May 2010)
• 2012 Top Modern Courses
• Going Private in 8-12 Months - get there before you can't play there
• Coore - Crenshaw Design
• Our Life Top 25 Courses I've Played

The minimalist design of the course is a refreshing change and the use of the natural terrain made it a fun course to play and hope we find a way to get another round here in the future.  

They might have taken the minimalist design to the extreme.  When we arrived at the bag drop, we were informed they were out of caddies and fore caddies (which didn't break our hearts and would save our bank accounts).  He followed that up with the course doesn't have yardage markers on the sprinkler heads.  No big deal, we will just purchase a yardage book in the pro shop - "Nope, don't have yardage book either.  We do have the 150 and 100 marked on the sides of the fairways." - let the adventure begin.  I don't fully understand the no yardage markers on the sprinkler heads or yardage books...maybe that is a year 3 budget item.  Even if they go private and use caddies/fore caddies, a member would like a sprinkler head marked.  Anyway, technology saved the day and a couple of people had apps on their smartphones that assisted with yardage all day.

I found my groove again and shot a respectable 87.  Could have been a little better but at this stage in my golf career, I will take an 87 all day, any day, any course (except a par 3 course).  

Another course that I would play again and you should also play before they go private.

Food

• Tobacco Road
• I am not one to talk about golf course food but the Bar B Que sandwich was one of the best I have ever had.  It was tasty and a large sandwich.  A surprisingly good value found at the golf course that wasn't a hot dog.
• Ironwood Cafe
• We found this gem a few year back after many years eating at Beefeaters.  These two places both serve up a good steak but are hard to compare - Beefeaters is like a hometown Outback with a salad bar and some great processed cheese spread and crackers and Ironwood is a little more upscale without all the things that make you like Beefeaters  but you don't miss them (not quite downtown Charleston but close).  Oscars in Summerville would be a good comparison to Ironwood.  
• Pete's Diner
• Don't let the 92.5 rating scare you (it rounds up to 93 which is an "A").
• They serve up a good country breakfast
• Dinner looks like country cooking but we have never ventured there after the breakfast hours - eat at your own risk   
• San Felipe 
• Mexican 
• Nothing to review here, it the same as every other Mexican joint you have been too - good chips salsa and you can order the same number 21 (or anything else on the menu you normally order) that you order at home and it will be exactly the same.

Twins

Our Life would like to send out a big congratulations to our friend over at Out Behind The Woodshed - Michael and his better half Adrian on doubling their family, Tuesday and qualifying for two additional exemptions in 2012.  Adrian was a super trooper and carried twins for 38 weeks.  Bray (1st) and Belton will be known around town as the "Killer B's" as they wreck havoc on everything they touch and break all the ladies hearts (keep them away from my daughters, this is their only warning, Michael).  The weighed in at 6lb 10oz (20 inches) and 7lb 11oz (21 inches) - total weight 14lbs 5oz, a good sized bowling ball - total length 41"/3' 5", about the size of Aubrey.

They are the current record holders of Providence Most Kids Birthed At One Time - (2) and are contenders for our title of

Providence Class Record For Quickest To 3 Kids:
3 Years, 7 Months, 10 Days


and the Horres' title of


Providence: You Know Where Babies Come From, Right?
1 Year, 5 Months, 6 Days or 522 Days or 751,680 Minutes or 12,528 Hours
October 18, 2009 - Suzie
March 24, 2011 - Daniel 

We are happy the KILLER B's are healthy and that momma is doing well.  Get some rest before you leave the hospital.  You are paying dearly while at the hospital so let the nurses do their job of taking care of Adrian and the boys.

Aubrey finished up her second session of Funny Bugs at Little Gym.  Here are a few photos from the end of year "show".  Evidently the other parents weren't asked to be judges and didn't like my scoring style and then announcing their kids score (5.6, 6.5...etc) and giving Aubrey perfect 10's.  I am pretty sure I see a little Nadia Comaneci in her.  If you know who she is without clicking the link, I am impressed.

I was pretty impressed that she could walk on the balance beam by herself because most of the time she struggles to walk on the ground.  We will spend our free time on Tuesday nights at the pool for the summer.

What's Going On and Aubrey's Quote Of The Week

What in the heck is going on at my house.  Yesterday afternoon while planting a few plants  along the fence line behind the garage with Aubrey and Wyatt close by (meaning 6" away, inspecting and asking way to many questions about why I was digging a hole and why it was so deep).  I wasn't paying attention to them (my eyes were not on them watching them but they were close by...I was listening.) when Aubrey delivers her quote of the week:

          "Daddy, look at the snake I am touching."


What the heck did she say as I turn around and sure enough she is pulling her hand away from a snake (not a skink or a skank).  Fortunately, I had one of the weapons of choice in my hand when dealing with a snake, a shovel.  Let's get down to the details, the snake is probably about 6" long and about as wide as straw.  I pulled the snake from the pine straw with the shovel and chopped it's head off.  Aubrey and Wyatt were fascinated and wanting to touch it...thinking that was cool as I am about to poop in my pants.  You are wanting to know what kind of snake it was - my determination was made pretty quick, it was from the family and species called dead snake (kill it then identify).  If it crawls on the ground and I can't run away (trust me this is my first option but my kids were standing right there, I was committed to killing this one) or it doesn't run away then it's either him or me.  A little background information - I was spraying weeds a couple of weeks ago and a much bigger snake - probably 3-4 feet long and about a the size of a good stick (for beating something/someone with) crossed my path and I proceeded to stop spraying and find something else to do.  I didn't exactly run away but I moved backwards quickly and abandoned that project for the afternoon.  If on judgement day I have to answer for killing a snake then I hope I have a chance to ask a few questions in my defense - Why did you make the snake so it always scares the poop out of you?  What's with the tongue? Not exactly a way to say "I want to be your friend."  Snakes tend to like to bite first then ask questions so I like to beat them to the first question - chop off head and the tell them "it didn't have to be this way."

I have identified the snake as a Florida Red Belly.  Should have stayed in Florida.  So disaster was averted and turns out it is harmless and we could of had a snake as a pet (No way in hell that is every happening).  Until their is a quicker way to identify them as friend or foe, I will continue regarding them as foe until they are killed or I have retreated inside to watch some tv.

Let the summer adventure continue...

OMG, You have a......

Just a couple of items before we get on with the post:

• My friend over at I'm Just Sayin' just completed an amazing task with the final 25 of his top 2,613 movies for his Movie May Project.  It has been interesting to see all the movies that I have seen over the years and the memories/laughter they bring back.  Great job, Greg and remember everyone has an opinion so keep it to yourself until YOU put together your top 2,613 movies and post them on a blog.
• Aubrey's Quote of The Week:  (while riding by P-Dogs - we haven't switched to the new name Perfectly Franks - were're old school) "P-Dogs is silly...Dogs can't go pee-pee in there" 

Last weekend, LA and I hosted the reception for Casey and Melissa's wedding.  It was a beautiful day and we were glad we were able to host.  There will be an entire post on the wedding coming up in a few days (lets be honest, I hope to get the post up before their first anniversary).

LA borrowed some flowers from her sister-in-law, Amy from St. George to help spruce up the place for the reception.  She borrowed my car and get them and take them back.  On Monday, I helped her load up the car with flowers and sound just enough room to get Ansleigh in the care with her.  They got to St. George (Waylon and Amy are not at home) and as LA was unloading the flowers, she realized she had an extra passenger.  It was a skink and to my wife it might as well have been an eastern diamondback rattlesnake.  I thought I blogged about the last skink adventure with LA but in a quick look back at posts and I couldn't find it (must have just told everyone about it).  Travel back in time with me to summer 2008, when LA is working in the yard around the pine tree and comes across a skink.  She grabbed the hoe (a yard tool) and commenced to put on her best Jack Nicholson from "The Shining", or any slasher movie on this skink.  I watched from a the distance as she flipped completely out and was swinging the hoe saying "Die, Die, Die" with each swing.  After a few minutes and while she was catching her breath and getting ready to swing again, I told her I was pretty sure the skink was dead after the first swing took it's head off.  I can understand this reaction to a snake of any kind but this is a skink.  I have never heard of anyone getting bit or dying from a skink.  I will give her the benefit of the doubt that they are not the prettiest creature God created and your first thought when you see one is that it is a snake and they have a knack for scaring you when working outside but all in all they seem pretty harmless.  However, I learned earlier last week that this hatred/fear is hereditary because LA's mom flips out the same way as LA does.  You see earlier last week, Aubrey and I found one of the largest skinks, I had ever seen around the back of the house and a day or so later Aubrey, Nanny and I saw it again on the front steps.  So let's get back to St. George and unloading the flowers.  The skink that was in the flowers jumped out of the flowers and into the car  on the passenger side and sought shelter under the front seat (he had heard about LA).  LA has a problem, Ansleigh is in the car and the skink is in  the car.  She took Ansleigh out and found a hoe to poke around to try to get the skink out of the car (I am just glad she didn't see it while she had the hoe or I would be getting a new car right now.).  After not being able to find it, she moved all the softball and baseball gear and strollers in the car to make sure it isn't hiding in or beneath them.  During this process, she thinks she see something exit the car, cautiously unloads the rest of the flowers and puts Ansleigh back in the car and gets ready to come home.  As she is driving she has one eye on the road on the other eye watching the passenger area for any signs of the movement from the skink.  This is when it gets interesting and I get involved.  I had Aubrey and Wyatt and we were working around the house and I get the following text:

         OMG, you have an ****ing skank in your car!  I tried to get the d**m 

        thing out but I'm not sure if it is.  What the freak!!

I was thinking what are the odds of this happening so I called her.  She has left Waylon and Amy's and was on the way home but is now pulled off the road because she saw the skinks tail under the passenger seat.  She is flipping out and doesn't know what to do when a good samaritan pulled up to make sure everything is okay. She explains her problem and he proceed to catch the skink and remove him from the car and entered the skink into the witness relocation program.  Disaster averted.  I am glad the skink didn't decided to crawl on the seat, up her leg or anywhere else because I am pretty sure she would have wrecked the car.  I wish Waylon and Amy had video cameras at their house and I wish I had one in the car to see this adventure unfold.  I am glad everyone is okay and she got the skink out of the car because if that thing pops it's head out at me, I will probably poop in my pants and wreck the car. 

Just for clarification - We have always called them a skank but the correct name is skink.  There's probably not much difference both are sleazy and unpleasant.  

The Best Thing I Have Ever Ate

One of the shows that LA and I watch on TV is "surprisingly" on Food Network - The Best Thing I Ever Ate and they have different categories for each episode - desert, steak, seafood, meals, chocolate...etc and their celebrity chefs tell you where their favorite spots are.  I will probably never be asked for a guest spot on the show but I am ready if they ever come calling.  I am thinking about sharing them here.  I will at least share one of them.

The Best Thing I Ever Ate - Desert

My aunt Deborah make a chocolate cake that is too die for and I am pretty sure I am up to the challenge of eating an entire cake in one sitting.  It is so simple but it is delicious.  It's yellow cake and homemade chocolate icing.  The key is the layers - it is nine super thin layers with a layer of chocolate icing in between each layer.  Whenever there is a family function the only reason anyone attends is just in case Deborah has made a chocolate cake.  You think I am kidding?  The cake has been hidden before to keep non-family members and on occasion even family members from eating a morsel or knowing it even existed.  You might never get a chance to understand what I am talking about unless she starts selling them when she retires from her full time job.  When I am lucky enough to get a half or whole cake, it is like the cake is a dead man walking.  I am not sure of the record for consuming the entire cake but there isn't much time.  A magician would be impressed with this disappearing act.  It's probably only about a three (four max) day window.  I will eat the cake for breakfast (didn't you see what Bill Cosby had to say about cake for breakfast? (starts at 3:54))

and a late night snack both time with a glass of cold milk.  I will eat it after family dinners with tea but it isn't as good but sometimes you have eat it when everyone else is just to make sure you get a slice.  It toughs but I am up to the challenge.

Here's what's left of a cake she brought Sunday (family did help eat a quarter of it).

Look at those layers....My normal slice size is about 3x the normal slice size or the back quarter that if cut into normal slices is really not a big enough slice so I take one for the team and eat it.  It's the kind of guy I am, willing to take one for the team.

If I ever offer you a piece of chocolate cake (highly unlikely), I suggest you take me up on my offer.  It will be the best thing you have ever tasted.  

In This Corner - Two Week Weigh In

Entering in the Octagon for a week two battle is a rookie. Let's take a look at what happened at the weigh-in today:

Height

• Ansleigh - 21.25" - 99.53 Percentile (+1.25" - 6.25% gain)
• Wyatt - 22.25"
• Aubrey - 21"

I am not sure what LA is feeding her but she has come out the gate and decided to add 1.25" in just over 2 weeks.  Maybe her body will catch up to her feet which are very long.

Weight

• Ansleigh - 8lb 2oz - 83.12 Percentile (+5oz from Day 3, 3.9 % gain / -2oz from Birth)
• Wyatt - 9lb 6oz
• Aubrey -9lb 3oz

Ansleigh is a little down on weight comparatively speaking.  I think she is trying to fight in the flyweight division while Wyatt and Aubrey are fighting in the Welterweight division.  Angleigh could become the pound for pound overall champion, when she eventually takes on Wyatt and Aubrey.  She will have to be on the watch out for Aubrey's rear naked choke hold that she continuously practices on Wyatt.     

 

Head Circumference 

• Ansleigh -14"  - 92.21 Percentile
• Wyatt - 14.75"
• Aubrey - 14.5"

Nothing to complain about here.  It's a pretty close race.

Everything is going well with 3.  Ansleigh is sleeping good normally giving LA and I around 3/4 hours of peace between feeding.  It looks like Ansleigh is taking all her food and applying it to growing instead of her belly.  She might be a little bit of an underachiever by not being back at her birth weight at two weeks.  We will work on this until our next appointment at 2 months.