Year 2 to play in this scramble tournament to benefit college ministry of the Episcopal Diocese. Bishop David Reed is in attendance and while not a super golfer, does enjoy being with everyone for a good cause. Shout out to Mark H for organizing the tournament. Well done.
I played with Mark, Charles and Kyle. All had a good time. Scramble tournament do not necessarily play to my strengths (accuracy, medium/long irons) but I did end up hitting the driver well and making my share of putts. We finished with a respectable score of 62.
Rancho Viejo is undergoing some significant remodeling, so I hope it will be polished nicely. It would be good for the Valley. The course is a parkland style reminding me of the Austin CC (Riverside course), wide fairways, a driver's course, with well placed fairway bunkers. And good greens.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Saturday, April 21, 2018
3 Term President Dies #satire
President Barbara Bush died last week at the age of 92 in Houston. In control to the end, she alerted the media that she had chosen to prepare for death, therefore allowing suitable lead time for the news stories.
Mrs. Bush served 3 terms, as the 41st President (through George H.W. Bush) and then 2 terms as the 43rd President (through George W. Bush). Her legacy is that True Power is not directly addressed by the 25th amendment. "The country needed a good woman, and I stepped up to meet the call" she noted in her private farewell address in 2009.
When asked if she would prefer to be Vice President she echoed Vice President John Nance Garner that it was not worth a warm bucket of spit and noted that after the debacle of a weak VP of Dan Quayle, she installed a more effective figurehead in Dick Cheney to reverse that mistake. She noted that you learn more and more as you serve as President longer.
After the election President Bill Clinton, she worked behind the scenes to return to office, using the power of her Bush name and connections. A true adherent to classic Republican ideals, she supported her son Jeb Bush in a bid for a 4th term, but ultimately she realized that her time was not without its limits.
Bitter to the end that he would not measure up to President Barbara Bush, President Trump will not attend the funeral in Houston, sending Melania Trump instead to learn some of the formal actions Mrs. Bush did in her guise as First Lady and First Mother.
Sunday, April 8, 2018
Ironman Anniversary
Today is the running of the Ironman 70.3 triathlon in Galveston, TX. It was 4 years ago that I completed that event. It was a high water mark in several respects. The culmination of 5 years of triathlon training. The longest distance I had ever done- 70.3 miles. A life goal. My mother and sister were there to see me complete it. As well as my good friend Sam and John who also did the event.
Afterwards Sam and John and I took a picture - I wish I still had it. I finally teared up at the thought of us celebrating together. I thought, we will never be at this exact place again like this. I drank it in.
So after that mountaintop experience, I expected a letdown. But I didn't expect the letdown to be as big as it was.
That year was the end of my triathlons. I just didn't have the urge to continue at it. Then the bombs really started falling.
In October 2014, my good friend Paul Farmer died in an auto pedestrian accident. Age 49, leaving a wife and daughter behind.
In December 2014, I ran the McAllen Half Marathon. I saw my friend Scott Crane that morning getting ready for the marathon. I had trained with him and he was a very experienced runner. He quit the race at mile 20 complaining of an some ailment. He died later that day.
To celebrate Paul's life, John, Sam, Paul's brother Kyle, our friend Bob and I went on a ski trip in February 2015. We had a great time together. Then Bob Bryan died unexpectedly in March 2015.
John, Sam, Kyle and I continued to get together. Until Sam Rush died in March 2016, training for an Ironman triathlon.
This exercise which was supposed to keep us healthy was taking all of my friends. I pulled away from it even more. I suffered from some depression. I was drinking alcohol. Note to my future self - don't add the depressant of alcohol to an existing condition of depression.
Thankfully I've been able to turn this around, with my fair share of help. Nobody does it alone. Everything happens for a reason and that will be revealed at the right time. One thing I have learned - it just can't be a surprise when someone in their 50s dies. Make the most of today and be grateful for all we have been given.
Today I was reminded of all this. I've started running some again. Today was a perfect day for it. I was open to possibility. I completed the distance and more. I saw my friend Steve running today, wearing his Ironman shirt. He's the one who was the original spark to do an Ironman 70.3. I thought of Sam today, and Paul and Scott and Bob. They're still with me and I'm sure they would tell me to Keep Moving Forward.
As Mother Teresa said, when you do something for someone else, Jesus would say, "You did it to me".
Afterwards Sam and John and I took a picture - I wish I still had it. I finally teared up at the thought of us celebrating together. I thought, we will never be at this exact place again like this. I drank it in.
So after that mountaintop experience, I expected a letdown. But I didn't expect the letdown to be as big as it was.
That year was the end of my triathlons. I just didn't have the urge to continue at it. Then the bombs really started falling.
In October 2014, my good friend Paul Farmer died in an auto pedestrian accident. Age 49, leaving a wife and daughter behind.
In December 2014, I ran the McAllen Half Marathon. I saw my friend Scott Crane that morning getting ready for the marathon. I had trained with him and he was a very experienced runner. He quit the race at mile 20 complaining of an some ailment. He died later that day.
To celebrate Paul's life, John, Sam, Paul's brother Kyle, our friend Bob and I went on a ski trip in February 2015. We had a great time together. Then Bob Bryan died unexpectedly in March 2015.
John, Sam, Kyle and I continued to get together. Until Sam Rush died in March 2016, training for an Ironman triathlon.
This exercise which was supposed to keep us healthy was taking all of my friends. I pulled away from it even more. I suffered from some depression. I was drinking alcohol. Note to my future self - don't add the depressant of alcohol to an existing condition of depression.
Thankfully I've been able to turn this around, with my fair share of help. Nobody does it alone. Everything happens for a reason and that will be revealed at the right time. One thing I have learned - it just can't be a surprise when someone in their 50s dies. Make the most of today and be grateful for all we have been given.
Today I was reminded of all this. I've started running some again. Today was a perfect day for it. I was open to possibility. I completed the distance and more. I saw my friend Steve running today, wearing his Ironman shirt. He's the one who was the original spark to do an Ironman 70.3. I thought of Sam today, and Paul and Scott and Bob. They're still with me and I'm sure they would tell me to Keep Moving Forward.
As Mother Teresa said, when you do something for someone else, Jesus would say, "You did it to me".
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Boston Marathon - 1979
One of our best family friends is Glenn Good. He and my parents have been friends since the early 60s in Houston.
When Glenn was 43 he took up running with a purpose. He worked with the top running coach in Houston and became a top marathon runner. He qualified for the Boston Marathon several times and ran 63 marathons. Here is a story he told about the 1st Boston Marathon he did in 1979.
Glenn grew up in Vermont and knew about the Boston Marathon. So it was a long-time dream to do it.
The marathon has been run since 1910 or so in Boston, back when the distance was "standardized" at 26.2 miles. So the course is historic. It is a point to point run so you have to take a bus to the start in Hopkintown, MA and then you run back to downtown Boston.
The race starts at 11 a.m. ( much later than usual). It is held on a Monday which is a state holiday in Mass. called Patriots Day.
So Glenn took the bus out and had to stand around in the cold. It was very cold, he remembered. He was from Houston so he was not ready for it. He asked an Australian for his strategy for the race. "It's balls to the wall, Mate".
Then when the race started, there were a lot of kids running through the various towns. It was crowded and he could not get a pace going. The balls had hit the wall.
Then at mile 6, he saw our other family friend standing there, Preston Moore. Now this is only funny since Preston is the Zelig of Houston. He was everywhere. He even died in the most dramatic way possible. So to see him in the crowds in Boston... of course you would see him.
When he made it to the finish, there were large casks of hot beef stew that they served the participants. While Glenn was an experienced runner, he was not an experienced beef stew eater after running a marathon. He ended up barfing up the stew in the middle of his hotel afterwards.
What an initial Boston Marathon experience!
When Glenn was 43 he took up running with a purpose. He worked with the top running coach in Houston and became a top marathon runner. He qualified for the Boston Marathon several times and ran 63 marathons. Here is a story he told about the 1st Boston Marathon he did in 1979.
Glenn grew up in Vermont and knew about the Boston Marathon. So it was a long-time dream to do it.
The marathon has been run since 1910 or so in Boston, back when the distance was "standardized" at 26.2 miles. So the course is historic. It is a point to point run so you have to take a bus to the start in Hopkintown, MA and then you run back to downtown Boston.
The race starts at 11 a.m. ( much later than usual). It is held on a Monday which is a state holiday in Mass. called Patriots Day.
So Glenn took the bus out and had to stand around in the cold. It was very cold, he remembered. He was from Houston so he was not ready for it. He asked an Australian for his strategy for the race. "It's balls to the wall, Mate".
Then when the race started, there were a lot of kids running through the various towns. It was crowded and he could not get a pace going. The balls had hit the wall.
Then at mile 6, he saw our other family friend standing there, Preston Moore. Now this is only funny since Preston is the Zelig of Houston. He was everywhere. He even died in the most dramatic way possible. So to see him in the crowds in Boston... of course you would see him.
When he made it to the finish, there were large casks of hot beef stew that they served the participants. While Glenn was an experienced runner, he was not an experienced beef stew eater after running a marathon. He ended up barfing up the stew in the middle of his hotel afterwards.
What an initial Boston Marathon experience!
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Still working to help the RGV
I read an interesting article about Judge Andrew Hanen. We both moved here to the Valley from Houston in 2002. I had one of my first cases in his court. I was glad that I had gone to meet him before. He was a very prominent lawyer in Houston before becoming a judge.
Today I read that he is transferring back to Houston. "People forget I've been in Brownsville for 16 years" he said. But that is not a long time to people who parents, grandparents and more all still are here.
So while I wish him well, I'm glad to say that there is still work for me to do here. I just wrote a letter of recommendation for a person to join the LVN to RN program. I just encouraged a young friend that his goal of having his own restaurant was closer than he thought. We've got a medical school to bring up. We've got 25,000 students in McAllen ISD that need to learn in a safe environment. We've got veterans who need driven to the cardiologist.
As I say, This Is Home Now.
Today I read that he is transferring back to Houston. "People forget I've been in Brownsville for 16 years" he said. But that is not a long time to people who parents, grandparents and more all still are here.
So while I wish him well, I'm glad to say that there is still work for me to do here. I just wrote a letter of recommendation for a person to join the LVN to RN program. I just encouraged a young friend that his goal of having his own restaurant was closer than he thought. We've got a medical school to bring up. We've got 25,000 students in McAllen ISD that need to learn in a safe environment. We've got veterans who need driven to the cardiologist.
As I say, This Is Home Now.
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Big John
In September 1983, I was a freshman in my first day in the dormitory. We had a meeting of the Hall which was about 16 of us young men and our "Dorm Counselor" Andy who was an upperclassman selected to reside in the dorm as a mentor to the freshman. This was a desirable position as it provided free room and board in exchange for this freshman mentoring. We looked up to him as a senior.
In that first meeting, he told us, "You're going to meet Big John, who is the custodian on the hall. Don't mess with Big John." He warned us of his temper. Said he used to weight a lot - hence the Big John name. No last name was provided - or needed.
Big John was probably about 40 years old. He was about 5'9", 200 pounds maybe. He was a black man, bearded, and usually wore tinted classes and a a trucker cap, and sometime an old Army fatigue shirt. John talked about being in Vietnam. Now this was the days of movies like the Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now, and veterans were not considered as heroic as today. So (in a sign of those times) I would ask him to talk about Vietnam perhaps not always in a serious manner. In hindsight I don't think I had ever really know another Vietnam vet at that time. Certainly not a black vet.
Big John would usually finish his work by early afternoon would often be watching TV in our TV room at the end of the hall. I do recall sitting with him and engaging in some conversation.
Being warned at the beginning, I never did anything to get on his bad side. The memories that others have is that seeing the hall overflowing with trash (pizza boxes, beer bottles, messy bathrooms) from a long hard weekend after he had not worked on Sat or Sunday would set him off and he would throw around the metal trash cans and curse loudly to show his displeasure.
I only lived in that dorm (Graham Lees Room 150) for a year. I don't think I saw Big John around too much after then. I expect he worked for the university for a long time, as the custodians were older men then. I also heard that Big John had worked as a waiter at a fraternity house (Phi Delta Theta) in the 1960s as a young man. He put in many years of service for W&L students.
Interestingly other of the staff jobs (e.g the building and grounds) were all white men. In the snack bar we called the Co-Op, all the people that worked there were black women. We got to recognize them as well.
A sordid history of the university was that it owned slaves in the 1820s to the 1840s. Perhaps some of the university's black employees were descendants from those enslaved people. There is a monument to the people now - perhaps these thoughts might allow more research into the lives of those people who have made Washington and Lee University what is it.
In that first meeting, he told us, "You're going to meet Big John, who is the custodian on the hall. Don't mess with Big John." He warned us of his temper. Said he used to weight a lot - hence the Big John name. No last name was provided - or needed.
Big John was probably about 40 years old. He was about 5'9", 200 pounds maybe. He was a black man, bearded, and usually wore tinted classes and a a trucker cap, and sometime an old Army fatigue shirt. John talked about being in Vietnam. Now this was the days of movies like the Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now, and veterans were not considered as heroic as today. So (in a sign of those times) I would ask him to talk about Vietnam perhaps not always in a serious manner. In hindsight I don't think I had ever really know another Vietnam vet at that time. Certainly not a black vet.
Big John would usually finish his work by early afternoon would often be watching TV in our TV room at the end of the hall. I do recall sitting with him and engaging in some conversation.
Being warned at the beginning, I never did anything to get on his bad side. The memories that others have is that seeing the hall overflowing with trash (pizza boxes, beer bottles, messy bathrooms) from a long hard weekend after he had not worked on Sat or Sunday would set him off and he would throw around the metal trash cans and curse loudly to show his displeasure.
I only lived in that dorm (Graham Lees Room 150) for a year. I don't think I saw Big John around too much after then. I expect he worked for the university for a long time, as the custodians were older men then. I also heard that Big John had worked as a waiter at a fraternity house (Phi Delta Theta) in the 1960s as a young man. He put in many years of service for W&L students.
Interestingly other of the staff jobs (e.g the building and grounds) were all white men. In the snack bar we called the Co-Op, all the people that worked there were black women. We got to recognize them as well.
A sordid history of the university was that it owned slaves in the 1820s to the 1840s. Perhaps some of the university's black employees were descendants from those enslaved people. There is a monument to the people now - perhaps these thoughts might allow more research into the lives of those people who have made Washington and Lee University what is it.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Happy Birthday to Ed Turley
Today is my father Ed's 83rd birthday. Born in 1935, he's lived through World War II (he always remembers the teacher writing 4-4-44 on the board), the Cold War, Sputnik, the Kennedy Assassination (another euphemism for murder), Vietnam, the Moon landing, Houston boom, 80s market crash, the Internet rise, 9/11, and now Donald Trump as President. He's seen a lot of change.
He spent 50 years working as a lawyer, law professor, dabbled in real estate, and is a prolific writer. I've got the stories written down to prove it. He's been married to my mother since 1961. Two great kids, as he likes to say :)
And he's led an interesting life. Among people he's met and known: George H.W. Bush, James Baker, Dr. Denton Cooley, Harvey Penick, Davis Love Jr and III, Ben Crenshaw, a number of WWII fighter pilot aces.
He came of age in 1950s America, a time when college sports didn't have scholarships like now, before interstate highways, before school integration, when there was an active military draft. He's got that sensibility, work hard and the reward should come. That's his background.
Ed's in good health now - he takes no medicines, stays active, regularly shoot his age or better at golf. Even if he complains it's from the senior tees. That's kind of a metaphor for him: play your ball and the course as you find it, and keep moving forward.
Happy Birthday Dad!
He spent 50 years working as a lawyer, law professor, dabbled in real estate, and is a prolific writer. I've got the stories written down to prove it. He's been married to my mother since 1961. Two great kids, as he likes to say :)
And he's led an interesting life. Among people he's met and known: George H.W. Bush, James Baker, Dr. Denton Cooley, Harvey Penick, Davis Love Jr and III, Ben Crenshaw, a number of WWII fighter pilot aces.
He came of age in 1950s America, a time when college sports didn't have scholarships like now, before interstate highways, before school integration, when there was an active military draft. He's got that sensibility, work hard and the reward should come. That's his background.
Ed's in good health now - he takes no medicines, stays active, regularly shoot his age or better at golf. Even if he complains it's from the senior tees. That's kind of a metaphor for him: play your ball and the course as you find it, and keep moving forward.
Happy Birthday Dad!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)