Golf Stories

Around 11 we decided to go to the driving range to hit a bucket of balls and then on to Kohl’s to purchase polo shirts for Duf’s golf game on Wednesday.I used my phone to record Duf hitting the ball to help him work on his game. I took different clubs today to decide on the ones I might use. I hit one club and it went over 200 yards. I was able to use that club perfectly five times! As I was about to hit my sixth a lady interrupted me to ask if I’d give her a lesson when I was finished with Duf’s. We laughed and explained the I was just recording him to help him and I did not give lessons. Her husband insisted that I should give her lessons and he was willing to pay my price. It took a bit of convincing to get them to understand that we were just hitting balls. 

When they finally left us we hit a few more balls and a man approached us. He was the pro and he started talking to Duffey then started asking me about the lessons I give. We told him we had not played golf in a few years and we were just warming up. He insisted my swing was to precise to not be a player. I was having a stellar day but decided to quit hitting balls. He proceeded to give Duffey some tips so he could get his handicap to 9 again. 

Crazy Day.

It was another beautiful day in Surprise, AZ so we decided to go golfing. In Sanibel I paid $85. to golf 9 holes and the course was not in that great of shape. Here we paid $20. for two people and a cart and the course is in beautiful shape. On the course in Sanibel we saw alligators in the ponds. In AZ we see the fur remaining from a rabbits that were last nights dinner for a coyote! At night we do hear the coyote howl on the course that surrounds us.

On the third hole I hit a beautiful shot but when I got almost to my ball I saw a sign that read: Bees! I am allergic to bees so I donated that ball to the person brave enough to venture that close to a sign warning of Bees in the ground! We saw this sign three times on this course!

Duf was so concerned with hole 10 because it ran along the road. His first drive went just where he did not want it to go, into the busy street. He got lucky though because at that exact moment there were zero cars! We saw his ball roll down the center of the street! He hit another drive and the fear was now gone so it was a perfectly placed long drive! He got this out of the way before his league begins on tomorrow!

Joining in

It was 60 degrees today and warm enough to play golf. This weather is different in that it is chilly out of the sun and at night but nice during the day when in the sun. It is dry so even when hot there is rarely any perspiration. Duffey doesn’t even sweat here!

I was afraid to use my golf clubs, they were purchased in 1985, and though I really like them I am afraid the heads might come unwound and fly off when I hit the ball. My parents were getting rid of their clubs so I now have their clubs in a new bag that my brother in law, Bob, won at a golf outing. Bob did not want to carry a bag trimmed in pink so he gave this beautiful bag it to me. I added a variety of clubs from my parents and viola I have a set of clubs! Duffey needed a new bag so he is using my dad’s old bag that looks almost new! Just going out to have fun made it easy for us to both have very respectable scores!

After golf we had lunch and then rode our bicycles to another club, the Computer Club. Duf knew a guy he had met at the Woodworking Club and we found the Computer Club interesting. This club will meet again in January and there after every Friday at 1:30!

We relaxed for a bit and then had dinner so that we could go to Bingo at 6. Joining again!! I was shocked at the concentration needed for the Bingo games that they play. It isn’t like the Bingo we played as children, it takes real concentration. They have many rules so even though there were over 100 people there it ran smoothly. We were lucky enough to meet a lady that explained everything to us so that we could play all the variations of Bingo. They insist you play at least 6 cards for each game!

Duffey's sister and her husband, Bob, planned to come next week and be here for Christmas. Today Bob got called to Jury Duty! The best laid plans don't always work. It could be a short trial!

Clubs

Today was my big day to participate. Duf reminded me that I’d have always said if we were in a place that had things to do I would join in. Good theory but sometimes hard to motivate myself to be the joiner.

I waited until 11 and rode my bike almost a mile to the Sewing Club meeting to join. When I got there the meeting time had been changed to 1. As I walked around the corner I saw the Card Making Club so I stopped there for a visit. The ladies were friendly and if I paid my year dues I could stay for their ink demo. I paid my dues and met some ladies that seem friendly and watched the demo.

After Card Making I returned to Sewing only to find the meeting was cancelled for today. The lady there stated that I could join but I would need to wait for a training day to use all the machines. She is not sure about the next training meeting so I left my number and did not pay the dues. I thought that maybe my dues withholding might inspire the monitor that trains people to give me a call and train me!

I am now encouraging Duf to join something. He is looking at the Jeep club and overthinking it. I told the neighbor he is a golfer so he is now in the golf league that begins next week. We are going to the range to hit balls tomorrow!

When I got home the RV washing crew had arrived and were busy washing and hand waxing the RV. In AZ this costs $79.99 and in FL the cost was over $400 ($10 a sq foot)! This AZ price included the roof and wheels! Great Deal! 

ASU

Grandpa Ainsworth gave our son Duffey an ASU hat when he was born so Grandma Ainsworth wants to give her Great Grandson an ASU hat. Today we drove to ASU for her to purchase this hat just like grandpa did. Although the hat style has changed, she found the one she liked.

While we were in Tempe on the ASU campus and we visited the Gammage Auditorium which is a Frank Lloyd Wright design built in 1959. It was one of FLW last designs and is acoustically as perfect as possible. Sheldon from Big Bang Theory would love this place! The exterior design reminded me of a circus tent.

On the way home we stopped outside Scottsdale in the foothills of McDowell Mountains to explore another FLW design, Taliesin West, built in 1937. Taliesin West is situated so that it is almost invisible until you enter the grounds, but when you are there the views of the valley and the McDowell Mountains is spectacular. Taliesin West was used as a lab for FLW and is now an architectural school. No interior pictures!

After all this we stopped at a restaurant, Zipps Sports Grille. It was a cute place with good food. Unfortunately after we ate it was already 4:00 and the traffic on the 2 hour ride home was bumper to bumper. Since there were 3 people in the car we were fortunate enough to be able to drive in the HOV lane and it moved right along.

Surprise

Every city has its issues so does Surprise:

It has been all over the news to check the local Department of Revenue website to claim unclaimed money and various items belonging to numerous people. The fellow that mans the site made a bit of a mistake and the thousands that checked the site were directed to a porn site! An errant X in the web address changed everything. Some say it was an honest mistake and others insist he be fired. You decide!

Last night a man was ACCUSED of drunk driving AGAIN. When you are ACCUSED you are able to bail out of jail. He was out on bail from a previous ACCUSATION of drunk driving where he killed a young man that was walking on the sidewalk. He is already out on bail again! Some say the dead young man’s mother should not be allowed to error her disbelief on the news, while others say she has the right. Hummmm, wonder what they would say if it was their son.

The ACLU is all over an issue that happened last summer when we were previously in AZ. There was a pro Trump rally, all televised,  in a convention center downtown Phoenix, speakers and very sedate. When the attendees exited the rally the center was surrounded with anti Trump protesters that shouted and threw things at the attendees. The police stepped in and funneled the pro Trump people to the parking area and out of town. This was all on TV and the rally goers left without retaliation. Police tried to get the anti Trumper’s to leave peacefully but they would not leave and began to throw things at the police, all on TV. The police went on guard and shot tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd to get them to disperse. One fellow that was hit with a rubber bullet was interviewed that night and said it knocked him off his feet but he clearly deserved it because he had thrown things at the attendees and police. NOW, months later, the ACLU is reviewing the TV tapes and asking people with video to review theirs so they can find incidents of police being aggressive. They have not been able to find any but are sure if the public helps them there will be incidents. 

The police indicated that people should be careful what they ask for because they have video evidence, where people are recognizable, of unprovoked assault on police officers and rally attendees. At this time the police and attendees have no desire to pursue charges but that could change. Sooooooo

The teachers are having a problem?? Some faculty school park lots have a limited number of covered spaces and teachers are upset how these covered spaces are assigned. Principals had decided that the fair way to use the spaces would be to have a monthly lottery. Everyone thought it was a great idea until some realized that their name wasn’t yet drawn so their month would be a winter month when the temperature is in the 70 and not the warm months when the temperature is over 100! Principals indicated they are open to ideas but none have been submitted that would be any fairer. Any ideas?????? Wonder if the faculty parking lots in areas with freezing weather had a few heated garages!

12/4/17

Today we finally got our bikes out and rode 10 miles. In Sanibel the bike paths were crowded but here in Surprise, AZ we only saw two other people on the path. We rode to the drug store, the Dollar Store, and past a mall. Duf kept telling me to be careful because not to far off the path cacti grow unlike Sanibel where if you get off the path you will be eaten by huge fire ants. Both will cause suffering for more than a week! 

On Sanibel when it is 85 our bike rides worked up a good sweat, but here in Surprise when it is 85 it is so dry there is no sweat. We have to be very aware that we need to drink because with no perspiration it is easy to forget!

We are near Luke AFB and pilots are being trained so we watched Jets do amazing Ariel acrobatics in the blue cloudless sky.

To enter our RV Resort we must pass through a guard gate and then an electric gate. Today they installed a transponder and decal on the Jeep. We will now no longer have to check in with the guards and the gate will automatically open. They are very aware of security here, which is comforting to know! We joke because Sanibel is a gated community with many unsecured entrances, but no joking here because we are in a truly gated community.

 The Ranch is a gated community within a gated community. Just like Sanibel we were fortunate enough to get into the Ranch. Just like in Sanibel many people were shocked we got in, this area, our first year because there are people on waiting lists!

 Our cacti is about to bloom!

It is dark now and although we had intended to watch TV we never got it turned on! We sat with all the windows open listening to the coyotes howl and speculating how close they might be. Today we saw a rabbit hop by and now we are wondering if we might ever see him again! We also have two humming birds that live with us on this lot. They stop for long moments in mid air to peek in our windows. This lot has a lemon tree, an orange tree that are both loaded with fruit, a palm tree, and some bushes that all seem to attract the hummers! Love It!! Don’t think the coyote will get them!

We have a huge lot with an enormous patio. At first the patio just looked empty, but today they brought us a very nice patio set with a table,  an umbrella, and six padded chairs. With this set, our rugs, chairs and tables it now looks like someone lives here.

December 2, 2017

Here we are at Happy Trails in Surprise, AZ outside Phoenix near West Sun City. We are 20 minutes from Duf’s mother’s home. Next week we will try to ride our bikes to her house and see how that works. There are bicycle paths all around so it should be a pleasant ride.

Phoenix has had some things different than what we are used to. 

First a mulch company had a fire and they decided to let it smother because they thought putting water on it would make to much smoke. Luck for us it was across town so we were not affected by the terrible smell that is traveling East and the residents in that area are heavily complaining. It is predicted to smother and smell for a few days.

Next, we are on the West side which again is a benefit because the East side has a dust storm that has stalled at the base of the mountains so they have air quality warnings and aren’t supposed to be outside anymore than needed. Smoke, terrible smell, and dust what a combination!

It is very dry here, I think I drank 8 bottles of water today!

The West side has been sunny and bright with temperatures in the 80’s during the day and the 50’s at night, good sleeping weather. With the windows open at night we can hear the coyotes howl and they sound very close!