A truly sad day

So I have been wondering how to approach this blog, as it might the most anticipated blog yet.

I was asked how it felt as I walked off the 18th green, and I had to say it was actually kinda sad.

I didn't realize the sadness until later that night when I was talking to justin and told him that I finally beat my dad at golf and his question was "how sad were you?" I didn't even realize that I could be sad, it had been a goal of mine for so long that I just thought I had to be happy.

Now don't get me wrong but the image I had of beating my dad was that we both played out of our minds and it came down to the last hole where I sink a putt to finally put myself over the top. Now it did come down to the last hole and it wasn't a putt but rather a chip that gave me a chance to two putt to win the 9 by one and the 18 by 2 strokes. It was a good front 9 for the most part, neither of us really got hot with a 45 I won the 9 with dad at 46. We both really struggled with the back nine with a 55/56 respectively, it turned out to be who could screw up the least is going to win. That happened to be me.

Now that being all said lets not forget the significance of the day, I won, I won, I won!

if I was smart I would hang the clubs up for the winter and just bask in the glory of the divine one because I am sure he wants a rematch.....Bring it on old man!

Been a long time

Wow how time fly's when we are having fun.

We just a quick update, everyone is doing good. There how's that for an update.

Well school is school, nothing more nothing less. realizing that I need to spend more time doing it!

Looked into a preschool for tommy, only 2 hours in the morning through the rec department. Here I thought the rec department would be very inexpensive to do but it is close to $500 for the whole year (sept through May), so he will just have to live with the 2 hours he gets at the Y in the morning. Actually I think that it might be better for him anyway, he has his whole life to learn but not to play. So I say play kid play!

Jen is still working hard to support this family while I am in school, I hate that sometimes, it should be me.

Our anniversary went great, we had a wonder weekend with unexpected surprises.

Well dominic has lost most of his friends in the neighborhood. Nathanil moved away back in august. Although he was a little older, both kids loved to play with him. And as Dom said "he makes up the best games".

Isaiah moved away last week, this one was the hardest. the boys played everyday after school and all weekend long. Now dominic gets home from school and plays with tommy but lets face it, it is not the same. Isaiah was so broke up that he cried and cried, we all say the we will call and do something but lets face it, it will be sporatic at best.

Dominic is now walking to school in the morning with a friend from school. he only lives around the corning but does have to cross the street.

Oh well, we are going to sign him up for cub scouts which should be right up his alley.

All for now, later!

Anniversary

Hey we have survived 13 years together and 7 years married.

We met when I was 19, she was 18 and we were freshmen in college. After a couple of weeks, a few house parties, lots of lunches and dinners at the commons together we went out on our first date. What did we do?

Well since I am so cool check this out!

We first went to a house party together, but really neither one of us were in much of a mood for beers. So we decided to ditch the party and head over to Rocky rococo for some pizza and figure out what to do for the rest of the evening. Well what did I come up with? Maybe the deal clincher...A movie at the Union. Not just any movie but....

Texas Chainsaw massacre......The original.

As we sat and ate salty, crappy popcorn I am pretty sure that we held hands for a while. I know that I got a kiss that night. I think the movie scared her into dating me.

So here I sit while jenny mixes color for her hair, our boys upstairs playing G.I. Joe and watching the Ryder Cup on NBC. It is a sunny, wonderful day and I thank, whoever is watching over us, that I have a woman that loves me as much as she loves me.

Happy Anniversary, I love you!

Mom

Jenny and I were talking tonight.

I need new glasses, not that the ones that I have are bad, just that the styles have changed, so I have to change the style soon or other wise I will revert back to pre-7th grade Paul.....What Paul is that. You ask? Well, see Mom put me through a lot of really geeky things, and in talking to jenny she started to make fun of me until I realized the truly humorous nature of what I went through. Oh what can be so bad? Here is my list of top geekyest things mom made me do......Love you mom, but these are good, you'll like and I hope you get a good laugh.

Made me take millions (yes millions) of vitamins over the years to the point I had to hide them in cushions, under couches, bathroom garbage cans, thrown outside....You get the point. It was almost sadistic.

She convinced me to get a perm!

I had the same pair of glasses for 5 years....At the time it was half my life. They were huge, tinted and the glass was thick (yep I was a looker).

She tried to convince me that carob tastes just like chocolate.....Oh I digress.

Apparently basic H is good for sunburns, all I ever thought it did was make me feel soapy.

she crushed vitamin C and put on bee stings (come on really now)

She colored me! (yep I am a Winter, who woulda knew?)

She gave me a dolly (yep my brother had one too)

She taught me foot reflexology (which is now beneficial, but for a 12 year old kid it was just weird).

And lastly and maybe the most damaging to my psyche as a kid were the weekly trips to Manitowoc too see the eye doctor. I had to jump on a trampiline on one leg, they made me write with my left hand, they put magnified glasses on that screwed up my eyes on purpose and look at a 3D book. That last one gave me a headache. Oh and maybe the most embarrassing were the pinhole glasses that had a plastic contraption in front. Let me tell you how cool I was with those on, lets face it mom, it was just weird sometimes.

And I would like to leave this most wonderful entry, cause jenny is rolling on the floor with wild images flowing through her mind, with one phrase.....

It is a good hurt!

Oh how easily we forget

I am truly in wonder how easily we forget September 11th, 2001. I was working at bytehead at the time and we had just opened the door where customers were already waiting. After helping a few people a gentleman came in and asked if we heard that a plane collided with the world trade center. My first image was one of like a little Cessna, the horror couldn't be imagined.

One of the most resounding aspects of 9/11 was the way the country came together, as one, and were proud of our president as he handled the situation better than anyone I could ever imagine doing in such circumstances.

But sports had an impact on this country like no other. If we remember correctly all sports were canceled for almost the whole week. So let us remember some of the most memorable sporting events directly after 9/11.

The new York rangers played a pre-season hockey game I believe in Dallas, but I could be wrong, when between period 1 and 2 they put the president on the jumbo tron when he addressed the nation a couple of days after the collapse. Everyone in the stadium went silent, the players came out of the locker room early to watch and play did not resume until after President Bush was done.

Do you remember the first nationally televised NFL game? yep it was on Monday night and the packers were playing. We were the first game that everyone in the nation could watch together. Yes there were regional games the day before but this was big, very big. The image of the GB Packer running out on the field before the rest of the players carrying a huge American Flag still gives me goose bumps, I was very proud to be an American and in Wisconsin that night.

Baseball was the sport that brought us all back first, they played the first games and what a better way to start it off than a game in shea stadium where the Mets played the braves. Bottom of the 8th and Mike Piazza his a home run to give the Mets the lead and eventually win the game. It was great for the city of New York.

Lastly and maybe the most chilling was at Yankee stadium durning the world series. The place was packed, the Yankees were on the run for the world series and it was there first home game for the Yankees, truly electric. Nobody expected our president to show up and throw out the first pitch, a symbol to the world that we will get back to normal, we will do what it takes to control terrorism and keep our homeland safe.

It is said the before GW walked out Derek Jeter asked the president where he was going to throw the pitch from? He answered "didn't think about it". See the distance is 60'6", measure that off once and try to throw that. Most people that throw out the first pitch go out about half way to make sure they get it to home plate. On top of that you have to throw from a raised mound, downward 60'6". Six times the height of a basketball hoop, 60'6". So you can only imagine the pressure of being not only the president and the most watched person on earth at that time, walking out to the mound with that ball to throw home. When people see you they go nuts and what do you do? I'll tell you what GW did, he stepped up and threw a strike, down the middle, with some mustard! I can still see him walking toward home plate as the ball arrived to the catcher. chills

People forget how devastating that day was, and the emotion that went into that fact that we were drawn into a war we didn't ask to be in, lets not forget the hours spent in front of the TV getting all the facts, the best we could and lets all remember the pride we had in our president at that time for being.......Well, our president.

click here to remember 9/11, a day that will live in infamy!

Surprise

Didn't think that I would actually enjoy "Hellboy" but I will have to say that we enjoyed it. Done well, good action and obviously based on a true story. Apparently back in Nazi Germany Hitler opened a gate to hell and Hellboy was born, although a good guy he looks like the devil himself.

We were caught up in the emotion of the movie, the love story between a man from hell and a woman that could create fire. Because "red" as we will call him was from hell the fire bearing woman had no effect on him. Oh yea there was a "aqua man" that is based off of niles from "Frasier"

Over all it was a pretty good movie and it kept my attention the whole way through.....I didn't even nod off.

The Divine One strikiths Again

yep another day of golf and the divine one hit another golf ball off the rocks back into play. Now granted it wasn't as dramatic as the last time but still effective. In fact I believed he pared the hole.

So Asshole 1, asshole 2 and asshole 3 all played today. Yep elusive brother Chris came out and played for the first time this year and held his own. I never really got on a role so hence the scores 50 and 47. Although I have to say a fifty on the front with a big old 10 on my score isn't too bad, played salvage golf all day.

Funniest moment all day? Well on 16 I hit a drive that went straight (that is an accomplishment on it own) and flew what seemed like forever. It felt really good so I was all excited on the next hole. Took my drive and swung like I never swung before and made contact. Although it wasn't good contact it flew.....All 2 feet and went directly left into the woods. I even think I grunted which only brought the house down with laughter (thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week try the veal).

So the divine one shot a 43, 44 and yet again showed the world why, even with a 9 on his card he breaks 90. It is truly a marvel to watch. Chris and I decided that the divine gene apparently skips a generation at least for the men. What a great day it was.

School

School once again starts tomorrow and believe it or not I got my books I needed from Milwaukee. That is such a relief, I mean I know that I am good, but probably not that good to go without books.

I went out and looked at my classes and we are going to have a semester with lots of fun......Not!

Dominic started school today and he loved it. I think he was as much ready to go back as I was to get him back.