Retro Harbor Day

Ahhh Daylight Saving Time, and it's Spring Forward so we lose an hour and we have to get up one hour earlier. For me I welcome it for the simple reason that it is an indicator that winter is just about over and that spring is just days away. And so I will head on over to the golf course an hour earlier than usual and today is a retro game. The usual foursome, Chris included, at Harbor Park, where haven't played together the 4 of us in over a year. It had been so long that when I sent the invite to Chris, he couldn't pass it up. And so I'm back to figuring out the energy I need to have a good game. And THAT will take a bit of work because Lisa's calls yesterday have me a little off-balance. As did the interaction with Emma on Friday. Little events really, but collectively I realize now that THIS is how and why a little off-balance becomes way off-balance. And off-balance before golf becomes a terrible golf game. Or is it simply because I've allowed myself to get rushed instead of being relaxed? The latter is more the key I think as I know I splay the ball way left - which I do a lot - when I'm rushed and I miss. I got to the golf course early actually. So early that I had time to hit some warm-up shots in the cage. And I was very hopeful that this would translate to a much better showing than last week, and more like the game I had at Penmar a couple of weeks ago. Actually it was nice to see the 4 of us together once more here at Harbor. It used to be that this course, like Penmar, allowed fivesomes and was very busy and had long waits in between holes. But as Penmar has improved in that regard, so has this course. We barely so the golfers behind us all day. And so we go to the first tee and what do I do with my first shot? Splay it to the left. Hard. So much for relaxed, and so much for those practice shots helping out. I did get a nice second shot through the trees and within 5 yards of the green. But I badly played what should have been an easy chip and what should have been a bogey turned into a 7. I played like crap the first 3 holes and mainly because I could not get myself settled down. I finally did on the 4th hole where 2 irons got me close to the green but again misplayed the chip from there. That would be the pattern the whole game really... I just couldn't chip on the green close to the hole. I did have a nice booming tee shot on Hole 5, which was where I had Scott take the pic of me. Right after that did I blast my best shot of the day. Too bad I wasted it with a weak 2nd shot. And then by putting myself in the sand trap. Sigh. Finally on hole 6 I got a bogey that tied me for the hole. And then again on Hole 8. No pars though, just a couple of shots I could feel good about. But the best part was getting to play with the 4some again. Now Greg is talking about retiring and moving to Arizona permanently. Probably by summer. Pretty soon I'll need to get used to making reservations just for myself maybe. Or finding another group to create. I would like to take credit for keeping this group together for the past year of the pandemic. It is not easy waking up at 6 AM on Friday mornings just to hunt for a decent tee time. But I've done it for a year now and it has started to become routine too. ON my way home, I followed an old instinct and went to Playa del Rey Bristol Farms to pick up a turkey sandwich and cole slaw for lunch. How many times did I do that in the past?! But I hadn't done it in more than a year. I was just glad to get to do it again, just like the old lunches at Champagne on the way home from Penmar back in the day. I felt like stopping by Lisa's to check on them on the way to my apartment. Even called. But it seemed like no one was home. Hopefully that's a good thing, I just did it in case Johnnie needed rescuing and getting watched for the rest of the day. As far as the rest of my day, I just chilled on the couch really, resisting the idea of working. Heck it's Sunday. I need my R&R day. Even if just to watch the Grandmaster <Ip Man> and Aquaman. I didn't clean the house, didn't even go out to eat. Just ate pho and Whole Foods frozen lamb entree. I will be busy enough for this week. Got to rest for that. A retro Harbor day and yesterday's birthday party was plenty to be thankful for for this weekend.