The Open

My favorite golf major to watch on TV started this morning. I awoke at 4:30am to watch a few hours of the Open Championship before I went to work. Every year for four days in July, I wake up early, head to the couch with some breakfast and watch golf, occasionally dozing off while doing so.

The reason it is my favorite to watch is the combination of a few things. First, I love I get to wake up and watch golf early and still have the whole in ahead of me. Second, it is a different type of golf course and game than we watch week in and week out on the tour, including the majors. I have always loved links style golf and watching the players battle wind and rain makes it even more fun. I love the pot bunkers, the tall golden Rye and Fescue grass, the old buildings and clubhouse and even the bagpipe bumper music they play during the telecast. Plus, I think watching them play golf in July while wearing sweaters helps me forget how hot it is outside.

Enjoy the Open if you plan on watching. If not, what is wrong with you?

Frolio's

After leaving Audubon tonight, Julie and I stopped by Frolio's on Poplar Level Road and Trevilian Way. I have driven by Frolio's hundreds of times over the years, but I only vaguely remember going there when I was younger with the family. The pizza place has been open for 27 years and the only thing that has changed is the sign out front.

We were the only one in there most of the time and the young lady waiting on us for very nice. However, I don't think the food was all that great. It will do in a pinch if you are craving pizza, but it may be another 27 years until I go back.

Day Lilies

Here a a couple pictures of our day lilies in the backyard before they succumbed to 106 degree temperatures.

Julie & Leonard

Taken at Derby City ComicCon. It's a cut-out, if for some reason you couldn't tell.

Hurry Up, George!

I ran across this and remembered what Mark said about George R. R. Martin. I am glad I have waited to read these. Hopefully he will get to the last book.

100 Yards and In

As I mentioned in the previous post, I feel more comfortable with my golf swing, except for the shoulder pain, than I have in a very long time. However, I have been focusing primarily on my short game the past several weeks. At lunch, I often go to Seneca and putt, hit bunker shots and work around the green. Squaring the club face and having my hands slightly ahead at address has not only helped my long game, but makes my pitching and chipping much more consistent. Instead of my arms trying to control the face angle, it frees me up to simply take the club back and through with a solid downward strike.

I applied this same logic to my putting. Using a straight board, I discovered my putter was also open at address. I have squared the club face and moved my hands ever so slightly ahead of the ball at address. This has given me a much more solid, consistent strike on the ball allowing for more consistency in my distance control. Squaring the club face also puts me in a position where I feel the putter face is easier to control back and through, taking the uneasiness out of shorter putts. I feel if I miss a putt now, it is due to a bad read and not a bad strike, push or pull. My misses are much closer, and that is worth a lot.

All This Blogging Is Wearing Me Out!

I know you must be sick of all my posts by now, but I can't help it. Hopefully you can keep up.

For those of you unable to devote the time needed to the fast paced world that is BuckleB, let's review:

Golf: I have played a little golf this year. Not as much as I want, but more than I have been. It has been a relatively successful year so far. I have only failed to break 80 in one round (that I can think of). I have also won $100 in a closest to the Pin contest in a scramble.

My left shoulder has been giving me more issues this year and has made playing golf to be a rather painful experience. The good news is that my rotater cuff does not seem to be torn (at least this is what the doctor thinks without and MRI). I do have an impingement in my cuff and some tendonitis with minor nerve irritation causing my elbow to hurt and my left pinkie to go numb. I am going through physical therapy to help strengthen my upper back and increase my range of motion to help take the stress off my shoulder. I also talked with a local golf pro who, upon looking at my set-up, informed me he thought I was standing too far from the ball, thus putting more strain on that shoulder on the takeaway. Makes sense. I have stepped a couple inches closer and have been pleased with the results. I was also told my clubface is open at address. Both of these changes have helped me keep the ball flight down and make a more balanced swing and better strike on the ball. The only issue is trying to keep the ball from going too far left because of my strong grip. This is accomplished simply by maintaining my right wrist angle a bit longer and not allowing over rotation of the lower body causing me to flip my hands over. Like anything in golf, it all sounds like a lot to think about during the course of a 3 second swing, but it is very simple when put into action.

I am playing Seneca on Friday with Jeff, Jeff's Dad and family friend Paul. It's a fun group. Saturday for Jeff's bachelor party, we have three groups playing at Chariot's Run in Indiana. Should be very hot, but fun.

Books: I am almost done reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. There is a sequel I am looking forward to reading, but the name escapes me at the moment. I was getting nervous. With only 70 pages left out of a 661 page book, I felt like he had way too much to wrap up. Good to know the story of Kvothe isn't over.

I probably won't jump into the sequel right away. I want to finish the book on the Civil War and maybe the last book of the Hunger Games trilogy.

Derby City ComicCon: Julie humored me and went to the Derby City ComicCon with me at the Convention Center Saturday afternoon (I didn't make her go...she wanted to!). One of the main reasons I wanted to go was the co-creator of The Walking Dead, Tony Moore, was supposed to be there. I wanted him to sign the first volume of the the graphic novel series, but when we came to his booth there was a sign on the table apologizing and that he was sick and could not attend. Bummer.

However, I did get to meet the creator and writer (Tim Seeley) of the graphic novel series Hack/Slash, a very graphic series about a scantily clad female vigilante seeking justice on those she feels deserve punishment. This is the only medium in which I enjoy this type of stuff...but even Julie found herself reading it in the car on the way home. I bought an Omnibus of the series...Tim signed the cover. The funny thing is that he got his start writing children's books.

Julie didn't walk away empty handed either. She bought an original colored pencil sketch of Archie, Jughead and Betty done by current writer Craig Boldman. He signed it to both uf us. It will be neat to have hanging in the house one day.

After the show, we had dinner at Smash Burger at 4th Street. It was tasty.

Misc: We have both been staying busy with the upcoming wedding plans (I am the best man and Julie is the Matron of Honour). We have had couples showers and parties filling our weekends. Plus it seems most of our family and friends have birthdays in July (including Julie).

Anyway, that is all for now. My goal is always to post more often, but time seems to keep getting away from me.