First Swings of 2010

I took a ride to the driving range on River Road yesterday so I could finally get in a few swings. While I have definitely hit the ball worse, it was frustrating to feel so out of rhythm. It's the first time I've touched a club in months, so I didn't expect perfection, but still...

I have always had an unorthodox swing. Sometimes I get things to come together and work while other times it's like watching a monkey hump a football. Most times I feel I can pin point one motion or mistake and at least make an adjustment. Yesterday, however, I noticed I wasn't releasing my left side, my balance was poor, my back swing was hitched (as usual), my alignment was off, the angle of descent was either too deep or too shallow, my transition was too fast, my grip felt uncomfortable and my posture was inconsistent. That is way too much to feel when trying to simply swing a golf club.

Here is what I plan to do this year to improve my game (besides eventually getting new clubs). I have always felt watching oneself is the best lesson. Feeling your way through the problem or having someone else tell you what they see is very difficult way to dissect the issue. Being able to correlate what I feel with an actual image is priceless (that's why golf academies charge so much). I now have a laptop with a web cam, so my goal is to set this on a chair behind me a record my entire practice session. Sounds simple enough. This way I can get instant feedback and see if changes I am making are actually occurring, and if so, working.

The good news is I know what to look for. I have been around golf long enough, and know my swing well enough, to make an educated diagnosis. Many have told me they wouldn't change a thing about my swing, but the usually only tell me that when I play well. I am looking for more consistency, and hopefully, lower scores. I want a swing I can rely on even if I don't quite have the feel. Hopefully this approach will work, or at least it will be fun trying.

Updates

I haven't posted much about what is going on with me, so here is an update on all the "stuff."

• Work - I've been very busy, and a little stressed out, trying to get a handle on all the projects we need to get done at the center. On top of that, finding the money to do them is always fun. The good news is we have a few shutdown days coming up: March 30 -31, April 5-6 and May 19-20. We will use these days to get projects done we can't get done when members are around (i.e. retiling and grouting the women's steam room, retreading and painting steps, fixing leaks that requires shutting off water to the entire building). On top of all this, we are trying to get our pools up and running while at the same time going through the renovations to bring each pool into compliance with the Virginia Graham Baker Act...an extremely costly renovation. The worst part is we meet federal guidelines with flying colors, but Kentucky's law is twice as strict. Thanks Kentucky for making us spe nd an extra $100,000+. The good news is I get a PTO day for each shutdown day I work, so I can add 6 more days to my total.
• Julie is recovering from her surgery and is back at work, although she really shouldn't be. It seems the issue has been taken care of and she is extremely anxious to get back to feeling good and going back to her personal trainer and spin classes. I think we are even going to start running and hiking together when she's back to full strength. We need to get our beach bodies in shape for California in July.
• I am avoiding basketball right now because I'm still bummed out from UK's loss on Saturday. It was an extremely fun year, especially compared to the last several. Now I can turn my focus to golf and baseball for the next several months. I'm sure I'll get out and at least hit some balls this week with the nice weather. I can't wait.

That's all for now...I cranked this out in a about 5 minutes, so I apologize for any spelling errors.

Why It's Important to Me: Better Than I Could Ever Say It.

Funny Q & A from Kentucky Sports Radio

From KSR's Website:

FAQ: The NCAA Tournament
by Tomlin @ 12:30 pm. Filed under Blue Blooded Opinions

Friends,Well, here it is. And it’s pretty much the situation we all hoped for. Following our 44th SEC Title and a brand spankin’ new SEC Championship title, the Cats glide into their rightful number one seed and prepare for the inaugural weekend of NCAA Tournament play.
But perhaps you’ve never heard of this “NCAA Tournament.” Perhaps you only learned about the stellar Kentucky Wildcats this very year, and perhaps you were surprised that there was more than the SEC Championship yet to come. You must be incredibly surprised, then — but also somewhat confused by this new, next step. For you, you fresh-faced innocents, Need-to-Know Wednesday brings you Frequently Asked Questions About the NCAA Tournament. As always, you’re welcome.
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What is the NCAA Tournament?
When many people refer to the “NCAA Tournament,” they’re referring to the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s annual men’s basketball tournament, which is played at the end of each regular season after individual conference tournaments. It originated in 1939 and generally consists of 65 teams.
I would like to enter this year’s NCAA Tournament. I will play in San Jose on Friday.
Sorry, but the NCAA Tournament is by invitation only. You must qualify for the tournament by at-large bid or by winning a conference championship. Many times, you will have to have a national ranking to be invited.
I am nationally ranked at my local Applebee’s Golden Tee game.
That does not count.
I am also currently ranked fifteenth among my peers in concrete sales in a national competition to sell the most concrete.
Again, this does not count.
I don’t think you realize how hard it is to sell concrete. You think you’re so good, you try it. It’s really hard.
No one’s arguing that. These sixty-five teams play in a single-elimination tournament, ranked numerically based on their regular and post-season play and advancing to rounds known as the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, the Final Four, and eventually the tournament’s championship game.
What’s the clever, cute little same-letter nickname you’ve given to the championship game?
It doesn’t really have one.
I would like to know who will win this year’s tournament, please.
That’s very tough to call, since part of the excitement of the NCAA Tournament is the opportunity for teams of similar skill levels to play each other for the first time. It also allows smaller teams the opportunity to play against more storied teams.
But by your rationale, whoever is number one will win the tournament, because they are the best. Who is number one?
Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse and Duke.
You are a terrible counter. That’s four teams, stupid.
There are four number one-seeded teams: Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse and Duke. They are the number one seeds in their respective brackets.
How many seeds are there per bracket?
There are sixteen seeded teams per bracket.
But you said there are 65 teams. You really suck at math.
One game is a play-in game to take place before the tournament begins.
I would like to go see this tournament. I will be traveling to Spokane, Washington and will be enjoying the 32 games of the first round. How exciting!
Actually, you’ll only get to see four games of the first round.
You said there were 32 games in the first round.
The first round takes place in several different cities.
I am going to need to speak to someone in Spokane, Washington about a refund. Do you have that phone number?
No.
This is madness.
Yes. It’s March Madness.
You and your damn same-letter nicknames.

The Warm and Fuzzies - The Best Thing Eddie Sutton Ever Accomplished.

Buckle B's Best Bet Bracket Busters

I know this is the day before one of the best sports days of the year, the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, and this barely gives you time to use my prognostications to complete your perfect bracket. For those of you, however, that like to wait until the last possible minute to throw away $5 in your office pool, I offer these first round upsets.

• It seems everyone is picking Siena to beat Purdue now that the Boilermakers are without Robbie Hummell. I have thought about this for awhile and hate to jump on the bandwagon. Therefore, I am picking PURDUE to beat Siena. I understand this is not technically an upset based on the seeding, but it seems picking Purdue is going against the grain, therefore acceptable as an upset. Plus, I don't see Siena winning a first round game 3 years in a row.
• Georgia Tech over Oklahoma State: A 7 over a 10 is not earth shattering, but the Big 12 is THE conference this year, while the ACC is having a down year. Derek Favors is a major plus for the Yellow jackets, but he's not the deciding factor. Oklahoma State, coached by former UK PG Travis Ford, who took over for the Suttons now that the father/son duo is "Betty Ford-in it," also starts Billy Gillispie recruit, Matt Pilgrim. How could you not pick Tech?
• Missouri over Clemson: Don't really know why, so I am mailing this one in and saying "have I ever let you down before?"
  
• Two quick notes:

1. Everyone is talking about how dangerous Cornell is this year. Buckle B says don't listen to the Ivy League, it's poison for your bracket. Temple will put an end to the pretender contender Andy Bernard's Alma Mater in the first round.

2. I have gone through the bracket several times, and as much as it pains me to say this, I do not see Louisville losing to California or Duke. Louisville has proven they can play with the worst of them, but I see at least a sweet 16 run from UofL. At least if it is UofL v. Duke, somebody will lose and I'll be happy.

Titanic Survivors

Here is a picture of the Titanic survivors from the exhibit at the Louisville Science Center back in January. Notice it's all the women who survived while us guys went down with the ship. Women and children first. Bah!

"Zombie in My Pocket"

I am posting this for you Mark. I have heard it is a fun game, but have not printed it out yet because I don't have any card stock. It is a solitaire game you can play in 5-20 minutes. http://files.boardgamegeek.com/file/download/39dklh6vg3/Zombie_in_my_Pocket.pdf?

UK/Georgia & Ghost Hunters 100th Episode

I am a little concerned about the UK/Georgia game tonight, but not as worried as I would have been if Kentucky had beaten Tennessee this past weekend. Georgia is undefeated at home this year in conference play and will have added motivation tonight against Kentucky. I don't have much more insight than that, but I'm looking forward to it as usual.

I saw in the TV lineup this morning that "Ghost Hunters" will be having its 100th episode tonight on SyFy Channel (formerly Sci-Fi...I guess they thought the change made it zippier). It will be a 2 hour live broadcast from Alcatraz. I have my DVR set just in case I get too sleepy to watch it after the Kentucky/Georgia game. The broadcast starts at 9pm. I have been a little disappointed in the show the past few seasons because I feel like more of it is staged . I guess I should know when I watch a channel called SyFy it may have a little bit a fiction sprinkled in. However, it will be neat seeing them at Alcatraz. I'm sure the show will be ruined by a "celebrity" guest investigator they usually pull out for the live episodes.

2 Feet of Snow

Dream

Several days have passed since I had this dream, but this is the gist. I was in a church awaiting the mass to start. Several people were still filing in through the doors when I noticed I had a couple of minutes before it started. I sprang from my pew and ran to the back of the church where a book store  was getting ready to close. I ran from isle to isle looking for a good book to read during the mass, but all I could find were greeting cards, party decorations, calendars and various other peripheral items one finds in a chain book store.

This is all I remember, but I think it may have to do with Julie mentioning having to spend some time in a Christian bookstore the day before while her friend shopped for sheet music.

(By the way, I'm not happy Blogger did away with the spell checker. If I am missing it, please tell me where I can find it in this new updated version. Guess I'll have to check the old fashioned way).

Google Yourself

I "Googled" my first, middle and last name separately to see what the first entry would be for each one. "Brian" and "Joseph" (of Yosef) were Wikipedia entries, not surprisingly. "Tabler" was a website for the Tabler Company based in Louisville. Not real interesting, I know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Griffin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_(Bible)

http://www.tabler.com/

Ohio River

I was thinking today about the Ohio River come March and April. With the enormous amount of snow states to our northeast are getting, the snow we have been receiving and the amount of rain we usually get in March, this could be interesting. Is it time to break out my Indiana poem again?

From Us Hoosiers Keep!

The great Iroquoian river erodes
carving Ken-tah-ten
dividing this land of tomorrow
from land of native men.
North of the muddy ribbon
parasitic towns emerged
oh' only if tomorrow
had purged this festering scourge
And now the lights of winter cast
bleak shadows on our face
as we gaze o'er the river
and ponder wasted space
Glaciers past devoured, scoured
a once proud pristine land
but now our hope rides in rain drenched skies
to use what is close at hand
Oh river, oh river swell thee wide
depths deadly deep
quicken your current, reclaim your road
and from us Hoosiers keep.

("Ken-tah-ten" is Iroquoian, translated as Land of Tomorrow)

Snow

I went to bed last night at 10:30 and had my alarm set for 12:30 so I could get up to see if the snow had started. When my alarm went off, I looked out my window and saw the snow falling fast with the parking lot and cars covered. I reset my alarm for 3am so I could get up and make a decision on the opening of the center, which is normally scheduled for 5:30am. JCPS and the catholic schools had not made a decision (which is what I go off of concerning our day cares). I drove into work about 4 and salted out steps as the maintenance guys plowed the parking lot. I checked online at 4:30 and saw they had closed the schools. I made the decision to cancel the day cares and open the center at 11am.

So now I am sitting in my office at 7:13 wondering if we will be able to open at 11am. Our facility will be fine, it's just the roads around town and how much more snow we will get that concerns me. But I think we will be fine.

I am tired and hoping to get out of here a little after Noon.

Snow days aren't as fun as they used to be.

Meteorite Custody Battle

Here is a story out of Virginia concerning the proper owner of a meteorite.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012804235.html?hpid=artslot

Spin Class/Exercise

I joined in on the hour long spin class at the LAC last night. Once again, it was very tough, but seemed to go by faster than last time. I'm a little sore and tired today, but feel pretty good overall. I think I might take a power nap when I get home today...they usually help quite a bit.

I am trying to ease myself into a work out routine. I ran about two miles on Tuesday night along with doing push ups whenever I get the chance. My goal is to stay after work a few nights a week and take advantage of my membership at the community center. My goal is to see a noticeable difference, in both body and energy level, by the time I go on vacation (to California, it appears) in July. I seem to always be fatigued and sleepy. I know winter has something to do with it, but I also know it's due to my lack of exercise.

Lack of sleep is another reason for the way I feel. I am a "night owl" and force myself to stay up, even when I'm sleepy. I think if I get into my bed at a set time each night to read, instead of reading on the couch, I will be more likely to turn the light off earlier and go to sleep. I'll try this for a week or so and see if it helps.
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On a totally unrelated note, "Zombieland" is now out on DVD. So Mark and Kevin, we need to find another movie night soon!

Happy President's Day! (a little early)

Which is Funnier?

Which of these videos is funnier?

Mr. Peanutbutter Boy


Or Mike Seaver and his buddy Ray "Boner" Comfort

I don't know whether to laugh or cry after watching these.

Technical Difficulties/License Plates/Super Bowl

I have been having issues with the formatting of videos so I can upload them to Youtube. I will keep tinkering with it until I figure it out. Basically, It will happen when it happens. Until then, I'll just keep on typin'.

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I'm sure you are probably tired of my diatribe concerning religious issues, but I need to write about what interests/infuriates me. I read an article in the C-J this morning saying the House had approved the "In God We Trust" license plates, as standard issue, by a vote of 93-1 (Mary Lou Marzian was the only one to vote against). This now moves on to the senate.

I understand I don't have to get this plate. It wouldn't bother me (as much) if the plates were sold like other specialty plates. What does bother me is that a standard issue government license endorses a religious belief (I almost wish they would try to give me one so I could raise a stink. That would be fun!). I understand some people will purchase the plate early instead of waiting for the current license to expire, but I don't see this offsetting the cost of producing the license.

Question: Because the "In God We Trust" motto has been placed on our currency, should the government offer alternative money without the motto (assuming we can't get rid of the current currency motto all together)? I'd be curious to find out what everyone thinks about this idea. What are the problems or benefits (socially, economically, etc.) it would render? Please discuss.
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Apparently this Sunday is the Super Bowl. I am once again looking forward to ignoring it and not being able to participate in "what was your favorite commercial" discussions. I love college football, college basketball, Major League Baseball, golf and various other sporting events, but the NFL bores me to tears. The best thing about the Super Bowl is that it means the season is over (although we will still have to endure "NFL Tonight" on ESPN all the way through the summer.