I have stumbled upon a new hobby. My summer job has put me up close and personal with the game of golf, and forced me to throw any preconceived notions about the game out the window. I have always thought the game was a very boring, very civilized game that grown men play to have an excuse to leave work early. I remember my dad playing golf when I was very young. He drug me out to the course once, and I spent the next 4 hours bored to tears. That was all I needed to wipe out any possibility of ever taking up the game.
Fast forward twenty years… I am now spending 10-12 hours every weekend at a golf course (and finding myself enjoying every minute of it). I have learned that the “civilized game” is not so civilized. I have learned that the “grown men” come in all ages. I have also learned that its more of a social outlet then an actual sporting event. I have caught onto the lingo. I now have the ability to size up a golfer by his clothing, by his beverage choice, and by whether or not he is walking or driving a golf cart. Its an exact science!
I have wondered more then once how I would fare at taking a swing. The guys make it look very easy and effortless. Getting the ball 100′s of yards down the fairway… impossible. But hitting the ball in a relatively straight line shouldn’t be too hard! Oh, was I wrong!
I made a deal with a golf pro. I would work with him on an exercise/stretching routine, and he would teach me how to play golf. So, I am now teaching bi-weekly stretching classes and taking golf lessons afterward. I am falling a little bit more in love with the game each time I’m out there. I am by no means ready to call myself a “golfer”, but I am enjoying the challenge and the experience of learning something new. Yay for new things!
I can’t help but wonder what the world was like pre-MySpace and pre-Facebook. If you are anything like me, you find yourself drifting to these web sites on a daily basis. For no other reason then to look at new pictures that someone has posted and to check out everyones “status” and current moods. Its actually very nosy if you think about it.
It really amazes me how comfortable we have gotten with sharing such personal information about ourselves. We post pictures of our families, our friends, and ourselves with very little discretion. We share what we are doing at any given moment, and allow everyone to know when we are in a bad mood. Is all that information really necessary?
I like blogging because these are my thoughts on the happenings of my life. By reading my blog you can learn what is going on with me and how I feel about life vs. just seeing what I have been doing by the latest photo album I have uploaded. This is more personal and real.
So this is what I think… I feel that those who know me and really care about me will always know what I am up to and will not need the help of MySpace to feed them the details of my life. If I am always contemplating my mood or thinking about what my current status is, am I really living? And if that is really living, who is it living for — me? or whoever chooses to be my audience?
I’m always the first to say that you should never hurry time along. Time is all we have, and its important to stop and smell the roses every once in awhile. But now that I have shared my words of wisdom, I will also tell you that I am looking forward to the month of August. Lots of big plans, lots of reunions, lots of changes! Yes, I am counting down the days, but I assure you that I am enjoying the roses along the way!
Not too much to mention… but just the same I thought I would share some tidbits.
1) Getting back to work after spending a week in paradise has been pretty horrible. I’m calling it post-vacation depression. I was so hyped up and excited about that trip, and now that it’s over I’m a little sad. So here I am, struggling with getting back to reality.
2) July 4th is next week. Unlike most of our GM counterparts, who have a 2 or 3 week shutdown, we are working. I’m a little bummed. It’s not like I have any plans, but having the time off would have been amazing. We do, thankfully, get Friday off. I always enjoyed spending July 4th on the lake. We would take the boat out to Cocktail Cove or to Lake Lanier Islands, anchor out and wait for the fireworks to start. Lots of good memories. I don’t have any specific plans yet. Hopefully that will change. Nothing says summer like July 4th. I can hardly believe that its already July. Where does the time go?
3) Speaking of time flying by… August is just around the corner, and it’s shaping up to be a big month. I will be celebrating my one year anniversary in Michigan, and will be moving to another apartment. My dad and brother will be coming up to help me move. God bless them. It’s also my birthday, and my mom is coming up so we can spend some quality time as “just us girls”. We have plans on driving up to northern Michigan for a little getaway. And then at the end of the month (for Labor Day) I will be going back to Georgia for a few days. If I can’t be on the lake for July 4th, Labor Day will have to suffice.
4) One final thought… my best friend from college is currently in labor. Her and her wonderful hubby should be proud 1st time parents later this evening. Best of luck Donna! I love you!!!
It’s so close that I can taste it! I’m less than 48 hours away from getting on an airplane and heading south!!! It’s hard to distinguish weather I’m more excited about seeing my family or going on an amazing vacation. I’m sure that it is a little of both. I think I got 4 hours of sleep last night. I have too much on my mind to bother sleeping!
Why is it that packing for a long trip becomes such a process? Laundry, paying bills, getting a hair cut, running to the store for sunscreen and travel-size toothpaste, getting to the bank… the list goes on and on. It’s been an adventurous and very busy week. I will manage to have my suitcase packed and in my car when I leave my apartment tomorrow morning. After a hair appointment, a trip to pick up my paycheck from the golf course, an 8 hour work day and an hour and a half drive to Detroit… I will be on my way to Cancun. Ah.. I am so close!
I will be completely “unplugged” when I am out of the country. My cell phone will be turned off, and the internet will not be available. What a strange thought! Thats what I call a real vacation! I will be back in the ATL by Wednesday night… See you then!
I spent the majority of my Memorial Day weekend on the golf course, but yesterday afternoon I ended up with some free time. It was a wonderful 85 degrees. What else is a girl to do but layout by the pool?! I am hereby declaring that since it’s warm enough to wear a bathing suit, it is officially Summertime! I welcome the heat, humidity and flying insects with open arms. I will even take the sunburned shoulders without complaint. What a difference a few months can make!
Getting back to my weekend on the golf course… It was a pretty profitable three days. Not to mention that I had the opportunity to meet a great group of people and learn about an organization that is doing some unbelievable things. Let me explain:
Saturday morning, over 100 people showed up to play in a benefit golf tournament. It is an annual event that raises money for a family that has been plagued by a horrible disease-TaySachs. After 18 holes of golf, the golfers and their families gather for a picnic, silent action, carnival rides, face painting, dancing and fellowship. In the end, every penny that is collected is used to pay for the medical care that is necessary for their two children. I was honored to be invited to their party. I selfishly enjoyed the opportunity to have a picnic on the holiday weekend, but more importantly, I was extremely touched by the generosity of the group. This family would not be able to financially survive if not for the support of their friends and neighbors. These children are walking miracles, and I felt so honored to be able to meet them. I also felt very humbled by the entire experience. In a time when all you hear about is “bad news”, its nice to hear about a group of people that are really making a difference.
I’m still not 100% sure that I’m ready to dive headfirst into another relationship, but I am ready to start meeting new people and to start rediscovering how this dating world works. I was a teenager when I went on my last first date. I’m pretty sure some rules have changed since then! I figured that I might as well put myself out there and start working out the kinks. So, last weekend I found myself getting ready to meet a perfect stranger for dinner. I wasn’t as nervous about the date as I was anxious to just get my first “first date” out of the way. We met at the restaurant and exchanged awkward hellos and nice to meet yous. I am happy to report that dinner went fairly well. We talked about the usual topics…. Family, job, hobbies. Blah blah blah. As nice as the conversation was going, I knew within about ten minutes that there probably wouldn’t be a second date. I had this guy figured out before our salads got to the table. I guess my dating skills weren’t as rusty as I had originally thought. Dinner was followed up with a few drinks with some friends of his. An enjoyable evening? Yes. An enjoyable evening that included fireworks? Absolutely Not.
So here we are, the middle of February. Michigan continues to be pelted with snow. “The most we have seen in 30 years”. Its just my luck that I move up here, and they are hit with a record setting winter. We hit -5 degrees earlier this week (-25 with wind chill). Brrrr!! But all in all, its been OK. If you overlook the hazardous driving conditions, the snow itself is absolutely gorgeous. My digital camera has been working overtime. Although, the pictures really don’t do the beautiful scenery justice.
In other news: I broke down and joined a gym. I was having a hard time justifying the expense since I actually work in a huge, fully stocked fitness center. But, I was having trouble feeling motivated to workout at 8:30pm when I got off work. And, my dogs are locked in their cages all day when I’m working… so I always felt guilty spending an extra hour away from home. So, I did some research and found a great place a few miles from my apartment. I have taken it upon myself to join in on the aerobic classes and love the idea of jumping, dancing, and kicking my way through an hour of intense cardio! I’m miserably sore, but its so worth it! (We were on mini-tramps for an hour this morning-So Fun!) And maybe this place will also give me the opportunity to meet some new people… who knows!?
My mom and step dad are planning on coming up for a visit at the end of March. I’m excited about having the opportunity to show them around. I’m currently on a great search for things to do to entertain them for 4 days. Since my apartment is the size of a shoe box they will be staying in a hotel. I feel a little guilty about that. But I guess it will have to do.
I have have my 6 month evaluation at work next week. I’m not really worried about it. I’m just dreading the self-assessment that I have to complete prior to the interview. Why is it so hard to critique yourself? My company is sending me out to San Francisco in April, so I’m pretty convinced that they like me.
The selling of my house is still going smoothly. The buyer is supposedly approved for his loan and we passed our home inspection with flying colors. We are scheduled to close the deal on February 28th. Two week countdown…
Alright, well you are updated! Have a good week!
Quote of they day: “Life isn’t about getting what you want, it’s about wanting what you’ve got.”
Alright, so I have officially become an uber dork, and I have created a blog! I have recently moved from Georgia to Michigan and started a new job. While this “new job” was a great reason to pack up and leave, a fresh start somewhere faraway was also pretty appeasing. This move was the biggest, craziest thing that I have ever done. I have had to step WAY out of my comfort zone and basically learn to sink or swim up here on my own. So far, I would say I was swimming pretty well. But my days are filled with new experiences and routines that I have had to learn from and laugh at. Otherwise, I would have booked a plane ticket home a long time ago! So stay tuned. I can guarantee you a good laugh as you follow me on this wild journey up here in Michigan!
