Everything is a Repeating Gong

The rain continues after a slight break this week and my back continues to cause me problems. The rain did finally abate on Thursday afternoon just in time for our trip with the IBA Sacramento group to Silverado Country Club and Resort. Darla and I left here about 8:00 AM on Friday and decided to stop along the way and have breakfast. Our tee time was 11:38 and Darla had a spa appointment at noon. We stopped in Vacaville and drove into Old Town Vacaville, an area that doesn't get much tourist travel as the town is bisected by Interstate 80 and most travelers frequent the restaurants along the freeway corridor. Darla and I didn't want to eat at IHOP or Denny's, but were craving a little cafe style restaurant for breakfast. We found Hannah's Cafe in Vacaville and got more than we bargained for. The food was great and the clientele mostly older and local. The exception was an old drunk Choctaw Indian that was getting into it with a couple of the older men in the restaurant. We couldn't hear the details of their disagreement, but the big guy kept yelling, "I'm Choktaw and this is MY country!" The guy reminded me of the Indian from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest and, frankly, his mental health condition probably made him a candidate for just such an institution. We just about bumped into him as we were coming into the restaurant and he said to Darla, "Hello, Ma'am! Goodbye, Ma'am and nice to know ya." We overheard one of the waitresses call the cops, but no one ever showed up and he finally left after challenging all of the old Republicans to take him on. We finished up the "breakfast with a show" and enjoyed the pancakes and poached eggs. We walked out of the restaurant and turned toward our truck and there was the Choctaw with a bunch of his out of work, drunk buddies between us and the car. We walked past him and he started up with the "I'm Choctaw and this is my country!" theme again as all of his toothless cronies laughed and egged him on. We ignored him and made a beeline for the truck.



The resort was beautiful, older but in one of the pristine areas of Napa, California and wonderfully renovated in the last year. The grounds are immaculate and the golf, tennis and spa facilities are all first rate. We got there about 11:00 AM and our room was not ready yet. We saw one other couple from the group and Wayne's wife was not doing a spa day, but shopping in Napa. Darla came over to the golf facility and sat reading while I hit balls. They called from the hotel to let us know our condo was ready and Darla took off to get the key and move our stuff in before her spa appointment. My back had the benefit of a week off of golf and was feeling tight, but ready for the golf. The day was beautiful with a high sun, a few puffy clouds and temperatures near 70 degrees. I struggled with my back all day and shot 43+44=87 on the tougher South course where both the PGA and Champions tours have played. I played with Tabb, one of my agents and he shot 82 with a finish of birdie-birdie. Tabb can hit the ball a mile and was routinely hitting 280 yard drives. I was spraying the ball as I wasn't making a good hip turn because of the tightness in my back.



I met Darla after golf and she showed me the room. It was a nice 350 square foot suite with a living room, kitchen and large bedroom and bathroom. My back was screaming and we got on our swimsuits and headed over to the pool area for a jacuzzi. We sat relaxing in the swirling hot water for about forty minutes and then headed back to the room for a quick nap. My back had loosened up, but was still tender.



I had a meeting with the board at 6:15 PM and then we met the wives at 7:00 PM for dinner at the Grill Room Restaurant. The food was delicious and the service even better. We had a Bellisara San Giovese with dinner that was out of this world, appetizers, dinner of flat iron steak for me and coconut shrimp for Darla, followed by dessert for everyone. We finally got out of the restaurant after 10:00 PM.



Saturday we left the resort at 8:30 PM vowing to return as the service and resort were truly top notch. The resort offers midweek spa and golf packages for $160 per person, which is excellent. Darla had a party with her Silpada business and I had an 11:00 AM tee time with the guys. I probably should have bowed out due to my back, but I realized after missing last weekend that the golf for me is a social outlet as well as a golf opportunity. It was good to see the guys and my back actually held up very well as I managed a 39+40=79 for my first sub 80 round this year. In fact my index jumped from 8.7 to 10.0 in March and I only have three scores left in the 70's out of my lowest last twenty rounds. Yesterday's 79 will add to that. Honestly, my index is too low and influenced by most of my rounds being played at Diamond Oaks, which I know so well. I've been struggling with new equipment and some swing changes and it was nice to see the hard work turn into a good score yesterday. My back held up better primarily because I walked the course and my back stayed warm as i was constantly moving. Being in a cart like I was at Napa doesn't allow my back to stretch and stay warm as I'm playing.

I got an e-mail the other day that made me smile and I knew I wanted to add it to the blog. Here it is: Got to admire the man for being honest.

Florida's got it right. Bravo for Sheriff Judd !!!

POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA SHERIFF GRADY JUDD
Some 'dirtbag' in Polk County Florida who got pulled over in a routine traffic stop and ended up 'executing' the deputy who stopped him. The deputy was shot eight times, including once behind his right ear at close range. Another deputy was wounded and a police dog killed. A state wide manhunt ensued. The low-life was found hiding in a wooded area with his gun. SWAT team officers fired and hit the guy 68 times. Now here's the kicker: Naturally, the media asked why they shot him 68 times.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, told the Orlando Sentinel: 'That's all the bullets we had !!' Justice Served. Bullets are much cheaper than 40 years of meals, cable and civil rights.

I also got an e-mail full of puns and I wanted to add a couple that I particularly enjoyed:

A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, “You stay here; I'll go on a head.”
I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'
A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, “No change yet.”
The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
A backward poet writes inverse.
In democracy, it's your vote that counts. In feudalism, it's your count that votes.
When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects!
The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.
and finally, The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

Darla and I will be in Las Vegas next week, so the blog will be a few days late and then will arrive with many pictures of the lovely Samantha Paige. I'm looking forward to spending some time with her and seeing Jennifer. I feel bad for Samantha and for Jennifer, it is a hard road that Jennifer has chosen for them, but I know with God's help it will all work out for the best. Darla has a nice roast going for dinner and I'm looking forward to enjoying that as the rain continues to pound down outside from a tropical front that is expected to be with us most of the week. Vegas has been close to 80 degrees and I'm looking forward to the sun and some relaxation next week. I hope you are all well. Ciao.