Who You Creepin'?

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

5 Golf Goals, Progress.

Goal 1: Get 5 lessons this year from someone who knows what they are talking about
Progress: I have taken 2 lessons out of my 5, and they have been amazing. My game has turned around a lot, and I know it has more to do with the lessons than the frequency, I am playing with a purpose, and he has been tremendously helpful. Next lesson is short game only, so that will be good.

Goal 2: I don't want to shoot 100 ever again. Starting 4/1/09. Ever.
Progress: I shot a 100 or 101 at Braintree in April, but nothing has been close since. I should add that I played exceptionally bad on the front in Braintree, and exceptionally well on the back. Doing okay with this goal - I think 100 is a distant memory.

Goal 3: Figure out some consistency with my 3 wood, 5 wood and hybrid off of the tee by the 4th of July.
Progress: I have been hitting my 3, 5 and hybrid off the fairways pretty well, I haven't given them too much time off of the tee so far, so I am not sure. But I do feel like this problem will be solved by 7/4.

Goal 4: As an immediate "Summer of '09 Goal", I realistically want to hold myself to no more than 2 holes of 3-putt in a round.
Progress: I haven't been keeping track, but 2-3 3-putts is I think roughly where I am ending up. I will start keeping track and recording.

Goal 5: Work on my short game as much as anything else, while at the range or practicing.
Progress: I have been working on this, and I am much better around the greens - I tend to avoid going back and forth across a green now. I will work on this a lot more, I think I need to quantify it. I can start by keeping track of my scores from 100 yards in - how many strokes it took me to score, and figuring out how to improve that.

Golf.

Training, Cont'd.

I have started to link my MapMyRun routes with twitter, so here on the blog you'll be able to follow my runs, I likely won't be blogging about each run individually.

I went for a run yesterday after my chiropractor appointment, which started at about 9:08 am or so, and I finished the run between 9:33-9:35 - so the run was somewhere between 25 and 27 minutes. I am pretty happy with that kind of run, and it was 3 miles. AND it was so hot.

It was great to change up the route a bit.

On the golf front, got my new handicap from GHIN and I am now at 15.0, down from 17.4 two weeks ago. In my original golf goals email I think, and I can easily check, but I think i wanted to be at 15 by the end of the summer. Oops.

I have some work to do to keep it there.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Turbines.

I believe everything I see on TV. I caught a quick glimpse of a guy on TV today that said that if you took a 100 mile square patch of the Mojave desert and put Solar Panels there, it'd be enough energy for the whole country. I am assuming that the cost associated with that is what is prohibiting us from going that route - I also assume the cost associated with doing that is miniscule compared to the financial holes we continue to dig for ourselves by burning coal at every turn.

Beyond that, I cannot see the aesthetic argument against wind turbines. I actually find them fascinating to look at, and think they are amazing. Now, I have heard of some that shake the ground so much that people demand they be taken down, and I find that understandable, but if you are worried its going to ruin the skyline, I need a better argument than that to be swayed.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Music.

I don't listen to new music anymore. I hardly listen to music at all. And it isn't purely new bands that I don't like, its new music by the artists I used to love. I didn't buy Oasis' previous album, yet a handful of years ago I traveled to Ireland to see them. I didn't buy Juliana Hatfield's latest but she is one I consider a favorite, and I would see her live.

Oh, and seeing bands live? I can't even think of 3 I'd go see, even if you offered me a free ticket with free parking. Juliana Hatfield and Fountains of Wayne, I guess?

Lily Allen's music is cool, I like when she releases new stuff. I like Gwen Stefani's solo stuff, but I don't care at all when a new album comes out or anything.

What happened to me? I was daydreaming yesterday about how excited I'd be if Blur released a new album that sounded like Blur in 1997 - then I realized that's the last thing a band would want, and then I convinced myself I don't even want that.

When I was younger, I thought there was an endless black hole of available space for love of new music, but I think my music-bag is actually full and I can't find a way to let anything else in. If I ever have a month (or series of months) like I did when OK Computer came out, I'll be sure to alert the blogosphere.

Friday, April 24, 2009

The Fox

Hole 1 at Crumpin Fox in Bernardston, this course killed us both
today, wizzy and I. They didn't tell us anywhere, either by phone or
by website, that the back 9 was closed, so we played the front twice.
Great weather, bad scores, but a lot of fun.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Update

So that beyonce audio clip is a fake. Howard, and myself, were duped.
I still like him and he talked about the fact that it was a fake
today. In the spirit of honesty I thought I should let everyone know.

Training Cont'd.

Went out for my 3.1 mile run again, my goal was to run it in under 28:30, as I am trying to get faster every time. I thought I ran it in 28:02 but I realized that wasn't right, my math was off...I think I ran it in 28:28.

I run a circle, essentially, and I am baffled by a few things, well, one thing. First, I golfed on Sunday with Alison and we were into the wind on 14 of the 18 holes, for real. It makes no sense, the course winds through the woods back and forth, how can that be?

Well, the same for this run today. The first 1/8th of a mile was calm, the next 1.5 miles was straight into the wind, despite the bends and turns. I got about 1/5th of a mile of a tailwind, in which I felt like I could run all day, but that ended quickly and the remainder was into the wind.

I expect 1/2 of my run to be into the wind on a circular run, but I got about about 1/4 mile of relief on the 3.1 mile run. Why?

Wind stinks? Things in the world I wish were gone
1. Glare
2. Wind
3. Traffic

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Strawberry Bars

This tastes just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but it's a
dessert so homemade whipped cream and ice cream can go on it.

Howard Stern & Beyonce.

I like Howard Stern a lot - I would actually say there is not a single entertainer that has been more influential or more entertaining in my life than him. If you don't listen to him, you have a perception of him, and most likely the perception is based in reality - but the vast majority of what you think of him is inaccurate.

Most of his show, I would say :45 out of :60 minutes is devoted to stuff like Howard and his crew joking around, making fools of themselves, and joking around. One thing that he cannot stand is hypocrisy, and he recognizes it in himself, and is critical of others. The best is when they go after celebrities who take themselves too seriously, and this is a great example:

Listen to this Beyonce audio, I just find this so funny. I know Beyonce can sing, and they recognize it, but I guess the point is that as seriously as she takes herself, and the image she projects for herself, there is no excuse for this type of singing, ever.

Anyway, I just found this funny.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Cooking.

I went crazy tonight, made these 3 dishes:
Side: Sweet Potato Pancakes
Main Dish: Pepper Pot Pork
Dessert: Fresh Strawberry Bars (sorry, no recipe online...basically a Peanut Butter Cake with Strawberries and jam on top.

Training Starts Today.

I am going to run a 10k on 5/16 in Plympton...starting at the Upland Club.
I started my official training today, ran 3.1 miles in 28:30, my goal is to only get faster with every run.

Training will be:
3 mile runs on Tuesday and Thursday
4 mile run this weekend
5 mile run next weekend
5 or 6 mile run the following
6.2 (10k) on race weekend.

Should be fun! If you wanna run the race in Plympton with myself, Alison and a few other Killer Bees, check out this site: http://strawberryshortcakerace.com/

Monday, April 20, 2009

Womens lead pack

This was at 1:43 in...me and al got here to see the leaders, corner of
rt 16 and 30 in newton

Friday, April 17, 2009

Boyle.

From time to time I guess I will repost things I wrote somewhere else, in this case, this is going out to an email group I write to, and we had discussed a few weeks ago Reality TV and what it means.

First, you should watch this clip, from England's new show, "Britain's Got Talent".
Then you should read this article.

I am not sure if this person is a little melodramatic, but I love the sentiment with which he writes. The most important moment in the performance, I think, is at around :46 seconds in, there is a teenage or early 20's girl who makes a face that says so many horrible things ... the expression is one that clearly says, "Ugly People Have No Right", but what I think the performance that Susan Boyle gave - although it is if no real significance on its own, as its just reality TV - is that it made us realize that :47 seconds in we all had the same face as the Horrible Girl in the clip, we just may not have been making the literal face.

It'll be interesting to see where this lady ends up, if she ends up with a Record Contract, or with World Fame, all of which would be odd because it'd be giving credence to the idea that its suprising that Ugly people can do things correcty...but at the same time, if she can stay grounded, it'd be an interesting thing to see someone "normal" and "grounded" get famous via reality TV.

To bring this into American terms, and into the terms of the Global failing economy, Peter Gammons the other day was speaking about the new Yankee stadium and how the stadium is outdated before it even opened, because as he said in his own words, it is already a "Shrine to Opulence" which nobody has the time for anymore, nor the financial patience to deal with.

Reality TV has been our most glorious form of Opulence in the past 7 or 8 years, and I think its culminating with the success of "The Real Housewives of (City X, Y or Z", but I do have optimism that its going to end, and the simple fact that 30 million youtube hits are willing to actually put a real person at the forefront of reality TV is sorta saying something. We are by no means at a point where we should or could be proud of what we are doing with reality TV, as a globe, but is there any positivity we can take out Susan Boyle and the reaction she is getting?

I don't know, maybe?

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Isiah.

This man is by no means my hero, and he isn't even close to someone I do want to succeed, but I also think that over the past 25 years there are few people whose story is more compelling than Isiah Thomas'.

I am not skilled enough without research to really see what the story is, but I do know off the top of my head that he won at least 1 Illinois State Championship while growing up in Chicago in High School. Then he goes on to Indiana to lead a Hoosier team to a National Championship under Bobby Knight in 1981.

After all that success, he moves on to the Pistons where he is an All-Star, captain, and leader of one of the most iconic NBA teams in history, the Bad Boys who managed to win 2 Championships until they were ousted by the World's Greatest Basketball Player of all time, Mike Jordan.

From there, it gets completely screwed up...a guy who won all the time, and always managed to take all the things that didn't make sense (2 hour commute in HS, undersized, poor, fish out of water in Indiana, no real amazing jumpshot, etc...)

He moves to the Raptors and actually drafted Stoudemire, Camby and McGrady, who, if they all stayed, may have made a formidable team...but he was disliked and the team struggled.
Then, as we all know, he Ruined, Destroyed, and COMPLETELY dismantled the CBA, which SHOULD have worked as the NBA's minor league...

From there, he completely ruined a Pacer team that was stacked and on the way to a great stretch of years, and that was hilarious to watch... I remember the c's beat them in '03, and it was clear isiah was really on the middle of his downfall. The Knicks stuff is stuff we all know, horrible contracts, players, teams, and sexual abuse and assult...

Now he is at FIU. There is a part of me that really believes he is going to make it work. How can you be such a winner for the first 35 years of your life, then unravel all that in the next 20? Its completely amazing to me - I can't wait to see what the next chapter in the Isiah story really is...

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Exercise.

Alison and I ran today, really nice route past a lake and the Charles River. The :28 minute run was like running through my entire life story, it was awesome...the spring really is great...

We ran through a neighborhood that led to a pathway we could run on, and it reminded me of the little bike path we created near Mo Pratt and Trenton Tunks' house...Then we passed a little league field where kids were practicing, and it got me all pumped up to want to play baseball again (that feeling is gone now, it was short-lived)...

Then after we finished running (3.1 miles, :28 minutes), we walked across the street to shoot hoops, and there were six 14-16 year old dudes shooting hoops, having fun, wasting time...and lastly, next to us on the grass, was an ultimate team finishing up practice, it was odd, like my whole life flashed before my eyes, but I'm the healthiest I'm ever been instead of on the verge of death like you usually hear about it...

On that note, down 22.5 lbs since 1/13. Why not, right?

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Easter in Newport

Apparently Fred cannot stay awake after a meal...in his defense it was
a HUGE meal and Golf was on the tv...an admittedly lethal combination...

Settlers.

We played an amazing board game last night, for 4 players. Me, Alison/Judy, Steve and Andy played a game called Settlers of Catan.

I'm not going to get into it, but it's essentially a roll-the-dice, earn-things, trade-things, get-points kind of board game, and its so cool.

I came in 2nd to Andy, I had built the longest road, steve had the biggest army, Judy and Alison had the best crop production, but Andy seemed to be able to put it all together from a Building standpoint and had more cities...

I can't wait to play it this summer in Montauk! It took a LONG time to get the rules straight, but its fun!

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Lights out on the Zakim.

http://tinyurl.com/dd5f92

When I saw that they were going to dim the lights on the Zakim brigde for "Earth Hour", I thought..."why not do all those things that they are doing for that hour, all the time?"

Why do we need the lights on on the Zakim? I like this article, that actually says the Zakim is as much a part of Boston as the Eiffel Tower is a part of Paris. HA!

I bet 40-50% of the people west of 495 don't even know the Zakim is there, nevermind that it has bright blue lights?

Shut off all this crap, this is such waste, save the $$....how can this be a bad thing?

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Passover dinner

Andy, at the end of a long night, usually concludes passover by
calming one of the levy boys down a bit by tossing toys around and
speaking gibberish

Fruit Salad for Passover

Banana, strawberry, pineapples, grapes, mango, kiwi

one more test

sorry about all the testing!

Twitter is not my friend.

So I have been reading up a bit, after I was alerted by a friend that my "tweets" had disappeared, which they did.

Apparently a lot of people have been losing tweets, and I don't want to play that game at all, so I'm moving everything to my blog, which you are reading here. Old tweets won't move, but new stuff will go here.

I figured out how to email things from my phone as well as send Text Message updates, so that's fortunate.

Essentially, my tweeter is dead.
Testing

My old shoes

Saturday, April 04, 2009

5 Golf Goals.

Goal 1: Get 5 lessons this year from someone who knows what they are talking about
Progress: I have signed up for those lessons, I took lesson 1 out of 5 and I have 2 great things to practice, which I am excited to do. As a matter of fact, I'm more excited to practice those things than I am to get out on a golf course. Today, at least.

Goal 2: I don't want to shoot 100 ever again. Starting 4/1/09. Ever.
Progress: I have played 2 rounds since 4/1 and I shot an 82 (par 70) and a 93 (par 71). If I play with a modest level of attention to detail, and follow up on #1, I can do it.

Goal 3: Figure out some consistency with my 3 wood, 5 wood and hybrid off of the tee by the 4th of July.
Progress: I don't know what to do. Off of fairways today I was great with those clubs, very few mistakes and none too costly. However, off of the tee I lost a 3 wood shot, didn't pull out my 5 wood, and I hit my hybrid 35 yards shy of my logical distance.

Goal 4: As an immediate "Summer of '09 Goal", I realistically want to hold myself to no more than 2 holes of 3-putt in a round.
Progress: First, I recognize that you could say, "3-putt twice? WHY?!"...but thats a reality. I sometimes chip the ball onto the green, but i'm still 30 yards away...Sometimes I'm 175 out and I hit a good iron on and I'm still a mile away from the hole. I had too many 3 putts today, and that is irresponsible.

Goal 5: Work on my short game as much as anything else, while at the range or practicing.
Progress: My driver isn't my problem anymore, I don't need to hit it on the range nearly as much as I need to practice everything else.

My opinion is that my handicap, which is at 18.4 now, should decrease on the following line:
April 15: 17.5
May 15: 17
June 15: 16
September 1: 15

Why not have goals, right?

Friday, April 03, 2009

Trade

Cutler to the Bears
2 First Round picks, Kyle Orton and a 3rd rounder to Broncos.

Trent Dilfer is screaming about how much the Broncos won in this trade.
He keeps calling Kyle Orton a "system QB".

I guess I'm posting so I can look back at this in October and have more of a reason to think Dilfer is a nothing. Why can't Hubie Brown cover Football too?