Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[tikay]

oh my, just gets better & better - The Eck is back.

And THIS resonates 100%;


"Now I just love it all not just the challenge of trying to shoot better I really enjoy playing new places and just walking and chewing the fat."

Plus the wildlife - different birds & birdsong, & the gorgeous array of tree specimens. Add "different Courses" & you are singing my song. LOVE playing different or "new" (new to me) Courses.

Only slight problem for me is I don't drink so socially that makes me a bit awkward.

Anyway, looks like somehow we'll have to get a game sorted.

[tikay]

Before we move off golf, played Breadsall Priory today (much the toughest of the two Breadsall Courses) with 3 of the regular crew & played much better, but the rain was incessant & we were all soaked to the skin so we abandoned ship after 9 holes & retired to the local boozer for a chip butty. 

After the first 8 holes I was leading by, I think, by 2 points but I got in a mess on the 9th & blobbed it so rather ruined my card. But a much better effort than of late. I've not really played my best - such as it is - since returning from Vegas, but I've taken great heart from today's much improved effort.

Weird how golf "form" comes & goes. 

 

[tikay]

I'm not THAT competitive tbh. The other lads all check the score after every hole & I take no notice really, & when we finish I have no clue who won, & nor do I care really.

I just want to play as well as I can & enjoy myself. I'm crap at golf but that's not the point - I love trying to play well. And as long as I can find one positive, I'm happy. A Par or two always does the trick, or the occasional really good drive or approach is all I need.  

Big bonus today was to see two adult Oystercatchers on the 4th Fairway. That's enough in itself to send me home happy.  

[Eck]

oh my, just gets better & better - The Eck is back.

And THIS resonates 100%;


"Now I just love it all not just the challenge of trying to shoot better I really enjoy playing new places and just walking and chewing the fat."

Plus the wildlife - different birds & birdsong, & the gorgeous array of tree specimens. Add "different Courses" & you are singing my song. LOVE playing different or "new" (new to me) Courses.

Only slight problem for me is I don't drink so socially that makes me a bit awkward.

Anyway, looks like somehow we'll have to get a game sorted.

Lol the beers are purely a holiday thing, most of my rounds at home are sneaked in at the morning and bolting back to my laptop or checking my teams messages on my phone so nobody notices i'm not at work ( I have kinda told my boss what i'm doing not sure he is that worried he never really gets involved with me). I play some mornings with a lot of lucky guys who I used to play rugby with and they have retired and can stick around for some food and and a cuppa but I usually have to get back to work. At the weekend i'm usually off later in the day as we still have a semi regular game of poker on a Friday in either mine or a mates man cave (more of a social thing tiny stakes) but then I have to get back home as i'm the cook in the house and although my daughter has flown the coop we have an old mother in law to look after. Wish i could remember how to post pics, gave up my photobucket account ages ago you would love my view here.

[tikay]

"most of my rounds at home are sneaked in at the morning and bolting back to my laptop or checking my teams messages on my phone so nobody notices i'm not at work ( I have kinda told my boss what i'm doing not sure he is that worried he never really gets involved with me)".


That sounds familiar to the last 18 months for me, when I was working and golfing.

It was not a secret, I made my Boss aware & he was 100% cool about it. Even so, I worried all the time & was constantly checking my 'phone & e-mails "in case" something had kicked off or the site had fallen over & I need to go firefighting.

On which note, I have now played TWO rounds without checking my 'phone, so that's great progress in weaning myself off that particular addiction.

Do you still keep in touch with Matt & The Bobkin?

[Eck]

"most of my rounds at home are sneaked in at the morning and bolting back to my laptop or checking my teams messages on my phone so nobody notices i'm not at work ( I have kinda told my boss what i'm doing not sure he is that worried he never really gets involved with me)".


That sounds familiar to the last 18 months for me, when I was working and golfing.

It was not a secret, I made my Boss aware & he was 100% cool about it. Even so, I worried all the time & was constantly checking my 'phone & e-mails "in case" something had kicked off or the site had fallen over & I need to go firefighting.

On which note, I have now played TWO rounds without checking my 'phone, so that's great progress in weaning myself off that particular addiction.

Do you still keep in touch with Matt & The Bobkin?

Yeah very much the same I put in 100% and give my work probably more than I should but still feel guilty as i'm not actually there at that minute.

Haven't seen them since our last visit to vegas which i think which may well have been Matts birthday in about 2015. We chat very infrequently on Whatsapp usually when one of us is drunk and reminiscing or when they are in Vegas and getting it up me. I wished him a happy birthday about a month ago pricks were in vegas again! he had a sash on him that said halfway to 100, coulda swore he was only 40 We keep saying we need to catch up, he was planning to come up north for a tour but it didn't happen as he lost his lovely boy Jett. Might have to come down to Notts sometime and deposit at DTD for old times sake miss those guys and the Thursday night curry club

[tikay]

Yeah very much the same I put in 100% and give my work probably more than I should but still feel guilty as i'm not actually there at that minute.



Yikes, that was EXACTLY my mindset too.

Not now I'm retired though, oh no.

[tikay]

Yesterday's assorted collection of degens seen here enjoying the wonderful weather.

On the right, the weird looking giant wearing a silly hat is Bozz, aka proprietor of James Jackets, a spud emporium in Beeston Town Centre.

Next comes Tim, a dodgy used-car dealer. If you are looking for a bargain second-hand car up to the value of about 5 hundo, he's your man.   

Then there's Jamie Moult, aka "bookiebasher" on blonde. Retired bookmaker & now a full time moaner. Runs our Golf Crew, makes the bookings, allocates who plays what days etc, so we have to make nice.   

[tikay]

Which just leaves my personal Glasto '25 highlight, a cameo appearance by Robert Smith. For oldies like Tom, he's The Cure frontman.

Rather oddly, he did two duets with some unknown bimbo - Oliver Rodrigo or somesuch? He has that lovely familiar voice, & she had a squeaky pre-pubescent girl's voice, never heard a worse harmonic blending & her screechings ruined it. I have no idea what she is famous for, but with the sole exception of her tits she hid her talents well.

The Cure topped the bill last year if memory serves which is not always the case..

Morning Ralph.

You are probably right but it's a bit confusing, with google saying....




The Cure headlined in 1986, 1990, 1995 and 2019.


That may be out of date though. So possibly/probably.


Anyway, here's Just Like Heaven.



 

[tikay]

...and before I move on from music, here for Elliott, & any other Clapton fans, here's the great man at Filmore. I'm not a Clapton expert, but I sense this may have been peak-Clapton after he at last got clean.

[tikay]

So I too retired last year and have taken up golf again. I hadn't really stopped, I was a member at Barlaston 20 years ago, playing twice a week. Then I found poker. Running a business, poker and golf meant something had to give so the golf took a back seat. The reasoning behind the choice was it meant me and Joo could do the pokering together. Also now only playing golf twice a month meant I couldn't justify the fee.

I've been playing at Onneley for the last 3 months, once a week. It's just 15 minutes from my home, playing with my neighbour who's a member. I have the bug back again and I am joining the club on Tuesday. Have broken 100 in the last 3 rounds playing off 28 at first now 26. My handicap 20 years ago was 18, not sure I'll get back there but thoroughly enjoying the game again.

Talking of phones, do any of you use golf apps? My tech son uses hole 19 app. I scored my round on it last week. It also has GPS of thousands of courses so you can get distances and hole layout.

Glastonbury. Loved the Pulp set. The Prodigy were absolutely amazing.

Been getting back in to live music again too. Trentham hosting a summer of outdoor concerts. Saw Ocean Colour Scene there in May, supported by the Enemy and The Clause. Last week went to see the brilliant Black Keys at the Castlefield bowl in Manchester. Also supported by 2 excellent  bands, 18 year old Alex Spencer and Miles Kane. Tikay check out The Black Keys, I think you would like them.


 

Red is your best man for that probably as he uses one all the time & swears by it.

On the rare occasion I need one, I use the one that comes free with Motocaddy.

Usually though I use the one on my GPS trolley.

While we are talking Apps, anyone interested in birdsong & birds, download the "Merlin" App, it's SO good & 100% free.



https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/


Anywhere, any time, just turn it on, press "record" & in an instant, you get something like this;

[tikay]

Happy anniversary to your diary. 💚

Thank you Vinni. How do you remember these things?

Dunno really, I just have a good memory for dates and numbers. Used to know 50 or 60 phone numbers off by heart back in the good old days before those pesky phones took over our life, and now I have to double check my own number when telling people it

Maybe you're just a saddo?

[tikay]

I see Anthony "ATM" Kendall was at it again yesterday 

You have big eyes, thanks Ralph.

Was quite an amazing afternoon & evening actually, so I'll bore everyone to death with a few stories & 'photos from the table later.

For now though, I've got golf to play, with Rushcliffe today's venue of choice & a morning tee-time. 

[RED-DOG]

It's flat, apparently.

[RED-DOG]

Golf app? I use 18 Birdies. (Free version) it's as simple or as complicated as you want to make it.