35 Things : A Birthday Post

In honor of me, my birthday, and the fact that I’ve made it this far, here’s a post with 35 random things in no particular order.

1.  I’ve actually been playing frolf a lot longer than I thought.  I always tell people I took up the game in 2001 in Timmons Park after my buddy Timmy and I were playing tennis there.  Now my wife and Scott Rief have reminded me that I used to play in Lexington, KY back in the early-90s.  Who knew?  College is a fuzzy memory sometimes.

2.   I think it’s funny to picture me and Timmy playing tennis.

3.  My favorite disc these days is the Roadrunner.  I love the fact that it’s so easy to anhyzer for distance.  I have several discs that I can bomb to the right, but this lefty has just one trusted disc to bend it around a tight left corner.

4.  I haven’t played a round in a full week now because of my sore foot.  I go to the foot surgeon today.  No matter what, I’m playing frolf before this week is through.

5.  The week off is the longest break from the game that I’ve taken in well over a year.

6.  In the 8-ish years I’ve played in the Upstate, Otis has beaten me a grand total of 4 times.  3 of them were this past September.

7.  Each time Otis beat me, I shot a score that tied his previous record to that point.

8.  My frolf game is a lot like my life.  I’m pretty good at a wide variety of shots but not great at any of them.

9.  I’m also not quite good enough to think I’ll ever be among the best.

10. I took my dad frolfing last time I was back home in Kentucky. He injured his foot and spent a week or two in a silly knee-high protective boot.

11.  I hurt my foot about 2 weeks later.

12.  My first frolf bag was a gift from a guy named Rene.  At the time he was head of the Upstate Disc Golf Club.

13.  A week later we featured Rene in a TV story about..”Frolf is a growing sport”.

14.  Yes, we called it disc golf in the story.  I didn’t want to hear from all the people who hate me for insisting on calling it frolf.  Plus, I actually have to be accurate on the job.

15.  I’ve tried to get every single person I know to try the game of frolf.

16.  I secretly hope a lot of those same people don’t actually get addicted to the game because it would make the courses even more crowded than they already are.

17.  Plus, many of them would quickly be better than me and my ego couldn’t handle it.

18.  The best score I’ve ever shot at Timmons is -7.  My best at Century Park in Greer is -6.

19. I’ve aced the following Upstate holes : Timmons #1 and the OLD #15 (the one that went up the hillside) twice.  Greer # 7, #9 and #16.  Holmes #2.

20. I’ll be watching the coverage of the USDGC on my work computer today.

21.  I update this blog from work every day too.

22. Both of the previous admissions could get me in trouble.

23. Earlier this year the station shot a promo, called an anchor image, of me playing disc golf with my two daughters.  It won an Emmy Award.

24. Until that moment I had no idea there were Emmy Awards for :30 second promos.

25.  My favorite single hole in Upstate is #5 at Timmons.  I love the fact that a great shot sets up a decent birdie try and a really awful one can get you a 7.

26. My least favorite is #18 at Century Park.

27. Back when we started playing at Timmons we were so serious about it that we set up an old webpage to keep track of our best scores and trash talk one another.  Most of my co-workers, those I was friends with anyway, were part of our “League”.

28. I’ve only played in 3 tournaments as a PDGA member but used to play in that old March of Dimes event in the Spring.

29. My wife played frolf with me exactly two times.  Once, she quit because there were bugs.  Once, she quit because she fell down a hill.

30. I have two, full, frolf bags in the trunk of my car.  One is the one I use every day.  The other is a spare that I keep for introducing new people to the game.

31. New players think its silly that I have as many discs as I do.

32. So do I.

33. I don’t wear my wedding ring when I frolf.  I’m left-handed and I always think it will obstruct my throw.

34. My wife is less than thrilled that I don’t wear the ring.

35.  I turned 35 years old today.  I was gloomy about it for a while.  Now, I’m not.  First because in TV terms, 18-35 is considered “young adult viewer”.  I won’t be “old” until next year.  Also, and more humbling, I was reminded this morning of a very close friend.

That friend died very suddenly a few years ago.

At the age of 34.

He was a good friend, a devoted husband, and one of the most honest and decent people I’ve ever met.  It is by pure luck and happenstance that, as of today, I’ve outlived him.

I’m lucky to be alive today.  I’d like to celebrate with my discs.