Golf, the Universe, and Everything

I took my favorite son (note only child) to the splash park today because it was hot and he loves water. No brainer from the activity perspective. So I pack a towel, wear some swim trunks and a shirt (because the abs aren't beach ready) and of course the child, and arrive at the splash park.  Deep within the recesses of the splash park were some sights to behold (and some I wished I hadn't). The air was thick with chlorine and denial. I won't delve too far into the body positivity movement but there are some parts of the body better left concealed else casual glances could turn fatal. Though my most egregious complaint stems from a single individual who was seated in a seat at the very edge of the splash pad just overlooking pair of water jets. She was reading a book and appeared to be oblivious to the commotion of overstimulated children and exasperated adults around her. One such child stopped to play at the water jets in front of the lady, only to splash her and thus aro...

 And the old decrepit wonder is.... HIP HOP! Looking good for half a hundred! That's right, Hip Hop is now 50 years old today! That night in 1973 where Kool Herc hit the turntables for a back-to-school party in the Bronx and ignited a cultural revolution.  The question that has been floating around all day: What is your favorite Hip Hop song?  I myself don't have a definitive answer, but I can narrow it down to a few choices: 1) C.R.E.A.M. - Wu Tang Clan 2) Big Poppa - Notorious B.I.G. 3) Dear Momma - Tupac Shakur 4) Hey Lover - LL Cool J. How did I come up with this list? Not for the commercial success, but that feeling when the songs come on the radio (or Spotify, or random on my iTunes playlist) and how no matter what, I have to finish the song with or without me singing along and I'm humming the song for the rest of the day. What is your favorite Hip Hop song? Until the next time!

There are few words that invoke instant terror upon being said. Words that strike true fear in the hearts of men.  Trigger Warning... "Does this make me look fat?" "We need to talk..." "Oh, REALLY?" "I'm late..." But there are two truly frightening words that have weighed on me this week. Words that bring up memories of pain and suffering with each step that I had taken. Words that cut deep to the core. Words that once uttered, create instant audible winces from everyone in earshot. Those words are: LEG DAY But the worst part of the day that will not be named isn't the actual day, but the day after, when the delayed onset soreness kicks in. "Kicks In" only being a relative term as you won't be kicking anything but your bedsheets and failing miserably (and groaning audibly). But it has to be done to be a better athlete, lifter, runner, and human being. If I don't post tomorrow, it was because of my failure to rise from my...

At my current pace, it would take me 3 hours to finish a 5K. But that's why we train right?? My running time was definitely NOT the bomb... But seriously my first 5K training session went something like: Workout Time: 20 Minutes Distance: 1.4 Miles Average Pace: 14.16 min/mi Split: 30 seconds run (more like light jog) / 2-minute walk So more like 42.5 minutes...  As for Oppenheimer, it was a great movie. Two thumbs up, would recommend seeing especially if you are a history buff. It was a crushing 3+ hours long, but I managed to make it through with only one break and that was to get the food. Christopher Nolan made a very interesting documentary into a very interesting feature-length film. Great use of imagery and sound, and good character development. It could not have been easy to be J. Robert Oppenheimer and having to live with what he and the others did at Los Alamos... Not to mention the legacy of impending destruction we have to live with. But if the US didn't develop it,...

 With the White House announcement urging federal workers to return to the office this fall. This begs a rather existential question: If Zoom recalled all its workers to work in an office, would they still have Zoom meetings? Interesting Question...

Went to brunch with the family to celebrate my niece's going away to college ( UVA ). Good school but a bit heartbreaking as a Hokie... But that's for another blog post.  The restaurant:   Mama Chang First impressions:   Good curb appeal, lots of space and good flow in the restaurant, ambiance was spacious and airy, furnishings were simple yet effective. Service:  Not good. Waiter did not ask if we had been in the restaurant before, did not ascertain our familiarity with the cuisine or make any recommendations. Also, I would have liked to know how small the small plates were and how big the big plates were. We then had our water delivered to the table and went a long period of time without seeing our waiter again. We were so concerned we wouldn't see the waiter for a long period of time again, the next time we saw him, we rushed through to get our order in without a lot of coordination and ended up ordering multiples of the same dish. When delivering our order, ...

  This is the sound of your brain being cleaned... For the uninitiated, a soundbath is a deeply immersive, full body listening experience that intentionally uses sound to invite gentle yet powerful therapeutic and restorative effects. The goal of the experience is to invite deep rest and relaxation and explore self-inquiry and self-discovery. I took a Pure Barre class with wifey today and after the class was the soundbath. I have to say it was very relaxing. I heard the tones and felt the harmonic resonance emanating through my body. According to my wife, she couldn't hear the tones over my snoring. Safe to say it was extremely relaxing.  Would I do it again? Perhaps, but not immediately after a workout. Speaking of workouts, I did sneak in a two-mile power walk during lunch. Gotta keep moving!! The weekend is here and I hope to have some good reports of the driving range and brunch. Until next time!

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” ―  Martin Luther King Jr . Wise words from Dr. King. Also relevant to those trying to get in shape. Keep moving...  Managed to get a 1.5 mile walk in during lunch today. Walked along the Anacostia River Walk to Nationals Stadium and back.  Not the first thing people imagine when someone says "Anacostia" After some IT issues at work, I finally get home. After feeding the youngin, there was just enough time to get some work in at the gym (and for the youngin to romp around the gym's play area). Managed to get a good chest and triceps workout, only missing one set of bench presses. I got in two sets of 12 reps right at the end before the play area closed. Which was lucky because the benches in the gym are harder to access than most posh nightclubs (but with a more relaxed dress code). Tomorrow the training continues, I visit ...

 My reasons as of late to get back in shape: 1) More than one member of my old flag football team asking if we're playing in the (insert season here) 2) Being able to play Pickleball for more than one hour without being sore the rest of the weekend 3) Being able to play more than one round of golf without my second round score in the triple digits. But now the ultimate reason has surfaced... Just picture my son as Usain Bolt and me as the Michelin Man 4) My 4-year-old son crushed me in a footrace to the end of the block. Granted I was in Birkenstocks and he had a 25-yard head start but those are just excuses... The training begins... Starting stats to hit the blog tomorrow. Stay tuned!

 Another day, another round. Today's round was brought to you by Pohick Bay Golf Course , the track where you have to be part Billy Goat if you want to walk (pro tip - get the cart)... Managed to show up early enough to hit the range and didn't leave all my good shots there.  I was paired up with Clint, Ray, and a new guy, Dan. A guy who admitted to breaking 100 only a couple of times but had a suspiciously good short game. He could have been a sandbagger but overall he was a cool guy and a great cart mate.  The hills are alive with the sound of "FORE!" Without further ado... The Stats Score: 81 The good: Two over on the front nine! The bad: Taking a triple bogey on 10 (after being two over on the previous 9 holes) The ugly: Cart Path Only The Blow by Blow #1 - Even though I showed up early and hit the range, I neglected to hit a shot with my 4-wood, then proceed to duff it off the tee. And because I hit the range, I was not permitted a breakfast ball (even though it...