Saturday, March 6, 2010

The Curmudgeon - King Solomon

I have been remiss this week about blogging. My usual blogging time is 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. but I have been going to the chiropractor and physical therapist in the evenings this week because SO tried to kill me last weekend. SO tried to help me stretch out my hip and when I tapped out she decided that I was being a wimp and pushed harder (I guess she does not watch mixed martial arts!). I heard something "pop" and then my entire back spasmed. As long as I am moving around, it is OK, but when I sit at my desk for a awhile and then try to get up I am bent over like an old man until my back loosens again. But enough about me ... This is my 100th post and my followers want to hear about the Curmudgeon.

The Curmudgeon has been gloating for a month. His 60th birthday is coming up next week and his brother bought him tickets for the 2011 Masters as a birthday present. He has four passes for the Saturday and Sunday rounds and will be staying in a 4-bedroom private house near the golf course. The homeowner also owns a house across the street from Augusta National where you valet park your car, eat your meals and drink. But that is not all ... the birthday present includes 4 passes to this year's U.S. Open at Pebble Beach for any two rounds (including Saturday and Sunday), but sadly it does not include housing within a 7-iron of Pebble Beach. The Curmudgeon sent Chad Feldheimer and me a sarcastic e-mail asking if he should accept the birthday gift and he told me that he was thinking about starting a blog about attending the U.S. Open and Masters. Very funny!

The Curmudgeon has been torturing Chad Feldheimer about his Pebble Beach trip. In addition to going to the U.S. Open, the Curmudgeon and his guest are also going to play golf at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, California. Pasatiempo was designed by Alister MacKenzie, who also designed Augusta National and Cypress Point. Pasatiempo is ranked #11 in Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play 2008 and ranked #31 in Golf Digest’s 2005 America’s Greatest Public Courses. Although the Curmudgeon was a pretty good golfer at one time, that time was Old Tom Morris's day! The Curmudgeon now fancies himself as a links player because he keep the ball close to the ground, usually with a big duck hook. On a per shot basis, the Curmudgeon will get his money's worth at Pasatiempo.

I am happy for the Curmudgeon, but he has not yet realized that this birthday present may be more expensive than he ever imagined. The Curmudgeon has a wife, a son and two daughters. I am not sure how King Solomon Curmudgeon is going to split the baby and make all of the members of his household happy. The Curmudgeon is leaning toward taking his son on these golf trips. Mrs. Curmudgeon (which is not an appropriate pseudonym for the Curmudgeon's wife because she is a sweet, wonderful person) wants to go on an African picture-taking safari. One daughter would like an exotic destination wedding and the other daughter, well we will just have to wait and see what she wants, although a new Mercedes would be a nice start. The Curmudgeon may have to employ Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement to fully enjoy this birthday present. If the pressure is too great, I know that Chad Feldheimer and I would be happy to take the tickets off of his hands.

No comments: