I'm in Ottawa this week visiting relatives, primarily related to the 'Gordie Gras' event that my cousin-in-law Gord puts on every year on Labour Day weekend. Basically, it's a crawfish cookout.
But I'm also catching up with some other folks. I saw Kaveh for the first time in years last Sunday. He's doing well, married with a cute little boy, working as a doctor here, but may be moving to Toronto.
Today I was out golfing with Michael, my former student. We were over in Quebec at the Champlain course in Aylmer. It was good. Shot 113, which is a little higher than I would have liked, but fine. Average last year was 108, so was a bit off that. Rental clubs, and an unfamiliar layout may have played a role in that, as I hit at least 3 approach shots over the green: oops!
Michael's so funny, 'cause he hits a bad shot or can't find his ball and whines for 5 or 10 min, and then pulls a miraculously good shot out of his ass, and giddy with glee. I just shake my head at it all.
Mostly here, I've been hanging out with relatives though, which has been fun. More of that to come, as some more cousins arrive tonight or tomorrow for the big feast that's going to happen on Saturday.
August 30, 2007
August 18, 2007
Shooting my age
Well, after shooting a 61 on Wednesday, I had my best day ever at the Canoe Club today, as I shot 41. I was out with Jen and Trish. The difference today was no driving mistakes, and good chipping around the green. I also putted pretty well. Couple of one putts. I suggested that Trish should come out more often, if I'm going to play this well when she's around.
I parred three holes, the 3rd (a par 4), the 5th and 8th (both par 3s). Those last two were successful up and downs, as I didn't drive any greens today. Thus, I didn't win any of the holes against Jen, as we played our dollar a hole challenge on the par threes. She got on the first green, but missed the par putt. After we both didn't get on the second, she hit it on - and close! - on the 8th and got it. We both missed out on number 9.
It's pretty funny that I can hit 61 one day and a few days later get a 41. I'm hoping that my days are mostly in the 41 range in the future.
I parred three holes, the 3rd (a par 4), the 5th and 8th (both par 3s). Those last two were successful up and downs, as I didn't drive any greens today. Thus, I didn't win any of the holes against Jen, as we played our dollar a hole challenge on the par threes. She got on the first green, but missed the par putt. After we both didn't get on the second, she hit it on - and close! - on the 8th and got it. We both missed out on number 9.
It's pretty funny that I can hit 61 one day and a few days later get a 41. I'm hoping that my days are mostly in the 41 range in the future.
August 16, 2007
Golf Extraordinary and Not So Much
I'm reading Extraordinary Putting by Fred Shoemaker. He wrote Extraordinary Golf an excellent book that I read several years ago. It's a SHAZAM! kind of book that I would recommend to anyone regardless of whether they are into golf or not.
Extraordinary Putting is also good. The thrust of each book is to try and shift your perceptions of what's going on so as to create extraordinary performances, or experiences from which performance can flow.
After reading some of the book, I went out to the practice putting green to try some of the exercises. In one, Shoemaker suggests putting to a long target - the flagstick on its side, or a driver laid out, and putting to that from about 6 feet. After doing that a few times, you are to shift to hitting to the cup.
I try this out. I hit to my driver that I've laid out on the green, and hit it every time. It's an easy task, which is the point. It's hard not to hit the driver. So I switch to putting to the cup from about 6 feet.
My focus is on trying to see the after image of the ball. Shoemaker suggests trying to see this image as the first task in the book. If you stare at the ball for a bit, and then move it but not your eyes, you'll see an after image of the ball. It's sorta cool, but easier to get if the weather is sunny. (it was a bit mixed when I was out trying this).
So that's what I'm trying to do in putting to the cup. I haven't done anything special in trying to line up the putt, just sort seeing it in my peripheral vision. I putt my three balls.
Clunk, clunk, clunk, they all go in the hole. I am stunned. Take 'em out and try again, because, hey, that could have been a fluke. Clunk, clunk, go the first two, and the third just slides by the cup. Wow.
It's amazing! There's definitely something to the method, although the rest of my putting practice wasn't quite as impressive. It's harder to get this to translate to putts from farther distance.
You'd think this would spell great things for my Wednesday golf outting. Well, yesterday at the Canoe Club I shot ... 61. A pretty bad day, although I did shot 61 earlier this year too. My putting was OK, though not great, but I only hit about 1 in 4 shots well. Not sure what was up, because I've been pretty good the last couple of weeks.
Ah well. If I can put some more of the extraordinary suggestions into play, then things should come around.
Extraordinary Putting is also good. The thrust of each book is to try and shift your perceptions of what's going on so as to create extraordinary performances, or experiences from which performance can flow.
After reading some of the book, I went out to the practice putting green to try some of the exercises. In one, Shoemaker suggests putting to a long target - the flagstick on its side, or a driver laid out, and putting to that from about 6 feet. After doing that a few times, you are to shift to hitting to the cup.
I try this out. I hit to my driver that I've laid out on the green, and hit it every time. It's an easy task, which is the point. It's hard not to hit the driver. So I switch to putting to the cup from about 6 feet.
My focus is on trying to see the after image of the ball. Shoemaker suggests trying to see this image as the first task in the book. If you stare at the ball for a bit, and then move it but not your eyes, you'll see an after image of the ball. It's sorta cool, but easier to get if the weather is sunny. (it was a bit mixed when I was out trying this).
So that's what I'm trying to do in putting to the cup. I haven't done anything special in trying to line up the putt, just sort seeing it in my peripheral vision. I putt my three balls.
Clunk, clunk, clunk, they all go in the hole. I am stunned. Take 'em out and try again, because, hey, that could have been a fluke. Clunk, clunk, go the first two, and the third just slides by the cup. Wow.
It's amazing! There's definitely something to the method, although the rest of my putting practice wasn't quite as impressive. It's harder to get this to translate to putts from farther distance.
You'd think this would spell great things for my Wednesday golf outting. Well, yesterday at the Canoe Club I shot ... 61. A pretty bad day, although I did shot 61 earlier this year too. My putting was OK, though not great, but I only hit about 1 in 4 shots well. Not sure what was up, because I've been pretty good the last couple of weeks.
Ah well. If I can put some more of the extraordinary suggestions into play, then things should come around.
August 14, 2007
Tennis and Tom
Watched a bit of TV this afternoon in my lazy hazy summer mode. First round of the Roger's Cup women's tennis event from TO was on, and it was a dramatic match. Canadian Stephanie Dubois was playing veteran Ai Sugiyama of Japan.
I tuned in during set two, with Sugiyama having won the first set in a tie-break. But Dubois is pushing her in set two, and eventually gets a service break to win it and force a tie-breaking third set.
In that third set, Dubois breaks Sugiyama's serve in game one, holds serve herself, then breaks again in game three. With a three game, two service break, lead, you'd think it was all over. But this is sports, folks.
Sugiyama digs in, and shows why she's still number 27 in the world at age 32, as she gets one service break back in game four. Then she holds serve, and breaks Dubois's serve again. Now, on serve, Sugiyama holds to go up 4-3, and again breaks Dubois, who is twelve years her opponent's junior, isn't even ranked in the top 100.
Sugiyama serves for the match at 5-3, but Dubois breaks her serve! The Canadian then holds serve to tie the match at 5 games all. Then she breaks Sugiyama for an opportunity to serve for the match, and Dubois closes it out, winning 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-5. Amazing stuff.
In between games and some points, I'm flipping over to some sort of concert film with Stompin' Tom Connors filmed at the Horseshoe Tavern, which I was at way back in the early '90s with my buddy Jeff seeing The Northern Pikes.
The film is crazy fun, because it was shot in about 1975 I'm guessing. There's stubby beer bottles on the tables - Labatt 50 no less, and people smokin' up a storm, including Tom himself between songs. Moreover, they also intersperse some of the songs with footage to compliment the tune.
So, there's some snowmobile footage for a snowmobile song, the collecting of Irish Moss by folks on horseback along the beach of PEI for the tune Irish Moss, and Tom in pursuit of a never seen woman by various means of transport, including canoe - this is Canada, eh? - for a song about a girl. And an animated bit too. It's totally crazy.
I watched the credits, which rolled by with Tom walking off into the sunset guitar slung over his back and someone else singing about how Stompin' Tom's a friend of his, but they didn't indicate when the film was made or who was singing the song that played during the credits.
Who says there's nothing on daytime TV?
I tuned in during set two, with Sugiyama having won the first set in a tie-break. But Dubois is pushing her in set two, and eventually gets a service break to win it and force a tie-breaking third set.
In that third set, Dubois breaks Sugiyama's serve in game one, holds serve herself, then breaks again in game three. With a three game, two service break, lead, you'd think it was all over. But this is sports, folks.
Sugiyama digs in, and shows why she's still number 27 in the world at age 32, as she gets one service break back in game four. Then she holds serve, and breaks Dubois's serve again. Now, on serve, Sugiyama holds to go up 4-3, and again breaks Dubois, who is twelve years her opponent's junior, isn't even ranked in the top 100.
Sugiyama serves for the match at 5-3, but Dubois breaks her serve! The Canadian then holds serve to tie the match at 5 games all. Then she breaks Sugiyama for an opportunity to serve for the match, and Dubois closes it out, winning 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-5. Amazing stuff.
In between games and some points, I'm flipping over to some sort of concert film with Stompin' Tom Connors filmed at the Horseshoe Tavern, which I was at way back in the early '90s with my buddy Jeff seeing The Northern Pikes.
The film is crazy fun, because it was shot in about 1975 I'm guessing. There's stubby beer bottles on the tables - Labatt 50 no less, and people smokin' up a storm, including Tom himself between songs. Moreover, they also intersperse some of the songs with footage to compliment the tune.
So, there's some snowmobile footage for a snowmobile song, the collecting of Irish Moss by folks on horseback along the beach of PEI for the tune Irish Moss, and Tom in pursuit of a never seen woman by various means of transport, including canoe - this is Canada, eh? - for a song about a girl. And an animated bit too. It's totally crazy.
I watched the credits, which rolled by with Tom walking off into the sunset guitar slung over his back and someone else singing about how Stompin' Tom's a friend of his, but they didn't indicate when the film was made or who was singing the song that played during the credits.
Who says there's nothing on daytime TV?
August 13, 2007
Show cancelled - ARRGH!
I got notice today that the Wilco show that was to happen Wednesday here in Winnipeg has been cancelled. Going on their website, it states that one of the guitarists has the chicken pox (no, I'm not making that up), and their shows in Winnipeg and Duluth had to be cancelled.
The Duluth show is rescheduled to early September with tickets for the cancelled show honored for that gig. But the only word on the Winnipeg show is that they'll try to do one in 2008. Ticketmaster is to credit my credit card.
But this is really annoying because of how good my seats were for Wednesday. Here's the deal.
I heard about the show before tickets went on sale, and asked my friend Susan if she wanted to go along. She said "sure." "OK, so I'll get tickets, maybe even a pre-sale thing." "Oh," said Susan, "don't go for the Folk Fest pre-sales. They aren't good." "Really?" "Really. Don't do it." "Umm, ok."
That was news to me, but I trust her judgment. My friend Jen had also sent me a different pre-sale thing - House of Blues - as she's on that mailing list and knew I was interested in Wilco.
As a test, I tried both pre-sales to see what I could get for seats. They yielded the same results. Initially, it was row 18 on the main floor. Pretty good I thought. If it was just me, I might have gone for that. But Susan's instruction was clear.
Next day I try again, and now the pre-sales are in the balcony, and not even the first row there. Hmm, I think to myself. Have I made a mistake by not buying in earlier? I still hold out.
Actual day of sale comes around, and at the opening time - 10 AM - I'm on line buying tickets. Ticketmaster does its little search for the "Best Available" seats, and comes back with a response: row 1.
Yes, the First Row! Off to one side, but still the Frist Row! I've never been in the first row for a show.
And now with the cancellation of the concert, I still won't be.
Roger, Wilco, over and out.
The Duluth show is rescheduled to early September with tickets for the cancelled show honored for that gig. But the only word on the Winnipeg show is that they'll try to do one in 2008. Ticketmaster is to credit my credit card.
But this is really annoying because of how good my seats were for Wednesday. Here's the deal.
I heard about the show before tickets went on sale, and asked my friend Susan if she wanted to go along. She said "sure." "OK, so I'll get tickets, maybe even a pre-sale thing." "Oh," said Susan, "don't go for the Folk Fest pre-sales. They aren't good." "Really?" "Really. Don't do it." "Umm, ok."
That was news to me, but I trust her judgment. My friend Jen had also sent me a different pre-sale thing - House of Blues - as she's on that mailing list and knew I was interested in Wilco.
As a test, I tried both pre-sales to see what I could get for seats. They yielded the same results. Initially, it was row 18 on the main floor. Pretty good I thought. If it was just me, I might have gone for that. But Susan's instruction was clear.
Next day I try again, and now the pre-sales are in the balcony, and not even the first row there. Hmm, I think to myself. Have I made a mistake by not buying in earlier? I still hold out.
Actual day of sale comes around, and at the opening time - 10 AM - I'm on line buying tickets. Ticketmaster does its little search for the "Best Available" seats, and comes back with a response: row 1.
Yes, the First Row! Off to one side, but still the Frist Row! I've never been in the first row for a show.
And now with the cancellation of the concert, I still won't be.
Roger, Wilco, over and out.
August 11, 2007
In the garden by the front door
Took some pics of the plants near by front door. The first is the view from the front steps.
Lamium is the low white and green leafed plant, which is spreading quite a bit. It looks fine though, and in the spring it has nice yellow flowers. Joe Pye is the tall plants behind the lamium with flat topped aster to the right. The blue flowered plants are Balloon Flowers, and their flower is quite striking.
There are some hostas in there too, although I think I need to move them as they're getting crowded out by the lamium. You can hardly see them. Celendine poppy is the name of the plants with little yellow flowers that are also spreading about.
This is fireweed, which is to the left of the sidewalk in the first photo. I'd like to make a little sitting area at this point, so I'm probably going to move these plants in the fall.
There's some Philadelphia Fleabane at the front of this part of the garden by the evergreen tree. It's a nice little plant.
These are tall coneflowers that are near the front of the yard - in the background of the first photo. They are quite tall - over four feet, and seem to spreading a bit too, which in this case is a good thing indeed. Colourful and long lasting blooms. I'm putting some more of them elsewhere in the yard.
Lamium is the low white and green leafed plant, which is spreading quite a bit. It looks fine though, and in the spring it has nice yellow flowers. Joe Pye is the tall plants behind the lamium with flat topped aster to the right. The blue flowered plants are Balloon Flowers, and their flower is quite striking.
There are some hostas in there too, although I think I need to move them as they're getting crowded out by the lamium. You can hardly see them. Celendine poppy is the name of the plants with little yellow flowers that are also spreading about.
This is fireweed, which is to the left of the sidewalk in the first photo. I'd like to make a little sitting area at this point, so I'm probably going to move these plants in the fall.
There's some Philadelphia Fleabane at the front of this part of the garden by the evergreen tree. It's a nice little plant.
These are tall coneflowers that are near the front of the yard - in the background of the first photo. They are quite tall - over four feet, and seem to spreading a bit too, which in this case is a good thing indeed. Colourful and long lasting blooms. I'm putting some more of them elsewhere in the yard.
August 10, 2007
On the eve of the new Premiership Season
I hope that all this season's matches are as entertaining as this one.
Will Moby Dick be next?
I finished Garcia's Heart yesterday. It's a novel by Liam Durcan, an acquinatance of mine from undergrad. We had a good friend in common, Darren, who neither of us has talked to in awhile. I came across the book by reading a bit in the paper how this guy name Liam was going to have a reading at McNally-Robinson.
I thought "hey, I know I guy named Liam. He was in med school and had moved to Montreal." I didn't know his last name, but the paper indicated that this Liam was the same guy: a doctor from Winnipeg, now living in Montreal. So, I went to the reading, and it was him.
So, I bought Liam's novel, which signed for me. It's good. The story is of a doctor who travels to The Hague to attend the war crimes trial of the man who inspired him to go into medical school. The narrator chose to go into brain research rather than medical practice, but then left his university research job to start up a company that uses his research techniques to analyze how people make decisions by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI in the research lingo).
The book raises a number of interesting issues, including: how can a seemingly good man have done bad things? can fMRI determine how people make bad decisions, that is decisions that have bad consequences for others? and how can things known now effect how we feel about what's happened in the past?
And this is the second book that mentions Moby Dick as a significant feature in the text. The Bone series did also. So, I'm wondering: should I read Moby Dick next?
I thought "hey, I know I guy named Liam. He was in med school and had moved to Montreal." I didn't know his last name, but the paper indicated that this Liam was the same guy: a doctor from Winnipeg, now living in Montreal. So, I went to the reading, and it was him.
So, I bought Liam's novel, which signed for me. It's good. The story is of a doctor who travels to The Hague to attend the war crimes trial of the man who inspired him to go into medical school. The narrator chose to go into brain research rather than medical practice, but then left his university research job to start up a company that uses his research techniques to analyze how people make decisions by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI in the research lingo).
The book raises a number of interesting issues, including: how can a seemingly good man have done bad things? can fMRI determine how people make bad decisions, that is decisions that have bad consequences for others? and how can things known now effect how we feel about what's happened in the past?
And this is the second book that mentions Moby Dick as a significant feature in the text. The Bone series did also. So, I'm wondering: should I read Moby Dick next?
August 8, 2007
Great book
Read another great graphic novel yesterday. Michel Rabagliati's Paul has a summer job is a story a young man who's dropped out of school after grade 11 due to conflict with the principal and a teacher who've shafted him on a project. Paul's been working a week at a job that's not all he thought it would be, when he gets a call to work at a summer camp.
Paul accepts and his experiences at the camp are those that serve to form as a basis for the rest of his life. It's a really well done story drawn in black and white. It ends with Paul reminising (sp?) on that summer done with a tie in back to that summer that's then long ago. I can't describe how it ties back without giving it away, but it's really well done.
Rabagliati has a couple of other books involving the Paul character. If they are anywhere near as good as Paul has a summer job, they would be well worth checking out.
Paul accepts and his experiences at the camp are those that serve to form as a basis for the rest of his life. It's a really well done story drawn in black and white. It ends with Paul reminising (sp?) on that summer done with a tie in back to that summer that's then long ago. I can't describe how it ties back without giving it away, but it's really well done.
Rabagliati has a couple of other books involving the Paul character. If they are anywhere near as good as Paul has a summer job, they would be well worth checking out.
August 6, 2007
What sport's all about
So, I'm on the couch with the Rogers Cup on the tele and Garcia's Heart in hand (novel by Liam Durcan, who's an acquaintance of mine now living Montreal) for the commercials. Guillermo Canas is playing Paul-Henri Mathieu, and Canas - seeded 17th while Mathieu is unseeded - is doing well.
Canas looks strong. He gets up a break in the first set and wins it. Then he breaks Mathieu in game one of set two, and then does so again in game three. It's 4-0 in the second and looks like it'll be a short night.
And then Mathieu holds serve. And then he breaks Canas. Holds serve again, and breaks again. All of a sudden it's 4-4, and game on - as the Brits would say.
Back and forth they go for a couple more games until Canas is serving to stay in the set at 5-6. Mathieu breaks Canas's serve for the third time that game to win the set: 7-5 - a set he had no business winning, and forces a tie-breaking third set.
It only gets weirder from there. The wheels fall off completely for Canas, as Mathieu continues to roll, who wins set three 6-0 to take the match. Mathieu won 13 of the last 14 games! It was an unbelieveable come back. The kind that would be unbelieveable in a movie.
And this is what makes sport so compelling.
Canas looks strong. He gets up a break in the first set and wins it. Then he breaks Mathieu in game one of set two, and then does so again in game three. It's 4-0 in the second and looks like it'll be a short night.
And then Mathieu holds serve. And then he breaks Canas. Holds serve again, and breaks again. All of a sudden it's 4-4, and game on - as the Brits would say.
Back and forth they go for a couple more games until Canas is serving to stay in the set at 5-6. Mathieu breaks Canas's serve for the third time that game to win the set: 7-5 - a set he had no business winning, and forces a tie-breaking third set.
It only gets weirder from there. The wheels fall off completely for Canas, as Mathieu continues to roll, who wins set three 6-0 to take the match. Mathieu won 13 of the last 14 games! It was an unbelieveable come back. The kind that would be unbelieveable in a movie.
And this is what makes sport so compelling.
August 2, 2007
Sporty Wednesday
Had my best round ever at the Canoe Club on Wednesday. Shot 43, and my previous best was 45. Birdied the second hole for the first time ever. Going 5 and 4 for 9 after two holes makes it easier to shoot a good score than being 21 after two holes as I was a couple weeks back.
Didn't win any money, although I did par one of the par threes. Jen swept the week, which is the first time she's done that. She did it even after missing a chance to score on the first par 3. And she'd been complaining about how much Wednesdays were costing her, but she paid for her round this week, or rather we paid for her round.
Then last night I played doubles racquetball with Jim, Gus and Doug, and we had really competitive games. Gus and I won the first match, 2 games to 1, then they won the second match 2-0, 16-14 in game two, and they also won the last match 2-1, with a 12-10 win in game 3 where we had a 10-4 (2?) lead. All the games were pretty close. I felt myself cramping up some in the last game, so I don't think I could have played more. But playing for over 2 hours is enough.
Didn't win any money, although I did par one of the par threes. Jen swept the week, which is the first time she's done that. She did it even after missing a chance to score on the first par 3. And she'd been complaining about how much Wednesdays were costing her, but she paid for her round this week, or rather we paid for her round.
Then last night I played doubles racquetball with Jim, Gus and Doug, and we had really competitive games. Gus and I won the first match, 2 games to 1, then they won the second match 2-0, 16-14 in game two, and they also won the last match 2-1, with a 12-10 win in game 3 where we had a 10-4 (2?) lead. All the games were pretty close. I felt myself cramping up some in the last game, so I don't think I could have played more. But playing for over 2 hours is enough.
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