It’s rare for me to make New Year’s resolutions, a list of self-promises that eventually show I have no resolve when it comes to doing some things to make my life better, to doing some things to try to make other’s lives better (why should I butt in?), to not doing some things that currently prevent me from making my life better, and so on and so forth, if you get my drift or, for that matter, if I get my drift.
That’s a very long, negative approach—I resolve to write shorter sentences though when I get wound up on the keyboard (computer not piano) I enjoy piecing together several subjects in one long string, or strand, or lengthy sentence—to New Year’s Resolutions so, instead, let’s be as positive as possible. Jump in any time with your comments.
Without further review (or is that further ado?), here are a few self-serving revolutions (or is that resolutions or review-lations) as the year 2024 moves through January. To start, there are a few things I thought about resolving or resoluting (made up word) which would be resonating but which I quickly fell off the resolution band wagon.
Read no further?
Here’s a quick summary. Read and proceed or just read the summary:
Dry January (no alcohol for the entire month)
No French fries
Finish writing my second book
Play more rounds of golf
Lower my golf handicap index
Practice more golf
Be nicer to everyone
Don’t say another negative thing about Dave Doeren
The details follow if you’re interested.
Dry January:
It’s an annual challenge for alcohol drinkers of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, genders (I think there are only two but who really knows?), races, religions (I think there are more than two), homeowners, renters, Ford drivers, and, of course, those who enjoy Eastern NC barbeque (vinegar and red pepper sauce included), Lexington (NC, not KY) style barbeque (brownish red sauce that’s sweet), and maybe South Carolina barbecue (strong dose of mustard in the sauce): Give up alcohol for the entire month of January. After that, Katy Bar the Bar, or not.
I actually started to give Dry January a shot (not the whiskey kind), but the two beers (Indian Pale Ale) I had watching football games January 1, after foregoing the Champagne toast at the stroke of midnight, a half a second past December 31, 2023, and a half a second before January 1, 2024 (it is a leap year isn’t it) interrupted the month-long car wreck, if beer would be completely eliminated.
After that, I was told a moderation month (reducing my IPA intake) would be sufficient, but that went by the wayside Tuesday, downing a pint with our China Chef Hunan Chicken pick-up instead of the proposed scrambled eggs, bacon, grits, and toast for dinner. And I had another January 3. Look, I like beer, I haven’t always liked beer, but now it’s part of my near daily routine.
Dry January no more. We’ll see about the moderation part of maybe another month. February has the edge with just 28, oops, 29 days this year.
No French Fires
Sounds awful, removing those habit-forming potato strips—hot, steamy, and crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, otherwise send them back for an order of your liking—right from a golden bath in peanut (or worse) oil.
We rid ourselves of French fries several years ago for about three months. Interesting attempt at better health that abruptly stopped in a weak moment of ordering at a Bojangles drive thru, selecting the Cajun Filet Biscuit and an order of fries covered in a Cajun golden dust. Bo’s are best when piping hot with an abundant amount of that magic Cajun dust on the outside and soft potato inside.
The idea of dropping French Fries for a month, or several months, or an entire year, came to a head at Junction Bakery & Bistro in Alexandria VA on New Year’s Day. Under the pretense that my four-year-old grandson would like some fries to go with his blueberry muffin, I made sure fries were the side with my sandwich. I was weak and couldn’t resist.
So, what’s your favorite fry?
Finish My Second Book
My first book was self-published in 2015 after at least 20 years of thinking about it and figuring out where the material was stored. It was and remains a different kind-of look at the 1973-74 NCAA Championship NC State Wolfpack basketball team with a really catchy title.
Click these links Paperback or Hardcover for the best source to buy a copy or read it on-line at 1973-74: Reliving the NC State Wolfpack’s Title Run.
My next book is somewhat about the 1999 United States Golf Association (USGA) Open golf championship played over the Pinehurst Country Club’s famed Donald Ross No. 2 golf course.
The story is actually about a journeyman professional golfer, Ben Jameson, who befriends eventual winner Payne Stewart, offering him a putting tip for the last hole of the final round if the planets align and puts Stewart and the final hole cup in the right places which happens, a secret Stewart took to his grave as he died in an airplane crash a few weeks later.
Jameson and Stewart swore secrecy as long as both were alive. Now, through my narrative, Jameson reveals the secret.
The book includes a lot of fiction and a bunch of facts. Writing such narratives takes lots of time and concentration once the research is complete, which I feel it is.
Hopefully this 2024 resolution takes hold; next step is finding publisher because self-publishing is not an easy path.
Any suggestions?
Play More Golf
In last four years—2020, 2021, 2022, 2023—I played 500 18-hole rounds of golf, and, I’m proud to say, I posted each score to the USGA GHIN Handicap system, not leaving out the low scores for fear of my handicap index dropping and not leaving out my high scores for fear of my handicap index increasing. For some golfers, it’s a game within a game. A bad one at that.
Of the 500 rounds, 389 were played at Lonnie Poole Golf Course (LPGC) on the NC State University campus in Raleigh, and 111 were played at other courses in North Carolina. Here’s a chart of my golf rounds the last four years:
In 2023, at LPGC, I rode a cart 15 rounds and walked with my remote controlled electric golf “push” cart the other 80 rounds, walking with that cart toting my bag just under 400 miles in those 80 rounds. More than likely, the 31 away rounds were via riding cart.
This year, 2024, I’d like to play 150 rounds so I need to find another 25 or so rounds, most probably at LPGC, several possibly other courses.
How much golf do you play annually?
Lower My Golf Handicap Index
At my age, two things usually happen as I thankfully get older (preferred to the alternative):
there’s a better chance of “shooting my age” when my score is equal to or better than my age; and,
when not scoring that “low,” increasing the handicap index.
I started 2023 with a handicap index of 10.3. The year ended with an index of 10.6, not bad except from mid-July to the last day of August, my handicap index was 7.5 to 7.6, playing unconscious golf, scoring in the low to mid 70s. Then my game went the other direction.
Playing three different sets of tees is the culprit of the increase in handicap index. If I shoot 80 from each those tees, my handicap index rises when playing the short tees or the mid-yardage tees, and it goes down or stays the same when playing the third set of tees.
It’s that game within a game. I’m supposed to always try my best which could be the same score from each of those tees.
How’s your golf handicap index?
Practice Golf More
I’m not one to spend a lot of time on the practice tee. For an 8:30 a.m. tee time, I usually have just enough time to get from the car to the golf shop to check in, get a score card, hit maybe 10 range balls as a warm up, stroke two to three putts and hightail it to the day’s opening hole.
There’s a chance that routine is the cause of that 10.6 handicap index, though it’s not unusual for me to have 15 pars, one double bogey, and two triple bogeys for a eight over par 80.
At LPGC, during the week but not weekends, the “driving range” is usually limited to the artificial mats, not the best when it comes to practice except for the driver off a tee inserted in a special slot.
But, I’m told repetition is the key so I’ll try to find more time for practice, maybe before the round, maybe after the round, maybe on the days I do not play a round.
How much do you practice or do you just play just play?
Be nicer to everyone
I can be a little pushy with my thoughts and ideas, I’m told, not going along to get along and making waves along the ways. Sometimes, no comment is better than replying at all.
So, I’m gonna try that, leaving others to their thoughts without answering back except when the other person is dead wrong and I know for sure I’m right, even if I’m wrong. Unless they ask for a response and then I’ll be careful not to step on too many toes.
Are you nice to everyone or pushy at times?
Don’t say another negative thing about Dave Doeren
That is self-explanatory.
I’ve been a little rough on the NC State football coach the last 11 seasons, but I’m coming around, supporting my alma mater’s football program, as long as the Wolfpack wins when it should which is every time out!
How do you feel about Dave Doeren? Be nice!!!
But wait, there’s more!
Not today! I’ve already taken too much of your time. I may have some other resolutions throughout the year, maybe in February and will bring you up to speed then. When I know, you’ll know.