OK, everyone, it's time for the audience participation part of the blog! The 2011 NFL season is coming up soon - and yes, I am cautiously optimistic (as usual) about the Browns this year. I just watch the Direct TV "Short Cuts" of the 34-14 win over the Pats from last year - and I'm ready for the season to start.
A few notes:
1. I am planning to re-start the weekly NFL previews with my picks. I just need a topic to center the previews around. To recap, I started this preview theme in 2006 by listing one of my favorite "Price is Right" games each week. In 2007, it was Seinfeld characters; in 2008, it was summarizing the NFL Head referees, and in 2009, it was the 18 holes of Augusta. We didn't do the weekly previews last year for obvious reasons.
So - looking for input from the readers on possible topics for 2011. It would have to be a "top 17" list for each week of the season.
We could focus on pop culture (like: 17 top sitcoms of the 80s; the 17 shows I watched the most in college, 17 one-hit wonders)
It could focus on football (top 17 Browns victories since the return, top 17 Browns quarterbacks, etc.)
(Do the Browns actually have 17 victories since 1999? -ed) Ha ha
Or it could be completely arrogant and focus on me (top 17 golf rounds in my career, top 17 putts that put the dagger in my friends, etc.)
Any input is welcome.
2. I went back and actually looked at my record in doing these picks. Here is the recap; these picks and records are all on the blog for public review, with the exception of 2010. I put this statement here for complete disclosure, unlike a certain friend of Wiz's whose initials are D.M.
2006: 140-124-8 (53%)
2007: partial year: 84-101-10 (45%)
2008: 143-105-8 (58%)
2009: 104-120-4 (46%)
2010: 119-102-4 (54%)
For a grand total of: 590-552-34, or 51.7%. Hmmmmm...seems like 590-552 should sound better than 52%.
The pattern I am falling into - even numbered years are good, odd numbered years are bad - is not a good sign as we move into..........
3. Stepping it up: Layup and I have an announcement to make. We have decided to make fools of ourselves this year and see how we fare vs. real competition in the Las Vegas Hilton Supercontest. Basically, we pick 5 games against the spread each week - and after 17, the entries with the best records win. Simple as that. We are still working out all the details - I'm sure we will have a link so people can see the standings.
4. Am I a degenerate, or merely a fan? Do you really want an answer? -ed One of the ex-pats here in Guangzhou is also a Browns fan. This is his first NFL season here - and he bought the "NFL Rewind" package from NFL.com that plays the shortened versions of each game over the internet, on demand. The games will be available for download at midnight each night Eastern time.
He invited a bunch of us - including me - to come over every Monday night to his place and watch 1) the Browns game and 2) other games after that. It's clear that the Browns are the main attraction....
....but I told him I probably would decline. You see, he requested that no one log into the internet or check scores all day Monday - so that we see the games for the first time on Monday night. That makes sense - and many people can do that - but I can't. There's just no way that:
1) I can sleep when the NFL is on and I have a slingbox, and
2) I can go a whole day without checking the scores on the internet/iPhone.
There's just no way I can see myself having that self-discipline. None. Am I weak, or just normal?
5. Home vs. Cincinnati....at Indy, maybe without Peyton.....home vs. Miami.....home vs. Tennessee....at Oakland...home vs. Seattle....at San Fran....at Houston....home vs. St Louis....home vs. Jacksonville....at Cincinnati.....
Yep, that's our first 11 games....and that just sounds like 8-3, no?
Aug 31, 2011
Aug 27, 2011
Ah, the ex-pat life
Today, Janice took the boys to a real Chinese hair salon to get their hair cut. Last year, we went to the ex-pat compound where most of the Americans live - there is a hair salon in that complex. The boys got their hair cut for 38 RMB each.....and each cut was done in record time (under 6 minutes each). So it wasn't the highest quality.
Janice took the boys out on our street to one of the local hair salons - there are at least 10 of them between our apartment and the main bridge, a span of 2 km.
What occurred was pretty much what you would expect. The boys were pampered. Martin, especially, loved the attention - as you can see in the picture.
All for a price of 30 RMB ($4.75) each.
Two random pictures
1. I found my soulmate in Hong Kong! Here is a picture of the dashboard of our taxi in HK before we left. So - for all of you who made fun of me for my phone & pager obsessions, I have nothing on this guy.
(I wonder what each phone is for....)
2. There is a popular book out about Chinese society, called "Sleeping Chinese". It is a photo book filled with pictures of Chinese citizens sleeping in odd, public places. Here is the website.
Let me just say that it is 100% complete reality. I was walking on the sidewalk from our P&G office to our travel agent in another building....at 12:30 in the afternoon.
This is just one random picture during my walk that was repeated 15, 20 times. Everywhere you looked - people napping in public.
Aug 21, 2011
Civilized Dining in Guangzhou
1. A sign of civilization here in Guangzhou! The first Burger King in the city opened in May - and we finally got around to going to it yesterday. (It's located in a mall). 
The whoppers were very similar to the ones in the US; the onion rings were a bit underdone and dry. But still - can't complain!
2. Here is part of a drink menu from a restuarant we went to Friday night. Has anyone every heard of this drink? Somehow, I don't think Sprite has entered Kermit's body since 1994.
The whoppers were very similar to the ones in the US; the onion rings were a bit underdone and dry. But still - can't complain!
2. Here is part of a drink menu from a restuarant we went to Friday night. Has anyone every heard of this drink? Somehow, I don't think Sprite has entered Kermit's body since 1994.
Don't get to work late
I got into the office late one day - about 8:45, 8:50 or so. After getting my 600mL bottle of Pepsi at the Circle K (cost: 3.50 yuan, or about 60 cents) I headed to the elevators.
Apparently, the subway just arrived and there were a horde of people at the elevators. Here is a picture of the line I was in - the elevator I wanted was directly to the right.
The line of people in back is for the far elevators - the elevators are by the blurry TV screen. There were at least 50 people in line.
As you can see, they set up the airplane-gate ropes by the elevator to maintain a constant queue going to the separate elevators.
The lesson, of course - everyone in the 40 story office building arrives between 8:45 and 9:30. Don't arrive at those times.
Apparently, the subway just arrived and there were a horde of people at the elevators. Here is a picture of the line I was in - the elevator I wanted was directly to the right.
The line of people in back is for the far elevators - the elevators are by the blurry TV screen. There were at least 50 people in line.
As you can see, they set up the airplane-gate ropes by the elevator to maintain a constant queue going to the separate elevators.
The lesson, of course - everyone in the 40 story office building arrives between 8:45 and 9:30. Don't arrive at those times.
A picture to make an Irishman cry
Had to put this picture up for Craig. This is a picture from a supermarket that features many foreign foods. For import foods, the flag of the nation is there to show where it was imported from.
Here's a picture of the beer aisle. You can see - Beck's imported from Germany, Heineken from Holland, and a mystery beer in the top left, imported from Malaysia....
Aug 16, 2011
A glowing review
There is a small waterpark nearby our apartment. A friend of ours went on Sunday with his kids - I asked for a review, and whether we should take our boys sometime.
His response, verbatim:
Fun, but go early, as the filters have a hard time keeping up with population. Water very clean at beginning, by noon a little cloudy. Plus, more public urination than I prefer at my water parks.
Otherwise, lovely!
His response, verbatim:
Fun, but go early, as the filters have a hard time keeping up with population. Water very clean at beginning, by noon a little cloudy. Plus, more public urination than I prefer at my water parks.
Otherwise, lovely!
Aug 15, 2011
The definition of demotivation
Yesterday, the gym at our complex was closed - no reason given, just a notice that "on August 14th, the facitilies will be temporarily closed". I really needed to get some exercise, as I have skipped a couple of sessions last week - so I decided to run outside yesterday afternoon.
It wasn't deathly hot - even though it was 90-95 degrees and 90% humidity - the run was on the river and there was some shade, at least. I completed 5K in about 30 minutes (29:45!!!) and walked back into the apartment complex.
I was dripping with sweat and still trying to catch my breath fully when I went into the elevator with a middle-aged Chinese woman. After saying "Ni Hao", she responded with something like:
"Pao Lao Ti"
I had no idea what she was saying, so she tried again, a bit slower:
"Pao Lao Tai" - different word on the end.
"Pao Lao Tai", she tried one more time.
I shrugged - again - and got to my floor and exited.
5 seconds later - it hit me. Hey- maybe I know some of those words! "Tai", I remember, is "too" - like too hot, too much, too cold, etc.
"Lao" - where I have heard that before? "Lao Shi" is the word for teacher....literally meaning "old leader". So "Lao" must be old, or elderly....
Hey, wait a minute...I don't like where this is going.
I looked up "Pao" on my IPhone Chinese dictionary - yup, one of the definitions for Pao means "to run"
So - she literally told me "run old too", or, with some simple rearranging, "too old to run" - I'm too old to run.
I'm going to have to learn Chinese in order to respond to insults within an hour.....
(* "Lao Ti" I think is worse; it means "old and weak". So she could be saying "I run like an old, weak man".)
Aug 14, 2011
Only the best
Here is a picture of our engineering department shirts that were ordered for an offsite.
I think the owner of the company who makes the shirt needs to take the advanced
English lessons.....
I think the owner of the company who makes the shirt needs to take the advanced
English lessons.....
Aug 7, 2011
Chinese Logic
We have been doing a lot of miscellaneous stuff around the apartment here to get ready for another year here in China. It's very hard to believe that the 1 year anniversary for our assignment was on Saturday; it's even harder to believe that the boys go back to school on Wednesday!
The feeling around here reminds me of the first hours of a Vegas trip on Wednesday. Our friends are arriving bit by bit - we all know that they have to be here by Wednesday, but I'm not sure of their exact arrival dates. One friendof ours came back last Thursday; another arrived this weekend; twomore are coming tomorrow (I think).....it's very much like a Wednesday night in Vegas, when the whole group starts arriving in stages.
The big addition to the apartment this year is a new router we bought in California; it workslike a charm and I can access the signal all the way in the kitchen. Slingbox now works on the main TV - so I may be camped out on our couch for the NFL games on Monday morning from 1-4 am.
We also went to the sporting goods store to buy a bike for Martin. As you can see in the first picture - you will be satisfied or....you will be satisfied! There is no other choice!
The mindset of customers in stores here is much different. The second picture is a picture of the ping-pong table displays in the store. As you can see, customers have no problem in helping themselves in trying the equipment/table out. The bike area in this store is filled with customers actually riding sample bikes up and down the aisle.
And it's like this in every store. You should see the IKEA on a Saturday ( I did yesterday). It's like a hospital waiting room. 90% of the seats of the sofas/chairs on display are occupied. At least half of the beds on display has someone laying on it. Hey, it's there to be used, right?
The landlord's assistant came over on Saturday as we shared a list of things we wanted done around the place to renew our lease. One of the items was the swimming pool at the apartment. The pool is open from 8:30 - 11, and then from 3:30 - 9. It is closed from 11-3:30.
Those hours are fine during the week, but during the weekend, with 3 kids? I mean, early afternoon hours are prime hours to be at the pool!!! So I brought this up with the manager.
"Yes, it is closed from 11 - 3:30."
Well, can it be open during those hours on a weekend?
"Oh....hmmmm...well, those are the hours when the sun shines on the pool."
And?
"It gets hot on the pool deck - with the sun there. It's too hot to work. So we close it down until it gets colder at 3:30."
So - you actaully close the pool because it is too hot to swim?
"Yes, that's right."
Let me get you the number of a pool manager in Las Vegas and you can talk to them on how to keep a pool open during the summer.....
The feeling around here reminds me of the first hours of a Vegas trip on Wednesday. Our friends are arriving bit by bit - we all know that they have to be here by Wednesday, but I'm not sure of their exact arrival dates. One friendof ours came back last Thursday; another arrived this weekend; twomore are coming tomorrow (I think).....it's very much like a Wednesday night in Vegas, when the whole group starts arriving in stages.
The big addition to the apartment this year is a new router we bought in California; it workslike a charm and I can access the signal all the way in the kitchen. Slingbox now works on the main TV - so I may be camped out on our couch for the NFL games on Monday morning from 1-4 am.
We also went to the sporting goods store to buy a bike for Martin. As you can see in the first picture - you will be satisfied or....you will be satisfied! There is no other choice!
The mindset of customers in stores here is much different. The second picture is a picture of the ping-pong table displays in the store. As you can see, customers have no problem in helping themselves in trying the equipment/table out. The bike area in this store is filled with customers actually riding sample bikes up and down the aisle.
And it's like this in every store. You should see the IKEA on a Saturday ( I did yesterday). It's like a hospital waiting room. 90% of the seats of the sofas/chairs on display are occupied. At least half of the beds on display has someone laying on it. Hey, it's there to be used, right?
The landlord's assistant came over on Saturday as we shared a list of things we wanted done around the place to renew our lease. One of the items was the swimming pool at the apartment. The pool is open from 8:30 - 11, and then from 3:30 - 9. It is closed from 11-3:30.
Those hours are fine during the week, but during the weekend, with 3 kids? I mean, early afternoon hours are prime hours to be at the pool!!! So I brought this up with the manager.
"Yes, it is closed from 11 - 3:30."
Well, can it be open during those hours on a weekend?
"Oh....hmmmm...well, those are the hours when the sun shines on the pool."
And?
"It gets hot on the pool deck - with the sun there. It's too hot to work. So we close it down until it gets colder at 3:30."
So - you actaully close the pool because it is too hot to swim?
"Yes, that's right."
Let me get you the number of a pool manager in Las Vegas and you can talk to them on how to keep a pool open during the summer.....
Aug 4, 2011
Am I getting soft?
Layup and I made a trip to the Pala Casino in Southern California the night before I left. We ended up spending 4 1/2 hours out there - we thought we would play some UTH, some Pai Gow, blackjack - you know, some variety.
As you probably guessed, 100% of the time was spent on UTH.
And not just normal UTH - this was Progressive! For an extra $1 (or more, I guess) on top of the trips, you have a side bet on the hand you form with your two hole cards and the three flop cards. A royal wins $75,000!
(Of course, no one came close).
Anyway, Layup and I settled in nicely - to his left, Layup made friends with a 60 year old Asian woman who knew no English but would engage Layup in a high-ten (two hands) when they both hit a winning hand. Stevie Williams and Tiger had better coordination.
Next to me was a 50-something woman who seemed to be Mexican by birth but was Americanized. Her and I would chat a bit about the hands - very friendly. Every once in a while, this strange male, about 25-30, who had some sort of mental defect would come over and hover; the lady would quickly scold him in Spanish, telling him to sit down over there and shut up. (Sientese alli! See, I still know some spanish.
After the third visit by this man, I gave my neighbor a quizzical look.
"That's my son. He fell into a pool when he was young, drowned and had some brain damage because of it."
Oh - sorry to hear that.
"Yes, he likes to come with me and hang out while I play. He's going in for surgery tomorrow - he's getting a skin graft - and he can't have anything to eat after midnight. So I have to keep an eye on him."
Um - ok. I will file that away in my brain - if any of you think I have a gambling problem (you know, taking my 7 month pregnant wife to play craps in a smoky Argosy casino, betting halftime lines for WNBA, driving 10 hours in one day to gamble)- I'll just throw this lady out as the counter example. I'm not as bad as her!
Anyway, about 2 hours in, I was winning some and Layup was up some too. Two ladies came over and occupied the seats at the far end of the table. One was a 60-year old country girl, dressed in a cowboy shirt that was adorned with rhinestones. I immediately thought "Ann Richards", but Layup beat me to it and whispered "Rhinestone Cowboy is here".
Two hands in - two hands! - she noticed that Layup and I were not playing the trips. Here we go again.
"You're not playing the trips? That's stupid. That's how you make money in this game! You have to play the trips!"
Before I could say anything, Layup pulls the "Shufflemaster" card out and says he works for Shufflemaster and said the Trips bet "is for suckers only". That shut everyone up for a while.
The mood of the table turned icy - but a strange thing happened. I started winning. And - oddly - I was the only one winning. Layup went on a losing streak; our friends started losing, and Rhinestone kept losing too. But I kept winning. I would guess that 40-50% of my hands were A-x, K-6 or higher or Q-J - --- all hands to go in 4x before the flop. I didn't win all of them, but I did win about 75% of them - that helps the bankroll.
Rhinestone started paying attention, and then was interested in our methods.
"You go 4x on any ace?"
Oh dear, I can see this coming a mile away. Yes, I replied.
"Hmmmmph...."
The next hand - the next one, I swear! - she got dealt an ace. She went 4x. She lost.
Three hands later, she got A-x again. She did not go 4x, she waited until the last round, went 1x - and won.
By then, the mood of the table was in the pits. No one was winning. Layup, who was up a few hundred, was now down to his last few bets. Our friends left.
But I kept on winning.
I felt sympathtic to the table - and even toward Rhinestone. Five years ago - one year ago? - I would have muttered "f*** her" to Layup. But no - she's just a mistaken woman who can't be bothered to understand the odds. I felt some pity for her.
And it depressed me that no one else was winning. The best times at a casino are when everyone wins. This was an odd feeling - I'm winning but no one else can buy a hand.
We played another hour - the mood did not improve, and Layup fought back to even - but I never felt vengeful, or overjoyed at the table. I won 4 digits of profit - and yet I just wish Rhinestone would have shut her mouth and hept her head down when she sat at the table.
What's wrong with me? I am getting soft and emotional as I get older, aren't I?
As you probably guessed, 100% of the time was spent on UTH.
And not just normal UTH - this was Progressive! For an extra $1 (or more, I guess) on top of the trips, you have a side bet on the hand you form with your two hole cards and the three flop cards. A royal wins $75,000!
(Of course, no one came close).
Anyway, Layup and I settled in nicely - to his left, Layup made friends with a 60 year old Asian woman who knew no English but would engage Layup in a high-ten (two hands) when they both hit a winning hand. Stevie Williams and Tiger had better coordination.
Next to me was a 50-something woman who seemed to be Mexican by birth but was Americanized. Her and I would chat a bit about the hands - very friendly. Every once in a while, this strange male, about 25-30, who had some sort of mental defect would come over and hover; the lady would quickly scold him in Spanish, telling him to sit down over there and shut up. (Sientese alli! See, I still know some spanish.
After the third visit by this man, I gave my neighbor a quizzical look.
"That's my son. He fell into a pool when he was young, drowned and had some brain damage because of it."
Oh - sorry to hear that.
"Yes, he likes to come with me and hang out while I play. He's going in for surgery tomorrow - he's getting a skin graft - and he can't have anything to eat after midnight. So I have to keep an eye on him."
Um - ok. I will file that away in my brain - if any of you think I have a gambling problem (you know, taking my 7 month pregnant wife to play craps in a smoky Argosy casino, betting halftime lines for WNBA, driving 10 hours in one day to gamble)- I'll just throw this lady out as the counter example. I'm not as bad as her!
Anyway, about 2 hours in, I was winning some and Layup was up some too. Two ladies came over and occupied the seats at the far end of the table. One was a 60-year old country girl, dressed in a cowboy shirt that was adorned with rhinestones. I immediately thought "Ann Richards", but Layup beat me to it and whispered "Rhinestone Cowboy is here".
Two hands in - two hands! - she noticed that Layup and I were not playing the trips. Here we go again.
"You're not playing the trips? That's stupid. That's how you make money in this game! You have to play the trips!"
Before I could say anything, Layup pulls the "Shufflemaster" card out and says he works for Shufflemaster and said the Trips bet "is for suckers only". That shut everyone up for a while.
The mood of the table turned icy - but a strange thing happened. I started winning. And - oddly - I was the only one winning. Layup went on a losing streak; our friends started losing, and Rhinestone kept losing too. But I kept winning. I would guess that 40-50% of my hands were A-x, K-6 or higher or Q-J - --- all hands to go in 4x before the flop. I didn't win all of them, but I did win about 75% of them - that helps the bankroll.
Rhinestone started paying attention, and then was interested in our methods.
"You go 4x on any ace?"
Oh dear, I can see this coming a mile away. Yes, I replied.
"Hmmmmph...."
The next hand - the next one, I swear! - she got dealt an ace. She went 4x. She lost.
Three hands later, she got A-x again. She did not go 4x, she waited until the last round, went 1x - and won.
By then, the mood of the table was in the pits. No one was winning. Layup, who was up a few hundred, was now down to his last few bets. Our friends left.
But I kept on winning.
I felt sympathtic to the table - and even toward Rhinestone. Five years ago - one year ago? - I would have muttered "f*** her" to Layup. But no - she's just a mistaken woman who can't be bothered to understand the odds. I felt some pity for her.
And it depressed me that no one else was winning. The best times at a casino are when everyone wins. This was an odd feeling - I'm winning but no one else can buy a hand.
We played another hour - the mood did not improve, and Layup fought back to even - but I never felt vengeful, or overjoyed at the table. I won 4 digits of profit - and yet I just wish Rhinestone would have shut her mouth and hept her head down when she sat at the table.
What's wrong with me? I am getting soft and emotional as I get older, aren't I?
Aug 2, 2011
Chinese Young Love
In the Starbucks near work (actaully, on the 1st floor of our building), there is a notebook where aspiring young artists/poets/party memebers can write down their deepest thoughts & notes. I was flipping through it yesterday while waiting for my drink....and came across this.
Is this sarcastic? Quixote-ish? Encouraging? Who knows.....I will have to find Jason somehow....
Is this sarcastic? Quixote-ish? Encouraging? Who knows.....I will have to find Jason somehow....
Jet Lag
It's been a week now since we've been in China - and I think it's safe to say now that we are over the jet lag. It only took us 7 days!
(there is some sort of scientific study that it takes you one day to recover from jet lag for each time zone you travel. That may be true for 80-year olds, but cmon....3 days to recover from a visit to/from CA?)
We landed early Wednesday morning last week - after a 14 hour flight. Everyone took some sort of nap that day. At 6:30 pm, the boys were crying that they wanted to go to bed. They went to bed at 7 pm.
The whole house was up Thursday morning at 2:30 am.
On Friday, everyone was up at 4; on Saturday, it was 5. For 5 days, everyone was in bed sleeping at 10 pm - including us.
On Sunday, I tried to stay up to 10:30 pm at night, only to wake up at 4:30. On the bright side, I was able to watch the end of the golf and see my golfer, Gary Woodland, woefully underclub on 18 when he needed a birdie.
Only today are the boys finally waking up at the regular hour (7 am).
It's much, much tougher coming here than going from here to the US.
(there is some sort of scientific study that it takes you one day to recover from jet lag for each time zone you travel. That may be true for 80-year olds, but cmon....3 days to recover from a visit to/from CA?)
We landed early Wednesday morning last week - after a 14 hour flight. Everyone took some sort of nap that day. At 6:30 pm, the boys were crying that they wanted to go to bed. They went to bed at 7 pm.
The whole house was up Thursday morning at 2:30 am.
On Friday, everyone was up at 4; on Saturday, it was 5. For 5 days, everyone was in bed sleeping at 10 pm - including us.
On Sunday, I tried to stay up to 10:30 pm at night, only to wake up at 4:30. On the bright side, I was able to watch the end of the golf and see my golfer, Gary Woodland, woefully underclub on 18 when he needed a birdie.
Only today are the boys finally waking up at the regular hour (7 am).
It's much, much tougher coming here than going from here to the US.
Jul 31, 2011
Golf Notes for the future
Had a chance to play 6 rounds of golf while in the US. As most of you know, I have been struggling off the tee with the driver; the solid slight draw that I learned in 2003 and played until about 2007 is now gone, replaced by a hard pull-hook (lovingly called a spatula by Steve). Over the last 3 years, I really have had no good idea where the ball is going off the tee; I have been trying to hit a hard fade as the go-to shot.
That worked for a while. I hit it for the first round at Yankee, when I shot 79 (44-35, including a 40 yard chip in on the last). However, that fade went away the next day with Don and Mike in a disastorous round.
The next week I played with Steve and Kermit, and the power fade was working for about 7 holes; I was +2 and really should have been even. Then I hit an awful block-slice on 8, and that was it for me off the tee. The afternoon round at Granville was horrid - I can't recall any drive that hit the fairway in that round.
The next day I played with Janice's cousin at NorthStar, a new semi-private John Cook design just north of Columbus. Same thing - power fade works for 6-8 holes, then disappears. On the back side, after missing a 40-yard-wide fairway for the 4th hole in a row, I said "f it" and tried to hit the draw again.
It worked. Two tight draws to end the round, and they were the longest drives I've hit in 6 months. Right before i left, I snuck out to play Crooked Tree at 6 in the morning; I tried the same swing off the tee and put it out of play just once. That, unfortunately, is a vast improvement.
But something clicked. It felt right. Yes, this is the swing that worked in the mid-2000s. This is it. So, even though no one cares, here are the keys to the "magic" swing I found for the last 20 holes. I need to read this before each infrequent round of golf....
1. Line up square! Don't overcompensate by closing or opening the stance.
2. Line up to the right edge of the fairway
3. Normal backswing - don't exaggerate by taking it too far in or out.
4. Compact backswing - the complete opposite of Kermit's backswing.
5. On the downswing, pivot around left leg.
6. Swing out! Don't steer by "pulling" the clubhead. Swing out and trust it!
In fact, this song played in my head all through Iowa in 2004-05 to remind me of the in-to-out swing path. I regret I never had a chance to sing it to anyone this summer.
I'm the one you hurt
And I'm the one you need
I'm the one who cried
the one you used to meet
But you are pretendng you don't care
But the fire is still there!
Now we are much too young to love each other this way
I'll leave it to the commenters to name the title of this tune.
Jul 30, 2011
Back up and running
Hello again! We are back in China after a 4-week trip to the US. I first want to thank everyone for a great time during the last four weeks. Thanks to all for making the time to see us during the compressed schedule!
Once I got back, a lot of people here asked how my "vacation" was. Well, to be honest, only the last 4 days in California actually felt like a vacation! The three weeks in Cincinnati were a whirlwind - both Janice and Itried to work half the time and then take off the other half.....and that plan was a mixed success. It seems like we didn't have enough time for either. There may be some changes for next year's visit.
(Also, so many people told me when I got back here... "you look relaxed!" What do I normally look like? As uptight as Brad Childress?
What did I miss the most about the US? I think the freedom.....the freedom to go anywhere, drive anywhere. If I got up at 6:30 and wanted an Almond Joy Latte from the local coffee shop, I can get in the car and do that. Martin got a fever one night - so I hopped in the car at 11 pm and went to Kroger's. That just can't happen here, due to the fact that I can't drive and most stores aren't open at those hours.
The boys didn't miss a beat - we landed at 10 am on a Monday and asked if thye could play with their friends in the neighborhood that afternoon. And it truly felt- for them - like nothing had changed; they went right to their Wii games or legos, just like they did in summer of 2010.
However, China truly feels like home now. By the 4th week, we were looking forward to coming "home" to China. Even Freddie made that comment. That was unexpected.
Once we arrvied here, we were quickly reminded of the life in China in the summer; the smells and odors are very pungent in July. Just imagine a trash can sitting full on a city street in 95 degree heat 24 hours day - by day 3, it's fairly "ripe". Those are the smells we are greeted with as we walked to the store yesterday.
Oh - that and the cockroach found in our baby wipes drawer in the laundry room.
Many of you mentioned that you'd love to see more blogging - so I will try to create most posts for this coming year. We bought a laptop, so that should help a lot - I am currently blogging while eating Trix and ddrinking coffee at our dining room table. I'll make an effort to post more photos/comments in the future.
Once I got back, a lot of people here asked how my "vacation" was. Well, to be honest, only the last 4 days in California actually felt like a vacation! The three weeks in Cincinnati were a whirlwind - both Janice and Itried to work half the time and then take off the other half.....and that plan was a mixed success. It seems like we didn't have enough time for either. There may be some changes for next year's visit.
(Also, so many people told me when I got back here... "you look relaxed!" What do I normally look like? As uptight as Brad Childress?
What did I miss the most about the US? I think the freedom.....the freedom to go anywhere, drive anywhere. If I got up at 6:30 and wanted an Almond Joy Latte from the local coffee shop, I can get in the car and do that. Martin got a fever one night - so I hopped in the car at 11 pm and went to Kroger's. That just can't happen here, due to the fact that I can't drive and most stores aren't open at those hours.
The boys didn't miss a beat - we landed at 10 am on a Monday and asked if thye could play with their friends in the neighborhood that afternoon. And it truly felt- for them - like nothing had changed; they went right to their Wii games or legos, just like they did in summer of 2010.
However, China truly feels like home now. By the 4th week, we were looking forward to coming "home" to China. Even Freddie made that comment. That was unexpected.
Once we arrvied here, we were quickly reminded of the life in China in the summer; the smells and odors are very pungent in July. Just imagine a trash can sitting full on a city street in 95 degree heat 24 hours day - by day 3, it's fairly "ripe". Those are the smells we are greeted with as we walked to the store yesterday.
Oh - that and the cockroach found in our baby wipes drawer in the laundry room.
Many of you mentioned that you'd love to see more blogging - so I will try to create most posts for this coming year. We bought a laptop, so that should help a lot - I am currently blogging while eating Trix and ddrinking coffee at our dining room table. I'll make an effort to post more photos/comments in the future.
Jul 1, 2011
Welcome Home!
Well - we are back! We are here in the US for about 4 weeks for our annual return home. For me, it's about 50% work and 50% vacation - which means running around for doctor's appointments, clothes shopping, and to see everyone.
Some initial impressions about being back:
- it's cool in the morning! I never appreciated summer mornings when you wake up and it is 65 degrees. In Guangzhou, we haven't seen that temperature since April. It's amazing how refreshing that feels.
- the sun! Ow! My eyes! Constant sunlight! It's so bright!
- You can see the horizon - the sunsets - the morning sky. It's been clear here for the few days we've been back - and I never realized how much I've taken the "clear" sky for granted. You can see for miles! That's just not the case in Guangzhou. And Cincinnati isn't exactly what you call a "clean" sky - Iowa is 10x better - but the difference is remarkable.
- Martin has some eczema on his skin - that magically is clearing up nicely after just four days here in the US! Hmmmmmmm...
- My stomach is on overload. We got breakfast on Monday in the Detroit airport; I quickly ordered the "Sausage and Cheese sandwich on a Maple Biscuit". What genius invented this sandwich? Wow - heavenly. It's been nothing but bad food since then. And my stomach isn't processing it too well.....
Some initial impressions about being back:
- it's cool in the morning! I never appreciated summer mornings when you wake up and it is 65 degrees. In Guangzhou, we haven't seen that temperature since April. It's amazing how refreshing that feels.
- the sun! Ow! My eyes! Constant sunlight! It's so bright!
- You can see the horizon - the sunsets - the morning sky. It's been clear here for the few days we've been back - and I never realized how much I've taken the "clear" sky for granted. You can see for miles! That's just not the case in Guangzhou. And Cincinnati isn't exactly what you call a "clean" sky - Iowa is 10x better - but the difference is remarkable.
- Martin has some eczema on his skin - that magically is clearing up nicely after just four days here in the US! Hmmmmmmm...
- My stomach is on overload. We got breakfast on Monday in the Detroit airport; I quickly ordered the "Sausage and Cheese sandwich on a Maple Biscuit". What genius invented this sandwich? Wow - heavenly. It's been nothing but bad food since then. And my stomach isn't processing it too well.....
Jun 18, 2011
T-shirts
Something random for a Saturday: T-shirts.
Most of the T-Shirts that native Chinese are wearing have words in English.As you can imagine, the English on the shirts are mangled...
...but even on those where the English is not mangled, the T-shirts makes no sense.
I should keep a running list of confusing/hilarious/odd shirts that I have seen; the three that I saw over the past week:
"World Wide Wet" (with drops of water coming from the words)
"My Green in Greener than your Life" (the T-shirt had a camoflauge design)
and:
"Who the F*** is Mick Jagger? (yes, the word was spelled correctly on the shirt)
I just wonder who makes these shirt designs. Fascinating.
Most of the T-Shirts that native Chinese are wearing have words in English.As you can imagine, the English on the shirts are mangled...
...but even on those where the English is not mangled, the T-shirts makes no sense.
I should keep a running list of confusing/hilarious/odd shirts that I have seen; the three that I saw over the past week:
"World Wide Wet" (with drops of water coming from the words)
"My Green in Greener than your Life" (the T-shirt had a camoflauge design)
and:
"Who the F*** is Mick Jagger? (yes, the word was spelled correctly on the shirt)
I just wonder who makes these shirt designs. Fascinating.
Jun 15, 2011
US Open thoughts
Hi all....I know it's been a while since there's been a posting here - we've had computer problems (a week of the blue screen on startup), and life has been extremely busy.
But it is Open week! It's going to be weird to get home from work tomorrow, eat dinner, play with the kids, put them in bed.....and then go to the Slingbox and turn on ESPN to start watching the Open.
I'm truly excited for the tournament. It's wide open - and that's good. It should set up for a crowded finish, with 8-10 people within 2 shots of the lead. Everyone in the top 10 right now has flaws.....
(which means Ben Curtis will be your winner? Hey,he's got a good track record at Avenel.....)
Some quick takes on the tournament matchups on VIP: here's who I like (ok, here's who I love:)
Westwood -105 over Donald
Kaymer -115 over D Johnson
F Molinari -115 over Quiros
Glover -125 over Els
Poulter -105 over Snedeker
Vegas -115 over Fisher
Manassero -110 over Casey
Day +105 over Toms
8-way Parlay action!
But it is Open week! It's going to be weird to get home from work tomorrow, eat dinner, play with the kids, put them in bed.....and then go to the Slingbox and turn on ESPN to start watching the Open.
I'm truly excited for the tournament. It's wide open - and that's good. It should set up for a crowded finish, with 8-10 people within 2 shots of the lead. Everyone in the top 10 right now has flaws.....
(which means Ben Curtis will be your winner? Hey,he's got a good track record at Avenel.....)
Some quick takes on the tournament matchups on VIP: here's who I like (ok, here's who I love:)
Westwood -105 over Donald
Kaymer -115 over D Johnson
F Molinari -115 over Quiros
Glover -125 over Els
Poulter -105 over Snedeker
Vegas -115 over Fisher
Manassero -110 over Casey
Day +105 over Toms
8-way Parlay action!
May 25, 2011
Why?
Why have I heard "Auld Lang Syne" on the elevator twice in the past week? And why did I hear "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" by Burl Ives at Starbucks on Saturday?
Why is there a small trash can in every public restroom stall? *
Why - since everyone here lives in an apartment building with elevators - does no one here have any common courtesy? Why are these sort of things commonplace:
- anytime the door opens, people think it is their turn to get on - or off- the elevator. It's a mass traffic jam at the ground floor when all the people are trying to get off when the doors open - and the people coming in don't wait and try to get on at the same instant.
- at least once per day I get on the elevator and go up; the elevator stops at a few floors and then some lady giggles; she pushes the button of a floor we already past. It never fails. People don't realize they past their floor. Why?
- at least one per week, I get to the elevator, and I see a person standing next to the elevators, apparently waiting......but the "up" or "down" button is not pushed. I push "up"; it comes, and the person gets in with me and we go up.
Um - do you think it magically knows you are there? You do have to push the button, you know....
And speaking of elevators,
Why is this KFC commercial constantly playing in our office elevator? Do people actually buy this?
(No, I have not tried it - yes, I want to. I will file a full report once I order it).
(thanks to Keith for the link to the commercial)
* - I actually know this answer....I just would like some of you to guess why.
Why is there a small trash can in every public restroom stall? *
Why - since everyone here lives in an apartment building with elevators - does no one here have any common courtesy? Why are these sort of things commonplace:
- anytime the door opens, people think it is their turn to get on - or off- the elevator. It's a mass traffic jam at the ground floor when all the people are trying to get off when the doors open - and the people coming in don't wait and try to get on at the same instant.
- at least once per day I get on the elevator and go up; the elevator stops at a few floors and then some lady giggles; she pushes the button of a floor we already past. It never fails. People don't realize they past their floor. Why?
- at least one per week, I get to the elevator, and I see a person standing next to the elevators, apparently waiting......but the "up" or "down" button is not pushed. I push "up"; it comes, and the person gets in with me and we go up.
Um - do you think it magically knows you are there? You do have to push the button, you know....
And speaking of elevators,
Why is this KFC commercial constantly playing in our office elevator? Do people actually buy this?
(No, I have not tried it - yes, I want to. I will file a full report once I order it).
(thanks to Keith for the link to the commercial)
* - I actually know this answer....I just would like some of you to guess why.
May 21, 2011
Sports Blogging, part 2
Time for a bowling outing!
A few weeks ago, 5 families got together for a bowling outing at the local lanes - new lanes at the Asia Games sports center.
(Do you sense a theme here? A lot of the "infrastructure" improvements in the city were all sprruedon by the city hosting the Asia games last fall. That's why many veteran ex-pats here just shake their heads at all the changes they have seen in this city in the past 5 years. It really has become a modern city.)
It's a very modern facility a 32-lane center with (of course) automated scoring and bumpers, if needed. They had shoes my size (size 11!) and the lanes were extremely well lit. The flags of the participating countries were still hanging from the ceiling.
The ball racks were all labeled; you would see a "9" on a rack, and that means that's where the 9 lb balls go there. I thought that was ingenious. No more wasting 10 minutes at the beginning trying to find a proper ball.
However, the downside: there were racks and racks of 8, 10, 11, 12 lb balls; in the whole 32 lane facility, there were 6 15-lb balls and 3 16-lb balls. That's it. It's like the complete opposite of the US, where there is one 8 lb ball for the kids and 3,562 16 lb balls for Vito and his pals.
(The adults did get to bowl one game; my 138 was not that awful, considering it's been 18 months since I bowled and the presence of 2 Chinese kids crawling all over the ball return system while I bowled. It's not a jungle gym.....)
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