My first round of Golf... ever! And a Happy 4th of July!

It's been a summer of firsts. Or rather, I've just gotten more ambitious and have been trying new things. I make casseroles now. Ya know, so I can eat it for at least one meal a day all week and save some moo-lah in the process. I've been playing Ultimate Frisbee too, which I guess I've played during prior summers, but not with "skill" and "many other people." So I guess I could qualify it this way "I play Ultimate Frisbee with something resembling skill" for the first time this summer. I also took up tennis this summer. Or AM taking up tennis currently. My friend Crowther and I are getting pretty decent. I mean, we've only had two rounds of play, but I can see some improvement! Now that I feel I have the hang of it - I'm going to see what I can do to learn some technique. Plus, it doesn't hurt to take advantage of the sun for several hours a couple times a week... or everyday anytime I can possibly venture outside! I love being outside. And I'm fairly certain that I have that seasonal depression syndrome... disorder... whatever. Though my last 3 winters have been uncannily CRAPPY, it wasn't due to the snow for the most part. Rather, twas due to life circumstances. So I can't say for sure if seasonal depression plays a hand in my dread of winter; or if life's crappy happenings have just happen to fall during the winter months for the past while and thus I fear winter all the more when I might otherwise not. Again, THIS approaching winter seems to have some more life stability and thus will function as my "control" to see if I really am extra depressed in the winter because its winter.

ANY-WAY! The point of this post is to discuss my newest ambition; Golf. For some reason I had it in my mind if you didn't start golfing earlier in life - like say High School - you really can't pick it up. It was this mysterious "man sport" I felt might be beyond my natural athletic prowess. Yes, I had a "golf block" in my mind. Thinking I'd never really be decent enough to enjoy the sport. Granted, I'd only ever been to a driving range or mini-golfed on many a "first date", but never actually played a round of golf beyond the occasional Wii game. Still, for some unknown reason, I'd already resigned myself to sucking at it. Well, come to find...

This weekend I went to Emery County for the 4th of July. Holla! I had Friday off work and, after playing my new sport tennis in the morning, left SLC around 10:30 and arrived in Huntington around mid-afternoon. After dinking about for a couple hours my little brother, Taylor, said "alright, lets go golf." Er... golf? I've never golfed! Not ever! Yeah! YEAH! I want to try golfing! So Taylor and I loaded up some hand-me-down golf clubs that included a myriad of clubs inherited from brothers and mom, and headed to the Millsite Golf Course in Ferron. I was pretty excited about the whole thing. I'd finally get to play a real round of golf and see if I really would completely suck at it.

Here is the brother and our golf bags. Check out that yellow one. Isn't that rad? Old School! We be golfing Vintage!

With Taylor as Coach, we began our 9 holes. He got off to a decent start; beginning with a nice high strait drive on the first hole. Great. I hope I can even keep it on the green! Of course I golfed from the "women's" line which honestly - is really far beyond the mens. I mean, are women THAT disadvantaged? Psh. We're even closer than the Senior golfers! D'oh well. It's my first time so I can't already start scoffing at gender discrepancies on the golf course (but really - Seniors? Psh).

Alright, here I go, my first drive. Bend the knees. Check! Line it up... left left.. my left... Check! Bum wiggle. Check! Concentrate. And... WOOSH! Connect! Sail much farther than either of us expected in the air and landing comparable to Taylors ball. Wha!??! Well both Taylor and myself were rather surprised and my high strait drive. Huh. Beginners luck? Maybe. I actually do have beginners luck most of the time. But as the day progressed, it seemed that this luck was more of a natural ability to drive a golf ball. Now, my short game sucked. Chipping and putting left something to be greatly desired. But my drives - oh yes - they were pretty stinking good!

Here I am just before one such drive of awesomeness!

And what Emery County golf experience would be complete without a cow on the course? I ask you!

And lastly, Millsite Golf Course is a little gem here in central Utah. The scenery was lovely. I can see how this sport is very therapeutic.

We didn't keep score - because that would've been discouraging - but I'd say my first golfing experience was pretty good! In fact, I want to go back and try again. Taylor mentioned it would be addicting - and I think he's right. Perhaps I can even call myself a golfer one day. Eh? Well at any rate - perhaps my next "golf date" we can skip the mini-golf and go strait to a real course. Impress them with my wicked driving skills. Maybe even act like it's my first time and then BAM! "Ohhh te he he... was that good?" Grin. Eye bat.

The rest of my weekend consisted of going camping with the family where it rained for several hours and after we'd made it out to the camping spot my Grandpa favors at the edge of the WORLD, realized we'd forgotten our tent poles. Yep. So we ended up sleeping in the back of cars and mooching off some relatives. It all worked out in the end and I was able to relax in the sunshine with my novel and soda. Mmm hmm. It's the American dream really; being able to cook meat outside wherever and whenever we want; enjoying the beauty, uniqueness, and grandeur that is the US of A. Can't think of a better place anywhere else in the world really. I count my 4th of July, though low key, a success and now am gearing up for the REAL Utah Holiday - the 24th of July. Now you want to see a party... come to Utah for Pioneer Day. Thems some good times! Maybe I'll play a few rounds of golf... or tennis... or ultimate frisbee... and cook a casserole to top it all off. Pioneers dig casseroles.