Golf Clinics

I have talked alot about our family playing golf. At our local golf course they have a clinic for $5 a person on Saturday mornings. It is a great deal - there are usually 10-15 kids and three pros. This past week we had 5 pros. They talk to the kids about the rules for a minute and then show them how to properly grip the club and then for 50 minutes they hit balls while the pros go around and help instruct the kids. The first week Nichole (read a past post) had a hard time. This week she is hitting the ball on every swing, she has developed a little hook but Dale, the pro in the picture, fixed that this week. She hit a couple balls nice and straight - she told me that she loves the feeling of hitting a great shot. Kristine is doing great too - she picked it up from the start. Zoe had a friend at the class and she was really impressed with Josh the young pro that likes to tee golf ball with a match and it makes a fire cracker sound when he hits it. Oh and they get Otter Pops at the end of class.

For years the girls have had Saturday jobs. Your know - clean your room, clean your bathroom, clean up the loft where you play, vacuum and then one or two jobs to help the household. Not too much to ask - right - in return you get free room and board - you get to watch cable TV, play on the computer and a host of other things that are fun. But for years it had been a battle - it could take our girls six hours to do their jobs, we have one that does them so fast they miss things and have to re-do and we have another one that is as slow as a turtle. I got to where I hated Saturdays and I dare not plan anything because it may take us until six o'clock at night and we will still be working on our jobs - don't laugh it happened once.

But that has changed - I simply tell the girls that if you want to go to the golf clinic on Saturday morning that Saturday jobs needed to be done. I came home Friday to a fever pitch of activity - everyone was working to get their jobs done - even Zoe. It was fantastic - this was not the first week that it has happened. So the girls got all their jobs done and we all went golfing at 8:30 on Saturday.

Nichole is Not Hooked on Phonics - post rated PG-13

On Saturday the girls got all their jobs done and we all went golfing at 8:30 am. I am trying to get everyone out to the truck and I go upstairs to see Nichole is doing her hair - I told her that she needed to be ready to go in two minutes - I get the "Yes Dad".


Three minutes later Nichole comes out to the truck and I proceed to tell her that she can just put her hair in a ponytail and then put a hat on. She looks over and says I don't have a hat - I fire back - I'll get you a hat but in the meantime you can wear one of mine - Oh like your camo hat or your Suns hat - sure both awesome hats. Then she says or your "tit-less" hat - What?? I was so shocked that I said it out loud. Then Nichole says your "titl- ist" hat. I am laughing and looking for someone else who find this a little bit humorous but I then I notice that I was the only one laughing. Kristine and Zoe are looking at me like - what's so funny. I'm said you didn't just hear what she said - Kristine of course repeats it and I'm like ok ok enough. It had been a long week and I really did need to laugh - I love it when I don't even see it coming - Nichole was referencing the Titliest hat that I was wearing.

Now this is where I return to my 12 year old days - but it gives me joy. Penni had to work on Saturday so later that night I came walking in the house and I purposely wore my Titliest hat - Nichole sees me and says "you are still wearing your "Tit-less" hat." I immediately look at Penni just as she about falls off the couch - "What?? Nichole do you know what you are saying?". I try to help by telling the story and what made it so funny is that Nichole had know idea what she was saying. Penni said to me "You didn't tell her what it meant?" Ah no and miss seeing your reaction - you must not know me - Hi, my name is Todd glad to meet you - I may look old but at times act like I am still 12 - I love jr. high jokes. Then Penni tells Nichole what it meant and in true Penni fashion did it in the most graphic way possible - that's what we get for having a nurse for a mom. Anyway I needed a good laugh - sorry if you read this and you were offended. But if you hung out with me at all this weekend you would hear the story anyway - the things that kids say coupled with Penni's reaction - makes for a good laugh.

President's Day

On Sunday Zoe gave a talk in Primary about families, she said one thing that she loves about her family - is playing golf. Given all the things that we do as a family - she likes playing golf, I found that very interesting. Then after church I was taking Nichole and Zoe home to get dinner started - Nichole asked me when are we going golfing. Again this took me by surprise because Nichole is not into anything physical. So I made a mental note - they both must really like to golf- huh.

So Monday I had to work but I tried really hard to be home early enough to take the family to the driving range for FHE. I pulled in the driveway at 5 with enough daylight left to make it happen - I went inside to find out that I needed to fix the sink before we can go because the girls have still not figured out that potato peels can't go down the drain. I had to yell about four times that if you want to go golfing turn off the TV and get out in the truck. Then Nichole goes and grabs her piano books - what?? because she has a piano lesson at 5:30. I thought that this is just not happening how I had it planned it out in my mind - but I pushed on. I grab the other two girls and the Queen of the house and we make it to the driving range - get the clubs and walk out to the range. Then I am like what is that smell - of course some guy is smoking a cigar - so I have a quickly make a choice either make a scene or just move to the other end of the range. Given my night I really wanted to make a scene - but it was FHE so I thought the better of it. Then here is where I make a big mistake - I have been a Dad for too many years to make this rookie mistake - I had one token in my pocket to get a bucket of balls and I gave it to one of my daughters saying go get a bucket and share it with your sister. That turned into the lovely game of "she has more balls than me". We had the Head Pro hitting balls on one side of us and then a cute little family of three boys on the other. I get the balls all distributed and told everyone to keep their mouths shut and just hit the golf balls. Then I made my way back to sit with Penni on a bench that was a couple of feet away, in the meantime I made some small talk to the mother of the boys. I sit down with Penni and one of my daughters says "She just tooted!" then I hear " No I didn't". Thinking, please someone just shoot me - so I take a walk and go to the Pro Shop to get another token to get more balls and I come back and give the token to the other daughter to go get the last bucket of balls. Then we fight over the distribution of the balls again. On the drive home I think to myself - why do they love to go play golf????

Valentine's Day

Probably not your prototypical Valentine's Day post - but who wants to be typical. I started off my Valentine's prep by standing in line for 1 1/2 hours on Wednesday night to get my sweetheart her only gift request for Valentine's Day. But after an hour and 15 minutes I couldn't stand it any longer and had to voice my opinion on how poorly ran this See's Candy store was - and give my opinion on how to truly focus on the customer.

Please bear in mind that this was only after the Manager, yes the Manager had rung up the wrong dollar amount on the third customer because she kept having fat fingers, for example, ringing up 6 pecan rolls instead of 3 pecan rolls. The customers were no the sharpest tool in the shed and didn't realize that they probably paid too much for their 3 pecan rolls ($50) until they got out in the car. So I finally said to the manager - again only after hearing her feeble explanation as to why we had to wait so long to get our candy. She said we should feel luckily because we didn't have to wait 3 hours, like the people in Chandler. I said to myself - so there is someone out there that is slower than the two of you. That was enough I couldn't stand it any longer - I said at 5 o'clock you had four people working -but only two behind the counter servicing customers and one on the register taking care of people that just wanted to get prepackaged items. Side note - no prepackaged items for my sweet-heart. Then you were in the the back getting boxes to stock the shelves - couldn't this have waited until you were closed and all the customers were served - guess not. Then at 6 o'clock (closing time) one person behind the counter went home and you had the person behind the register stock the shelves, while you went behind the counter. Instead you should have had put the three of you behind the counter and no one stocking the shelves until all the customers were served. Then all three of you could stock the shelves. I bet that you would be finished sooner with that method than the current method. Instead 10 people have to watch this inefficiently ran store. She said that I did make a good point - and four other customers agreed with me - the measure of your success should not be measured by not having the longest wait times in the valley. Every time I come here I see the same couple of things. Customers that stand in this line for long periods of time and then get up to the counter and still have not figured out what they want (as I said this there were two such customers in the front of the line). Secondly, you up sale the heart shaped boxes without telling the customers that they cost more until you ring them up and the bill is $14 higher than they thought and we have to wait again while you transfer all their candy to the free box and wrap it. I have tried to cure this mishap myself by yelling out "isn't that box more expensive" and very time the customer goes back to the good ole' free box with the free wrapping paper. But now I have a third - stocking the shelves with crap that none of your current customers want - while customers stand in line - and I am pretty sure that your best employee is out here stocking shelves and not back there helping customers. Because I saw her in action for 5 minutes behind the counter and she was twice as fast of anyone else. But don't worry I don't expect anything to change because why should you - I don't come here for the customer service, I don't even like your candy - I come here because "what my babe, wants by babe gets", and she likes her some Sees Candy. So I will be back on Mother's Day, and in August for her birthday and during Christmas - standing in this slow moving line while my heart rate goes up because of how poorly Sees runs their stores. I realize that doesn't not give you any motivation to improve because we are all here for that same reason - just look at the customer you are helping now -3lbs of polar bear claws - why?? because his wife loves them and eats two or three a day. Plus I forget all of this when I get the one thing that I ask for Valentine's Day.

Now you may say - Todd pull your head out and just go 10 days before Valentine's Day and get the candy when the lines are short - I thought that you had average intelligence. I would say - great point!!! But my sweetheart likes her candy "fresh" - and 10 days old is not fresh my friend (I have been told) - the debt card purchase is a dead give-away as to when I made my purchase. You might say then pay with cash and she will never know - oh you simpleton - because I will get the question "why did we go to QT and spend $21.45" - honey I got some cash ($20) and a drink ($1.45) - what did we use the cash for - aaaaawwwww - to buy some candy that would not be "fresh" for Valentine's Day.

*** Just a disclaimer - I have somewhat of a weight problem and to maintain this body shape I sometimes spend a little extra money on food purchases. So that is why I get questioned on some of my purchases - only because someone loves me. ***