Reconnecting with my past....

So sorry about the time delay between blogs but this trip is becoming a bear... People are coming out of the woodwork wanting to see me (imagine that!) and I am doing my best to accommodate them. I am not complaining because Friday and Saturday turned out to be memorable accommodations...

Friday morning came and a tee time was calling and I was extremely excited about playing...(ok, so I was more excited than usual). I had recently reconnected with my cousin on my father's side of the family (thanks, Sheryl) when my sister visited her on Long Island and we talked about the US Open and getting together on Saturday the 20th. I had mentioned to her (Lynn) that I was playing golf (what else?) on Friday with my friend Vic and she said her dad (Uncle Ray) wanted to know where we were playing so maybe he could join us... (After my Dad passed away I lost touch with his side of the family, all the fault falling on yours truly for not making the effort necessary to stay in touch). I told her it was at the course Ray and I had played years ago and found out he was a member there. He arranged to have Vic and I join him and blew off his regular group to play with us...(what a move!). He also saved us some serious coin by letting us drop his name when we paid our greens fees...

Of course, I was late arriving at the course...(nasty habit I have never been able to rectify) but in time for our tee time... There was Uncle Ray, 82 years young and ready to go. It was like looking at my father again and the emotion of seeing him after all this time was overwhelming to say the least. Other than the fact that he is older and has some medical issues (don't we all as we get older?) he was as sharp and funny and as Uncle Rayish as I remember. Victor called him "Uncle Ray" all day and we helped him navigate around the course... (because the weather has been so miserable, the carts had to remain on the path so Vic and I took turns moving his so he could walk on solid ground). We laughed and reminisced and joked and insulted each other through all 18 glorious holes and even though I played poorly, it really didn't seem to matter. The company was worth every missed shot and failed putt. After the round, I followed Uncle Ray, sort of... (he drove like a Nascar driver, driving his age) to his home and visited with Aunt Dot (Dorothy) while he changed to go to his grandson's graduation dinner. We took some pictures and exchanged email addresses and promised we would keep in touch (a promise I intend to keep). I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did...(I think they did). All in all, it a day I'll never forget.

Saturday was another keeper. After surviving Friday's round without any rain (the sun even made an appearance!) it didn't look too promising for Saturday. I arrived at the course and met Lynn and her husband (it was seven years since I last saw her) and we set off under overcast skies... The course was packed...(with so much rain, any chance to play brought out everyone and their uncle--none of them mine). Around the 7th hole the rain started...but we were determined to make the full 18. Lynn and I rode together and remembered (sort of) some old times when I was still a drinking man and we laughed and cursed and had a blast. Again the round was weak on my part (I hope this isn't setting a dangerous precedent) but it was such a good time that I didn't care about my score. I had time to follow Lynn back to her house and I got the grand tour (she has a beautiful home) and met Bailey, her dog. He met the petting machine (me) and we became great friends... I left Long Island and headed north to meet my Newburgh friends for dinner...

And became reacquainted with New York City traffic... 3 1/2 hours later I made it to the restaurant in Newburgh (Paris (GPS) said the trip would be around 2 hours, obviously not accounting for bumper to bumper traffic on every highway she directed me to). A great dinner and a great cigar after (thanks, John) followed by a pretty good band in the cigar lounge and this weary traveller could have slept on the speakers while they were still playing... Finally made it to Billy's house and fell asleep within seconds of the light being turned off. What a weekend!! And we still had Sunday to go...