Birdies, Spread Eagles and Hot Dogs: Back Into The Swing of Things

Birdies, Spread Eagles and Hot Dogs: Back Into The Swing of Things: "What a week!! Like David Hasselhoff's music, this blog is now huge around the globe! I would like to welcome my new readers..."

Back Into The Swing of Things

What a week!!  

Like David Hasselhoff's music, this blog is now huge around the globe!

            

I would like to welcome my new readers in Aruba, Russia, and Israel...

**To my reader in Aruba, I am going there for my honeymoon!  Can't wait!**

This week was big for my golf but slow on nitrogen sticks (hot dogs)...

Last Friday was my first round of the year, (a.k.a. rust round), and who else would you rather have your first round with than your college roommates.  The very people who/will can make fun of you like no one else could. 

Chip a ball badly? They make fun of you. 

Miss a tap in putt?  They make fun of you.  

Shank a drive into the woods?  They make fun of you.  Muntz, Black Eye, and UPS made the the weekend of golf enjoyable as only they could...  Oh and Muntz hated on the blog... ouch. 

Friday:

Drove 5.5 hours from Boston to Binghamton, NY to visit the college roommates for the annual NFL draft/Golf Weekend extravaganza. Due to the Binghamton, NY area having flooding problems only 2 of the 14 golf courses in the area were open.  We ended up driving to PA to find a course that was dry...

Course: Tall Pine Players Club  

Weather: 51, drizzle and sideways rain

Holes Completed: 15

Hot Dogs Consumed: 1

Hot Dog:  Sysco Truck Special

Flavor: F

Condiments: F

This is the same crappy Hot Dog from Cannon Mountain.   

For the first time in my life, I had to quit playing. I was soaking wet and frozen.

Too cold, and my hands hurt everytime I swung to club...

I had 3 pars in the 15 holes I played, I think I shot a 50 on the front, 3 pars and three 6's, and a 7... yikes!

Saturday:

Black Eye (soon to be married in Buffalo) joined us for the weekend, and we played Endwell Greens, in Endwell, NY.  Course was soaking wet, I lost 12 balls in 18 holes (that's what .... said) everytime I hit one, they kept plugging.  

Course: Endell Greens, Endwell, NY  

Weather: 65, and sunny but chilly in the wind

Holes Completed: 18

Hot Dogs Consumed: 0   :-(

Saturday was a frustrating day for a few reasons:

1) Plugging Golf Balls

2) I ate too much at breakfast to want to have a hot dog at lunch (Mrs. Muntz made a fresh cinnamon roll and a breakfast casa-role)

3) UPS and I blew a 4 shot lead with 6 holes to play

4) UPS and I both missed a 7 foot putt at the end to tie Muntz and Black Eye.... I flat out choked. 

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Odds and Ends:

1) Did they really make a Fast and Furious 5?

Why?

2) Frozen Buns is currently yelling at the biggest loser for having a cheesy make-over episode.

Oh, and what the hell is that new trainer guy doing?  Dance moves?  Are you kidding me?  How does this burn calories?

3) Big shout out to the Navy Seals!

Thank you for everything!

Until next time...

I love Hot Dogs, not Habs

Greetings!

Is anyone else out there watching the Bruins vs Habs game?
My disgust for the Canadians has been well documented in this forum, but Carey Price has literally saved the Habs season 5 times in the 3rd period... Crazy...

Also, if I see the Habs flop, or dive again like Paul Pierce I am going to lose my mind...

You must be asking yourself:
"Chris, please move to the Hot Dogs you consumed this evening!?!?"
Fine then...away we go...

Hot Dogs Consumed:  3
Buns : Shaw's Light Wheat - Half thawed, "Frozen Buns" pulled them from the freezer this AM. I toasted them for a few minutes.  Perfectly done if I say so myself.
Hot Dog:  Oscar Meyer Turkey Franks

These Hot Dogs were just as crappy as my previous "Spring, about time..." post about them.
All beef or old school mystery meat hot dog is the way to go.  Turkey should be saved for Thanksgiving, and even then I prefer ham. I only had these tonight because they were part of a Shaw's buy one get, one deal.

On the bright side... they are healthier so I will look good for my wedding Tuxedo in a few weeks!

GOLF:  I am playing golf this weekend with my college buddies for our annual NFL draft weekend.
A common question I am sure you ask yourself when reading this:
 "Chris, you write like a 4th grader... you went to college?
Yes I did.

I will be playing Friday and Saturday, check back for pictures and my scores!

Until next time!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all of my readers!

I hit the driving range yesterday.
It was 40 degrees and raining sideways.

It wasn't a ton of fun, especially because my dad hit it farther than me on a few shots.
Please note: My dad took up golf last year, and he is in his 60's.

Photos will be added later of my miserable rust-off driving range experience.

Update-------------------------------------------------------------->
As promised!

I hate rain!

The toys...

Birdies, Spread Eagles and Hot Dogs: What do I swing?

Birdies, Spread Eagles and Hot Dogs: What do I swing?: "I got an email from a reader asking: What is in my golf bag?.... So here you go... (while watching the Bruins*) *The Bruins are the only te..."

What do I swing?

I got an email from a reader asking: What is in my golf bag?.... So here you go... (while watching the Bruins*)
*The Bruins are the only team I cheer for in Boston... that and I loathe the Montreal Canadians. I think it has to do something with my childhood vacations to Wildwood Crest/Cape May, NJ and how the French Canadians would run around on the beach in speedos...  Creeped me out.  No offense to the two people in Canada who read this blog...

WHAT DO I SWING?

WOODS

*Cleveland Launcher Golf Driver (9 deg) circa 2008
I can hit this anywhere between 250 to 275 yards right of where I am aiming.
I literally need a football field wide fairway to land the ball.  I can't afford to play a lot, therefore I slice.
*Cleveland Launcher 3 - Wood
Top Flight Intimidator 5- Wood

IRONS

*Cleveland Launcher 3 iron hybrid

                 *Remember when George W gave everyone money during the economic downturn and he asked everyone to spend it? Well I did. On my Driver, 3-Wood and hybrid.

I swing Titleist DCI Oversized Irons.  I mean how sexy is this picture?

I swing the 4 iron through PW

These irons have been there for me through good times and bad. I have had them since I was 17 and have had them re-gripped 4 times.  I can roll out of bed after not playing for months and hit my 7 iron 160 yards straight as an arrow.  We were meant to be together.  I worked harder for these than any other thing I have ever bought, I hope to have them for a long long time.

If my apartment was on fire and I had to grab a few things, I could rank them as:
1) Yankees Memorabilia
2) Fiance Mary (aka Frozen Bun)
3) Titleist 7 iron
4) Wallet/Keys/Phone

WEDGES

Last year, I was part (a small part) of a team that won a golf tournament in Windham, NH.
Winners got a gift certificate, so I bought a new Titleist Vokey 56 degree wedge.  It is so much fun to swing from just inside 100 yards.  It feels like you are throwing darts.

I also carry a rusty old Titleist Vokey Wedge (58 deg) and a lob wedge which I should throw into the woods.  I use this club about once a year because all I ever do is skull the ball 30 yards over the green.  This is the year I snap it over my knee.

PUTTER

I putt with an old Ping Darby putter. Why?  Because it is awesome.
It is heavy, and has been reliable over the years. Why would I mess with a good thing?

I am hitting the range this weekend!
Hopefully going out soon for a rust round...

Until next time...

Frozen Buns!!!

So last night was my worst nightmare...
Came home starving after the gym, and there was barely any food in the fridge.

I looked behind a grapefruit and found four hot dogs.
All beef, premium hot dogs from Oscar Meyer yum...

Things were looking up... until... NOOOOOOOO!!!!
There were no fresh buns??!?!?!  My lovely fiance decided to put them in the freezer. Such actions could possibly cancel a wedding, but she is prettier than I am so I dealt with it like any hot dog fan would.
I grilled the $hit out of the buns to thaw them.

What should I have done?
The results were mixed, some buns came out well, others tasted like cardboard.

On a happier note, I would like to take a moment and wish our loyal B,SE and HD follower Luke a happy birthday.

Until next time...

I gutted it out!

I went for a bike ride today.
It was freezing cold, but I did it.
Wore an UA top, and a fleece

Weapon of choice : Trek 1.5 Roadbike
Dragon Slayed : Minuteman Bike Trail
Weather : Windy, and 43 degrees
Trail traffic: Minimal
Top Speed : 22.6 MPH
Avg Speed : 12.6 MPH

I only did 16 miles, but it felt great to be outside, and doing something.

Prize for finishing:

This is from the checkout aisle.

Until next time...

Spring... about time...

Sorry for the delay in posting, life got busy for a few weeks.
Time to rant.

1) Why do people live in New England?
Spring is taking forever, what kind of weather is this?

What am I supposed to do today?
Too cold to go golfing at Fresh Pond, skiing is too far away and not in my budget right now, I have a road bike, but I don't have the cold weather gear...
I might go to the gym, but going to the gym and running on a treadmill like a hamster is as appealing as watching paint dry or assembling IKEA furniture...

But... I can start looking at golf gear..

Have you heard about Rockbottomgolf.com?
Amazing deals...
I highly recommend this site for balls, clubs, and shoes.
Never had problem with anything I got from there.

2) Did anyone else buy the Groupon for golf a few days back?
It was for the Sterling Golf Properties around Boston...

Check this deal out:
$30 for 18 holes at one of these four courses, and a cart.

Which one of these should I play?
Make this the new poll question? I think yes.
Will I review the course, and hot dogs in the snack shack when I am done playing? I think yes.

• Shattuck Golf Club in Jaffrey, NH.
• Norwood Country Club in Norwood.
• Newton Commonwealth Golf Course in Newton.
• Chelmsford Country Club in Chelmsford.

3) Hot Dogs.  I have been catching some heat from a loyal reader about this topic of late and my lack of reviewing them.  So here I am, how do you like me now?

I hate to admit this, but with my wedding coming up, I need to trim down a bit.
So I have been opting for Oscar Meyer Turkey Franks, and these Hebrew National All Beef 97% fat free hot dogs.

On to the ratings:

Oscar Meyer Turkey Franks: B+

Flavor - B

Hot Dog to Length Ratio - A+

Look out of the package - C

Calories per wiener = 120

Hebrew National 97% fat free: C

Flavor: D

Hot Dog to Length Ratio: B+

Look out of the package: B

Calories per wiener: 40*

*I am almost embarrassed to call myself a man after eating these, might as well have been tofu

Notes:  If you have a chance to eat these, don't.  They taste like rubber, and I had to char the hell out of them on the grill to make them remotely consumable. 

Birthday

Happy Birthday to me.
I planned on taking this day off to go skiing but mother nature gave me the finger by having it be 50 degrees outside and sunny. As my loyal Birdies, Spread Eagles and Hot Dogs fans know, no one loves slushy mash potato snow...

Off to redbones bbq to eat a lot of meat, possible a hot dog.

http://www.redbones.com/

Editors note: Zero hot dogs, went for the ribs.

Teaser Alert:  Eating Hot Dogs this weekend... Hebrew National.   Mazel Tov!

Cannon Mountain - 2/5/11

Cannon Mountain - Franconia Notch State Park, NH


This was day 2 of the bachelor party.  The bachelor party team grew by a few so a few of us hit Cannon Mountain and the rest went back to Loon down I-93. This was my first time at Cannon.  Before arriving all I ever knew about Cannon was that it is cold, and icy.   Well, it lived up to both the cold and the icy, but we were able to find a few trails with unbelievable snow and bumps over by, and underneath the Zoomer lift..


Highlight of the Day - One run down without our shirts on.
Two of the clowns I skied with thought it would be funny to take off our shirts, and jackets and ski down the mountain underneath the chairlift singing.  I thought this would be cold... but it was actually awesome and made a few people laugh, so I was happy.  Sadly, my phone was in the lodge, and the only phone we had was dead, so there are no pictures of the frozen fur we had flying down the hill.  Next time...


Special Shout Out : The guys who worked the Zoomer lift.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear a bit of reggae and Ben Harper while waiting in line.  They made me question my job, and quality of life...  Well done.



Ratings (OUT OF 10):
Price - $54, with the college discount
Snow - 9
Lift Lines - 8
Parking -  6 
-Busy Saturday, parked a little bit away from the hill, but all in all not bad. Except when I went to pick up someone in my group the parking attendant (waiving the wand you see the guys on the tarmac at Logan Airport waive) yelled at us for stopping the car in a no stopping zone area, which was not marked. So minus 1 for the attendant being a turd.
Hot Dogs - 1 
- NO TOASTED BUN -  Do you ever take a bite into something and think... this is a bad idea?  Taking a bite of this hot dog was a gamble. Luckily, my stomach decided to deal with it.  Never fun to gamble and lose.
** WARNING**  If you are going to Cannon Mountain, bring your own ketchup.  This is probably the worst hot dog situation I have come across in all of my 27 years.  Not only were the hot dogs horrible, but the ketchup, mustard, and relish were all watered down.  I mean seriously? 
Cookie - 2  
** HORRIBLE **  This was supposedly chocolate chunk, but I decided it was more like a chocolate/crap/sugar/molasses mix.
Bar in lodge - 8
Two miller lites were a little steep  $7 each, but it tasted amazing after a day of tearing it up on the hill.

Count:
Skiers in jeans - 0
Skiers in starter jackets - 0
Ski stickers collected - 4


Song I am listening to while blogging - Fireworks by Glee Cast . I wish I could make this up.


Until next time...  Possibly going to Gunstock or Mt.Sunapee this week!

Loon Mountain, Lincoln, NH - 2/3/11

Loon Mountain  - 2/4/11
I was here for a bachelor party.  This was the first stop of the weekend, the next day we went to Cannon.  We stayed at the groom to be's family condo a quarter mile away from the hill.  We split up into a few groups,  I was able to ski with the groom for two runs until he almost puked on the lift and had to turn back.  I skied on and my ratings are below...

Ratings (OUT OF 10):
Snow - 10
New England has been getting dumped on, so this made Chris a happy camper.
Lift Lines - 9
Parking -  10 (Dropped off by a shuttle)
Hot Dogs - 2 ( horrible, they get a sympathy vote for toasting the bun)
Cookie - 5
Bar in lodge - 4

** LUKE, our loyal Birdies, Spread Eagles, and Hot Dogs follower has challenged my rating.  I concur with his observations about the lack of liquor, so the rating has been downgraded 2 points***

Count:
Skiers in jeans - 0
Skiers in starter jackets - 0
Ski stickers collected - 3

Until next time...