Monday, June 29th

AA had a dermatologist appointment in Southside at 9:30 a.m. so we took care of that then went to two parks until our lunch carry-out from Asian Hawkers was ready (the best Asian "street-food").

We have never been to the Treaty Oak Park (Jessie Ball duPont) so drove there and parked for a few minutes. After taking these pictures, a few homeless people who consider the tree branches their home were moving about.

Entrance sign:

Sprawling tree branches:

Memorial Park, on Riverside Ave. (on the St. Johns River) honors those who lost their lives during WWI.

Caught a smile!

We stopped at Lakeshore Bike Shop (with masks on) to check out their in-stock bikes (didn't have any we wanted).

Once home, we had an hour to rest, then off to my golf lesson on chipping (the 6th lady came, Michelle). It was so HOT!! Sweat running off our heads! AA hit a bag of balls and putted. We all showered, had a cold antipasti plate for dinner and watched the movie, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, very interesting, a good movie (Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy, etc). Off to work tomorrow and AA has a dentist appointment in the morning.

Sunday, June 28th

We began our Sunday slow, as tends to be our mode since "sheltering at home". We made eggs for breakfast, then headed over to practice putting and AA volunteered to help with the young children's golf clinic.  We did ask about going to Carolyn's for a visit/swim, but she wasn't up for company (a pulled tooth). AA working with Jackson:

Coach Bryan:

We emptied one more box from the garage and put two up in the garage attic. Ford cooked hamburgers along with BBQ beans and slaw at 3:30 p.m. We were hungry!

AA and Ford went out golfing with Tyler M. and Ryan H. at 5:00 p.m. They played nine holes and AA made par from the gold tees - no bogeys! Excellent playing!

Saturday Putting and Ice Cream Trip

Saturday included practicing putting, AA having a golf lesson with Coach Bryan, I then dug out a few bushes in the side yard we wanted gone, inside chores, dishes, washing clothes, and other cleaning up. After our 5:00 p.m. Zoom Happy Hour, we decided to take a drive to nowhere, just needed a change of scenery. While getting ready, Ginger decided to upchuck her entire dinner, so after cleaning that up, we all got in the car and headed to DQ! I ordered a mini-Blizzard - new flavor of raspberry fudge, which was delicious! Ford and AA had their usual vanilla cone dipped in chocolate shell. We stopped at the Moccasin Creek Park and let Ginger run a bit as it was deserted, no one there. 

At the Putting green:

Drive just for fun!

Selfie of our ice cream splurge!

AA and Ginger - Love knows no boundaries!

Lastly, we listened to Jesse and Patrick entertaining on Facebook Live with music and songs as we went to bed. Our fun for the day!

Almost the End of June 2020

Our week went by quickly and with HOT weather (heat index over 100 everyday). Not much news, still worried about COVID-19 and the reopening of schools. Florida seems hell-bent on opening and we are so against it (especially with no masks and what about the hazard to the teachers?). The number of positives is alarming. Our 30 - 45 days of "sheltering at home" has been all for not. The bars have been ordered closed again.

Monday, I had my first group golf lesson with just ladies, LPGA professional Stephanie is farthest away in photo. My group lessons has Annette, Joy, Becka and Shannon (youngest). One more lady to join this coming Monday.

Tuesday and Wednesday, I kept up with Mom's projects (LSL, Maine): New windows and door overlooking the lakeside, and a new stove in her kitchen. All looks good!

New stove fits perfectly:

Living room:

Thursday after the two-day NFJG Dr. Ira tournament was over, Ford was too pooped to cook, so we enjoyed take-out from Talon's. At work, we had cupcakes to celebrate Stacy's birthday and Chris Doyle said Happy Birthday to Robert Stanley via text.

And the SJRPP train continues to move rail cars full of metal/scrap for recycling!

Friday, I practiced my golf putting with AA and also enjoyed a wine on the Talon's patio - outside in broiling heat! Back at home, Ford made bruschetta with his home-grown tomatoes!

And a happy photo of AA.

More divisiveness in America, so sad that many people are going to have to endure the COVID-19 when masks will help:

WASHINGTON — A bitter dispute erupted in a congressional hearing room on Friday, with Republicans refusing to wear face coverings and Democrats insisting that they do so. 

“Why is this so complicated?” a frustrated Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said at one point in response to Republican intransigence, speaking through what appeared to be an N95 respirator. “There’s one thing we can do to try to protect other people when we’re together, which is put on a mask. It doesn’t cost us anything. Why would we not do that? Why is it some kind of macho thing, like, ‘If I don’t wear a mask, I’m tough’?”

Republicans did not appear to be moved by his appeals, or those of other Democrats. The charge against mask wearing was led by Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., a physician who was also a major in the U.S. Army. Green said he could “cite many other professionals” who advised against protective face coverings. Green did not proceed to cite any such professionals. 

Surgical masks and respirators can keep particles of the coronavirus from spreading, but President Trump and many of his allies in the Republican Party have cast the coverings as a symbol of liberal overreaction and onerous statism. Virtually every public health agency in the nation, including most prominently the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommends the wearing of face masks in public. 

Doing so could cut down viral transmission by as much as 85 percent, according to the World Health Organization.

Dr. Gordon Ira Classic at Hyde Park Golf Club

North Florida Junior Golf Foundation Dr. Gordon Ira Classic at Hyde Park Golf Club on June 24-25, 2020.

AA did not play as well for the distance, she placed 6th Elite overall girls. If she was playing in the Rising Girls, she would have placed 1st Place. It was scorching hot, with heat index over 100! Summer is here!

I copied several photos from the NFJG Facebook page:

Fairway:

Putting:

Scores:

Course description:

They're not making them like Hyde Park Golf Club anymore. Located in Jacksonville, Florida visitors can play virtually the same course that was designed by the legendary Scottish architect Donald Ross in 1925. 

The Jacksonville Open, which evolved into the PLAYERS Championship, began at Hyde Park. A regular stop on the mens and womens professional tours in the '40s and '50s, Hyde Park was the site of Mickey Wright's first official pro victory. Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Babe Zaharias, Patty Berg and Louise Suggs all were tested at Hyde Park as well. In fact, if you keep it in single digits on the sixth hole, a Par 3, you'll beat Ben Hogan's (11) that he took one year playing at Hyde Park.

Director Jack's Highlights:

In the Girls field of 20 Jacksonville’s Hannah Stevens was showing off her hard work on the practice tee by putting together a round one leading score of three over 75. Her closes competitor, Ponte Vedra’s Ashley Huffman would be three strokes back at 78.

In round two, we would have some pretty talented pairings in each of the contests and the fireworks were starting early.  In the Girls, Hannah Stevens would start her round on hole #10. She would blast three birdies in her first five holes to take a commanding lead. A bogey at the par-4 5th would start a bogey trail which left a trail of smoke through her 16th hole to knock her well out of contention.

Also making an early move was St. Johns Shanya Arasu who birdied two holes on her opening nine to turn at 35. Arasu would play well and post her NFJG TOUR best score of one over par 73, but it was the steady and error free play of Ashley Huffman who sparkled her way to the top of the leader board. Huffman would also fire a one over par 73 to nip Arasu by 3 shots and claim rights to the Girls Overall and Elite Tour Girls Championship. Arasu would take the Silver Cup.

Jacksonville’s Alexa Fallis would best her round one score by five strokes to take the “Rising Tour Girls” title. Valdosta’s Molly Davis would come in six strokes back to hoist the Runner-up award.

Happy Father's Day Weekend!

Our weekend began with a Saturday morning phone chat with Carolyn and putting AA's ear drops in. 

While AA and Ford had a golf practice, I drove to Carolyn's to help her out (secretly while she was at work). She's had a few issues lately so I hope by mowing her yard (and puttering inside while I cooled off from "heat stroke!!", I did the dishes, cleaned a little), then gave Bella a short time outside to pee, so that Carolyn can rest for a day. Such a hot day!

Only pulled a few weeds, way too hot for me!

Didn't plant her Ponderosa lemon tree, next time!

Back in the garage, the lawn mower cooled down while I cooled off inside:

At 5:00 p.m., we had our weekly Zoom meeting Happy Hour without Kathy. Lots of discussion but need to plan some topics, like books, movies, and interesting stories to talk about. Always a good time visiting. After, a rotisserie chicken with fresh roasted asparagus and onion for dinner.

Sunday began with making homemade biscuits for breakfast. Didn't have buttermilk, so used part Greek yogurt and whole milk, no difference in the taste after baked. Ford opened his gift from AA, a "UF Gator" corn hole game. I gave him new LL Bean "swim shorts".

Recipe (again):

We (AA did 90% of work) made pasta salad (trying to be close to AA's favorite at Sweet Sensations - pepperoni, diced bell pepper, olives, Italian dressing) and homemade lemonade (Dad/Ford's favorite drink):

Lemonade: Boil 1 C. water with 1 C. sugar. Cool. Add 1 C. fresh lemon juice. Add 4 - 5 cups cold water to taste.

Then they went off to pick up dinner of ribs from Sonny's, all pre-ordered but still took forever, too crowded.

Then off to Maggie's, some fresh brews and Sonny's BBQ ribs for dinner back at home. Only things we could think of to do, stay outside and away from crowds. Caught Ford in the pepper plants, no new varieties so only bought two flowers for my hanging basket.

Maggie's chicken, digging in the cool earth, shaded:

Corn hole game!!!

Ancient City Red Ale and Anastasia IPA was our beer choice today. Had to go inside to the bar to order, Ford with mask and Clorox wipes. We wiped down the table and chairs. Only one other group wore masks. Many people came and went grabbing door handles and going inside with no masks, no visible cleaning of hands, etc. The business did have hand sanitizer in the outside area and a portable wash station, didn't see anyone use them. So they at least offered some way to clean hands.  

We finished the evening with watching a movie AA found, "Knives Out", a great murder mystery (11/2019)! A happy father's day!

Don’t expect Rian Johnson’s star-studded whodunit Knives Out to feature any outdated references to past wars or broody main characters common in this genre. Instead, the lively murder mystery includes an eccentric bunch of characters who smoke Juuls and have obviously seen Hamilton.

"One of the big things that’s interesting to me is usually when you see whodunits, they’re period pieces," Johnson said. "They’re set in the past or they’re timeless. I thought, 'What would a whodunit look like if it was set in 2019 in America?'"

When the Thrombey family patriarch, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), mysteriously kills himself, Daniel Craig’s Detective Blanc is left wondering why, while most of this millionaire’s family is busy fighting over their inheritance. Johnson, who most recently directed The Last Jedi, dusted off the old murder mystery and brought it into the present, intertwining the hunt for the killer with a satirical examination of wealth and privilege in the Trump era.

While the family debates immigration policy from the comfort of their mansion, their father's caretaker (played by Ana de Armas) worries about keeping her mother's undocumented status under wraps — a fact that becomes harder to hide and is even used against her as police begin to snoop around after Harlan's death.......