Clubhouse Grille (*** NO LIV DISCUSSIONS ***) (*** NO POLITICS/RELIGION ***)

[Soloman1]

10 hours ago, huskydawg said:

My South African friend wanted to experience Japanese golf with his visiting brother-in-law so here's a summary of the day.  Neither of us own a car.

 

Wake up at 4:30 am

Hoof it to the station carrying my bag full of heavy TT DG shafted irons for about 15 minutes in 2 degree weather (C)

Ride the train for an hour, transferring twice.  Pick up a tuna and egg sandwich at the convenience store for breakfast.

Meet them and take a cab to the golf course

Putt a bit and play (no range warmup), luckily it's 4 degrees now

Eat lunch after 9 (Shrimp tempura udon with a side of rice with a couple small slices of beef and pickled veggies)

Play the second 9 in a mix of clouds and sun, cold and warm respectively.

 

Finish up, pay about $110 (lunch included).

Walk to the bus stop for 20 minutes carrying the bag

Take the bus for 40 minutes

Take the train home for 1 hour.

Hoof it back to my place carrying the bag again.

Shower up and collapse on my bed.

Eat dinner later.

 

I'm living the barebones life, but it's a blast actually!  Sometimes living a life of privilege you take things for granted.  Shot 94 putting 4 balls OB, about normal for me.  If I practiced and played more I reckon I could consistently get into the low to mid 80s.

 

I know the feeling, the all day golf adventure. When I lived in Yokohama (didn't need or want a car then), the travel for golf was the same. Then I stared using Yamato. They picked up my clubs the day before and delivered them to the course by the early morning next day, then returned them the day after golf for about 2,400 yen ($9 each way). Some day I should tell the story of getting a Japanese drivers license after I moved north. What an adventure that was, but worth it.

[Soloman1]

10 hours ago, NJBigFish22 said:

The disturbing part of this story was what you ate for breakfast.  I would have puked by hole 3 and crapped out what was left of my guts at the turn!

 

Ha! Convenience store food there is like gourmet dining in the US. Always delicious and fresh. It's a different world! You haven't lived until you've had a cup of coffee from 7-11 in Japan. It's like having a cup of coffee in Paris. (Paris is great, except for the people)

[Soloman1]

3 hours ago, huskydawg said:

I'm kinda the same.  At less than 40 F my nose just won't stop leaking, but at heat index 96 and up, I get pretty bad migraines.  I strongly suspect the headaches came from a concussion in dorm basketball in college because when I was a junior golfer I don't remember ever having them even in the mid-day summer heat.

 

I had terrible allergies that gave me constant headaches in Japan. They've gone away since returning. I had a four month episode of having cluster headaches there. Nothing stopped them. Cluster headaches are a 1% subset of migraines that are so bad, 1/3rd of people commit suicide. They would start at about midnight and last all night. I would walk around outside holding my head and could not sleep more than 20 minutes.

 

I would stay in different hotels sometimes to see if it was related to my house. It didn't matter. I went through many doctors until I found one who diagnosed it. She was a great doctor who researched all of the potential triggers and gave me a pill to take if I felt it coming on. It would not work if it was already pounding my head. It was always the same side of the head. Also, she had me get Oxygen, it also reduced the severity if i used it at first onset. Again, it didn't work if was full blown.

 

I don't know how I survived it, but they went away and have never returned since 2009.

[Fellaheen51]

@SixtySomePing  Holy Cow!!  Fantastic to read a post from you again this morning.  Made me smile.  Sorry to read about your "temporary" misfortune.  But hope this commentary brings ever improving health.  Your mirth and rhyme have been missed here.  You will always have a chair at the ready, with your name on it, amongst the grille brethren.  Indeed the Grace of the Lord was at hand.  

 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

1 hour ago, SixtySomePing said:

Quite interesting to go through and thanks to the Lord I'm still here and in my right mind, although my DW is not here to vote on that at the moment. 

 

Your sense of humor is intact.  I would think that is a good thing.

[DLeightonReid]

1 hour ago, Soloman1 said:

 

I had terrible allergies that gave me constant headaches in Japan. They've gone away since returning. I had a four month episode of having cluster headaches there. Nothing stopped them. Cluster headaches are a 1% subset of migraines that are so bad, 1/3rd of people commit suicide. They would start at about midnight and last all night. I would walk around outside holding my head and could not sleep more than 20 minutes.

 

I would stay in different hotels sometimes to see if it was related to my house. It didn't matter. I went through many doctors until I found one who diagnosed it. She was a great doctor who researched all of the potential triggers and gave me a pill to take if I felt it coming on. It would not work if it was already pounding my head. It was always the same side of the head. Also, she had me get Oxygen, it also reduced the severity if i used it at first onset. Again, it didn't work if was full blown.

 

I don't know how I survived it, but they went away and have never returned since 2009.

I too suffer from migraines and take a monthly injection and have a prescription for a bill that helps tremendously at the beginning of a migraine.  I call it the wonder drug.

Edited January 5, 2023 by DLeightonReid

[SixtySomePing]

1 hour ago, Fellaheen51 said:

@SixtySomePing  Holy Cow!!  Fantastic to read a post from you again this morning.  Made me smile.  Sorry to read about your "temporary" misfortune.  But hope this commentary brings ever improving health.  Your mirth and rhyme have been missed here.  You will always have a chair at the ready, with your name on it, amongst the grille brethren.  Indeed the Grace of the Lord was at hand.  

 

 

Thanks guys, funny part about the ordeal... I live 1 1/2 blocks from the hospital, so I had to pay $ 250 for the  emergency squad ride to there, but the helicopter flight to Columbus 30 miles away was $48,000, and my Medicare Advantage plan paid for that, go figure 😂

[Double Mocha Man]

26 minutes ago, SixtySomePing said:

...but the helicopter flight to Columbus 30 miles away was $48,000, and my Medicare Advantage plan paid for that, go figure

 

Wow! About 10 years ago I hired a helicopter with pilot, with chase truck bringing extra fuel, from 90 miles away to shoot scenes for a television commercial.  Non-medical, of course, but equipped with an underside camera mount. Added only $6,000 to the budget.

[huskydawg]

5 hours ago, Soloman1 said:

 

I know the feeling, the all day golf adventure. When I lived in Yokohama (didn't need or want a car then), the travel for golf was the same. Then I stared using Yamato. They picked up my clubs the day before and delivered them to the course by the early morning next day, then returned them the day after golf for about 2,400 yen ($9 each way). Some day I should tell the story of getting a Japanese drivers license after I moved north. What an adventure that was, but worth it.

Do you have to box up the bag before shipping it? I can’t imagine sending it as is.

[huskydawg]

4 hours ago, Soloman1 said:

 

I had terrible allergies that gave me constant headaches in Japan. They've gone away since returning. I had a four month episode of having cluster headaches there. Nothing stopped them. Cluster headaches are a 1% subset of migraines that are so bad, 1/3rd of people commit suicide. They would start at about midnight and last all night. I would walk around outside holding my head and could not sleep more than 20 minutes.

 

I would stay in different hotels sometimes to see if it was related to my house. It didn't matter. I went through many doctors until I found one who diagnosed it. She was a great doctor who researched all of the potential triggers and gave me a pill to take if I felt it coming on. It would not work if it was already pounding my head. It was always the same side of the head. Also, she had me get Oxygen, it also reduced the severity if i used it at first onset. Again, it didn't work if was full blown.

 

I don't know how I survived it, but they went away and have never returned since 2009.

I’ve had cluster headaches for a few months span twice in my life. Had them every day for about an hour, usually in the morning after waking up. Really bad pain behind my right eye.  Last time I had several scans to rule out anything major and they prescribed Prednisone for me which was highly effective. You can’t take corticosteroids for a long time so they switched me to Topiramate which still worked pretty well and I tapered off of it after a while.

 

Oxygen helped me the first time, but didn’t work as well the second time.

 

[tolmij]

7 hours ago, Conrad1953 said:

 

Wow, great to hear from you! You're looking good...and slim and trim; very dapper.

 

Cyndy has your menu but it's been changing so fast she just started adding things and making

changes with a sharpie. Some customers are finding it hard to read; especially the way Cyndy

spells things but Tammy helps with the translations and everyone's orders seem to be getting

cooked and served somewhat correctly.

 

Gus is on vacation in Key West and has left the girls in charge so you know what that means.

 

They all get a bit slack without Sixty to keep them in line, hopefully now he is back the menu will be stable again, and what the heck is Gus doing going on holiday. I think I will call in today for breakfast, thats if they get up early enough with the boss away.😡

[NJBigFish22]

Went to the range this afternoon.  First session not on mats, which was nice.  Results were mixed, good shots probably outnumbered poor shots.  My mind wasn’t in the right place but this did provide a good distraction.

[Soloman1]

2 hours ago, huskydawg said:

Do you have to box up the bag before shipping it? I can’t imagine sending it as is.

They put it in a heavy plastic bag and gently carry it to the truck with kid gloves…

 

just be sure your name is in Katakana on the bag. The bags are all in a rack near the carts for loading by name, so can grab a putter to hit a few of you want.

 

The course usually has a desk or someone near the wallet locker to send it back. You fill out the paperwork when you send it, so nothing for you to do but give them the bag.

 

The drivers will leave a note on you door if you’re not there with his ketai number. You can call him and tell him when you’ll be home. I’ve had them deliver as late at 9pm.

 

you can also tell them to leave it at the nearest convenience store. Family Mart and 7-11 will keep them until you pick up. You can drop them there too. They have the paperwork.

[scotee]

8 hours ago, SixtySomePing said:

Hello everyone, found an empty table over here, and need a menu, so I guess Cyndy is getting one...😊

Have been in touch with tol over the years, so I'm still alive, sort of, although I had a stroke last July. Quite interesting to go through and thanks to the Lord I'm still here and in my right mind, although my DW is not here to vote on that at the moment. 

 

Hope you all are doing well, or as in Rad's neck of the woods and maybe Stu's as they would say, 'hope all of y'all are doing well'... 🤣

 

Retired old me...

 

 

 

So good to hear from you Sixty and see you standing on two feet!   While you were away some of us have joined the sixty something club. Coming up on sixty eleven in May.  Who wound the clock spring so tight?

[Soloman1]

5 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

 

Wow! About 10 years ago I hired a helicopter with pilot, with chase truck bringing extra fuel, from 90 miles away to shoot scenes for a television commercial.  Non-medical, of course, but equipped with an underside camera mount. Added only $6,000 to the budget.

I got paid $388 per month + $50 bonus per month to ride in the back of them a few times 52 years ago. No air conditioning, just an open door.

[Double Mocha Man]

15 minutes ago, Soloman1 said:

Family Mart and 7-11 will keep them until you pick up.

 

If you don't mind a strawberry slurpee spilled on your bag...

[Double Mocha Man]

15 minutes ago, Soloman1 said:

I got paid $388 per month + $50 bonus per month to ride in the back of them a few times 52 years ago. No air conditioning, just an open door.

 

You should have taken the poor pay and poor working conditions to your union boss and got things worked out. 😉

[Soloman1]

20 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

 

If you don't mind a strawberry slurpee spilled on your bag...

 

The staff would commit ritual suicide in the parking lot if that happened. 😉 I don't remember ever seeing slurpees. Unless it was fish and green tea slurpee.

 

@huskydawgOh, I forgot, you do have to buy the carry bag so you can use it every time. I think it was only about 1,000-1,500 yen.

 

You have a starting time, not a tee time. If you talk about a tee time, they think its time to have a tea ceremony! And don't forget the getting in the cart ceremony, the getting out of the cart ceremony, the marking your ball ceremony and the all important opening tee shot ceremony.

[billh17]

50 minutes ago, Soloman1 said:

I got paid $388 per month + $50 bonus per month to ride in the back of them a few times 52 years ago. No air conditioning, just an open door.

lol  been there, did that  !   No one smiling if it was a dropoff....everyone elated if

it was a pickup  !

[Soloman1]

Was ham & Lima beans the foulest gruel ever? Even the Vietnamese kids would spit it out. You couldn’t give it away.

 

 

[SixtySomePing]

10 hours ago, Fellaheen51 said:

@SixtySomePing  Holy Cow!!  Fantastic to read a post from you again this morning.  Made me smile.  Sorry to read about your "temporary" misfortune.  But hope this commentary brings ever improving health.  Your mirth and rhyme have been missed here.  You will always have a chair at the ready, with your name on it, amongst the grille brethren.  Indeed the Grace of the Lord was at hand.  

 

 

One good thing is I've lost 24 lbs since the stroke and 45  since retiring. I told DW since being in the hospital, food tastes like it's cooked with car exhaust and made out of cardboard, and anything bigger than your fist is just too huge of a portion to eat any more. I know there are people who would love to lose weight that easily, but now it's becoming a thing where I'm looking for ways to eat to not lose any more... They have me restricted on the good stuff, cheeses, butter, calories, pizza, anything that sounds or looks delightful 🤣 or doesn't taste like cardboard... or car exhaust 🚓😮 where's Gus when you need him???

Edited January 6, 2023 by SixtySomePing

[billh17]

2 minutes ago, SixtySomePing said:

One good thing is I've lost 24 lbs since the stroke and 45  since retiring. I told DW since being in the hospital, food tastes like it's cooked with car exhaust and made out of cardboard, and anything bigger than your fist is just too huge of a portion to eat any more. I know there are people who would love to lose weight that easily, but now it's becoming a thing where I'm looking for ways to eat to not lose any more... They have me restricted on the good stuff, cheeses, butter, calories, pizza, anything that sounds or looks delightful 🤣 or doesn't taste like cardboard... or car exhaust 🚓😮 where's Gus when you need him???

You are looking good ,my friend !

[miamistomp]

On 1/4/2023 at 1:01 AM, tolmij said:

At home we have a few problem, being next to a forest, they use our garden as a passage between the different areas  of trees. Picture one, next to our fence, if you go to close they will attack and this fellow was well over six ft tall, notice the arms, been working out👍.

 

Picture two is a goanna, he was around seven ft long, they have massive sharp claws and plenty of sharp teeth, both they know how to use. I walked behind this one and he climbed the tree, if you stand in front they will climb up you and that is not a good idea.

 

Picture three was a turtle we found outside our front door, the quick video is me putting him back into the pond at the back of our house, these have sharp large claws and a dangerous beak that will take a finger off. 
 

We have several other animals that walk through from time to time, some dangerous some just interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_5594.MOV

 Cool lizard- maybe we can get some in Florida to eat some tourons

[Double Mocha Man]

3 hours ago, Soloman1 said:

... fish and green tea slurpee.

 

Sounds like something big Stu might have for breakfast.

[nitram]

3 hours ago, Soloman1 said:

Was ham & Lima beans the foulest gruel ever? Even the Vietnamese kids would spit it out. You couldn’t give it away.

 

 

I'll lay an even bet that the tuna casserole MRE (Tuna Boat Tina) was worse. That little bitty bottle of Tobasco in every MRE wasn't enough to mask the taste, let alone obscure the funk. At least with the "ham & mf'ers" you could get a bite or two of them down. With the Tuna Boat MRE, it never made it to the lips, let alone past.

 

Those soldier/prisoners that Soloman wrote about a while back, (as he was derosing out of the Army) that were mowing the side of the bulkheads to the waterline with a gas lawn mower. They were the ones who lost the MRE lottery and always ended up with the Tuna Boat Tina.

 

Any west coast sailor who's been past the tuna cannery at National City know's exactly the kinda funk I'm typing about.

Edited January 6, 2023 by nitram
I wasn't finished

[tolmij]

4 hours ago, scotee said:

 

 

So good to hear from you Sixty and see you standing on two feet!   While you were away some of us have joined the sixty something club. Coming up on sixty eleven in May.  Who wound the clock spring so tight?

 

Never mind the sixty club, I joined the eighty club and because of that the car insurance idiots put my policy up 30% this year, already had words with them but more to come😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡

[huskydawg]

4 hours ago, Soloman1 said:

They put it in a heavy plastic bag and gently carry it to the truck with kid gloves…

 

just be sure your name is in Katakana on the bag. The bags are all in a rack near the carts for loading by name, so can grab a putter to hit a few of you want.

 

The course usually has a desk or someone near the wallet locker to send it back. You fill out the paperwork when you send it, so nothing for you to do but give them the bag.

 

The drivers will leave a note on you door if you’re not there with his ketai number. You can call him and tell him when you’ll be home. I’ve had them deliver as late at 9pm.

 

you can also tell them to leave it at the nearest convenience store. Family Mart and 7-11 will keep them until you pick up. You can drop them there too. They have the paperwork.

Thank you.  ~5000 to and from is a bit steep, but can't beat the convenience.  You could some great food at that price. 

 

I had just flown back from the holidays so it probably wouldn't have been possible, but I'll for sure keep it in mind for next time.

[tolmij]

13 minutes ago, nitram said:

I'll lay an even bet that the tuna casserole MRE (Tuna Boat Tina) was worse. That little bitty bottle of Tobasco in every MRE wasn't enough to mask the taste, let alone obscure the funk. At least with the "ham & mf'ers" you could get a bite or two of them down. With the Tuna Boat MRE, it never made it to the lips, let alone past.

 

Those soldier/prisoners that Soloman wrote about a while back, (as he was derosing out of the Army) that were mowing the side of the bulkheads to the waterline with a gas lawn mower. They were the ones who lost the MRE lottery and always ended up with the Tuna Boat Tina.

 

Any west coast sailor who's been past the tuna cannery at National City know's exactly the kinda funk I'm typing about.

 

Used to love fish but recently one shop we use that sells fish has started smelling like a sewer, they have stopped cleaning out every day and now because of something I cannot mention in here they only do it once a week. If we have to go in there its a mask with perfume inside it. 🤮

[tolmij]

A little work I finished two weeks ago, a peony.

[Soloman1]

6 minutes ago, huskydawg said:

Thank you.  ~5000 to and from is a bit steep, but can't beat the convenience.  You could some great food at that price. 

 

I had just flown back from the holidays so it probably wouldn't have been possible, but I'll for sure keep it in mind for next time.

 

its 5,000 yen now? wow, I don't ever remember paying more than 1,800 yen each way for a course about an hour drive away. Ah well, it's been a few years.