BugOnMyBall.com

In January of every year, I (like most people) take stock of my life and ponder what I hope to accomplish in the New Year. After some thought, I decided that I was going to make 2010 my Year of Excellence. Notice that I did not say perfection, but excellence. Now I realize that you are probably scratching your head and wondering what I mean by this, so allow me to explain. ..

Pat Riley said that “Excellence is not about having things, or about having recognition, or about having money or power or position. It’s about being part of something worthwhile – where people can go above and beyond”. Well, this quote is going to be my mission statement for 2010.

I have set up a couple of guidelines for my journey:

I will not allow negativity and pessimism to poison my life. Did you know that you can think positive thoughts on purpose?! Many motivational speakers talk about this, but they make it sound easy – you have to be vigilant and it takes some work, but you will reach a point where ejecting negative, stinky thoughts from your mind will become effortless.

I will praise others for their successes. It’s an easy initial reaction to question “Why not me?” Keep in mind that there is a time for all things and celebrating someone else’s success will not diminish your triumphs when they come. Plus, we never know how important that success may really mean to the other person.

I will not dwell on what life owes me. Life doesn’t owe us diddly-squat. The fact that we are alive and breathing in itself is a miracle, so be thankful for what you have and be joyful in your journey.

I will do nice things for people who can’t really benefit me. Do nice things simply for the joy of doing them. Especially if you’re in a bad mood or just feeling particularly cranky, do something nice for someone else. Even something as small as paying the toll for the person in line behind you – it will lighten your mood. The funny thing is, the more you do, the better you feel.

I will be friendly to everyone – even if they were not friendly to me. For all you know, you might be the only person that has been nice to them all day…or all week. Why not be the highlight of someone’s day or week!

I’ve taken this list of 5 things and posted it on the mirror in my bathroom so I will be reminded of what I promised myself I would do. I know that there will be times that I will falter and not live up to these standards, but stay tuned and I will post periodic updates to let you in on my progress (or lack thereof…out stinky thought! Yea, first victory!) If you would like to join me, that would be great and I would love to hear how you are doing in your journey as well!

For me, it was a typical Saturday – a little bit of shopping with my mom, a little bit of lunch, a little more shopping, etc. As we moved on from store to store after enjoying a lovely lunch, I suddenly realized that the 3 glasses of iced tea I had consumed were beginning to press upon me and they wanted OUT. Thankfully, the store had a public restroom and I was able to avert any serious consequences that may have occurred due to my lack of proper planning. (Thank you Shoe Carnival!)

This little incident really got me thinking – when I was younger, there were very few restrooms for public use. Restrooms were usually located in some dark corner of the stock room and you had to navigate the obstacle course of boxes and other miscellaneous items in order to answer the call of nature. And the best part was that these strictly utilitarian rooms were guarded by the employees like they were protecting the Arc of the Covenant. How do you know that, you ask? Well, when I was 19, I used to be one of those employees – only I didn’t mind letting people use the restroom in our store. It was a rare occurrence and you could tell that the customer wouldn’t be asking unless they too were trying to avert a possibly volatile situation.

So why write about public restrooms? Well, since I find myself on golf courses quite often, I have developed a particular fascination with their facilities, and how female-friendly they are. (Please note: I am not a feminist in particular, but I do feel the need to point out that women (just by the way we are made) have certain needs that should be recognized by businesses if they want our valuable consumer dollars.) And I would also like to give a hearty thank you and nod of appreciation to those locations who have taken this into consideration. Because if I’m not thinking about my powder room needs, I can focus on the task at hand – giving you my hard-earned money.

I know that most of the golf world is talking about Tiger’s triumphant return to the links this week (and I’m certainly happy to see him), but I’m going to go out on a limb and talk about something else….

A couple of years ago, I was watching a charity golf event on TV and the participants were made up of the usual folks – celebrities, athletes, and such.  Being a fan of that sort of event, I settled in with a drink in hand and the cat in my lap and I have to say that I was not prepared for what I was about to witness.   Samuel L. Jackson teed off beautifully as usual, and on this day, he was accompanied by basketball great, Charles Barkley. 

Charles leaned over, teed up his ball, and lined up like a pro.  A few seconds went by and there it was.  The most distinctive, seizure-inducing swing I’ve ever seen.  It was like no other… breathtaking… even beautiful in a grotesque sort of way, like going to the circus just for the freak show.  It was unsettling, but I just couldn’t turn away!

For the rest of the event, I didn’t care about all of the celebrities showing off their golf savvy.  All I wanted to do was watch Charles play.  The cat didn’t quite share my enthusiasm (he jumped down and left the room) and I think it may have had something to do with the fact that I kept yelling at the TV when the cameraman would focus on the other golfers. 

So, as I mentioned, it’s been a couple of years since I witnessed the glorious phenomena that is Charles Barkely’s swing and I had all but forgotten it until the other day.   I was innocently watching the Golf Channel (as I have been known to do) and during a commercial break, I saw an ad for The Haney Project (http://www.thegolfchannel.com/haneybarkley/) and I felt that same unsettling feeling once again.  I knew immediately that this show was destined to be MY American Idol. (Please do not attempt to contact me between 8:00 and 9:00pm CST for the next several Mondays – you know where I’ll be.)  Since Mr. Barkley will be in the very capable hands of Tiger’s swing coach, the swing that I bizarrely fell in love with is undoubtedly not long for this world…and I will wear black on the day that his breathtaking swing fades gently away. 

It’s February and there are 6+ inches of snow on the ground, so naturally, my thoughts have turned to warmer weather and the beginning of the golf season.  Since my local course currently resembles the frozen Alaskan tundra, I have to settle for watching the big boys play.  However, watching them has inspired me to get ready for the new golf season.

As you may have already guessed, I am an avid golfer with a respectable game, so I frequent golf courses around the country.  In the coming days, I hope to provide useful reviews of golf facilities from a female perspective.  Although the game of golf is basically the same for men and women (you need to stay in the fairway and putt well for a good score), there are certain amenities that women notice or need that are not required (or even noticed) by our male counterparts.  For instance, are there any on-course bathroom facilities or is it Port-O-Potty central?  Are the holes challenging, but still female friendly?

Over the next several weeks, I will post reviews of courses I have already been to and reviewed and hopefully, you’ll be inspired to start getting ready for the season too!