I'll Take the Hog Dog, Please

I played 54 holes of golf in 28 hours this weekend, which was a little disappointing. Three work colleagues and I had hoped to play those holes in 27 hours so that we could average one hole every 30 minutes. That’s the problem with expectations – they always allow a little disappointment to leak into any experience. The 26-ounce T-bone steak that occupied the dinnertime between rounds didn’t disappoint, however; probably because I had no expectation of being able to finish it and I met that non-expectation.

We went to the coast to play three courses in Nipomo and Avila – Black Lake, Cypress Ridge and Avila Beach. As expected, I averaged 90 for the three rounds; thus, there was no disappointment in the golf, being the ambulatory bogie that I am. It was a fine time.

But, the thought crossed my mind several times that, as good as it was, it wasn’t nearly as much fun as being in Petco Park on a perfect evening in San Diego two weeks ago watching the Padres beat the Nationals with my son and his son. A half-pound Randy Jones hot dog slathered with hot mustard and onions certainly didn’t detract from the occasion – it was better than the T-bone. The evening was so nice that I hope to live long enough to add a fourth generation to that experience in about 25 years.

That night reminded me of other occasions with the newest generation in my family – like watching my oldest grandchild write, produce, direct, design the costumes for and then star in his backyard play; like spending an afternoon shopping for fishing gear with another grandson; like watching my oldest daughter’s son discover one new animal after another at the Wild Animal Park; or watching the younger grandchildren enjoy their first birthday parties or Christmas mornings. This is a list that I hope will grow long over the years.

Then there’s another layer of enjoyment in my life, an even deeper one. It’s being with my wife anywhere, anytime, doing anything that we enjoy together. It might be having breakfast on a Hawaiian veranda; or strolling through a flower, vegetable and fruit market in Nantucket; or gazing at the rock and white sand garden at the Ryoan-ji temple in Kyoto; or a daytrip to the LA County Museum of Art; or watching her enjoy the act of creating a new painting of her own in her home studio. This is a list that could go on and on and on.

Golfing with the guys is great, especially on some of the most beautiful courses around. But, there are better ways to spend a weekend; there are ways to make a hot dog better than a steak; and there may be nothing better than strolling hand-in-hand from the Jared Coffin House to a sidewalk market in Nantucket on an October morning.