I am alive and well, 900 miles from Albuquerque. COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA.
Arrived Sunday AM right on time. But there was only time for one round of golf. We had a great day shooting superlative shots. I hit a 25 foot putt that paid some cash. Casa had a RARE birdie. We also both had some very forgettable shots.
The weather was perfect.
When we finished I felt my muscles were sore from the rare golf.
But after starting out very badly, I finished pretty good. We went out to dinner, and it turned into a long day. Meanwhile I had very little sleep the night before. I was READY for a good night sleep, but we had to get up early next morning.
I went to bed, but I had trouble getting to sleep. Eventually I did. At 4 :15 AM I heard one of their dogs barking right below my window. My room is on the other side of the house than everyone else, so nobody heard him but me. He stopped than started back up a couple times. The night was shot.
We got up in the morning and got my rental car. I headed east on I-40. Very soon I realized how tired I was. As I drove my eyes were very heavy. I considered just getting a room and going to sleep. At one point I pulled into a rest area and closed my eyes. Nothing. I seemed to be getting a second wind, so I pushed on, as least for awhile.
At Tucumcari, New Mexico I headed northeast on Route 54. I cut across a corner of Texas. This whole area is pretty stark, with very little that would be considered scenic. Then into Oklahoma. The first town I saw was Guymon. Casa and I played golf there many years ago. I continued across the panhandle and soon was in Kansas. It was about 3 PM, so I pulled over in Liberal, just across the state border. I was surprised I got that far, 400 miles.
I laid down and went right to sleep. Woke up in 3 hours dazed and confused. I felt terrible. I was still sore from the golf. I was still very tired, plus I had developed a sore throat and cough. I watched a little TV, but I was back down at 8 PM. Slept 12 hours. The only food I had for the previous 24 hours was a few bites of a chicken sandwich I could not finish.
When I woke up I felt a lot better. Still not hungry.
I started to actually enjoy the ride. The weather was overcast and a bit cool, which I thought felt good. I drove through Greensburg, Kansas, which was pretty well wiped out by a tornado a few years back. I tried to play the golf course there, but I drove by it twice and saw no entry way. So I moved on. When I got to Pratt, I took off northeast on RT 61, a smaller road. CASA had lent me a GPS unit, so I have it constantly telling me about the courses I am driving near. Finally I bit on one golf option that was bout 15 miles out of my way. I headed to an area just southwest of Hutchinson.
PRETTY PRAIRIE. It was nowhere near a big down, and the area was turning to some nice rolling green hills. I pulled in and it looked good. When I was walking to the pro shop to pay, a big cat walked up. I gave him a good rubbing and he loved it. I went in the pro shop and the cat followed.
There was a nice lady behind the counter. She told me the cat was BOB. He had just shown up one day and took over the place. Besides the meet and greets, he liked to ride the golf carts with the customers. As she was telling me about him he jumped up on the counter and flopped.
She had to get a cart for me from the building next door, when she returned BOB the Golf Cat was in the cart, and went with me to the first tee. Unfortunately something else caught his attention and he was off slinking in the tall grass.
The golf sucked. Even so, I hit a few good shots and enjoyed the day.
Back on the road, I continued west to RT 17, and headed north through Hutchinson. Then Route 61 to I-135 and north. North of Salina I continued north on Route 81. Then it was Nebraska.
I stayed on 81 until I got to Columbus. Then that was IT.
Tomorrow? Who knows?
