qcbucki's Open Salon Blog

Golfers Not The Only Losers In The 2012 RYDER CUP

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 23:09:22 -0400

The American "galley" at a Chicago area golf course make a good argument supporting negative opinions that so many countries around the world have of the USA..........

Par for the course. Just as I begin to actually enjoy watching a golf tournament with my husband, fans on the course favoring the American "team"(in a sport that tends to attract classier participants), displayed no class whatsoever.

The American team greatly outplayed the "Euros" on Thursday and Friday in the 2012 Ryder Cup. Fans were going wild and chants of "USA! USA!, USA!" . They echoed on nearly every hole. Then the crowd began to display pure conceit and as it turns out, overconfidence.

If a European golfer missed a put or had a bad "lie"from the tee, the fans would cheer! Unbelievable!!!! These were world-class golfers, some due to be legends, including the #1 ranked golfer in the WORLD!! Displays of retched sportsmanship from these people all but ruined the field of play. As Fridays' rounds were played until nearly dark, I remarked to my husband, who shared my disappointment in the display, that it would be poetic justice if the "Euros" won the damned thing.

At the end of Fridays' play, the American team was ahead 10-6. The golf pundits covering the event were convinced the Americans already had the "Cup" back on our soil.(the"Euros" have won the last few tournaments, thus physically possessing the trophy.). And, that it would take a small miracle, like the one the Americans apparently pulled off in 1999, having also gone into the final days play with the same 10-6 score!

Then today as the play resumed,( there were now 30,000 spectators-30,000!!!) I was sickened as the US fans actually booed the "Euros"that made good shots. Well, the bitter revenge, to me, was sweet.

Just as I was saying when I heard varying jeers that it wouldn't be a bitter disappointment if the European team did pull off an "upset", the Americans were managing to lose hole after. hole. Lo and behold, as the day passed, the "Cup"would not. The Yanks would end up LOSING by ONE POINT.

Couldn't say "serves them right" because I felt for the great lineup of golfers for the USA . But I could fully appreciate the Europeans joy after the German golfer sank the winning putt on 18 and with it the overinflated American Ego.

Flying Reindeer ..Red Nose Included, IN JUNE????

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 01:06:23 -0400

I have a most remarkable Husband. Several years ago, at 60ish, he and a fellow horse racing friend decided to buy a page of those round, one inch wide stickers, RED STICKERS. The purpose? They felt it their duty to liven up Christmas time in our large mid-west city. They achieved this by obtaining 1/2 dozen small red stickers and placing one each on the tip of the noses of 6 of the "dancing" deer crossing warning signs in our area, (No arrests were made) It was gloriously juvenile and wonderful.

Three months ago he broke his hip. And has had several "small strokes called TIAs". Without bearing on that subject at length, suffice to say that life turned upside down and inside out for us. Then today we got more bad news to deal with. Whatever........

Anyway,as I was routinely coming home late tonight, just as I have been doing for months, what did I see???

RUDOLF THE RED NOSED REINDEER, right there, as I exited the freeway. Can't believe I've missed it all this time, But it was a most welcomed moment, memory and a break in the frenzy.

Thanks, Honey.

Since we're on the subject......

Sat, 20 Nov 2010 23:11:27 -0500

"there are only 3 things that can happen if you throw a forward pass,...... and 2 of them are bad!!!"

Quote from the great Woody Hayes, former Coach at

The Ohio State University

"THEY" SAY A STROKE CHANGES THE BRAIN (edited,sorry)

Sat, 5 Sep 2009 06:09:21 -0400

My wonderful and eccentric companion of sixteen years suffered a hemorrhagic stroke earlier this month at age 64. He (and I, I suppose), turned out to be lucky as it were. With a ton of therapy, he may walk again. (Frankly, after recently trying to just only lose some weight, I not only couldn't summon an iota of motivation to do even a sit up, the thought of a sit-up initiates the sudden need for a nap. I watch what Jim is going through in therapies. It is really hard, painful stuff. (If I had the same injury, I kid you not,

I 'd say," get me a 'Scooter Chair', with an annoying horn on it". That's it.)

All rooms were designed to hold the extra bodies of therapists, their equipment of torture with little room left for one visitor, let alone an entire family to stack chair upon chairs most likely stolen from His room. Their intention, of course, is to lift the spirits of their loved one at this very trying time.( if not a 'loved one', an acquaintance who had the day open, or someone with no life). Truth be told , some recovering stroke patients, due to a degree of brain injury, may not recognize any of the visitors. No matter this unknown patient can make all these new friends. As this patient, with trusty cellophaned night snack in hand,with a mob of other seemingly happy people crunched into this really small space, themselves gathering night snacks" of their own, generally consisting of health food such as : Cheetos, Skittles, chips, microwaved veal (YUCK) parmasean, bottles and cans of liquids. The patient, who was happily living back in 1955, may be surmising just two very simple conclusions. That Himself and these nice strangers were likely packed into a blue 1968 VW bus.and heading to the drive-in movies (those youngins' of you reading this may need to look up "drive-in". As so, His second conclusion was it was time for the "nightly snack. Now wait. Just because the word SNACK is in there means nada. For this could be a pleasant nauche, or a fight to the death g the cheap cllophane of the now tightly packed "stuff".

I truthfully hadn't a bit of intention to dash off that little anecdote above. It came from my observations over a good deal of days and nights. Being a people watcher, it is a gold mine of particulars on the ensemble of personalities inside a hospital unit.

As I mentioned previously, all stroke re-hab rooms , with enormous bathrooms, are ergonomically designed to accommodate simultaneously, several bodies of Therapists, all and every type of draconian equipment, then there'sthe Patients as well. (Frankly, after watching the excruciatingly back breaking therapy sessions I've been privy to watch, if I were in the same/similar condition, it 'd be Scooter Chair city for me. And yes a horn blowing THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FIGHT SONG (whoop whoop) But a few days ago, as I entered His room, walking past the opened door to the bathroom , I observed not just one commode (adult potty chairs)but TWO commodes stored adjacently in a far corner. As for the facility'sreasons or purpose for the arrangement, I hadn't a trace of logic regarding it. I asked Jim," Ah, what's with the TWO chairs in here? And without skipping a beat, my Jim casually responded, "I dunno.....DATING, MAYBE ?"

If your life revolves fifty feet near alcohol; BEWARE!

Sun, 24 May 2009 01:05:32 -0400

I never entertained the viewpoint/opinion that people who served food and drink were lesser people because of the job they had decided to do. So what. Do YOU want to pick up garbage and trash?

Likely not. And your kids? So,first realize you'd pay them anything just so you didn't have to do it.

(That wasn't a pleasant choice for my analogy.....as you shall soon see).

As a single Mom in 1968, you know the stories and not likely need another.A good Greek friend , who owned a neighborhood "tavern" gave me my first job and it was near a chilled beer mug. Draught, of course. Thus began about twenty years of working in the service business for me.

Overall,I liked what I did. That's because I respected myself and enough respect to teach, need be, everyone I served. I actually moved up into management in a chain of Class A Dinner Houses. I travelled and I'd train.

The first thing out of my mouth to the new hires was,"If you really don't have self confidence, I'd leave now." Most of the public looks down to servers, because a server 'lets' them. Be yourself.

Just today, a revelation came to me. As my job kept me from the nightly employee drinking . Sometimes at work, sometimes not. I addicted about 15yr.9 No, I won't say I am still, Sorry, and don't bother to write about semantics. My addiction issues are well in hand.

In closing, as I said, if you work around it, be careful. You see, there is a behavior called "catch up drinking" Since I worked late, and the establishment stopped serving at that I felt to be too early. So we'd clock out, and it was bombs away in the bar. That's my theory on giving an addict not a chance in hell at normalcy.

Pretty soon you'll drink that way whether at work or not, to "catch up", but by then, you're only trying to catch up with yourself. That takes many many years, if at all. I'm lucky.

I know if I hear another diatribe about 12 steps, etc, I'll become a radical progressive to get even.

SHH!! I know I am!