Mark's Cycling & Hiking Blog
  • Home
  • Mark's Cycling Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Boulder Canyon Posts
  • Cycling Event Meet-Ups
  • Home
  • Mark's Cycling Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Boulder Canyon Posts
  • Cycling Event Meet-Ups

Time to Return to a Real Sport

2/16/2011

3 Comments

 
Picture
After much thought, I've decided to return to golf, kicking cycling to the curb, other than ceremonial appearances every Tuesday and Thursday for the COP rides and Saturday and Sunday mornings.  I'll still go through with the CA training camp trip but it will be more about consumption of vast quantities of food and drink than about cycling.  Here, I am getting back into the groove by taking practice swings but soon began hitting balls that explode off the club face at incredible ball velocity before disappearing into a small circle of snow at the back of the range.  My golf swing has been compared to a hitting machine in its consistency.  

I once worked in the golf shop at a goat track of a course called Jaycee Public Golf Course.  Mostly my time in the shop was spent grilling hamburgers or collecting money for green fees.  At the course was a large group of 50-60 golfers who collectively made up the "Beer Box Gang".  There were retirees, vacationers, night shifters, those caught between high school and what came next and just plain golf bums.  A sub group of 10-12 of us played virtually every day and within this group were some colorful characters.  Among them were C. Nasser, manager of the local movie theatre and who claimed to be the nephew of Gamel Nasser, former president of Egypt and R. Means, who spent time in prison for armed robbery, worked for a trash hauling service and always played golf in a shirt that bore the "You Call We Haul" promotion.  

Betting was a big part of our games and it was expected if you found yourself ahead late in a round, your opponents would "press" the bet which was a doubling of the original
bet.  There were even presses of the press so by the time the 18th and final hole was reached, the pressure had mounted with the potential loss/gain of money.  One day, I was working in the shop when Nasser and Means came walking off the 18th green with their hands around each other's throat.  Tension had been building within our group because Means had gotten into Nasser for more than Nasser could ever pay.  A few days passed when news hit that the theatre had been robbed and the manager beaten. Official news accounts stated that the robber had hidden in a broom closet when the theatre closed and then surprised the manager (Nasser), beat him and stole the money that had been collected that day.  Police eventually apprehended the crooks who were none other than Means and his brother.  Unofficially, we all believed it had been an arrangement between Nasser and Means to settle the debt.  Means went back to prison and Nasser soon left the state and our group regretted losing two of our more colorful characters.

Saturday is rounding into a good day for cycling with a high now forecast for 40.  Cindy has volunteered to try another ride out of New Albany, probably at 10:00am. Let me know if you think you can make it so she knows how many maps to bring.

3 Comments
Seriously
2/16/2011 09:56:41 am

You ride that much, you'll do more riding than usual....

Reply
Shivas
2/17/2011 11:30:53 am

FEEL your inner body lad

Reply
cindy
2/19/2011 07:02:55 am

Not this again; a weak ploy to solicite messages to keep you riding...

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Mark is a long-time cyclist who enjoys poking fun at himself but most especially at his friends. No nicknames or comments are intended to offend, accept them in the humor they are intended.

    Categories

    All
    April
    California Riding
    Grand Canyon Backpacking
    March
    The Characters

    Archives

    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.