What a Beautiful Day!

The weather was absolutely beautiful today, especially when compared to the spring that we had been having.  In fact it got so hot on the back nine of Cameron's golf tournament at Bent Oak today that I actually took my sweatshirt off.  In reality it may not have been the sunshine that warmed us up, but instead Cameron's play on the back.  He was absolutely on fire and we had a lot of fun watching him play.  He started with two birdies on number 10 and 11 followed by pars on the next two holes.  One was even with a penalty shot.  He hit his irons the best that I had ever seen and finished the back nine with a season low for him in a tournament, 37.

Even with that great score, Cameron walked off of 18 a little disappointed.  He had hoped to break 80 today and was one stroke short.  An out of bounds on nine and a double chip on number four led to a front nine score of 43.  He had shot better than that on Thursday.  I understood how he felt, but I definitely could not agree with his sentiment.  I wasn't disappointed at all.  Cameron had played absolutely phenomenal on the most challenging nine.  He hadn't given up when his front nine score wasn't where he wanted it to be and he finished 12th out of the 73 boys playing today.  He also had the second lowest score on the back, only being beaten by the eventual individual winner.  All in all it was a beautiful day for golf and I was glad to be a part of it.  

"I Can't Believe That I am A Senior in College"

Meg called us on the way home from Cameron's match last night to let us know that she had taken the last final of her junior year.  She felt that she had done well on it and overall was very happy with her grades this semester.  She also said that she could not believe that she was no officially a senior in college.  The time had flown by fast for her as it seemed only yesterday that she had graduated from high school.  

Meg had enjoyed her junior year very much.  She had learned a lot in her classes and thoroughly enjoyed her Beach Boys one.  She had had a lot of fun with her friends, especially Maddie and Carson.  She was involved with her church and was very glad for her job at Bell Trace.  

As well as her junior year had gone, Meg was more than ready for a break from school.  She hadn't had a summer off from classes since she started at IU.  She was extremely excited for her upcoming trip to Florida with Nick and most importantly her internship with Plante Moran.  Overall, it was a great conversation and we were very proud of all that she had accomplished this year.  Can't believe that there is only one year left in Bloomington.

A Big Day on the Golf Course

It rained off and on all afternoon and we really thought that Bethany's match with ECA would be postponed.  For awhile I almost wished that it was as it was predicted to be in the low 50s with consistent rain when Cameron teed off.  In the end I realized that tonight wasn't about me staying warm, but about the boys getting to play golf.  A lot matches never get rescheduled and this one had already been moved once.  I also knew that Doug was free tonight and Cameron really wanted him to be there.  I did bring a book, just in case I couldn't walk on the soft ground or got too cold.

Thankfully, all I needed tonight was a winter coat, an umbrella and a change of clothes for after the match.  Although I did get wet, I really didn't get too cold.  Cameron's match kept us all warm as he played the best we had seen so far this year.  He started off with three pars running in a long putt on two to stay even on the day.  Number 4 gave him some trouble as his drive sliced right and he found himself in a group of trees.  John strongly encouraged him to play down the previous hole's fairway.  He avoided the tree line as well as a pond in front of the green with that approach.  He almost saved par on that hole as well as he just missed another long putt.

The rest of his round was probably boring to most people watching, but we all sure enjoyed it.  Cameron bogeyed only one more hole on the day and finished with an impressive 38.  The wet course and  miserable conditions didn't really bother him.  He said that the only time he got nervous was on number nine.  He had a long putt for birdie and was so afraid that he would four putt for a double bogey and end up with a 40.  In the end he had nothing to worry about and finished with a two putt.

Doug, Grandma, Grandpa and I left as soon as we congratulated Cameron.  He called later to let us know that the Bruins had shot a 191 and beat ECA by 1.  We were thrilled to hear that.  He and the team went to Culvers to celebrate.  What an exciting evening for all.  

Binge Watching Ozark

 I was really disappointed when I realized that Doug would be gone for part of this week and next for work.  Over the weekend we talked about a few projects that I could do around the house while he was gone.  This week wouldn't be as bad as he was only going to be away from home Monday night through Wednesday afternoon for a board meeting in Phoenix.  'With such a quick turn around and a long flight, I knew that he wouldn't miss home, but I was sad thinking about all of the alone time that I was facing.

That feeling changed, however, when I realized that the second half of season 4 of Ozark was being released on April 29th.  I was thankful that I would have something to keep me busy and my mind occupied while he was traveling.  I made sure not to watch any of the new episodes before Monday as I knew once I started the show, I would never be able to turn it off.  Over the weekend I did rewatch the last episode from the first half of season four to reacquaint myself with all that had happened, but stayed away from social media to avoid any spoiler posts.

I started Ozark Monday before Doug even left for Midway.  By the time he had reached Chicago, I had already finished three episodes.  The show was just as good as it always had been with twists and turns at every corner.  Wendy became even more of a villain than in previous seasons.  I actually texted Cal and asked him if it was wrong to wish for her to be killed off on the show.  We both agreed that Ruth and Marty had solidified their positions as our favorite characters even more so this time as they took on the Mexican cartel and seemed to be winning.

Cameron came home Monday night and wanted me to listen to his Drake album, so I took a break from Ozark for awhile.  Before I went to bed, however, I made sure to finish the fourth episode.  Cal had binged watched the entire season on Monday.  He wanted to talk about the show on Tuesday after work and I didn't want anyone to accidentally tell me how it ended.  Thus, I was up early ready to finish Ozark as soon as Cameron left for school on Tuesday.

I watched two episodes right away and then had to take a break.  The second to the last episode had become extremely intense and I wanted to digest those before I watched the finale.  My parents were on the same episode as I was before leaving to vote.  They were also on the same page as Cal and I, hoping for the demise of Wendy and a way out of trouble for Ruth and Marty.  In the end we were all disappointed with who survived and who did not, but that didn't change our excitement for the show.  Cal and I discussed it at length Tuesday night.  We realized that it had to end the way it did, but it was definitely sad.  Cal still ranked Breaking Bad and The Wire above Ozark, but for me I quickly escalated Ozark to the number one spot of all of the series that I have watched.  As we hung up the phone, I realized that I had finished Ozark before Doug had completed his board meeting - perfect timing.

Primary Day

 Today was one of Brett's favorite days of the year - the Indiana primary.  He was up early and at the polling station to support Dave Hall for state representative and to vote as well.  The weather was cooler and wetter than he would have liked, but he made it through the day with an umbrella and a good pair of shoes.  Brett didn't really mind as he had been volunteering for Hall's campaign for the past few months making phone calls and knocking on doors.  He was hopeful for an easy victory, but the race was a lot closer than expected.  Brett called me after mass to let me know that Hall had won.

Brett also filled me in on several other races that he had been watching.  We were both surprised to hear that Curt Nisley and Kyle Dukes had lost.  Redistricting had been the nemesis of Nisley and a smear campaign against Dukes ended his career as Kosciusko County sheriff.  Brett and I also talked about a few other local races and celebrated he and Sean's victories as delegates to the Indiana convention.  His friend, Andrew, had also won a seat on the township board in Bedford.

I hung up the phone happy for Brett.  He has followed or been involved in politics since he first cheered on Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election.  Brett's political views had changed quite a bit since that time period, but his enthusiasm for elections had never stopped.  I was glad that he had joined the Young Republicans in Monroe County, helped in the Hall campaign and ran for delegate.  This year he proved to himself that he didn't have to have a job in politics to still be actively involved in local government.  

Drake

Cameron got home a little later than usual from golf practice.  He had stopped by the girls tennis senior night for awhile.  Unfortunately, their opponents were a no show, but that didn't stop the cookout celebrating the graduating girls from happening anyway.  Cameron called on his way to Syracuse to fill me in on his practice.  They were only able to play eight holes, 1-7 and 9.  He was happy to report that he was one over at the end of the abbreviated round.  He hoped to play as well tomorrow at Bent Oak, but with Tuesday's forecast full of rain, he doubted that they would even have a match.

Cameron had to work on a paper for English as soon as he arrived.  He asked me if I wanted to listen to his new Drake album while he was writing.  I had never really listened to Drake before, but was willing to give him a try.  Over the next hour and a half, Cameron and I finished all four sides of his newest album.  Before I began listening to music with Cameron, I really didn't know much about hip hop/rap.  Meg was more into pop music and now listens to a lot of classics.  Brett's musical tastes are very eclectic.  Cal did go through an Eminem phase and I really liked the Detroit rapper, but it was different than what Cameron has has introduced to me from  that genre.  

Tonight, Cameron asked me what I thought as the last of Drake's songs ended.  I was happy to tell him that I enjoyed it for the most part.  We ranked the four vinyls that he has with Kid Cuti still my favorite overall and Drake topping Cameron's list of rappers.  I never really thought that I would spend much time in my life listening to rap or hip hop, but as with all of the Heinisch children interests, I'm always willing to give it a try.  It was a nice way to spend a night at home.

Sunday Blues

 The Carpenters had a song in the 1970s that I remember well from the one line - "Rainy days and Mondays always get me down."  It was a sad melody that even as a child I didn't really like for two reasons.  First, I preferred songs that were more upbeat.  Second, I didn't really mind rainy days and absolutely loved Mondays.  I enjoyed going to school, so the start of the week never bothered me.

As an adult I still don't like the song, but I can at least relate on the disappointment of a rainy day.  That's especially true this year as the spring weather has been miserable.  Mondays, however, never really get me down.  It's actually Sundays that give me the blues more than any other day of the week.  Today was no exception and I was not alone in feeling that way.  

I woke up this morning feeling a little blah.  That's not unusual on Sunday mornings for me.  The disappointment of the weekend ending has always made me a little sad.  Today's feeling, however, was a little heavier than usual.  I had really enjoyed the past few days and knew that the next two weeks would be filled with a lot of projects around the home and days away from Doug as he had to travel for work on multiple trips.  

Cameron came home from Samuel's this morning and I could tell that he felt the same way that I did about today.  He had had a lot of fun on Friday and Saturday night.  The let down of a quiet Sunday was definitely in his voice when he talked to us about the fun he had had at prom.  I was glad that he decided to go play 18 holes at Black Squirrel.  He not only played well, but he ran into Austin and talked to him for awhile.  That made his Sunday a little less "blah."

Normally, on Sundays I try to pretend that it's a great day and I'm having a lot of fun, but this time I decided to tell Doug how I felt.  To my surprise he said that Sunday wasn't his favorite day either.  The thought of another workweek ahead kept creeping into his mind, especially today.  He had tried to stay busy by tearing down the playhouse, but it didn't stop the pit in his stomach from growing.

Just like Cameron, we tried to make the best of it.  We took a walk, enjoyed the arrival of the Orioles to their home in our backyard, worked on Legos and watched Golden State beat the Grizzlies in a close game.  Cameron decided that he wanted to play Oh Hell tonight, so that helped to eliminate the Sunday blues as well.  I don't know if I will ever find a perfect solution to the depressing feeling that Sunday can bring, but today definitely was better than I expected when I woke up.