I played in a golf tournament today (6/19/08), and normally my participation in an event like that would be something I would look forward to...you know...getting out of the office, being with friends, enjoying the exercise and scenery, hitting a few good shots (and I DO mean a "few")...but who in their right mind would arrange for a start time of 12 noon in June in Fresno! Yikes!... it was already triple digits during the "shotgun" start time, there was very little shade in which to find a respite, and absolutely no breeze! Volunteers were great about frequent stops to offer water and other beverages, ice, and encouragement...but at some point we really wondered..."are we having fun yet!?!"

It was a "scramble format" (best ball, where every one tees off, and you go to the best ball location and everyone hits from there and the process is repeated until the ball is holed) which is a saving grace in tournaments that usually have a variety of golfer skill levels. Thank the Lord one of the folks in my foursome can really "wallup" the ball and drive it quite a distance. We had the darndest time with our putting though...

Actually, we did have fun, laughed about this, that, and the other, I nearly flipped my rider and myself over in the cart-trying to turn around, ended up leaving after 9 holes (I was melting and I'm a total baby when it comes to the heat), and we solved a few of the world's problems in between shots.

I want to encourage you to have fun, try to keep a good "work/life" balance, enjoy others' company often, get outside and play some golf (or whatever you enjoy and are half-way decent at), and be thankful. Oh, and try to stay cool!