My readers and students know that sports are important to me….August 30th is not only my birthday (#56…woo hoo), but it is also the opening game for the USC Trojans (at Virginia). Two days later, the UCLA Bruins swing into action against Tennessee. I know where Karen (a Trojan alumna and current Vol) will be on that one!
But there are other sports besides football and track & field that are beloved chez Freberg (just don’t mention the “S” word, and I don’t mean swimming, in Mr. F’s hearing). We love miniature golf! Okay, Mr. F and Kristin are very good on the larger scale courses, and we keep trying to get Karen out there, but in the meantime, mini golf produces some very intense competition.
My minigolf career got off to an early start. As kids, we spent a lot of time at a tropically themed course in nearby Temple City. My mom loved mini golf, too. Our 19th hole was more about Paydays and orange soda (yuck, but we thought those were terrific treats). Here I am at age 13 with my brother, Leroy, waiting our turn at the par 3 pineapple.
Turning the clock 42 years ahead, here I am concentrating on my next move at “the castle” on our local Santa Maria course.
I have been accused of taking my minigolf very seriously indeed, and even “gloating” when I win.
Oops.
I did try real golf lessons once, but I wasn’t very good. Golf to me seems like something you had better do very regularly to be any good, and with three children and this thing called a job, that just wasn’t going to happen.
If I am ever done with writing textbooks and teaching, maybe I’ll get Mr. F and Kristin to take me out to one of the big courses.
But I promise not to gloat….
