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Driving Range Woes
March 29, 2007Okay....so, after work yesterday, I had an itch to go to the driving range at Hawk Ridge Golf Course...seeing as how it's the only range in the freaking city limits of Wichita Falls.
It's 7:20 p.m....still at least an hour of sunlight left.
I waltz into the place and to my horror...see a sign on the front desk that is absolutely mind blowing.
"No range balls sold after 6 p.m."
HUH?!!!?!!?!?!?!!?!!?!??!?!
Six....six....are you freaking serious. There are at least 2 hours to hit some measley golf balls at six. I can understand not letting anybody play the front nine starting at 6 p.m., but I can't go hit balls into a freaking field. I was floored.
When I was 16, I worked at a driving range in Fort Worth, we had lights (sorta...they weren't any better than the municipal soccer fields) and I didn't leave until the last guy was done hitting golf balls. Usually...I'd stop selling them by 9:30 or so...in late fall.
Now, I understand they don't have lights at Hawk Ridge's driving range, but there ARE NO OTHER OPTIONS in town. I don't know how the Plex let their range close, but I just can't believe that with as many golfers in town as we have, we don't have a decent driving range that people can go work on their game after it's too late to play a round when they get off of work.
Those guys at Weeks Park had better put up some freaking lights and let people hit golf balls until their fingers bleed. But that's more than a year away, we shouldn't have to wait that long.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
It's official...my new hat rocks.
March 26, 2007Okay, I've been gingerly wearing this new hat for about a week or so...sometimes at work, sometimes out and about.
Haven't worn it golfing yet, but that'll happen soon enough.
I had always kinda wanted a hat like this....but didn't really have a reason to get one. The new boss at work made it clear that he didn't want me wearing my standard issue baseball hats at work anymore (hence the freshly shorn haircut I've been sporting).
I think the buzzed haired Jason looks good if I do say so myself. Some may disagree...my mom doesn't really like it. But I just wasn't blessed with really pretty hair. I was blessed with lots of very thick hair with a mind of it's own.
So I'm at Target last weekend with my mom and sister, and saw this hat. I tried it on and wasn't impressed at first. But the more I looked for other hats...the more I really liked this hat.
I go for the ultimate test...will it impress my mom and 20-year old sister Kristin.
Shockingly...it did.
They both loved it. So I got it. Why not...it's nice.
Nevermind that I look like a 1930s newspaper boy with the hat...that's kind of the whole point. I mean, I AM a newspaper boy.
So anywho...pretty much everybody has said they love it and it looks good on me. I'd say about 90% positive...and that's a good thing. But today, came the top compliment.
TRN Publisher Darrell Coleman made it a point to tell me that he really liked it. That was a huge relief...I mean, if he didn't like it, I'd never wear it to work ever again.
The hat stays...hahahaha.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 02:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
I need a vacation.
March 23, 2007Sounds like a good plan anyways...although, judging by the number of blog entries I've written lately, you'd think I've been on one.
Nope...just been busy.
Come to think of it...I'm not really sure when the last actual week vacation was. But I've got a plan and a list of places.
I was telling a friend the other day, "Man, if I had a week off, I'd just start driving."
"Where would you go?"
"I dunno....Montana."
Sure...it sounds random enough, but you know what's up near Montana....Yellowstone. A place I've wanted to go see since I was a little kid. I have to see Old Faithful. But then, I want to get lost back there, not on one of those tourist tours...but really get out in the middle of nowhere and feel solitude.
One time, when I was still in Fort Worth, I took a week and went up to Turner Falls. Not exactly the wilderness experience or anything...but I managed to completely lose myself in the hills. (Actually...I really did get lost for a while). But I was able to just slip away from what seemed like everything.
I had only recently discovered photography and that I was really good at it. So, of course, I had a camera. My trusty Canon Rebel G and a few rolls of black and white T-Max film.
I made a whole bunch of photos up there and still have them to this day. Several of them I have framed...(I need to hang up pictures in my apt. now that I think about it.)
I went up there for a week on my Spring Break...it was awesome. Climbed in caves...hung out near the falls, hiked all over the place. I just felt connected and disconnected at the same time if that makes sense.
I can't possibly explain to anybody how badly I need to have that feeling again. It happens every couple of years. It's been about 3-4 years since I've really had that kind of feeling about a place.
I've been thinking about it for well over a year now....thinking and planning. I've narrowed it down to a few locations that I have got to go visit.
The most likely place would be Palo Duro Canyon....it's close and I can get virtually disappear off the map.
That's the plan at least...
Posted by Jason Palmer at 02:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Love this duck
March 20, 2007Now THIS struck me as funny today.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 09:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Morning laugh
March 19, 2007So, like a good newspaper reader, the first website I go to check this morning is the Times Record News homepage.
I usually go there first and see what's going on around town before heading into work a little later. In case something exploded over the weekend while I was out of town or whatever.
As usual, there is a ton of Associated Press stuff pushing the local news all the way to the bottom of the page.
Headlines like:
FBI Internet Crime stats
Weekend shooting
Missing boyscout....etc.
But what is the "Top Story" so far today?....Nick Gholson is blogging again.
What a freaking joke. That is not news. That is not a top story. That shouldn't even be mentioned on the front page unless Nick was in a horrifying assault that nearly left him dead and he's finally making it back to the paper after a long stay.
But none of that happened. He just took a break, like me. But it appears that bit of news is more important than anything else in the news world according to our website.
That "top story" should be a small side banner at the most....not taking up space where actual news is supposed to go.
For that matter....what about me? Where's my fanfare. I may carry 1/2 the readership of Nick, but I'm also a 1/3 of the age. You'd think I'd appeal to the crowd that we're trying to draw into reading the website in the first place.
Heck, if that were true, I should have a huge blinking banner ad.
Maybe I should take photos of Nick blogging for tomorrows front page.
Rant.....over.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Okay...bad blogger again
March 15, 2007To say that I've been "preoccupied" as of late would be a vast understatement.
A lot of things have been going on...a lot.
Namely, trying to wash the bitter taste of being forced into single-ness again out of my mouth. It has proven to be more of a challenge than I thought. I've made great strides though and have come to many a conclusion on the matter.
Also....doing a lot more running around and working hard with just the 3 of us photogs. Not as much time to sit around and think about writing something....I'll get back to it soon enough.
Really, I need a nice long vacation. I want to go somewhere serene and far from here. Every now and then I need that bit of soul washing to bring me back.
I've tried really hard to not let my feelings go in words on my blog and fill this space with everything that's been running through my head. I need to get back to posting pictures and stuff.
Okay...enough break for now...back to work.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
More Duck
Posted by Jason Palmer at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
A darker vision
March 04, 2007One of my friends pointed out that it seems like whenever a couple breaks up...they both go shopping. Girls for shoes, and guys for things to do to their cars.
Oddly enough, I had already planned on getting my windows tinted on the Vibe....so the breakup with Courtney was secondary to those plans. Sure made me laugh though, they were already throwing out suggestions for new chrome rims and lowered suspension.
I'd settle for some new tires (which is going to be the next major purchase I make soon as I get my income taxes back).
Anywho...I took my car down to see Mike at Longhorn Trailer and Body...he cut me a good deal and did a fantastic job. It's all perfectly legal-like....35% down the sides and 15% on the back. I just wanted to look/feel cool.
And seeing as how it was a perfectly picturesque day out, I thought I'd go do a quick photo shoot.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 06:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
