A Journey With Cerebral Palsy

A tradition of sorts seemed to have begun last year. Possibly, in the way many traditions find their beginning. By happenstance, the first stop of a California road trip would fall in line with the first round of the NFL draft. So, being the football fan that I am. It only made sense to make the one-night stop into a two-night stop and add in some golf. In Sun River, Oregon the plan came to life. Rolling into the quiet resort on a Wednesday night. The plan was formulated to rise the next morning and play golf mid-morning, which would place us back in front of the television for the draft at five o’clock. The plan could not have played itself out anymore ideally. We awoke on that Thursday morning to crystal clear blue skies. The temperature felt abnormally warm for the time of year and we set out to enjoy some golf. The evening included a good pizza and the excitement of the NFL draft. Awaking the following morning, the final part of the road trip began. The two-night stop in Sun River was such a good experience, it was worth another attempt. Only this year, the trip would look a little different. Instead of making it part of a road trip. It was decided to make it a trip all on its own. Rather than it being a two-night stay, it would be three nights. The final difference would be location. Instead of Sun River in Oregon, the trip would be to Suncadia, in Washington. 

The original plan was to play golf on the day of the NFL draft. Like the previous year, we would play golf about mid-morning, leaving us finished in time for the draft to begin. The timing last year worked out great. Finishing up golf and grabbing a pizza on the way back to the hotel. We had sat down with some food just as the show started. The difference in the situation this year was the weather conditions. After all, it was still early in the springtime, in the middle of the mountains. Where last year, it felt like we had gotten lucky with the forecast. While, the Sun River area in Oregon is at about the same elevation. Like Suncadia, the weather can be unpredictable. With the early warmth in Oregon the previous year, it appears we simply got lucky enough to play golf. This year, the spring air in Washington was cold. The forecast on the day of the draft was not calling for sun and warmth. As the weather report was monitored, leading up to the trip. There continued to be a prediction of rain, on the day of the draft. Even so, hope continued for a change in the forecast and an ability to replay the day, from last year. My raingear was packed in the event of a spotty weather day. Which could lead to the temptation of taking on the risk of rain and playing golf. However, as the day drew closer and closer, the prediction of rain didn’t appear to soften. The day following the first round of the draft, was looking more appealing. 

Playing golf didn’t take place on the day of the NFL draft. Looking up the weather forecast in the morning showed rain for the entire stretch of time where playing golf would have been ideal. Instead, the day became one of relaxing around the rented house, enjoying the anticipation of the evening. There was some baseball to watch beginning in the late hours of the morning, leading into early afternoon. By that time, the itch for draft information was getting to be too much. Turning on the draft coverage during the early afternoon, there was plenty to watch. One of my favorite shows, College Gameday was talking about everything having to do with the draft, from a college perspective. The show would lead all the way to the beginning of the draft in the early evening. Happiness and excitement filled me when I realized the show would occupy the hours before the first round of the draft began. There would be only one more reason to leave the house during the afternoon. We would need to make a pizza run to complete the day. Which would take me into the small town of Cle Elum. Making sure to be back just before five in the evening. We went into the small mountain town, just about ten minutes from the house, and picked up a pizza for dinner. Getting back in time, I filled my plate with a couple slices, and sat down to enjoy the next few hours. The first round of the draft always gets to be time consuming, going deep into the evening. However, for one day a year, it feels exciting. Watching the evening these young men change their lives and the lives of their families. 

The weather forecast that had predicted rain would fall for most of the day on Thursday, was correct. On Thursday afternoon, in the hours before the draft, I could look out the window and watch it coming down. Making me thankful for the decision not to play, before the draft began. It would not have been fun to get caught in that kind of rain. Especially with the temperature somewhere around 45 degrees. Waking up on Friday morning painted a completely different image outside the window. I could see through the blinds, as my eyes popped open, a brightness to the sky. The weather forecast for Friday had a chance of being correct. Friday showed no rain on every prediction I had seen and from the view out my window, it looked good. We found an opportunity to play golf in the early afternoon on the course of Rope Rider. Being early in the springtime, the other course, Prospector wouldn’t be open for another couple of weeks. The circumstances provided a good opportunity. Usually, when both public courses at Suncadia are open, I’m always opting to play Prospector, which I enjoy more. However, going up to Suncadia any time before May for golfing, means playing Rope Rider, and I enjoy the opportunity. Rope Rider has always felt a little less interesting for me to play, as opposed to Prospector. Which, I find to be both visually interesting and pretty challenging to play. The golf course was open to us just after one in the afternoon, with a mixture of sun, and clouds overhead. 

Some of my favorite holes on the Rope Rider golf course are found on the first nine holes. Holes like number one, two, and four excite my senses. Those holes used to happen on the second nine of the course, when it first opened. Since, they have flipped the course, having the players start on what used to be the second none holes. On the second nine, there are some holes piquing my interest, like 11, 12, and 15 are fun holes to play. The day playing Rope Rider would be my first round of golf for the year, in Washington. Taking away the couple of days playing golf on my winter vacation. My day started off pretty well through the first group of holes. I found a little trouble around the second green. The delicate pitch shots always to be the most challenging to hit. Especially, during the first couple rounds of the year. I ran into a little more trouble on the fourth hole. Hitting a golf shot while taking too much ground during contact. Turning one of my favorite shots on the golf course into a bit of a disappointment. I found a couple more mistakes on the opening nine holes. With relatively short golf shots that came up a little too chunky. Leading them to not travel very far toward my intended target. The positivity found in those first holes came in my full swing. The power and balance in my golf swing, which had been surprising during the Hawaii trip in January, was still there. The ball was flying great off of my full golf swings. 

Moving on to the second nine holes at Rope Rider. I was feeling pretty good about the way my golf game was feeling. There had been a few missed shots along the first nine, but nothing causing much of a concern. I have often felt that my full swing shots are the most challenging, so if I’m making good contact with my fairway woods, my game is probably in good shape. The shorter shots seem to have much more to do with feel. Which, often gets better as the golf season progresses. Moving down the fairway of the halfway point in the day of golf. The weather was feeling better than the forecast seemed to have predicted. The sun had been out most of the day.  Only hiding behind the occasional cloud from time to time and the wind was pretty slow through the trees. With the temperature feeling slightly warm for the sweater I had on, but not warm enough for just short sleeves. All things considered, it felt like a nice weather day, for late April. The second nine found me having better luck with the shorter shots, I had into the greens. My chip shots seemed to be better contacted, as the day unfolded. While, the full swings didn’t begin failing me until the fifteenth hole. When the feeling of getting tired started showing up in my golf swing. The fatigue just felt like a thing happening each spring, when my body isn’t accustomed to playing golf. The slight chill in the air could have contributed to a little extra squeaky movement in my body. Bring on the feeling of being tired a little quicker. But I battled through the tiredness and managed to play some good shots coming to the end. The day turned out to be fun and the course was in impressive condition. 

The biggest surprise of my day on the golf course turned out to be my putting. Something I had been tinkering with during the last months of winter. Striking some putts across the carpet in my bedroom. It turned out, the fidgeting in the winter showed up as better putting on the day of golf in Suncadia. The three-day trip was a fun escape from life around the suburbs of Seattle. It also provided a different spin on watching the NFL draft from the previous year. We weren’t simply stopping through Sun River, Oregon for a break. This year, taking a trip to watch the draft turned into a destination stay. Providing more of a relaxed atmosphere around watching the draft. With the rain coming down on the actual day of the draft, there was time for watching more of the lead up to the first selection. I always enjoy watching shows leading up to whatever sporting event might be happening. It helps me to better understand some of the intriqusies around whatever I might be watching. So, the shows seemed to make watching the draft more fun, because of the insights. Just like last year, the pizza of the small town of Cle Elum was excellent. An ideal food match for an evening of sporting excitement. On the second day, the sun replaced the clouds and rain. Making for a fun day of golf, even with a little chill in the air. It was a fun trip, which might have just started a tradition.