It always starts with that buzzing. Three or four times, always directly in my ear, the alarm goes off. I then roll over to unlock the phone with that password that has been built into my fingertips. I flop back over to catch another 45 minutes that I had planned on the night before.
The next step is to make the same lunch that I've eaten just about every day this past year; two PB&J's. I can crank through them in just a few bites when I find a moment.
What follows is a 20-minute drive to the top-rated golf course in Maine, Belgrade Lakes Golf Club. During this drive, I scan the radio to find my rhythm for the day. Once I arrive, I make that last walk, or ride, up to the top of the hill. This is when I remember why I do this every day. I absolutely love the place; it has the purest golfing experience and the best service to be found in all of Maine.
My usual day consists of starting golfers off on their rounds, greeting them at the bag drop, picking them up in the shuttle, and corralling carts. Being able to help people with advice before the round and making sure their needs are met keeps me smiling most of the day. After that, I let the course speak for itself. Belgrade is not the same as other courses. It's special, and the atmosphere there inspires me to work hard and plan my day around this place.
My favorite days at Belgrade are when I get to sling the bag as a caddy. I've learned through experience that caddying is all the fun and mental challenge of playing without any of the frustration that comes from being the one responsible for striking the ball.
After my work day is over, more often than not, I'll go grab my sticks and head out to play a few holes by myself, which is always a treat. From there I'll make that 20-minute drive back home and, help out where I can. Many days, that means heading back out to pick up a younger sibling or two. Just a short while later, it is time to eat dinner, get a bit of reading done, then prepare to hear that same buzzing the next morning, when the cycle begins once again.
Friday, October 28, 2016
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Constant Reinvention
The constant
reinvention of myself is something that I am able to see better than anyone
else. I notice the subtle and not-so-subtle changes that occur in my daily life.
I'm not even close to the same person that I was yesterday, let alone a month
ago. Sure, I may look the same to some, but the difference in how I perceive
myself is astounding. I look back at how much less I knew and how much more
arrogant I was. I see myself changing at a blindingly fast pace now, and it's
only going to be accelerated in the coming months.
I said in a video interview a month ago that people don't like it when you outwork them—which I still believe to be true. One of the reasons that I am able to outwork them is the seriousness that I bring to everything I do. I'm shocked at the lack of motivation that people bring to the workplace. I don't understand how you can give less than your absolute best to someone who is paying you to do a job. Integrity, and lack thereof, is the term that springs to mind as I'm writing this.
Growing up, integrity and hard work were something that I aspired to, based on the example my parents set for me. I had the notion that once you were an adult, the expectation was that you were supposed to behave and carry out what you did in a professional manner. Based on that standard, very few people have grown up, and this shocks me.
I said in a video interview a month ago that people don't like it when you outwork them—which I still believe to be true. One of the reasons that I am able to outwork them is the seriousness that I bring to everything I do. I'm shocked at the lack of motivation that people bring to the workplace. I don't understand how you can give less than your absolute best to someone who is paying you to do a job. Integrity, and lack thereof, is the term that springs to mind as I'm writing this.
Growing up, integrity and hard work were something that I aspired to, based on the example my parents set for me. I had the notion that once you were an adult, the expectation was that you were supposed to behave and carry out what you did in a professional manner. Based on that standard, very few people have grown up, and this shocks me.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
2/4/14
I went to the gym yesterday for the first time in over a week, because I had gotten a cold from my brother which completely shut me down. After getting warmed up, I started with the bench press and row machine, doing 3 sets of ten reps at 105 pounds on the bench press. Then 3 sets of row machine at 45, then 65 pounds, mixing in sets of 5 pull-ups. Moving to biceps, I did 10 reps at 55 pounds on bar curls. With triceps I did pull-downs at 80, 85, 90, and 95 pounds all at least 10 reps, nice and smooth. As all this was going on I would mix in sets of 20 exercise ball crunches and oblique crunches. After finishing my upper body with forearm twists and push-ups, I moved over to do my core work. 3 sets of, in order, 20 exercise ball crunches, 1 minute 30 second planks, 20 Romanian twists, 12 leg raised crunches, 12 up and twist crunches, and 20 oblique crunches. All this lasted an hour-and-a-half at which point I went home and had my protein shake.
Just a normal upper-body day for me in a long, 5 month stretch of winter. Now onto lower-body for today.
Just a normal upper-body day for me in a long, 5 month stretch of winter. Now onto lower-body for today.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
1/29/14
Today I've been reading some more of Thomas Sowell's: Basic Economics.
The main point that he got across today was about Investments and Investment risks by both sides, the lender and the borrower. How the Lender can, by lending out $1 million dollars in total can recoup, and even make a 20% profit by having just 60% of the borrowers pay back what they were lent, plus interest. But with government interference, by putting a cap on the annual rates of interest, the only people that the lenders would want to, or even should, lend to would be millionaires because that's the only way they could recoup the money they lent out if they were to have that 60% rate of return. So the lower the annual rate of interest, the fewer people will be eligible to receive those loans, because there would be no incentive for the lenders to lend out money.
The main point that he got across today was about Investments and Investment risks by both sides, the lender and the borrower. How the Lender can, by lending out $1 million dollars in total can recoup, and even make a 20% profit by having just 60% of the borrowers pay back what they were lent, plus interest. But with government interference, by putting a cap on the annual rates of interest, the only people that the lenders would want to, or even should, lend to would be millionaires because that's the only way they could recoup the money they lent out if they were to have that 60% rate of return. So the lower the annual rate of interest, the fewer people will be eligible to receive those loans, because there would be no incentive for the lenders to lend out money.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
1/28/14
Today was the day that I spent an hour on Sister Wendy Beckett's:
The Story of Painting.
Italy's greatest sculptor at the time of Giotto; Nicola Pisano, was the one truly responsible for bringing sculpting out of the Dark Ages. Before him sculptures lacked definition and style.
They were flat, plain, and rather wooden looking pieces. Nicola's sculptures brought solidity and a life-like element to them.(As seen here on the right: His Allegory of Strength.) Which helped inspire Giotto's work, bringing it from the flatter Byzantine style, to a completely new style, known as the Renaissance style, with which the painters in the following age would use and bring to un-thought of heights.
The Story of Painting.
Italy's greatest sculptor at the time of Giotto; Nicola Pisano, was the one truly responsible for bringing sculpting out of the Dark Ages. Before him sculptures lacked definition and style.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Notes on Basic Economics: Chapter 1
"Economics is more than just a way to see patters or unravel puzzling anomalies. Its fundamental concern is with the material standard of living society as a whole and how that is affected by particular decisions made by individuals and institutions."--Thomas Sowell
Economics is not strictly about money as most people think, money is just the artificial device that helps drive the market. What economics really boils down to is resources, the scarcity of those resources, and how those resources are distributed.
"...Economics isn't just about dealing with the existing output of goods and services as consumers. It is also, and more fundamentally, about producing that output from scarce resources in the first place ---turning inputs into outputs."--Lionel Robbins from his paper What is Economics?
Most of the time those resources, where they go and how they're used, is determined by the government. The Soviet Union produce more electricity usage than the American companies, they had less output despite having more steel, wood, and other natural resources than the American's. Which run along with what Lionel Robbins said , "Economics is more about producing a greater output from less of an input." Or making more with less.
Taking a look at some of the examples given in the first chapter, I find that it's quite interesting how some countries have fewer natural resources(sometimes massively less) than other countries but have a much better condition of life. How can that be? You would think those countries with an oversupply of resources would be much better off. But take Japan, they have considerably fewer resources than Venezuela, the life style is many times better. So it isn't how much you have, if you use it inefficiently then you will have a lesser output than a somebody who uses less more efficiently.
Economics is not strictly about money as most people think, money is just the artificial device that helps drive the market. What economics really boils down to is resources, the scarcity of those resources, and how those resources are distributed.
"...Economics isn't just about dealing with the existing output of goods and services as consumers. It is also, and more fundamentally, about producing that output from scarce resources in the first place ---turning inputs into outputs."--Lionel Robbins from his paper What is Economics?
Most of the time those resources, where they go and how they're used, is determined by the government. The Soviet Union produce more electricity usage than the American companies, they had less output despite having more steel, wood, and other natural resources than the American's. Which run along with what Lionel Robbins said , "Economics is more about producing a greater output from less of an input." Or making more with less.
Taking a look at some of the examples given in the first chapter, I find that it's quite interesting how some countries have fewer natural resources(sometimes massively less) than other countries but have a much better condition of life. How can that be? You would think those countries with an oversupply of resources would be much better off. But take Japan, they have considerably fewer resources than Venezuela, the life style is many times better. So it isn't how much you have, if you use it inefficiently then you will have a lesser output than a somebody who uses less more efficiently.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Short Putts
When I was in the basement this morning, I went 9 for 9 in the 3, 6, 9 putting drill prescribed by my teacher Tom Torrington.
This is how it works: you take three balls and roll three putts from three feet. If you make all three putts, you move back to six feet. Make all of those and move back to nine feet. If you miss any of the nine putts you have to go back to the beginning and start all over again, until you make all nine in a row.
I figured something out today: if I keep my head down until the ball hits my target, I have a better chance of making the putt. I'll need to overcome my habit of lifting my head to see if the ball goes in. By keeping my head down I'm able to release the putter while starting the ball on my line. But when I lift my head I have to keep the face open with my hands or it shoots dead left, which — as you can imagine — leads to inconsistency. The point is that I have to keep my head down and body still to put my best stroke on it.
How much longer until golf season?
This is how it works: you take three balls and roll three putts from three feet. If you make all three putts, you move back to six feet. Make all of those and move back to nine feet. If you miss any of the nine putts you have to go back to the beginning and start all over again, until you make all nine in a row.
I figured something out today: if I keep my head down until the ball hits my target, I have a better chance of making the putt. I'll need to overcome my habit of lifting my head to see if the ball goes in. By keeping my head down I'm able to release the putter while starting the ball on my line. But when I lift my head I have to keep the face open with my hands or it shoots dead left, which — as you can imagine — leads to inconsistency. The point is that I have to keep my head down and body still to put my best stroke on it.
How much longer until golf season?
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