It's Finally Here...

...the Greatest Week In All Of Sports! 

While that's debatable, there's no question The Masters has been celebrated through the years as a top shelf event.

It was established in 1934 by champion golfer Bobby Jones and investment banker Clifford Roberts, in an era when the vaunted exemplar of the "Amateur Athlete" still held sway.

And who represented that lofty ideal better than the incomparable Bobby Jones?

To this day Jones remains the only golfer who has ever completed the "Grand Slam" of golf - winning all four major tournaments in the same calendar year - and he did so as an Amateur.

Played on the Augusta National - the golf course Jones and renowned designer Alister MacKenzie conceived -

- The Masters has grown in stature to rival the granddaddy of them all, <The Open>.

Known for its exclusivity - it's by invitation only - and exquisite beauty, The Masters is the official kickoff to the Majors.

If you don't win this one in April you can toss your dreams of winning Golf's Grand Slam (The Masters, PGA Championship in May, U.S. Open in June, and The Open Championship in July) in the circular file for another year.

There's a language and lore surrounding this tournament - Amen Corner, Hogan's Bridge, the Golden Bell, Nelson's Bridge -

- that adds to its aura and elevates it to a singular sphere in the hearts and minds of golf fans everywhere.

I know this was "the big one" as far as my father was concerned.

Now Dad wasn't a sports guy per se, but he did enjoy bowling, yelling at the TV when Tom Landry...

...and the Dallas Cowboys were playing, and of course golf.

His guy was Arnold Palmer - the first 4 time winner at The Masters.

Palmer's aggressive, attacking, go for broke style spoke to my dad and he was glued to the TV whenever "Arnie" was playing -

- especially at Augusta National.

We're 60 years past those halcyon days of yore, and unlike dear ol' Dad, I shan't be riveted to the TV, agonizing over each drive, chip and putt...

...of today's heroes.

To be honest, I'd rather watch Harry Vardon win his 6th Open Championship in 1914 at Prestwick.

Alas, I'm still waiting for them to perfect time travel, so I'll have to content myself with checking on the Masters now and then this weekend.

Thrilled to report our Vernal Equinox Death March...

...aka our Spring diet, has mercifully ground to an ignominious end.

Final tally for yours truly: 40 days ago I started at 206.4; finished this week at 195.2.

At one point I was 194.2, but in a shocking turn of events - and contrary to my initial findings - it turns out that Easter Peeps and Aldi Chocolate Bars...

...are not actually good for your diet.

Who knew?

Now the goal is to remain sub-200, and I'm feeling pretty good about my chances.

As the weather improves there are more and more outdoor projects to accomplish and I've become a big fan of "functional fitness" - getting exercise while doing something useful -

way below target weight

- like mowing the lawn or whatever Karen decides is appropriate.

Can't wait.

After an exhilarating adventure in blexcellence*, we're finally pulling into the station...

where the heck is everyone?

...signifying it's high time you disembark and get on with whatever it is you do when you're not here.

As an extra incentive for you to beat feet, I guarantee** there will be nothing golf related in this week's edition of 23 Skidoo:

looking through my old LP albums, I came across this 1980's pic of my favorite female singer from the country music group "Stampede"...

...along with this one.  she has a fabulous voice and the face of an angel.

attack of the silhouette creatures.  I'll bet (Aldi) you'll never guess (Aldi) where Karen found them (Aldi).

what in the world...how did this happen?  management will definitely hear about this.  also, my first tee time of 2026 is less than a week away.

beautiful forsythia taking a running jump at blooming

this doesn't really qualify as golf; more of a tennis thing

sun is definitely rising more in the east rather than the southeast now

*   blexcellence - blogging excellence

** not a guarantee

We're a couple of days into the tenuous <cease fire with Iran>, and it looks like this weekend will tell the tale.

J.D. Vance is spearheading the negotiation team and he's made it clear the U.S. won't tolerate the Iranian's usual lies and stalling tactics.

They will either open the Strait of Hormuz or else it's "bridge and power plant" day, aka the end of Iran as a functioning country.

Personally I'm fine with either outcome - they've been waging war against us for almost 5 decades and are responsible for the death of thousands of Americans and many more thousands of their own citizens and Israelis.

Interestingly, the obliteration of Iran (called "Elam" in the Old Testament), and specifically their military might, was prophesied in God's Word:

<Jeremiah 49:34-39>

The LORD decreed total defeat ("I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might" -and- "I will send the sword after them till I have consumed them") .

This was achieved in the 7th century BC when both the Assyrians and Babylonians conquered / occupied them.

But in Scripture there is often both a "near" and "far" fulfillment of prophecy (e.g., <Isaiah 7:14>, the virgin birth).

So are we seeing at least part of the "far / future" fulfillment of God's prophecy against Iran?

In other words, is Trump God's Hammer of Justice, or will that task fall to someone else at a later date?

Time - and not very much of it - will soon tell.

later, mcm fans...