In the last two weeks, we have done quite a bit. I flew home from Iowa thinking we were going to pack our things in a PODS for storage for a couple months while our new place was getting ready. So, we started packing our things. Then we received word that the place would be ready a couple days later, which would be the day before we were supposed to leave for West Virginia. In a matter of 3 days, we packed up all our things, did the necessary paperwork, and then in one afternoon did the actual move.
After getting about 5 hours of sleep per night for about 5 days, we hit the road to West Virginia for a PGA Tour event qualifier.... The Greenbrier Classic. We arrived on Wednesday, and due to fatigue for obvious reasons, I decided to practice instead of play a practice round. The next day was the pre-qualifier (qualifying takes two parts), and my easy going 72 was easily good enough to advance. The next couple days we were planning on resting with maybe a fun day of white water rafting or zip-lining. Unfortunately, two things happened... 1) Ash got sick, presumably from the lack of rest over the previous week; and 2) a freak storm came through West Virginia and knocked the power out in approximately 80% of the state. The people in the state were so ill-prepared for anything like this, that over the next 26 hours, we never were able to eat, spent 2.5 hours in line to get the rationed 9 gallons of gas, checked out of our hotel, and drove 2 hours to Virginia where there was power and food. Maybe it's because I grew up in Miami where we are always "hurricane-ready" and people own a back-up generator for their home, but it was hard to believe that no one within an hour (talking gas stations, hotels, and restaurants) had a back-up power source except for the state-owned travel plaza off the interstate.
When Monday came for the qualifier, we woke up at 5 am to leave at 5:20 for our 2-hour drive to the course. Ash was a trooper as she drove the whole way to allow me to close my eyes so I could be ready to play. I played very well, shooting 66, which was tied for the low round of the day. Unfortunately, there were 6 of us at that number and only 4 qualifiers. We went into a playoff that lasted 3 holes. It became 4-for-3 after the first hole because of a birdie and a bogey. We all parred the 2nd playoff hole. The 3rd playoff hole, I hit great shots, but misjudged my adrenaline and sailed a 9-iron 165 yards (usually hit it 148) right over the flag, over the green, in a tough spot. I was unable to get it up-and-down and was thus eliminated. Tough to swallow.
So, we got the in car and drove about 4 hours to Lexington, KY, where today we are concluding our drive to Moline, IL... about 8.5 hours.
