Business, Family, Fishing, Golf, Hunting, Music

Living Life

In just about 10 months, I will turn 50 years old.  While my personal demise does not preoccupy my daily thoughts, it is hard to avoid the reality of the situation.  If I am lucky, I have 25 to 30 years left on the planet.  That being the case, I have a lot that I want to accomplish in a short period of time.  In no specific order, here are some of the things that I will do before the lights go out.  If possible, I would like to experience many of these quests with my wife and 2 sons.

  • Learn to Play a Guitar – As a lifelong metalhead, I have and continue to admire the musical abilities of Tony Iommi, Randy Rhodes, Eddie Van Halen and Darrell Abbott. On July 29th, I will take a guitar lesson from Kyle Shutt.  Kyle is a founding member of the band, The Sword.  He is a talented and accomplished artist who kindly agreed to mentor me.  I am not sure if I can learn to play the guitar, but I am going to try.
  • Own and Operate a Company – I have been an employee for almost 30 years. I appreciate the majority of my employers, and the opportunities they have provided me. That said, I want to own my own company.  It does not matter what type of company.  My years of business experience, coupled with a desire to collaborate with focused and committed people, will ensure the success of this company.  It is only a matter of time before I discover the right opportunity.
  • Hunt a Bull Elk – When I think of hunting the Western half of the United States, the first animal that I think of is an elk. I want to put my evolving predator skills to the test, and challenge myself both mentally and physically.  The good news is that I live in a Colorado where elk run wild.  Admittedly, this hunt intimidates me given my inexperience, and the intense planning & preparation involved.  It would be ideal if I could recruit a veteran big game hunter like Randy Newberg, Nate Simmons or Steven Rinella to provide me their professional insight.  If I am unable to convince a seasoned veteran to assist me, I will figure it out on my own.  Ty (12) is ready to complete his hunter safety course, and Jesse (10) is less than 2 years away.  They will make fine hunting partners sometime soon.
  • Fly Fish New Zealand – I want to catch big, native trout in a majestic environment. Videos I watch validate that those who fly fish New Zealand have opportunities to engage monster fish.  I am told that these fish don’t receive consistent pressure, and they are not shy when it comes to attacking a fly.  In addition to working on my casting proficiency, I will begin to train Ty and Jesse on fly fishing basics.  They already have the angling bug, it is now time to evolve our skills.
  • Hunt Pheasants in South Dakota – My favorite activity in life is bird hunting. If there is a mecca for upland hunters, it is the state of South Dakota.  Friends have told me that the birds are so thick, it can be difficult to pick a rooster out to shoot. Echo, my gundog, is 18 months old.  She and I enjoyed many adventures during her first year in the field.  Echo and I are ready for the 8-hour ride to rooster paradise.
  • Golf Ireland (again) – Back in 2000, some friends and I golfed the east coast of Ireland. We had the time of our lives.  The landscape is incredible, the people are kind and the courses are historic.  It is time to go back, and do it again with a true appreciation for the experience.  To do the trip with my sons and wife would make it ideal.
  • Write a Book – I need to figure out the general subject matter, then go for it. It would be great if the book was commercially successful, but that is not my motivation.  I want it to be good, and I cannot continue to procrastinate.  Tim Ferriss says to write “two crappy pages a day”.  That does not seem insurmountable.
  • Offer Help – I try to lead a selfless, generous and empathetic life. That said, when I do the occasional candid self-evaluation, I realize that I don’t do enough for others.  Of course, I try to extend myself for family and friends.  That is generally easy because I love the person that I am helping.  What I am talking about is being proactively available to strangers.  Actually, assisting people I don’t know.  I am passionate about upland hunting.  Despite my relative newness to the sport, I am 100% engaged.  There are many people that dream about walking a grassy field, alongside a bird dog, with a chance to mount a shotgun at a cackling rooster.  Many of those people might never get that opportunity. Perhaps I can be the person that will introduce them to an unforgettable moment.

As time progresses, I will hopefully minimize this list.  When inspired, I will add ambitious life objectives to it. When I accomplish a feat, I will opine on it in writing.  Completing this article commits me to the journey.  Let’s go!

Golf

Even If You Fall On Your Face, You’re Still Moving Forward

I love the game of golf!  Like many who take up the sport, I am obsessed. Most who play are consumed by the never-ending quest to get better. Unfortunately, it is hard to improve.

I took up golf after college, and realized quickly that I was not blessed with a “natural” swing. Not dissimilar to most who take up the game later in life, I experienced all of the frustrations associated with learning how to play. About 4 years ago, my handicap hit an all-time low (5.9 index), and I was confident that I would continue to improve.  The golf gods, however, had other plans.  Over the next three years, my game evaporated.  Out of pure desperation, I acquired almost every golf training aid available on the market, while seeking a cure from a host of PGA instructors.  Nothing worked, and my handicap ballooned to a 14.6 by the end of the 2015 season. As I contemplated quitting golf, I made a desperate decision to invest in a golf school.  I had followed Martin Chuck’s Tour Striker Golf Academy for years, and I felt that his philosophy would align best with my predicament.  The instruction over the three-day class was great. The coaches provided me with insight into the many issues that prohibited me from playing competently. They also offered valuable guidance on how to improve.  Fortunately, Martin introduced me to a tool that fundamentally altered my descent into the abyss.

Over the last 13 months, I have use a training aid called the Swingclick at the range, on the course and in my house.  My handicap has dropped to a 7.8, and I am playing a lot better. The Swingclick helps me find the top of my backswing, and reinforces the correct tempo.  The metamorphosis has been a blessing as I desperately want to get better at golf.

My story underscores the profound impact this simple device will have on a golfer. For the price of a dozen golf balls, and regular use of the Swingclick, anyone can improve their game. Similar to the way Victor Kiam felt about Remington in the late 1970s, I believe so much in the Swingclick, I now own a part of the company.

The Swingclick – It Works!

Family, Hunting

Something to Remind You

On February second my wonderful gun dog Pride, passed on.  He was thirteen and one half years old, and his health was deteriorating.  We were fortunate to adopt Pride at seven years old, after his original owner lost a long battle with cancer.  His personality was unique for a seasoned gun dog.  In the field, Pride demonstrated all of the characteristics of an accomplished bird hunter.  He could locate evasive roosters, and retrieve downed birds out of the thickest cover.  At home, Pride was quiet and reserved. He loved to be loved, and that was obvious by the way he responded to our family.

The most special moment in my hunting life occurred during my first ever pheasant opener in 2011. In our initial field, Pride located a half dozen roosters, and I missed every shot. I had pheasant fever, and my confidence was shaken.  In the early afternoon, hunting became difficult when temperatures hit the lower sixties, and the wind blew at twenty miles per hour.  We were walking a public CRP field just northeast of Holyoke, Colorado.  About two thirds of the way into the quarter section of native grass, Pride stopped on a hard point.  He was not a pointing lab, but his posture was unmistakable.  Realizing that a pheasant was present, I started to make my way over to my focused dog.  The bird must have started to run right as Pride suddenly moved left. When Pride shuffled, the rooster took flight.  I shouldered my A400 and fired. The bird tumbled from the sky, and fell over a nearby hill.  Pride was already in a full sprint when the rooster landed in the waist-high grass.  Almost immediately, I began to second guess my shot.  Was that a rooster or hen?  Did I make a lethal shot?  My anxiousness disappeared when I saw Pride running towards me with the colorful bird in his mouth.  I just shot my first wild pheasant.

Thank you Pride.  Thank you for teaching me how to be a bird hunter.  Thank you for your patience, love and kindness.  Thank you for being my partner in many amazing adventures.  Rest in peace my man.

Something to Remind You

Family, Hunting

The Wave; Country Style

4 Comments

I was born and raised about 30 minutes north of Boston, Massachusetts. I am a native New Englander, and proud of it.  We live a fast, competitive and intense lifestyle in the Northeast.  Once one earns their driver’s license, emotions become amplified.  People treat their commute as a race. If you’re dissatisfied with the speed in the left lane, you flash your headlights at the driver in front of you.  If that car doesn’t move, you tailgate them.  If the tailgate proves to be ineffective, you bolt across multiple lanes, only to cut back to the left lane in order to get ahead of the original driver.  As you bolt by the person lollygagging in the left lane, you raise your middle finger in order to demonstrate your anger.  The gesture usually results in a continued confrontation of flipping each other off for miles down the road.

When we moved to Colorado just over 8 years ago, the pace of play slowed. When I started hunting, things really changed. As I drive east, people wave at you. It is a subtle move with the left hand, but noticeable.  At first, I was perplexed by the gesture.  Did the person misidentify me as a friend? Do I wave back even though they have the wrong guy?  It took a few trips to realize that these are people just being kind.  I am not certain where the geographical line is in the State, but when I cross it, things change.  I have adopted the motion, and now wave at every truck that passes me.  Waving at another person I don’t know makes me feel good, so I will continue doing it.

Video

More Fun in Bird Country

Golf

Get Better

1 Comment

Golf is a struggle for everyone that plays the game.  I think that it is a part of the allure of the sport.  Just when you think you figured it out, your game inexplicably goes sideways.  Golf will tax you mentally, and produce visceral frustrations like no other sport.  What is even more maddening is that trying harder does not guarantee improvement.

Over the last three years, the game of golf has not been enjoyable for me.  My handicap went from a 5.9 index to a 14.5 index.  My friends provided me all of the obligatory excuses; work, family, reduced playing etc.  Admittedly, I succumbed to my struggles, and thought about quitting the game. Recognizing that quitting is for the weak, I decided to make an investment, and enroll in a golf school. Months of research lead me to Martin Chuck and his Tour Striker Academy. In January, I sent Martin a detailed email outlining my situation.  He replied with a comprehensive overview of my issues, and what he would do to help me solve my problems.  This initial insight provided by Martin was impressive so I registered for the three-day program.

Given the state of my game, I was anxious about performing in front of Martin, and his team of PGA professionals.  It did not take long before that apprehension was alleviated by a group of instructors that focused on my development.  While the teaching is extremely positive, they all speak candidly about your game.  Martin and his staff make the instruction very personal, and care about each student’s ability to absorb their direction.  Key points are reinforced with video, training aids and the data compiled by the TrackMan launch monitor.  At the end of the three-day course, I felt that I had an idea of what I needed to do to improve.  Additionally, Martin recommended a single training aid that he felt would help me resolve my primary swing flaw. The tool is called the Swingclick, and it is the only device that has actually positively impacted my golf swing.

The results associated with my investment have been material.  My handicap has dropped to a 9, and my confidence has gradually come back.  I no longer let bad shots destroy my round or undermine my mental condition. My swing might not look any better, but a half dozen rounds in the 70’s has me believing there are legitimate advances.

The struggle with the game of golf has not ended for me.  The difference is now I have the proper foundation to withstand its continuous challenges.

Thank you Martin Chuck, Courtney Mahon, Jim Waldron, Mike Krahe, and Brian Manzella.  Special thanks to the inventors of the Swingclick.

Working Hard so I can Hunt, Fish and Golf