my brush with grapeness

a.k.a. sticktoitiveness pays off.

Woke up, jumped into the veeeeeeeehicle, headed to Jones Beach where you're bussed to The Open. Worker parking is @ Farmingdale, but, YOU park in the mud in the middle of POURING rain.

(get the feeling SOMEONE didn't run this am?)

Can't find the Volunteer check in trailer anywhere, and no one seems to know. @ this point I'm ready to leave but...hey...Shebitch is home. Bethpage in pouring rain beats one second with It.

Watch the pros on the putting green, then the driving range.

Look some more for the trailer, finally found it-near The Clubhouse. Check in, it's a downpour, Tiger just teed off-'round 8:06. Met the shift supervisor, @ which point nothing's happening. I'm WAY early for my 10-3:30 shift. Hang in the trailer, watching golf channel, loving the irony.

Before to long, play is called-inclement weather-in other words: FUCKING RAIN!!! First spritzes, then momentum picked up, finally soaking "Cow Harborish" weather. Most players got in 5 or 6 holes. So there we are, hanging in the trailer, watching ESPN and The Golf Channel. After 5 hours, @ 1:30, the USGA Comish calls play for the day-the rain just kept getting stronger, with no end in sight-you really expected to see frogs jumping out of the cups.

So, after 5 hours, what did we have to show for it? We hung out, they ate (too early for me), lots of laughs, hey-male bonding. It WAS fun. But enough, when he called play for the day finally I left.

So there I am, among the throng trying to get out, organized chaos-I end up in an area I didn't belong in: the player parking lot. Making matters worse, I'm walking directly in front of The Clubhouse, from which the pros exit to get into their veeeeeehicle. Who cuts across the path, no possee, no caddy, just him??? Yep, Tiger. Wow I was as close to him as you are to your computer screen. Being wuick on my feet (not THAT crass, couldn't ask for an autograph) I made eye contact, said "tomorrow Tiger," he nodded. Voila, my brush with grapeness. One of the guys made the comment of "he always looks mad," some call it focus, but he truly looks so focused that he never appears happy unless he's holding a trophy. Kind'a sad. Removes the whole "enjoy the journey" from the equation.

If I'd not gone in_the thought DID blow my mind to blow it off, I never would'a run into him. If I'd left early-the boss offered to let us go whenever we wanted as long as he had a skeleton crew in the unlikely event that play resumed-I never would'a run into him. Wow. Just wow.