Monday’s Margarita – Teeing it up with Dear Ol' Dad

We’re live from the Outer Banks! Weather’s here, wish you were beautiful.

For all you dads out there, hope the weekend was full of homemade gifts and a couple of naps in between cold beverages.  Since we were back on the road yesterday, my wife was nice enough to drive. Unfortunately the kids woudn’t give up the DVD player though. Being a father only gets you so far I guess. So instead of watching The Princess Bride for the 957^th time, I spent some time reflecting on the meaning of fatherhood…and telling my lady what an awesome driver she is.

I also spent part of yesterday packing the car to get the family ready for the beach. As I did so, I could vividly remember my dad doing the same thing when I was 10 or so. I recall him wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead and his shirt drenched in sweat as my mom or my grandmother brought yet another brown Piggly Wiggly sack out to fit into the car.

The same car that had just been perfectly packed and declared ready for interstate travel. So as I slammed the trunk shut and secured the DVD player's connections, I smiled just a little for dear ol' Dad. Cuz when the kids get to the beach and suddenly have their beach toys and the wife miraculously has her twelve or so hair modifying implements...well, we will be glad a dad was up for the task.

Today's Ingredients - shake em up...salt or no salt?

• While talk of conference expansion has dwindled to a dull roar, Hale has been posting aplenty on the Butts-Mehre Expansion. If you haven’t taken a peek yet, put on your hardhat and click.
• Nice to see a Dawg shirt on the poana greens of Pebble Beach during the final round of the US Open yesterday. Russell Henley hunkered down with the big boys and got some high praise from a former champion.
• Watts Dantzler found nice way to hunker down on Father's Day. Here's Simmons' inside take.
• The Senator outlines why exactly it'll be a weird frackin' year in the Big Ten (the new one).
• Following the twitter updates during a World Cup match has been interesting. And Exile sums up why I follow a sport I don't particularly enjoy watching...as opposed to playing.
• Yesterday was day 76 of the countdown. How could I have forgotten about this Dawg?
• Got an opinion on how Tennessee will fair this 2010 season? Do you know exactly how bad they will suck? coacknfire has a poll for you.
• I've been following Kyle's updates on the CWS. I've thought to myself on more than one occasion that he's just a glutton for punishment given the Diamond Dawgs poor season. But he evidently finds silver linings as well. 
• Meanwhile, Clarkson gives us an idea how Perno will (and has been) working with the pitchers.
• I've been wondering why Kris Durham was such a Royals' fan while following him on the Twitter. Weiszer explains why.
• Mike has some thoughts about Boulder and wants your input if you're gonna be there.
• Thanks for those hundred of you who helped me figure out who broke that lamp from my childhood. I would guess the White House is breathing a lot easier these days now that Hanoi Jane is standing in the middle of the broken fragments with a tube of krazy glue.
• And Connor Nolte had a pretty good Father's Day present for his dad, thanks to Coach Fox. Great story.

As my 8yo did everything to avoid me yesterday morning (after spending an hour and a half packing the car) while knowing she was in trouble, I couldn't help but remember another anecdote from being my dad's son. I guess the underlying theme would be GUILT. 

I often recall learning the game of golf while playing with dad on a 9-hole community course my grandfather helped design in Blackville, SC. I remember teeing the ball up in the fairway after a particularly short tee shot. I discreetly glanced at my dad as he ventured up the fairway towards the place where his tee shot had settled. Wrought with guilt my hands seemed to curse me as I addressed the Pinnacle 3. 

Finally, after a few moments of awkwardly failing to complete a backswing, I placed the wooden aid back in my junior bag and played the ball as it lied, or at least as it had originally laid. I guess even from a distance fathers can have a positive effect in their children's decisions.

Now if I could just get mine to make a decent bloody mary without my presence in the kitchen. Here's your cocktail napkin Reader. Don't spill any on your work station.

Bernie