Thursday, October 23, 2008

Snow


Anyone who was thinking this post was going to be about the ill fated, 90's white rapper can just click away now. (Pretty sure no one thought that....) This is about pure, unadulterated near frozen water. (It's not frozen? Wouldn't it be rain then?) At least, I don't think it's "frozen" compared to hail. Who cares. The point is, I'm talking about Winter's Messenger, Jack Frost's dandruff; snow.

Why talk about snow? Because I'm not ready for it. We haven't even had Halloween yet, and there was snow in the weather forecast the last two days. I'm fairly certain that parts of north and north western Maine actually had some hit the ground. This is preposterous!! I've even heard that in parts of the County (the what?) snow doesn't evacuate until sometime in June! Are you serious?!?! I would completely lose it if I had to endure more than what I already do for snow totals. Unfortunately, I actually think this year we will get MORE snow than last year, and we really did get a lot last year. (I think you should type 'year' 1 more time....)

I do enjoy watching it snow, however. That's what keeps me torn. I find a certain calming effect in just watching the first few snowfalls. There's a distinct stillness all around, (yeah, everything's frozen!) and there is the undeniable scent of the oncoming snow. That novely wears off far too quickly once I realize that I cannot see my car anymore, and that I have to shovel a path to said car from my apartment building door. It starts there. It progresses to the parking lot getting smaller and smaller as the massive banks of past precipitation pile up and cannot be pushed any further by the hungry plow. (Hungry plow?) Oh, and I didn't take that pic of the cars on the streets there. It is Congress St I think, so if anyone knows who took it, please give them their credit in the comments. Also tell them I didn't know it was theirs, I swear!

Then, one must contend with the roadway, and the horrible visions of being unable to stop and driving right into the minivan in front of you. The incessant flashes of not slowing down enough around an icy curve and just heading straight when the road goes to the right. (That wasn't a sentence...it was good though...just not a sentence...) I think the first snowfall is generally the worst when it comes to driving. It's not because the roads are particularly dangerous, it's because it seems that everyone forgets how to drive in the snow. I'd be willing to bet that more Winter traffic accidents occur during the first real storm of the season.

I was also never really big on Winter sports either. I have lived in Maine all of my 28 years, but I have not once been skiing. I went ice fishing a few times when I was a kid with my Dad, I think I went ice skating...once...I did however really like sledding and tubing down a hill. The Winter Olympics are completely lost on me as well. I just don't care. (I thought this was about snow, now he's gone onto Winter as a whole?) They say (who's they?) that Winter brings about fits of depression, and I understand why. It comes at the end of the year, so maybe you run your brain through all the things you never accomplished, yet said were at the very top of your list. Maybe you feel closed in by the thousands of inches of snow. (Is it wrong to get creeped out when you live on the second floor, look out the window and see the damn snowbank right there?!?!) Maybe you're just like me and get sick of the season before it even starts. If it were up to me, it would snow for the first time every Winter, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I don't want to see a damn snow flake until then. With my luck though, if I got that wish, it would then snow about three and a half feet every day after Christmas right up until April.

The snow falls hard and don't you know, the winds of Thor are blowing cold. This Winter better not have a no quarter mentality, but if it does, I'll be ready. I'm purchasing a flame thrower this year. (Nice...'No Quarter' RULES!)

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Maine Discgolfers Dot Com

Well, it had been ramping up all year, and the Maine Players Tour Championships were this past weekend. For any of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, (Pretty sure that's just about everybody...) the Maine Players Tour is a massive collection of Maine's best discgolfers (and dirtiest Sandbaggers...) who play Maine's best Courses in a knock down, drag out race for government issued, green spending paper.

The season begins in April, and winds down for the Championships in mid October. There are usually 2-3 tournaments per month, and they give the Toll Booths something to look forward to as the courses range from North of Augusta all the way down to Saco, and many in between. Check out www.mainediscgolfers.com for all the courses, and you can carouse the site for other info like the results from past tourneys, and there is also a forum where most of the MPT faithful click and clack about whatever is on their disc shaped minds.

I discovered the MPT last year while playing at my Home Course in Saco, Boom Field. I made the flyer pictured here and totally ripped off the Doom logo to do it. (What a nerd.) Boom is one of several courses to participate in the MPT and hosts two events (they can't just call them tournaments?) yearly, one in the Summer and one in the Fall. These are events too, don't marginalize anything. Each tourney, no matter the course, is a full day consisting of 36 holes of discgolf, lunch, and Spirits being raised consistently and constantly! Some Events go the extra mile (do you need a whole mile to go 'extra'?) and bring in entertainment. And since some of these Events are long hauls for some people, most Courses will encourage camping for the weekend.

The way it works is that points are earned for each tournament (I thought you said they were events?) you play in. The better you do, the more points you garner leading to a grand total of points at the end of the season. The points system is for two reasons, the top 4 points earners for the season are guaranteed a spot in the Skins tournament (that have something to do with porn? No? Not even a giggle?) and one must earn a certain number of points to qualify to play in the Championships at the end of the year. It's not that difficult to qualify, in that you really only need to play in roughly 2 Events to earn enough points. I played in 2 last year to qualify, and I played in 3 this year. (Wait, I thought you said it was the best discgolfers?) There are SO many more events that I wish I could have played in, but I just really didn't have the means to get to all the different Events every weekend. (No excuse buddy.) I know that's not really a good excuse, but it's the reason, so deal with it! (Wow...that came out of nowhere....)

This year, The Finals were held at The DiscFarm in Gorham. That place is AWESOME. Elevation changes, woodsy (that can't be a word) holes, open field holes, and it's extremely well maintained. I played an Event there in June where a beautiful weather first round gave way to the worst weather for just being outside I have ever...well...been outside in! (way to craft the sentence...) An enormous thunder storm hit and sheets of cold rain fell for what seemed like hours. Naturally, it stopped near the end of the day, but dodging lighting bolts in an open field near metal baskets is something I'm ALL SET with! For the Finals, the weather could not have been better. The finals is a 4 round, 2 day event so getting two (numbers or words...make up your damn mind!!) days of solid weather was a gift. Here's a picture that was taken of all who participated.


My first round was ok. A shaky start put me somewhere near the middle to bottom of the pack entering my second round. (Are you kidding? 18 holes and you describe the whole thing in 2 sentences?!) I did a little better my second round, playing a different course layout than the first round. I had to try and make it home to my fiance because we had plans for the evening, so I wasn't able to stay for some of the other stuff that made up the weekend. There was a putting competition (you would have lost anyway, sport) and longest drive competition. The whole MPT is set up divisionally and so was the longest drive competition. I also missed the extra curricular activities consisting of Poker, beer pong, and potti. (Don't ask him what potti is...he doesn't know....) Potti is kind of like horseshoes I believe. The mighty dollar rules all and of course, all games are played for it!

The Next Day turned out to be a terrible vision of Hell for me, as 2 holes into the third round I injured my arm and had to pack it in. (WHAT?!?!?!) I throw a lot of what is called a thumber, where I'm actually holding the disc kind of like a baseball, with the top, or flat part, facing away from me. The problem with me doing that, is that like any pitcher or outfielder, it requires daily stretching, and a good warm up period before I put my whole strength into it. Otherwise, I will do exactly what I did on Sunday morning and feel like passing out from the pain for like a half an hour. I've done it before and I should NOT have done it again. (So let me get this straight...you quit?) I didn't quit, I technically Did Not Finish. (splitting hairs...) If I didn't stop, I probably would have done more serious damage to my arm/shoulder, so it was really the only thing I could do if I want to try and come close to competing next year. And I do. And I will.

So I did have a great time at the MPT Championships in Gorham this year. Despite my finish, I was able to watch some great golf as Ben Dunlap, better known as BennyD, set a new course record and won the Pro division. Way to go BennyD!!!! I caddied my buddy Damien for his last round as he went on to finish in a tie for 6th place in our division and take home some cash for his efforts. Next year I hope to play more tournaments (you said that last year...) and be able to finish the Championships in a position to put a little of that foldin' money in my wallet.