Hockey Goalie Mikayla Demaiter Modeling Patio Furniture, Wayne Gretzky's Other Daughter & A 100-Foot Strike Three!
I'm officially done moving rocks this summer
There comes a time in life when the final rocks of the summer are laid down and future rock jobs can wait for another year. That day came Sunday when I finally put down the last 3/4 ton of flagstones -- 1 1/2-2 inches thick -- that have taken our flagstone buying spree to the next level.
Yes, we had a flagstone path. Yes, it was terrible because the rocks weren't big enough and I quickly found out that small rocks laid into brand new topsoil are just asking to sink, need constant raising and attention. The solution: go big! I'm talking hog rocks that future soft generations who own this house will be cursing. My two prized possessions are the rocks with arrows.
Those bad boys are at a weight where they instantly have your full attention. Just getting them stood up on a two-wheel dolly will play mind games with your brain. If this f--ker falls, I'm going to the hospital was in my head.
I went two-for-two on Sunday and didn't go to the hospital. Both rocks went up (all I could do was body them...scoot, twist, turn), the dolly did its job like a pro and we now have two hogs ready for foot traffic. It's a huge relief.
With the leftover rocks, we finished off the path -- border rocks need adjusted, but that's minor work -- and now it's time to sit back and enjoy the rest of the hot weather.
There you have it, my Do Hard Things of the weekend.
The mowing gods know
• Glyn writes:
It was a rain out for Thursday, then Friday was a family patio (on pontoons) night. So I had to mow Saturday. The lawn/mowing gods were not happy.
People who call golf courses 'tracks'
• MP from Staunton, Va. writes:
Joe, the term “track” to describe a golf course has been around at least since the 1970’s. Golf writer Charles Price hated the use of that term to describe a golf course. He also disliked the use of the verb ‘golfing’. His response: “do you ever go ‘poloing’?”
Lest you think that Price was an elitist crank, he was just like us in that he preferred golf clubs to country clubs. He preferred a golf club, where if the clubhouse burned down, it is replaced with another barn. His takedown of country clubs: “Inside the typical American country club is a cocktail lounge with snappy waitresses and a too-familiar bartender, plus a dining room the size of an Elks hall that is run by a Maitre’d who used to be a mess sergeant and who now thinks he’s French.
Outside the clubhouse is a swimming pool full of screaming teenagers, a parking lot with $1 million worth of Detroit on it, a golf shop that looks like a Kansas City haberdashery, and a tennis court on which is taking place a frustrating match between a college girl and a middle-aged former second string halfback who is six months away from a heart attack. Somewhere over there is a golf course.” Once again, thanks for everything you do.
Home phones for the kids
• Louisville Lobbyist Tony C. writes:
Joe - there is no way to thank you enough for what you continue to do, giving a voice to so many of us whose "safe space" is the Screencaps community. In the midst of summer sports doldrums (other than your Reds sweeping my Nats), figured I might suggest a new topic for the SC community where I could use some advice: Home Phones. With a 4 (going on 14) year old, curious to know how other screencaps folks are handling the new cell phone-centric world.
I want our daughter to have a home phone to memorize, tell friends/coaches/teachers/emergency response to call, etc., but we find more and more that other parents only have cell phones, which they routinely let their kids use. We are looking at VOIP solutions or maybe just upping our internet/cable contracts to include phone, but curious how other screencappers with littles are tackling this.
(Full disclosure - if I am home, my cellphone is probably charging on a dock where I won't see it until the next morning when I leave for work - the Mrs. on the other hand has hers 24/7.)
Kinsey:
Personally, I haven't had a home phone since 2004, I believe. Do phones still need that phone cord jack plugged into the back? Honestly, I have no idea on how this stuff works these days.
Our 10-year-old has an Apple Watch. Now, I know there will be gasps from the community, but it's been great when he's down the street at a friend's house or out riding his bike and needs to know dinner is ready.
"Hey, time to come home."
"Ok, on the way."
Simple.
The other big benefit of the watch is that I'm not texting parents telling them to send home our kid and depending on the parent to see the text. On Thursdays, I'll be out mowing and the neighbors will text me and there's no way I'm paying attention to my phone. I'm dialed in on the turf and not looking.
He doesn't have access to social media apps on the watch. We can see everything.
And the coolness of the watch has worn off. His friends don't even think anything of it.
More grill prices
• John from SD writes:
I have a new favorite LPGA player, Charley Hull. She also has an IG account and following, time to add her to the Screencaps rotation! Very good tournament and I watched since it was at Pebble Beach where I was very fortunate to play once. NBC reminded us that this is the first LPGA US Open at Pebble Beach at least 1,800 times, thank you!
Stove gave out last week which meant time spent at an appliance store. Saw these in the way out of the door. More grill shocker prices! $12.7k, ouch!
Kinsey:
A friend with a boat is better than owning a boat. An even better friend is a friend with a boat and a $13,000 grill. I'll bring the drinks! No...nooooo...I insist!
We've done vintage Pizza Huts across America, now let's do vintage highway hotels
I'm not talking vintage hotels like South Beach. I'm talking Holidomes along the highways that meant your parents were splurging. The Holidome (it had a French Quarter theme; yes, a French Quarter theme in northwestern Ohio) that was just down the road from us was demolished in 2020 to make way for a set of three strip-ish malls and a Raising Canes.
That was the last of a generation of Holidomes that I'm aware of.
But I don't travel like some of you road dawgs who are selling pill bottles in random small cities across this country. One of you must've stayed in a Holidome or a similar hotel over the last 6-12 months. Tell us about it. Are these places still full of dads who splurged to make their kids feel like the family made it in life?
Tell me about these hidden hotel gems out there in the wild. No, I'm not looking for vintage motels in Cadillac, MI or some small town in Minnesota. I'm talking those highway hotels your dad picked to prove to mom he was willing to blow some of that overtime pay to treat her to the high life.
Do these places still exist?
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
Amusement park observations
• Mike D. writes:
Joe, my son and I took a fun summer trip a few weeks ago. We drove from Mobile Alabama up to New York City and stopped along the way to check things out. On the way home we drove out to Indiana and stopped at Holiday World in Santa Claus.
That was one of the best amusement parks that I have ever been to, especially for the low price for admission. The best part is that the park is a combo of the traditional amusement park and also a water park for the same price. Also, the lines were pretty short with our longest wait being maybe 15 minutes and we went on the weekend.
The Voyage roller coaster has a sign stating that it is the #1 roller coaster in America and that is no joke. The first drop gets up to almost 70 mph which is insane. And after that first drop, the ride goes on for about a mile, almost to the point that you are begging for it to end. Mammoth water coaster is just as good. One person on Saturdays Screencaps mentioned going to an amusement park and how much they were overcharged for food.
This park has the food prices on their website and the prices were reasonable. So if people in the community want a fun park to go to and don't want to sweat their ass off waiting 2 hours for a ride down in Florida there is a great place in Indiana for them to check out.
Kinsey:
Wait, an amusement park outside of Cedar Point is claiming to have America's No. 1 roller coaster? That's a bold call.
BTW, RIP to Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point which had a top speed of 120 mph. When bolts start breaking off the coaster, it's time to scrap it. #NeverForget the screams from the people on that initial launch out of the gates.
This is what it's all about
That's it. We're ready to roll this week. It's gonna be hot like normal in summer. And it's 10U House Ball Tournament Week. Hopefully I have good news tomorrow morning.
Stay tuned.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com