Some GOOD news - Charlie's stateside and heading home!

This post is a follow-up to my post from last Fall about "Charlie", the dog that was adopted by a US soldier in Iraq....

"Charlie" is HOME - he's made it out of Iraq after MANY months of red-tape and waiting - you can read the story here...he landed at Dulles Airport on Valentine's Day, and is heading to Sgt. Watson's home in Phoenix, AZ!!!

HOO-AAAHH!!! (Read the blog entries that lead up to this one.....they're heartwarming....)

For MORE heartwarming stories, and another opportunity to help with other "dogs of war"like Charlie, there's a new charity at Baghdadpups.com, which is a special project of the SPCA International...

Watch the video's of Charlie's return at http://baghdadpups.com/videos/

Another dog needs our help - please help him out

I don't know what it is, but somehow I keep stumbling across dogs that need (y)our help on the web, plus the way I found out about THIS one is kinda interesting, and provides the segueway into some closure from a posting from last May...enough time has passed that it's time to resume more regular blogging...

I stumbled across THIS dog in distress story because of what happened last May. On May 2, 2007 (easy to remember because 5+2=7) my wife went to Orange County to play in a charity golf tournament with "a client". She left her wedding band in her purse in his GMC Yukon, and her wedding ring was stolen from the Yukon while they were playing.

Shortly after learning of the theft of the ring, (but before a BIG revelation was uncovered almost three weeks later) I had set up a search on eBay to look for pear-shaped diamond rings, in the hopes that we might find it being "fenced" via eBay, and every day, I STILL get three e-mails with pictures of pear-shaped diamond rings...

Naturally, after all this time, no ring, and I usually just delete the three e-mails without looking at them, but SOMETHING compelled me to take a look at this morning's diamond e-mail...

SO - I opened this mornings e-mail, and the FIRST image that appears is this one and I start reading the details and the seller is trying to sell this pear-shaped diamond to raise money for his epileptic dog. When I first opened the listing, I thought the thumbnail KINDA looked like "our" ring, but as I scrolled down, I was REALLY touched by the reason for this listing. Apparently, the dog requires treatment, and the ring is being sold for significantly less than fair-market value to raise funds for treatment of the dog.

Now when I saw the picture of the DOG, I REALLY went "Whoa!", because the DOG looks A LOT like my Rusti, who passed away in September 2006 (ironically when my wife was away on a "business trip" in Vegas either WITH or on BEHALF of an asswipe, motherfucking "client").

Needless to say, this story TOTALLY tugged at my heartstrings, and I sent the seller an e-mail to ask for their e-mail address, so I could send 'em some money via my PayPal account to help out with Junior's treatment.

He responded pretty quickly, and if you're interested in making your OWN contribution to "Junior" via his guardian Cameron, you can use your own PayPal account to send them some cash at ( vintagedreams2007 at yahoo dot com ).

ALTERNATIVELY, Cameron's got a whole STOREFRONT of eBay items for sale, and you can visit him at http://stores.ebay.com/vintagedreams2007-Start-Here . Find something you like, and help out "Junior" at the same time...

Let's get together and pool our resources, and either buy something from Cameron's eBay store, or just send him a few bucks via PayPal, and help out Junior....

To close, here's what Cameron wrote me: "That is so nice of you to do that. Junior is my little man. He is sweet as sugar and I want him well I know the loss you feel everyday. I lost 2 dogs that were both 17 and I think about them all the time. I honestly was not aking for donations, but if you would like to help my email address for paypal is vintagedreams2007 at yahoo dot com. If not just say some prayers. Take care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We're back...and hoping to help

It's been a little over three months, and things seem to be getting back to normal in my life again, and I feel that it's time to resume posting again - ESPECIALLY when a story like this touches my heart like this one has...

(Thank you to those of you who reached out to me and offered your support and prayers during a very difficult period in my life...)

Recently, I purchased a copy of "From Baghdad With Love" that chronicles the heartwarming story of an American soldier who was befriended by a local puppy, and his stories about successfully getting Lava back to the United States.

Well, I was reading an article at the Rocky Mountain News that highlighted the plight of ANOTHER American soldier, and HIS hope at getting his canine companion safely back to the States.

I did a little research, and the soldier has his own blog, called Operation Bring Charlie Home. You can make a donation through PayPal there, to help defray the high cost of bringing this adorable dog back to the United States, which I have, and I hope that many of those that read this blog will help out in any amount that you can.

My Dad was in the 8th infantry in WWII, and he relayed stories of many situations like this from HIS war experiences. Dad passed away suddenly a little over four years ago, and it's in his honor and memory that I would like to re-open my blog, and ask your assistance in this cause.

"Charlie" bears more than a casual resemblance to OUR little furperson "Triniti", so this story resonates with me for a NUMBER of reasons...

I'm back......and hopefully so will "Charlie" - SOON!

Requiem for a best friend - Cinder - June 7, 1993 to May 6, 2007

Exactly 24 hours and 30 minutes ago, we lost my best fuzzbuddy.....this is my loving memory of Cinder, my cat and the Senior Vice President of Curling Up Under The Halogen Lamp at TartanGolfGrips.com.

At 10:15PM on May 6, 2007, my feline friend Cinder slipped gently away from my tender embrace and into Heaven's...

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Cinder had been diagnosed with impaired kidney function by our awesome veterinary team at Oak Park Veterinary Hospital about a year ago, and her health began to decline about two months ago. We've had her on a special kidney diet for the last year or so, but her eating and drinking had become more and more sporadic, and as a result we took her back in for a check-up, and the results were sobering. As a result, we've been giving her subcutaneous fluids every morning, and unlike her usual fussy self, she holds still for EVERY single application of the fluids.

Cinder was born on Monday, June 7, 1993, exactly a week before my wife's birthday - we don't know where or to who, as my wife adopted her from the Chatsworth, CA animal shelter to give me as a birthday gift for my birthday in early September 1993, and she was exactly three months old when I first got her.

We went through the Northridge earthquake together, and I remember going back up to my apartment at the Warner Center Apartments to look for her, the smell of the ruptured gas pipes hanging heavy in the air, calling for her in the early morning light as the aftershocks rolled through, one after the other... My furniture had ALL been knocked over, and it looked like God had taken a big spoon and just mixed around every piece of furniture...we headed back up to check on her, and there was no sign or sound of her for the longest time, but I finally whistled for her with a certain whistle I used to make to call her for mealtime, and she finally 'CHIRRUP"'d the way she used to, and popped her head up from behind a pillow on my bed...perfectly fine!!! Looking like - "Well - where they hell have YOU been???"

We loaded her into a cardboard carrier to take her over to my folks house on Burbank Boulevard in Woodland Hills, and while we were there, she CHEWED the entire side of the carrying case away, rendering it COMPLETELY unusable...

She was a spirited little being, that's for sure...

When she was a kitten, she used to jump up on towels, and climb her way all the way to the top, usually leaving a trail of pulled terry-cloth threads in her wake...

In the meantime, she's basically ruled the roost in her regal style, disdainfully looking at the Cockers from the top of the stairs, occasionally high-jacking them by jumping on their backs and scaring them silly, but usually just hanging out quietly on the comforter in our bedroom.

I think we went to the vet's less than ten times in her life, usually only for a "lion cut" haircut to keep her cool and mat-free in the summertime...

Well, Cinder passed away in my arms last night at 10:15PM...I could tell Saturday evening that she was kinda fading, but she hung in there all day Sunday...enough for me to set her by her favorite window out the front kitchen to watch the trees blow in the wind, and then she stayed pretty much in the same place all afternoon yesterday...we went to the driving range, and then played two sets of tennis and went to dinner with some friends...

Got home, and my wife said "Why don't you pick her up and take her through to the living room, and we can watch a little TV?"...that was about 9...I laid down on the couch with her on my chest, stroking her head and side, and she purred quietly...At 10:15 exactly, she coughed a couple of times, retched, exhaled slowly and was gone....she just went limp in my arms...

It was a VERY powerful moment, and I just laid there on the couch with her for about an hour, thanking God for taking her peacefully at home, rather than on the exam table at the vet's, with a catheter hanging out of her forearm...

We laid her little body on her favorite blanket, and placed her body in a cardboard box, and put the box in the freezer in the garage for overnight. I took her to the Los Angeles Animal Pet Park in Calabasas the next day, and had her cremated, and had her remains placed in a pewter, cat-shaped urn that now sits on my dresser, with her collar and tags hanging around the statue's neck...

I cried quite a bit last night, and in the ensuing months I have cried several times more - she was a cute little buddy that was an important part of a great period in my life, and she is missed greatly...

Update: My Mom moved from the long-time family home on Burbank Boulevard to Thousand Oaks on my birthday last year, and we inherited her two black cats, Holly and Ivy, who we adopted at Chrstimastime from the Agoura Hills animal shelter to keep Mom company after my Dad's passing in 2003. (2003 was a LOUSY year, not just for me - I've talked to several friends and they all agreed that 2003 was a heavy, hard year for a lot of people...)

So we now have kitties in the house again...but I still miss Cinder...

Artan of the week - May 3, 2007

Sorry for being out of the loop, folks...life has taken a particularly busy turn for the past couple of weeks...

On a happy note, TartanGolfGrips.com had the best month EVER in April 2007! Huge thank you's to those that have found out about the personalized putter and full-swing grips, and have signed up...I have been HOPPING to keep up with order processing and communications (more about that below), and it's been an exciting and challenging month! (But those are the kinds of problems that aren't really problems...except for the shipping issues (below)).

On ANOTHER happy note, I did a sales presentation for the Los Angeles Chapter of the Executive Women's Golf Association on April 21, and the ladies were VERY excited and receptive about the grips, and it was really cool to see people "get" the idea, and realize the gift potential for "that golfer who already has everything". Or, buy one for THEMSELVES!!!

On another sorta happy note, I "introduced" the 20 or so women who have expressed interest in forming a new VENTURA COUNTY/CONEJO VALLEY chapter of the EWGA yesterday...

Between the Drum Corps and the Pipe Band, and the business, and work and life and chores and bills and golf and Cheri and.....I have allowed too much time go by. An e-mail blast from Los Robles Greens yesterday jarred me awake, and made me realize that I need to step aside, and allow the interested parties to gel on their own, because if they wait for ME to schedule the time, it probably WILL NOT happen....at least not THIS year!!!

I went into 2007 with a strange feeling that THIS year would be the one that we FINALLY get a Ventura County EWGA Chapter launched, and Sally Quinlan (of the VCJGA and ex-LPGA) and a couple of other women golf pros have indicated their support as well. Sally's offering women's lessons on Saturday mornings, and women's golf leagues over the summer, so she's a perfect one to be involved with this adventure.

While we're talking about Los Robles, it looks like it, Rustic Canyon, Elkins Ranch, Camarillo Springs, Sterling Hills, Buenaventura and Olivas Links are going to be our new "home" courses, as we officially bade FAREWELL to Sunset Hills as members as of April 30, 2007. It's a pretty nice course overall (Kristen always calls it "a dog track"), but their BILLING systems, and LACK of a serious system of internal controls and billing procedures meant that we faced a CONTINUAL stream of unauthorized charges to our account, because our member number was REALLY easy to remember, and I guess people overheard it, or found it on a list somewhere, and we were getting charged for days that we didn't go play, for $140 bar tabs on a Texas Hold-Em poker tournament that I didn't even know EXISTED, and on and on and on....

The final straw was getting a form letter from the GM announcing that our account was "several months overdue" and they were going to pursue it from a collection agency. We had ALWAYS paid our monthly charges! We even paid the small monthly finance charges that they assessed, while we REPEATEDLY requested a detailed breakdown of the supposedly "in arrears" portion of our account balance.

I have a rather FAT FILE of letters where I requested detailed billing support documentation, and only got ONE response, where I identified the unauthorized $140 bar tab, complete with a $25 tip, our surname misspelled, and NO signature on the face of the invoice...that was after the $12 cart bill where the old cart girl gave herself a $25 tip, on top of the $5 that I had already signed for...the place is REALLY interesting that way...

Every year, they run a customer-satisfaction survey, and every year, we RIP them on their accounting and billing procedures...American Golf FINALLY issued a statement from the GM that all "charge-throughs" would have to be signed for, ON the face of the invoice, but they rarely give you a copy at the time, and NEVER in your monthly billing statement...we finally got sick of having every month's bill arrival be a stress-filled adventure, and decided to stop the madness by finally cancelling our membership...we ended up eating a couple of grand for our initiation fees, but to be honest, they've filled up the membership rolls, and quite honestly, the course AIN'T that great any more...you don't get ANYTHING for your monthly beyond your green fees...they still charge you for cart rentals, they still charge your to participate in the Guys 'N Dolls tournaments...if you don't play any golf, you're STILL on the hook for almost $400 a month...and we haven't been playing enough to justify the hit to the budget, plus the risk of the overcharges.....

We used to be able to jet around 18 holes in about 2.5/3 hours, but lately, it's taken that long to get around the front nine, almost...(Snark sighting time: Some of the new members ALSO need to go to MEMBER TRAINING CAMP - we were recently HORRIFIED to see some younger woman DRAGGING her fully-loaded pull-cart DIRECTLY ACROSS the ninth green, completely CLUELESS about the damage that her wheels were wreaking upon the putting surface...just because you're a new country club member doesn't mean that you can treat the course like it's your own, lady...I hope that you didn't do that at the local muni either...UNbelievable....)

I'm sure we'll still visit occasionally to play golf with our buds Margaret and Steve, but it feels good to know that all of our golf there will now be "cash and carry" with NO ability to tack on ridiculous tips and assorted overbillings and unauthorized charges...we cancelled our membership on April 2, and paid up our "overdue" account balance via certified mail on April 26, so we're FREE!!!

FAREWELL, American Golf, FAREWELL Sunset Hills Country Club - it's been real, it's been fun, but it HAS NOT been real fun...

On a down note, I experienced a "blue screen of death" condition mid-month, which caused my graphics software to issue files that were considered corrupt by the printing software at C-Thru Grips, and we labored mightily for about two weeks to get the situation corrected...after purchasing new software, and re-creating many of the designs that were created in early April, we've finally worked our way through the order backlog. {phew} (THANK YOU and kudos to the team at C-Thru Grips for working with me through this challenging time!)

On ANOTHER down note, we're having ALL kinds of difficulties getting grips delivered to PO Boxes by the U.S. Postal Service....maybe they can use some of the impending postal rate increases to IMPROVE YOUR SERVICE!!! I cannot tell you how MANY HOURS I've wasted, issuing "missing order" requests to my contacts at corporate...I'm sure they're sick of me bugging them about it, too...

On the MOST down note, my beloved 13 year old fuzzball puddy-tat Cinder was diagnosed with kidney failure...we knew that her kidney function has been declining for over a year, and have been feeding her Science Diet k/d specially formulated food, but she took a turn for the worse in early April, and we got a sobering diagnosis. It doesn't APPEAR to be related to the Chinese contaminated wheat gluten, but who knows how far that garbage spread into the pet food (and people-food, for that matter) production system. We've been treating Cindy with daily subcutaneous fluid injections to keep her hydrated, and some days she's pretty spunky, energetic and eating, and some days, she's pretty punky and quiet...

Cinder's never been a really CONSISTENTLY warm little soul, but she's charming in her own cantankerous way...for SOME unexplainable reason, she's ALWAYS been really lovey between 3 and 6 in the morning, and usually makes her way downstairs to our bedroom where she jumps up onto the bed and either snuggles up next to me, or better yet, curls up in the small of my back and sleeps ON me...she's definitely MY cat...and I LOVE to hear her purr contendedly as she snuggles up against me...

Cheri rescued her from the Chatsworth Animal Shelter, and gave her to me for my birthday back in 1993 when she was exactly 3 months old. She was born on June 7, 1993, and she got her name because she's gun-metal grey, with white cotton ball paws and a white blaze on her chest. She's a BEAUTIFUL cat, and she knows it!!! The people at the pound had labed her "DSH" for Domestic Short Hair, and we thought that it might have just been kitten-fuzz...turns out that it's REALLY a clever marketing ploy to get 'em adopted, because she's the FUZZIEST long-haired cat that I've ever seen! We spend a LOT of time with the brushes and combs, working out the mats that sometimes develop...she purrs contentedly, until "the snap" when SOMETHING goes off inside, and the claws come out...then WATCH OUT...same with the vet's...let's put it mildly...she's NOT a good patient...a Tasmanian Devil-cat, maybe, but NOT a good patient...

One of my most VIVID memories from the Northridge Earthquake was returning back to my heavily damaged apartment immediately after the main shock and set of aftershocks, to check on her... I whistled a little whistle that I've given her since she was a tiny little kitten, and she popped up, alive and unhurt, chirping back to me from amidst all of the overturned and damaged furniture in my Warner Center Apartments apartment....words cannot adequately express the sense of relief and joy that I felt at that moment! I then packed her into a cardboard cat carrier to drive the mile or so to my parents house down the road in Woodland Hills, only to have her CLAW her way out of the carrier...what a character...she was sitting there in the rear parcel tray, tail curled about her front cotton-ball paws, with this look on her face like "That'll show you to try putting ME in a cardboard carrier, Mister!" One of the first things that I did when life began to return to normal was purchase a PLASTIC cat carrier with a vinyl-coated, heavy wire door...I showed HER!!!

Now it looks like we're in the top of the ninth inning in the game of life...she's a good girl, and I love her dearly...hang in there, "Kitty-Putt"..you be a good girl, and be strong for Dad, OK??? {sniff}

Well, now that our therapy session's over - it's time for the REAL reason for this post...today's Artan(TM) of the week comes to us from halfway around the world, in SOUTH AFRICA. These two Artans(TM) were requested by a gentleman from Gauteng, South Africa who originally wanted an out-of-production version of the Scotland flag grip that's offered, and when I relayed that information back to him, I enclosed a mockup of these two grips.

His surname is Ward, and there are two Ward tartans. Since he wanted two of the out-of-production Scotland putter grips, I made these for him, and judging from his response, I think that he's happier than he would have been with the same old white-backed Saltire pattern...the one on my left is my PERSONAL favorite, but I'm a complete sucker for any tartan that has purple and green in it....

Artan(TM) of the week-April 19, 2007

Today is our ninth wedding anniversary, and in honor of the love of my life, I'm making HER Artan(TM) the Artan(TM) of the week...

Very few guys can honestly say that they MARRIED the girl of their dreams...

I won the lottery nine years ago April 18...

I love you, Cheri...

Master's History

Just read an interesting piece that says that this Sunday's Masters telecast will have a very special lead-in...

I got an e-mail from Golf Wisdom at Fairways of Life that quotes a letter from Steve Cohen, President of the Shivas Irons Society (which I just signed up for last weekend, by the way)...

I can't paraphrase the content and do it justice, so here it is:

It's Masters Week and GOLF is in the air...
Subject: Important news about this Sunday

Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening -- and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.-- Arnold Palmer

. . . I can already tell you that Masters Sunday will be special. I know this because it's going to begin with Arnold Palmer winning the Masters. The 1960 Masters, that is. “I wanted two generations to see what the magic was all about,” said CBS golf commentator Jim Nantz, the man who made this resurrection possible.

We'll be able to re-live the '60 Masters, one of the more exciting finishes in history, because Nantz pried the original broadcast footage loose from the Augusta National vault, went to the incredible time and expense of having it colorized, and turned it into a one-hour show that CBS will air as the lead-in to its Sunday final-round Masters coverage.

This is footage that has never been aired since its original broadcast. The best part is, it's not presented in a highlight package with talking heads. It's shown as if it was a live telecast, featuring host Jim McKay (who left CBS later to join some upstart show known as ABC's Wide World of Sports -- wonder what ever became of him?) with coverage of the last four holes.

I watched a screening of the finished product and offer this advice: Don't miss it. The 1960 Masters had it all. A classic Arnold Palmer charge and Ken Venturi's agony of defeat. The old guard -- Hogan and Snead -- and a young gun -- some amateur named Nicklaus. There was a minor rules controversy. There was an innovative new scoring system for television invented by CBS director Frank Chirkinian. And there was the great man himself, Bobby Jones, the legendary founder of Augusta National and the Masters Tournament, holding court as the host of cabin festivities.

This show is a slice of golf history and a classic piece of broadcast history. If you hate goose bumps or nostalgia, don't watch. This show, a labor of love for Nantz, is one “Wow!” after another.

Here's a short list of reasons to watch:
The gaffe that almost cost Palmer the Masters. I had read about, but never before seen the incident at the 16th hole. Palmer is one stroke behind Venturi, who has already finished. At the par-3 16th, he's got a 30-foot uphill putt to a back pin placement. He chose to leave the pin in when he putted -- yeah, that was still legal then. He rolled a superb putt that was dead-center but hit the pin flush and kicked out six inches. Watching the footage, I'd rate it a 90 percent chance that without the pin, Arnie's putt is in. You can see from his reaction that he realizes his tactic backfired and just might cost him the Masters.

Arnold Palmer at 30 is a lot like Tiger Woods. He bashes the ball amazing distances and putts like a genius. At the 17th, Arnie's got a 20-foot uphill birdie putt. It looks as if he's left it short but the ball rolls out and barely topples in while announcer Jim McArthur makes a Verne Lundquist-type call: “It's up and up and up and up .. and in!” Palmer half runs, half dances to the cup to pull out the ball, like Tiger after that putt at Valhalla only without the finger-pointing.

At 18, Palmer stiffs his 5-iron approach, spinning behind the hole and stopping it about five feet away. He makes the putt, of course, for the win.

More about Arnie. He is repeatedly seen puffing like a chimney with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. It looked cool in 1960, now it makes you cringe. Palmer was paired with Billy Casper, who played first from the 18th fairway and hit a shot to three feet. Before Palmer hit, Casper walked over and said something encouraging, like knock it close. Can you imagine Tiger doing that to, say, Chris DiMarco?

On the green, Palmer let Casper putt out first while he walked over just off the green and -- I'm not kidding, you'll see it on the video -- spread out on the grass.. Ken Venturi comes through. Venturi makes a clutch par on the 18th to finish at five under par. When he taps in a testy two-footer, he holds his pose and pauses for a moment because he thought he had finally captured his Holy Grail, the Masters.

“Old” Ben Hogan. Hogan is seen playing to the 18th green, a pretty good shot. McKay refers to him as “old Ben Hogan” because he's the ancient age of 47. Unfortunately, CBS never shows him putting out.

The scoring flap. McKay earns bonus points for bringing up a scoring issue regarding Dow Finsterwald, who was paired with Venturi in the final round and in the thick of contention. Finsterwald dropped a ball and hit some practice putts after putting out on a green during the first round, an error he confessed to the next day. Instead of being disqualified for signing for an incorrect score, as he would be today, Masters officials assessed him a two-shot penalty and let him finish the tournament, which he nearly won.

Two for the show. Groups weren't paired Sunday by score. So there were six pairings behind Palmer. The next group was Sam Snead and amateur Jack Nicklaus. Snead holes a 40-foot putt from the fringe. Then Nicklaus walks by the camera and McKay introduces him to viewers as the national amateur champion from Columbus, Ohio, and says he's been told this kid “has a great future.” The myth about Nicklaus always making his putt on the 18th green? He sinks an 18-footer for birdie here, too.

Pass the hedgeclippers. Augusta National looks surprisingly mangy compared to the way it's maintained now. Even on shots from the fairway, you wonder, “Didn't they mow the grass?” The areas around the bunkers were intentionally left rough and uncut, a very different look from the sharp-edged, perfectly manicured conditions today. The greens were still Bermuda grass and much, much slower.

Ken and Mr. Jones. The post-round ceremony held in the cabin is presided over by Jones and you get to enjoy his thick Southern drawl. He actually isn't bad, much less stilted than some of his predecessors who froze up on camera, like Hord Hardin and Jack Stephens. Jones calls Venturi's effort “lion-hearted” and both Palmer and Venturi get to say a few emotional words.

Six under. Chirkinian, who went on to direct 38 Masters telecasts for CBS, devised a new scoring system to keep track of what was going on in the past. Previously, the scoring was aggregate. So someone would finish at 279 and a player on the course would be said to be at 258 and you'd have to do the math in your head. Chirkinian came up with the score in relation to par -- plus or minus -- and it quickly became the game's standard. CBS also devised rudimentary graphics showing the scores.

Don't tell Ted Turner. The colorizing, which had never been done to a sports telecast before, was remarkable. I thought it would've been fine in black and white but the show opens with black and white footage and then Nantz announces the colorization and when the screen changes from gray to green and Augusta's colors come to life, it's a true goose-bump moment.

Nantz showed the telecast to Palmer and Chirkinian in December and said both men were pretty emotional watching it again. Nantz brought cameras to film Arnie's reaction and interviews the obviously choked-up Arnie at the end. In February, Nantz premiered the finished product at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles. Bel-Air members attended, along with Palmer and Venturi, who is recovering from heart bypass surgery. Palmer and Nantz met with reporters the next day to discuss the telecast.
“I can't tell you how important it is what Jim has done here,” Palmer said. “We really had one of the great evenings of all time.”

Nantz said the project came about when he was being wooed by another network. In a meeting with CBS president Les Moonves, he was asked what else he wanted. Nantz pitched him his idea about doing a show leading into the final-round Masters telecast, and what he wanted to do with the show, which was resurrect footage from Augusta National's archives. “Do it,” said Moonves.
Nantz hopes to do a whole series of similar flashback shows. He kicked it off last year with a one-hour review of the 1986 Masters won by Nicklaus.

Next year, he's planning to feature one of Gary Player's wins. This April, however, the spotlight belongs to Palmer. And plenty of good seats are still available...

Make sure the recording device of your choice is ready to roll...

Artan of the week - March 29, 2007

This week's Artan(TM) of the Week LITERALLY brought tears to my eyes...and it's a very special Artan...for two very special friends, who I haven't even met in person...but I'm honored to have met them in this grand adventure, and my life has been enriched as a result...

It commemorates the special bond that exists between one of my fellow golf bloggers, "The GolfChick" and her beloved companion, Kess.

My words cannot do the depth of this relationship justice, but Kristen has done an amazing job in a YouTube photo/video montage...(keep a kleenex handy, you've been warned...). I understand this bond, because I have a similar one with Rusti, a husky/collie mix that came into MY life in June 1995, and left it last September...

All I can say is, Kessy was lucky to have had YOU in her life, Kristen, and you in hers...she's a beautiful girl, and you can just SENSE the warmth and intelligence in her eyes...

It could NEVER be long enough...
In Kess' honor, I've decided that 12% of every MacKessock Artan(TM) sold at TartanGolfGrips.com will be donated to the UC Davis Companion Animal Veterinary Research fund, to help find cures to the ailments that affect our fur-people, and improve their quality and length of life...

Happy First Birthday - TartanGolfGrips...

Happy Birthday to me...
Happy Birthday to me...
Happy Birrrthday TartanGolfgrips.... (DotCom)
Haaapy Birrrrrthday tooooooo meeeeeeeee......(and many morrrrrre....)

It's difficult to believe that it was a WHOLE YEAR ago that the idea to launch TartanGolfGrips.com hit me, but I remember it distinctly (it's my half-birthday)...(Wikipedia is friggin' amazing...)

Plus, it was a couple of days later that I went hog wild, snapping up domain names at GoDaddy.com with wild abandon, overcome with fits of creativity, so I've got some renewin' to do tonight!!!

::: FOLLOW UP NOTE::: Holy SMOKES - renew about half a dozen domains for two years, add private registration, drop $225, do not pass GO, do not collect $200...(PAY #200, but definitely do not COLLECT $200)
No wonder GoDaddy.com postponed their IPO...they're getting more than enough money from their CUSTOMERS....(love ya, Bob)

It's been a GREAT ride, and I believe that it's only getting more and more exciting all the time....

I recently installed several Artans(TM) on grips for me, my wife, my Mom, my brother-in-law and took some pictures for some advertising that I'm doing...while I was over at the folks place, Mom was regaling me with stories of her childhood in Scotland, and produced a blanket that has been in her varous car trunks since I was a kid...Mom mentioned that she inherited it from HER Grandma Dow, who used it to keep her legs warm while they were out on Sunday afternoon drives in the Scottish countryside. Mom said it was old when SHE was a little girl, and estimates that it's over 100 years old...(and it's now in the trunk of her car....hmmmm....we need to do something about that...I feel a trip to Target coming on to replace a family heirloom with something a bit more , ummmm, PEDESTRIAN...) Check it out:

In memoriam - Kess "The Goose" Williams - 1995-2007

I got some sad news yesterday morning...

Kess "The Goose" Williams, beloved companion of Kristin "Golfchick" Williams had passed away...

Now, I've never actually met Kristin or Kess in person, but thanks to the miracle of our respective passion for golf and the sense of community that can be developed via our blogs and internet technology, I've come to consider the two of them as friends, and my heart broke at the news....

"The Kessmeister" (as I frequently referred to her in my e-mails to Kristin) is a beautiful Great Dane, and she and Kristin shared a very special relationship, chronicled here and here.

Kristin and I have shared information about vets and treatments and other "pet-parent" topics via e-mail over the last few months (since we're sorta neighbors)...and tonight I shed more than a tear or two and have an empty feeling inside...

Like I said, I never got to meet Kess in person, but over time I felt like I got to know her from Kristin's descriptions...just one look at those eyes in all the pictures, and you just knew that she was a total sweetie...she's a beautiful pup...

As I recently lost a beloved companion of my own, I think I can empathize with Kristin tonight...and you have my sincere and deepest sympathies, Kristin...hearing this sad news kinda re-opened the hurt and sense of loss that I recently experienced, and to be perfectly honest, it sucks....

We have to focus on the JOY and the LOVE that we have shared with our dogs for so many years, and give thanks that our lives were enriched SO deeply by having those HAPPY memories for the rest of our lives...

There could never be enough of them though, and that's where the hurt happens and that sinking feeling hits and the tears come...been there, done that...sucks....even after six months have gone by...

To commemorate and CELEBRATE Kess' life and the obvious joy that she brought into Kristin's life, the best tribute that I could think of was to design an Artan in her honor and memory, and try to help OTHER dogs in the process. It is intended to celebrate the special bond that Kristin and Kess shared via the bond that Kristin and I share through our respective golf blogs AND our love of golf, a great game that brings people (and dogs) together...

I'm honored and touched that golf has introduced me to Kess and Kristin, and my deepest and heartfelt sympathies and condolences go out to you, Kristin....

Without any further ado....here is the "Kess" Artan, which is derived from the MacKessock tartan design...
Rest in peace and Godspeed, Kessie - you will be missed....

In Kess' memory and honor, and to help other "fur-people" that are dealing with health challenges, I have updated the charity tartans section to include the MacKessock tartan, and I will contribute 12% (one for each year of Kess' life) of the net proceeds of each MacKessock Artan(TM) sold to the UC Davis Center for Companion Animal Health fund. We'll honor Kess by doing that, and help OTHER dogs and companion animals that need veterinary care, while providing the funding and research resources that will advance veterinary medicine for future generations...

Sad news from outside of golf - Rest In Peace, Barbaro

My heart is heavy with grief as I read the news that Barbaro, the beautiful dark bay colt that was injured at the Preakness race last May, was euthanized this morning.

He was a beautiful, intelligent horse, and my heart goes out to those that fought so hard on his behalf at the U Penn Veterinary Hospital, and his owners and supporters.

Personally, I don't enjoy the horse races because I can't bear to see them break down, or the way the jockeys go to the whip, but lots of people say that these horses are born to run, and enjoy the activity...

In any event, I was saddened last May, kept praying for his recovery and survival, encouraged as he rallied, and am now just heartbroken at hearing of his recent setback, his suffering and that terribly difficult decision to end his suffering this morning.

Godspeed Barbaro...you touched a lot of people outside of the horseracing world with your spirit, your toughness, your intelligence and your beauty...

In Barbaro's memory, I've made a small memorial contribution to the UPenn Vet school here....if you want to make a similar donation to a West Coast University, the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine does similar work with equine veterinary care, and companion animal research, too...the UC Davis gift site is here...

Epilogue: As I've been doing more research into Barbaro's initial injury, I read that Dr. Dan Dreyfuss, older brother of a lifelong childhood friend of mine was the attending veterinarian at the racetrack when Barbaro was initially injured. "Dr. Dan" is the best in all ways possible, and I got CHILLS reading the stories here, here, here, here and here...

Epilogue Part II: If you want to see the outpouring of love and feel the admiration that this glorious creature inspired in hundreds of people, read the comments here at TimWoolleyRacing.com - but make sure you have a Kleenex handy...or a box....click here for a beautiful slideshow overview of his courageous recuperation and a touching tribute. He was a beautiful horse, with a heart and spirit of gold...the more I read about him, the sadder I become...but apparently laminitis had begun to develop in his front hooves now, and his quality of life had deteriorated...

Epilogue Part III: Having recently lost a beloved animal companion myself, this story was a real heart-tugger...

Rest In Peace, Champ....

Merry Christmas to all...and to all, a good night!!!

This is the first opportunity that I've had to post all weekend...we started a home improvement project bright and early Saturday morning...7AM and the work commenced...

We ripped out the blue/grey hi/lo carpeting that we installed about five years ago that NEVER looked quite right, and put in Armstrong/Exotics/Tiger Maple laminate hardwood floors from PriceFloor.com...

The living room is about 90% completed, but I just decorated our Charlie Brown Christmas tree at about 10PM on Christmas Eve...we only bought it two nights ago from the Conejo Valley YMCA Christmas tree lot on the corner of Agoura Road and Kanan Road, and it's been in the kitchenette ever since....

The flooring is BEAUTIFUL, and makes the house look SO much larger, cleaner and more attractive...

One of the cool parts about living in Southern California is that it was 80 degrees today...we worked on the flooring with Wayne, our handyman from 7AM til noon, and then ran out to finish up some Christmas shopping...the malls were WAY less busy than we expected, but the day was AMAZING...it was SO warm and pleasant - I LOVE living in Southern California, even though it doesn't feel like the "traditional" Christmas, but it's SO awesome being able to finish your Christmas shopping in t-shirts and shorts!!!

Merry Christmas, and best wishes for a Happy New Year to all!

Thanksgiving remembrances....

My Dad served in the 28th Infantry Division in World War II. He was drafted out of high school in 1943, and served with distinction until January 1946. During the summer of 1943, he had gone through basic training, and had been identified as one of the "Quiz Kids" who showed above average intelligence and aptitude, and had been identified as potential officer material, even though he hadn't been to college yet. He had been diverted to a special program for officer development training, but was reunited with his division at the rank of Private First Class when reserves were called up during the Battle of The Huertgen Forest during mid-October 1944, and Dad was part of the Ardennes offensive during November 1944 that culminated in The Battle of The Bulge.

Dad's division was known officially as "The Keystone Division" and by the Germans as "The Bloody Bucket" division, due to their vicious fighting tactics during the Normandy Campaign and their distinctive red shoulder patches. Dad's division was the first to set foot on German soil on September 11, 1944. The division was deactivated on December 13, 1945, and Dad was mustered out in early 1946.

Dad relayed some stories about how difficult it was to be away from home over Thanksgiving and Christmas of 1943 and 1944, and how nice it was to get something from home, just to be reminded that someone was thinking of him, the way he was thinking of them...

In that spirit, this Thanksgiving, in Dad's honor and memory (he passed away rather unexpectedly in August 2003), we're making a contribution to Treats For Troops. Treats for Troops was founded in early 2003 by Denver businesswoman Deborah Crane, who was determined to make it safe and simple for every American to send packages and messages of support to our men and women in uniform year round. Since the Treats for Troops Gift Shops opened in June of 2003, friends, family members, groups, organizations and individual sponsors have sent over twenty tons of treats to American soldiers through Treats for Troops.

Regardless of your political views on our American troop deployments, we need to let the soldiers know that we remember them, and appreciate their sacrifices and commitment. In Dad's honor, we sent a $50 "Gift for Him" package to "Charles", deployed from the PA National Guard on behalf of the War on Terror to let him know that he's remebered this holiday season. We hope that you'll be so motivated, and let our American soliders (both men AND women) know that we appreciate them, and remember them this holiday season.

Treats for Troops puts together packages of materials for men and women soliders, and usually includes a phone card to make phone calls home, and they also have really practical stuff like halogen keychain flashlights, cooling stuff, Gatorade powder, and other great holiday treats and munchies stuffed into little Christmas stockings and stuff...they are AWESOME little care packages from the home front, and I can just imagine how good receiving one of these packages would make ME feel if I was far away from home during the Holidays.....

Here's some 28th Infantry Division History: The 28th Infantry Division is the oldest division in the armed forces of the United States. The Office of the Chief of Military History certified that General Order No. 1, dated March 12, 1879, officially established the Division.

Elements of the Division can trace their histories back to 1747, when Benjamin Franklin organized his battalion of "Associators" in Philadelphia. Other Pennsylvania units of the 28th Infantry Division had their beginnings in the Revolutionary War. Troop A, 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry, was organized on Nov. 17 ,1774. The 109th Artillery Regiment was formed Oct. 17, 1775 as the 24th Connecticut Militia. Both units served with distinction in General George Washington's Continental Army during the war.