RMJ 117 June 12

THURSDAY, JUNE 12 ● off day in Houston

Up and at ’em at noon! Breakfast of Champions. Out the door, golf clubs over the shoulder. Today Cubby and I are guests of the Duncan family.

Carlos is a Virginia grad, like Mike. Better still, he has played the investment game better than Cubby or I played baseball.

Houston Country Club is his course. It is one of the most prestigious courses in the city. Carlos’ friend Titus was the fourth, and by far the best, player in our group. He fired a 73 at us, and it could have been better than that if he had sunk a couple of makeable putts.

I hit one 300 yards on the second hole. That was my last good shot.

Cubby played reasonably well, so I couldn’t use the lack of sleep as an excuse. As we came up to the 16th tee box, I told Carlos, “This is a great-looking hole, but I don’t think any of them will suit me better than the 19th today. I could plop down, have a cold beer, and forget this round in a hurry.  I might have to demand a rematch so you can see that I’m not really this bad.”

“I’ve been there, myself,” he said.

I suppose most golfers have gone to The Land of Lost Swings and Missed Putts. It was not first time for me, and it will likely not be the last.

Judy and Jan met us at by the pool, and we had a few cool beverages with Carlos and Titus and the Duncan entourage.

           

Judy and I left the country club for the distinctly unclublike, yet equally convivial atmosphere of the Mucky Duck saloon. We met Dave and Stephanie Labossiere, Rob and Kelly Matwick, and our old beat writer Neil Hohlfeld and his wife, Lynn, for an evening of acoustic music.

The headline attraction was Lucy Kaplansky. She wooed us with soft ballads and lullabies, attacked us with protest songs, and endeared herself to us with self-deprecating humor and twinkling eyes.

This evening was on Dave. He admires female folk singers, and Lisa is one of his favorites. I was drinking Guinness at $3 a pint. I reached capacity at two pints about 30 minutes before the end of the show. I did not have trouble falling asleep when we got home.