All bets are won or lost on the first tee

 

Hey Lucy,

We miss you!

Great time yesterday in our golf community with nearly every-Singletary-one of us cheering for these young ladies as they went three extra holes to determine a club champion. Congrats Ally Black for sinking J Rahm-like putt on the 39th hole for the win, and to Caroline Dasch, Meghan Meserole, and Katherine Jones for competing with such great energy (in 100+ degree heat), exemplary sportsmanship, and record-setting pace-of-play!

Congrats also to Sean-Karl Dobson for his one-shot victory in the boy's championship, launching him into the Junior Players this week at TPC Sawgrass. Westlake High School golf with three boys competing in Junior Players this week, which is amazing! And on the girls' side, three Westlake golfers competed in US Women's Am a few weeks ago! Remarkable stuff and speaks volumes about Dale Morgan, Ann Marie Gildersleeve, and many other junior golf enthusiasts and instructors in Austin. How proud would Harvey be?

And what does the future hold? Well, let's just hope young Keenan (obviously a fine player) negotiated about 17 strokes vs. young Henry before they teed off in the Boys (9-10) Flight! That 26 on the back nine yesterday has to be a club record? Can I be Henry's agent?

Lastly, I had to dig up a picture from the archives . . .

Love those girls,

Dad

P.S. Emily used to think the golf expression, "All bets are won or lost on the first tee," meant whoever won the first hole was going to win the bet. Not exactly the meaning, but it works for Make it a Great Monday. Get off to a good start and the rest of the week is piece of cake!

Bookshelves, 'I am Woman', and Jim Loehr on FaaFF

 
LuLu,

Another Fit as a Fiddle Friday morning, and I'm thinking about the above photo, in part because Sally is redesigning of our bookcases. Let me explain.

The photo is circa 1998ish, Delray Beach, Florida at the International Tennis Resort. That's me on the left in the dark pants and two-toned jacket. I think we used to call those getups a 'sweatsuit'. Jay Senter, fourth from right with double wrist-bands, a tennis-buddy during our Nashville years, organized this trip. Jay produced the famous single, I am Woman, by Helen Reddy! (Be sure to read 'The Making of the Single' section in the link.) The trip included our good friend and (in spite of his time at Duke University) successful-businessman, Tom Davin, whom I think took the photo. Jay brought in his pal, Dr. Jim Loehr, second from right. More on Jim to follow.

So Sally is doing her thing with the bookshelves and tells me I can only keep my favorite books. I start in the sports section, by identifying any that are personally autographed. I find my Dean Smith's A Coach's Life; Harvey Penick's Little Red Book; Bud Collins', Total Tennis; Johnny Bench's From Behind the Plate; John Laskowski's, Tales from the Hoosier Locker Room; Van Cuthrell's Quarterback Management; and my mom's gift when I was 8 years old, Winning May Not be Everything, BUT LOSING ISN'T ANYTHING! 

Then I move to the business section and I first start to look for Jim Loehr's The Power of Full Engagement. Can't find it! I'm bummed, because not only had Jim signed the book, but I had a ton of annotations and notes in the book. Do you remember how often I have referenced Loehr's work through the years? Here's a great summary of the book:

"The authors worked with the best athletes and executives for years, and found that the best ones knew how to push themselves, then recuperate, push, recuperate. Take this same approach to your emotional, mental, physical, and even spiritual life, and it's a powerful metaphor. Think of sprints, not marathons. Be fully in whatever you're in, then give time to recuperate. But push further each time, past your comfort zone, like a good exercise plan."

I'm hoping to use this post to run down Jim and get a new copy signed. I'll let you know if I succeed.

Happy FaaFF,

Dad

Who was the first Woman Power Wednesday?

Mornin' LuLu,

I was wondering . . .

And sort of blundering . .  .

in my thoughts this 

Wednesday morning.

Who was the very first?

Woman Power Wednesday

Woman ever spotlighted

Ever highlighted

Ever delighted

Ever sort of knighted

Surely I would not . . .

Have been so shortsighted

As to not make that day

All about my number one gal

My top pal

The queen of our morale.

Your MOM!

PS: Proud of mom for her new assignment at work as the early childhood-evaluator for all three-year-olds coming into the district who need adaptive services. A well-deserved and perfect assignment. Those kids are lucky! 

PPS: Also of note, today is Women's Equality Day, which commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting the right to vote to women. For more about that, check out this post on LinkedIn highlighted by our SVP of Design and Creation Products, Amy Bunszel, one of my favorite leaders at Autodesk. The post features Databricks, an interesting Austin-based data and AI company, as well as Coco Brown, founder and CEO of Athena Alliance, an organization you and your sisters should all check out. 

My rock! See first Woman Power Wednesday here.

Stay Whole: Gap Year Idea = Xoogler U

 

It's Stay Whole Tuesday Lucy and I trust you are continuing to feel better? Uncle Ricky shared this CNBC article yesterday and I love it: Ex-Google employees form virtual tech ‘school’ for gap year students amid college closures. Learn about Xoolger School here. 

Be sure to click on opportunities:

• Mentor relationships
• Externships
• Real-world Projects
• Mindset
• Focus Your Job Search
• A Foot in the Door
• Interview Skills
• Professional Skills
• Industry Discussions
• Expanded Network

Does this sound familiar? I wonder how some of the non-profits you have been exploring could benefit from an alliance with Xoogler School. For example, Build Change?

MiaGM and Be a Good Neighbor (a Nugget about Ditties)

Good morning Lucy May,

How you feeling over yonder in C-Station? Sal and T arrived around midnight. A safe one-day journey from Atlanta, dodging storms Marco and Laura, both tracking towards Louisiana and Texas coasts. Let's pray for the best on those storms.

We woke up to a sweet hand-written note from Fort Herndon, after Sunday's birthday celebration for Jim. It got me thinking about ditties. You know the original 'ditty-writer' in our life was our dear neighbor Ken King in Nashville, husband to your godmother, Ann. Here's an example of Ken's work: Farewell to the Singleterrys. Classic stuff!

Anyhoo, I looked up the word ditty and realize that ditties are meant to be short songs. But that's okay, we can stay with our own meaning - something someone writes and recites to celebrate an occasion or someone special.

Here's the note from Jim:

Make it a great Monday Lucy May!

Dad

P.S. Side note: On the other side of Fort Herndon (Unit B) . . . Jim and Marisa Bushee also arrived safely home yesterday from their summer in the Northeast. Jim B. and I hope to take Jim H. to lunch one day and start documenting some of his military stories. Jim Bushee is a writer. You can learn about his first book here.

Sunday Nugget - Jim Herndon's 89th

Good morning Lucy,

Hope you are feeling better? 

Big day for Sal and T, as they head out of ATL towards AUS, in route to making their world both bigger and smaller! Prayers for safe travels for those two; as well as for growth, courage, strength, and perseverance in the months ahead. We are excited to get some quality time together and to see what Sally does to our place, now that the floors have been painted!

Meanwhile, over at Mission Central Unit B, Mom and I celebrated Commander and Chief Jim Herndon's 89th birthday last night. See Just a growing boy from Oklahoma.

A delicious dinner prepared by Mikey and a wonderful time listening to Jim share stories from his remarkable military career. I'm on a quest this year to have Jim write those stories down.

Below is a video of a short birthday ditty I penned for the occasion.

Have a good Sunday,

Dad

Whoop! podcast with Dr. Bob Arnot on FaaFF

Good morning Lucelia and my fit family,

Sharing a good one from WHOOP: Podcast No. 87: Dr. Bob Arnot Returns to Discuss Defying Aging. Thought this was especially relevant for my 20-year olds, and even for older fans of Nuggets, like the birthday boy - Taylor!

Takeaways:

4:26 - Age is Just a Number. “With WHOOP, using HRV (heart rate variability) as a marker, you can bring your biological age down, bit by bit.”

15:05 - Game-Changer. “What I think is happening with wearables is you’re completely changing the face of medicine. [It’s] better than an exam. You have minute-by-minute, second-by-second data, day after day, year after year, so the doctor can say, ‘I think something is wrong here.’”

22:46 - Advice for 20-Somethings. “Don’t rest on what your birth certificate says. Now is the time in your 20s to get those lifelong patterns together. There was a runner from the distant past named George Sheehan, back in the heyday of the running movement, and he had a great quote which was, ‘First, be a good animal.  "If you feel great every day and if you live life as a great animal first, you have won.”

29:04 - How to Tackle Your 30s. “I think the 30s are where you really want to start to put together a program. You want a regular program of athletics. I would make certain to pick up some sort of life sport. One of the great tragedies I think in America is that we turn so many kids off to sport."

Here's Dr. Arnot's book:

Might be something worth reading.

Stay fit,

Dad

P.S. Dr. Arnot, who is 72, is a world-champion paddle boarder and whips people half his age all the time. Impressive stuff!

"One side saw a forest but no trees . . . one side saw trees but no forest"

 

Lucy,

I love the feeling of finding a new book. Especially one I know is going to be a winner. In this case, the recommendation came from good buddy Rick Magee, one of the smartest guys I know. When Rick says, 'game-changer' then you go straight to the Amazon one-click-buy-it-now button. Here's a good summary of Malcolm Gladwell's Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know. (Note that the summary also offers some negative critique around the over-simplification of some of the complex interactions Gladwell highlights in the book.)

Mom is reading along with me and we are also listening to the audiobook, as Gladwell reads it himself, plus inserts many voices from the actual subjects studied in the book, as well as recorded news clips when possible. He describes this as an audiobook, with the polish of a well-produced podcast. Here's a snippet from the audiobook. It will hook you!

The timing of this book is quite remarkable considering the recent events in our country.

Love,

Dad

Good times with Sheila Cooper and "When in doubt paint it white" - WPW

 

9 years at ADSK and 'Purpose' - Stay Whole LuLu

Hey Lucy,

Yesterday, I celebrated nine years at Autodesk with this LinkedIn post. Each morning when I wake up, I write down (at least) one thing I am grateful for in my journal. Today, I wrote about Autodesk and how blessed I am to have a job I enjoy and to work with people whom I respect.

Also, each morning I check my WHOOP data, where I learn how recovered I am for the day ahead, among other things. The WHOOP app comes with a digital journal, basically a series of questions about your health and well-being. It just takes a minute to answer the questions, usually why the coffee is brewing. I like the three questions shown below and feel fortunate that my answers are always positive.

• Feel in control of your life?
• Feel you have resources/skills to complete daily goals?
• Feel a sense of purpose?

Staying whole,

Dad

Happy 30th Taylor - We love you!

Lucy:

I love how Taylor enjoys adventure, fun, and getting outside. He is literally always down to do anything with us! Whether biking, tennis, surfing, boat driving, ziplining or whatever it is, T is leading the charge and keeps us trying new things! T has such a childlike and curious spirit. He truly makes us more exciting and fun. It's so awesome to have another adventurer in the family, and I am so excited about all the crazy cool things T and Sal will do in London and all over Europe! 

I love getting to talk with T about the Lord and spiritual things! The conversations we have had about YoungLife, church, community, individual walks with Christ, etc. have been some of my favorite moments with T. I am SO FREAKING EXCITED to see what the Lord will do in this next decade of your life. You're the best T! HAPPY 30TH!!! Love you!! 

Emily:

I love that cheeky Taylor! T is always down to have a good time but is also very calm and balanced. He is a lovely addition to our family and great to have around. I love that he always takes time to relax and just goes with the flow. I can't wait for Taylor and Sally to spend more time in Austin soon!

Taylor is a beautiful mate to Sally, and I love that they have decided to make life an adventure! A lot of husbands would not approach things with this much curiosity. I think it is so unique that T is leading the charge to explore bloody London! Hooray! Happy 30th brother!!!

Peach:

Taylor is quite the cuppa T! I'm knackered of Taylor and Sally living in Atlanta and so excited for them on their new adventures. and possibilities. I'm chuffed to bits that Sally found a wonderful husband. He is flexible, and he is kind.

I enjoyed having Sally and Taylor at the beach with us so much and hanging out. I appreciated that Taylor felt comfortable enough to stay with us for 3 days without Sally. It was so fun to spend more time with him. It was a bloody good time!

gPa:

I am so proud of you, mate! You have become such a ledge in our family. Calm, cool, smart, and not one bit snarky. Welcome to your fourth decade!

We are so excited for this next phase of your life with Sally. I don't understand the insurance business, but I know this, you are a rising star. The opportunities in front of you are endless. I know you two are going to make amazing friends and enjoy learning other cultures along the way. In the words of our guest contributor below, "Keep it going, Mate!"

Sally:

If there was one word I could use to describe T it would be KIND. He approaches everyone he encounters with respect. People are drawn to his sincerity and depend on him for advice. He is always willing to listen and never judgemental. I’m so proud to be his wife and lucky to be around him every day. 

I love that Taylor is open to change and taking risk. He has been so successful at such a young age. He has a fantastic sense of awareness when it comes to business. He has excellent instincts. I’m so grateful to be along on this adventure together and cannot wait to witness all that year 30 will bring. 

Kyle:

I appreciate Taylor for being a cheeky bastard (British accent). We get along great. He’s always a fun time to hang out with when in Austin.

I hope to attend some matches with Taylor in London if schedules align. I respect Taylor for exploring opportunities in business (and life) and think it will pay off big time. Remember to stay on the left and try to fit in.

Uncle Ricky (a special guest affirmation):

For a couple of years, Sally was whining to me about how bad the boys at UGA sucked. That there was no one that she could see taking home to meet her parents. And certainly, no one that would pass my acid test. Then I get a text picture of Sally and a guy in a Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s #48 NASCAR t-shirt at a party in a field outside Athens. She tells me this might be the guy. I’m thinking that if that’s the case, the boys at UGA really do suck. And now an adventure to London awaits! That’s a long way from racing at Talladega. Just shows how much a good woman can change any man.

So here is my challenge for the two of you as you set off on this great adventure.  There are 44 countries in Europe. I’ve made it to 16 of them so far. By the end of your first year in London, you should have visited at least 15 countries. 15 more in the second year. Then 10 more in the third year if you stay that long. If you do, I will come over and do the last 4 countries with you . . . . and pay your expenses too! Maybe a side trip to snorkel in the Red Sea?

Now Sally might be focused on Monaco and Switzerland. Barcelona and Milan. The Greek Isles and the Bourdeaux region of France. Somehow she’s gotten spoiled that way. But your goal should be to show her Montenegro and Estonia. Bucharest and Budapest. The islands off Croatia and the glaciers of Iceland. Sometimes it’s the wrong turn you make that brings you to the best memories. Wherever you go, eat where the locals eat and ask them what to see and do that’s not in the guide books. It’s really the people and the journey more so than the destination.  

This is your last birthday in the USA for a while. Next year Sally will be tempted to take you to a fancy London restaurant where fillet of beef Wellington with parsley root puree mini fondants is on the menu. But by then she will know that drinking a pint in the corner pub with your new friends is really the way to go. Eating sausage pies and bacon sandwiches. Singing the anthem of your favorite Premier League soccer team.   

That is my birthday wish for you. And Sally. Have fun. Take chances.   

Uncle Ricky 

PS—Go up to Dornoch and fall in love with links golf. It will be good for your soul.

PSS—Visit the WWII cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer. It will make you proud to carry an American passport. And much more.

Swing sequence - 4th of July (thanks Emily)

 

Above swing sequence was taken by Emily during a round of golf over 4th of July weekend. Thought it was a cool shot with the flag and the bridge. My swing is not half bad either! Made me think of the below sequence of Emily from her Senior Year, Conference Championship. Go SCAD! Love the moss! Stay fit peeps. - Dad

WPW - Sally and Betty

Lucy,

Today's Woman Power Wednesday celebrates your sister Sally, as well as her mentor, friend, and first boss Betty Burgess. Sally's last day was this past Friday.

Above are photos from the dinner party celebrating her six-plus years working with Betty. The dinner was hosted by Betty and her husband, Doug in their new home. Also attending coworkers Kinzer and Daniel, plus special friends and suppliers Milton and Greg, who own Interiors Market.

I want to share two things. One a beautiful tribute that Sally wrote for Betty. And two, a prayer of transition, growth, and abundant opportunity for Sally as she enters into this next phase of her personal and professional journey.

Sally's toast to Betty:

Six years ago, accepting my first job, I had no clue the impact it would have on my life. Our bond was immediate and special.  

Your talent in our industry is unmatched. I am so lucky to have learned from the best. You have taught me the imortance of color, the importance of no color, that paying attention to detail can make all the difference, the value in knowing the rules, the value in breaking the rules. The power of a good antique. Balance in a room and balance in running a business and staying true to who you are and the gifts God gave you. You have introduced me to a world I will never leave, to people that I will always love in this city and beyond. I am in deep and it’s a complete obsession. Thank you for sharing that with me. 

But more importantly, you have guided me through some of the most influential times of my life. You’ve encouraged me to find my voice and to share it with others. To trust myself. You have taught me to love spontainty, to approach challenges with compassion and the beauty of generosity. That there is always opportunity to seek and explore a deeper human connection. To slow down and pay attention. At your heart, Betty, you are a teacher. 

I am so lucky to be one of the many to learn from you in the office and beyond. I know I can speak for all of the women who have and will work for you in the future when I say the gifts and wisdom you share with us take hold and as we grow and inevitably leave, they spread to other’s. And that is something to celebrate.

Thank you Betty!

And this prayer for Sally: 

O God, You know Sally better than anyone. Guide her throughout this time of transition. Empower Sally to use her unique gifts to create a beautiful life, to share openly and honestly her thoughts, to respect the opinions of others, and to encourage humility, patience and joy. Instill in her a vision of the life you intend for her to lead. Guided by your Holy Spirit, may Sally be united in love and joyfully accomplish her mission, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Stay whole and find your passion

Hey LuLu,

I had a great time on day two of the club championship playing with Ras Redwine VI. Check out this link to learn more about Ras. He shot a beautiful 77 - Red Grange. The first time he has broken 80. Very impressive to watch. I'm looking forward to visiting his shop. Who wants to go with me?

Stay whole,

Dad

Work smarter, not necessarily harder and Make it a Great Monday

FaaFF - I'm ready for Flight 2 ACC Club Championship

Foam roll . . . swing the SuperSpeed sticks . . . swing the orange whip . . .  Anti-Flip wristband . . . and The Swing Extender. Go gPage in Flight 2!

WPW - Sally on Maya Angelou

Good morning LuLu,

Today's Woman Power Wednesday (provided by your big sister Sally) is from this podcast with Oprah and Maya Angelou. Here are Sal's bulleted take-a-ways:

• Prepare yourself so that you can be a rainbow in someone’s cloud. Someone who may not look like you. Who may call god something different than you call god? I may not eat the same dishes that you do, I may not dance your dances, but be a blessing to somebody.
• The light is always there. Yours to seek and to find. 
• Words are things, I am convinced. You must be careful about the words you use and the words you allow to be used in your house. In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was God and the Word was with God. You must be careful. 
• "I am a human being, nothing human can be alien to me." If you can internalize at least a portion of that, you will never be able to say ‘I couldn’t do that’. I intend to use my energies constructively as opposed to destructively. Dream great dreams, dare to be somebody, dare to be bigger than the condition to which you were born.

I liked the part at the 28-minute mark on a mother's love. I dare you to listen to that story and not think of your mom and how much she loves her three girls! 

"And remember this, you can always come home!"

Love you,

Dad

Sportsmanship Story - Stay Whole and be a good sport!

Above: "Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul (March 4, 1897 – December 7, 1969) was an American Major League Baseball player who went on to become an extraordinarily successful manager in the minor leagues. He was also a vital figure in the establishment of professional baseball in Japan." O'Doul played for the Giants in 1933 and 1934.

I heard a little 'nugget' on the Golf Channel this morning told by San Francisco native Jaime Diaz. If you get a chance to watch the entire piece, it is a wonderful description of why San Francisco is such an amazing golf city. The story is about San Francisco's city championship. "The City", as the local championship is known, is the oldest consecutively played competition in the world.

I can't find the year or anything online substantiating this, but Diaz tells a story of Lefty O'Doul competing against 12-year old Johnny Miller in 'The City'. They get to the 18th hole all square and the tees are so far back that 12-year old Miller has no chance of getting his tee ball in play. O'Doul picks up the tee markers and walks them up to the uppermost box, and simply says, "We will play from here." Miller wins the match!

LuLu launches for Junior Year - Gig'em! and MiaGM

It is officially the first Make it a Great Monday of Lucy's junior year in Aggie-land. What a special (bonus) spring and summer we spent with her! Not the intended situation, but we made the best of the opportunity Covid-19 gave us to be together. I will treasure this summer and I know Mom will especially treasure the daily five-mile walks with Lucy and time spent in the kitchen preparing healthy meals and juicing!

Above, LuLu waves good-bye to 3901-A Belmont Park. Below she says hello to her new room, where she assembled her headboard and hung mirror all by herself. That's what I call a grown-up little girl, ready to take on the world. Let's do this!

P.S. Reminder that Uncle Archie's virtual service is today at 10AM CT. I will send the link on Hoot Hoot.