Stories from the Road

Stories from the road
September 8, 2017
Olympia, WA



The air had cooled, and there was little smoke when Marle and I teed off in Centralia, Washington at the Riverside Golf Course.  Early on the going was tedious due to a crowded course with slow golfers.  After the first nine, we decided to play holes 1-9 over, as the second nine was backed up.  This worked out.

It was fun to see the mini farms that were adjacent to the course. Old buildings, dated pickup trucks, and rows of corn made for nice vistas. We stopped at the Under Armor outlet store after golf, but I bought nothing.  The colors were garish, and the “discounts” were sketchy.

Later Marle and I watched a semi final tennis match at the U.S. Open between Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens. The match was all over the place with both women having long lapses. In the end, it was Sloane’s consistency that sealed her win. She was also deceptively quick. It is fun to see a new rising star in the tennis world. It was also meaningful to see two African Americans playing in a semi final at a major tennis tournament in the United States.

Dinner later was at the Budd Bay Café in Olympia. Our waitress had an edge, and it was fun to banter with her. When she brought my martini, she listed all my “requirements”, and we had a good laugh. As we obsessed about what to order I told her that she would be glad when we cleared out of her place.

I am looking out at Ken Lake where visiting geese have settled for a short time. The lake is smooth with reflected trees on the water. Osprey and eagles frequently fly overhead looking for fish. No motors are allowed on the small lake, and it is quiet and peaceful.