
<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16662409062_7aacd6ca1d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Ian Barfly">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16662409062_8fca624aa1_t.jpg" alt="Ian Barfly"/>
</a>

The shortest month of the year has come to a close. I spent the first dozen days of it the the States [playing golf](/2015/02/12/pinehurst-no-2/), and then we had the biggest event in February for the kids, [_Carnaval_](/2015/02/13/carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/). The weather has been particularly terrible this month, so we've done almost no outdoor activities. The other day I noticed it was starting to rain, and pointed this out to Nora, and she said, "Ugh! It's _ALWAYS_ raining!" That's how we all feel.  This week, an app I have on my phone, called TimeHop, that shows you your old photos from the same date in previous years reminded me that it was [_two years ago_](/2013/02/25/state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2013/) that Nora started learning how to write letters, and has made almost zero progress since then. She can copy letters that she's looking at, which is a step up from tracing, but if you ask her to draw an 'A', she doesn't know how. It's really frustrating that whatever needs to click in her brain to make her see the patterns in letters and to understand numbers has yet to click. The other day, I gave her a simple word problem: "If we have six Tic-Tac™s, and you eat two every day, how many days will it take you to eat them all?", and she looked at me like I was asking what God's face looks like, or some other unknowable query. She likes to ask what time it is, because she hears other people do that, but if you tell her that it's 4:30 and that she has dance class at 6:00, she has no idea whatsoever what any of that means. And it's not for lack of trying to explain it; it just hasn't clicked. It will happen eventually, of course, and I've learned that no good can come from stressing about comparing your kid to another kid of the same age, so we're just waiting patiently for it to happen. It's just really hard, because there are **_so_** many things that I want to teach her that require basic reading and math skills.

### The Rice-pocalypse

One day this month my mother-in-law was left alone at home with the kids. She had just added some rice to the pot in the kitchen and had gone upstairs briefly to tend to something, leaving the children alone watching television. When she came downstairs, she found that Ian had reached up and pulled down the bag of rice that she had left a little too close to the edge of the counter, making our kitchen floor look like the steps of a church at a wedding. Thank goodness it wasn't the boiling water he had pulled down (that's one of my parenting nightmares).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16476026230_0beb00273d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Rice-pocalypse">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16476026230_8e57f3daeb.jpg" alt="Rice-pocalypse"/>
</a>

I returned home only minutes after the incident to find this. Their body language says it all, I think. They were having such a good time, and their joy was so infectious, that it was impossible to scold them. We all had to laugh with them.

### Eye Flaps

Ian discovered this month that he has little flaps of skin over his eyes.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16477097940_36ac1b6f75_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Eye flaps!">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16477097940_268f1d1b0a.jpg" alt="Eye flaps!"/>
</a>

And he hasn't even seen _Clockwork Orange_!

### App-oholic

Nora has learned all about The App Store and that it's full of good and shiny things. One day this month, she and my father were talking to each other on FaceTime on iPads, and using iPhones to try and download and play the same game. Which, if you think about it, is a tough thing to do without knowing how to read. My father described the experience thusly:

> Nora's idea to was that we would both download the same game from the App store and then watch each other play it. I chose "MY ANGELA". Nora told me to write it down and show her so she could type it into the App store search line. She then told me I was using the wrong letters. I thought maybe her iPad was set to the Spanish keyboard, and had her show me her keyboard, where the letters were all lower case. When I wrote "my angela" and showed it to her, she was off and running while verbally mimicking her Grandmother - "a, a, a, Where is that rascally a".

Later that day, I found this written on a piece of paper.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16476483728_a90780e4cb_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="App Store">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16476483728_146aed2c7b.jpg" alt="App Store"/>
</a>

### Two-Syllable Echo

We have a little toy parrot, that has a microphone, a simple chip and a speaker, that will record whatever you say and repeat the last bit of it back to you in a slightly higher pitch. My prayers have been answered and its battery has died, but Nora also found an iPad app that does something similar. The reason I mention it is that it's pretty much exactly what Ian does, as he's learning how to talk.

This sounds adorable, but it leads to some serious communication problems. It's really, really hard not to talk to him as you would to anyone, so it's common to say, "Do you want an apple or a banana?" To which he would say, "'nana!" But if you turn around and ask, "Would you like a banana or an apple?" He'd echo back the "Apple!" to you. If you're not careful to double check, you'll assume he's making reasoned decisions and just happens to be choosing the latter option every time. It's pretty cute.

But he doesn't always echo; sometimes he comes up with his own words. His favorite command is to reach for your hand and say, "Come!" He's already taught his Spanish grandparents the words "come", "down", and "shoe". I've finally got him saying "More?" to me, rather than "¿Más?" when asking me for more of whatever he was just eating.

### That's Enough, Daddy!

I have no idea where he learned this, but one word that Ian says _perfectly_ in context is whenever he sees someone pouring something, he will hold up his hand and say, "_Ya ya ya ya!_", which is how Spaniards say, "Enough, stop pouring!" I mostly hear it in bars when the bartender is making a highball and the customer doesn't want it to be too heavy on the alcohol. He even uses it when we're pouring milk for him, so I don't think he really knows what it means, just that it's a thing that is said while pouring. He also enjoys the laugh that it gets when he tells his daddy to stop pouring wine.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16662409062_7aacd6ca1d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Ian Barfly">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16662409062_8fca624aa1.jpg" alt="Ian Barfly"/>
</a>

### Crack Jumping

Ian has gotten interested in parkour.

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ib5CtGsyA14" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It can take us a long time to get places.

### Loose Tooth

Nora is _extremely_ excited to have a loose tooth. A couple of the kids in her kindergarten class have already lost a tooth, and her best friend and archrival at all things competitive claims to have one that moves as well. But Nora's moves a _lot_! I'll be surprised if it lasts another week.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16042239464_61663028b5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Loose tooth">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16042239464_2ecaffc694.jpg" alt="Loose tooth"/>
</a>

It's the incisor that is lowest in this image. You can even see how it's bent forward so you can see the back of the tooth. Yes, [she has a filling](/2012/05/24/child-dental-fillings/).

Stay tuned next month for a blog post about the Spanish tooth fairy, who is not a fairy, but a mouse.

### Too many cooks

This is a pretty cute photo I took when Nora and Ian were "helping" their mother bake a cake. It was going well until an argument broke out about whose turn it was to lick a spoon and they had to be banished from the kitchen.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16476958838_3d5aed92ea_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Baking a cake">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16476958838_ebb7782b79_z.jpg" alt="Baking a cake"/>
</a>

### Hiding from the grown-ups

The day that I took the photos you are about to see, I was talking with a married couple who grew up here and is about my age, and I mentioned that both Nora and Ian really like this little nook. They both said that they played in the same spot thirty years ago as kids.

Nora and Ian play together much more than they fight. I think Nora deserves most of the credit for that at this stage; she really is an amazing big sister to Ian.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16456084897_2b7e13840f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Hiding from the grownups">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16456084897_b43ce02e01.jpg" alt="Hiding from the grownups"/>
</a>

Can they see us?

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16041086464_eb697de371_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Hiding from the grownups">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16041086464_558e84e432.jpg" alt="Hiding from the grownups"/>
</a>

Surely not, because I can't see them!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16637464896_06019ddcf1_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Hiding from the grownups">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16637464896_2890692d59_z.jpg" alt="Hiding from the grownups"/>
</a>

Uh oh!

The state of the offspring is strong!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16664503835_31f1bb317a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Under the table and dreaming">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-27-state-of-the-offspring-address-february-2015/16664503835_219d0cf85d.jpg" alt="Under the table and dreaming"/>
</a>


State of the Offspring Address - February 2015


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/15896045004_ab02e489f2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 202">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/15896045004_f7f7caf56b_t.jpg" alt="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 202"/>
</a>

Every year my children's daycare surprises me with a clever costume duo for the grown-ups and the children, e.g. [Angels and Demons](/2011/03/04/carnival-2011-in-colindres-angels-and-demons/), [Cops and Robbers](/2014/03/07/carnival-2014-cops-and-robbers-and-bees/), [Snow White and Dwarves](/2012/02/17/carnival-2012-in-colindres-snow-white/). This year, it was pirates for the grown-ups, and parrots for the children. Not the cleverest they've done, but not bad, and way cleverer than the other schools in town, some of whom were Ninja Turtles, \[Despicable Me\] Minions, dinosaurs, or Smurfs (Smurves?), with the parents and children dressing up as the same thing...yawn! As usual, I was designated the official daycare photographer, although this year I was not given a special costume as I have been in the past as Prince Charming or the Police Commissioner.  As usual, we arrived early to daycare and put on our costumes, made from colored plastic bags. The children's costumes this year were especially well made, with individual feathers painstakingly cut into the plastic. We lucked out with the weather this year, with sun right up until we were done with the parade. Each preschool class from each school in town files out to the center of town and then we walk around town, this year twice, before coming together in a town square briefly and then returning to our individual schools.

What follows is a small fraction of the photos I took. All of them can be found [here](https://www.flickr.com/photos/erikrasmussen/sets/72157650385342038/). I was tasked with taking photos of each and every child and their family.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16492464766_1cec17cdb9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 003">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16492464766_fec2f90943.jpg" alt="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 003"/>
</a>

Preparations in daycare. Between all the snot wiping, it's amazing that they got all the kids in their costumes.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16518505035_d8b58a2b5f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 027">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16518505035_b324f10dc0_z.jpg" alt="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 027"/>
</a>

My little parrot.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/15898336713_1afa778873_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 052">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/15898336713_f0e81275b3.jpg" alt="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 052"/>
</a>

The captain of the ship at the stern.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16518575195_662a0a94a6_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 124">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16518575195_7eb2c89c4f.jpg" alt="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 124"/>
</a>

Nora and her little rodent companions.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16492580496_5b890933b0_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 161">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16492580496_4c229f090e_z.jpg" alt="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 161"/>
</a>

Some pigs, Iron Men, Ninja Turtles, a bee, and Captain America with snowy peaks in the distance.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16516887941_ddcae4f324_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 174">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16516887941_5935a9c4c4.jpg" alt="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 174"/>
</a>

Nora and her teacher, Viky.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16330833718_3cde37b97f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 109">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16330833718_1a887a0f1f.jpg" alt="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 109"/>
</a>

Nora's friend, Carmen, as Charlie Chaplin.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16332353489_f75b8c0f77_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 212">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16332353489_34245b4f8a.jpg" alt="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 212"/>
</a>

Ian with his Spanish grandparents.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/15896045004_ab02e489f2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 202">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/15896045004_f7f7caf56b.jpg" alt="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 202"/>
</a>

Pirate with a parrot on his shoulder.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16516949161_e51d1799e4_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 251">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16516949161_f8b64b8f10.jpg" alt="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 251"/>
</a>

The obligatory shot of the daycare workers. They are each so great with my children.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16518638995_05f11492db_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 205">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-13-carnaval-2015-pirates-and-parrots-and-mice/16518638995_0cb34bbc17.jpg" alt="Carnaval 2015 - Colindres - 205"/>
</a>

Captain Hook with his parrot and little mouse. "Arr!! Polly want cheese and crackers!"


Carnaval 2015 - Pirates and Parrots and Mice


<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16510525225_7c474b5c75_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image post-thumb" title="Pinehurst Resort - Payne Stewart Statue">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16510525225_e5e80753af_t.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Payne Stewart Statue"/>
</a>

If you ask any avid golfer to name the three most famous courses in the United States, chances are very good that they will name [Augusta National](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusta_National_Golf_Club), [Pebble Beach](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble_Beach_Golf_Links), and Pinehurst No. 2. The second course at Pinehurst was designed by famed golf course designer, Donald Ross, who studied under The Father of Golf himself, Old Tom Morris, in St. Andrews, Scotland. The course has risen in prominence over the past two decades as the host of the U.S. Open in 1999, 2005 and 2014. My friends and I, who have done golf trips roughly every five years to places such as St. Andrews, Scotland and County Kerry, Ireland, planned to revisit St. Andrews in 2015, but a combination of losing the lottery to get a tee time on The Old Course and the birth of twins to one of the participants delayed that trip, so we elected the easiest trip to an important golf location, one only three hours drive from where I grew up and one hour away from where I went to school, in the Sandhills of North Carolina.  <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16509459282_45fd80339d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Hedge">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16509459282_8a17cb26ef.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Hedge"/>
</a>

Everywhere you go at the Pinehurst Resort, they make it very clear that it was established in 1895.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16509459592_c49b533dfd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Statue">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16509459592_9dabeb82a0_z.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Statue"/>
</a>

The logo for the resort is the Putter Boy, who has a putter that is more like the length of a driver. Several times when I saw the logo, it looked more like the [_Mannekin Pis_](/2012/10/15/walking-around-brussels/) than a golfer.

It's pretty rare for me to experience even a taste of what the life of a rich person must be like, e.g. valet service, bellhops eager to please, a $14 jar of cashews in the room. The Pinehurst Resort had a very strong "old rich white people colonial plantation" vibe; the only black people I saw were in servant roles. There were several pristine croquet courts with old white people dressed all in white playing on them.

For dinner, the day of our arrival, we went down to the Ryder Cup Lounge.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16324570277_33b617768d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Ryder Cup Lounge">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16324570277_e0fb784dc8.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Ryder Cup Lounge"/>
</a>

My friends, Paul, Jeff and Phil, posed with the American flag to the right of the entrance...

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16322751828_2fe0445d91_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Ryder Cup Lounge">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16322751828_0e19856119.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Ryder Cup Lounge"/>
</a>

...and I with the European flag to the left.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/15887915564_f75f15871e_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Ryder Cup Lounge - Pulled Pork Quesadillas">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/15887915564_be9762caf8.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Ryder Cup Lounge - Pulled Pork Quesadillas"/>
</a>

I ordered the Pulled Pork Quesadillas, a lovely combination of Carolina barbecue and Tex-Mex cuisine.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16324571767_502556e3e5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Ryder Cup Lounge - Jalapeño Margarita">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16324571767_a2ae4d5470_z.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Ryder Cup Lounge - Jalapeño Margarita"/>
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Phil and I dared to order a Jalapeño Margarita, which was spicy as hell! It should be served with a tub of Vaseline™ to soothe your upper lip.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/15890321823_3228b89d55_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Hallway">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/15890321823_8c30efec4b.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Hallway"/>
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After dinner we wandered the hallowed halls, examining the photographs of every golf legend you can imagine, from Hogan to Palmer to Nicklaus to Tiger. Almost more interesting were the photos of the bizarre exploits of the rich white folk from the early 20th century, including women in white skirts racing pigs on leashes through muddy obstacle courses and little fat boys on horses trying to eat dangling donuts.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16323021140_c5269846c2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Chess">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16323021140_acf6873b6a.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Chess"/>
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Paul and Phil sat down for a chess match.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16324611217_bb62ab3035_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Breakfast Buffet">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16324611217_a497f35061.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Breakfast Buffet"/>
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The following morning, we went down for the breakfast buffet, which featured sterling silver platters of all the southern fixin's: sausage, grits, biscuits and gravy, bacon, scrambled eggs, omelets, and even smoked salmon. In the back there, you can see a man playing some jazzy tunes on a grand piano, as any rich person would expect during breakfast.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16484524846_b847335f16_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Breakfast with Phil">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16484524846_c85a8ace20_z.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Breakfast with Phil"/>
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My roommate and breakfast partner, Phil, ready to tuck into some morning calories.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/15887955724_688dbee15f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Pro Shop">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/15887955724_bc1b0748fc.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Pro Shop"/>
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The pro shop at Pinehurst No. 2 had a lovely selection of $100+ golf shirts.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16322792648_10d95e0180_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Trophy Cabinet">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16322792648_07a44f1ab3.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Trophy Cabinet"/>
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Some priceless golf trophies; the left middle one is from the U.S. Open, I believe.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16510525225_7c474b5c75_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst Resort - Payne Stewart Statue">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16510525225_e5e80753af_z.jpg" alt="Pinehurst Resort - Payne Stewart Statue"/>
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A fantastic statue of Payne Stewart, the 1999 U.S. Open Champion, who tragically died in a plane crash later that year. [Not the first bronze statue of him I've seen](/2011/06/22/waterville/).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16324248439_d4b3f2ac7f_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst No. 2 - Putting Green">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16324248439_141a1afc71.jpg" alt="Pinehurst No. 2 - Putting Green"/>
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Practicing putting before the first hole at Pinehurst No. 2. The greens were flawless. The greens on the course had all been redone since last year's 2014 U.S. Open.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16510527375_e7d1e7ba91_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst No. 2 - Titleist Pro V1 Practice Balls">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16510527375_9f3a2951d5.jpg" alt="Pinehurst No. 2 - Titleist Pro V1 Practice Balls"/>
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The practice balls were Titleist Pro V1s, one of the most expensive golf balls around, which retail at [over $5/ball](http://www.titleist.com/golf-balls/Pro-V1-Pro-V1x.aspx). The 1% lives well!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/15890363013_74e775d544_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst No. 2">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/15890363013_8331cc139e.jpg" alt="Pinehurst No. 2"/>
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Ready to begin our round!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16322797388_06f5a96149_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst No. 2 - 18th Fairway">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/16322797388_391fcd536a.jpg" alt="Pinehurst No. 2 - 18th Fairway"/>
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This was my drive on one of the most iconic holes in golf, the 18th at Pinehurst No. 2, with the extremely recognizable arches and pillars of the clubhouse backing the green. I've played this hole dozens and dozens of times in golf video games.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/15890365943_798b9db123_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Pinehurst No. 2 - 18th Green">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2015-02-12-pinehurst-no-2/15890365943_e212b60649.jpg" alt="Pinehurst No. 2 - 18th Green"/>
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I hit my shot on the green and just missed the birdie, for the tap-in par. I was hoping for at least one spectator to set down their sweet tea or lemonade and applaud from the porch, but alas, all the rocking chairs were empty.

[I shot a 47-46 (93)](https://shotzoom.com/rounds/88277402296), twenty-one over par. Not too bad for not having played in five months.

I had mixed feelings about the course itself. Because I grew up playing a course near my grandparents' house an hour away, also in the Sandhills region of North Carolina, the terrain was very familiar to me, and not all that special. Probably the oddest thing about the course is that there is no rough. It goes straight from fairway to "waste area", which consists of hard packed sand with little tufts of grass. As a result, missing the fairway resulted in very little penalty, as the waste area was pretty easy to hit out of. Where the course really got you was on the Donald Ross domed greens, which have steep slopes on every side. If you miss the green by just a little bit, then the ball rolls off and down the hill, leaving a chip that is also hard to keep on the green. I may have called Donald Ross a few bad names during the course of my round.

Here is a little video I made of some of our shots on this famous course. It was a lot of fun! I'm glad we went. Unlike our trips to Scotland and Ireland, however, I'm not dying to return.

<iframe width="505" height="284" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pLmuHhFLBc8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


3 posts from February, 2015