2.13.22

First round of 2022 is in the books. When I saw a high of 58 degrees forecasted for Saturday, I immediately hopped on golfnow to reserve a tee time, and apparently, lots of other golf obsessives had the same idea. Tee times were pretty slim, so I was forced to try a new course about 30 minutes from Hoboken - Meadows Golf Club. My playing partner for the day would be my younger brother Pat, who happens to live right down the street from me, so I scooped him up and we headed out for the first round of the year. Like myself, it was his first time picking up a club in a few weeks, so expectations were low. Here is Pat’s player profile:

Handicap: 14ish?

Playing Since: 1998

Strengths: Soft hands arounds the green, solid low iron player, brings snacks, very good at tracking down the cart girl.

Weaknesses: Inconsistent driver of the golf ball, 3 foot putts, willingness to play Top Flites.

The Course: Meadows Golf Couse is a par 70, clocking in at 6300 yards. When we played yesterday however, it was probably closer to 6000 yards, as many of the “tees” were pushed up for winter play. I know it’s not fair to expect pristine conditions in the middle of February, but the only way I can describe the upkeep of the course is disastrous. Quite honestly, they shouldn’t have opened the course, as most of the holes were still absolutely saturated. Even though we hadn’t gotten much rain the last week, the snow melt soaked the course, so we basically walked through 18 holes of mud. Even the greens still had puddles on them, and it was clear that the staff did very little to make the course playable- as evidenced by the fact that they didn’t even put out tee markers. But again, I was just happy to be out there, and it didn’t hurt that I played pretty well too…

The Round: I shot 77 (again on a par 70, and a pretty easy course, slope of about 120), 39 on the front and 38 on the back, including a very sloppy double bogey on 18. I have always thought that I play some of my best golf early in the season, and today was no exception. Early in the year, I haven’t had time to accumulate bad habits in my golf swing, so pure muscle memory allows me to hit the ball pretty well. Plus I think I am a little more freed up because of lower expectations; it just goes to show how mental this game is…

Hole of the Day: Par 3 11th. 141 yards. A relatively straight forward par 3, where a long and but narrow green is guarded by traps on both sides. With a slight breeze in our face, I put a nice swing on a 9 iron, and landed it pin high, about 20 feet left of the pin. I was left with an uphill left to righter, I put a great stroke on it and it dripped in on the high side. First birdie of the year.

One of my goals this year is to make 50 birdies cumulatively. I’m going to track that, and share on the blog:

Handicap Update: I tried to input this score into my GHIN app, but predictably was denied due to being outside allowable season window for this course. So, no update to the handicap, still sitting at 9.7. Overall, good vibes as we inch towards golf season. My main swing thought right now, is that “tempo” and “speed” are two different things. In other words I can create clubhead and ball speed while still maintaining a slow tempo, and I think some of the resistance work I have been doing in the gym is helping that. I’m trying to exaggerate a slow take away, and even a slight pause at the top. When I struggle, I tend to start my downswing before finishing my backswing. This swing thought helps prevent that.

Baby Update: Last Saturday was my first extended alone time with Julia. Loral had plans to get dinner on Long Island, so it was just me and the baby for about 8 hours on Saturday afternoon and evening - which is also partly why I was allowed to be out of the house golfing for 6+ hours yesterday. We got off to a little bit of a rough start honestly…

When Loral left, Julia was sleeping soundly, and I was on the couch watching TV. Within about 10 minutes, Loral frantically calls me, explaining that she lost a diamond earring and needs my help searching the apartment. Conveniently, I had vacuumed the entire apartment and dumped the contents into our kitchen trash about 20 minutes prior. So I was forced to put down a tarp, break open the trash and search for the earring. Also conveniently, we purge our fridge of the old leftovers on Saturday mornings, so there I was on my hands and knees pawing through two week old chili and the previous night’s Indian takeout:

Once again conveniently, Julia decides to wake up at this precise moment and decide she is hungry. Extremely hungry, hangry once might even say. Very quickly, soft whimpers escalate into full blown screaming and I’m at least 5 minutes from being able to feed her. So I drop everything, throw a bottle in the warmer and try and console her, but that only seems to make her more mad. If Loral would have walked through the door at that moment, she would have seen me with an absolutely hysterical Julia in one arm, frantically trying to get a bottle ready with my free hand, while Barkley (our dog) eats a banana peel from the pile of trash sitting in the middle of the living room. I might have had custody revoked.

Thankfully the situation cooled down, and I was able to feed the baby and clean up the mess - although it did smell like garbage in our apartment for a few hours. And luckily, we found the earring the next day. Alls well that ends well I guess…

Yesterday was another major milestone - our first date night in about 3 months. My brother and his wonderful girlfriend Lauren, volunteered to watch Julia for a few hours on Saturday, so that we could get out for a laughably early dinner reservation (it was 5:15 PM, early bird special!)

Safe to say, we spared no expense. The ribeye pictured above paired beautifully with a Frank Family Cabernet. Recommend.

Dinner was great, and I think Julia behaved. I guess we will know that second piece, when we ask Pat and Lauren to babysit again.

What I am reading:

Here is the Amazon synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of But What if We’re Wrong, a wise and funny reckoning with the decade that gave us slacker/grunge irony about the sin of trying too hard, during the greatest shift in human consciousness of any decade in American history.

For any fan of Klosterman, or 90s culture in general, it is a great read. Much of the book is Klosterman’s takes on 90’s pop culture - music, movies, sports, fashion, etc. And consistent with his other works, they are funny and sometimes thought provoking. But to say he is selling pure 90s nostalgia wouldn’t be fair, as much of the book attempts describe the overall mood/feeling of the American public during the decade, rather than just the music/movies/shows that have come to define it. He goes into detail describing the differences between the Baby Boomers and Generation X - and how the political environments in which they reached adulthood shaped their outlooks on life in general. It is something I had never previously considered but it make a ton of sense - not only does each generation have its own unique culture but each has its own distinct attitude and outlook on life.

As someone who was born in 1989, the 90s were my introduction to the world. These days, the nostalgia play seems to be one of the most bankable strategies for TV and movies and up until this point, a lot has been focused on the 80s (Stranger Things, Cobra Kai, The Americans, The Goldbergs, etc). I feel like there is an oncoming wave on 90s nostalgia (if it hasn’t arrived already) and we are starting to see that come through in our entertainment. We started watching “Yellowjackets” this past week, and it was clear from the beginning that part of the appeal is 90s nostalgia - The Smashing Pumpkins, Salt N Peppa, Marky Mark are all used in just the first episode. So it got me thinking - how much of 90s culture do I truly remember from my own unique experience, vs how much do I think I remember due to the collective 90’s nostalgia amongst my generation (Millenials). In other words, how much of the 90’s did I consume in real time? Let’s look to some examples from music, tv, movies and sports to find out.

MUSIC:

What I think I remember: Nirvana’s Nevermind

What I actually remember: Hootie and the Blowfish’s Cracked Rear View

At this point, most music critics agree that the release of Nevermind in 1991 was a turning point in music history. It marked the death of hair metal, the birth of grunge and the anointing of Kurt Cobain as the unlikely and unwilling spokesman of a whole generation. Smells Like Teen Spirit single handedly altered the trajectory of rock music and radically altered the definition of “cool”. So surely I can remember the first time I heard Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, right? Honestly, no, not really. Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994 - I was 5. As much as I love each of those bands I just mentioned, I wasn’t listening to them in the 90s. I was listening to Hootie and the Blowfish (I had it on cassette). And obviously I wasn’t the only one - Cracked Rear View went on to sell 21 million copies!

What I think I remember: The Death of Notorious B.I.G.

What I actually remember: Puff Daddy’s tribute after the Death of Notorious B.I.G.

I don’t remember the deaths of Biggie or Tupac. I was completely unaware of the East Coast vs West Coast hip hop rivalry. I had no knowledge of Bad Boy or Death Row records. But I absolutely do remember the music video for “I’ll Be Missing You” by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans. This song was everywhere in 1997, and I remember loving it, despite having no idea what or who it is about. Also, I can’t be the only 90s kid who discovered The Police because of this song.

What I think I Remember: I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston

What I think I Remember: Smooth by Santana and Rob Thomas

Whitney Houston spent 14 weeks at number one between 92-93, the third longest streak of all time. She owns maybe the most spectacular performance of the national anthem of all time (at the Super Bowl in 1991). She was the star of the highest grossing movie of 1992 - The Body Guard. By any account, she was probably one of the top 5 most famous people in the world in the early 90s. But guess what - Smooth was even bigger! Here are the top 3 best performing songs on the billboard chart, OF ALL TIME:

Blinding Lights by the Weeknd
The Twist by Chubby Checker
Smooth by Santana and Rob Thomas
Smooth was the biggest song of the 90s and the 2000s! (It was released in 1999, and continued to chart at the turn of the millennium). In retrospect, it’s a really weird combination - an aging Mexican guitar god from the 70s + vanilla singer from an ok pop rock band = billboard gold. Its something that could have only happened in the 90s.

On to sports…

What I think I remember: Ken Griffey Jr

What I actually remember: McGwire / Sosa and the home run chase

Griffey was by far the coolest baseball player from the 90s. The backwards hat, the sneakers, the Pizza Hut commercials. For the first 5 years of the decade, he was probably the best player as well. For whatever reason, Seattle Mariners era Griffey epitomizes 90s baseball for me more than any other player. But I can’t think of any one specific game or moment involving him. What I remember vividly, is the summer of 98 and the home run race. There was a time, not too long ago, where Roger Maris’ 61 in 61 was one of the most cherished records in all of sports. Watching not one, but two players run it down and ultimately smash that record was unbelievable. What is often lost to history, is that technically, Sosa actually held the record at one point. He actually passed McGwire on Sept 25 (66 to 65), although McGwire will ultimately go on to retake the record and finish the season at 70 dingers.

What I think I remember: The Pat Riley Knicks

What I actually remember: The Jeff Van Gundy Knicks

Legitimately one of the funniest pictures in sports history

The 94 Knicks team, led by Pat Riley, is one of the most loved and talked about teams in NY sports history - and they never even won a championship. I pretend like I remember the games, but I don’t. It wasn’t until the JVG era that I really started following the team. Patrick Ewing was the centerpiece of both teams, but I prefer the supporting cast of Marcus Camby, Allen Houston and Latrell Sprewell over that of Anthony Mason, Charles Oakley and Doc Rivers. I vividly remember the back cover of Newsday, the morning after the infamous Knicks/Heat brawl in the 98 playoffs - and the hilarious shot of JVG clinging to Alonzo Mourning’s leg. The team went on a magical run to the 99 Finals in a strike shortened season (they were the first 8 seed to make the finals) only to be destroyed by the Spurs in the finals.

What I think I remember: Pre-Meth Andre Aggasi.

What I actually remember: Post-Meth Andre Agassi.

I think this one can best be summed up in 2 pictures. Here’s Agassi in 1991:

And here is Andre in 1999:

I remember watching an Agassi tennis match, maybe sometime in the 98/99 range. At this point in his career, Agassi had battled back from a low point - a period where he sustained numerous injuries, dropped out of the top 100 in the world rankings, suffered a messy break up with Brooke Shields, and admitted to experimenting with drugs, including crystal meth. But by the late 90’s, his comeback was in full force, reaching as high as number 6 in the world and winning the 99 French Open in the process. I remember they showed highlights of Agassi from the early 90s and thinking “WHO THE EFF IS THAT??” Early 90s Agassi, with his wild mullet and electric outfits, is the most quintessentially 90s version of Agassi. But the reality is, I only remember clean cut, bald Agassi. Whatever, I like mullet Agassi better.

TV, Movies and Video Games:

What I think I remember: Seinfeld

What I actually Remember: Urkel

As much as I love Seinfeld, I wasn’t watching it in the 90s. Like many others my age, I discovered it in syndication on TBS in the 20 years since its been off the air. I do remember kids at school yelling “NO SOUP FOR YOU!”, but I didn’t really get the joke, so I just kinda went along with it. What was I actually watching? Family Matters, as well as the rest of the TGIF line up. The Dillons and the Winsolws spent many a Friday nights together in the mid 90s.

What I think I Remember: Saved by the Bell

What I actually Remember: Saved by the Bell, The College Years

The original Saved by the Bell aired from 89-93, so any memories I have must have been from watching re-runs. I do vaguely remember Zach and Kelly getting married (or at least planning to?) which happened during the College Years run, so I guess I just missed the glory years of SBTB. And if we are being completely honest, I could be confusing memories of The College Years with a completely different, albeit adjacent teen sitcom - Boy Meets World. Are you a Zach and Kelly person? Or a Corey and Topanga person?

What I think I remember: SportsCenter

What I actually remember: NBA Inside Stuff

Many hardcore SportsCenter enthusiasts consider the 90’s to be the golden era of the show. Rightfully so - the 90’s introduced us to many of the best anchors - Dan Patrick, Stuart Scott, Keith Olbermann, Kenny Mayne, even Robin Roberts. Looking back, my family didn’t have cable TV in the 90s, so there is no way I could have watched SportsCenter in the 90s, at least not on a regular basis. What I definitely did watch - NBA Inside Stuff - hosted by Ahmad Rashad and Summer Sanders. My favorite segment was “Jam Session”, which showcased one of Ahmad’s favorite new songs played over the week’s top dunks. Epic. I also remember being absolutely stunned when I found out Ahmad played wide receiver for the Vikings in the 70s.

What I think I remember: The Lion King

What I actually remember: Toy Story

Even though these two movies came out only 1 year apart, (Lion King in 94 and Toy Story in 95) Toy Story feels decades newer. Maybe because The Lion King was one of the last traditional animated Disney blockbusters and Toy Story was the first computer generated, but I seem to remember everything about Toy Story and nothing about the Lion King. And I know for a fact that I went to theaters to see both. I do however, remember having Timon and Pumba (Poomba?) pajamas…

What I think I remember: GoldenEye

What I actually remember: Triple Play Baseball 97

Is GoldenEye for Nintendo 64 the most universally loved video game of all time? I can’t think of any other game that really comes close, at least among my generation. I was playing it in my college dorm room a good 15 years after it was released. Your choice of character during multi-player mode can be used as a stand in for a personality test (mine was Boris). However, during its initial run, I didn’t have a Nintendo console (mom wouldn’t allow it), so I only got to play it at my friends or cousins houses. We did have a family computer, and I spent hours on end playing Triple Play Baseball 97. Overall, the actual game was unremarkable, except for one notable exception:

I still get chills when I hear “A TRIPLE PLAY! UNBELIEVABLE!!!”. Sometimes I wonder what the actors in this video are up to now, 25 years later. How were they casted in the first place? Were they paid? We need a 30 for 30 on the making of…

As I reflect on my memories of the 90s, what strikes me is how detailed and oddly specific it can be, but how little of it I actually experienced in real time. I can contribute to the conversation on any 90s topic, but realistically, I should only be able to remember the last 3 or 4 years of the decade. Are you familiar with the “Mandela Effect”? Basically it is a false memory shared by multiple people - the most common example, and the one for which it is named, is the widespread belief that Nelson Mandela died in prison in the 80s. He didn’t - he was released in the early 90s (coincidentally) and went on to become the first Black South African President. It’s almost like my own version of the Mandela Effect - I have memories of 90s pop culture, even though I experienced much of it after the fact (or maybe even not at all in some cases). I wonder if this is the case with other decades. Boomers love to say where they were or what they were doing when JFK was shot, but do they actually remember? Or have they been told where they were and what they were doing and think they remember? Ultimately, does it matter? I choose to identify as a child of the 90s, even though I only remember about 4 years of it.

3.6.22

1.22.22