The new challenge

I am writing this during the last hour of 2025 home in bed after watching a satisfying final episode of Stranger Things at a movie theatre.

For me, there was one goal for 2025 and due to time, energy, analysis, money, and a bit of luck, I walked up to the first tee at the course on Bethel University on July 5th in the final round of the world championship. Though my mind at that time was focused on a decision made by someone else months previously that in retrospect makes sense, it is now very satisfying knowing my decisions on what to do along with lessons learned from the previous decade allowed me to get there that day.

I was so mentally and physically exhausted following my final round that less than 100 miles on the return trip, I fell asleep at 2PM in my car after putting gas in it causing me to get a hotel.

There was no after plan and combined with unanticipated stress outside work or the course, my body is more broken down than ever. In the 45 minutes since leaving the theatre, I have experienced pain in over a half dozen different places in my body including my right knee which needs to be replaced in an operation that won't be considered by my doctor until my BMI is significantly lower.

Knowing what to do and more importantly to not do is obvious and two months ago I saw someone who succeeded in doing what needed to be done.

Three hours past the time I normally go to sleep is not the ideal moment to develop a working agenda but waking up a half dozen times (including today) the past 7 weeks with spasms in one of my legs causing me to need crutches to make it to the bathroom is a sign of a problem that needs to be solved immediately. 

Barf day

Many refer to Dec 23 as Festivus based on the TV show Seinfeld but to me it is something different.

I have vomited more years on that date than only other. My birthday is second.

2012: Caffeine hangover. Yes, I get them every once in while especially when I substitute soda for sleep.

2015: Mushrooms. I found out I can't eat them as apparently they were diced in door I had at a company party. I almost ended up going to the ER.

2016: Virus or grocery store wings. I ended up in the ER and got two bags of fluid for dehydration. The next day stating "Howdy Ho!" when pooping got old as the line from the song "Sometimes it's practically water" happened the fourth time of many.

2017: Popcorn and peanuts: I woke with abdominal pain and ended up in the ER where I was diagnosed with diverticulitis. I try to avoid them now.

2023: Mushrooms: Something in my Five Guys burger was off and when I examined the half that was remaining, discovered them.

The nightmare still continues

Ten years ago today, I referenced "The Nightmare Begins" which is the name of the Doctor Who episode that first aired 6 hours after I was born.

Among the multiple cartoons from the 60s and 70s that featured teenagers in a band was The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show. Pebbles (voiced by Sally Struthers) and Bamm Bamm were dating and and there was also a group of teenagers that were at odds with them in Bedrock.

The "comic relief" of the show was a character called Bad Luck Schleprock. Yes, it uses all eight characters of my last name four of which are in the same spot. Being born on the 13th and having a negative outlook on live made it easy for people to draw a comparison.

Due to my instincts and calculations this is my expected last birthday ending in a zero. To be honest, June 28 through July 5 which involved seeing Weird Al backstage again then making the final round of the World's was my celebration rather than one specific day or weekend and due to multiple reasons, my plan on what to do the next four days has been downgraded.

Anyway, if I am able to cheat death in 2034 like I did in 1990, the current plan is the 2035 Worlds.

25 wins by the numbers

On a damp dreary cool November day last Saturday, I won my 25th PDGA sanctioned event so it makes sense to break down the wins in multiple ways:

Tier A/B/C: 1/3/21

Division MA3/MA40/MA50/MA60: 1/2/15/7 (This is how those divisions are defined today as a couple wins were before they were renamed.)

Number of rounds 4/2/1: 1/15/9

At 50 Acre/Fairfield/Dellwood/Eagle Ridge/Grey Fox/Anna Page: 6/2/3/2/2/2

Places with one win: 8

By number of opponents 0/1-3/4-7/8+: 2/18/3/2

By year 13/16/18/19/20: 1/1/1/1/2

By year 21/22/23/24/25: 2/1/2/4/10

By month Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr/May/Jun: 1/0/1/1/3/2

By month Jul/Aug/Sep/Oct/Nov/Dec: 2/2/5/4/4/0

The Doctor is out

On October 11th, the final episode of the Doctor Demento Show aired completing a 55 year run initially on radio and for the past decade plus on line at www.drdemento.com where for three dollars each, episodes can be heard.

It makes sense for me to do a by the numbers in my relation to the show:

My age I first heard the show which was the Funny 25 countdown of 1981: 16

Songs on that funny 25 I had heard before: 3

Songs from that show whose artist I eventually met: 7

Days after my daughter was born I first met Dr. Demento: 11

Times I met Dr. Demento at a comedy music only con/Fandom con/ music store: 3/3/1

Times seeing Dr. Demento escort a bride at a con wedding where the groom looked like a mob boss, the best man was dressed as Commander Data, the flower girl had served me test tube shots from between her cleavage the night before, the other ladies dressed as from a Ren Faire, the ring bearer was dressed like a cow, and the officiant wore nothing but a "crown of thorns" and loosely wrapped garment around the waist that fell as he hurried next to me and I shouted "Jesus Christ!": 1

Years ago I posted a picture of everyone involved in the ceremony to this blog on June 12: 15

Songs played on the show that I made a cameo: 5

#1 most requested songs of the year seen performed live: 25

Artists on a #1 song I have met: 15

People I've driven who had a song played on the show: 16

People driven who have appeared only in someone else's song that played on the show: 10

Total tracks on the FuMP Dr. Demento tribute album: 40

Tracks that are a cover of a classic song from the show: 15

Tracks involving more than two artists: 4

Tracks that were taken from a live performance: 3

Tracks that the Great Luke Ski appears on: 9

Tracks featuring references to other songs featured in the show: 10

Songs from the all time most requested top 40 that I was able to guess would be on there: 25

Songs from all time top 40 that were played on the 1981 funny 25 (which was the first show I ever heard): 11

Songs from my top 40 guess that ended up in spots 41-100 on the list: 13

The last Freedom Day

While driving home on Sep 11, 2019 technically still married due to an error in the divorce paperwork that was filed, I realized Dellwood was less than ten minutes away from the courthouse so I made sure to have my bag with me when I went back two weeks later and proudly walked onto #13 tee less than 20 minutes after my divorce was final.

Every year on that day, I would go back on September 25 to play my "freedom round" often playing around the decorations for the haunted hay ride.

To be honest, that day in 2019 was important as I realized that physically it was difficult to navigate the course and it would be best to start lifting weights. About two months later, I ended up winning an event on a cold, drizzling, windy day by six shots.

When I look back to the point when I first got better at disc golf, I point to that day.

Since the 2026 Worlds is September 22-26, I plan to be out of town so 2025 was going to be my last round.

On the way there, my right rear tire failed and I am currently waiting for a tow truck as the spare is not viable. At least I was able to get it to a gas station with a restaurant so I could eat while waiting.

I am also glad it happened on a day I left work early and not on the way to a tournament.

Riot Fest by the numbers

Days before event I realized I had no idea where I could park my car: 2

Miles from event where I could find the closest prepaid parking spot: 2.5

Years since the last time I took Metra: 10

Years since the last time I was on the Western Avenue Metra station: 14

Miles walked from CTA stop on Western to get my ribbons: 1.4

Songs I heard from Shohen Knife before I had to go back to give my daughter her VIP ribbon: 3

Minutes waiting at stage for Mac Sabbath: 30

Cheeseburger shaped balloons tossed into the crowd by the band: 2

People who crowd surfed during the show (including Mac Sabbath lead singer Ronald Osborne) : 6

People in mosh pit which formed next to me: 40

Changes from Puddles set and the one opening for Weird Al: 1

Songs from Camper Van Beethoven seen while on way to explore one end of the festival area: 3

Arcade games in the free to play area I wanted to play but would not work: 2

Years since I played Elevator Action: 30+

Wrestling matches watched: 2

Cost at VIP Bacci booth for a cheeseburger with fries, a giant slice of cheese pizza, and a can of Coke Zero: $39.48

Times using the water station to refill bottle: 5

Estimated viewing capacity for the Rebel Stage: 10,000

Agnostic Front Songs seen there: 3

People who know me by my first name met: 5

Total People seen who have created at least one song that was the most requested for a year on the Doctor Demento Show: 4

People who complimented me on the disc golf shirt I wore which I am wearing on my FB cover photo: 10

Times I had to force myself from not explaining the shirt and just say thank you: 10

Times I got carried away when someone asked about my Innova hat: 1

Total stages there: 5

Designed crowd for "Weird Al" stage known as the Rise stage: 2,500

People who were watching the Sparks concert there: 4,000

People who attended sold out Weird Al concert at Madison Square Garden this year: 

18,000

People at Riot Fest Weird Al concert: 12,000

People who replying to Weird Al pictures on the Riot Fest FB page stated the wrong stage was used: 12

Hours from leaving apartment to getting back home after walking 3/4 mile to bus towards my daughter's car: 12

Disc golf courses played the day after due to how cramped my legs were: 0