Thursday, March 14, 2024

Marscon 2024 by the numbers

People riding the bus: 8

Max people with luggage that could comfortably ride the bus: 14

Delay in minutes of departure due to seat belt replacement: 45

Stops for fuel/bathroom: 2/2

People who liked mashed potatoes & chicken sample at Kwik Trip and were looking for the actual one on way back but were disappointed since it wasn't out then: 3

Max speed in mph: 68

Max speed in mph going uphill in northern Wisconsin: 55

50+ aged men on bus loudly singing "Sit on My Face" when it came on: 3

Total time in hours to get to Marscon: 8

People who ate at IHOP after: 14

Distance in miles from that IHOP to nine hole disc golf course: 1.1

Hours before opening ceremonies I saw comedy music guest of honor eating hotel breakfast and I decided to leave him alone out of courtesy, something he appreciated I did: 10

Times I have taken a picture of the Pepsi logo in the Mall of America South food court with my left hand giving it the middle finger: 10

Meals eaten at the mall: 3

Meals eaten at a gas station: 3

Pounds gained over the weekend: 4

Places I know at Mall of America that are required to serve Pepsi products even though the chain serves Coca Cola products everywhere else: 11

Times on 1.3 mile walk from Mall of America back to hotel I threw the yellow dx Leopard I purchased from Air Sports along the side of American Blvd: 8

Feet last throw ended up from going in a previously unseen pond: 1

Snow cover in Bloomington in inches at Marscon 2023/2024: 28/0

Had I driven myself like I did the previous two years ...

Number of rounds I would have played on trip to Marscon: 2

Number of times out of the four nights at the hotel I would have left early in the morning and played one of the 5 courses used by players in a division restricted to those 60 and older at the 2014 amateur world Championship: 3

Now on to the con itself ... 

Years the great Luke Ski performed there: 21

Number of main stage performers 45 years or older: 4

Number of main stage performers 45 years or older in 2014: 1

Distance from Marscon in miles of person who complained about the lack of ethnic diversity in the performers: 1,750

Number of Marscons that person attended: 0

When asked if there are any POC performers to recommend, number that person provided: 0

Number of artists doing a song with the word chicken in its title: 3

People who had the knowledge and energy to dance to "Corn Beef and Cabbage": 6

Concerts seen featuring either of the two artists who as a duo closed Friday's set since the last time I saw the person they replaced perform: 7

Number of major alterations made to the Fake Adult video in the ten years since it was first made: 3

Time in minutes GOH performed before confirming he reached his obligatory set length: 45

Number of "emotional support spatulas" sold: 22

Number of golden spatulas RJ has won for winning Dumb Parody Ideas: 3

Total number of random Luke Ski shirts found on the same site someone got his $80 Luke Ski sweater: 8

Possible shot combinations available at the Klingon party "Clue" theme: 64

Different cider choices at the Space Oddity room: 4

Weird Al songs I sung as part of the crowd in the karaoke party room: 3

Knots worked out of my legs in the massage room: 3

Different animal sounds someone who wanted to complete the scavenger hunt had to make in the Furry party room: 5

Different tvs set up for 4 player Mario Cart in the Crashing Course party room: 2

People who had there first Malort in the Minicon room: 3

With one meaning minimal engagement and six maximum, my experience with potential female company: 2

That same rating the previous two years: 1

People who boarded bus to go to Kahn's: 20

Total people who rode the bus over the weekend: 22

People who did not take the bus to Marscon who asked about 2025: 4

People who played Boob Tree Sunday night: 11

People not playing who just hung out in that room: 10

Total sports stadiums seen in the Twin Cities area: 3

Hours from departure bus returned: 102 1/2


Wednesday, February 28, 2024

After the falls

One month ago, I decided against driving an hour plus to a course out of state and played the nearest one to my apartment. After my final drive on the third time through the nine, I decided to walk the shorter sidehill path around a pond and on a cement part, the shoe lost traction and I fell on my right leg that buckled under me. After 30 nervous seconds collecting myself, was happy leg supported weight and I went home.

I tried to work the day after and ended up taking the Tuesday off where my doctor confirmed no broken bones, told me I was lucky that was the case, and wrote a note allowing me to take the rest of the week off work which as usual, was thrown out. I realized there was no way I could play the one round event the following weekend.

A couple weeks later, the trauma from the fall was gone but everything still did not feel what has become the "normal". I realized that with the fall the Tuesday before Thanksgiving where two days later I had one of the best rounds of my life with a bruise covering 1/3 of my left foot, and another one at work in December, there is a pattern. 

Though I could still throw a golf disc mostly well continuing the success from late 2023, the legs were really unhappy during and especially after. Actually had a coworker show concern to my supervisor about me after watching me get out of the car on the way back from my last one round event. My doctor more directly last month told me what I should do and not do.

Her biggest concern was the scale. I am 12 pounds heavier than I was in November and am at my highest point which is way above what I consider the heaviest I should play tournament disc golf. Between the stress from work and the injuries and knowing I am still playing real well, not eating responsibly made sense but no one is forcing me to do what I did.

The body is also responding to my eating. Problems in late 2023 can be attributed to Waffle House, company luncheons, and unexpected mushrooms but those in 2024 are not. On the average, once per week have ended up with bloating, cramps, continuous gas, and/or multiple bathroom trips after paying $10-20 for ready made food at various places. One of those occasions I was very fortunate it kicked in twenty feet from a grocery store bathroom.

Since not eating at those places has led to weight loss, there is a second reason to avoid those places and this will be tested to, in, and from Minnesota next week which is why I don't want to be counted on to volunteer for anything in case the body says "no" up there and there is a need to stay in the hotel room.

Last Sunday, I did not play a desired two round event and there are multiple ones with current or upcoming registration that I can't do at this time since I am not confident that I can not only finish the event but be able to function the following day.

Two of the following three Sundays have a one round event which I feel comfortable playing since I was ok following a club round a few weeks ago but won't register for a two or more round event until my legs and mostly weight recovers from the previous 3-4 months of neglect.

I am registered for a two round event in early April which is the weekend before I would register for the world's and it would be unfair for me and potential other MA55+ players at the world's to register unless my situation significantly improves by then.

Friday, February 23, 2024

The Swift and the Furious

Other than seeing people throw golf discs, the largest topic of videos I've seen on Facebook involve one specific musician be it past interviews, interactions with fans, reactions from fans, concert footage, or at the NFL Championship Game playing a game involving herself by chugging a beer upon seeing herself on the video board.

The grade school version of me who had a unique combination of being born on the 13th and having a bad luck cartoon character with all eight letters of the last name almost in the same order really would have appreciated someone that famous flaunting 13 as their lucky number and find the non concert clips enjoyable knowing her opinion of the man who attempted to overthrow the government is the same as mine. 

The music and on stage are something different. Though I understand the point of view of the songs, there is very little for me to relate and the on stage performances remind me of the ones in the late 20th century featuring people who in my mind replaced the music I enjoyed.

Many of the replies remind me of how I used to feel about people like Madonna and Janet Jackson with how ignorant and hateful they are while criticizing everything they did off stage as well as on.

Today, I am well aware that her music is not for me and I am ok with it and if people want to spend a couple thousand dollars to watch her on stage, that is their choice and they will likely enjoy it. Even the person who has the most tracks on my Spotify play list has stated he is his own target audience.

Personally, I find money others spent on the Eras Tour more useful to charter a bus and get my daughter to co drive it to watch people whose name are on my contact list perform music and afterwards drink alcohol and if things go exceptionally well... nah.

Monday, February 5, 2024

Non championship sports part 1 continued.

In part due to questionable coaching decisions, the Detroit Lions recently lost an opportunity to make their first Super Bowl and continued their streak of being the only one of 23 teams that have played all the past 58 seasons to not make it to the game.

How I determined the mathematical odds of that happening: I figured out the probability of the Lions not winning the NFL Championship each season from 1966 to 1969 and of not winning the NFC Championship each season from 1970 to 2023 and multiplied them.

Due to addition of more teams and division realignments, the odds of the Lions from 1970 through 1994 (except for 1982) were not reflective the number of NFC teams since the NFC Central had a different number of teams than the NFC West and or NFC East.

After crunching the numbers, the odds of Detroit failing to make the Super Bowl for 58 consecutive years is 57.6-1.

Thursday, January 4, 2024

2023 by the numbers

Total courses played: 53

States played: 5

New courses played: 12

Tournaments completed: 22

Desired tournaments not played: 14

Tournaments not finished: 1

League rounds played: 4

Unrated club rounds played: 3

Total rated rounds played: 42

Event wins: 2

Lifetime IOS events played without a win: 35

IOS events played in 2023: 4

Other players to play 4 or more of the seven 2023 IOS events required to win series title in MA50: 0

Total players in MA50 and MA55 at Illinois State Championship: 23

Number of those who took more shots than me in round one: 22

Number of shots better than me a player in FA1 was for that round: 7

Among the 53 B tier or higher lifetime events played previously or since did I have a solo lead at the end of a round: 0

Years before that I was tied for first after round one of a B tier: 6

People who were listed on the lead card in round two above me: 1

Other rated events where pairings are redone I have seen where the first place player does not get the honor to tee off first on the lead card: 0

Dollars I will pay to that TD in the future unless I get a satisfactory explanation or apology: 0

Of top five rated rounds from 2023, number that occurred among last five played: 4

Number of those among 11 highest lifetime rated rounds played: 3

High temp in F° for those days: 54, 47, 41

Of my eleven highest lifetime rated rounds, at 50 Acre: 4

At Fairfield White: 3

At Dellwood: 2

At Lemon Lake: 1

At Red Fox: 1

Of those 11 rounds at league/flex start/MP50/major/non major MA50: 3/1/1/1/5

People who claim you can't get a high rated round at 50 Acre: dozens

Different holes birdied in 2023: 304

Of those, on a hole I had never done before 2023: 137

Lifetime unique birdies: 725

Metal hits: 8

Dollars won on only ace of the year: 260

Age Steve Goodie became on the day I got the ace: 58

Age Weird Al became on the day I got previous ace: 62

Times in 2023 seeing Steve Goodie do his act with "weird Al and Daniel Radcliffe" (who played Weird Al in his "bio pic"): 2

Different discs used to get a birdie: 55

Different companies from those discs: 9

Discs lost in water: 5

Discs lost in trees: 4

Discs lost in leaves: 1

Times the lost disc was a DX Leopardo: 5

Lost discs found and returned to me: 1

Shots in 2023 I considered better than the ace: 2

Number of times since 2017 a shot on #13 at 50 Acre was considered shot of the year: 3

Times I had more "deuces" at the course than 2s on the scorecard in a tournament: 2

"Deuces" on course playing by myself: 2

Articles of clothing thrown in garbage due to them: 3

Thursday, October 12, 2023

FuMPFeST by the numbers

Total music artists there: 16

Artists with full main stage show: 10

Artists with short set in FuMP Showcase: 4

Artists who were there to work the convention rather than perform: 2

Artists who had to cancel due to COVID: 2

Artists I saw perform for the first time there: 2

Trading cards with a FuMP artist: 35

Cards in goodie bag along with bonus 2021 CD, sticker, ribbon, and a piece of tile: 8

People who asked why there was TILE in the bag: 2

Artists there who had merch at Table 27: 12

People looking for new Worm Quartet album Carpe Tedium which will be available soon: 3

People who made at least three purchases at Table 27 after hearing about raffle or wanting to get a CD after seeing a performance: 4

Artists who made purchase at table 27: 10

People who asked me if I needed assistance on Thursday evening since I was struggling to walk after playing 63 holes in 24 hours: 4

Times I needed to walk up or down a flight of stairs at hotel: 20

Times right knee was a serious issue with the stairs: 0

Things at hotel closed for the convention: 3

Animals who were snuggled by Bonnie Gordon: 4

Items gifted to table 27 workers by artists: 3

Worm Quartet parodies performed during Dumb Parody Ideas: 3

Total words in my dumb parody idea that qualified for round two: 10

Seconds after not making the final two I realized upon seeing Bonnie I should have shouted "SQUIRREL!" as she was holding one: 5

Logan Awards finalist songs performed by artist there: 3

Logan Awards finalist songs covered by other artist there: 5

Logan Awards parody finalist songs which I am not familiar with the original: 3

Logan Awards video finalists I have seen before event: 1

Logan Awards winners I have seen or heard before event: 2

Years ago my dumb parody idea was performed about the same topic the Logan Awards video winner was: 5

Seconds in hotel room bathroom it took on Saturday evening to get door handle back in and turn handle so I could get out: 45

Different people I ate breakfast with: 8

People I ate other meals with: 0

Food trucks that were in parking lot: 4

Total shirts obtained: 3

Total CDs obtained: 6

Purchases made for other people: 2

Drawings made of artists made by one fan there: 4

People who signed the golden spatula given to the dumb parody idea winner: 12

People doing interviews for FuMP documentary: 4

People I recommended them interview for this: 3

People I saw react with surprise hearing Marscon 2024 GOH: 5

People who had same reaction after telling them I could rent a bus to have my daughter drive many to Marscon: 6

People playing Boob tree Saturday night: 16

Convention awards handed out after last music performance: 20

Minutes after music ended I was able to head home: 120

Hours between meals on Sunday forcing me to stop and eat before getting on the road: 9

Hours before my workday was starting I finally made it home: 5

Hours worked on Monday np when I realized it was too dangerous for me to continue: 5

Days after con ended I had enough mental energy to write this: 4

Friday, October 6, 2023

By default

While attempting to pay my electric bill with my replacement debit card which the site kept rejecting since it had the same number as the old one but with a different expiration date and code...

I got a text congratulating me on winning the disc golf 2023 Illinois Open Series Season championship in the MA50 division.

A look at the standings confirmed I won since I was the only player who played four of the seven events in MA50. However, this win is tainted.

Two of those four events I barely finished due to my right knee which has been an issue since May before it got worse in late July. 

Had to miss the final event due to the knee and someone who had played three events 39 shots better than me over eight tournament rounds (7 in my group) switched from MA50 to MP50 in that final eveent as no one else registered. Had I been able to play, he wouldn't have switched and would have qualified.

I also know in the one IOS event I played that he didn't, he missed due to "life" and the only time I played a round better than he did among the ten we both were at was at the state championship when I played one of the best rounds of my life the week before the knee went real bad which is similar to what happened with me the week before my left leg gave out in my last ever bowling league against the best in Chicago in the summer of 1994.

I believe there is a season trophy involved which if I get will rightfully give it to him the next time I see him.