Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Tomorrow Is Another Day

DAY ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN

Some days you wish you could take a Mulligan, like today. Everything just started out wrong from the time my wife woke me up an hour before I had intended on awakening.

My wife is the most wonderful person I know but she has one terrible flaw: she's a morning person. You know, the energetic, cheery people who always smile and say, "Good morning" in a sing song voice at an hour when the only sound that should be heard is snoring. They would be the life of every party if every party were held some time before noon. After noon, they're ready for a nap. They have never seen Letterman, Leno or Saturday Night Live. Don't even think of mentioning The Daily Show or The Colbert Report. Good Morning America is their idea of a talk show (I've never seen it myself). Morning People have a place in the world, I guess. It's their job getting things ready for the rest of us. They're like prep cooks. Only prep cooks let the chefs sleep in.

I think it must be lonely being a morning person because she seems to think it is OK to start a conversation with a sleeping (non-morning) person. I have told her the only reason to wake me up is if the house is on fire but not once has that been the reason for our early morning all-too one-sided conversations.

Usually they go like this:
Wife: Good Morning!
Hal: mmmbmbmsbbm
Wife: Are you going to make the kids breakfast this morning?
Hal: What?!?
Wife: Are you going to make the kids.....
Hal: I'M ASLEEP!
Wife: Well, I was wondering if you were going to make the kid breakfast this morning.
Hal: Whatever! They'll have cereal or donuts, I don't care. I'm asleep.
Wife: well, they have a big day a school.
Hal: Can you see I'm asleep?
Wife: It's such a beautiful morning out, it's cool and so clear...
Hal: Sounds like a great time to sleep. Is it still dark out? Good night!

Such was my morning today. Being awakened before your time is disconcerting and throws your whole day into turmoil. First, I left my hiking shoes in my wife's vehicle and had to retrieve them. Then, I left my camera in her vehicle but only realized it after I got to the trailhead.

And what an ugly trailhead it is.

The trailhead for the Morrow Trail is just west of the entrance to Lake Cahuilla. However, there is no sign designating it as such and there is a big pile of trash right near the parking area. If I didn't know this was the place to park I would never think about hiking here. Maybe that's the point.

The trail walks by the Quarry Golf Course to the top of the La Quinta Cove but I don't have time to cover the whole area. I'll only go about half way and then come back.

You'd think there was an old mining camp here but those are just props for the golf course.

A large Desert Iguana lounges in the shade along the course. Ordinarily I'd take a close up but my camera is in my wife's van.

This statue is a good turn around point today. I think public artwork along trails is a nice idea that should be expanded. I know it's for the golf course but I think a statue in a remote area might not be a bad idea.

As I walk back, I notice a couple of stray golf balls WAY out of bounds. Obviously, I'm not the only person in need of a Mulligan today. Maybe we can both sleep in tomorrow.

2 comments:

darlene said...

whats a mulligan?

Hal Summers said...

A mulligan is a do-over. In golf, if someone hits a bad shot and they do it over, it's called a Mulligan. It's not part of the real rules of golf but part of social golf.

Basically, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and wished I could start the day over again.