My Ideal Musicshelf

Keeping with the current theme I decided to make my Ideal Musicshelf as well. This is my current list of music that I would not want to live without. Take a look and see if you know any of my picks and let me know what you would pick yourself in the comments. Keep it REAL!

My Ideal Movieshelf

After making my Ideal Bookshelf (see previous post) I wanted to extend the idea to my love of movies as well. Here is my Ideal Movieshelf. Each of these lists are subject to change over time but for now they are without a doubt the top choices I would make if I was forced to decide. What movies would you pick? Let me know in the comments. Keep it REAL!

My Ideal Bookshelf

I was just recently informed by a friend of a super cool book called My Ideal Bookshelf that contains illustrations of people's book collections they could not live without. I thought it was a super great idea and decided to make my own shelf! Take a look and see if you would include some of the same ones I picked out or if you would make a totally different shelf. Keep it REAL!

Rickie Fowler - Story of an Autograph

So, besides seeing golfers and taking in the amazing landscape that is the Stadium Course, I got to witness some dreams come true! Such was the case for this lucky little guy right here. This young fan was entirely decked out in all Rickie Fowler gear including the now near iconic Puma ball-cap. He positioned himself on his Dad's shoulders and went about grabbing an autograph. I noticed the Fowler-ite before Rickie started signing autographs and was silently routing him on. I was really excited when Rickie got to him and signed his hat. Thankfully I had the foresight to capture the reaction too - how great is that! You can watch the full story un-fold in this short animation! Keep it REAL!

The Players - TPC - #17

If you read my previous post about my favorite spot at the TPC then you have an idea of what some of the more secluded and hidden viewing spots on the course look like. But lets get serious, you can't talk about the TPC without talking about the par 3 #17 Island Green. It is quite possibly the most famous hole in all of golf. Think about that! No really, think about it. If you follow golf at all you probably know about The Masters, which is played at Augusta National in Georgia and is one of the most prestigious courses in the sport. You probably even know about the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, which is one of the oldest golf courses in the world. But can you distinctly describe a single hole from either of those famous courses? No, you can't - but you can describe #17 at the Stadium Course in Sawgrass. "It's an island!" Just take a look at the photo above. This photo shows why this course is called the "Stadium Course." Every year this area of the course that includes the green of par 5 #16 off to the far left and the #17 Island Green transforms into a regular Colosseum of Golf! The amazing thing about the photo above is that there is barely anyone there in the stands or on the grass slopes. This will not be the case from Thursday to Sunday as the only green you will be able to see is the grass of the actual green as everything else will be covered by fans and marshals. It is easily the most populated area on the whole course and offers some of the most dynamic views of golf action as well as unpredictable events. This hole has bested some of the greatest golfers ever with most going in the water, but even if you land on the green with your first shot you still might not be safe. Balls have been known to roll off the green after landing safely as well as being picked up by curious wildlife only to be dropped in the drink upon inspection. Lots of memories and dreams have been made at this hole with just as many being swallowed up. It will be interesting to see how the players handle it this year. Be sure to watch on the Golf Channel and continue to Keep it REAL!

The Players - TPC - #11

Today is the first round of play at the TPC at Sawgrass. It is one of the biggest golf championships in the sport and it is quite literally in my own backyard! It is held at the Stadium Course at Sawgrass Players Club (where I live) and is in it's 40th year. I have lived here since 1998 and have gone to the tournament almost every year since 1999, when local boy David Duval won. I have greatly enjoyed this golfing event and with any famous location you will always have your favorite spot. My favorite spot is on the sloping bank overlooking the green of the #11 par 5. This hole is wonderfully dramatic in it's design with a mean looking wrap-around sand trap and a small slice of water guarding the green from player's second approach shot. More daring competitors will go for it in two, giving them a chance for eagle (2 under par). But more conservative players will layup short and land on the green after 3 shots. This spot is great because you can see the players coming from far away on the fairway after their tee shot, and you get a front row seat for the action on and around the green. It is also one of the few places on the course that is almost never over crowded during play, and it does not make use of hospitality tents or ugly bleachers. It lets the landscape become the grandstands and is quite beautiful for it. I was able to take the above photo during one of the practice rounds on Tuesday, but later this week that bank in the foreground will be filled with golf fans of all nations and if I am lucky enough to score another ticket I will be one of them! Thanks for reading and Keep it REAL!

Flashback Friday Special - Three Sisters

Hello readers! Happy Friday. Today my folks and I will be playing host to some important guests for the weekend. My Grandmother and my two Aunts will be staying with us, which means that the three sisters will be together again! My mother is the middle of two sisters and she is pictured on the far right in the photo above. Her younger sister Sally who lives all the way out in Portland, OR is on the far left, and Betsy, the oldest, is in the middle and lives in Atlanta - where my Grandmother also lives. This photo was taken around 1976 and is one of many "three sisters" photos I have collected over the years. Thanks for reading, have a great weekend, and Keep it REAL!