The Disc Golf Streak, Day 999 (Sunday Funday @ Osage . . . and "thanks")

Day 999.

Here's a picture from dinner tonight at my parent's house -- when my mom surprised us with three pies for dessert on Day 999.  Yes, I think they support our streak! 😀

Today we went to Osage and threw the CROSSover Sunday Funday.  Layout was red pads to "shorts" (but only six holes were in the shorts).  Threw with Kurt & Shauna Lahm and Phil Miller which is great because they are some of my favorite people to throw with.  It was a hot and sticky day, but luckily the thunderstorms held off and we got in a dry round.

Danny threw really well and got his first 800 rated round (805) with a +9 (63).

Okay, so daily activities out of the way . . .



“A man's suffering is similar to the behavior of gas. If a certain quantity of gas is pumped into an empty chamber, it will fill the chamber completely and evenly, no matter how big the chamber. Thus suffering completely fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering is great or little. Therefore the "size" of human suffering is absolutely relative.  It also follows that a very trifling thing can cause the greatest of joys.” Viktor Frankl

The above is why our mothers always told us “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”  For the same reason, they also should tell us “if you have anything nice to say, speak often.”

So tomorrow is Day 1000 of our disc golf streak – Danny & I have played some disc golf every day since 8/31/16.  This diary entry is just to say thank you to everyone who has helped make it special.  The streak itself isn’t important, it’s just a way in which we’ve made many friends, had many good times and spent a lot of time together.  I just want to say “thank you” to everyone who has made it great.  (And no, it’s not ending, the streak will end the day we’re not having fun any longer and I don’t see any indications of that happening.)

In no particular order, I have a bunch of good memories and thanks. It’s not an exhaustive list.

I don’t expect anyone to read all this.  It’s not in any particular order.   I’m sure I’ll leave out lots of people who deserve to be included.  The TLDR is “Thanks for being a great group of people and making disc golf a great, positive part of our lives.”

Eric Mathis – None of this would have started without you.  Thanks for being my disc golf bud for 30+ years . . . back when we were Frisbee golf buds.  So many good memories and then even then when you moved away we still got together and played once or twice a year together.

Kurt Lahm -- Thanks for inviting us out with your group and thanks for the minis and pins you’ve given to Danny over the years. Thanks for keeping Osage held together and thereby allowing it to become what it is today.  I would have known you were going to be a good guy had I known that Ben Lahm was your son when I first met him and he was so friendly to us. 

Sean Tiemann – When we were at the beginning of the streak we went to Amberley Village to throw the temp course on the open day and everyone else had their groups of friends to throw with and we were just a guy and his 7 y/o son each holding four discs in their hands.  You insisted we join you and made us welcome. Thanks.  Ben Lahm too – you went out of your way to be friendly and talkative with us that day and it made a big difference in feeling welcome.

Adam Jones – Thanks for all of the grip tips, for the hard work installing the Osage teepads and designing the course and for being a good guy and standing out in the winter cold holding a flashlight so I could change my flat tire.  I always enjoy chatting with you.

Jason Kerl – Thanks for running the putting league, for going out of your way to make Danny’s first Thornagedon (Thornageddon 3) a great experience.  He still uses that stool you let him win in the ring of fire . . . we’ve spent so many hours on our stools looking at and debating discs and hanging out in the garage before and after rounds.  Oh and I still suspect you took a dive at putting league to let him advance to putt against me in the tournament.  Peace, love, disc golf to you.

Josh Terwilleger – Thanks for all of the great things you’ve done out at Osage, to the course itself and especially the Clermont County Cup and CROSSover. It’s added tremendously to our fun. And thanks for your friendship.  The above goes for you too, Cheryl Terwilleger, and also thanks for asking me to be your doubles partner (and for never asking me to play glow golf again, ha ha).

Nate Patterson – Thanks for running Tues night dubs at Osage.  Because of that we have dozens of friends that we wouldn’t otherwise.

Justin Gibbs – A little kindness can make a huge difference to people.  I was frustrated and ready to quit going to Tues dubs because I was embarrassed by my poor play.  Getting you as a partner during that stretch and the encouragement you gave me made me stick it out and not give up.  You and Kurt also simultaneously gave me the best piece of advice anyone has given me when you yelled at me together during a casual round -- “SLOW DOWN!”  So true.

Nick Long – Small things matter (see the quote at the beginning) and it didn’t go unnoticed that you volunteered to play with us at Blakely’s league last year instead of playing with your friends.

Joe Javins – Thanks for staying out in the cold and helping me with my driving after a No Bogeys BYOP a couple years ago. And for donating your Thornageddon 4 winnings to Danny.  Billy Ray Osborn and Phil Miller – thanks for donating your Thornageddon 3 winnings to Danny.  I know you all have reached a point where you don’t need more discs or accessories . . . I’ve reached this point too and have been passing it along just like the example you set.

Adam Grant – Thanks for hitting the ace fund and being a good guy and splitting it with me.  I won’t lie, it helped a lot in convincing me to keep coming back to dubs every week the first year when I wasn’t cashing otherwise.

Jeff Vandermark & Danger Alex Eyerman – Thanks for letting Danny & I play with/against you at Johnson Hills.  He had a great time playing against and watching a couple really good players first-hand.

Beau Lemen – They always say that “first impressions matter the most.”  You sure made a good one with me at the Nati Lost & Found Auction when the kid bid on a disc, someone else bid on it, the dad stopped the kid from bidding again and you insisted on bidding on it for him and giving him the disc.  That made me smile (still does).

Ben & Zach Arlinghaus – Thanks for inviting Danny out to play dubs with Zach.  That was a real treat for him.  And for making the Year 2 anniversary special by helping to surprise him by coming over the house to throw.

I’ve thanked Danny’s random draw doubles partners, but it never hurts to thank people twice.  So thanks to Chris West, Cheryl Terwilleger, Bo Baldrick, Kurt Hilgefort, Garrett Heise, Jimmy Carter and Rob Cochran for graciously accepting a 9 y/o as your dubs partner and making it a great experience.  And thanks for the roll of Sweettarts, Bo.  Again, see the first quote – little things matter a lot.  Also, honorary inclusion in this group for Corey Roberts and Robert Eilers for being Danny’s random draw partner at other events.  Thank you.

Pete & Bradley Caldwell – Thanks for taking the time to show us the back 9 at Johnson Hills.  Your passion was obvious and I appreciate it you sharing it with us.

Chris West & Dave Gibbs – A special thanks to you guys for everything you do for Osage.  The course wouldn’t be what it is today without you guys.

Daryl Whittaker – Thanks for returning my lost disc to me.  Much appreciated.  And for being jealous of my having a disc golf loving son.  It sounds funny but I’m serious.  I think I had lost perspective on how lucky I am to have a kid who is so excited about disc golf . . . . when he was running over during the CCC to tell me how he was doing and ask how we were doing and he was so excited . . . and you said you were jealous of my having a kid who was so into it . . . it helped me realize again how lucky I am to have a kid who loves the thing that I love to do.

Ben Clark & David Harrison & Tony Vincent (and a lot of others) – Do you know how much it means when you take the time to talk directly to a kid?  Oh you will some day when my normally introverted kid sees you through the trees and crawls through the woods just so he can wave and say hi to you (like he has done for Kurt Lahm).  Tony, I had a lot of fun watching you guys playing putting games together this winter.

Fred Salaz – Thanks for building Idlewild.  “Beauty is truth, truth beauty.  That is all ye know on earth and all ye need to know” sums it up.  Playing Idlewild is like visiting a beautiful cathedral.  But more fun.

Troy Matteoli – Thanks for stopping some random kid (Danny) and giving him a putter (Swan).  He used that to hit his second ace.  And thanks for the extra Pures, I use them down at work all the time when I sneak in a few putts during the workday.

Lamar Jackson – Thanks for coming every week to the parent-kid putting league.  I would have stopped it without you coming and would have missed out on meeting a lot of cool people by the end.  Thanks for putting together the juniors league last summer, it was great meeting other parents & juniors who like to play.

Patrick Morgan – Thanks for being a great dad.  How do I know this?  I’ve seen you interact with Danny, I know you’ll be a great dad.  BTW, he’s bagging the GBO Truth you gave him . . .

Ryan Dalton – Thanks for getting us out to Pike Lake & Paint Creek.  We had meant to get out there but we had never gotten around to it . . . you got us to do it and we had a great time.  That was one of our most fun memories made during the streak.

Tim Gottfried, Phil Miller & James Nichols – Just a special thanks to you guys because you are three of my favorites to throw with and hang out with.

My final and greatest thanks go out to my family.  Thanks to my mom & dad for being interested and supportive in our disc golf.  It is easy to be cynical and dismissive of a non-traditional sport that seems silly at times to outsiders, so I really appreciate the fact that you’ve gotten into it.  Thanks to my wife & daughters for tolerating and supporting our obsession.  We’ve obviously taken a lot of time out to play disc golf, thanks for understanding and always being encouraging about it.