May 22: A Grugan weekend!!

May 22nd, 2016 Year 5 Day 22

FREE PRETZEL #22

The weekend with some of my favorite people continued into Sunday.  Kevin Grugan, my friend for more than 15 years, and the husband of my friend Kate Davies, who I have known for more than 35 years, was able to spend some quality time with me on Sunday.  It has started to become a tradition that the Sunday of my birthday weekend,  I would be able to play golf with whomever.  Last year my birthday was on a Sunday and I even played on Saturday too.  This year Kevin graced me with his presence for a quick 18 at the Moorestown Field Club, my home course. He recently joined McCall Field Golf Course around the corner from his house and is looking to get his game in order this summer. It was a mostly overcast day, but we basically had the course to ourselves, played in about 3 hours and had fun.  I shot 76, with two birdies, one being a chip in.  Kevin putted well.

Comeback #1 vs Michigan

Basking in our glory

Comeback #2 vs Stephen F Austin

Comeback #3 vs Wisconsin

Kevin and I go way back in our adventures.  We met while beginning the Notre Dame ACE program in the summer of 2000 after we completed our undergrad at Notre Dame.  We knew of each other while at ND, even taking similar paths (from the Philly area, dorm presidents and RAs senior year.)
It was not until the ACE program that we became fast friends.  The select 3-6 guys who sat in the very back of a crowded stadium style classroom in DeBartolo Hall, just waiting to NOT be called on was our newly formed crew for the summer.  It was an easy friendship that has grown exponentially.  I introduced Kevin to my high school friend Kate and before you knew it, he was leaving Baton Rouge for Chicago, where she was living and then eventually making the way back to Haverford where he works at Lower Merion as a Math teacher.  He has three kids, Jack, Hope and Erin (to which I am godfather) and he is the godfather to our Patrick.  He continues to coach basketball as an assitant and even was part of the State title winning team in 2013, GO ACES!

Through all of our adventures, and there have been many, there was never a better example of our amazing will power than the NCAA tournament run of our beloved Irish this past March.  With the first round games being announced in Brooklyn and the possibility of the sweet sixteen and elite 8 games being in Philadelphia, there was never a time, probably in our life that this would have worked out any better for us attending these games.  We discussed on Sunday the improbability of this happening ever again and the insane availability of the tickets and seats we were able to snag.  I am not going to recap all of the games.

 If you are a big enough fan you saw them, but for those first three, each time it was under 4 minutes we both thought no way this happens and each time we left the arena and we looked at each other and said "What just happened?"   It may have been the best sports event(s) that I have ever attended.  It was definitely the best ND games I have been to, at least I think it was. It was just a shame that Kevin had to initially decline going to the UNC game in the Elite 8 and then after getting cheap tickets, inviting ND poison, my ND roommate Brian Churney, which effectively ended our run.  For Shame.

A snack for the ride home

I could go on and on about our friendship, but it has been a long and winding road.  I was happy to provide him with the FREE PRETZEL after our round today and he said it would be great as he headed home to eventually attend a birthday party for his brothers kids.  Thanks Grugs for spending my birthday round of golf with me.  Next time it will be at McCall Field.

Until tomorrow...