All trip ratings are on a 1 - 10 scale: 1 the worst, 10 the best, 4 roughly equivalent to watching Jeopardy on t.v. with my mom.
12/23/98
Getting on the plane for Florida and having it leave on time: 8
Sleeping pretty much the entire way to Miami: 9.5
Waking up in time to see awesome red-sky sunrise: 8
12/24/98
Arriving in Florida at 6:15 AM: 8
Getting luggage fairly quickly: 9
Walking out of airport into 85 muggy degree heat: 9.75
Getting rental car easily: 8
Kiling time near Publix since our condo offices only opened at 9AM: 8 -- It was REALLY hot outside and good to be in Florida!
Finally getting to Lincoln at Doral: 9
Having to wait 1.5 hours for Heather to help check me in since everyone else there was pretty much incompetent: 2
Being able to call Z at work and rub in that I was in Florida already and he wasn't, paying him back for doing the same thing to me when he was in Arizona last summer: 8
Finding yesterday's paper to get golf discount coupons: 9
Finally being able to sign in at 10:30AM: 8.5
STILL not being allowed to unload my baggage until noon: 3
Rushing to Winn-Dixie and Publix to find a grill before Hal arrived: 5
Hustling back to the airport to be on time for Hal: 4
Finding out (after I got there) that Hal was delayed from noon until 2:30: 2
Relaxing and finally unpacking in the room: 8
Our room actually having enough beds: 9
Answering machine actually working: 9.5
Us having no shower curtains: 2
Us having a phone that made a really loud noise, being virtually unusable: 1.2
Getting groceries and having to wait in a 1.5 hour line of XMas Eve shoppers: 1.5
Being 45 minutes late to get Hal (due to line): 3
Seeing Hal and getting excited about golf: 9
Finding out that Hal was sick and didn't feel like golfing: 1.5
Hal rallying for dinner: 7
Hal getting egg-drop soup, my most hated kind: 2
Hal saving left over egg-drop soup in the fridge: 1.1
Rest of now-traditional Christmas Eve barbecue on balcony: 9
Trying Lemon Vienna Fingers for the first time: 8.5
Flavor of Lemon Vienna Fingers: 5 -- Not as good as regular Reduced Fat kind
12/25/98
Waking up early to play golf after great sleep: 9
Hal feeling good enough to try to play: 9.2
Weather being REALLY warm: 9.5
18 holes at CC of Miami West course: 8
Conditions: 9
Course Layout: 7
Playing partners Hector and Sonja: 7.5
Seeing Hal's great new slow swing: 8
Listening to drunk guys while Hal ate lunch after round: 5
2nd 18 holes at CC of Miami East course: 8.5
Playing even better than in morning: 9
Conditions: 7
Course Layout: 9
Making three consecutive pars on 15-17 to have a shot to break 40 on the back 9: 9.8
Driving into unseen water on 18 to blow that chance: 2
Hal getting me excited, semi-joking, that there was still daylight and we should keep playing: 6
Me asking guy at shop if we can play a little more and him allowing it for free: 9.95
Final 9 holes on East course: 9.5
Pace of Play: 9
Us being asked to pick up pins as we finish each hole: 9
Finishing up the 9th hole before it got REALLY dark: 9.25
Picking up Z at the airport after golf: 7
Seeing Z: 9
Z actually being there on time: 9
Me be WAY hungry: 2
Having to switch cars when REALLY hungry: 4
Having to wait AN HOUR for Z in 7-11 when REALLY hungry: 1.5
FINALLY having another great barbecue on balcony: 9.5
Z forgetting Gameboy, meaning no Tetris competition: 2
Hal retaining Tetris championship from last year because of this: 1.2
Lincoln at Doral actually replacing our phone with a usable one: 8
Still having no shower curtains: 2
12/26/98
Waking up early to play golf: 8
Weather being VERY warm: 9.5
Finding out that I had screwed up date of basketball games: 4
Golf at University Country Club: 7
Conditions: 4
Course Layout: 5
Horrible Starter being rude to us: 3
Pace of Play: 3
My great play of front 9: 9
All 3 of us sticking iron shots on island green (#9) successfully: 9.75
My horrible play on back 9, allowing Hal to escape with win: 2
Post-golf anticipation for Substantial Subs: 9.5
Substantial Subs being closed for Christmas hours: 1.5
Baguette I got at health food store after long wait, that I had to throw away after 1 bite due to horrible flavor: 1.01
Z and Hal going to sleep after golf when I was ready for another 18 holes: 2
Me having to watch horrible TV while they slept: 1.5
Their completely untrue complaints that I kept waking them up: 1.25
Them FINALLY getting up after sleeping forever: 7
Me inadvertantly spilling Hal's coke that he left on a chair: 3
Z and Hal calling every spill for the rest of the trip a "Bod": 1.2
Us taking the first jacuzzi of the trip: 8
Hal starting to feel a little sick again before dinner: 3
Freezing beer and peanuts while waiting for a table at The Roadhouse: 8.5
Hot sweet rolls at the Roadhouse: 9.999995
Me actually remembering to let Z and Hal get one roll each this year: 9
Rest of food at the Roadhouse: 8
Still having no shower curtains: 2
Hal breaking his shower-head trying to keep his bathroom dry: 1.75
12/27/98
Waking up early to play golf: 8
Weather being really rainy: 4
Warmth at least making golf reasonable: 6
Golf at CC of Miami West Course: 7
Me playing absolutely horrible
for first 5 holes: 3
Stunning the world with a great
5-wood dead at the stick on the 6th
hole: 9.95
Having Z say he thought it
went in: 9.975
Hal proving that it actually
was in for an ace: 9.99975
Me not being able to
concentrate for the rest of the round: 2
Everyone else not being able
to concentrate for the rest of the round:
1.5
Me not being able to hit any
par 3 shots close to the green after the
ace: 1.1
Me playing absolutely horribly
the rest of the day: 3
Me cheaply winning the match
thanks to the rule awarding 17 points for
my shot: 9
Showering at the CC of Miami
with no hot water: 2
Hustling to the NCR Center for basketball doubleheader: 7
Z making us pay $35 for club seats when $10 seats were available: 3
Quality of seats for that price: 2
Food qualityat NCR Center when starving: 5
Food quality given that we were at an arena: 8
Our interest in the frst game: 3
Michigan team interest in the first game: 2
Me doing a "Bod" by spilling a beer on Hal at the Budweiser Pavillion: 1.5
Second game featuring Miami vs. Ohio State: 8
Me not properly understanding map on post-game drive to Fort Lauderdale: 3
Z and Hal giving me WAY more trouble for it than I deserved: 1.5
Us finally finding Riverwalk: 7
Dinner and drinks at Dan Marino's: 8
Woman singing disco classics while we ate: 8.5
Z singing along: 8
Z refusing frozen custard before we left: 2
Z stopping at Dairy Queen for HUGE sundae before bed: 9
Us still not having shower curtains: 2
Finally getting to bed, exhausted: 8
12/28/98
Sleeping a little later: 7
Being second in line for Dolphins playoff tickets: 8
The top shelf of our fridge breaking, causing a beer to break and spill all over the kitchen: 2
Me being unfairly blamed for it, Hal and Z calling it a "Bod": 1.2
My first Substantial Sub chicken/pepper/onion sandwich: 9
Weather on the way to Heron Bay: 5 -- Warm, but VERY cloudy...
First 9 holes at TPC Heron-Bay: 9
Playing partner Steve: 5
Conditions: 9.75
Course Layout: 8
Me, Z, and Hal ALL playing very well: 9
Z making four consecutive pars (a lifetime first for him): 9
Z not outright winning any of these four holes as Hal or I either tied or bettered him each time: 9.5
Ominous black cloud forming in the distance: 2.5
Second 9 holes at TPC Heron-Bay: 5
Us all playing well still: 9
Black cloud moving closer and closer to us: 2
Lightning and thunder crashing down from black cloud in the distance: 1.5
Us being dry depite seeing lightning in distance: 5
Me not being able to concentrate/enjoy game due to weird weather: 2
Me being told by drink lady not to worry unless siren sounded: 9
Siren sounding 5 minutes later with us on 14th tee: 1.5
Me "flooring" the golf cart pedal on the way in: 9
Top speed of golf cart still being slow: 2
Rain subduing in 15 minutes: 8
Heron Bay staff sending us back onto course shortly after: 9
All of us playing very well: 9
Siren sounding again during 15th hole, ending round for good: 1.1
Hal barely winning match via last few holes being rained out: 1.05
Best shower of trip at Heron Bay after round: 9.75
Shower slippers and other amenities such as "TPC-Heron Bay Shampoo" and "TPC-Heron Bay Minty Fresh Breath Wash": 9.95
Hal and Z's 64 oz. pre-dinner margarita at La Cantina restaurant: 8
Them MAKING me drink one beer too many before dinner: 3
Dinner at La Cantina: 5.5
Going to Jai Alai after dinner: 8.5
Z not winning a million at Jai Alai: 3
Me, exhausted, falling asleep at Jai Alai and missing pretty much everything: 2
12/29/98
Weather: 8 -- Much better than previous day
Golf at Colony West: 8.5
Me spilling Hal's coffee on my shirt for a "Bod": 1.5
Sign before 1st hole saying how course is toughest public course in Florida (to me): 3
Same sign (to Z): 9.95
Me getting "into jail" on like 5 different holes: 2 -- this is one tough course...
Me going from trap to trap to trap: 3
Everyone calling THAT a "Bod" as well: 1.5
Z "finding" (stealing?) a mini-football on the course: 1.25
FINALLY getting shower curtains: 7
Tailgate before Micron PC Bowl: 8
Having rice at the tailgate: 9
Eating two chicken sandwiches, then having Z give me little pieces of the third piece of chicken after I was already stuffed: 8.5 -- It tasted awesome...
Somehow not getting sick from it: 9.95
Z going to look for cheap tickets without taking me: 9.999995
Z coming back with two tickets in a reasonable amount of time: 9.9999999999995
Me and Hal getting a third ticket for free: 9
Us gtting into the game early enough to see the frisbee dogs warm up: 9.5
The game itself: 7 -- Solid for a second-tier bowl
Halftime featuring the frisbee dogs: 6 -- Better than expected
Having it be warm enough for shorts (as opposed to last year): 9.5
12/30/98
Waking up and feeling huge winds: 4
Golf at Doral Park: 7.5
Conditions: 9
Layout: 9
Course improvement from last year: 8.5
Weather: 5
My personal play, and specifically lack of concentration: 3
All three of us missing the island green: 1.1
Me not even having good concentration at that time: 1
Hal winning to take control of Cup standings: 2
My second Substantial Sub chicken/pepper/onion sandwich: 9
Us not playing more golf in the afternoon: 1
Watching Z and Hal sleep: 3
Great jacuzzi while Hal and Z drank beer: 8
Shorty's: 9.75
Me remembering to order 2 dinners to get a piece of boneless chicken: 9
Mixed bbq sauces (on Z's suggestion): 8 -- I never liked it before!
Watching Z literally "two-fist" Hal's extra ribs: 9.975
Z not realizing he was doing it: 9.975
Coconut Grove after diner: 8.5
All-Star Sports Cafe (formerly Marino's) being closed: 2
Fat Tuesday's: 9
Me having to fill the meter during drinks: 3
12/31/98
Weather finally being really nice again: 9
Golf at Crandon Park at Key Biscayne: 9
Conditions: 9
Layout: 9.75
All of us hitting great shots on #7 (our former bane): 9.75
Z otherwise having a very poor day and resigning himself to poor performance: 2
Hal winning and clinching the Cup: 3 -- I have to at least respect it
Post-Golf jacuzzi in ULTRA-HOT "green" water: 9.5
Us not getting sick from said water: 9.75
Finally meeting Z's friend Christie: 7
Drinks at The Clevelander on South Beach: 8
Walking FOREVER looking for a place for dinner: 1.25
Finally getting to the Thai restaurant: 6
The waiter spilling a tray of waters all over Z: 3
Everyone calling it a "Bod": 1.25
Food at the restaurant: 7.5
Rice: 8
Waiter not leaving rice on the table: 2.5
Christie making a New Year's Resolution for Z: 8
Somehow getting a table at Fat Tuesday's on the beach: 9
Music at Fat Tuesday's: 9
New Year's at Fat Tuesday's: 8
Walking down the beach through a mob of people: 8
1/1/99
Sleeping really late: 8
Walking for two hours to shake off a headache: 7
Hal and Z going to Denny's without me: 9 -- I hate Denny's
Watching football with them after the walk/breakfast: 5
Picking up Su at the airport: 8
Having my first small tummy-ache of the trip: 2 -- At least it took a while to happen...
Actually seeing Su: 9.5
Not being there the instant Su got there: 2
Having Su wait less time than last year: 9
Presenting the Championship Cup to Hal: 2
Seeing Hal's happiness in holding it up proudly: 7 -- At least I have to respect it
Driving around trying to figure out what we would do for dinner: 3
Actually getting to, and staying at, a restaurant, any restaurant: 9
Actually going to The Roadhouse again: 8
Having The Roadhose be even better than it was the first time: 9.975
The rolls: 9.99975
The peanuts: 8.5
The steak/chicken combo: 9
Zin's great sundae with the fudge on the outside of the glass: 9.25
Going to the dog track after dinner: 7
It being warm enough to hang outside at the track: 8
Su winning her second-ever bet for $5: 9
Su winning her third-ever-bet for $742: 9.9999975
Su winning her fourth-ever-bet for $42 while waiting in line to cash her third bet: 9.5
Z using Su's numbers to win over $100 on the same bet: 9.75
The guy finally giving Su her IRS form and money: 9.5
1/2/99
Hearing Z say "It's a great day for a football game!": 9
Z saying "And there it is!!!" for the stadium WAY before we actually saw stadium: 1.5
Su and I walking through some of the greatest-ever tailgates by the stadium: 9
Not getting a football from the cheerleaders who were throwing them out: 2
Z's effort for the early tailgate: 9
Hal and Z getting the fire started despite the wind: 9.5
The rain pouring down for 15 minutes, ending the tailgate: 9
The rain quickly stopping and the weather being really warm and dry for the rest of the day: 9.5
The pre-game for the Miami playoff game, including fireworks and fly-by: 8
The first play of the game -- bomb for apparent TD, then fumble: 9.975
The rest of the first half: 8
Halftime featuring the University of Florida band: 9
The second half until the final three minutes: 8.5
The last three minutes of the game, culminating in Dolphins win: 9.75
Getting out of Pro Player Stadium realy quickly: 8.5
Z again saying "And there it is!!!" for the stadium WAY before we actually saw it: 1.25
Getting a parking spot in a "legit" lot near Orange Bowl: 8
Having to watch annoying guy nearby try to sell parking in his yard: 1.5
Z's effort for the second tailgate: 9.9975
Z's effort on the bbq chicken and the marinated steak tips: 9.9
Hal's effort on lighting the candles for Su's birthday cake: 9.75
Nearby tailgaters all singing "Happy Birthday" to Su with us: 8
Antenna on car having been stolen: 2
Orange Bowl pregame with SU and UF bands: 8
Game itself: 5
Game compared to hopes and expectations based on past Orange Bowls: 2
Florida fans doing "Go Gators" and "Two Bits" cheers: 7
Halftime show "Swing": 5
Halftime compared to hopes and expectations based on past Orange Bowls: 2
Sitting in Orange Bowl compared to Pro Player Stadium: 3
Grill having been stolen after game: 8 -- Since we no longer needed or wanted it...
1/3/99
Sleeping a little later: 7
Going to Eden Roc: 8
Sitting in Jimmy Johnson's Bar in warm weather: 8
Breakfast buffet eaten by all other than me: 9 -- It looked AWEsome...
My chicken sandwich: 5 -- Somewhat disappointing compared to buffet
Getting on the plane for Florida and having it leave on time: 8
