rattling chains

Feeling what it’s like to cash at a disc golf tournament

March 20, 2013

(Note: For those who don’t know, I also run a disc golf blog — Rattling Chains. I have written some first-person posts over there that I think some readers here will enjoy, so I’m going to sprinkle them in every once in a while on a day when I’m coming up blank!)

Cha-ching!

I’m sure many of you tournament players out there have experienced the feeling of having your name called out after an event and being handed either a gift certificate or cold, hard cash when you place or, better yet, win.

What a feeling.

To be fair, I kind of already experienced it. But both times were pretty cheap — and I’ll be the first to admit it.

I won’t be making a living off playing disc golf, but it still felt cool to get this.

When I first started playing, I somehow won the first tournament I was involved in. It was non-sanctioned, and the other person in the division was just as new as I was. Basically, we were battling to see who wouldn’t finish last.

I also somehow won a PDGA-sanctioned event. But I was the only person in the division and the tournament director was kind enough to leave the division intact and not force me to move up and get whipped.

Needless to say, I never really experienced the feeling of cashing.

My normal goal when I play in a tournament is to not embarrass myself. That basically means I try not to melt down and I hope to avoid big-number holes. But if the course is long and for big arms, I usually start dragging by the end of the second round. I get pretty beat up and it makes the game no fun.

And I hate that.

So I really dig doubles tournaments. I normally team up with Darren Dolezel, who is another member of the Rattling Chains staff. Our goal is to usually try and compete, have some fun and see what happens.

In the past, we haven’t done so well. For whatever reason, we just don’t score. Whether it’s because we don’t play well off one another, are tired or just get into trouble, we don’t seem to place well.

A few weeks ago, I thought we had a solid chance to cash. Alas, it didn’t work so well. It was a Mr. DiscGolf doubles tournament at Tyler State Park in Pennsylvania. The course is remarkable, but it can play long — even with the pins in the short position.

Add in a 36-hole singles tournament the day before, colder weather and having to play 50 holes on this day, and it didn’t work out so well. Looking back, I can count at least six or seven stupid mistakes we made. If we erase those, we might have had a good chance at cashing.

Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

A few weeks later — the Saturday following Thanksgiving — we were at it again. This time at the Turkey Throwdown III at Schenectady Central Park in upstate New York. The setup for this tournament is playing best score from the short tees and the second round was best shot from the long tees.

This setup wasn’t particularly good for us as Darren is a much better player than me, so my goal was to help on a couple of holes in the first round and hope Darren could carry us.

From there, he’d have to again carry us in the second round as he’s the longer thrower. That meant from the long tees, he needed to really give us a shot to score.

The prize for my certificate… now to break it in!

Add those things together and it likely spelled doom, even in the rec division.

Our first round went decent. Our 57 put us in a tie for seventh in the 13-team division. With another team shooting a 49 in the opening round (the only four teams to score better in the 36-team tournament were the three pro teams and the team to eventually win the Am division), we weren’t counting on a win. But with some steady play, maybe we could get into the top part of the grid.

Eventually, though, something has to click.

Right?

We started out strong in the second round and were consistent throughout. We ended with a 61, which put us in good position. Still, I didn’t think we had a chance to cash as I was sure the teams in front of us would have been pretty steady as well.

I was wrong.

Our 61 did enough to put us into fourth place. It’s not the biggest of paydays — a $15 certificate each to the club store. But it’s still cashing. I also can’t lie — knowing you’ll get called up to get this certificate, even cooler.

So, yes, I was a little giddy.

I ended up with one disc for my “bucks” and in the end, I was just happy to have that feeling of truly cashing. It may never happen again. Who knows?

If you’ve never had a chance to cash at a tournament, it’s my hope you get that chance. It truly is a feeling all disc golfers should get at least once in their lifetime.

This first appeared on Rattling Chains on Dec. 11, 2012.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Going toe to toe with the 2010 disc golf world champion

March 12, 2013

Despite resembling a prizefighter of sorts, Eric McCabe uses his ability to throw plastic to earn his knockouts.

It seems fitting to have played a round of disc golf with 2010 PDGA world champion Eric McCabe in Canastota, New York.

Canastota is home to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. It’s also home to one of Central New York’s hidden gems when it comes to disc golf — Oxbow Falls Park.

I say this spot is fitting because when McCabe stepped out of the car driven by Syracuse-area pro Eric Trippany, my first thought about McCabe was not “disc golfer.”

If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought McCabe was in Canastota for a prize fight. See, with his reddish beard and smaller stature, he seemed more like a welterweight fighter than a disc golfer.

Picture the famed pugilists from Boston — that’s the first thing I thought when I saw McCabe.

All that seemed to be missing were McCabe’s fists to be taped up and some old-school trainer with a deep and growling voice (such as Mickey in the Rocky movies) hollering advice…

“Get ’em EMac. You’re a machine! Knock him out!”

Speaking along the boxing analogy lines, if there were judges at ringside for this round I played alongside McCabe, it would have been a unanimous decision in his favor.

Reality is, however, McCabe isn’t a boxer. He’s a champion disc golfer. And the way he carries himself, you might not ever guess it.

Eric McCabe really wrenches his body when he throws — but he packs a wallop of a punch with his skills.

In fact, he’s basically one of the guys.

In my years of being a sportswriter, I only got intimidated once or twice. And I’ve had the chance to interview some of the greatest players in the history of baseball, among others. I don’t get spooked around sports figured too often.

But there was something about playing with McCabe that got my nerves fired up. Maybe it’s because I’m not a top-level player and I was about to play a casual round with a guy who makes his living off the sport?

Those nerves settled fast, however.

McCabe was outgoing, engaging and funny. He took second shots, ended up in the trees and didn’t have a perfect shot every time.

Sort of like going out and playing with your buddies.

Still, if you’re playing a round with friends, it’s likely you hope to win a hole or two. Or more, depending on your skill level. Playing alongside McCabe and Trippany. though, was like facing Mike Tyson in his prime — no chance to win, but looking for a way to score a round or two — and last the entire fight.

Even a top pro like McCabe can find his way into the woods — but the way he battles out is the impressive part.

The round was filled with some minor idle chatter — about photography (McCabe is often snapping photos, as evidenced with his participation in the disc golf photography group on Facebook), travel, the pro tour, discs and anything else.

Never did he act like he was big time. That’s refreshing. In a day when celebrities or professional athletes are under a watchful eye, it’s nice to know somebody can make a living playing disc golf, yet still act down to earth.

But one can’t help to dream when playing someone of that caliber. My goal was simple — tie him on one hole. That’s all I wanted to do. Usually, my goal is to take the box from the group one time during the round — I wasn’t setting my goal too high.

The first hole showed the nerves as I somewhat grip-locked my drive. But, the disc, thankfully, smacked a tree and it didn’t get out of whack too bad. From there, I relaxed and watched McCabe and Trippany play the course, pulling off a variety of amazing shots.

I know many in my situation would be using this time to pick the brains of somebody the caliber of McCabe, a 1027-rated player. Maybe ask for some advice or get some ideas on how to improve.

Not me.

I’d rather sit back and watch him perform. I may not understand exactly everything he’s doing, but I’m watching and seeing what kind of things he’s doing to the disc.

This is a way to have a driving contest as Syracuse-area pro Eric Trippany (left) and top touring pro Eric McCabe send shots off the 18th tee at Oxbow Falls.

Take one example on a hole that bends to the left. The basket isn’t in view, so one just needs to know the hole. He sent a high drive that curved around the top of the trees. Alas, though I thought the shot was a thing of beauty, he knew he flew past the basket.

And he did — into the brush. The shot he had for birdie was 40 or 50 feet. And he had to battle some bushes and trees. Not an easy shot for anybody of any level.

McCabe was calm, looked things over and sent a high, arcing shot right into the chains. The putt was amazing. Much like most of his putts that day. He putted with confidence and authority. And, most of the time, he made it look easy.

In the end, it wasn’t close.

But I tied the 2010 world champion on two or three holes. I think it was three, but I can’t fully remember. Now, to be fair, these ties came early in the round. Once he truly warmed up, it wasn’t close.

The ringside judges would have agreed. But who am I kidding? This would have been a TKO — a quick one.

This first appeared on Rattling Chains on Nov. 30, 2012.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

An ace race is a fun way to experience disc golf

March 6, 2013

With Discraft’s Ace Race in the books, let’s take a quick peek at this year’s tournaments.

I don’t know how many of you participated in one of these events this year. For me, it was the second straight year I played in the tournament and it was equally as fun.

This year’s Ace Race ran from August to October and had 347 events held throughout the world.

The Ace Race disc. (photo by P.J. Harmer)

For those who didn’t read that and don’t know about the Ace Race, it’s a small and fun tournament where players have more chances at aces. For your entry fee ($25), you get two discs and some other swag.The player pack this year was well worth the money as each person got the two discs, a mini, a pair of 80s-style sunglasses and a stainless steel water bottle.

The discs are the only ones you can use during the tournament.Each player throws them at each hole, counting nothing but aces and metals, which is how many times you hit metal somewhere on the basket, but without slamming an ace.

In the end, the person with the most aces wins an excellent prize package of Discraft discs.

This year’s prototype disc is classified as a long-range driver, but Discraft calls it a hybrid driver. Being I don’t have a big arm, I was interested in the disc and I wasn’t disappointed. It flew nice and seemed to be pretty pure. I liked the feel of it and had some true lines throughout the day.

That’s something I’m not used to having.

The Ace Race doesn’t really seem to be about winning or losing. It’s about the experience and the fun. There’s a laid-back feeling to the Ace Race, which is much different than most disc golf tournaments.

I knew most of the people in my group and the others I didn’t meshed in very well. It was an enjoyable 25 holes.

Another miss for an ace, but not a miss for fun. (photo by P.J. Harmer)

Unfortunately, there were no aces in our group.

In this sport, there are things that make people coming back. Maybe it’s the sound of the chains. The competition. Being outside. Or anything else.

Like many other sports, there’s also the moment.

When I say moment, I’m speaking about those times that you do something really wild that makes you want to come back and experience the feeling again.

That happened to me on the normal 13th hole of this course. It’s a course I know quite well and this hole has always been one I’ve enjoyed. It starts in an opening and goes into the woods. Trees are abundant, but if you hit one of several lines, you can have some wonderful results.

As I stepped to the tee (shortened from it’s normal spot), I peeked and figured this was my best shot. I looked things over, got ready and let it rip.

Did I tell you how true this disc flies?

From the moment I released the disc, I knew it had a chance. The disc took flight, went on the right line and looked like it was heading right for the chains.

But as beautiful as it looked, reality soon smacked me in the face.

The disc dived a little quicker than I hoped at the end and hit the basket and dropped to the ground.

Rats!

So close, but so far. It truly didn’t matter though. The goal was to get out, throw some plastic and have some fun.

Mission accomplished.

The best part of the Ace Race is that fun factor — it brings disc golfers of many levels together for a fun round in a tournament setting. Often, tournaments aren’t like this. Do people have fun? Sure. But the competitive factor is much stronger, which can, at time, suck some of the fun out of the situation.

For my local ace race, they also had a cleanup contest. The idea was simple — as you played, pick up as much trash as you can. The group with the heaviest amount of garbage would win a really nice prize package, which included discs and minis among other things.

People pulled a lot of things out this year — including an old toilet! In all, nearly 1,300 pounds (seriously, 1,300 pounds!) was dragged off the course and out of the park. No matter how many aces anyone got — that goes way beyond the sport. That goes to giving back and showing disc golfers aren’t just about the game — they give back, too.

If you didn’t play in an Ace Race this year, make plans for next year. It’s a worthwhile event to play in. No pressure, just fun. Just the way it should be.

This first appeared on Rattling Chains on Nov. 13, 2012.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Hurt feelings: What happens when the chains talk back

January 21, 2013

By Disc G. Basket, Esq.

I’m sick of it.

You see, me and my brethren are sick and tired of you disc golfers treating us like crap or second-rate citizens.

Rattle those chains, you say. Make them sing, you say. Throw it harder and make it stick, you say.

A disc golf basket speaks up — and makes it known that rattling the chains is a painful thing!

Apparently, you don’t realize that we baskets feel what you are doing.

You don’t think it’s a coincidence that a perfect putt pops into the chains and then lands on the ground, do you?

We have to deal with a lot, you know.

Sometimes, we’ll have to smell some of that herbal stuff that some of you players bring around. You know, not all of us like to smell that stuff! And booze? How many times are you going to leave empty beer (or soda or something else) bottles in our baskets?

Our baskets aren’t made for that or other trash that people can leave behind. Now we realize that it’s not just disc golfers who leave stuff in our baskets, but they do.

People sometimes also sign us after we’re kind enough to allow an ace. Really? Sign your disc and move on. For those of you kind enough to come out and wipe all that graffiti off us, we thank you.

Back in the day, when we were first installed, we’d be treated like Kings and Queens.

Players would come by in awe of us. Kind of like a new baby. Unlike a baby, however, soon you were whipping pieces of plastic at us. Sometimes, there were sharp edges.

What the heck, dude?

You ever watch the ladies play? They treat us with respect. They don’t worry so much about the sound, rather getting it in the basket.

Most guys whip it at us. And if they miss? Then they slam it to us!

Aw, heck, who am I kidding? The ladies like to hear the chains sing as much as the guys. Maybe more.

That means I never get a break.

Sometimes, we just get so annoyed that we have to get even. One of my longtime chain buddies showed me this video — watch the disc. It’s going in. Until my buddy decided to mess with the thrower.

Tell me something. Would you just go up to another person and whip a piece of plastic into their face if it made the sound of chains?

If you did, you’d be looking at jail time.

But if you send a Star Destroyer or something into the chains, it’s OK to do. Some discs don’t hurt as much as others, I’ll admit that. I’m a fan of tap-in putts. Unfortunately, most of the time, people don’t have a tap-in.

I’m just looking for a little sympathy here.

We won’t get it, we know. Instead, you’ll keep firing the disc at us, just to hear that magical sound.

Look, I know the sound is awesome. After all, I am the one that makes that sound. It’s my chains. It’s my basket.

It’s not you, it’s me.

So think next time before you fire a disc into the chains. Remember, we have feelings to. And that stuff hurts!

But, if you do it and you think you have the perfect putt… well, just think for a moment as that disc hits the chains and bounces out.

Was it a bad shot?

Or am I getting even?

This first appeared on Rattling Chains on Aug. 8, 2012.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Looking back at 2012: Finding the good in an awful year

January 2, 2013

No matter how bad things are, sometimes you have to sit back, realize it’s a blessing to be alive and smile.

This post definitely will have its ups and downs.

Last year when I did a look back at the year, I was in the same situation I am now — unemployed. But I still was optimistic. I had taken advantage of the year by being able to see things as I did my job search.

But as those months continued into 2012, it got worse.

I didn’t go see things as much. I canceled — understandably so — a trip to GeoWoodstock X (to be fair, it sounds like canning the trip wasn’t the worst thing. I hope to get back to GeoWoodstock some time in the future). I also didn’t do several things I had hoped to do, such as do a repeat trip to my Aunt’s house on the Jersey Shore.

Still, I’ve tried to remain as upbeat and as positive as I can. Despite knowing the end is near (or done if nothing has happened) to unemployment benefits, I realize I’m not even close to many others. I have a roof over my head, food to eat and family and friends who care enough about me to try and help or get my mind off things, if even just getting together for a slice of pizza or a beer.

That doesn’t take away from the negative thoughts I have in my head. I look at others who are successful and happy in life and wonder if I’ll reach that. I realize I chose a bad career path — or at least it seems — and I need to figure out something to do.

Hopefully, 2013 will be that year.

That being said, 2012 wasn’t a total wash. The reality is, I try and do whatever I can to try keep an upbeat attitude, if even just for a day or two. The lack of finances has made me look for more affordable things to do, especially in the local area. From photography to community events, I’ve seen a lot more of the area, which is a positive thing.

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One of the biggest — and brightest spots of my year was Rattling Chains, a blog I created to cover the sport of disc golf. This was done as a hobby during my spare time as I wanted to see if a niche blog like that could work. Disc golf is an extremely fast growing sport, so maybe something like this could take off.

And, compared to my hopes, it did.

I had a fun year in disc golf, but would have liked to played more!

Since launching the blog in early March, the site has received more than 115,000 views. That’s not shabby for a small crew (there are 3-5 of us who write on a regular basis) and with no financial backing or gain. We’ve put out some quality content and that’s been something I’ve really been proud of.

At times, it’s been hard to continue. And there’s no guarantee we’ll make it. Who knows what life brings. But for now, we’re doing well and have a loyal group following us.

In other parts of disc golf, I didn’t play as much as I would have liked this year. Unfortunately the drive to get a local course failed, so that made it harder for me to play. Driving 1 1/2 hours to play a round isn’t smart in regard to time or finances.

That meant I also only played in five tournaments this year — two PDGA-sanctioned tournaments (I reached my goal of hitting 700 as a rating), two doubles tournaments (we cashed in one!) and one Ace Race.

I’ve also played a bunch of casual rounds — including one with 2010 world champion Eric McCabe. So, in the end, I think I improved quite a bit, which is something I wanted to do.

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During this year, besides seeking a job, I was also seeking something else — peace.

The reality is, I have a lot of hate when it comes to some things in my life. I’m coming to terms with much of it and, I think, by the end of this job hunt, I’ll have come to total peace.

In fact, I really think I’ll face it head-to-head when I know my life is taking a better turn.

In the meantime, as I tried to shake it — I wanted to find some sort of peace. Kind of finding that place where I knew I could get away and just relax and not worry about anything else.

For those of you who know one of my closest friends Darren, you know he’s got his hands into so many things. That usually means when I get the chance to hang out with him, there’s going to be something different.

Finding kayaking was an important part of my year.

Kayaking was one of them.

Though I had always wanted to learn to kayak, I had never done it until this year. The first couple of times I went was with Darren. I used one of his kayaks and we paddled the local river. However, the kayak wasn’t truly good for me.

The next several times I went, I rented at a local kayak place. The owner was extremely helpful every time I went, helping me find the right kayak and showing me what I needed to do. The first time or two I went, I had to get the feel of it. From then on out, I got the “feel” of it within the first five minutes and I was all over it.

I still can’t do like others — have the legs out while chilling — but I’m sure that will come in time. I also need to figure out how to kayak for a couple of hours without back pain!

The one thing I truly found with kayaking?

Peace.

There is something to be said about being on the water with not many around and just coast, soak up some sun and listen to nature. It’s peaceful. You can get into a great place when out there.

I also held our area’s first water-based geocaching event. We had more than 30 people come out on a warm fall day, paddle a mile and a half to the event and enjoy everything.

Way too cool.

I don’t set resolutions or anything like that, but I’m really hoping to be able to afford a kayak and a roof rack this year. I can definitely see me going kayaking a whole heap more, especially if I don’t have to rent every time I go.

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Speaking of geocaching, I had a decent year with that hobby.

According to my statistics, I found 539 caches this year, which is my highest total since finding 1,030 in 2009. Since then, I’ve founf 491 (2010) and 396 (2011).

I finished a monumental challenge in completing the New York State DeLorme Challenge, which is something I’ve worked on for several years. Two big one-day road trips helped me get to the final point, which was awesome. I was excited to share the moment with some friends and it was nice to know I completed the challenge.

It’s been fun finding caches and doing some DeLorme road trips this year.

The challenge final was also my 3,000th find.

I’ve also completed the New York County Challenge, but I have yet to go find the final.

During the year, I had the chance to hit up 13 events, including the first New England mega event, which was held in Massachusetts We made it a one-day trip (it was only a few hours from me) and had a good time, despite the crazy heat.

Including the seven events I hosted this year, I have launched 16 new caches in 2012. One of those was also my 50th hide (I now have 59). I think I’m most proudest of that, because it’s always nice to put out new caches.

It hasn’t been all great, though. We had a geocache attack this year, stealing upward of 10 ammo cans. A good bulk of them were mine or one other persons. I wondered if it was somebody local or somebody coming through the area and stealing them. The worst part was when my golden ammo can was replaced (it was done by someone else), it was stolen a second time — and one of her caches that was nearby was also close. I don’t know if it’s somebody local, but I won’t lie when I say I think it has to be someone with some sort of a vendetta. Since then, however, it seems to have ceased. So we can hope, anyway.

In the end, it was a good year for caching. I had the chance to go on some really fun caching days and got to meet new people. Though I had to cancel two trips to mega events I wanted to hit for financial reasons, I still enjoyed the year of caching. In the end, it did what it normally does — gave me an out to forget things for a while and took me to some places I likely never would have found without the game.

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This has been an interesting year when it comes to photography, which is why I’ll be breaking that down into more than one category.

First, professional wrestling. I’ve blogged about this before, but when it comes to photography, I’ve really found a lot of fun in shooting wrestling. Especially independent federations. First, it’s cheap entertainment (usually, tickets are $10-$15 for about three hours of action). Second, you can get some great images, be it action, close-ups or even the fans.

One of my favorite images this year in regard to wrestling — Brodie Lee. He’s since been signed by WWE and is wrestling under the name Luke Harper.

I have to say, I’m kind of shocked at how many events I went to this year. I took photos at 16 wrestling events and attended at least one other where I didn’t take any images. That’s quite a few. But I’ve loved the images I’ve taken. I also had the chance to tag along with a couple of indy wrestlers to a training seminar.

You get quite the variety of quality, too. Some is bad, some is good, some is awesome.

Either way, it’s a slice of variety that makes it fun to take photos.

I’ve also had the chance to get to know some of the personalities and am working on some writing projects with a few of them. In the end, I hope to talk to several others and make this one massive project — possibly a book.

After all, the photos only tell half the stories.

Though many people look own upon this sport, these guys (and gals) who do this really have some interesting stories to tell. Some are wild, some are good and some are bad. Some are downright tragic.

I am happy I’ve been able to shoot this sport. I’ve grown up a wrestling fan, so being able to capture these images has been awesome. That being said, one thing the training session taught me is being able to take photos at ringside is way better than being back in the crowd. Maybe in 2013, I’ll get that chance to get up close and personal to shoot the sport in a different light. I’ll look to rent a lens beforehand if that opportunity comes.

I didn’t use my favorite wrestling shot of the year in this post because it’s graphic and I want people to make their own choice if they want to see it. Note it’s bloody. If you want to see it, click here.

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This year hasn’t always been the best for photography.

I started out the year with a bang being involved in the second year of the HooHaa 52 and taking part in the 366 Project.

Some of you may remember I completed the 365 Project in 2010. The project is where you take a photo every day for a full year. I finished in in 2010 and swore I’d never do it again.

My Feb. 28 shot for the failed 366 Project.

However, 2012 was a leap year, so …

Needless to say, I didn’t make it. I sputtered throughout the summer and forced myself to keep going. Once the fall hit, I really hit a wall. No job equaled fewer opportunities to travel around and taking photos in my immediate area was becoming a bore.

So, after about 250 days, I called it quits.

I realize I only had three months or so remaining, but I knew I wasn’t going to make it. So I had two decisions — push as long as I could, or end it there. I decided to end it there, knowing I’d really get mad if I made it to December or something and then slipped.

Also, I think knowing I had completed this project in 2010 made it easier for me to call it quite.

The HooHaa 52 was also a failure. I was about 10 weeks shy of finishing. The reason there is the majority of people who joined this challenge had faltered. And others were using older photos or logging too many in a row. So I got frustrated and gave up.

That being said, Year 3 of the HooHaa 52 is starting this week and I’m more excited than I have been in the past for this challenge. I think we have a good group of people and have tweaked the rules to make it easier. Hopefully by this time next year, I’ll be telling you all about how I finished the project and how proud I am of the group and everything that got done.

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Travel this year was limited. I hit up the Lancaster area early in the year for a couple days of disc golf. Same with a short weekend trip to Philly in November, where I also got to stay with relatives and see some relatives I hadn’t seen in a while.

The Cooperstown Winter Festival was one of the local events I checked out this year.

There were also the two days of 22-plus hours of travel and caching to fill the DeLorme squares. And I ventured a few places to play disc golf, usually day trips.

But things I had hoped to do this year — a couple of geocaching trips, a trip to the Vibram Open — it just wasn’t in the cards this year.

And I’m OK with that. I realize my time needed to be spent (and still does) applying and searching for employment. It’s part of this crazy part of my life I’m in. Throwing money out for big trips just isn’t justifiable, when I’m trying to keep my head above water with bills.

That being said…

What this year taught me was to find more things locally. Things such as area fairs or festivals that are low cost (or free) and things put on for the community. I had the chance to see different things in a different light.

I also explored more of the local area, through geocaching and photography, to try and get out and visit local parks and such. There are a few I missed and I look forward to checking in 2013. There are also many awesome state parks within a couple hours from here. They offer many things and after receiving an Empire Pass for Christmas this year, I plan on trying to visit as many as possible this year.

I got involved with helping people looking for photos of headstones via Find A Grave and did some personal photography challenges. I worked on geocaching things in the local area. There really are so many things in people’s local areas they don’t know about. It’s unfortunate it took me this long to realize it. I look forward to looking at things like this in the future though.

It truly is amazing how you look at things differently when you have to find more cheap and inexpensive means of entertainment.

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In the end, the year featured more than I can put in this post.

It definitely had its ups and downs. Though a lot of the downs outweighed some things, the reality is I still am here on Earth, have good family and friends and am better off than so many others.

I also do believe things happen for a reason.

What the reason is that I’m going through all of this right now? No idea. But hopefully it will show its face in 2013.

Thanks to everyone who has visited the site through this year and I hope to have many more things to post about in the upcoming year!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!