Page 72 - MN

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At one point he attempted to make a feature film here in Chiangmai and got the other ex-comedian, Todd Sawyer, to write a script for it. I read the script and it was quite good. Randy got some top-of-the-line equipment and local actors and began filming but the sound never came out right and soon the idea was abandoned. Anyway, he's back now but he didn't answer my message so I ate alone. The Bagel House has great bagels and food of all kinds but I'd eaten a lot of bread lately so I went with muesli and Latte and watched a couple of YouTube XFL football highlights on my cell phone. The Seattle Dragons won, which was good because their helmets were nicer.
Then I drove to Stardome golf course and driving range. I only played the course once and lost a lot of balls in the water but I go to the range a lot. When I got there is was packed but I found a place down near the end and bought two trays of balls. I tipped the guy who brought them because I know those guys make very little money.
A quick word on tipping in Thailand. Thai people tip very little or not at all and it's a cultural thing. This is true also in Australia and some other countries. On the other hand, I spent my American life in the service industry and had a wife who was a waitress before she became a teacher. So I've spent 60 years around people who lived on tips. I literally cannot stiff a waiter or service person. My brain would melt. Also, I know most people in Thailand make very little money and compared to them I am rich. So I try to even things out a tiny bit by treating them with respect and tipping. I've had people get angry because I tip too much. Jintana thinks I tip too much. I know I tip too much. But I'm a crazy foreigner and they'll just have to deal with it. The driving range guy does not complain. He does not throw the money back and say, "I don't want this!" I am single-handedly overcoming wealth inequality.
Every day I have something new I want to practice. Today it was finishing the swing because I heard Rory McIlroy say his coach worked on that a lot. It's hard to have a bad swing with a good finish. I think he and Ricky Fowler finish best. They stick the landing, as we say in gymnastics. I've never, ever been around a gymnast.
I practiced slow motion swings, trying to stick the finish. It's hard! I was ending with my left foot spinning out so I worked on that. I'd hit a few balls, then sit down and read stuff on my phone. Mostly sports. The news is too disheartening. After the first tray my back was really hurting, so I lay down on the mat, flat on my back, and read some more sports. People looked at me strangely. Apparently other people don't lie down on driving range mats. Sure enough, when I got up my back was okay and I hit the rest of the balls. The swing felt better but my accuracy was pretty bad.