What my Daddy taught me about the Masters.... and he never said a word!

I am just getting back from another fun day at the Masters.  While I'm sure this post is just for Sis and me because we giggled all day... I thought one or two of you might tend to agree with our ideas about patrons!  I have to admit that this new thing the children are doing where they "get your neck" if you say something stupid or out of line drives me crazy... but I joined in on the fun today as I walked around the course!  Sis and I said it over and over....

My first idea is that everyone who is entering Augusta National should have to take a test.  I believe that everyone in the gates should know how special this tournament is and if they can't speak the lingo----they can't get in!  I bet there are others who would love to go in who understand golf!  Just set up an IPad station and if you pass the test... you get in... if you don't... "GET YOUR NECK!"

1.  Cigars--- I'm not sure who told men to buy the fattest cigars and prop their hands on their poked out bellies while bellowing out smoke stacks... but it is unattractive, it stinks, and it looks like poop when you throw the cigar on the ground!  Use a trashcan!  Respect the grounds!  Get your neck!

2.  Scoring--- When a player is under par (which is a good thing)... please don't say the player is "negative seven"!  Really?  Get your neck!

3.  For once in your life... red is a good thing!  Know how to read the scoreboard!  Get your neck!

4.  As KB and I were walking out tonight... one man said, "Hey, what's that kid's name that everyone is following? Jorgan?"... Oh my goodness... JORDAN!  He won last year and led all the rounds leading up until today... at least know that!  Get your neck!

5.  Ladies~  Don't wear high shoes... wear tennis shoes.  No matter how cute your outfit is... this is a very hilly course... going around in high shoes and sandals make your feet real dirty from the dust... and it's hard to walk without having to balance four inch heels.  Get your neck!

6.  Men~  You may need your wife or mother to pack your outfits for you and match them up like Garanimals.  Stripes and plaids still don't go together!  And irons... they have them all the hotels and most homes in America... use them!  My other advice about this is women should be making the fashion statement with bright, bold colors... not you!  Get your neck!

7.  Everyone~  if you don't know... keep your mouth shut!  One girl asked today if the players knew the hole location.  Doesn't she know playing golf is like a science... or math... or the strategic planning that goes into a round?  What does she think that little pad is they write on after every shot?  The grocery list for the week?  Bless her... Get HER neck!  And to the two men in front of me... I could see everything you could... you didn't have to give me a play by play... and those sitting around you... they didn't have on blinders... they didn't want to hear your play by play either!  We could also see that big scoreboard that is the size of a billboard, and we didn't need your help in figuring out those red and green numbers... and if it was a "positive or a negative"  Get your neck!

8.  I think 7 beers in a day is too many... that's my personal opinion... but your friends should tell you also as you are stumbling and spilling half the beer all over the ground and yourself.  Watch the golf... after seven... you really couldn't focus on the shots!  Get your neck!

9.  Yes, Jordan hit it in the water twice... as I stood there and heard negative comments and people say things like "I knew he couldn't do it" and "He can't take the pressure"... remember that golf is a sport that prides itself on never booing or clapping for shots that aren't the best.  It's rude... and the last time I checked... Jordan is a little better than you... He was on the other side of the ropes playing and you were just watching!   If you think you can do better... why don't you see if you can make it on the tour!  Get your neck!

10.  Bathrooms at the Masters are really nice... and no one should linger in the restroom... and apply a full load of make-up... get out from in front of the sink... there is golf going on outside the restroom and I want to see it!  Get your neck!

11.  As we were walking up the 18th fairway I heard two men talking... one of them had on blue jeans (which in my opinion should be a no no) and he told his buddy who had a stack of cups that the scenery at Augusta National couldn't touch Harbour Town.  Buddy... I hate to get your neck walking up the 18th fairway... but I should have.  No, the azaleas weren't in full bloom, but I'm sure that Heaven will have a piece of this golf course for me to sit and relax!  Get his neck.... and give it back... for the jeans and the comment!

12.  And finally, there were no pimento cheese sandwiches this afternoon... I was disappointed.  But... I have the best pimento cheese maker in the world living at 110 Guillebeau Avenue~  so I won't worry about getting the green jackets and their necks because Mama's is still the best!

What a fun day... I'm tired of the "get your neck" stuff... but honestly, I learned from Daddy who took me to the golf course what was acceptable and what wasn't... and he whispered when he did talk to me... he didn't announce it to the world sitting around us.  I sure am glad no one had to get my neck today... except maybe when I reached for my phone to see what all the roaring was about when we were walking in the gate!

Those Masters tickets that sat on the counter....

I can remember growing up and walking through the kitchen and seeing Masters tickets sitting on the counter... no one wanted them!

My how things have changed now... With Mama and Daddy having six grandchildren there is always someone who wants to go!  Today- we squeezed all the time we could out of the tickets!

It started early morning.....

Ben was excited to go, but he wasn't excited about the fact that Jordan Spieth wouldn't be around the course during his time in there!  We decided to sacrifice for a child... no really... we wanted to do it... but we let him go back in this afternoon to see his favorite!

Mike, Mark, Ben and Ellie headed down early to see the first groups tee-off.

And then... it was our turn!  I can't name the number of times the four of us have been going in together, but I do know that I have had some of my best memories in life sitting around Augusta National people watching, eating pimento and egg salad sandwiches, and most importantly, being on bird poop patrol.  Poor Mike~  I bet he is the only person who can brag that he has been pooped on twice while watching the Masters.  I love that we only see them three or four times a year... and we pick up where we left off!  I'm even more excited that they will be right up the road from us in the next few months and our Friday night pizza dates can start back!

That's Mark and Mike on television... I'm hidden behind Mark, and Kathryn is over the shoulder of the man in black.  I don't remember where we were, but Thomas found us on television and sent this to us.... we would like to think we are famous!  HA!

 And then to end the day... the four of us went in to find Jordan and watch him his last four or five holes.  Mama hasn't been to the Masters since I was in college... she said no one ever asked her if she wanted to go...so we insisted she come on in.... besides.... she does pay for the badges!  She had a great time eating sandwiches, snickers, and her only regret is she didn't get a cookie!  I may sneak her one tomorrow.

When it was time for Jordan to tee off on 18, Ben grabbed my hand and said he wanted to go to where Jordan would be coming off the green.  We headed up to the ropes and got on the first row!  This is another television shot that someone sent us... He had double-bogeyed 18, so he wasn't too keen on slapping Ben's hand, but Ben had it out there for him.

I love my Masters memories... Every year I think as I'm walking out the gate that I may never get to go again.  I sure am glad Granny and James signed up for badges years and years ago... I feel them when I'm there... I know they are thrilled that their grandchildren and great grandchildren appreciate the game of golf and love to be there.

And yes, no one ever wanted to go on Sunday... so three years ago Sis and I started going and staying until it was over.  We will be back there tomorrow afternoon... she'll be pulling for Jordan... I'll be thinking about the memories we are making...

National Championship 2016- Clemson vs. Alabama

 Once upon a time, a Georgia girl met a Clemson boy and she promised her family to never pull for a Tiger... but aren't promises made to be broken?

And who wouldn't trade teams when you have two cute little children, who wear cute little outfits, and smile pretty in pictures with those outfits on.... I caved and began pulling for Clemson when we moved back to Georgia... I guess that was the trade for Mark... I'll pull for Clemson if you let me move to Georgia.

 From the time they were born, they have been going to Clemson games.  We were there many times just tailgating, but it was enough to get that blood to run orange.  KB has pulled for them since she started participating in Tiger for a Day...

 and don't all little boys pull for the team that their daddy loves?  By the way... I  smocked these outfits with the help of my neighbor.... Oh what fun it was... and I have never done it again!

 So after many years of disappointment... Clemson finally made it to the National Championship.  While I thought that everyone would think we were crazy for traveling to the game all the way in Arizona... I only heard how crazy we were for not going and experiencing this once in a lifetime trip.... so we did it... we cashed in all our frequent flyer miles, hotel points, and a little on the side to have a trip of a lifetime!

Mayonnaise and Veve took Sis, Boo, and me to the airport on Saturday morning to catch a flight to Salt Lake City and then to Las Vegas.

 After dropping our things in the room, we headed to find supper on the strip.  It was quite eye-opening for Ben and KB and neat to watch the different people from all over!  We decided to go to see the show Blue-Man Group and Mark loved it!  There were Clemson people everywhere!

 We stayed at the Luxor and that's a snapchat symbol on the side...

 Sunday morning we headed to find Pawn Stars... I have never watched the show... there is no drama there... anyway... Ben and Mark thought it was great!

 Then we headed to Hoover Dam... This picture is on the new sky bridge.  It makes me nervous and my knees weak just looking at it.

 Ben is in one state and KB is in the other.

 I'm in one state and Mark is in the other... we stay in two different states of mind anyway!

 KB and Ben with Hoover Dam in the background.

 Pictures with another state they visited.

 We left Hoover Dam and headed to Scottsdale, Arizona for the night.  We were starving and met this sweet waitress on Route 66 at a little country restaurant.  She was so  nice to us!

 Had to take this...

 Our tickets to the game...

 Lee Harvey Oswald, Jr.  (Ben and Cole get that name) loves to look at firearms... he was all about these police officers on the corner outside the stadium... so he was all about a picture with them.

 Excitement outside the stadium,..

 Family picture with the sun right in our eyes!

 Inside

 Getting ready for the game to start....

I thought I had downloaded all the pics... and I'm too lazy to go back and put them in order... so now my pics...

We didn't have seats by each other on the plane... I thought Ben was going to be nervous, but he wasn't... he did fine sitting between two sweet men who didn't bother him and he didn't bother them!

 Inside the stadium before kick-off

 And someone spent over an hour in the car studying for her AP World History class... If I had been more like her... I could have been a doctor!

 Waiting for Marion to come pick us up from the airport... 30 hours with no bed... so tired!

 Walking outside the stadium!

 Another Blue Man group pose...

 Pawn Stars photo...

 What we saw for 4 1/2 hours all the way to Arizona... but the crazy thing is there were so many Clemson fans who did the same thing!  They were everywhere!

 This is Sis on the ride to Salt Lake City...

 On the strip watching cars come by...

 At the game!

 Warming up still...

 Desert ground... snow-capped mountains.... a strange site for this Georgia girl!

 And my favorite picture of the entire trip... a make-do bed... putting three suitcases together, kick your shoes off... throw a sweatshirt over you... and take a nap on the floor in the airport!  I'm so proud of my travelers and how well they handled the crazy hours.

Clemson didn't win, but we are so proud of how well they played...and I will say that I love Alabama fans.... they truly wanted Dabo to win too... but they weren't willing to give up a title for it!  We had a great time and it was worth every bit of money and vacation days spent... I'm thinking the trip to Hawaii for my 20th anniversary was probably just spent in Arizona... but that's okay too... we loved it!

The last of 2015 the beginning of 2016.... it's a good thing!

For many years Mark has told me that the anxiety that I build up in my mind before an event isn't nearly as bad as the event itself.  My children have never traveled well... they get car sick when the car is put in reverse in the driveway... okay... not really that bad, but if they don't have a little Dramamine then we can expect nausea to occur.  Christmas morning our surprise of getting to visit the Orange Bowl in Miami immediately made me have a little worry... By Christmas night, I had decided to ask Emmie and Phil if they wanted to ride in the car with us... you know... to let them experience the throwing up, the 100 questions, and the fighting that goes along with "Riding with the McKinneys".... 

After a little back and forth, it was a "dill pickle" that the Roberts would be joining in the family truckster to head to Miami.... it was a fun trip that will have my children talking for years.... actually... it will be hard to top the laughs we shared as we headed to see the Tigers play.  

We luckily ended up a little better off than the Griswold family and their truckster... We loved ours... It was pouring rain when we left Lincolnton, but by the time we hit Statesboro.... we had better weather.  As we stopped there to get ice, a man asked us if there was a game we were headed to... I wanted to call him a moron, but I said, "Yeah, we are all dressed in our gear, car flags flying, and headed south".... He didn't even know who was playing... bless his heart... some people really live under rocks in areas of our world... I mean I don't follow every single sport, but I can give you the months of the important events in sports... like April is golf, March is basketball, etc... 

On the way down, we stopped for lunch in St. Augustine... and we just happened to be across from the outlets... We had a thirty minute time limit to find Sis some appropriate shorts and Emmie some boots!  We were back in the car with two minutes to spare!  We realized at this point that we were going to burn up at the game the next day!  It was very hot!

We hit the mall when we got to Boca Raton and then had a late supper... after dropping off a few at the Cheesecake Factory... we headed to find some Simply Sleep!  We got to bed around eleven and slept like rocks after traveling and shopping all day.  Ben was so excited that he bought a pair of shoes with his own money!  He was not excited about the $4 he spent on an Italian Ice... he wanted to "earn" that four dollars back because he said it was nasty!  It's amazing the things children will pass up when they have to spend their own money!  

December 31st--- we headed out for the thirty minute drive to Sun Belt Stadium... coffee in hand, game attire on, and nerves were top on the list!  

 It was absolutely beautiful in this area... and we were amazed at the weather... we would have a stretch of pouring down rain one minute and the sun the next.

 Thank goodness Phil had a parking pass... we were able to pull right in and get on the second row!

 Toll booths were everywhere... Pretty neat that they go ahead and charge you before you enter!

The girls... a rose between two thorns... just teasing... We were windblown at this point and just feeling how hot we were going to be... as we were taking this picture, Mark pointed out that we needed to take the next shot... and only use it in the blog if we won... well.... 

Here we go..... we know the results... and we were thinking we drove a long way... wow... they really drove a long way!  Speaking of... there were so many Clemson fans on the road... it looked like driving into Anderson all the way from Jacksonville to Miami.  There was orange everywhere!  

 The McKinneys with the family truckster....

Headed to Fanfest for a little fun before the game.

 We passed by some cute girls... and guess who needed a picture... check out his smile!

 Selfies before the game... yes... we got tattoos on our faces!

 Emmie and Phil in front of the trophy...

The McKinneys in front of the trophy... again... one of those photos we were really nervous about taking before the game!

Headed to our seats!  The excitement on their faces is great!  It makes my heart smile to see how excited they were.

 We were high.... in the sun for awhile... but it was great!

 We were surrounded by Clemson fans and that made it even better...

 John Fogarty was the halftime show... not impressive to KB and Ben, but it will be neat for us to say we have seen him.... I won't be paying to go see him... I can promise you that.

 We picked at Mark the entire trip about his smile... this is what KB made for him on the way home... Bless his heart.....

 We are all smiles... Clemson is headed to the National Championship... we might get "blowed out" as James says and is hoping, but Clemson is going.... So exciting!

 Fans were crazy afterwards.... Ironically, we drove back to our area at the hotel and the man in the background with the Alabama  shirt on was at our restaurant!

Katie Britt's first Clemson ballgame was back in 2004... Ben and I stayed back in Greenville and went shopping... This trip he is still sitting in her lap, they are all smiles, and their little hearts are bleeding orange.







What a fun trip we had... It was a great surprise that had me anxious before we got there... the win made the ride home a lot faster and easier... And that's my wish this new year... that those things that make me anxious, my children anxious, and my family anxious.... will always turn out like this past week.... all smiles!


And for a reminder of the childlike qualities every man keeps...