Back to Minnesota

I had a fun weekend back in Minnesota. I headed home on Thursday night after work to be home for my niece Ashley's wedding on Saturday.

Friday was cold and rainy so it was a great day to run some errands and get some things done around the house. I have to admit it's strange to be home for the first time since Kelsey went to college - very quiet being there with her being gone. Will make our return for Thanksgiving that much better!

Saturday morning I played golf with Lorie, Barb and Liz. It was a perfect fall day in the 60s and felt great to walk and carry my clubs - I've gotten too used to riding a cart when I play in Florida! I caught a quick hour visit with Janet Thompson on the St. Olaf campus during Homecoming before heading home to get ready for the wedding.

We had a great time at Ashley and Norbert's wedding...it was fun for me to see so many friends and extended family there - a good time to catch up with everyone.

Sunday I went to church and made our traditional fall Sunday noon meal - a pot of chili and apple crisp - always helps the Vikings win. I finished packing before heading to the airport for my 5 pm flight. Luckily both flights were on-time and I got back to West Palm on schedule - a little tired but glad to have had the time at home.

~Le Ann

Beach, golf and football weekend

This week started with me dog sitting for a few days - taking care of Riley and Scout. Friday night I met some friends from work at Hurricanes for happy hour...before Pam and I went home in search of food for dinner. We kicked around going out to eat, but decided we'd stay home and eat leftovers from the 'frig before they turn into science experiments.

Saturday I met Kathy for our beach walk. We decided to give the famous Jupiter establishment, Dune Dogs, a try for lunch! We spent the afternoon watching the Gopher football game then the Iowa game on TV. Fun to follow the undefeated Hawkeyes this year!

Sunday I played golf with Drew on the Squire Course then headed home to watch the Vikings game, who are also undefeated so far this year!

~Le Ann

Beach therapy

The weekend began with some much needed beach therapy...Friday night I met Ron and Kathy Stepanek, Kathy, Pam, Linda and Mallory for beach therapy. It was fun to sit on the beach and unwind from the week as the sun went down. On the way home, we stopped at Cold Stone for some ice cream then watched the movie Duplicity.

Saturday morning we walked at the beach then watched the Iowa/Iowa State football game on TV. We also watched the Minnesota Gopher game, too. Great to get Big 10 football down here in the thick of SEC country.

Sunday we met for breakfast at the Juno Beach Café before our weekend morning beach walk. I spent the rest of the day watching the Vikings beat the Browns. Not really a Favre fan but if he helps the Vikings win, that's a Martha Stewart "good thing."

~Le Ann

Labor Day Weekend

The three day weekend finally arrived. Friday night Sandy and I met for dinner at Brio to catch up after she had been traveling all week.

Saturday morning Kathy and I walked at the beach after we'd missed a few weekends due to our travel schedules. Saturday night Pam, Kathy and I met for dinner at Smokey Bones, followed by Pam and me visiting Barnes and Noble and Starbucks.

Sunday morning I played golf with Kirk, Bob and Jason on the Squire course. Jason and I played against Kirk and Bob and closed them out on the 14th hole! After golf I met Kathy for lunch at the Waterway Cafe then went to the movie Julie and Julia...after a hot morning on the golf course, it felt great to sit in the air conditioning to watch a movie on a Sunday afternoon!

Monday morning Kathy and I walked at the beach before I spent the rest of the day in the pool and watching golf on TV. I finished the day by grilling chicken for dinner and eating outside. It was a great three-day weekend - wish we had them more often!

~Le Ann

San Diego State University

I had a great time the past three days in San Diego. My weekend began early Thursday morning when I got up at 3:30 a.m. to catch a 5:30 flight to Atlanta, then on to San Diego. I arrived in San Diego at 10 a.m. and had two hours to wait until Kelsey and David arrived. We went right to campus and Kelsey got her textbooks at the bookstore. Next stop on our list was a MAJOR trip to Target to stock up on all the dorm room essentials. Thursday night Kelsey went to the Zoo, while David and I ate dinner along the water at the Fish Grotto.

Friday morning we could begin moving in at 8:00 and we were on campus by 8:05. Kelsey checked-in, got her ID card, room keys and evaluation form and we started the move-in process...temperatures were in the 90's, there were at least 150 kids moving all their worldly possessions into their rooms - a six story dorm with only one elevator working! Of course, Kelsey's room is on the 5th floor, so up and down the stairs we went! After a few more trips to Target, we met some friends for dinner and called it a night.

Saturday morning we met Kelsey on campus for convocation. Following the ceremony, we made yet another trip to Target before having lunch and dropping Kelsey off for the day. David flew back to Minneapolis at 4:30, so after I took him to the airport, I went to Torrey Pines and toured the golf courses. I met my cousin Scott and Danette Markel and their children for dinner at Islands, before I went to the airport for my 11 pm red-eye flight to Atlanta.

I arrived in Atlanta at 6 a.m. and watched the sunrise before my 8:30 flight to West Palm. Kathy and I went to Juno Beach Cafe for breakfast before I headed home to sleep for four hours. It was a fun few days helping Kelsey move into her dorm room and get settled.

~Le Ann

Hanging out at the beach

It was another hot weekend in Florida, with temperatures still in the 90s (feels like it's been in the 90s since May!) Friday night was pizza and movie night - we tried a new pizza place and will NOT be going back there...not only did the pizza look bad, it tasted just as bad.

Saturday we walked along the beach and I spent the rest of the day at the pool. Sunday was another beach walk morning, followed by lunch at Panera and then I headed home to watch the Solheim Cup. Great to see team USA retain the Cup!

Getting ready this week to head to San Diego to take Kelsey to college...next update from California!

~Le Ann

PGA Championship

It's been a fun ten days at home for the PGA Championship. I got home on Thursday evening so I could attend the Minnesota Lynx basketball game on Friday night. I helped the Minnesota Section give golf lessons at the Lynx game and we promoted the PGA Championship by giving away practice round tickets.

The entire week went by so quickly and it was great to see so many Minnesota friends at Hazeltine. The crowds were amazing and the weather was perfect! Kelsey and Brooke worked ten days in the Merchandise Tent and saw some TOUR players as well as lots of spectators. As usual, the back nine on Sunday provided the best showdown between YE Yang and Tiger Woods - with Yang winning his second TOUR event this year (after winning the Honda Classic in March.)

Monday night after a day of errands, I headed back to West Palm Beach. The best part of the tournament this year was being able to stay at home and be with my family for ten days.

~Le Ann

Play Golf America goes to the Marlins game

This weekend began with meeting Denise, Pam, Kathy and Jennifer for happy hour at Cantina Laredo. We hadn’t met as a group for about three months so we were long over-due for a night out to catch-up. We had Cantina Laredo to go for dinner and watched a movie.

Saturday morning I walked along the beach before spending the afternoon at the pool.

Sunday I got up early and went to Sunrise to get the windows tinted on my car. I’m sure it will make a big difference to try to keep the sun and heat out of the car. I went to the Florida Marlins/Chicago Cubs game in the afternoon to help give golf lessons at the Southern Florida Play Golf America day at the Marlins game. It was super hot and three of us gave more than 100 golf lessons…by 7 pm I was ready for the 45 minute drive back home.

I am starting to pack for my trip to Minnesota on Thursday – looking forward to being at home the 12 days I’m in Minnesota for the 91st PGA Championship!

~Le Ann

TPC Sawgrass

Friday night we had Cantina Laredo for dinner and watched the movie Grand Torino.

Saturday morning started early (like 5:30 a.m.) so I could drive to Port St. Lucie to meet some PGA friends for a three-hour trek to Ponte Vedra Beach to play golf at the TPC Sawgrass. We arrived at 10:15 and got a tour of the clubhouse by Billy Detlaff, the National Director of Golf. The highlight was going up on the roof of the clubhouse (where the TV cameras are during The Players Championship) to take in the view. After lunch we headed to the driving range and the first tee for our 12:30 tee time.

Although I had attended The Players Championship in 1988, it was a treat to play the course. It was especially fun to play the 17th hole – the most famous hole in golf! When we finished playing, we ate dinner then headed back south at 8 p.m. It was a fun day and a great way to spend our 22nd wedding anniversary.

Sunday morning I went to I-HOP for breakfast then spent the day at the pool. Needed a quiet day to rest after the big day yesterday!

~Le Ann

Another weekend of golf and beach walks

The weekend began with Kathy, Wendy and I taking Pam out to dinner for her birthday. Pam chose Brio – a Tuscan Grille in Palm Beach Gardens – one of my favorite places to eat. We had a good time, great food and plenty of laughs.

Saturday morning we went for a walk along the beach, then watched the British Open. We made an emergency run to Cold Stone for ice cream, rather than eating lunch – we decided that’s what weekends are for – watching golf and eating ice cream.

Sunday I played golf with Kirk on the Squire course – once again we had the first tee time at 7:30 and cruised around as a two-some – finishing our round by 10:30. I met Kathy for lunch at California Pizza Kitchen then shopped at the Gardens Mall for awhile.

Kelsey spent the week in Los Angeles and San Diego attending orientation at San Diego State University - she's all registered for classes and excited to move out to California in a month.

~Le Ann

Palm Beach bike ride

It was another busy weekend starting with pizza and movie night on Friday night.

Saturday we walked along the beach then went for Dairy Queen ice cream since it was so hot outside. I spent the afternoon in the pool (this is starting to become my typical Florida weekend routine). Fun to lay on the raft and read a book and watch a little golf on TV from the pool.

Sunday I rode my bike around downtown Palm Beach and along the ocean. There are all kinds of bike paths along the inter-costal waterway and the ocean. It was fun to get out ride early before it got too warm. I rode nearly 22 miles before I headed home to flop in the pool and realize how out-of-shape I am when it comes to peddling a bike. I grilled some chicken for dinner and relaxed a bit before getting ready for a new week of work.

~Le Ann

Fourth of July weekend...

It was a nice long three-day holiday weekend in Florida. Thursday night Kathy and I went to the Kee Grill for dinner – one of the top rated restaurants in our area. I had the best salmon I’ve had in a long time.

Friday we walked along the beach, then I drove to Port St. Lucie to join Debbie and Todd for golf at the PGA Golf Club on the Ryder Course. We had a great time golfing – each pulled off some amazing golf shots and shared a lot of laughs! After golf, Debbie and I went to the Outlet Malls at Vero Beach.

Saturday I slept in for the first time in months and watched some Wimbledon on TV before meeting Kathy to see the movie “The Proposal.” We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory before I headed home to watch the fireworks.

Sunday we walked along the beach and I spent the afternoon in the pool – watching Wimbledon and golf. It was a great relaxing weekend.

~Le Ann

Third weekend in a row for the Champ course

This weekend was a third straight weekend I played the Champ course. Debbie and Todd came down from the PGA Education Center in Port St. Lucie to join me and my colleague Bob Baal for 18 holes of golf. After golf I met Kathy for dinner at Outback as she is headed to New Mexico for the PGA Board Meeting on Sunday so I get to stay with her dogs Riley and Scout while she is out of town.

Sunday I played the Champ course again with Kirk. We cruised around the front nine and then had a member join us on the back nine. After a quick stop at the pool to cool off, I headed to Jupiter to stay with Riley and Scout.

~Le Ann

Another round on the Champ

Saturday I played golf on the Champ course – joining a group of three guys from Orlando who were at PGA National for a Father’s Day getaway. We had a 10 a.m. tee time and didn't finish until almost 3:30 p.m. Now I know why we usually play at 7:30 a.m. Pace of play and heat today were awful. After golf I watched the US Open and met Kathy for pizza.

Sunday we went to Juno Beach Café for breakfast, then walked along the beach and watched more of the US Open. We were hoping for a conclusion on Sunday but it’s now scheduled to finish on Monday. I’m sure there will be many TVs on at work on Monday to watch the playoff. Good thing we work at the PGA of America so we're allowed to have golf on TV during working hours! Rooting for Phil to have a good Monday round!

Also wishing my dad and David a Happy Father's Day!

~Le Ann

Golfing at PGA National

It was another typical Florida weekend for me – starting out Saturday morning with the walk along the beach. I took my car in for an oil change then spent the afternoon at the PGA Pool before going to PF Chang for dinner.

Sunday I played golf with Kirk, Ron and Bob on the Champ course. It’s a treat to not have to keep the carts on the path – so we play the Champ as much as we can. We typically take the 7:30 tee time to be the first group off for the day. Not so much fun to get up early on the weekends, but nice to usually be done playing golf by 11 a.m. Plus we tend to beat the heat of the day...off to the pool this afternoon!

~Le Ann

Golf on the Palmer

Saturday I played golf on the Palmer course with Kirk, then had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. I made the mistake of washing my car - which is an almost guarantee it will rain. Sure enough, within two hours, the South Florida afternoon rains came. It was a good excuse to stay inside and watch a movie - so I watched "New In Town" which was fun since it took place in Minnesota.

Sunday was the normal breakfast at Juno Beach Cafe followed by the four mile walk on the beach. I spent the afternoon at the PGA National pool then the afternoon rain moved in again, so it was time to head home.

Brooke played well this week at the State High School Golf Meet and finished 17th out of 88 golfers. Way to go, Brooke!

~Le Ann

Graduation 2009

The weekend in Minnesota was so much fun! It began with a flight home on Thursday night - this time I sailed right in and out of Atlanta. Friday, just 12 hours after I landed, I was back at the airport to pick up my sister who flew in from Vancouver, Washington/Portland, Oregon. Friday night my parents arrived from West Des Moines, we made graduation cap candy and started getting ready for graduation weekend.

Saturday we ran errands, went to the grocery store multiple times, picked up all the food and got the garage ready for the Open House on Sunday. Around 4:30 we headed for Memorial Field to get our seats for commencement at 5:30. The weather was perfect except for the wind that made it hard for the graduates to keep their caps on their heads. After commencement we went to three Open Houses - for Christian Shepley, Jim Penning and Jon Earle Reid.

Sunday was Senior Sunday at Bethel, where the parents presented the Seniors with their quilts. After church we came home and swung into high gear to get ready for Kelsey's Open House at 3 p.m. It was so much fun to see all our friends and relatives and Kelsey had a great time visiting with everyone.

Monday my sister left for the airport and my parents drove back to Iowa. Brooke played a practice round at Bunker Hills for the State High School Golf Tournament. That evening I joined Kelsey and Brooke at the All-State banquet at the Earl Brown Heritage Center in Maple Grove. Brooke was one of 12 girls who earned All-State honors for being ranked in the Top 10 in the state for more than one week.

Tuesday I watched Brooke play a few holes at Bunker Hills before I had to leave for the airport. With the drive from Coon Rapids and road construction, we cut it super close and I got to the airport with 30 minutes to spare...made the flight but my luggage did not...

Now it's back to work after a fun weekend at home!

~Le Ann

Memorial Day Weekend

It was a fun Memorial Day Weekend. Friday night was pizza and movie night - we watched FrostNixon. Saturday morning the beach walk was rained-out, so we headed an hour north to Vero Beach to check out the outlet mall. After a quick two-hour shopping trip, we headed into town and ate lunch at Mulligan's out on the water.

Sunday was another rain-out so I spent the day finishing up Kelsey's golf scrapbook for graduation next weekend. Monday the weather finally cleared up, so we had breakfast at Juno Beach Cafe and trotted down the beach for our four-mile walk. I hung out in the afternoon at the PGA National pool before meeting friends from work for dinner at PF Chang.

It was a nice three-day weekend and I'm looking forward to the three day work week before I head home Thursday night for the weekend in Minnesota for Kelsey's graduation.

~Le Ann

Too much time in Atlanta

I just returned from a trip to New Jersey and spent more time in the Atlanta airport than my four flights combined! I left West Palm on a 5:50 flight for Atlanta, arriving at 7:30 a.m. My scheduled 9 a.m. flight to Newark was delayed an hour and a half, before it was finally cancelled. I was re-booked on a 2:45 p.m. flight and finally got to Newark at 5:00 p.m. So much for leaving West Palm at o'dark hundred to get to Newark at noon.

Friday I helped with the American Express Women's Golf Month sponsor event at Fiddler's Elbow. We hosted a three-hour golf clinic before driving to Upper Montclair Country Club to watch the Sybase Classic. I spent Friday night in the Meadowlands with my room overlooking the New York City skyline. A great view during the late afternoon as the sun was setting as well as seeing the city lit up at night.

Saturday I went into New York City to tour around a bit, then went back to the Sybase Classic before my 6 p.m. flight left Newark. Once again, my flight was delayed for two hours due to the inbound aircraft delayed in Chicago, so I knew I would miss my connecting flight for West Palm in Atlanta. Sure enough, we landed in Atlanta at 10:10 p.m. and my flight for West Palm left at 9:45. I had the "pleasure" of dealing with the nasty Delta ticket agents who had apparently worked some 15-hour shift - so after some dialog, I scored a room voucher at the Country Inn and Suites. By the time I got the shuttle to the hotel and got my room, it was well after midnight. Luckily I was on the first flight out at 8:30 Sunday morning and finally got to West Palm at 10:30 a.m.

After a quick lunch at Bradley's, I headed home to unpack and unwind after too much time in Atlanta! A quick Happy Birthday mention to Brooke, who turns "Sweet 16" today and can't wait to get her license on Tuesday!

~Le Ann

Another golfing weekend

This weekend began with a going-away party for our colleague Susan, who is retiring from The PGA to move to New Mexico. A group of us had lunch together at Paddy Macs and then another party after work at the Carbone's.

Saturday I played golf on the Palmer course with Kirk and Bob from work. After golf, Kathy and I had lunch at Bradley's in downtown Palm Beach, then checked out a new walking trail along the Inter-costal Waterway. Saturday night I went to see the movie Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

Sunday we met for breakfast at Juno Beach Cafe then walked along the beach. I played golf with Ken and Cynthia Endick on the Champ course at PGA National. It was in the 90s today so feels like the heat of summer is here to stay.

It was a fun Mother's Day - I talked to my mom and both Kelsey and Brooke today...looking forward to my trip home in a few weeks.

~Le Ann

A Return to Minnesota

I had a great time in Minnesota - my first time back since mid-February. I flew home Thursday night and spent Friday running errands like usual.

Saturday I helped teach a junior girls golf clinic for 250+ girls at Rush Creek in Maple Grove. It's the third time the MWGA and the Minnesota PGA Section have hosted the clinic and I'm glad I've been able to help teach all three years. After the clinic, I drove to Fox Hollow in St. Michael to watch Kelsey and Brooke play in a golf meet there. I was able to walk nine holes with them before I had to leave for Burnsville. I met David, Kevin and Marilyn Phelps and Don and Jane Peterson for dinner at Outback. Always fun to go out to eat with friends and Outback seems to be the popular hang out for us and the Peterson's.

Sunday I went to church, then we had a senior/parents retreat at church with the graduating class. I had to leave early as I had a 2 p.m. flight out of MSP to Atlanta and left with a killer headache...not a good combo for flying, but luckily I was able to sleep on the flight to Atlanta.

We arrived in ATL just as the airport closed due to weather - so my half an hour layover turned into a two hour layover. Just when I thought I'd be back in West Palm at 7:30 p.m., it turned into the normal 10 p.m. return. So much for getting back at a decent time - but it was fun to get back home - even if it was just for three short days. Back home the end of the month for Kelsey's graduation!

~Le Ann

Hangin' out at Juno Beach

This weekend was filled with three visits to Juno Beach. Friday night after work we headed to Juno Beach for some beach therapy. Always a good way to unwind after a week at work - watching the sun set and staring out at the calm waves of the ocean while sipping on an adult beverage.

Saturday Kathy and I walked along the beach, then I went out to dinner at Olive Garden with Pam, Wendy and Sandy. We had a table outside so it was fun to eat and spend more time outside.

Sunday we had breakfast at Juno Beach Cafe, then headed for our four-mile trek along the beach. Pretty soon the temperatures will require a 7 am beach walk vs. our usual 10 am walk. Not looking forward to the hot summer temperatures just yet.

I'm headed to Minnesota on Thursday, so need to think about packing and returning to cooler weather.

~Le Ann

Bradenton for the weekend

This weekend I went to Bradenton to visit Northfield friends Vic and Dot Swanson. I left work and headed north and west - making it to Bradenton in three hours. We kept with tradition and ate at Hungry Howie's pizza buffet (I've been there two other times with Swansons!)

Saturday Dot and I went shopping before the three of us headed out to Holmes Beach for the afternoon. We ate onion rings at the beach - another tradition we've done before on prior visits. We had dinner on the pier at Anna Maria Island, before heading home for the night.

Sunday we had a nice breakfast on the lanai before I packed up and headed back to West Palm. It's always fun to spend some time with Vic and Dot - next time I see them will be back in Northfield the end of May!

~Le Ann

Corporate Run

Tonight was the annual Mercedes Benz 5K Corporate Run (or for some of us, the Corporate Walk!) The PGA of America won first place for the number of entries - we had 71 people participate - a great improvement from 42 staffers last year! We also won best use of the logo in the shirt design, so it was a good night for the PGA! There was a downpour from 5:30 to 6:30 but the rain moved through so the race could begin at 7 p.m. The route is a mile and a half along Flagler Avenue then back to the start/finish line. A fun night with my PGA colleagues.

~Le Ann

Easter Weekend

It's been another fast weekend in Florida. Friday night Denise, Pam and I went to dinner at Olive Garden to celebrate my birthday. Saturday morning Kirk and I joined his friends Lynn and John Stahler for 18 holes of golf on the Champion course. Pam, Kathy and I met for dinner at La Fogatta so they could get their hot salsa fix!

Sunday after a beach church service, I met Kathy for our walk, followed by breakfast at the Juno Beach Cafe. I went to the pool at PGA National for a while in the afternoon then settled in for the final round of the Masters tournament. I was cheering for Kenny Perry to slip on the green jacket and not go extra holes...it was still amazing to watch it on TV, knowing I was there walking all 18 holes just three days earlier.

~Le Ann

Masters - Day Two

Today began with breakfast with Stefanie and Gail, then off to the golf course to watch Arnold Palmer hit the ceremonial first tee shot. We decided to walk the entire golf course from the first tee to the 18th green to see every hole and experience the same undulation that the players do. It was pretty amazing to walk the entire course and we were definitely ready for lunch after our walk! We met some friends at the Magnolia Club for lunch and made one last trip to the golf shop before we left at 2 p.m. for Atlanta.

The drive west to Atlanta was good - not much traffic and lots of reminiscing about our two days at Augusta National. We had a great flight back to West Palm and our plane had satellite TV, so we were able to watch the tape delay of the first round. It was a fun-filled two days and once again, a great way to spend my birthday!

~Le Ann

Masters 2009

For a second consecutive year, I've been fortunate to attend the Masters for my birthday. Kathy and I flew to Atlanta after work last night and drove to Augusta. The day started with breakfast with friends, then straight to Augusta National when the gates opened at 8 a.m. There was a slight frost delay as overnight temps were in the 30s. Good thing it warmed up quickly once the sun came out.

We walked to the Par 3 course and put our chairs on the 8th tee box for the afternoon Par 3 contest. Then we walked around the clubhouse and practice area, before heading out on the back nine toward Amen Corner (holes #11, #12 and #13). We met friends back at the clubhouse at lunchtime - having the famous pimento cheese sandwich.

After lunch we walked out to the 16th hole - the Par 3 - where players skip golf balls from the forward tee, across the pond to the green. We watched a few groups skip balls before we headed to the Par 3 course to watch the action there. We had great seats on the 8th tee box and watched 50-some players come through.

We had dinner with Brian and Stefanie at Outback - a perfect way to spend my birthday! Looking forward to the first round of the tournament in the morning!

~Le Ann

Spring break with Brooke

We've had a fun week while Brooke was here for Spring Break. Brooke took advantage of some Florida sun the first few days in the week as we were dog sitting in Jupiter. Wednesday night we went to dinner with Kathy at the Water Way Cafe - the three of us ate there on New Year's Eve when Brooke was here last time. Thursday afternoon, Brooke and I played 18 holes on the Haig course at PGA National. Friday afternoon the rain changed our golf plans, so we headed to the Gardens Mall. Saturday we played golf on the Champ course and Sunday we played the Palmer course, then went out to Juno Beach. We wanted to make sure we got plenty rounds of golf in before sending Brooke back to Minnesota for spring golf season.

I took Brooke to the airport at noon. Our air conditioner at the office was not working so I headed home to work in the afternoon...and of course, it's in the mid 90s for outside temps, so it's pretty darn sticky!

Off to the Masters tomorrow!

~Le Ann

Spring break

I have been looking forward to this weekend for almost a month! Friday night started out with beach therapy on the Juno Beach...when we arrived, there were HUGE wind gusts that made our beach therapy feel like we were being sandblasted! As the evening progressed, the wind died down and it turned out to be a nice evening. Ron brought a grill and cooked hot dogs for dinner and right before we left, we saw a huge sea turtle come ashore...it is the time of year when they come ashore to lay their eggs, so it was quite a sight to see.

Saturday morning I went to Sunrise to visit Sandy. In the afternoon I went to the PGA National pool before meeting Kathy for dinner at Cheesecake Factory.

Sunday we met for breakfast and our walk before I went to PBI to pick up Brooke! She will be here for a week for her spring break...we plan to play three or four rounds of golf and have a fun week together. Right now she is sleeping on the couch while Pam and I watch golf and NCAA basketball games...guess the 6 a.m. flight was too early for her!

~Le Ann

Hangin' out at Juno Beach

The weather is starting to warm up which makes for packing lots of stuff into the weekends. Friday night started out at Zuccarelli's with some friends from work, followed by County Line pizza and some NCAA basketball games.

Saturday we got our beach walk in just before the rain settled in for the afternoon. Pam and I went to Smokey Bones for dinner then went to see the movie Duplicity - it was a great show and a fun way to spend a rainy evening.

Sunday Kathy and I met for breakfast at the Juno Beach Cafe then walked our 4 miles along the beach. I spent the afternoon at the PGA National pool listening to my iPod and catching up on some reading. Another great Florida weekend!

~Le Ann

Another busy weekend

It's been another busy weekend...Friday night I met Jeff Rasmussen from Northfield for dinner at the Waterway Cafe. Jeff was in town following a business meeting in Northern Florida--so we met for dinner and played golf on Saturday. We got a tee time on the Champ course, which is slowly being returned to its post Honda Classic state. While Jeff and I were playing, there were workers on the course dismantling the bleachers and various TV towers throughout the course.

After golf Jeff left for PBI to catch his flight back to Philadelphia. I met Kathy, Pam and Susan for dinner at Bonefish Grill. It was the first time I dined at Bonefish and we all had great food. Always fun to get together with friends from work for dinner and conversation.

Sunday afternoon I ran some errands then Pam and I made marinaded chicken on the grill. While we were eating we watched the shuttle launch on TV, then went outside and saw the shuttle in the sky. Amazing to see it when it's 100+ miles away. This is the second shuttle launch I've seen since moving to Florida...pretty neat to see so well in the sky even though it's so far away.

Gearing up for a busy week at work...and counting down the days until Brooke comes in two weeks!

~Le Ann

The Honda Classic

This weekend was the Honda Classic at PGA National. On Friday I worked with Drew on the Shotlink crew at the 9th fairway. We measured all the Tour Professionals drives and the distance they had to the hole. It was a fun day and exciting to see so many players up close.

Saturday I walked along the beach in the morning, then met Pam at the PGA HQ parking lot so we could walk over to the tournament. We decided to sit in the bleachers on the 16th green to see all the groups play through. We watched from 11:30 until about 5 pm when the last group played the hole. We had a good time watching the Professionals navigate the water and the wind on the 16th hole. On the way home, Pam and I stopped at Smokey Bones for dinner...a favorite spot in Wellington!

Sunday Kathy and I ate breakfast before we walked along the beach. In the afternoon, I ran some errands to the Gardens Mall, then headed home to catch the final round of the Honda Classic...always better to watch on TV -- better seat and the snacks are free!

~Le Ann

Back in Florida

It's been a wild and crazy week back at work after being gone for a week. We continue to get PGA Professionals registered for our Play Golf America programs for 2009 as well as rolling out the new Get Golf Ready program. Our goal was to have 700 facilities nationwide offer the new program and to date, we have nearly 1,000 facilities registered. It continues to get a lot of media attention and positive feedback.

Saturday Kathy and I walked along the beach, then I went to PGA National to hang out at the pool. Saturday night Kathy met Pam and I for dinner in Wellington at a great Mexican place...they fought over the hot salsa, which was fine with me! Sunday Kathy and I met for breakfast before walking along the beach before I stopped at PGA National to hit some golf balls. The weather has been cooler than usual but still nice to get out and enjoy the weather on the weekends!

~Le Ann

EWGA Conference

I am in Palm Desert for the Executive Women's Golf Association (EWGA) Conference. In addition to attending the conference, I was a featured speaker Thursday afternoon giving a seminar on "What's In Your Bag? Clubs to Use & Clubs to Lose" - where I talked about how to determine the set composition and which clubs women golfers should be sure to include in their bag. Of course, wearing my PGA of America national promotions hat, I didn't miss a chance to promote our Play Golf America programs, the new Get Golf Ready program and our 2009 calendar of National Promotions.It was lots of fun presenting outside at the practice range with the palm trees blowing in the wind and the snow-capped mountains as the backdrop on all four sides. It was by far the best "classroom" in which I've ever taught!

Tuesday night I had the honor of sitting at the same table for dinner with LPGA Tour Legend Patty Sheehan. What a thrill to sit with her and visit for the evening!

Friday morning I gave a beginner golf clinic for three hours with two fellow golf professionals. We had a great time talking about golf and helping our students put our ideas into action. We finished the day by playing the 18-hole putting course with our students as a way to help explain the rules of golf and other on-course situations.

Friday night I had dinner with my friends Chuck and Sandy Springer, who were the people who introduced me to the Cochella Valley and the Palm Springs area when the golf team first visited them in 2003. It's always fun to visit and catch up with friends and we discovered we'll be at the Masters the same days in April, so I'll look forward to seeing them again.

Today I spent most of the day flying from the West Coast to the East Coast--back to West Palm Beach. The day began with a 6 a.m. flight from Palm Springs to Salt Lake City, a brief layover in Salt Lake before my flight to Atlanta, followed by a three-hour layover in Atlanta before arriving in West Palm at 8:30 p.m. Everyone says the West to East flights are the worst and I got to experience the "all day" trip home. Still it's been a fun week and a great experience for me to attend the EWGA Conference!

~Le Ann

Headed to Palm Desert

I had a fun long weekend in Minnesota. I flew home at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning--which allowed me to be in Minneapolis by 10:30 a.m. I didn't enjoy the 4 a.m. wake-up call, but it was nice to be home before noon. I met Lorie for lunch before enjoying a nice Valentine's dinner with the family. Sunday we went to church and as usual, it was fun visiting with friends I hadn't seen since I was home at Christmas time. Sunday night David and I went to Outback for dinner with Don and Jane Peterson--complete with the post-dinner trip to Barnes & Noble to look at books and magazines while enjoying a Starbucks. Monday I ran some errands and packed for my trip to Palm Desert for the EWGA Conference.

I'm at the Minneapolis airport waiting for my 11 a.m. flight out to Palm Desert. It's one of my favorite places to visit, vacation and golf and certainly brings back good memories of being there three times with my St. Olaf golf teams and spending our last family vacation in the Valley.

~Le Ann

Another golfing weekend

We are finally getting rid of the cold front that stalled over Florida the past week or so...the locals are complaining about temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Saturday we went for our 4 mile walk along the beach, then I went to PGA National to play golf with Stephanie and Randy. We are getting ready for the EWGA Conference in Palm Desert in two weeks so thought we might as well get together on the golf course to talk about our presentations!

After golf I met Pam for dinner at Olive Garden...no signs of a bad economy there as we waited 45 minutes for a table!

Sunday Kathy and I met for breakfast and our beach walk before I headed to Fort Pierce to play golf with friends from the PGA Education department. It was a great day, great weather, many laughs and surprisingly, a few good golf shots as well! We had dinner after golf, so by the time I got home at 8:30, it was another fun-filled and fast weekend!

Another week at work before I head out on the road for a week.

~Le Ann

PGA Merchandise Show

It's been a busy few days at the PGA Merchandise Show this week. I got to Orlando on Tuesday afternoon in time to set up for Demo Days at Orange County National Wednesday. I worked at the Play Golf America tent giving out information about our National Promotions and the new Get Golf Ready player development program. The rest of the show we were busy registering Professionals for national promotions.

This afternoon I attended a photo shoot at Osprey Golf Club at Disney for Women's Golf Month. Our three spokes people, Nancy Lopez, Suzy Whaley and Donna Richardson-Joyner were there for a video and photo shoot--the weather was cooler than normal Florida weather, but we had a good time, got some good photos and good b-roll for the new PSA for Women's Golf Month. It will be fun to see the final product! Be watching the Golf Channel in May!

~Le Ann

Golfing Jupiter Dunes

It's been a fun week having Brooke visit me in Florida. Friday we spent the day at the PGA National pool. It was nice to have a lazy day and just hang out. Saturday we played golf at Jupiter Dunes with Ron and Kathy Stepanek and Kathy Wilkes. Sunday we played golf at PGA National on the Champ course with Stephanie Jennings.

Monday and today I worked, while Brooke enjoyed the Florida sunshine--trying to get a few last minute rays before I took her to the airport this evening for her return flight to Minnesota.

Looking forward the next visit from the family!

~Le Ann

New Year's Day at the Outback Bowl

After a quiet New Year's Eve, we welcomed in the New Year by getting up at 5 a.m. to head for Tampa to watch the Iowa Hawkeyes and the South Carolina Gamecocks at the Outback Bowl. It was a three-hour drive from Jupiter to Tampa, so we arrived in plenty of time for the 11 a.m. game. Brooke, Kathy and I met my parents at the stadium and enjoyed a thrilling game where the Hawkeyes won 31-10. When the game was over, my parents headed to the airport to return to Des Moines, while Kathy, Brooke and I headed back to Jupiter.

Brooke has been here in Florida with me since Monday, Dec. 29th and will be here until Tuesday, Jan. 6th. We are looking forward to pool time, beach time and some golf this weekend.

~Le Ann