I’m reading Bryan Burrough’s excellent Public Enemies, recounting the beginnings of the FBI and the manhunts for Bonnie and Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Ma Barker and the Barker-Karpis Gang. It’s a real page turner, one that dispels many common myths and misconceptions about the FBI’s rise to power and the gangsters that made it possible back in 1933-34.

Once again, travel through the Atlanta airport lived up to my every expectation. Yes, there were thunderstorms in the area. Yes, my flight to Phoenix was delayed – delayed in boarding, delayed in taking off, delayed in arriving into Phoenix. At some point you just have to shake your head and laugh about it. I wonder how the frequenst fliers deal with it…

It was an extremely bumpy ride passing through thunderstorms to Atlanta’s north and west. Even though the seatbelt light was on and there were repeated warnings given by the flight attendents and the captain telling people to remain seated, there was a steady stream of passengers risking their necks (literally!) getting up to use the lavatories. I know when you gotta go, you gotta go; but when your laptop is bouncing around on your tray table (like mine is presently), to be up and around is not just stupid, it’s truly dangerous to you and to others. I guarantee that if any of these idiots suffered any injury as a result they wouldn’t hesitate to sue the airlines and blame them for their own stupidity.

Hmmm…the next time I’ll be flying, in less than four weeks’ time, it’ll be to travel back east for a long-deserved week of vacation and the Goodboys Invitational. Much to do before that time, specifically: a) hit a small bucket of balls every week to begin fine-tuning my game, b) get whatever accessories needed in order to have my portable MP3 player with the surf tunes on it with me while I’m in the air and in my rental car, 3) pick up that new book on Tiger Woods, and 4) remember to pick up the latest Golf Magazine and Golf Digest for light reading on my flights back east.

Oh sure, after a week immersed in golf and three days of competitive golf with the Goodboys I’ll be ready for a well-deserved vacation from the game, but that’s just the way it is and always has been with the Goodboys: always great to look forward to, always good to put in your rear-view mirror for another year.