Monday Madness

Hello again member's of Whitevale, It's Huge Jazz here. I had originally planned on making postings relatively often, but I have to admit I didn't realize what a huge commitment it was to become one of the greens maintenance staff here. You may already know but we work 12 days in a row before we get two days off! Then another 12 days on! Don't get me wrong.....I'm not complaining! But I am tired. And I am enjoying myself.

So when I actually tried to log back on for a update earlier this week, I found that all the security and fire walls had been changed! So it took me about 15 minutes longer to get through the new security software but I told you I would. For the guys that are putting up these firewalls - -I'll give you some advice - - using the password "whitevale" is about as secure as the Canadian border - -amateurs!

Anyway thought you should all know that Rennie has been acting weird all spring. I can't figure out if this is his normal personality, or if it's the stress of the job. But he's always talking to himself, or maybe he thinks there are people around him he's talking to. It's more of a constant incoherent mumble than talking really. Senior staff seem to be able to read him like a book because some days they talk to him and joke around, and other days they avoid him like the plague!

But I have to tell you, this morning after we all left the shop to start work I had to double back to get something I forgot when I heard all this yelling. Turns out it was Rennie! He was at his desk yelling at his computer, and hanging onto it like Homer hangs onto Bart around the neck (if you are familiar with The Simpson's). And he's screaming "go away, leave me alone" Then he yells "why are you doing this to me"?

I stick my head in his office and ask him "are you OK"? but he does not acknowledge me at all. I pulled out my cell phone and snapped this picture.........then got the hell out of there!

I could see the reflection in a picture on the wall behind him and he was looking at a radar image on the weather network. Later on, I was thinking he might have been yelling at another storm cell that did give us more rain later. Even as I drove away he was still yelling! I'm honestly starting to think he maybe going mad.

At some point he did leave the office cause I saw him running around the course on his cart the way he does. At one point he was scouting one of the greens for disease which I was at and he's mumbling to himself again. Over and over he's saying the same thing.

"Soft wet greens....I'll never get them stimping above 6"! He just kept repeating it over and over. This time I ignored him (not wanting to make eye contact with him) and just kept on working as if he wasn't even there. And I have no idea what "stimping 6" means..........I wonder if his wife Marge understands his ramblings?

At the end of the morning as we were all cleaned up and getting ready to head home for the day, Rennie was pacing the yard and all of a sudden his demeanor changes completely. He stops dead in his tracks, and I hear him say "That's it, it's the pins! It's been the pins all along" now he's got this weird giggle, or chuckle going on, but NOT a normal laugh at all. He continues, "it's always been the pins, why didn't I see it before"? At this point he's far enough away I can't hear anything he's saying. But just before I left for the day I had to ask Rennie if I can leave a little early one day this week for a dentist appointment so I went to see him in his office, but when I arrived Mickey was already there and I have no idea what Rennie told Mickey, but Mickey sounded nervous, and was trying to talk Rennie out of something. Mickey's voice was low as I think he was trying to calm this mad man down "I think it's a really bad idea Blair".

"I don't care" Rennie barks...."We can't be stimping 6" (What the heck does "stimping 6" even mean?)

Mickey continues to voice his concern with what ever Rennie has told him, and finally Mickey gives up one last attempt. "You don"t even have time tomorrow" Mickey says

"We're punching tees all week, and you know how much time that takes up! You just don't have enough time"! At this point Mickey see me standing just outside the office door, and gives me a look which made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I decided to get the heck out of there and approach Rennie another day. Just as I was about to turn I hear Rennie say, "your right Mick, no time............no time"

I see Mickey breath a huge sigh of relief. "Good"! Mick Says. I can see his body relax.

"But we're not punching Next Monday, are we Mick"? says Rennie

Mickey, swallows hard. "Ummm no, we're not, but Blair you can't, you just can't, we've never done anything like this before!" I don't think Rennie even heard Mick at this point.

"Alright then, Monday June 6th"

"The members will never forget Monday June 6th 2011"

"Everyone who plays this place next Monday will never never forget that day for the rest of the season"! says Rennie, as he's laughing and chuckling to himself and for the first time this season I think I see him crack a smile.

At this point I'm just trying to fly under the radar and get out before he sees me. Trying to get out of there before Rennie knows I've heard all this.

The last thing I hear is Rennie chuckling and mumbling:

"Monday Madness.....Monday Madness.....Monday Madness"

So I don't know exactly what this mad man is going to do on June 6th.....but something BIG is going down, and I can tell you even Mickey is scared!

If I find out anything more, I'll let you know. lets hope the masterminds behind this blog don't change to password to something tough like "Golf".