The first blog dedicated to the proposition that Bend, Oregon really, truly, deeply and profoundly sucks.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
They'll None of Them Be Missed
Since this appears to have turned into Mikado week, here's Ko-Ko the Lord High Executioner with an updated version of "I've Got a Little List." I'm H. Bruce Miller, and I approve this message.
Just curious, has it become a totally unrealistic expectation to hope for a decent day in March or even April in Oregon?
See, in years past, this would be around the time your golf buddies were scouting the calander and weather reports for a window to sneak in 9. Possibly 18 if it's a weekend.
Haven't had such a call in years... People appear to have given up on it altogether. Besides, getting your clubs ready and chasing the spiders out of your shoes takes effort. Redbox is only a dollar ( or so? ) and you'll only have to subject yourself to the weather for a minute?
For those that golf, a good part of the fun is playing courses you've never seen before. Ideally, all over the state/region.
I've been on overnight outings in Seattle, Boise, etc. Point being it would be pretty silly to lug a bag around in your trunk all winter in the offhand chance you'll be that fortunate.
By the way, at the rate golf is declining in popularity in the PNW, it will eclipse bowling, roller rinks and drive-in movies in no time. Deal w/ it.
Marshall: That's another reason Bend will never be a premiere retirement destination. Many retired people love golf and they want to be able to play it year-round, not just four or five months a year. Central Oregon boasts that it offers 30 golf courses, but it doesn't matter if you have 300 courses if conditions are unplayable most of the time.
The game's demise is the result of a confluence of events. It got too expensive for its own good. How expensive should whacking a ball w/ a stick be?
Tiger was good for the game, until he was bad for the game. And I'm not talking about his sexcapades. Golf peaked long before, when after he wowed us, he crowded out all the other players. Kind of like when every kid on the block wanted to be Eddie Van Halen on guitar. No diversity into the loop = echo chamber.
In the end, golf's demise is for the exact same reasons bowling alleys are now either gunshops or grocery stores. It's a SOCIAL game. It involves a commitment to do it on a regularly scheduled basis. Today's American will have no one encroach on their freedom to flake out at the last minute!
I HAVE noticed w/ OR's crappy beyond belief weather that bowling IS making a comeback! A few more years of non-summer summers and I expect to see roller-discos re-opening! Yuck it up...
Had lots of clients that owned courses over the years. For many, it was a labor of love. Just as it was for bowling lane and drive in movie operators.
The sentiment amongst bubble bloggers was all the golf courses would eventually become Walmarts. As boomer's expectations in retirement dwindle, look for more modest forms of recreation to make a comeback.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for seeing people getting exercise and enjoying a certain level of fitness but so many of the golf communities were $300+ a month along w/ hefty membership fees. From back when everyone was cashing in on the "wealth effect".
Deschutes county (and I supposed out of Salem) crafted the Destination Resort law such that the required "Recration Componebt" had to be a golf course. So the only way to build a subdivision on cheaper land outside of the urban growth boundary was to build a golf course and put lots around it. Next was to "promise" overnight lodging knowing full will it would never have to be built. So you ended up with all these golf course based developments. A few went broke before lot sales could begin in earnest. Others struggle along asking and getting continuous deferrals from the county.
The mini-tennis game called Pickle-ball was created during the summer of 1965 on *Bainbridge Island* - a short ferry ride from Seattle, WA.
Surely ahead of their time! Ahem, Mrs. Will due in S. OR for the weekend so I started to query where some nice weather might be from what is a more advantageous starting point.
Let the spiral scavenger hunt begin! Even Yreka doesn't look to DIE for w/ a low of 25! Most Highs for the region barely in the 50's. Boise ( not that it's 'close' ) 48. Bandon 38/50. So much Drear to chose from? Corpus otoh will be 83 tomorrow....
Which harkens back to my original question. IS it unreasonable to expect ANY decent weather in the Spring in this entire Region?
For many years I fully understood and respected C. OR had completely different weather patterns and seasons. Along w/ many other locales throughout the PNW.
In fact, Bend always more akin to "Inter-Mountain West". And while there are still times when that's the case, sorry, we are ALL valley now! Even locals in KF have taken to grumbling. You're forever hearing that people never minded the snow, the cold and brief summers, but now they can't STAND the overcast..!
Stumbled on another great bell weather: UPS drivers! These guys ( and gals! ) are out confronting The Drear daily and... while they're brainwashed to always put on the best possible front for their employers, its hard to be 'chipper' when you're on Month 9 of O'slop.
There's no heartier or hard driving employees in the country. Every man has his breaking point Willard. You and I have one. Obviously Mr. UPS driver has reached HIS.
19 comments:
Now that's a list I can heartily agree with!
All Kabuki All The Time..!?
Just curious, has it become a totally unrealistic expectation to hope for a decent day in March or even April in Oregon?
See, in years past, this would be around the time your golf buddies were scouting the calander and weather reports for a window to sneak in 9. Possibly 18 if it's a weekend.
Haven't had such a call in years... People appear to have given up on it altogether. Besides, getting your clubs ready and chasing the spiders out of your shoes takes effort. Redbox is only a dollar ( or so? ) and you'll only have to subject yourself to the weather for a minute?
Haven't had such a call in years... People appear to have given up on it altogether.
darn that valley weather all to heck...
How: Don't try to tell me you're playing golf in Bend now.
For those that golf, a good part of the fun is playing courses you've never seen before. Ideally, all over the state/region.
I've been on overnight outings in Seattle, Boise, etc. Point being it would be pretty silly to lug a bag around in your trunk all winter in the offhand chance you'll be that fortunate.
By the way, at the rate golf is declining in popularity in the PNW, it will eclipse bowling, roller rinks and drive-in movies in no time. Deal w/ it.
Marshall: That's another reason Bend will never be a premiere retirement destination. Many retired people love golf and they want to be able to play it year-round, not just four or five months a year. Central Oregon boasts that it offers 30 golf courses, but it doesn't matter if you have 300 courses if conditions are unplayable most of the time.
Golf is the bait used to lure the retiring/retired into a property purchase.
No other way to explain this many golf courses in a place that doesn't don't really break 50 degrees for the 6 months of winter.
I think you'll see that 30 number reduced by half over the next decade.
The game's demise is the result of a confluence of events. It got too expensive for its own good. How expensive should whacking a ball w/ a stick be?
Tiger was good for the game, until he was bad for the game. And I'm not talking about his sexcapades. Golf peaked long before, when after he wowed us, he crowded out all the other players. Kind of like when every kid on the block wanted to be Eddie Van Halen on guitar. No diversity into the loop = echo chamber.
In the end, golf's demise is for the exact same reasons bowling alleys are now either gunshops or grocery stores. It's a SOCIAL game. It involves a commitment to do it on a regularly scheduled basis. Today's American will have no one encroach on their freedom to flake out at the last minute!
I HAVE noticed w/ OR's crappy beyond belief weather that bowling IS making a comeback! A few more years of non-summer summers and I expect to see roller-discos re-opening! Yuck it up...
Golf is in decline..
http://tinyurl.com/6scn2ja
Always used as a loss leader to sell RE.
Skiing also is in decline -- two trends that don't bode well for Bend's economic future.
"loss leader"
Had lots of clients that owned courses over the years. For many, it was a labor of love. Just as it was for bowling lane and drive in movie operators.
The sentiment amongst bubble bloggers was all the golf courses would eventually become Walmarts. As boomer's expectations in retirement dwindle, look for more modest forms of recreation to make a comeback.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for seeing people getting exercise and enjoying a certain level of fitness but so many of the golf communities were $300+ a month along w/ hefty membership fees. From back when everyone was cashing in on the "wealth effect".
"As boomer's expectations in retirement dwindle, look for more modest forms of recreation to make a comeback."
Croquet. Lawn bowling. Shuffleboard. Horseshoes.
I hear the croquet action is really hot in Sun City.
Deschutes county (and I supposed out of Salem) crafted the Destination Resort law such that the required "Recration Componebt" had to be a golf course. So the only way to build a subdivision on cheaper land outside of the urban growth boundary was to build a golf course and put lots around it. Next was to "promise" overnight lodging knowing full will it would never have to be built. So you ended up with all these golf course based developments. A few went broke before lot sales could begin in earnest. Others struggle along asking and getting continuous deferrals from the county.
One retirement community south of LaPaz we looked into, I guess Bocci ball is all the rage! ( Big tournament I hear? )
More than invite these changes, I embrace them. About time. Looks like plenty of fun to me. Hate to disappoint the jet ski/para-sailing crowd?
Look for group trips to make a resurgence as well. The more retirees FIGHT the economic reality, the more they're going to hate life.
Marshall: I hear pickleball is all the rage among the geezers these days too. A bit more strenuous than bocce, croquet etc.
Origins
The mini-tennis game called Pickle-ball was created during the summer of 1965 on *Bainbridge Island* - a short ferry ride from Seattle, WA.
Surely ahead of their time! Ahem, Mrs. Will due in S. OR for the weekend so I started to query where some nice weather might be from what is a more advantageous starting point.
Let the spiral scavenger hunt begin! Even Yreka doesn't look to DIE for w/ a low of 25! Most Highs for the region barely in the 50's. Boise ( not that it's 'close' ) 48. Bandon 38/50. So much Drear to chose from? Corpus otoh will be 83 tomorrow....
You're not going to find really pleasant weather anywhere in the PNW at this time of year.
Which harkens back to my original question. IS it unreasonable to expect ANY decent weather in the Spring in this entire Region?
For many years I fully understood and respected C. OR had completely different weather patterns and seasons. Along w/ many other locales throughout the PNW.
In fact, Bend always more akin to "Inter-Mountain West". And while there are still times when that's the case, sorry, we are ALL valley now! Even locals in KF have taken to grumbling. You're forever hearing that people never minded the snow, the cold and brief summers, but now they can't STAND the overcast..!
Stumbled on another great bell weather: UPS drivers! These guys ( and gals! ) are out confronting The Drear daily and... while they're brainwashed to always put on the best possible front for their employers, its hard to be 'chipper' when you're on Month 9 of O'slop.
There's no heartier or hard driving employees in the country. Every man has his breaking point Willard. You and I have one. Obviously Mr. UPS driver has reached HIS.
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