Chapter 11

Waking up early, I exercised, practiced my huku, sensed the area, grabbed my walking staff, and took off running my route, keeping a steady speed and stride. When I reached my turnaround point, I increased my pace on the way home. After stretching, I showered, dressed, went to the kitchen for breakfast and supplements, and then drove the golf cart to the practice range. I warmed up, went out by myself again, and decided to see if I could improve my score. I noticed my Callaway drivers were fine with my new grip. However, the Titleist irons felt weird or uncomfortable but still shot eight under and were happy driving home.

When I got home, I called David Brooks at Titleist and told him about my problem. David said the new irons I got had a sweet spot grip, and I’d passed it with my growth. He promised to express ship the next size today and asked about my clothing. I told him my shirts were fine, but the pants needed replacing. David said he’d send the pants and publicity photos out tomorrow and said goodbye.

The car showed up, and we went to Universal for the voice work. Traffic was light, and we arrived within an hour. The voice work took 30 minutes, and I was home at 2:30 p.m. Mom wasn’t home but left a note she was dealing with an emergency at the club. So, I went upstairs and checked my email. The University of Arizona expressed concern about the volume of classes I wanted to test out of and recommended only four. I replied that my parents and I had already discussed it, and they agreed. I want to test out of those classes, so please arrange for three days between Monday and Thursday for the testing at UCLA. I appreciate your help in this matter, TJ Wilson.

I sensed Mom was near, so I went to the kitchen and sat at the table. When she came in, I told her about my email exchange with Mrs. Fergison at UA. Mom said she would call Mrs. Fergison right now. The contractor told her the fixtures were delayed today and wouldn’t finish until Wednesday. So, I couldn’t risk yelling at them so Mrs. Fergison would get it instead laughing. Mom called Mrs. Fergison and had Mrs. Fergison eating out her hand by the end of the conversation. My testing would be set up ASAP, and I asked Mom if she felt better. She said yes, and we both laughed.

Mom ordered pizza for dinner, and then we watched the local news. A Mexican national with cartel ties was found murdered in his car this morning. It was at a downtown parking garage, and the investigation is continuing. After the weather, Mom switched the channel to Entertainment Tonight. They discussed a new movie called “Activating Ryan,” which is due for release soon. It’s a murder mystery/political thriller/action movie all rolled into one. There’s a lot of excitement about this movie, and we’ve received an exclusive teaser for you and showed the clip. Mom turned off the TV, and we hugged goodnight. She said don’t forget the dinner tomorrow night, so set your clothes out. And we’d go sunglass shopping after lunch, laughing as we went to bed. I fell asleep and was used to the thumping when it began and tingling all over my body. Then it stopped, and I drifted into a deep sleep.

I awoke Friday and went to the gym, sensing the area on my way. I exercised, practiced my huku using the heavy bag, did a light workout on the weight machine, and then did my yoga routine. When finished, I showered, dressed, went to the kitchen for breakfast, vitamins, and protein drink, then drove the golf cart to the practice range. I got two buckets of balls and practiced, then played another round. I checked to see if my growth spurt affected my shot distance. I was relieved it didn’t and finished nine under par, then returned home.

We ate lunch, then went to the mall for sunglasses. Mom said I needed two pairs like the movie stars wear, laughing. I was surprised she didn’t get any and asked if she was okay. Mom said she would wait for the styles in the spring, laughing. It was the shortest trip we’d ever had going to the mall. Then Mom explained we had to leave early because of traffic on a Friday night. So, when we got home, Mom said to go and get ready, and did the same. I took a shower and lounged until I sensed Mom was getting ready. I dressed and met her in the kitchen, where she tied my tie.

Mom was right traffic was a nightmare. Two accidents and we somehow arrived only 15 minutes late. Mom insisted I wear my new shades and have a Sharpie to play a prank on Sam Barton. When we walked in, Sam Barton and his wife were laughing at me with my shades on, and I said no autographs, please. It will bring too much attention, and I want to enjoy the dinner. So, we continued inside, removing my shades, and Mom congratulated me for a job well done. Unfortunately, the Japanese ambassador and his wife weren’t there, so I mingled until dinner. After dinner, Mr. Barton told Mom he was borrowing the movie star for a while, and we left through a side door.

Mr. Barton said the movie is a great front, and I can see you going to Europe and maybe Japan for movie premiers and golf. We entered a soundproof room and sat at a table. He said I made a deal on the laptops for five a month because of the programming complexity. It should discourage people from trying and bypassing me for them. Then Mr. Barton asks what happened at the card game. I laughed and said some Japanese asshole didn’t like me. He called me Gaijin, so I said I was leaving and this was my last hand. I went all in, and he called me. I beat his three pairs with a full house, and he was pissed. I made $20k plus the $5k you spotted me.

Mr. Barton laughed and said that explains the turmoil after you left. A Japanese man came out saying I’m going to kill the Gaijin. Where is he? Security escorted him off the property. Now, to current and future events. The tournament will be your first real-time collection and passing on information. Most will be less personal than dancing with a hot blond commenting on her ass, he said, laughing. You’ll do fine. Let’s get back to the reception, and we did. When I found Mom, she was socialized out, so we left and drove home. Mom talked about everyone she met and seemed to have enjoyed herself. We hugged goodnight when we got home and went to bed. I fell asleep and was used to the thumping when it began and tingling all over my body. Then it stopped, and I drifted into a deep sleep.

I awoke, exercised, practiced my huku, sensed the area, grabbed my walking staff, and took off running my route, keeping a steady speed and stride. When I reached my turnaround point, I increased my pace on the way home. After stretching, I showered, dressed, went to the kitchen for breakfast and supplements, and then drove the golf cart to the practice range. I warmed up, went out by myself again, and practiced hitting from the rough, sand traps, and practicing my long putting. I shot a one under par and was happy driving home.

Mom had left a note saying she was at the clubhouse checking the renovation work and would bring home dinner. I ate lunch, went to my workshop, and got my knives and stars. I put on the neck, wrist, and ankle holders and practiced using them. The neck harness and wrist holders were the easiest to use. I practiced for 45 minutes and felt comfortable using the holding devices. I was quickest with the neck holder, then the wrist and ankle. So, I decided to wear them on the practice range and play a round with them tomorrow as a test run.

After putting them away, I finish sanding and polishing the eight mineral stones. Then, sensing Mom was near, I put everything away, locked up, and went to my room. I ordered and downloaded all the e-books for the classes I was testing out of when Mom called dinner was ready. While we ate, Mom said she went through the clubhouse and made a beginning punch list. She said things that needed finishing or correcting when I asked what that was. Since there’s a delay in the fixtures, I want them to start on my punch list.

Mom had it all planned out after the renovation was complete. First, a thorough cleaning, furniture and appliance delivery, and setup. Finally, the food deliveries and the staff were to get familiar with everything. Now, the cleaners must work around the construction crew putting in fixtures. They will regret not staying on top of things. I’ll ride them to the finish line at the club next week, so you’ll be on your own. Oh, and there’s a box in the entry from Titleist that came this morning. Mom had finally run out of steam or adrenaline and watched the news. Mom fell asleep shortly after, so I got my new irons and took them to the garage. I put them in the golf cart and then went to bed. I fell asleep and was used to the thumping when it began and tingling all over my body. Then it stopped, and I drifted into a deep sleep.

Waking up early, I went to the gym, sensing the area on my way. I exercised, practiced my huku using the heavy bag, did a light workout on the weight machine, and then did my yoga routine. When finished, I showered, dressed, went to the kitchen for breakfast, vitamins, and protein drink, then drove the golf cart to the practice range. I got two buckets of balls, practiced with my new irons, and then played another round. The new irons felt great, and I returned to where I was before the long layoff. I shot two-under testing the new irons and was happy driving home.

Mom had lunch ready, so we ate, and then I went to study while Mom read her new book. I reviewed all ten e-books first, started reading them, and finished three before Mom called me to dinner. While eating dinner, I told Mom I felt Mrs. Fergison would schedule the testing as soon as possible. So, I’ll study tonight and tomorrow afternoon because Tuesday was the earliest she could schedule it. Mom agreed and said she would have checks ready for me to pay the professors. It was an educational expense to write off on our taxes. And remember, you’ll need to take Uber or Lyft, and those expenses are a write-off, too.

We finished dinner, then hugged goodnight, and I went to study. I finished two more e-books and then went to bed. I fell asleep and was used to the thumping when it began and tingling all over my body. Then it stopped, and I drifted into a deep sleep.

I awoke, exercised, practiced my huku, sensed the area, grabbed my walking staff, and took off running my route, keeping a steady speed and stride. When I reached my turnaround point, I increased my pace on the way home. After stretching, I showered, dressed, and went to the kitchen for breakfast, vitamins, and a protein drink. Then, I went to my workshop and put the neck harness under my shirt. The wristbands wouldn’t work, so I put on the ankle bands and drove the golf cart to the practice range. I warmed up and then went out and played for the score. The neck harness and ankle bands didn’t affect me at all. The wrist bands I would use it with a long-sleeved shirt, jacket, or suit. I shot eight under and was happy with my progress and drove home.

I ate lunch, then went upstairs to study. After finishing the last e-book, I went to the kitchen for a drink, and Mom walked in with dinner. She stopped and got Chinese takeout on the way home. Mom was smiling, telling me about her day as we ate dinner. The contractor regretted not checking up on his supply orders. Mom told him that his crew had to be finished by Wednesday. His error caused his buffer to be erased. Then the final clean starts Thursday, a day late because of him. Any more delays would be deducted from the balance owed. Then she added I was right about Mrs. Fergison. Your testing starts tomorrow at UCLA, and the instructions are in an email she sent you today.

We finished dinner and watched CNN. Then, I asked Mom if she would sleep on the couch again tonight. I was going to wake you up, but you were snoring, so I let you sleep. Mom said I don’t snore and I laughed, causing her to laugh too. When the program ended, we hugged goodnight and went to bed. I opened my email and found the instructions from Mrs. Fergison. My testing was scheduled to start at 9 am to 4 pm with breaks between exams and an hour’s lunch. So, I ordered Lyft for 7 a.m. pick up and went to bed. I fell asleep and was used to the thumping when it began and tingling all over my body. Then it stopped, and I drifted into a deep sleep.

I awoke Tuesday and went to the gym, sensing the area on my way. I exercised, practiced my huku using the heavy bag, did a light workout on the weight machine, and then did my yoga routine. When finished, I showered, dressed, grabbed my laptop, bag, and passport, went to the kitchen for breakfast, vitamins, and protein drink, then waited for Lyft. They showed up on time and dropped me off at the edge of the campus. I had to walk about four blocks to get to the administration building at UCLA. I was 30 minutes early, and then the fun began.

The clerk wanted an ID, so I showed her my passport. She wanted it, and I told her I couldn’t by orders of the US State Department. She was getting mad, and I yelled manager at the top of my lungs, and the office fell silent. Finally, a man came out of an office and asked about the problem. I said your brain-dead clerk wouldn’t let me test out of subjects already cleared by you and Arizona University. I showed her my diplomatic passport, and she wanted it. Any idiot knows as soon as it’s shown, all action stops immediately. Should I call the State Department and have them send investigators to figure out your problem? Or can I test out of my subjects without further delay?

The manager let me inside and escorted me to the test site that was set up. Professor Janus was my supervisor for the first day of math tests. I completed four by 3 p.m., to his amazement. After writing him a check, he said Professor Connors would supervise you tomorrow and thanked me for the prompt payment. Then, the recruitment started, and he said I should attend UCLA. We’re a better University, and our Professor’s brains aren’t fried by the heat, causing us to laugh. I shook his hand, thanked him, and left.

I called Lyft immediately after leaving the building, and the car was waiting when I arrived. The driver’s name was Todd, and he knew how to avoid heavy traffic. I arrived home an hour later. We shook hands, and he left, and I went to the garage and drove the golf cart to the practice range. I hit three buckets of balls to practice and released the tension from the day. The club pro, Phil, asked if I had a rough day. I said four final tests, and he laughed. He said you don’t want to practice when frustrated, tense, or pissed off. It will screw up you’re timing and swing. Instead, relax or meditate before coming to practice. I thanked him for the advice and left, thinking he was right. I would meditate as I did in North Carolina, and I forgot about that until now.

Mom was home with dinner when I arrived. She asked me about my day, so I told her, and she laughed. Then Mom asked if the recruitment had started, and I told her what Professor Janus said, causing her to laugh again. I told Mom I expected UCLA to call her soon requesting a meeting. Mom said unless it’s a dinner meeting, I won’t accept. We Jacksons have our standards and reputations to uphold, and we laughed. After dinner, we played cards for an hour, hugged goodnight, and went to bed. I ordered Lyft for 7 a.m. pickup and then went to bed. I fell asleep and was used to the thumping when it began and tingling all over my body. Then it stopped, and I drifted into a deep sleep.