85-year-old Robert Dunham had a hole-in-one this week. Not impressed? Well, he's also legally blind:
Playing with a group of fellow blind veterans enrolled in a Veterans Affairs health care system program, Dunham's volunteer assistant lined him up with the ball, handed him a 9-iron and stepped back. Dunham swung through the ball, hit it squarely and it landed softly on the green, taking one hop before nestling into the bottom of the cup. Dunham's group erupted into a cacophony of cheers and high-fives. The World War II vet's first reaction? "I thought they were kidding me," Dunham said. "I told them, 'You guys better not be pulling my leg.'"
He went on to add, "Like when we had to pull the belly-gunner's leg out of the ball-turret over Germany. Man, there was blood everywhere." World War II vets have the best stories. -KD
The only dive old people should attempt is the 'Triple Lindy'. -KD
Dedicated weekend readers know I'm fascinated by the taxing athletic endeavor that is bowling. Both of you have learned the intricacies of trick shots from the eloquent B.J. Curtis and the exploits of the incomparable Backwards Bowler here and abroad. I only hope I've prepared you for this:
Fly away, flying eagle indeed. -KD
101-year-old British citizen Buster Martin plans on running in the London Marathon:
"I've said I'll attempt it, . . . I haven't said I'll complete it. If I do make it, all the better. I hadn't thought of doing it before but someone asked me and the money goes to charity so why not?" Martin, who had 17 children and returned to work at the age of 99 saying he was bored after two years of retirement, would beat the previous record for world's oldest marathon runner by eight years. "If I finish, I'll do what I always do and have a pint and a fag," he said. "People ask what is my secret but I haven't got one. They say fags and booze are bad for you — but I'm still here, aren't I?"
Just to clarify for those who have never crossed the pond, 'fags' are cigarettes. Also, when you are hitchhiking over there, it's very important to request a 'lift'. If you ask for a 'ride', the driver may incorrectly assume that you're a 'smoker' and you'll end having to ingest 'a dedicated cycle of antibiotics' a few weeks later. -KD
Don't sweat it pal, everyone has an extraordinary miss now and then. It's just like the time I picked up that girl at the tavern, and I thought for sure she was a virgin. Well, two weeks later I'm in the emergency room with a tenacious social disease. And the doc said the ailment is only transmitted by males. Boy, was my face red . . . as well as other parts of my body. -KD
Wow, those are some expert karate skills. I especially like the black guy who looks like Jim Kelly who played Williams in Enter the Dragon, and showed that '70s cinema wouldn't let African-Americans even survive kung-fu movies. Or was it that they wouldn't let guys named Jim Kelly win it all? I don't know, I'll have to watch that movie again. -KD
