Monday: Took the scenic route to Chattanooga, via route 72, which covered the remaining 100 miles or so, then caught up with Tom Borwick while he was walking the course. I bugged him the rest of the way around then teamed up with my regular roommate, Boson Ralph, for a place to stay. He picked up Zoran Zorkic (a name ya got to love) and was in the afternoon pro-am.

I'll go out bag hunting tomorrow but not too diligently.

• One in the oven: Congrats to Stephanie Louden, our newest mom to be.

Tuesday: No luck finding a bag but it looks as if I wasn't the only one. Some regulars out here are in the same boat.

• Familiar faces: Tom Borwick and Chip Wall are looping for Tom Carter and Chris Anderson respectively. A mug that appears occasionally is 'Jamaican' Dave and this is one of those weeks. Like myself, he's looking for work. I also ran into another looper of note, although not recently. J. J. (AKA 'Ten Page John') was in the lot looking for a bag.

• Yes, master: A more colorful character you'll never find is the caddie master, Earl. Known as 'The Caddie Daddy', his motto "When you need a caddie, call your daddy" definitely rings true this week. 

'Boston' Ralph, signing in with the big man.

• On the other side of the bag: Just for today, that's where Paige Mackenzie found herself while looping for her brother Brock. With all the down time before Q-School (I'm assuming she's going back), you have to fill it some how.

• They're everywhere! Another former LPGA caddie, Jeff Cable (AKA 'Tree' for his impressive stature), does set-up on The Nationwide Tour and managed to stop by for a visit.

High five to all his friends.

Wednesday: Stopped at the course for lunch (Chick-fil-A with an ice-cream bar chaser) and talked to Paige for an update. She made it through without a hitch and no aches or pains to speak of. Her dad is arriving today to bear the rest of the burden. 

• Perk or perversion? Spotted next to the caddie tent was what looked like a chiropractic adjustment station but upon astute observation, a twisted application of my imagination adopted a dissimilar direction. I'm a sick puppy.

• Now that's customer service: No matter what your opinion of Wal-Mart may be, they bend over backwards to please their clients. In this case it was their warehouse division, Sam's Club, that went the extra mile. I stopped in for rotation and balancing of my tires and, even though they were not purchased at Sam's, a paltry sum of $16 and change was all it cost. What I didn't expect was the extraction of nails found on two of the tires and patching them from the inside without an extra dime added to the bill. I love these guys.

• What's left: The remaining caddies seeking a bag looked a bit emaciated. Glad I left early.

Should have stopped for those free Chic-fil-A's.

Friday: Stopped by the course for a brief visit and to check out what's for lunch. Another chicken sandwich and ice cream bar sufficed. Passed along greetings from two of my readers to 'Tree' and off I went.

• Good buy: For the last 90 days, notices of the expiration of my US Airway miles at the end of this month filled my email box and for an extra $25, they would be reinstated. If not, I start all over. But wait. Another available option would be to use their online store and purchase some merchandise. Anything electronic would do so, a $20 wireless mouse from Circuit City seemed to fit the bill. Picked it up yesterday and it's perfect. Didn't think I would migrate from the touchpad but the transition was easy.

Saturday: A perfect day for golf so I stayed home along with the rest of the gallery. Tennessee was playing on the tube and it was an obvious choice for most.

• Serenity now!  Lee M. Williamson was experiencing an unremarkable round as he walked onto the final tee but an eagle would surely set the mood for tomorrow. A short par 5, adjoined by water down the left and a bunker and OB right, called for a three metal tee ball and was still reachable but, it was not to be. Lee snapped his initial shot into the water then hit the next Oscar Brown. His third finally found the middle of the fairway. So how does the consummate professional handle such extreme disappointment? You throw the club on the ground and stomp on it till the head falls off! Took a triple.

• Next stop: A return invitation (I must have done something right) has been offered by Cathy and Foster Forbes to visit the historic Kitty Hawk area once more and I'll be on my way early in the morn.

• Nice knowin' ya: More than one story of misplaced loyalty has been told this week concerning the road to 'the show'. The ultimate goal is to be in the top twenty-five and earn your way onto the PGA Tour and some caddies stay with the same guy for years with hopes of being rewarded for his commitment. Through all the hard times, they plug away encouraging their horse and enduring the rigors of the 'minors' for the chance of a lifetime. When it comes, they either get let go just before the season ends or left behind to start all over with another hopeful. No wonder more and more are migrating to the LPGA.