Had a chance to head to the east side this weekend, where Jack Dooley participated with an elite travel team from Milford to complete in the Cal Ripken baseball tournament in Detroit. Jack and his team did great, making it all the way to the finals before dropping the championship game. Jack batted third and played first base for the squad.

Don’t forget the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes is August 2nd in East Lansing. For those of you out of town, I hope you consider a small donation to help raise some money for Jack’s team this year.

A few highlights from events in the yard. First Abby (3) takes a few cuts with live pitching then Michael (2) steps up and jacks a few deep off the tee. It ends with Abby pitching a few to her old man with Mike out in the field shagging flies in the outfield:

Happy birthday to Mia Folkening (3) and Audrey Pelon (2) who celebrated their birthdays on Saturday. Enjoy a few photos from the big day, with Mia holding her party at My Urban Toddler just up the road in Saline, and Audrey having her party in Northville.

First, here’s Mia’s party:

Here’s a couple from Audrey’s party:

Check them out:

Nope, it wasn’t to be for team Okemos which was anchored by new team member Keith Kleimola. Shots were well struck but putts were not made, leaving the team with a sub-standard 6 under par. A one stroke improvement over last year but no up to our standards.

All in all, the day was near perfect despite the non-stop Caddyshack-esque explosives going off all afternoon. The Mayfair did not disappoint as the bar staff served up fresh boxes of beer with skill and precision (although the one or two were mishandled by the guests and sent overboard, see photo above).

Interesting factoid: the lone skin of the day was taken with an eagle on hole #3. In 2005 the hole was eagled by both Okemos teams in the same pairing.

Enjoy a few photos from the ‘08 Beebe:

Previous Beebe Coverage on gd.com:
2001 Beebe Open recap from Haslett, Michigan

Beebe Open 2002 from Haslett, Michigan

Team Dooley from Okemos - Beebe Open 2003

Beebe Open 2004: Beebe BUST

Beebe Open 2005: The .58 Special

Beebe Open 2006: Shooting Sixty

Beebe Open 2007: Where’s Lew?

A few photos from Monday’s Golf Classic benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The event, held at the incredible Franklin Hills Country Club, raised a bunch of money that will be used to cure this disease.

Channel 7 in Detroit sports director Don Shane was the celebrity chair, here he is with Ron (JDRF Detroit president) about to kick-off the event:

Here’s the full gallery of photos, note the “wagon full of cheer” that yours truly took home on the raffle:

Another photo thanks to my Aunt Dolores of the family out East. Here you go:

Back: My Aunt Pin (Arlene Bodholt), Theresa Costa/Lockwood, Vera Chanowich, Dawn Costa [cousin Bob's wife], My Aunt Dolores Newman

Seated: MaryAnn Costa [Bob's daughter], Aunt Phyllis Chanowich {matriarch of family–last remaining Aunt of that generation–Uncle Bill’s wife], Julie Lockwood [Theresa's daughter, aka 'Peach']

A bunch from the last few weeks including Abby’s last day of school, bringing out the sprinkler then a long weekend up North:

The boys are making a serious late comeback in the gd.com baby tally. One more for you: Congrats to Dave and Michelle Dorgan on the birth of his hearty fellow, Jack Patrick Dorgan, who arrived Thursday at 8 lbs. 21.5 inches. Great work guys! Michelle is doing well and I’m sure Jack’s sister Paige is very excited.

No, not the season, here’s a photo of Jim and Ericka Mansfield’s and daughter Summer. She joins brother Josh to round out the family:

This year both Ron and I did the great Dexter Ann Arbor Run and had a good time. The course was modified from its traditional finish in downtown Ann Arbor- this season ending at the new Skyline High School. It was a nice venue but required runners scale Maple Road for the last mile+.

I applied a few lessons learned from my painful 2006 and 2007 runs. This year I got the mini ipod with the clip, no jacket, better form and a good pace to finish with my best time 47:46.

It wasn’t the tango, actually a hip-hop routine made for two, but former Michigan State football star Tico Duckett dazzled the crowd at the Country Club of Lansing there to witness the first annual ‘Dancing with the Local Stars’. The judges agreed giving Duckett the only perfect score of the night. He’s pictured above with Ron Dooley (did not participate, fortunately for Tico). Here’s a clip of the winning routine from YouTube.

The event benefited Care Free Medical which provides access to affordable, primary health and dental care for those without health insurance in the Lansing community.