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Underground City

In the tunnels uptown
The Rat’s own dream guns him down
As shots echo down them hallways in the night

Those words bring to a climax the dramatic gang-themed “Jungleland”… the nearly 10-minute final track on Bruce Springsteen’s iconic Born to Run – ranked #18 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the all-time best albums.

In my mind, “Rat” is an appropriate name for the central character, as I envision tunnels in New Jersey infested with the nasty creatures. With that as the context, you can imagine what I thought when, after nearly a decade living in Houston, a client asked me to meet him for lunch a few years ago at a restaurant in the downtown tunnels. I pictured dark, wet and cold passageways that I might not escape afterward.

What a surprise when I discovered these tunnels are bright, air conditioned and dry… featuring more than 75 food establishments, a whole bunch of retail shops – from clothing and art to a printer – and several doctors, dentists and barbers. It’s literally an oasis below Main Street that provides a wonderful respite from hot and humid Houston summers.

After many months of trekking along the different paths, I know my way around quite well. Next week I’m taking our three children to an underground lunch to help them overcome any preconceived notions about their hometown. It will be good for them to experience one of the city’s least known attributes, especially since many folks think of Houston as all that concrete and glass above this hidden jewel.

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Good Show

Our kids think it’s unusual. In fact, the youngest said, “You live in the wrong era.” Despite that candid criticism, I find myself drawn to old-time radio on satellite when I’m driving… and while sitting at my desk doing thought-free work. These are programs that predate television – most originally aired in the 1940’s.

My favorites are suspense dramas: “The Whistler,” “A Man Called X” and the cleverly titled “Suspense” – which features well-known stars. I also enjoy comedy like “The Burns and Allen Show,” along with “The Bickersons,” starring Don Ameche and Frances Langford.

The thing that intrigues me the most is the way talent on those shows had only their voices to engage the audience. That required diction command, inflection range and expert timing, along with the skills required of all actors to elicit emotion in their performances. Add in that these were delivered live – often in front of studio audiences – and you have to appreciate the dedication these professionals gave to their craft.

When I was a teenager, one of my friend’s fathers shared stories about growing up during the Depression. Gathering the family in front of the radio to listen to these original shows was a weekly tradition he said everyone enjoyed. His favorite was “The Shadow,” whose introduction became a part of the American lexicon: “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!”

This is not to say I don’t listen to other things on radio. Sports talk – “Mike and Mike in the Morning” on ESPN radio and local programming – still capture the majority of my attention. When it comes to music, I prefer the 70’s and 80’s music channels on XM Radio. Maybe my daughter is right.

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Family Affair

When a big windstorm blew through our community a few weeks ago, it took down a couple sections of our back fence. With summer #15 fast approaching for our home – and it was a year old when we moved to Houston – replacing the entire 212 linear feet seemed like the right move. Our next-door neighbor decided to do the same, and the new cedar fences definitely improved curb appeal.

While admiring the upgraded look of our properties, I told him: “What we need to do now is have our four teenagers stain it.” He agreed, and last Saturday became an all-day paint-a-thon. When you consider both sides needed to be stained, there was a total of 800 linear feet with a materials and supplies cost of $900. Good thing the labor was cheap.

I wouldn’t say the kids had a great attitude beforehand – my daughter Tweeted the night before: “I have to spend all day tomorrow painting a stupid fence” – however, during the nine hours on the job, I heard nary a negative word. They took turns spraying and rolling the cedar planks, and never once became frustrated with each other. All in all, it was a terrific way to spend a spring day… and my guess is they’ll talk about ‘the time we stained the fence’ long after I’m gone.

One thing that arose from this outdoor adventure is recognition of an opportunity missed by fencing companies. As a serial entrepreneur, I’m tempted to start a business and provide the solution myself; however, Kathy made me promise when I created Success Handler, LLC that it would be my last career change. So, I’ll leave this one for you to pursue.

Homeowners should be able to skip the ‘paint stage’ after installing a new fence. Instead, you would have a choice of, say, four colors pre-approved by your HOA. You make your selection in advance and the fence company pre-stains the lumber before delivering it to your home. Up goes the fence and – Voila! – have a lemonade in your beautiful backyard. Customers would gladly pay an up-charge to have this time-consuming task removed from their weekend to-do list.

Feel free to make millions.

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Maintaining Course

Part two of two: Yesterday – after a long weather delay – D.A. Points held on to overcome charges by better-known Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson and win the Shell Houston Open. This was the 36-year-old journeyman’s second career victory on the PGA Tour. Two years ago, the University of Illinois graduate captured the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

While life on the Tour appears to be all glamour, the truth is it’s a grind. Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy finished playing late Friday. On Saturday, my son and I arrived at Redstone Golf Club as the sun was peaking over the horizon. The practice and putting greens were filled with ‘fellow competitors.’ Phil and Rory – who barely made the cut – walked up within a few minutes, stretched, then started hitting wedges and slowly working through their bags until finishing with a few drives, some putts, and heading to the first hole. Then it was four hours of intense concentration, media interviews, a break for lunch and back to the practice tee.

In reality, the two stars utilized this tournament as a warm-up for The Masters in two weeks. Points, on the other hand, needs to make every dollar he can. It’s been a long road. He tried and failed four times to earn his playing card. In 2005, he finally made it through the torturous qualifying school, then missed the cut in 17 of 32 tournaments. In professional golf, you only get paid when you play on the weekends. Otherwise you go home… and incur all the expenses.

Points lost his card, failed to qualify twice more before making it back in 2009. While he still missed 46 cuts in 103 tournaments through 2012, his official winnings peaked at $2,000,000 in 2011, thanks to the victory at Pebble Beach. This year he was off to a rough start, missing cuts in seven of nine tournaments before breaking through here in Houston.

While being a golf star brings with it millions of dollars, the majority of players struggle to remain among the top 125 money winners each year and keep their playing privileges. To steal a line from the film Trading Places, the PGA Tour is “the last bastion of real pure capitalism on earth.” To survive takes skill, athleticism, stamina, discipline and mental toughness. Spend a day on the course watching even unknown players and you’ll be impressed. You’ll also want to encourage your kids to have Plan B.

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Lifetime Earnings

Part one of two: They appear on your TV every week from January through October – traversing the nation from Hawai’i, to California, to Florida and many stops in between. You might only pay attention to them four times each year, when the best from around the globe compete on the toughest courses to determine who among them handles pressure the best.

Players on the PGA Tour lead an enchanted life: making millions from prize money and endorsements. In 1995 – the year before a young Tiger Woods turned pro – Payne Stewart won the Shell Houston Open and received $252,000. The person who lifts the trophy later today will take home $1.1 million. Adjusted for inflation, Stewart’s winning would be $379,000, so the ‘Tiger Effect’ made everyone richer.

Current phenom – and heartthrob of young girls everywhere – Rory McIlroy turns 24 in May. He already has two major championship wins. In 2012, between the US and European tours, he pocketed $15 million in winnings. Of course, that pales in comparison to the contract he signed in January with Nike. Reports estimate the world’s best known brand will pay the world’s best known youngster $200 million over the next decade. That’s a lot of money for wearing the swoosh on your hat and shoes.

If you have a young son start him off playing soccer. The foot coordination is considered a great foundation for athletic success. Then when he turns seven steer him away from team sports. Introduce him to your local PGA Professional instead. The career of a pro football player averages four years. Pro golfers spend 30 years making outlandish money and segue to the Champions Tour at age 50. Bob Tway finished 44th on that money list last year and pocketed $300,000 in winnings. Not a bad retirement income.

Have a newborn daughter or granddaughter? Even better. Many college golf scholarships for women go unfulfilled. If yours happens to be talented, the future is bright. The leading players on the LPGA Tour earn just as much as the seniors. So get started hitting buckets of balls. There are years of practice ahead for your child to earn her playing card.

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