LJ b golf: Early morning wakeup

The early hour on the car clock

at which this reporter left his home

in Clairemont for the CIF golf tourney

at Steele Canyon.

By Ed Piper

Monday morning, May 19

5:03 a.m. Out of bed.

5:43 a.m. Leave Clairemont for CIF golf tourney in Steele Canyon.

6:13 a.m. Arrive at Steele Canyon Golf Club. Coach for Santa Fe Christian runs a meeting for his golfers in the parking lot shortly after 6:30.

6:46 a.m. Spot La Jolla's Justin Woods at the driving range, warming up with several other golfers from other schools.

Justin: "Haven't seen you this season."

Reporter: "I went on a trip, and I got sick."

6:58 a.m. Gabe Vargas, another senior for the Vikings, arrives hurriedly at the driving range and speaks to Woods. Vargas' tee time is 7:15, in the first foursome of the day. He wants to get a few swings in before rushing over to the reporting spot. He makes it.

7:10 a.m. Nate Takata, whose alarm clock apparently didn't go off, comes to the driving range. He asks the Parker coach if he can hit a few balls before his 7:35 tee time. The coach says yes.

7:15 a.m. The reporter, photos of the three in the can, heads for his car. He wants to beat traffic from Steele Canyon in case he takes a substitute-teaching job.

7:47 a.m. In two-lane, bumper-to-bumper traffic merging onto the 125 Highway North in East County, he finds on his phone--and accepts--a sub job at an area middle school. First period starts at 8:30. Can he make it north in time?

It's rush-rush-rush as he hits Ted Williams Parkway off the I-15, the quickest route according to Google Maps to make it to school.

Early-morning traffic taking kids to school is, again, bumper-to-bumper, two lanes side-by-side going into Poway.

The left turn lane onto Tierra Bonita is slow; five or six cars make it through each green arrow. Students are walking across Twin Peaks Blvd. in large groups during each "Walk" indicator.

On Tierra Bonita, with an elementary school right next to the middle school (who ever designed that?), the same starting time, turning left into the staff parking lot is even slower. Each car ahead waits what seems like eons to turn in front of traffic coming down from the elementary school.

8:14 a.m. Home at last. Seems like a miracle: 6:13 arriving at Steele Canyon Golf Club; 8:14 arriving at school, a zillion miles away, in North County, against traffic. Let the normal day begin!