Pumpkin’s serve is getting better slowly, but she’s getting there. This semester she seems to have a lot motivation to play. .. .. Everything takes practice and hard work to get it right.
Archive for September, 2008
Her g/f
Pumpkin’s partner Tiffany is a sophomore who loves to coach, or giving tips. I went down to watch with my camera in hand. Pumpkin told her .. that’s my Mom. Tif waved a hello, said “hi Mom ..” So cute. They were leading 2:0. Then Pumpkin served and lost the game with two doubles. The opposing team won their first serving game. It was 2:2. For a moment, I thought I was distracting them. Then Tif played a very smart serving game; Pumpkin’s forehands were really working .. .. their opponents began to falter. Next thing I knew they won the set 8:2 – first to reach the 8th game wins. Tif has a great serving motion .. .. Pumpkin began to bent her knees too.
After the match, I greeted Tif. She came over and gave me a very firm hand shake. Wow. I like a positive and firm hand shake. Shows your sincerity. I dislike the half assed limpy hand shake, especially from a man – pun intended. Tif seems a really nice girl, who knows what she wants and going after it. Her parents try to discourage her from playing tennis (more time on books) but she took a job and pays for herself. She also got accepted at pre-college division at Julliard for bassoon. A go getter.
They know each other from lacrosse but I think the partnership has made them closer. I’m grateful for her influence on Pumpkin. Choosing your friends is very important.
Sharon’s Dad said that one other area’s courts have been renovated already too. I got to check that one out too.
Is south of LIE a tad hickier or what: last time they played a team from the south and the coach brought a huge bag of junky snakes and they littered the wrappers all over the courts.
Final Week at Shea
Tuesday night Mets beat Chicago’s Cubs 6 to 2. It was an exciting game. Oddly enough, on a glorious day, the stadium wasn’t packed. I haven’t been to Shea for a while. Baseball isn’t my thing, way too slow. But I enjoy playing baseball or softball, used to play pick up games at Central Park. That was great.
It’s the final week there. I couldn’t wait for the area to be fully developed. The Wrigley Field in Chicago is wonderful, the home for Cubs. The streets were closed down during the game. The private homes that have good view of the game are converted to clubs or bars that renting out for parties during the game, with roof top areas. Golfer often flies over to entertain his clients at one of rented bars. Regardless of winning or losing, Cubs is able to packed the Wrigley Field every single home game. Can’t say that about Mets and Shea. But the Shea area is being renovated or beautified at the moment. New buildings are coming up. There will be a park too, I heard. WTG New York.
Liberty at MSG
Last Thursday WNBA New York’s Liberty beat Connecticut’s Sun. The Madison Square Garden got renovated few years back. The last few times we were there were all at the suit or box above. It’s ok place. But thought it would have been better. The Garden that night was not even half filled. Guess the girls don’t drew that many fans. They rarely score over 100 pt per game. Liberty’s highest score is 99 I think.
My kids got a raw deal ..
I played good tennis this glorious weekend, despite of my tender right wrist hurt while making my little tables. I know .. I know .. complaining shows character flaw and .. but I’ve been making ado with it and hopefully get over it soon. My buddies are pretty sick by now that every time we play, I have use of one part of body, could only play either forehand or backhand.
What the most masmezing time came on Saturday, was not that the four sets William and I won, (that too was great but I shouldn’t take any credit) but I played with Pumpkin afterward.
I went home after the morning game, had breakfast and went out again with her. As we were warming up, I noticed she has far better control by the mid court or near the net than before. We could rally for a long time, often 20 strokes or so. After an hour or so, she called it quit. We sat down, had water and then she asked,
“Have I improved?”
It might just be what it is, that she wanted to know if she has improved from the last time we played. But what immediately creep into my mind was what I told her when she first got into it.
Couple of years ago, she just got to know Sharon (but before they ever played) and asked how she measures up to the Ace. Being tactless, I replied in my most famous way,
“She’s much better player ..”
At the time, she showed nothing just took it in. I forgot the moment all together. Till this Saturday.
Lord, What did I do to my kid, I asked myself silently. I felt sick and wanted to kick myself. Should I answer it with bit more sensitivity? Absolutely. Was I able to answer it with pride and encouragement while convey the truth? Well, if I try little harder, I might, 20% chance .. .. On the brighter side of the equation – although I sometime feel sorry for my kids that they got a lousy deal from me .. but nevertheless, I love them very much, and very proud of them – that they’re experiencing the real life, starting right at home. Might not be too bad after all.
Hey, I got to make myself feel good, right? On the expense of my kids? That’s bad. Parents on both side of Pacific Ocean are busy driving their little ones to somewhere and do something, while Irene is busy with her own thing. Lousy and selfish mom.
Whom to vote for?
60 Minutes interviewed both candidates. John McCain looked stiff, like a piece of old furniture and quick to blame the Wall Street executives and SEC, thinks that Andrew Cuomo would be an appropriated replacement of Chris Cox, and that Sarah Palin is ready to be president, ‘absolutely’ was his word. Mr. McCain has my respect as man’s man, but I have to laugh. Obama on the other hand, looked intelligent and provided more responsive answers to the questions. He didn’t blame the WS titans out right. One thing people should remember, that those executives were installed there to be greedy in the first place. They work (or on the theory) for the shareholders. It’s the regulator/government’s job to check them.
Obama is half white, but why his blackness is so prominent on display and much debated? What about his whiteness? Can he have Sarah Palin as wife, making my voting decision easier?
What a mess. .. the US-haters are probably laughing too.
Ok, Giants won in OT .. Anthony Kim beat out Sergio Garcia to win the Opening Ryder Cup Singles. Ya, you go Kim! Go America! I never liked Sergio, found him to be a sour loser.
Kang Suh
Walking toward the Korean town from Penn Station, this restaurant is the first on your right. It uses Broadway as address rather than 32nd Street: 1250 B’way, New York, NY 10001. It opens 24 hours. The bbq beef was somewhat ok but the varied appetizers, for the most part, weren’t good, except the kimchi and mushroom. Not worth going again.We went there after the WNBA Liberty’s play off game against the CT’s. The Madison Square Garden was only third filled. Girls tennis draws crowds but not girlie basketballers.
Lehman and Citi
This was taken on Monday Sept 15, the day Lehman Brothers went down made public. Will this still be a Citi Field when it completes, or when the first bat strikes the fast ball next season? Lehman used to be part of Smith Barney. Smith Barney is part of Citi now. The IB looks gloomy. Lehman Brothers’ broker/dealer part is still doing fine, only the investment banking side that’s gone wrong.
Reportedly CEO Dick Fuld turned down a Korean bank’s offer last week – he might consider to have bodyguards 24/7 and even a gun. What was his reason for the refusal? The proud Wall Street icon should not rest in the Asians’ hand? I do remember WS’ reaction when Jap bought Rockefeller back then. It wasn’t pretty. Although people like to say the color of money is green. But I bet there are shades, and your green is sure not the same as mine: -nuances – such as political view/association, religions, race .. all kind of things made the shades.
Now .. it’s a huge global village now anyway.
Force of nature
We stayed at the sea side resort, Four Seasons on the Gulf in Galveston. The little town was charming. I particularly enjoyed the Moody Gardens, the old downtown and little Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum. The beach was great too.
The devastating damages made by Ike is unreal, or too real. Lately, the nature disasters are so routine that I almost lost count of them. What have we done to this planet, and to ourselves?
The October issue of National Geographic talks about Neanderthals, the other humans that had gone, extinct. Eurasia was theirs alone for 200,000 years. .. ..
Thomas Friedman ridicules Palin or McCain’s drill, baby, drill! He asserts that why would they make America stupid by doing thing so last century – fossil fuels instead the 21st-century technology: the renewable energy?
Giants is winning at St. Louis 20:6, little over 2 minutes left in the third quarter – the stadium is only half filled!! How could that be?? Meet me in St. Louis 🙂 .. .. So what’s the heck – win, boy, win!
Chivalry in cycling
Wow .. Lance Legstrong is going to compete for his 8th in 2009 Tour. He’s one of my favored athletes. I found him to be handsome and inspiring. His stoic look or determination made him all the more appealing. Surprisingly the few comments about his return were rather negative.
I got little inspired and took out my rusty bike for a spin. Before the summer, I wanted to take it to the shop for maintenance and cleaning. But never made it. Have to pump some air into the tires before riding. Felt so good. My biking skill is at minimum, given the fact that every Chinese knows how to handle one. Yishi could knit a scarf while I fumbled with it. Couple of burly men walked around me when they saw me coming today, 🙂 .. that’s how lousy I’m as a biker.
Always wondered, 1.3b people, not one of them could compete let alone to win the Tour de France ?? China should have asked him to lead or train a Chinese team right after his retirement last year .. ..
I remembered him waited for Ullrich in 2001 (to get back on his bike after a fall ..) and Jan Ullrich waited for Lance in 2003.
“If I would have won this race by taking advantage of someone’s bad luck, then the race was not worth winning.”
Winning the race fair is important. Alberto Contador didn’t in 2010 and took some heat .. well, maybe under different circumstance.
