I haven’t gone to swim in a few weeks. My arms were less tired than my last time but my timing was awful: 25 long minutes for the 40 laps. The swimmers in the lane was average and in the beginning they behaved nicely, by half time, one of the swimmers began to bolt right after I came in and he swam slow. I had to move to another lane which was emptier.
The over all behavior has improved tremendously. I used to think to participate in more meets after I turned 50 but now I can’t get myself moving in the lane. Booo hooo…
I just renewed my recreation pass, still at $75 but it will increase to $150 on July 1.
Archive for May, 2011
25 mins
How could she know?
Two New York cops raped a drunken woman. I heard it a while ago on radio while driving. And the story just won’t die, kept on coming back. So my info is all from the radio whenever it coincide my driving. I remembered first the reporting was she was so drunk that her friends put her into a cab from a bar.
my 2nd widowhood ..
My first reaction, IF she was so drunk, how could she know? Being a woman I sympathize her, but my second thought was … how could she get to that point without a safety net, like a friend who would and could get her home/bed safely?
Next news I heard of her was she wore a wire and confront the cop and he admitted that he wore a condom.
How on earth could she identify the cop IF she was so drunk? And the case moved so fast!
The lady who sued McDonald‘s because its coffee burned her came to mind. Oh, the finger lady (who claimed she found a finger in Wendy’s chilli) too.
Golfer plays 2-4 times a week ..
Just the other day, the news came that the two cops, one did rape and the other was the lookout, Kenneth Moreno and Franklin Mata Got Off. Golfer happens to be on the same team with the attorney defending the New York Finest. He got rounds of applause in the locker room.
A lonely planet
手舞足蹈 dancing
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The season opening for the ladies 3.5, my first time playing with girls, all girls nothing but girls. Ya !!!
I’ve known the captain Cheung for more than a decade and play with him from time to time, always in doubles. But for whatever the reason, he thinks I can play singles. Not sure his brain is functioning. Thinking how my team treated me as captain over the years, so I told him, IF no one is willing, then I’ll do whatever and whenever, 两肋插刀 short of 上刀山下火海.
The night before I confessed to Simon as we were hitting that I might have to play singles. He just laughed and said,
“我不懂了.” In Simonism, it means you got to be kidding = can not lah.
We gathered at the lobby and I met the teammates for the first time but I either knew them or played against them. Few I met through Susan who has a huge net work of tennis girls. I’ve got to get on her good side so she’ll include me too. Be nice to her! Few were on opposing teams. So it’s a big happy incestuous family after all.
Walking out to the out door courts that are dark and dead is a new experience to me. And taking up the whole court is another new experience to me. Like I’m totally alone and lost out there! The dark sky didn’t help either. Our matches begin at 9pm, the upper classmen classwomen, the 4.0 do the 7pm shift. I didn’t give the court assignment any thoughts because I’m just a player.
The courts 6 and 7 were being used by schools and we decided that they should move (the coach did ask if we would move to another court). My opponent played my first doubles team few times, and it’s a draw for the last two times they met.
Once the match started, I found myself totally lost out there, didn’t know what to do after serving. No one was around to instruct and cover me.. 🙁 Cheung must forget that few matches I won was due to my partner! Okay, make the humiliating long story short, I could join Lance Legstrong with one wheel: I got a bagel in the first and managed to win 2 games in the second. She hit line after line after line and no one was around to cover it. After the game, she flattered me: the scores don’t reflect it .. A long time ago, when I first picked up tennis, I lost to a good player who said “you’re very consistent” after my disastrous lost to her. Now I have two good lines to use when the 
situation calls for it. See, something good comes out of a embarrassment failure.
Anyway, I need to learn how to play singles. This, by no mean that I’m volunteering. I did not and I am not going to, but would do whatever the team needs.
Ok, enough for my singles début, let’s talk about the more important stuff. Thanks to Kai and Wah cheering us on and for the pictures. The skipper and teammates are very encouraging.
My teammates comforted me by saying that my opponent is the best in the league,
“We’ll get her next time.”
My Chinglish is so poor, I interpreted it as, we’ll get her to our team next time …
“Oh .. that’s a long wait .. next season?”
“No .. we’ll beat her next time.”
Queens Women 3.5, 2011
Date Weekday Time Location Home Team Opp Team (we’re team #5)
- 25-May Wed 9:00 pm; National Tennis Center vs T1 Vogt/Kende: lost 2-3
- 1-Jun Wed 7:00 pm; NTC 2 Cuthbert: 5-0
- 8-Jun Wed 7:00 pm; National Tennis Center, vs 4 McConway/Danchik: 3-2
- 17-Jun Fri 8:00 pm; Cunningham Park 5 3
- 22-Jun Wed 7:00 pm; National Tennis Center 1 5
- 5-Jul Tue 8:00 pm; Cunningham Park 5 2
- 10-Jul Sun 8:00 pm; National Tennis Center 3 5
- 24-Jul Sun 5:00 pm; Alley Pond 4 5
1S: 5 points
2S: 4
1D: 6
2D: 4
3D: 3
I played only two matches. Our team would default two matches on June 17 (2nd singles and third doubles), and two singles matches on July 10 too. Not sure what’s happened on 6/17 because I haven’t left for vacation yet.
USTA/Eastern Metro Regional Championship, day 2
We had our chances but didn’t capitalize on them. Part of the game I need to improve – mental, although Deb promised a prettier trophy for the 5th place team. More pix on FB and more team pix; the girl in the white fancy outfit.
Jerry and I had a 3-0 lead in the fist set but lost it 7-5. The gent seemed having trouble moving in the beginning which was distracting, which is to say, I need to improve my game mentally and my brain.
My mind began wandering around, trying to figure out why Court #15 next to us wasn’t being used by Deb: two girls vs a gal and a guy. … Thought I saw the girl in the blue dress was mingling with us .. It bothered me. So .. after couple of more games and finally I heard the tall gal grunt like a man. Oh, I got it, to show unity he dressed in sync with his partner.
How sweet and cute.
We lost first set.
I was very disgusted. Why couldn’t I concentrate on my own game?? I even caught a glimpse of Adam while playing.
The End .. The Exit ..
The Exit .. better luck next year
It’s been a great and fun season for all of us, thanks kids for being so considerate and supportive of the team. Better luck next year.
USTA/Eastern Metro Regional Championship, day 1
Eight of 10 mates showed up for work on an uncertain rainy Saturday. Actually the entire weekend was in question, intermittent rains and more rains. We started little early than scheduled 6pm due to heavy sky. Ricky and I played on Court 5. We jumped to a 2-0 lead but I double faulted on my game point. Then she held serve that brought the match to 2 apiece. The first set was pretty competitive, we all had our mistakes and chances. Me, missing the most. The second set was one sided, me, withdrawing from the match. It’s really all mental and I found myself not up to it. Is it another form of ‘nervous’? I probably knew all the rhetoric but it’s much harder to execute them. More pix on FB
There were couple of close line calls. After one call, she came to the net and reconfirmed it even we weren’t questioning it. There was a man who’s watching from another side of the court and made a audible disagreement when Ricky call a ball out. It’s clearly out dude. That’s pretty annoying. Our opponent’s young son was around which was cute.
During the brief rest between the two matches, few teams were munching on drinks, fruits and pasta … Irene forgot to do her share. Sorry kids, I didn’t bring anything and lost the match too ..
Five mates recycled, played the second match against Brooklyn. One court folded after one game due to injury. Second court was a re-match of our Queens’ Final that gone to third set tie break. However, this time Kim’s team disposed my pair in just two sets. It does pay off to play in multiple boroughs. Team Kim missed the Queens but made in Brooklyn. We missed Manhattan but made in Queens, etc.
The second doubles court was the last one to finish and require second location when rain finally came down. Our pair was behind at 3-5 but came back to win it at 7-6. The second set was hotly contested. When the opponent was serving at 5-3, the game score was 30:40 but they called it game and our mates accepted. On the way to the restaurant, Jerry said they were very involved with the match as a whole, especially came back from 3-5 in the first, so they weren’t paying enough attention to the progressing score.
Not good. Deb said repeatedly …. to yell out scores!!
I thought about our brief exchange at Queens final, with the same girl .. it’s her partner who questioned the score at the change over .. Take it as a lesson, call out scores for everyone’s benefit.
Sunday .. Day 2
our first match
the second match
The Court with a view
Some tennis court is just better than the other. This city park court #19 (foreground) and #20 at the NTC have a lovely view. The permit rose to $200 from $100 last year. (It increased to $100 from $50 a while ago …)
Anyway, Ming and I took 2 sets from Larry and Jim. Ming did most lifting.
the courts with a view
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The season finale
Their last game of the season vs North at home’s close contested, they lost 15-16. They were leading most of the times. More pix on FB, video
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a heartbreaking season finale
the time out
my view to the right: the baseball field...
her weapon
a little celebration
Field of Dreams
This part of the school athletic fields I seldom visit. They’re pretty much in demand because many times they’re being used by other schools or groups. Sunday mornings are always reserved for the baseball men, even on Mother’s Day. Baseball is called the summer game, boys of the summer. I don’t really have patient for it but I like to play the game myself. There is a commanding feeling when you are at base, ready to swing the bat. The entire diamond field is at attention, despite the pitcher is considered the heart of the game.
Some day, I will play it again. Some day.
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Field of Dreams
pitcher, the center of the attention
the player .. running off the bat
meet the parents ..
the umpire
the coach
