Don’t know Vladimir Putin has a younger under nourished tennis playing bro, 🙂 Federer is playing Nikolay Davydenko of Russia. ND almost took Roger to 4:1 the first set, but lost 5:7. His buzz cut reminds me of the swamp of bad hair cut Russians in the 90s, Yevgeny Kafelnikov was one who’s the only Russian won the French Open. The commentators mentioned earlier YK’s on a poker tour in Uma and said don’t sell ND short, lol
Archive for June, 2007
Z n G
A busy morning so far between ZLRs n ghosts with couple of reversals – a very pretty mitten ghost on dax that I had to reverse from the zlr. Oh well. I’m done for the day and the week, now looking forward to goto work :)… French Open at 10am first … Simon called last night for today, and making sure I’ll show up on Saturday morning (he got Irene L to come, will have to pick her up thou; not yet sure who’s the fourth..). Poor thing, he lost doubles match at USTA Wednesday to Byron and Sean.
Oh bummer
Port Washington tennis club has pretty new facility with 17 indoor hartur courts. I played there few times. At the testing, there were 5 kids. The head pro with two assistants took the kids down and mentioned to the parents that we shall watch from the lounge. If the age is any indication, PW is perhaps a more seriously club than ours: Slowpoke is the oldest. The youngest girl looks like only 2 years old, jk, but you get the picture. It’s her first time ever being evaluated and she’s very nerves, couldn’t get any thing over the net, lol. As soon as the last kid went down, the door closed, parents pulled the chairs, sat by the window, the airy lounge became deadly silent and tense. What’s for? It’s not a match or anything, just to see which class the kid will be going to. Right? Then why did my heart surge or sink hung on her making or missing the shot? We kept to ourselves as our kid one by one being appraised. Not a single word crossed our lips, no ohs or wows. … She got the Advanced rating which is the middle level. I took her to the other side of the courts where individual and groups lessons were in session.
“I like it.” Ok then, sweat it out here 9am-4pm 5 days a week.
Something about tennis
There is something unique about tennis: if you play it right, it’s fluid and gracious (vs grunting and bad forms), gentlemanly, physically demanding and can be glamours at times – they did come up with Anna K (okaaay, Kournikova never won anything but who cares, come on, she’s quite and beautiful), the top players travel in their own jets. But at the grass root level, I found people that associate with tennis are tend to be … I’m bit at loss for word. Incompetent is one. Disorganized is another. It becomes a fact that when you deal with tennis clubs/people, you’re not getting any services, you have to be on top of things.
A conversation with the woman A at my town’s club, whom I see from time to time, spoke countless times. Over the years, when she said she’ll call for something, either a piece of info or rescheduling my lesson, it would never happen. The last hiccups was when I showed up for a make up lesson, there wasn’t a space. Why do we have her around is a myth to me: there are young girls manning the front desk, answering the phone calls. Can those young beauty queens do what A is doing? I think so. But they’re not. She has trouble to coordinate with the pros or that’s the way tennis pros function: irresponsible and clueless, other than teaching forehand and drop shots.
I called A to enroll Pumpkin. For some reason, she began to pound on me. I thought for years of dealing, she’d remotely recognize my accented voice or even my name? Our club isn’t big. I’m perfectly fine with that she doesn’t know/remember me. But have problem dealing with her, like today she announced rather stoically:
“The summer camp is for intermediate to advanced players only, age 12-17 years…” pause.
“Can you child handle it?”
Well, let me see, the last session Pumpkin took there was lower advance with 3 huge boys.
I answered, “yes, she can.”
That didn’t seem to be enough. A won’t stop, went on to say
“If your child never played, it’s not going to work.”
I assured her that my child’s been playing.
“Has she played at this club?”
“Yes, indeed.” She started there. It’s a reputation as a farm. Once the kid gets better, they move on.
“We don’t take beginners.” Come on, A, you stated that already.
Would it sound over the top If I call her a dumb-axx?
Another conversation at Port Washington club. I called to ask about the try oout. The girl said “yes you need to be tested for the summer camp.” I know they do that on Tue/Thur at 6pm, hence I called.
“Do I need to make an appointment or just show up?”
“No appt necessary. But our head pro isn’t available today. He’ll be on the court.”
“Meaning?”
“There won’t be a test today. Can you come next Tuesday?”
“No. I have time today. Could some other pro do it?” After few seconds, she put on her manager on.
She introduced herself and said, “come at six.”
“Are you sure? Some pro is testing?”
“Oh, no, the head pro will be doing it.” I must have hearing problem.
..
Last March when I was in Scottsdale, I found a club where I could play tennis by taking lesson. So I booked one and left my phone, asking the pro to call me, making sure I could make it the following morning. Then Woodie changed the time for the class, I called their office to cancel, also left message on their website. The pro never got the call. Can they get their act together, from time to time?
Once my boss said to me when I was the administrator managing the 120+ people department, including the union, gotten frustrated,
“What do you expect those glass washers/secretaries whom only make 20k?” He has a point.
In large I agree, but don’t we all have to be responsible for what’s assigned to us, at work or in life, regardless the CEOs or the dishwashers?
Responsibility doesn’t require a college degree.
- 2012.06.26, balls at the club
- 2010, birthday
- 2007.07.30, the summer camp
Glimpses from a weekend
~
Although I never rode a motorcycle and prohibit my kids riding one (and smoking is another ban), but I was wowed by the image of Gere’s 1982 An Officer and a Gentleman when he rode one. Was it Honda or something else? But anyway, this is my favored motorcycle.
Rain interrupted our play .. but we continuously played: Tony is cleaning the court which’s covered by yellow pollen and a pair is dancing the cha cha..
赶场
I’m so popped by now: 7:30am tennis didn’t happen – for whatever the reason – so I went to my weekend morning group. Sunny said, “oh, you’re late.” He’s right. Ming and I teamed up against Albert and Sing. We lost both sets. Rushed home, playing with Slowpoke for little over an hour. Showered, ate my brunch, then off to my in-laws’, watched Sharapova beating Patty Schnyder, the girl with funny forehand. Why the heck she raised her hand … didn’t return the serve during the tensed final set? Then Simon called, they only have Tony and Sean, needing a warm body. So I basically told my mother-in-law that I need to go to work. It’s her birthday. Hey I once had my g/fs finished a party at my house for me. Anyway, when I sped over to SAndy’s, Irene L. and Wah came too in casual outfits, right behind me. “Just passing by.” They changed and Wah and I against Simon and Irene L. Her idea. I wondered out loud, if we won, would Wah have dinner? As game progressing, I worried if Wah’s able to sleep tonight, lol, she can take jokes. We had a thin win 6:4. Played a losing set with Brian against Irene/Wah. We were the uderdog, but did pretty good at 4:6. … Yesterday after tennis, shuttled Slowpoke at pool party and Kinglazy at his buddy’s. Trek to Chinatown for dinner at the former Silver Palace on Bowery Street, called Golden Bridge, right in front of the Manhattan bridge. A guy sit at our table perhpas bored out of his wit, starting giving me stock tip. Friday evening was tennis too. Slowpoke took lesson with Barry and I picked up a guy to play with while waiting. He looked at me, paused and then said, ‘ok’. Turned out, we had great 45 minutes hitting till I was out of breath. Then he called out to his partner … it’s Harrison.
Don’t parents all wait around and picking up the balls? When I went back to Slowpoke before her lesson was over, there’s dad sat by himself and busy talking. For a second, I thought he’s commentating on Barry’s teaching skills since his court’s the closest to him. No. Actually he’s yelling to his little boy who’s Slowpoke’s size, was playing a grown man 2 courts away in a every even game. I saw the little guy taking lesson upon arrival. Apparently the lesson was over and it’s the practice time. The dad couldn’t help but dishing out, “eeeuuuurrrhhhh … hit cross court …” Pulling his hair and shirt. The boy retorted, “oh, I hate tennis …” “Backhand ..” “Stop talking to me..” The well-built dad got up, “that’s it, let’s go home.” The pair continuously played without missing a beat trading long beautiful rallies. The dad walked a small circle, then sat down again. The boy missed a shot, he bounced up and pounding his chest like King Kong, screamed “cross court … hit hard!” “Shut up !!! … I hate tennis! Oohhh I hate hate tennis !!!! …” All the while Slowpoke was practicing serve serenely … we all cracked up. How would I behave when (if) Slowpoke gets to that level?
