Steve and i played tennis today. it feels warmer than summer. and the sky is bluer than blue. and i am sure my body is going to be sorer than sore tomorrow or even later today. i went to the gym this morning. and then to play tennis with Steve around noon. let's just say i shouldn't have tried to "run down" that overhead lob. Nadal did it yesterday in Melbourne. oh yeah, he is 22 years old, in incredible shape, and the #1 professional tennis player in the world and i am not and not and not. i fell hard looking over my right shoulder and running from the net in the direction of the baseline. i think the ball landed in. i landed hard on my left side. nothing broke. there is some swelling in my left elbow. and a few scrapes on my arms and knee. my left hip is sore. i took a 5 minute "timeout" and then we played for another hour or so. i am sure i will be feeling it soon. Steve and i have been playing together for over 20 years. i think the first time we played was in Pittsburgh in 1987. somewhere there is a photo of us playing tennis as the snow begin to fall. today was the first time for me to play this year which probably makes about 5 times in the last couple of years. hard to believe we used to play for hours almost every chance we got. Steve stays busy with his wife and kids. i think i played once with Mike last year when he was here on an "overnight". time for a shower and some lunch. and time to put some ice on my elbow. and maybe take a few aspirin. if tomorrow is as beautiful as today, i (maybe Steve too) plan to go for a skate by the beach. as Jimmy Buffett sings:
"i'm growing older but not up
my metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck
let those winds of change blow over my head
i'd rather die while i'm living then live while i'm dead..."
my first professional tennis friend Rika Hiraki and her doubles partner Amy Frazier. i took this photo around 15 years ago. lots of tennis memories from way back then including a few US Opens in New York because of Rika and then because of meeting another Japanese/American two-handed forehand and backhand player (i think) Nana Miyagi. good memories of some nice people. where are they now?
