Things to do

Here are some things I want to do:

Go to a show at Freight and Salvage in Berkeley

Hike

Ride my bike

Go to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park

Bought myself a toy

It's so hard to know what to get people for the holidays. But there's one person I have no trouble shopping for -- me. Got me a new toy the other day -- a distortion pedal for my guitar. To give me that mean, snarly rock sound when I'm strumming my G and C chords. Me getting an effects pedal is kinda a joke, since I can barely play guitar. But I got it thinking it might force to play the thing. So far it hasn't -- I haven't touched the guitar. Too busy. But maybe someday.

Living a lie

My senior men's team record now is 3-0, so you'd think I was playing halfway decently. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Actually, I stink. The nifty record is just the result of some favorable matchups, I think, along with having some partners who've played OK while I was stumbling (and visa versa, I might add). Last year I was 0-6 for the seniors, but I bet I was playing better. I just had the misfortune of being paired up against some solid foes. It's all in the scheduling.

Winning ways

I got my first win in the WC singles league this year. I beat Oscar at Willow Pass Park 7-5, 6-3. Didn't play well, though. I almost felt like I lost coming home from the match. He was the kind of player I pretty much should have mopped up on, but I'm not playing too well right now. A better win came on Thursday, when the Muckrakers ekked out a 14-13 win. Now, that was exciting. I went 2-for-2 and am batting well over .600 this season. I don't know how I'm doing it but it sure is fun.

Got another singles match on Saturday at Freedom vs. Duane, and maybe another one on Sunday. I hope the ol' tennis game picks up.

Season opener

The 3.5 team's season started today with a match at Round Hill. The club is awesome, the courts are great, the weather was amazing. Too bad I went and spoiled it all by attempting to play tennis. Woody and I went down to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat. I think I lost serve a coupla times. I think I played pretty poorly. No, I know I played pretty poorly. You'd think after 30 or so years of playing this game I'd know how to hit a tennis ball. But nooooooooooo ........ I hacked and sputtered and flailed all over the place. Oh, well, at least I know I need to improve, and improve quite a bit. And improve I shall.

Have I mentioned I'm using a Prince O3 Blue now? I love the racket, but I hate my tennis game. Lots of cleanup to do.

Democracy in action!

Free Web poll for your Web site - freepolls.com

Impulse buy

I had no intention of buying a new racket when I stepped into Sports Chalet. But I headed over to the racket section to do what I thought would be the usual browsing. And there it was -- the Prince 03 Blue I've been craving, and $10 off to boot. I was in a good mood, having just come off the tennis court (senior men's practice at Freedom High). I just thought, "you want it, just get it." And so I did. Let's just consider it a late birthday present to myself. So now I've got the racket I'll probably use for the next 10 years. I'm very pleased. Will it make me a better player? I'm sure it won't. But I've got a cool racket, and that's all that matters.

Here's something strange

I've been playing better lately. Really. Whether I've really gotten better or if I just have had a couple good days lately remains to be seen. And it will be seen. Men's 3.5 season starts soon. I signed up recently.

She's very much back

Martina won in her long-awaited return. A tennis nation gives its undying thanks.

Here she is

Why is there a photo of Martina Hingis on this blog? What, I have to explain it?

Back from Seattle

I actually got away for once .... visited Seattle Dec. 9-11. The city was spectacular, and it was great to get on a plane and go somewhere. The supposed reason for the trip was the 49ers-Seahawks game on Dec. 11, and of course that didn't turn out so well. The 49ers got crushed and played perhaps the worst game in franchise history in the process. But no matter. Visiting such Seattle landmarks as Pike's Market and the Space Needle made it a great trip. Now I've got the traveling bug, contemplating my next trip. Wimbledon, here I come! Maybe.

Getting into a new racket

I've been threatening to buy a new racket for like years and years. Finally I did it. Put a Prince More Attack in my hand at SportMart and it just felt right so I bought it then and there. I was just tired of not having a new racket -- my old one's all beat to hell -- so I just went and did it. I haven't even hit with it yet -- it's being strung as we speak. I didn't demo the thing beforehand, so who knows if I even like it. Well, I'd better like it -- it's going to be my weapon of choice for the next few years.

Some good news to report

Hey, you can't lose them all, right? I finally got my first victory of my singles league today, beating Tony 6-3, 6-4. He came into the match 0-5 just like me, so someone was going to get their first win of the season. Fortunately, it was me. I didn't play particularly well but I guess I kept the ball in play better than he did and I made a couple of nice defensive plays that somehow became winners. I know I can play lots better, but man, does it feel good to finally get a W. The match also qualifies me to play in the year-end tournament.

To my devoted fans

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. There hasn't been anything out of the ordinary to report -- lots of tennis, lots of losing. With more to come, I'm sure. I'm signed up for a senior men's league and a 6.0 doubles league. Much fun to be had by one and all.

Lots of work to do

Well, if I had any doubts where I stood in the 3.5 tennis heirarchy, they were answered in my last two matches. On Saturday, I lost in two sets at Willow Pass Park in my senior doubles league, 6-2, 6-1. Then on Sunday, I played my first match of the 3.5 singles league and fell at Rudgear Park to Paul, 6-0, 6-4. Losing just 6-4 might sound somewhat impressive, but while driving home I realized that Paul, a really nice guy, was probably just screwing around that second set and let me win a few games. In any case, what I suspected I now know is true: I don't have 3.5 game yet. I have to do some major work on my swing and my timing so I can play competitively in the 3.5 world.

Who this?

Why do I have a picture of Jose Carlos Fajardo here? Because I can, that's why.

Victory

It had to happen sometime, and it did last Saturday. My partner and I won a close match at Crow Canyon in 3 sets, 6-4 in the third. It was my debut for the 50 mixed seniors team I signed up for, so I was glad to make a good first impression. And man, after all the losing I've done this year, was it ever good to win. I didn't even hold serve until midway through the second set, but once I got it going we turned the tide. And best of all, my back survived it all. Victory is mine!

Test

I went to the high school and hit the tennis ball against the wall a little bit as a test of my achin' back. The good news was I could make all the shots I needed to make. The slightly bad news was my lower back was a little sore while I played. Then I hit about 20 serves, and the good news there was the back wasn't a problem at all. So overall, I'd say I passed the test. But there was some soreness when I played so I know I'm not 100 percent. But I know I can play, so that's a good thing.

Still

The back is hurting still. Don't know when I'll get back to playing tennis. Bad timing on my part _ I signed up to play in a 3.5 singles league and now I'm on the sidelines. My back feels pretty good at night, but in the mornings _ pain. I'm basically going to shut things down until July, then reevaluate from there.

Ouch!

I must have tweaked my back in my last match, because the lower back hurts like hell. Stuff like getting in and out of bed and in and out of my car is a painful struggle right now. I already canceled my last match for Sunday. I might even have to break down and see the doctor.