Thursday, April 13, 2017 (Court Day #14)
Setting up the nets at Skypark in Scotts Valley
I was hoping to play pickleball yesterday morning, but it was perfect storm of bad staffing. My (subordinate) manager was off, my other opener had her last day Saturday last week, and my third opener couldn’t make it in due to complications of a broken foot. Technically, I could have one of two other people open, but neither was in a position to manage the business in my absence. That’s the bad news. The good news is it was pouring rain and I couldn’t have played anyway! Ha!
I left work today about 15 minutes before closing, raced home, skipped dinner and headed out to the courts in Scotts Valley. I got there at 6:10 or so, just as Eric and Ted were walking from Ted’s car to the entrance of the courts. I joined them. Nets were just being removed from the big lock box and we each helped carry in nets and balls, then helped set up the nets. This process of setting up nets and taking them down is becoming routine. I’m becoming an old hand at it.
I played a number of assorted games with Karen (not Long), Mark and his wife Maree, Eric, Ted, and Marie. Maree can be a bit of self-admitted ball hog sometimes, so that’s an adjustment going into a game with her as well as readjusting afterward with the next partner—which in this instance was Colleen.
Colleen
I partnered up with Colleen to play against Eric and Ted. I’d never met Colleen before. She is a very good player. Probably the second best woman player that I’ve seen behind Karen Long. Colleen makes us look good. We won our first game something like 11-7, then had a rematch later against Eric and Ted and beat them 11-2. She’s one of those players that avoids mistakes and can volley and dink well. She also was able to return some slams that I set up by hitting too high over the net. I did have one nifty return myself where I hit the ball back from low and behind me while still facing forward—and it even was a good shot just over the net that dropped into the kitchen. I’ll take those when they come!
Stuart
I finally got to match up with Stuart, who’s a very good player. I got my first experience of “hit it to the weaker player”—I got a lot of action! Colleen and Ted took us down pretty handily—it was a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio in points! Stuart missed a few shots, but I think it was because he was lulled into sleep and was surprised when the ball actually came to him! Ted can hit with a lot of spin. There were a few serves where I was unable to get a good return on them. Better lighting would have helped—to better see the rotation of the ball—but a good player still has to adjust to whatever the environment happens to be at game time.
We wrapped up the evening and I was back in my car at about 9:10. My supportive wife was half asleep recuperating for another day in her 1st grade classroom tomorrow. She’s happy that I’m getting exercise.
Number of days on a court: 14
Number of hours: 40
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