Wednesday, December 6, 2017 (Court Day #99)

I arrived at Derby Park at 8:55. I helped Dave Allenbaugh by setting up a net. Wayne set up one as well. It wasn’t warm, but it was sunny. I came with a sweatshirt, but it was after the first game.

There were three people I’d never met who appeared. Jennie, a man named Mike, and a man named Joel. Jennie said she’d played a few times already. While she was my partner in one game, she mentioned that she’d played tennis recently with her husband and the tennis court seemed clownishly big after getting used to a pickleball court. Jennie’s age is hard to determine, but I’d guess about 30. Mike is older, maybe late 50s. He was better than I was expecting—judging a book by it’s cover—but still not a particularly strong player, but not bad. Jennie is the stronger player. She could be really good once she develops a soft game.

Joel was the surprise. Tall, in his 60s. Spin, getting the ball over the net, etc. He’s got hard serves. I’m not used to them and returned one or two into the net. Frustrating. A formidable and worthy opponent.

I almost got an around-the-post from the right side today, but it was 2″-3″ wide of the court. So close.

I almost got an around-the-post from the left side today—with my left hand—but it was 2 feet wide of the court!

Today was a pretty good day. Not one that I want to erase!

Being that I manage a retail store and it’s 19 days to Christmas, I didn’t want to leave our understaffed picture framing department without me for too long, so I left early, 11:15 and I was off.

The general lesson for today is to not assume a point is over. Jennie dropped a ball right over the net while I was back. A relaxed pose for a winning point ensued. But I ran up, managed to just get to the ball and drop it back over for the true winner. Later, with Mike as my partner, he dropped a ball over the net and fell victim to Jennie playing my role who returned the short ball back over for the true winner.

Number of days on a court: 99

Number of total hours: 280

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