Dream Team 2016

I get a little stressed thinking about what I need to do before my move. There are goodbye dinners to be had and boxes to be packed and U-verse modems to be shipped (really, AT&T?).

But then I remember Gina's advice: "Don't think about the big picture." Good idea, particularly when I overanalyze things that aren't likely to happen. Sometimes I talk myself out of opportunities, but this last month has really shown me what is possible.

March 2012: Gina, Yvonne, Patrice & me in Indian Wells

It's fitting that Gina was the one to give this advice.

Four and half years ago, our tri-level team went to California and played at Nationals. Cheesy as it may sound, it was a dream come true. The journey had everything: triumph, tears, and some heartbreaking losses. To get to play in Indian Wells was a high point of my tennis career. Getting there might've been unlikely, but it was always possible.

August 2016: Gina, Yvonne, Patrice & me at Highlander

Four and a half years later, we reunited to play some doubles. After the great tennis, we enjoyed lunch at El Jefe. We ate everything: tacos, quesadillas, and lots of chips. To get to play and hang out with the Dream Team again was a high point of my last week in Milwaukee. They'll always remind me of all that is possible.

The tennis tribe

To my Milwaukee tennis friends,
Thank you for the memorable send-off party. For going to four stores to find the perfect ingredients for sloppy joes. For the taco wontons that were such a hit I didn't get to try them. And for the oatmeal chocolate chip bars and the gooey brownies. This group knows how to party and potluck.

I'm blown away by your thoughtfulness and creativity. I love the luggage, which makes me look forward to living out of a suitcase. And the Starbucks and the candy (which I may or may not have started eating already) to keep me peppy during the drive to Nebraska. Thursday Night Ladies, thank you for the engraved pen and journal to chronicle my new adventures.

Thank you for your friendship, for all the phone calls and you-got-this conversations. Even you, Doug, for the tough love that very first week! I'm glad you knew in December how happy I'd be now.

I'll miss you all, but I know it won't be long until I come back for a visit, asking (demanding?) to play the ad side. Thanks for always making room for one more.

Bingo!

Tonight I met up with the Wednesday night tennis gang at J&B's Blue Ribbon. It was Party Rock Bingo night, and the suspense did not disappoint.

There was a little of everything, including some one-hit wonders and bands whose names I never knew. Plus there were some real throwback tunes; I can't ever hear "Pour Some Sugar on Me" without thinking of Katy, for reasons I can't quite remember. And "Runaround" takes me back to my days at the Keg in Evanston. Ah, 1994.

About five minutes after Carol left, I filled in a row on one of her cards. Bingo! By the time I called her, though, she was already leveraging her luck in bigger venues (up $31 at Potawatomi).

We'll go back some Wednesday to spend my gift certificate on more chicken fingers and cans of beer. See you there!

Bay to Breakers 2014

A month before the San Francisco Bay to Breakers, I decided it would be fun to trek the 7.46 miles. (That’s 12K to those of you who are runners or love math.)

I hadn’t run or even walked 7.46 miles since the last time I did the Bay to Breakers, 20 years ago.

But this would be a chance to hang with Ruth and get back to the City. So I trained as much as I could, running and walking and adding yoga to the mix. At Highlander, Susie and Scott gave me advice and "You got this!" pep talks. Ruth, on the other hand, needed no such encouragement: She just ran seven miles the week before the race.

On race day, we went to our corral with plenty of time to check out the costumes. Fortunately none of the naked runners started in the 10–12-minute-mile group.

As SNL’s Stefon might have said, this race had everything. Tutus, capes, unicorn hats, girls in body paint, men in see-through mesh shorts. People sitting on the course and spectators wandering in.

Ruth and I lost each other about a minute after we crossed the starting line. (To her credit, she actually tried to find me.) I spent most of the race jockeying for a position among the runners and walkers, looking for those mile markers.

Thankfully the only hill was about two miles in. It doesn’t look bad, but I felt it more than I saw it.

After getting Ruth's finish-line text, I decided to run the last bit. Unfortunately I had an idealized vision of the finish line, thanks to seeing too many races in movies: I'd imagined the finish as a straight shot, but the course kept curving around and around.

I finally wound past two penguin-costumed walkers for a finish in 1 hour, 51 minutes: 17,007th out of 28,253, if you must know. But it was a 12K sans incident, with a burger and fries afterward!

Donut money

Today I'm celebrating my 10th anniversary at Kalmbach.

It's also the 10th anniversary of my March Madness experience. Every spring, I've considered the fates of my favorite teams (and many of my not-so-favorites, too). I did my bracket alone this year, as I didn't have the foresight to check in with my friend Dave, who's a savant about college hoops.

Neither the risk nor the payoff is large — perfect for a conservative person like me. This year, my picks netted me a third-place finish (out of 57 people!).

I spent my $14.25 on Long Johns, crullers, and other deep-fried delights.

Ten years is a long time. But even as the people, the magazine, and the technology have changed, one thing has endured: our love of donuts. Cheers to the past decade, and to my co-workers who keep the tradition alive.

Team Cahill Park: Mixed combo playoffs

In preparation for Sunday's playoffs in Madison, I carbo loaded at lunch with Patrice on Saturday. That night, I watched a DVD she gave me about the 2012 Ironman. It was so inspirational, seeing how determined the competitors are not only to finish, but to win.

Alas, that is not my story. At least not this time.

Our team's one win came from Adam and Jody, who played beautifully together. It was fun to watch all the setups and great angles. Way to get it done, 6-2, 6-2! (This is even more impressive because NEL took all three courts against the Madison team, losing only three sets the entire day.) Congrats!

Adam and Kelly had played together at #1 doubles earlier, staying tough until the very end: a 10-8 loss in the third-set tiebreaker. What a great effort — and so, so close!

Meanwhile, Terence and Julie were on the court next to us. They also lost a close match, 6-2, 7-5. Terence said they were up 5-4 in the second set. That is always heartbreaking.

Rohit and I lost 6-4, 6-4. Aside from being our first match loss, this one was painful because we were tied until our opponents broke my serve at 4-4. In the second set, we were up 3-1 and then 4-3. Why couldn't we take that second set? Then it was 4-4 and they broke my serve again.

Yes, I know that you win some and you lose some. But having been competitive in the first set and up in the second, it's hard to accept a straight-set loss. Ouch.

Terence, who's always comfortable offering his opinion, said we played it too safe. (Carrie pointed out that that's also what he said about himself.) My opinion: that we made just a few too many mistakes at critical times. But Ro also felt like that's the best we've ever played.

I wish I could've seen more of Sepp and Nan's match. I can't believe that dude in the blue shirt was only a 3.5. For real?!

The last match to finish — Scott and Linda — was a nailbiter. After losing the first set, they played to 6-6 in the second. As our entire team stood by the railing, Terence said, "It's all about the mental toughness!" Which could've jinxed them, if you are totally mental and believe in that kind of stuff.

Their opponents edged them out in the tiebreak, 7-5. Again: So close.

As I learned at combo playoffs last year, losing makes me hungry. So we went to the Great Dane, where I had an Old Glory beer to honor the bygone days of Rohit being undefeated in mixed doubles. Then I had a chicken pot pie. Comfort food.

And I started to feel better. Though it wasn't a triumphant day score wise, it's hard to wallow when you're sharing cheese curds and chocolate torte and the guys are daring Ro to try a Habanero Hellfire chicken wing.

Jody, thanks for putting together such a great team. Patrice, thanks for the ginormous lunch and pre-match pep talk. You were right; I was fine. Plus I had a lot of fun, even if I do owe Mike $10. Cheers, Team Cahill Park!

Fading out 2012

New Year's Eve was fun, relaxing, and — this being a group of tennis players — competitive.

After our spaghetti dinner, we played Taboo. Jody would give concise clues while Scott and Sepp called out lots of answers. Arguably her most brilliant success of the night was "Cop. Snack."

"Doughnuts!"

Meanwhile, Julie stayed focused and gave one-sentence descriptions. "This is the person who..." "Usher!" "This is the person who..." "Conductor!" The guys lamented their tough cards: anatomy, radon, Sputnik. Our team did get a little lucky with pen, rainbow, and Kermit the Frog.

I was excited to watch Love Actually, but my movie choice drove Jody and Randy away. A few minutes in, Sepp said he would not be able to stay awake through the whole thing. Oops.

So I sort of watched it while Julie, Scott, Julia, and Sepp played a slow, unorthodox game of Scrabble. There were words that were not words, words that were not connected to anything, the spilling of tiles. Several times. Julie bowed out, leaving a war of attrition among the remaining players.

Then she noticed it was midnight and so we hugged and had an airing of grievances. Actually, we did talk about the ups and downs of the year. Life can't always be awesome — new tires, anyone? — but I can say that this was the perfect New Year's Eve.

So as I sit here with a cup of tea and a piece of regifted yet delicious gingerbread loaf — my "slicy" — I look forward to the new year.

Thank you, Julia, for bringing us all together. I appreciate the carbs, the games, and the blankets. You are a wonderful host.

Happy 2013, my friends!

PS: I don't have pictures from the evening (Scott in the Packer snuggie would have been a classic). This is a recent one from my Wednesday night court. That's one routine I'm happy to keep!

Trophies for everyone!

At Le Club's Turkey Tourney on Friday night, Rohit and Todd easily won their draw. For their victory, they each received a turkey and a ginormous trophy.

I like how big the court looks here. There is really a lot of it to cover, but RJ and Todd did so decisively. Well played!

In other news, Kelly and I lost our first match 6-0, 6-2, to Anfin and Haley. It does give me some consolation, though, that there's a long list of players who have lost to Anfin and Haley. They are very tough.

Speaking of consolation, Kelly and I still had a shot at winning the back draw. We played Rachel and Tricia on Saturday and didn't have a great start, falling into a 5-2 hole. But with decent play and some cute nicknames, we chipped away at our deficit and won the set 7-6.

An hour and 15 minutes for the first set. Ouch! Fortunately we won the second set 6-1.

After a short break, we played — and won! — our second match. I was thrilled to receive my slightly oversized trophy. Really: Trophies are way better than turkeys or t-shirts. Turkeys get eaten and t-shirts fade, but trophies can collect dust forever.

Here we are with Kim and Lisa, who won all three of their matches — including one against Anfin and Haley. Thus their spectacular trophies. Well deserved. Congrats on your impressive victory!

It was a good but tiring weekend of tennis. Rohit is contemplating the fate of his frozen butterball (his words, not mine), so we're all looking forward to a victory dinner. Cheers, everybody!

Tennis 2012: Le Club, Week 8

Le Club vs. Le Club. I looked forward to this match because it's Yvonne's team, and she is one of my favorite tennis people — a great competitor and a supportive teammate. So I knew it would be a fun night.

At #1 singles, it was Jessica vs. Laurie. Their match took more than two hours. Two. Hours. After two hours of slamming the ball back and forth, Laurie ultimately took it, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6. Jessica, that was an amazing effort — you really stayed in it after a tough start.

Kristen (#2 singles) was sitting and calmly eating a sub when Patrice and I came off the court. Because she'd been on Court 10 and we were on Court 3, I didn't get to see her play. "How did your match go?" I asked. "Good," she said. I found out later that her score was 7-5, 6-0. Nicely done, Kristen — and I like the quiet humility. Which, come to think of it, is totally you.

At #1 doubles, Tash and Rebecca won, 6-2, 6-4. I was two courts away from them so I can't give any details. Though, I do recall that Tash had a migraine. Way to play through it! Sorry I wasn't more observant about the match — though, did I hear Rebecca yelling at herself? I wish I had hung out with both of you for a post-game interview. Next year I'll do better!

At #2 doubles, Mary and Rebekah stayed tough, winning 2-6, 6-4, 6-3. They had some really great, aggressive points (love it!). Plus, it's impressive to take the last two sets after losing the first. Nice mental toughness and skilled play!

At #3, Patrice and I were also put to the test. At first, we had trouble with Irina's angle shots and overheads. And the pace seemed slow until we figured out their one up/one back strategy. Oh-kay! Down 1-4, we came back to take it 6-4, 6-4. Nice job, Nooni!

Great job, Team, on the 4-1 win — a strong finish to the season. By the way, both Le Club teams finished with a 22-18 record and 41 sets lost. We did lose fewer games (367 to their 406). So numbers-wise, we were evenly matched.

Reluctant to see the season end, I lingered at Le Club. I caught up with Kelly, mingled with Nora and Kim and the Highlander men's team, watched the Olympics, drank red wine, and ate peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Finally I could not stay any longer.

But at least I'll get to go back tomorrow to play some doubles. So I'll see you soon, Teammates.

On memories (mixed doubles)

Team Fontimoto played our last match of the season on Friday night. The results: a 6-3, 7-5 loss in Kenosha. Despite the score, the match was mostly fun. We held serve when we were down 5-4, so I'm proud of small achievements like that.

Going into the season, my goal was to have a .500 record or better. Jim thought this was aiming low, but I don't, given that 1) we didn't meet until an hour before our first match and 2) I don't consider myself an especially skilled mixed doubles player.

You win some, you lose some.

I do wish we hadn't ended our season with two losses. That was tough. Especially because I felt we were starting to play better.

True to the primacy and recency effect, I remember the first and the last matches. Especially the first. In the last few weeks, there were also some memorable moments in the middle: wailing at the missed overhead, cookie halves, jokes about back pain.

During our last pre-match conversation, we talked about Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston. I'm Bobby: modestly skilled and a decent producer. So Jim is Whitney, all emotion and raw talent. "She's dead!" he said. (Don't worry, I don't see you going out like that. It's not a perfect analogy.)

And like Bobby and Whitney, the season was bittersweet — as most are. But I was glad to be your partner. Congratulations on your debut, Whitney! We're expecting great things from you.

On discord (mixed doubles)

The challenge of playing an opponent twice in one season: Don't let your baggage get too heavy.

Even though Jim is a "What happens on the court stays on the court" player who doesn't hold a grudge, we had lots to talk about after our match.

Oh, the regret after our 7-6, 2-6, 1-6 loss to Patrick and Deb. Oh, the recrimination.

It's tough to be competitive and then get blown out — all in the same match. Whereas in our first meeting (where they dominated 6-2, 6-1), we could at least laugh at our underwhelming performance.

This three-setter felt a lot worse, even though the score was better.

On Monday, Jim described our post-match vibe: "If we were married, then Friday night, we went to bed angry."

But I realized something, too. Tennis will never be more important than friendship. Or fun. Or sportsmanship.

Tomorrow's a new day. And a new match.

Tennis 2012: Le Club, Week 7

In yesterday's twist of fate weather-wise, the temperature dropped more than 20 degrees by the time we arrived at Milwaukee Country Club. (Which was good, because I don't do well if it's above 100 degrees — as anyone who played with me on Monday night can attest.) After starting our matches, it rained.

Sigh. Small talk. Waiting.

Finally we got to play.

Despite the stop-start nature of the weather, every match was decided in straight sets. Our team lost, 2-3.

At #1 singles, Jessica lost 6-2, 6-3. What I love most about you is that you're not an excuse-maker. Like in your assessment of your opponent: "She was good." Undefeated, even.

Mary played cardio tennis earlier in the day and then #2 singles indoors at North Shore. Too much exertion in anticipation of a heat advisory? Not for Mary. She won, 6-4, 6-2, because she decided she wouldn't play a third set. Way to dominate at singles. Again!

At #1 doubles, Kim and Kristen gave their opponents a challenging match. Their opponents ultimately took it, 7-5, 6-1. Incidentally, Kristen was the only one of our teammates who wore white. Um, when did this become a rule? Clearly there's some etiquette I am not privy to.

At #3 doubles, Tash and Rebecca played phenomenally. Rebecca ran all over the court — was it the Gatorade? Their opponents hit overheads right at Tash and she just volleyed them back. No problem. Terrific win, Team Tashbecca, and wonderful that the last match ended on a high note.

I wish our match had gone longer. Patrice and I tried really, really hard at #2 doubles. We lost the first set quickly. Our only lead was at 1-0 in the second set. We actually made the rallies longer, trying to lob and outdo them with consistency (until they made a mistake, and then Nooni would put away an overhead). They were up 5-4 but we won the next game. Then they were up 6-5.

At 40-30, they hit a forehand volley winner to win 6-2, 7-5.

After our first set shellacking, we could've just given up, but we didn't. So even though "We can't win them all" is but small consolation, I am really happy with our determination and effort.

And Sandy, thanks for trekking to MCC to cheer all of us on. Your encouragement and analysis were really helpful. Now if only I could get you to be the team blogger....

Tennis 2012: Le Club, Week 6 (the team)

Our team hosted Pleasant Valley yesterday, earning a 4-1 win.

Thanks to Jessica and Mary for staying late to give me match details and discuss the merits of not drinking beer. Sorry this is so brief, but Rebekah's jonesing for the recap and I have to get back to my day job.

At #3 doubles, Ann and Nora battled a tenacious team and lost 7-5, 7-6. Matches like that are so exhilarating and heartbreaking. I saw only a little bit of your match, but I know you fought hard.

At #2 doubles, Kim and Glenna finished their match quickly with a 6-1, 6-4 win. So Kim must have felt okay despite the Kopp's cheeseburger and malt an hour before the match. Glenna, I did get a few glimpses of your picture-perfect forehand. Congrats to both of you on your decisive win!

On the #1 court were Patrice and me. You can read about it in a separate superlong post. (Rebekah will tell you that I've included every thought I had during the match. The match took 2 hours and 20 minutes. What can I say, I had a lot of thoughts.)

At #2 singles, Mary told her opponent, "I'm not going to go three sets" and "You don't run an old lady back and forth." Her opponent, who is also a friend, obliged: Mary had a 6-2, 6-1 victory. Nice job on your total domination.

At #1 singles, Jessica won the first set 6-2. She mentioned footwork, "an amazing volley" (only one?!), and an "I'm too old for this" moment. (Were all of those during the same point?) Unfortunately, her opponent retired with a strained calf. A real bummer. But Jessica, I know you would've controlled the match, like you always do.

Okay everybody, thanks for all the support. Kristen, Sandy, and Rebekah, it was so nice to see friendly faces in the crowd. I started this season feeling anxious about how it would go, but I didn't need to worry. This team makes me feel totally at home.

Tennis 2012: Le Club, Week 6 (Team Noonimoto)

At #1 doubles, I recognized one of our opponents from a match last year: Linda was tall, aggressive, and confident — and strong in the warmup. Her partner, Pam, was consistent and had terrific touch volleys.

On Court 7, we fought to take the first set, 6-2. The score did not reflect how competitive they were.

Down 2-4 in the second, Patrice and I tried not to get frustrated. "I was here on Friday, down 2-4," I said. "We can get the next four games." We had accomplished such things in the past.

But they toughed it out, started hitting more winners, and took the set 6-3.

During the break, Nooni and I strategized. In the first set, she had mentioned our maturity as an advantage. Totally! Staying calm and poised would help us. We talked about being resilient between points — something that our pro Jayson had drilled us on. It is hard to play a long point and then refocus for the next one and the one after that.

And I had practiced this when I played singles with Sandy on Sunday. Sandy is one of those players who forces you to play your best, and I needed every advantage I could get. Thank you for preparing me for this match.

Linda and Pam were up 3-2.

Here's where some of the details get fuzzy. I do remember seeing rows of people standing at the windows. I recognized Glenna's patterned tennis skirt when I went to retrieve a ball. But I couldn't look at her. I didn't want to lose focus. And how could she help me telepathically?

I do remember this: We tied, then were up 6-5. Then they won the next game.

Bummer. We couldn't close out the set when we had the chance. But we had to move past that, because we were still in the match.

This was my first tiebreak of the season. And it had been over a month since Nooni and I played together. Good thing we've played so many tiebreaks (and she had played one earlier this season at 8.0 mixed, and won).

Linda and Pam were tough. Changing servers and sides so often, it was hard to get into a rhythm. We were down 5-6. Match point.

Patrice served — and won — the next two points. How's that for poise and resilience between points? 7-6.

Time to switch sides again. I exhaled. I have to remember to breathe during really competitive moments.

Patrice returned serve. I don't remember how we won the point, just that we did.

6-2, 3-6, 7-6. A comeback.

After any given match, you can say, "That could've gone the other way." It's rare to have those nights where you dominate or get killed. Most matches become wars of attrition, where you just try to grind it out and chip away at your opponent. Tonight was one of those nights.

A satisfying win for the maturing Noonimoto.

On our differences (mixed doubles)

On Friday night, we played the same Bluemound opponents as before. They were playing much better than they did in our last match.

Chan served and volleyed effectively; I couldn't pass him by driving the ball crosscourt. And Juliet served really well: a low, flat serve that was hard to return.

So we lobbed. And Jim volleyed over their heads. We took the first set 6-2.

And maybe got a little too relaxed in the second set. We had already forgotten how competitive they were in the first; even though the set score wasn't close, many games had gone to deuce.

They were up 2-0 in no time.

Not exactly the tennis performance I'd intended for our friends — Lisa, Jane, and Phil came to cheer us on. But hey, at least Jane heard Jim swear only once.

A side note about getting ready for this match: I had tried to take care of myself — ran earlier in the week, played tennis Wednesday, rested Thursday. Jim geared up by switching to light beer. He also played singles, practiced his serve, and baked snickerdoodles.

And yet I did not want to play a third set. Even though we were on the air-conditioned Highlander courts, I felt a little off — maybe from the days of 100-degree heat.

Instead I talked to Jim about how well he was playing.

"Your turn," he said.

Clearly he had recovered from an earlier overhead that he'd hit out, after which he fell to his knees, wailing.

Ah, the drama.

I laughed. "We've all done that." I myself do it regularly (miss overheads, I mean, not laugh at my partner).

After the changeover, I said, "Maybe I shouldn't have laughed." I laughed again. "Or maybe not continued to laugh," he said.

Now we were down 2-4. Full speed ahead for Jim: "We're gonna get this game quickly, then I'm gonna win my serve." He has not quite caught on to my one-point-at-a-time approach.

But even though those things didn't happen quickly, they did indeed happen. If anyone can overpromise and then deliver, it's Jim.

We broke Chan's serve, then I held serve for a 6-2, 6-4 win.

A first for us. It's hard to believe you can have a comeback win — until it actually happens. Until you get it done, point by point.

Cheers to all that is possible!

On staying calm (mixed doubles)

On Friday afternoon, Jim sent me a jubilant email — albeit in a tiny font — that he had practiced his serve the night before and no pressure, but we needed to win the first set.

Okay.

I'll admit, I was not in a huge we're-the-number-one-court mood that night. Probably because my back had been hurting since my singles match the week before. Ice, stretching, and Advil hadn't helped.

But I felt better when we warmed up. Calm.

Once we started playing, we found that our opponents had some enviable strengths: Scott moved well and had unbelievable angle shots, and Julie was tall, powerful, and difficult to lob over.

We took the first set 6-4. Early in the second set, we labored over one game — multiple deuce points — but lost.

I tried to stay calm.

"Poise," I said to Jim.

As in, let's keep it together and not beat ourselves up over lost points or lost games.

This is much easier said than done. But I try to follow the proverb: Never cut with a knife what you can cut with a spoon.

We hung in there.

We were up 5-3; they were serving. Match point. I turned to look at Jim.

"Don't look at me like that!"

Like what?! I turned away.

We lost the point.

But we won the next one. Match point again. I had a feeling we were going to win — right then.

And we did! Or rather, Jim did. He returned the ball, they hit it back to him, he hit it again, and they made an unforced error. A great point for me to witness.

Feeling really proud of our effort, I got a little choked up. But I snapped out of it when he said, "Now can we high five?"

Yes, Jim. High five. You played great!

Tennis 2012: Le Club, Week 5

Our team faced stiff competition at Western, resulting in a 1-4 night.

The win: Kim and Kristen at #3 doubles. Because you were on the farthest court, I didn't get to see most of your match. But I was standing right there when Kristen put away the overhead on match point. 6-4, 6-1. Well done! Post match, Kristen stretched while Kim applied Stila lip gloss. Kristen, nice poise as always. And Kim, way to look pretty and kick ass.

Playing indoors, Sandy lost the first set 6-3 and did not feel well, retiring at 1-1 in the second. She had been up 3-0 in the first set — clearly a competitive match. Sandy, we are all rooting for you personally (as well as on the court). So rest up and take good care of yourself.

At #1 doubles, Tash and Rebecca's opponents were tough — especially the lady in yellow — and took the first set 6-2. But Team Tashbecca (Team Retasha?) fought back, losing the second set 7-5. I thought they played admirably and didn't quite understand why Tash was beating herself up over the loss.

I had gone to my car and then over to Court 3, so I missed what happened in the second set. Then I saw Nora's writing in my notebook: "2nd up!! 4-3." So now I get it. Down 5-6 and losing the match on a deuce point, I totally get it: That second set was within reach.

By the way, that is not a judgment. I'm just saying, I know how losing a close one can torment you in a different way than being overmatched.

At #2 doubles, Mary and Rebekah showed their tenacity: In the first set, down 0-3, they won the next two games. In the second set, down 1-4, they also won the next two games. I admire this so much — the spirit behind the scores. 6-2, 6-3 only tells part of the story; you two gave it your all. No one could ever ask for more.

We all wondered what was happening with Jessica, who doesn't like having an audience and was toiling away indoors. When she came off the court, she was frustrated with her 6-1, 6-3 loss. But I will say this: You had to have given your opponent a decent match because it took almost two hours. I know you don't roll over for anyone.

Overall, I had a fantastic time. Really! There I was, watching the team play on a sunny, 80-degree night. Western has great viewing. And I got a chance to hang out with Nora. So even though it was a tough night for the team, I feel grateful to have been there.

So I raise my glass of overpriced chardonnay to you. Cheers!

On timeouts (mixed doubles)

Yesterday Team Fontimoto played the Kenosha team at Le Club.

Jack, one of our opponents, wanted a shorter warmup because he wasn't feeling well. He did not look well, either, which was disconcerting.

Jim and I had played ping pong and hit some ground strokes, so we didn't mind the abbreviated warmup.

Once we started the match, Jack looked like he was going to pass out; he sat down during every change-over. Jim was willing to let him take as long as he needed.

If only there were a rule on such things.

If only we had known it. I mistakenly thought a player was allowed 10 minutes.

According to the USTA, it's three minutes. You can take one during the warmup and one during the match.

But who keeps a stopwatch with them during a match?

To Jack's credit, he did not seem to take three minutes on a regular basis. Nor did his illness did not stop him from wailing on the ball.

I suggested Jim move back when I served to Jack. Team Jim found this emasculating. "I'm willing to get hit," he said. Still, his ability to compromise trumped his pride, and he humored me. Just so you know, asking him to move back was a reflection of my girly serve, not his skills.

I got frustrated only once (and no, it wasn't when he said I should eat a whole cookie instead of just a half right before the match). But it's okay, because we're getting to a point where he ignores me only occasionally during a match and things usually work out just fine.

We got aced and we got passed, but we stayed in it. We won 6-1, 6-3.

Now we're back to .500.

Tennis 2012: Le Club, Week 4

Yesterday our team took four courts against Mequon! Let me preface this by saying that all of this recap (except the scores) is hearsay; I didn't get to see any of the matches.

At #1 singles, Jessica won 6-3, 6-0. As someone who's been lulled by the moonball rally only to watch her slam a down-the-line shot past me, I know that she controlled the match — probably the entire time.

At #1 doubles, Kim and Kristen also had a resounding win, 6-1, 6-3. Really nice job. You're a terrific team and I wish I had gotten to see you play. You seem to finish your matches quickly; if you dragged them out, I could at least see you. (Joking.)

At #2 doubles, Tash and Rebecca stayed tenacious to take a three setter, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Unfortunately the only thing I heard about this match was that Tash took a bathroom break. Good to know that we're allowed 90 seconds. As a side note, it is nice to be on the same team again as Rebecca. You're still the same funny, bubbly person that I remember from high school.

At #3, Mary and Rebekah fought hard but lost, 6-1, 7-5. Having played them, this is surprising (Rebekah's pace, Mary's angles). Rebekah, help me out with some details here. This is possibly my worst recap ever, as it is almost entirely speculation.

One court left. Me at #2 singles.

SPOILER ALERT: The rest of this post is all about me.

Starting with my mood: I was so nervous that I could barely eat lunch. But I went to Jose's anyway, figuring it was time to get back to my match-day routine of Mexican food. My co-worker Mike said I'd be fine once I started playing. He's a musician, and he said, "You just have to get through the first song." And my co-worker Jane, who's a marathon runner, reminded me to visualize my match.

Just before the match, I got more pep talks. Carol told me to keep my poker face, Sandy encouraged me to enjoy the match, Trish said I was scrappy. All good things — confidence boosters.

Once the match started, I was happy with the relative isolation of Court 10, far from the viewing area and away from the rest of the team. Not knowing how any of my teammates were doing, I could focus.

My opponent was a hard hitter and really strong in the warmup. I had trouble keeping the rally going. But once we started the match, I felt really good. I got through the first song.

I took the first set, 6-2.

Then she started making fewer errors and hitting more winners, and I lost the second set, 6-2. I was still going for it, but she was out-playing me.

I went to splash cold water on my face ("Tomato face," Mary said).

But Mary and Glenna coached me. Here's what I can remember:

"What's her strongest shot?"
"Forehand down the line."
"What's her weakest shot?"
"I don't know!"
"Moonball her. Slow it down." And, "Backhand, backhand, backhand."

Possibly my favorite piece of advice: "You're not tired." Uh, I was really tired. But I felt good getting back on the court. I was not going to implode while they watched.

(It's just a thing, but I've always wondered if whoever takes the second set is the favored player; momentum is on their side.)

Somehow I stayed with it. I was up 4-1, then 5-2. Then I won the next game.

The most amazing thing happened during the match. Sure, winning was great. But so was feeling like myself on the court again. I think I got a little lost at the beginning of the season, but now I'm back.

So, my dear teammates, if I seem self-involved in this blog post, cut me a little slack. I'll get back to doubles (Team Noonimoto!) and then I'll also have plenty of time to witness your successes. Thanks for all of your support. This was one of the highlights of my tennis experience.

Cheers!

On losing (mixed doubles)

Last night, Team Fontimoto suffered a loss: a 6-2, 6-1 drubbing against a team we should have at least been competitive with.

Though Jim and I only met at our first match, we played well in our three-set loss against a really experienced Le Club team. And even though we were nervous in our second match, we won decisively. So there was reason to be hopeful (or in Jim's case, insanely confident).

At last night's match at Hart Park, we couldn't blame the sun, the heat, or the wind. I was well hydrated. And Jim had done his burrito-and-pills ritual.

Our opponents had good sportsmanship; there was nothing crazy about them that got in our heads. But between Patrick's arsenal of shots and Deb's consistency, we made lots and lots of mistakes.

We agreed that we sucked. Which is too bad, because we don't suck individually or as a team.

Over on court 2, Gina and Barry lost a nailbiter. Like us, they lost the first set, 6-2. But then they came back to take the second set, and they lost the third set in a tiebreaker. Very, very competitive, and everyone on the court played well. Even brilliantly, at times.

Post-match, Gina identified my problem. (Or at least one of them.) Apparently I've gotten used to winning. Probably because the past year was really charmed: Patrice and I had a great 3.5 (and 4.0) season, and I partnered well with Kim and Kristen at combo.

Here we are, in a new season. New opponents, new partnerships. And more losses than I am comfortable with.

More losses than Jim is comfortable with, too. At the end of the night, we apologized to each other. I hope we never have to apologize again. Onward, as I've said before.