Monday, January 22, 2007

instead of going to bed...

I thought I would stay up a little longer and write some stuff. It helps that the Australian Open is on ESPN2. Unlike most people I can sit and watch an entire tennis match, maybe two, without changing the channel. Okay, I surf during commercials but I always go back. I love the challenge of the game and for some reason I keep playing even when I lose...which is pretty much every time I play. It's not like I'm not good at the sport, I've just been mostly playing my arch nemesis from high school who happens to be my best man and finally lives 10 minutes away again. He kicks my butt and I have sworn not to give up. I have beaten him twice in 16 years - both in high school and I believe the second time he had a mild heat stroke or the flu. He insisted on playing so I beat him. It felt kind of like cheating but I needed a win!

We have easily played 250+ matches since we met. The summer after our senior year we were tennis bums before we left for college. My parents still remember those days fondly. Sometimes we would play at one o'clock in the morning by sneaking through the fence at the public tennis center and turning on the court lights. We played there many times and the police never stopped to see why we were there after hours! If I were to try that monkey business now I would surely be facing a judge on a trespassing violation.

I made a bet this month that I would beat him before the end of 2007. We have to play at least 25 matches for it to be legit. If I fail to win a match I have to shave my head bald. Not much of a stretch from where I am now, but also not a haircut I'm ready to don. I think it's time to invest in some tennis lessons.

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