Being Happy on a Sunday Evening
I have been itching all day to post this but still just managed to get this in time . Its almost 1 year since I and my Arthi have joined new companies and we have managed to survive !!! I remember , being nervous about the stupid orientation I had , I took half the day off ( as orientation got over ) and i played tennis that day .
Destiny has been good . A lot of things have happenned this past year , both good and bad , but overall its been nice . I have seen some role changes @ work and hope that I get a chance to work on fun stuff , rather than the customary bug fix kinda job . Pray that I get a chance to move into newer things such as Linux and manage to keep myself satisified and hopefully I am more pleasant on Sunday evenings next year !
This weekend started off around 7 :30 pm . Arthi was home soon , and being Kaushik's bday we went to Schaumburg to wish him and also savor some good home cooked food by his mom . It was amazing with two dessert items and some good South Indian food . Unfortunately , the DVD that we burnt ( Corporate ) didnt play on Kaushik's player and hence we were forced to engage is some conversation that persisted until 11:30 pm.
We head back and I had to take a mandatory training at work which I did around midnite and then called by Baroda to speak to parents . End of a normal work day with some fun . Managed to knock myself with some Nyquil syrup and a tablet too .
Saturday : Woke up around 10:30 . Thanks to a phone call from Arthi's friend who normally never calls her on that line . I managed to get my tennis gear and I headed towards the tennis courts . Little did I know that I was about to create some tennis history . Arthi dropped me at the courts and went to the mall to do some shopping , inspired by the JC Penney Gift card that she received from Kaushik's mom .
I see the tennis prodigy (lets call hime TP ) play and he summons me inside the court as he is hiting with someone else . I wait for a little while ,after which I take a short jog in the adjoining baseball field . I finally get a chance to hit with TP . I find that I am hitting better and have better balance when making contact with the ball . TP asks me if I want to play some games . I agreed and the rest is history. The result , I defeat TP 6-2 , a result i would have never dreamed of . In fact I would have dreamed of winning 1 game from him . On the rest break , TP tells me that I have been returning serve very well and that my serve is pretty effective .
Key points to always learn from this game
1. Never admire ur opponent , however good he/she may be . Admiring = resigning to the fact that he/she is better .
2. During return of server try to visualize the swing and attempt to make contact . All u need to do is place ur racket in the trajectory of the ball . Good return of serve demoralizes TP .
3. Focus on the ball right from the point where the toss is made .
4. Try to return as many balls as possible . Go for tough returns .
I was glad that I didnt choke and finally made it . I was really elated and encouraged by this result .
Couldnt wait to tell this to Arthi .
We return home and I am delighted to see Arnold Clement "safinate" Marat Safin in the Legg Mason tournament . I take a shower and we head to Schaumburg to pick up Kaushik and his parents to the Temple . Its a standard outing to the temple . Luckily I have not met someone I know ! On the way back , we decide to go to sweet tomatoes for dinner . Pretty ok dinner . the soup was very mediocre but relished the apple cobbler and the pineapple muffin .
the day is almost over and I am anxious that I havent done anything tennis centric for the rest of the day . we return to Kaushik's house but leave soon . I head to Sportmart and find that the prince o3 tour is selling for a lot less $169 . I am hesitant to buy it , since I had already placed a bid for the same at ebay for $85 (ending sunday evening ) . we get back home . On the way back I decide to stop at the courts and am glad that I was able to hit for a little while with bare feet , jeans and a stomach filled with buffet food . Later at home , we manage to watch Ebert and Roeper ( Jay and Roeper ). The rest of the day is spent in browsing thru the tennis warehouse site and forums and wiki'ing random stuff . A big tennis day !!!
Sunday (08/06/06)
I get up around 9:30 and have to leave to the airport to pick up a colleague and his family , returning from a vacation . I drive from Ohare to Vernon Hills . On the way back I find that its drizzling . I still hope to play some tennis and when I reached the courts , I found that there was'nt anyone to play around with . I did some "wall practice " . I head back home and we plan to go the Glen , where Arthi could do some swimming and i could take a jog . Its a lovely place to do jogging but find that within jogging for 0.5 mile , I feel as though my lungs might come out and I take it easy . Still manage to complete two rounds . I spot a guy walking with "Babolat " tennis gear heading towards the courts . I asked him if he had a partner and much to my dismay he replied in the affirmative .
Later i saw this guy practise with this partner and they played like pros , hitting ball after ball , deep , with topspin .
I headed back to the swimming pool to see how Arthi was doing . We came home and I hoped that this time I could go and play some tennis . Luckily I come across a guy who was playing pretty good . I hit with him and was able to outplay him with my groundstrokes. Also , I was serving good. I was consicous of the fact that I needed to keep my racket position is a particular fashion to get that rip in the serve . Cant describe it in words though . It was very humid and finally we decided to stop . I hope to play with this guy , especially because I might be able to play with him in the winter too .
I return , take a quick shower and we decide to go to Schaumburg to pick up some food that Kaushik's mom had prepared . We pick the food up and on the way back we pick up some Indian groceries and some fruits . On the way back , i stop at the tennis courts and see TP play with another guy . I am tempted to play but decide against it as I was feeling very tired and also was planning to doing some stupid office training course .
I head back home and to my disappointment find that I have lost the bid on the Prince O3 tour racket . I was extremely disillusioned and purposefully to divert my anguish , decide to go and hit with TP around 9:30 . I reached the courts and find that TP isnt playing anymore . Felt like a jackass while returning home .
I take this stupid official training ( managed to pass the test too ) . All this gets done around 11:30 pm . Since then I ve been writing this blog .
Still am not happy that this Sunday . I am really not looking forward to the work week . Still need an extra day . Same old story of bug fixes , unneccessary pressure , arguments , politics and unproductive criticism ! Thats the way it is man . Go and enjoy the fun .
next weekend , we might have guests in Balajee and Anu . Also Kaushik's parents are leaving on the 13th , ,my birthday on the 11th of August (Friday). I want to see as to how many people remember this and wish me ! Friday might be a busy day as it is a working day , there 's a Santoor concert (features Anil Datar on the tabla ) in Lemont temple and Anu/ Balajee might arrive that same note . Also there is Anushka Shankar's + Karsh Kale's concert on Sunday evening in Downtown .
I am not sure how much tennis I can play . Will i win next time ? I would want to spend the evening of the 11th in Lemont , with Arthi , listening to the concert . Would be a better / serene way of celebrating . For a bday gift , my new found tennis vigor is perfect .Hope that it sustains . Finally hope that my work week isnt crazy !!
Destiny has been good . A lot of things have happenned this past year , both good and bad , but overall its been nice . I have seen some role changes @ work and hope that I get a chance to work on fun stuff , rather than the customary bug fix kinda job . Pray that I get a chance to move into newer things such as Linux and manage to keep myself satisified and hopefully I am more pleasant on Sunday evenings next year !
This weekend started off around 7 :30 pm . Arthi was home soon , and being Kaushik's bday we went to Schaumburg to wish him and also savor some good home cooked food by his mom . It was amazing with two dessert items and some good South Indian food . Unfortunately , the DVD that we burnt ( Corporate ) didnt play on Kaushik's player and hence we were forced to engage is some conversation that persisted until 11:30 pm.
We head back and I had to take a mandatory training at work which I did around midnite and then called by Baroda to speak to parents . End of a normal work day with some fun . Managed to knock myself with some Nyquil syrup and a tablet too .
Saturday : Woke up around 10:30 . Thanks to a phone call from Arthi's friend who normally never calls her on that line . I managed to get my tennis gear and I headed towards the tennis courts . Little did I know that I was about to create some tennis history . Arthi dropped me at the courts and went to the mall to do some shopping , inspired by the JC Penney Gift card that she received from Kaushik's mom .
I see the tennis prodigy (lets call hime TP ) play and he summons me inside the court as he is hiting with someone else . I wait for a little while ,after which I take a short jog in the adjoining baseball field . I finally get a chance to hit with TP . I find that I am hitting better and have better balance when making contact with the ball . TP asks me if I want to play some games . I agreed and the rest is history. The result , I defeat TP 6-2 , a result i would have never dreamed of . In fact I would have dreamed of winning 1 game from him . On the rest break , TP tells me that I have been returning serve very well and that my serve is pretty effective .
Key points to always learn from this game
1. Never admire ur opponent , however good he/she may be . Admiring = resigning to the fact that he/she is better .
2. During return of server try to visualize the swing and attempt to make contact . All u need to do is place ur racket in the trajectory of the ball . Good return of serve demoralizes TP .
3. Focus on the ball right from the point where the toss is made .
4. Try to return as many balls as possible . Go for tough returns .
I was glad that I didnt choke and finally made it . I was really elated and encouraged by this result .
Couldnt wait to tell this to Arthi .
We return home and I am delighted to see Arnold Clement "safinate" Marat Safin in the Legg Mason tournament . I take a shower and we head to Schaumburg to pick up Kaushik and his parents to the Temple . Its a standard outing to the temple . Luckily I have not met someone I know ! On the way back , we decide to go to sweet tomatoes for dinner . Pretty ok dinner . the soup was very mediocre but relished the apple cobbler and the pineapple muffin .
the day is almost over and I am anxious that I havent done anything tennis centric for the rest of the day . we return to Kaushik's house but leave soon . I head to Sportmart and find that the prince o3 tour is selling for a lot less $169 . I am hesitant to buy it , since I had already placed a bid for the same at ebay for $85 (ending sunday evening ) . we get back home . On the way back I decide to stop at the courts and am glad that I was able to hit for a little while with bare feet , jeans and a stomach filled with buffet food . Later at home , we manage to watch Ebert and Roeper ( Jay and Roeper ). The rest of the day is spent in browsing thru the tennis warehouse site and forums and wiki'ing random stuff . A big tennis day !!!
Sunday (08/06/06)
I get up around 9:30 and have to leave to the airport to pick up a colleague and his family , returning from a vacation . I drive from Ohare to Vernon Hills . On the way back I find that its drizzling . I still hope to play some tennis and when I reached the courts , I found that there was'nt anyone to play around with . I did some "wall practice " . I head back home and we plan to go the Glen , where Arthi could do some swimming and i could take a jog . Its a lovely place to do jogging but find that within jogging for 0.5 mile , I feel as though my lungs might come out and I take it easy . Still manage to complete two rounds . I spot a guy walking with "Babolat " tennis gear heading towards the courts . I asked him if he had a partner and much to my dismay he replied in the affirmative .
Later i saw this guy practise with this partner and they played like pros , hitting ball after ball , deep , with topspin .
I headed back to the swimming pool to see how Arthi was doing . We came home and I hoped that this time I could go and play some tennis . Luckily I come across a guy who was playing pretty good . I hit with him and was able to outplay him with my groundstrokes. Also , I was serving good. I was consicous of the fact that I needed to keep my racket position is a particular fashion to get that rip in the serve . Cant describe it in words though . It was very humid and finally we decided to stop . I hope to play with this guy , especially because I might be able to play with him in the winter too .
I return , take a quick shower and we decide to go to Schaumburg to pick up some food that Kaushik's mom had prepared . We pick the food up and on the way back we pick up some Indian groceries and some fruits . On the way back , i stop at the tennis courts and see TP play with another guy . I am tempted to play but decide against it as I was feeling very tired and also was planning to doing some stupid office training course .
I head back home and to my disappointment find that I have lost the bid on the Prince O3 tour racket . I was extremely disillusioned and purposefully to divert my anguish , decide to go and hit with TP around 9:30 . I reached the courts and find that TP isnt playing anymore . Felt like a jackass while returning home .
I take this stupid official training ( managed to pass the test too ) . All this gets done around 11:30 pm . Since then I ve been writing this blog .
Still am not happy that this Sunday . I am really not looking forward to the work week . Still need an extra day . Same old story of bug fixes , unneccessary pressure , arguments , politics and unproductive criticism ! Thats the way it is man . Go and enjoy the fun .
next weekend , we might have guests in Balajee and Anu . Also Kaushik's parents are leaving on the 13th , ,my birthday on the 11th of August (Friday). I want to see as to how many people remember this and wish me ! Friday might be a busy day as it is a working day , there 's a Santoor concert (features Anil Datar on the tabla ) in Lemont temple and Anu/ Balajee might arrive that same note . Also there is Anushka Shankar's + Karsh Kale's concert on Sunday evening in Downtown .
I am not sure how much tennis I can play . Will i win next time ? I would want to spend the evening of the 11th in Lemont , with Arthi , listening to the concert . Would be a better / serene way of celebrating . For a bday gift , my new found tennis vigor is perfect .Hope that it sustains . Finally hope that my work week isnt crazy !!
posted by Maverick at 9:52 PM
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