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The Weekend, Friday & Saturday
Sep. 4th, 2007 06:40 pmSo this weekend kind of wiped me out but in a good way.
Friday
Tim and I went to the Open--we had the same seats we have every year which are fantastic. In Arthur Ashe wwe're in one of the corners, a couple of rows behind the family/player guest box, so we have seen the Williams family many times. (As we did this year.) Our Louis Armstrong seats are even better--three rows from the court. Tim has a friend who has season tickets for these seats for every day of the Open and just gives them away.
I got there a little late, around 1:00 but quickly got caught up on the first big match, Novak Djokovic (no. 3 seed) against Radek Stepanek (I can't remember his ranking--somewhere in the 40s, I think?). Anyway, this was an amazing match. They were neck and neck in every single set--the first two, and the final set went to tie-breakers. Just a perfect match, full of terrific play from both sides. The coolest thing about the match was how word was spreading through the complex that this was THE match, and the crowds got bigger...and bigger...and bigger. Not just in the stadium but on the grounds as well--there were huge crowds gathering at the big outdoor screens.
We saw Serena Williams who was struggling against some Russian player--it'll be interesting to watch her match against Justine. And Venus who looked lyrical out there--she was playing flawlessly, just eating up the court with those long legs of hers. She was in very good shape too, much better than Serena. If Serena and Venus continue to win, I think they're scheduled to meet in the semis--and I think Venus will take it. I think she may be going all the way.
We saw Rafael Nadal (who is HOT, just wook at dat cute little Mouseketeer face) play some interesting tennis--he's so good but he's suffering from tendonitis, as was his opponent, who retired sometime in the second set. So I rushed back over to Louis Armstrong to watch Lleyton Hewitt (also HOT) get smoked by Agustin Calleri, who sadly got knocked out two days later. Calleri was playing some incredible tennis that day, though--he's on his way for some big things.
At one point during the Djokovic/Stepanek match, I saw in the program that Martina Hingis and Daniela Hantuchova were playing a doubles match on Court 8 and I snaked my way through the general seating crowd to try to catch some of that. Sadly I got there just at the end and only got a glimpse of Martina. Love her tennis.
After a day full of glorious, wonderful, 5-set tennis ( we were especially thrilled because last year, the evening session was rained out), Tim and I finally left around 11:30 and went to the Wicked Wolf to get something to eat and hang out with his friend Donovan. I got home around 2:00.
Saturday
I had a riding lesson at 2:30 which meant I had to be out the door by 12:30 or so--unfortunately I was so tired from the Open, I forgot to set my alarm and woke up at 12:17. I was rushing around so much, I left my apartment in a mess which I HATE. But I quite enjoyed my lesson--they gave me a slightly smaller horse, Invisible, who was a former racehorse. One of the weirdest trots I've ever encountered--it was extremely bouncy and unrhythmic. I had to sit the trot for awhile before I could figure out how to post. I had one exciting event happen when Invisible spooked and TOOK OFF. Not a canter, a flat out gallop across the ring. I was thinking "okay, I may get thrown here, just stay relaxed" and all the time gathering up the reins in my hands, rolling them over my hands. Finally he stopped. The instructor, Helen, said "yes, you need to keep shorter reins with him, he likes to go. But the good thing is, you kept your seat and you stopped him. Were you scared?" I said a little, but I figured I'd get him under control.
After the lesson, I met Duncan at Elana's for a quick stopover at her Labor Day weekend house party--we had hamburgers and yummy food, and Lorraine's savage doggie attacked me with doggie kisses. I barely survived. Doggie kisses are intense. Elana let me shower at her place, and I was able to freshen up.
Duncan and I left after about an hour to go over to Queens for the Foxy Brown reading. I was so tired, I dozed off during our ten-minute break--I could hardly keep my eyes open. I went home and cuh-rashed.
Friday
Tim and I went to the Open--we had the same seats we have every year which are fantastic. In Arthur Ashe wwe're in one of the corners, a couple of rows behind the family/player guest box, so we have seen the Williams family many times. (As we did this year.) Our Louis Armstrong seats are even better--three rows from the court. Tim has a friend who has season tickets for these seats for every day of the Open and just gives them away.
I got there a little late, around 1:00 but quickly got caught up on the first big match, Novak Djokovic (no. 3 seed) against Radek Stepanek (I can't remember his ranking--somewhere in the 40s, I think?). Anyway, this was an amazing match. They were neck and neck in every single set--the first two, and the final set went to tie-breakers. Just a perfect match, full of terrific play from both sides. The coolest thing about the match was how word was spreading through the complex that this was THE match, and the crowds got bigger...and bigger...and bigger. Not just in the stadium but on the grounds as well--there were huge crowds gathering at the big outdoor screens.
We saw Serena Williams who was struggling against some Russian player--it'll be interesting to watch her match against Justine. And Venus who looked lyrical out there--she was playing flawlessly, just eating up the court with those long legs of hers. She was in very good shape too, much better than Serena. If Serena and Venus continue to win, I think they're scheduled to meet in the semis--and I think Venus will take it. I think she may be going all the way.
We saw Rafael Nadal (who is HOT, just wook at dat cute little Mouseketeer face) play some interesting tennis--he's so good but he's suffering from tendonitis, as was his opponent, who retired sometime in the second set. So I rushed back over to Louis Armstrong to watch Lleyton Hewitt (also HOT) get smoked by Agustin Calleri, who sadly got knocked out two days later. Calleri was playing some incredible tennis that day, though--he's on his way for some big things.
At one point during the Djokovic/Stepanek match, I saw in the program that Martina Hingis and Daniela Hantuchova were playing a doubles match on Court 8 and I snaked my way through the general seating crowd to try to catch some of that. Sadly I got there just at the end and only got a glimpse of Martina. Love her tennis.
After a day full of glorious, wonderful, 5-set tennis ( we were especially thrilled because last year, the evening session was rained out), Tim and I finally left around 11:30 and went to the Wicked Wolf to get something to eat and hang out with his friend Donovan. I got home around 2:00.
Saturday
I had a riding lesson at 2:30 which meant I had to be out the door by 12:30 or so--unfortunately I was so tired from the Open, I forgot to set my alarm and woke up at 12:17. I was rushing around so much, I left my apartment in a mess which I HATE. But I quite enjoyed my lesson--they gave me a slightly smaller horse, Invisible, who was a former racehorse. One of the weirdest trots I've ever encountered--it was extremely bouncy and unrhythmic. I had to sit the trot for awhile before I could figure out how to post. I had one exciting event happen when Invisible spooked and TOOK OFF. Not a canter, a flat out gallop across the ring. I was thinking "okay, I may get thrown here, just stay relaxed" and all the time gathering up the reins in my hands, rolling them over my hands. Finally he stopped. The instructor, Helen, said "yes, you need to keep shorter reins with him, he likes to go. But the good thing is, you kept your seat and you stopped him. Were you scared?" I said a little, but I figured I'd get him under control.
After the lesson, I met Duncan at Elana's for a quick stopover at her Labor Day weekend house party--we had hamburgers and yummy food, and Lorraine's savage doggie attacked me with doggie kisses. I barely survived. Doggie kisses are intense. Elana let me shower at her place, and I was able to freshen up.
Duncan and I left after about an hour to go over to Queens for the Foxy Brown reading. I was so tired, I dozed off during our ten-minute break--I could hardly keep my eyes open. I went home and cuh-rashed.
