Weapon of Mass Destruction!

I've been playing ping pong at the community center on Tuesdays and Fridays. I am really enjoying this competition with my peers in a game that I have loved all my life. Having not played in 20 years or so, it has taken me some time to get going again.

I was quite the player in my youth back on Long Island at the Grenville Baker Boys and Girls Club. We would often travel in to NYC to compete in metropolitan tournaments.  I'm telling you that the competition there was fearsome, but we always held our own against the city kids.

There are some excellent players in this fun league I am in now and the comeback curve has been steep. Throw in some residual vision problems from last year's detached retina, and it is easy to see why I started out as an easy mark. Over the past few weeks my game has steadily improved. I am finally being noticed as a player.

This past Friday was a landmark day for me. I had been playing with a $9.95 Walmart paddle the first few weeks. The facing was already peeling off when somebody suggested I go online and order something better. I remembered having a special paddle as a kid that was really cool, so I did my research and ended up with this:

 It is a Stiga Evolution and it has turned out to be a "WOMD". Just feeling the quality in my hand made me walk into Friday's competition feeling like this:

The Stiga did not disappoint and instantly added a notch to my game. Stuff that before took off into outer space was now landing on the table! Spin shots by opponents were being adroitly returned. My goal is to become a player who is not regarded as a ball and chain by their partner We play doubles. I had never done this before and there is some teamwork involved which I am also getting accustomed to. Ahhhh, life is good!

There is still room for improvement and I am looking forward to the competition ahead. Stay tuned!

On the home front, terrible news in that Joanna's sister, Diana, has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is facing major surgery in the weeks ahead. Your thoughts and prayers on her behalf are welcome. We will take this one step at a time!

Outstanding weather of late and I am making the best of it with walking, biking, and swimming.