TWO HOURS AND 45 MINUTES

I played tennis with the "Drop ins" for two hours and 45 minutes.  There was a big turnout (eight guys and me).  The men are making it pretty easy to fit in and I'm learning little by little their names and how they each serve and play the game.  Some are school teachers, and I learned about one who is going up north to help put in, I believe, a power station.  These men are in the age group between their 50s and 70s, so I fit right in.  Some men are more personable than others and some are more submissive, but still friendly in their own way.  We all had a great time and again, I got two cans of tennis balls.  These guys just use them for a game and would toss them out.  So they always ask me if I want them and "sure" is always my reply.  I will bring them down to Folsom when I play and pass them out.  They're practically new and their bounce is still like new.

I won't be playing one day with them next week because of my Tahoe bike ride, which I told them about.  They were pretty impressed by my athletic abilities.

A funny thing happened.  One of the men left their tennis racquet on the bench last week and we didn't know who left it there.  One of the men took it home with them so they could bring it this week and find the owner.  As I was sitting on the bench, the man who left his racquet was telling another man he left his tennis racquet last week.  I spoke up and told him someone did take it home with them last week and he was able to get his racquet back.  As we were talking about it, one of the men said I should get a finder's fee for finding the owner of the tennis racquet and asked me what I would like.  I said a weekend at a tennis resort.  Then he asked me where and I said Vegas.  Everybody laughed.  I consider these guys to me as brothers, slowly but surely.

I want to bike within the next few days to get back in the saddle again before my Tahoe trip and then I'll be able to put air in my bike tires again right before the trip.  I hope the trip will still be on as we get closer to the date.  The weather has been cooperating up there, but you never know if the weather will go bad again at the last day.  Oh well, if the trip is called off again I'll just go and play tennis.

I'm debating whether I should tell the people I play with in Folsom that I'm playing with all men twice a week up here or I should surprise them with a more refined game and just let them wonder what's going on.  Eventually I guess I'll have to tell them.  Maybe when they tell me my game has improved to the point of them noticing it.

This is great.