Beam Reach

Tennis - session 4

The hour measurement does not work anymore, because I went to a 1 1/2 hour tennis workout tonight, so I changed it to sessions for now. 

The reason I was doing 2 sessions (group classes) in one day was because my sore muscles.  You see, if I don't move around, my soreness won't go away. 

There was only one other person, K. showed up for the group class.  This was the best class ever (in the 4 I have taken).  I was able to do forehand and backhand perfectly, unfortunately, without the ball.  I could swing perfectly, my posture was good, but as soon as Sally threw me a ball, I would forget about all my good swing/posture and hit the ball in the most amateur manner possible.  Sigh.  Still, I think this was a great improvement from session #1 when I did not even know that I had a bad form.

One good thing of this session was that Sally also approved of my serve.  So that's it.  I should focus on my advantage (serves) and hopefully I would be good enough to play with other players soon.

Tennis - hour 3

This was my first group lesson.  Sally was my instructor.  There were also L. and S., who had played a bit more than I did.  I was full of energy, as usual.  Sally kept telling me to stop jumping around so much, then she stopped everyone and said that a good volley player moved the racket very little in a volley .  I made a face, because I knew she was talking about me - I was smacking the ball in our volley practices.  Everyone laughed hard.  They said that I was like a puppy.  Haha.

Anyway, what I learned was to be more patient during the play.  The balls came over the net seemed to be very fast, but they were not.  In fact, when I slowed down and waited for the ball, I was able to handle the ball much better.  So when life seems to be over-whelming, slow down and take a deep breath, things might just feel easier after that.  This was my lunch conversation with my husband.  He thought I was too philosophical.

pink carnation

This post has nothing to do with flowers, despite the fact that I like pink carnations and there are pink carnations in the vase right in front of me right now disseminating a light pleasant fragrant.  So why title it "pink carnation", you might ask.  Well, because I can.  This is my blog.  I was thinking about blogging my tennis training progress, and then I thought it would bore anyone who reads this blog to tears.  And then I thought again - hey, this is my blog and I can be as boring as I want to be, right? 

Plus, since I was extremely not sporty up until 6 years ago, maybe it would be encouraging to the couch potatoes out there.  Who knows.

I really hated sports.  First of all, I dislike sweaty people.  What I dislike more than sweaty people is many sweaty people grouped together (like, in a gym or something like that).  Secondly, I don't like to share facilities.  You see, I've never had a roommate until I got married.  I don't like to shower and groom in public places.  Lastly, I really hate losing.  If I play anything, anything at all, I want to be good on day one. 

So needless to say, I did not do much sports growing up.  There were a couple of opportunities.  In my last year of my primary school, the school had asked me to lead the morning exercise program on stage for the entire student body (because of my good posture, they told me).  I did the duty until I graduated, but did not mention this great ability of mine to anyone in my new school.  I was also hand-selected to play in the Chinese-government-operated badminton program when I was little.  I got out of that by telling my parents that the badminton practice interfered with my studies.  Then at the age of 13, I had an accident - my legs from waist down were burned.  It was pretty serious.  90% skin of the front side was gone and I had to stay in the hospital for the entire summer.  When fall semester started, I was physically completely healed.  But I, hating sports so much, had taken full advantage of this situation.  I showed the gym teacher my newly grown pink skin on my legs.  With the shocking looks, I got waiver of all my gym classes for the entire high school years.

When I first moved to California, you probably would not be able to find anyone who was less sporty than I was.  Fast forward to today, I actually enjoy physical activities and I feel quite fit.  What do they say? - "if I can do it, so can you."  So maybe it's not that bad to blog my workouts.  I always wanted to share experiences or experiments as a beginner (of anything).  I also found that putting my workout plans and results on my blog helps me with my own motivation.  It is after all a promise made in writing, and it's out there for the world to see.  The fact that not many people read this blog is irrelevant. 

So, I will be creating a new category called "Tennis", maybe even tonight - if I can still lift my right arm after 2 1/2 hours of practice.

Gas price

Fill up my SUV for under $35 first time this year.  Finally.

Potbelly Sandwich

I went to Potbelly Sandwich Works for lunch today.  The sandwich was really excellent.  The shop has an interesting story - it was originally a little antique shop that served sandwich as a way to help the antique business, but the sandwich business took off instead of the antiques - and it really has taken off big time with stores in 9 states, 11 in Texas alone.  Not a franchise either.  Judging from the lines at lunch today, I'd say this is a very successful business.

I love tennis

Ok, I'm just a beginner, taking lessons and going to the drills.  But isn't tennis fun? 

I have not been doing a lot of workouts in the past few weeks, because my travel and the holidays.  Now as I try to get back to my routine, I found, pleasantly, that my body is in better shape overall -definitely better than when I was working.  I can't wait to get up every morning, in anticipation of a whole day full of activities.  Plus, my tennis pro instructor Steve thinks I'm a natural.  Beaming with happiness :-)

Tennis - hour 2

Finally, the second lesson came.  I loved it.  Steve reviewed forehand, backhand and volley, and showed me how to do a serve.  I was very bad at the toss, I mean, really really bad.  But I was great at the serve (if the toss happened to be ok).  My racket made the whip sound and my body went forward naturally.  I was more excited about tennis after the second lesson.  I told Steve that he would be responsible for getting me to play well by March, but I have not told him that my goal is to get 3.0 by Q1 2005.  I will try to ease him into it.  :-)

Awaji Japanese Restaurant, Plano TX

Awaji (4701 W. Park - map Plano, TX 75093 972.519.1688) was quite busy, even on a Sunday night.  Usually, I only like sushi from Japanese sushi chefs.  One exception was Eddy at the now-closed Anchorage, who was Chinese and was very creative in making contemporary sushi dishes.  Awaji is another exception, where the Chinese sushi chef was very good.

You know some sushi restaurants use the green plastic to separate the radish from the raw fish?  This one does not do that.  Instead, Awaji uses real shiso leaf.  I'm a sucker for red snapper wrapped in shiso leaf and it's never on the menu.  Awaji is a place you can ask the sushi chef to make it to your taste.  The restaurant seems to have all the good stuff - uni (sea urchin), ankimo (monkfish liver), toro (fatty tuna) and sweat shrimps with deep-fried big heads.  The small hot appetizers were all delicious.  I like this place. 

I also find out that there is a Nobu in Dallas.  Wow, Dallas is a happening place after all.  I will try it in the coming weeks.

In need of a schedule

Holidays are so good, even for the ones who are not working.  I use it as the perfect excuse of eating big meals and slacking off on my workouts.  Strange enough though, I actually lost some weight.  No wonder people say fat is lighter than muscle. 

I guess it is true that one could not get anywhere without a goal.  I've been trying many things, but trying none of them very hard.  So I am actually thinking about setting some goals for myself, start with - having a schedule.  It is wonderful to have time, truly truly wonderful.  To be able to answer the question "When can you meet?" with "Anytime" is a blessing.  The flip side of that is, one could let oneself wonder and end up achieving nothing.  My cat Toshi loves routines.  I think I might like routines too.  It's time to open my outlook calendar, and try to put some structure into the blank spaces. 

... and my schedule says - go do some yoga now.

AC is on

Can you believe it?  It's thanksgiving night, but I have to turn on the air conditioner.  It's too hot here in Dallas!  This week has been incredibly beautiful.  I should really take advantage of the good weather by doing more outdoor sports, but it's thanksgiving, everyone is busy with the bird.  I did manage to wash my car under the sun one of the afternoons, very therapeutic.  Anyhow, turkey meal is reserved at the club, so I don't have much to do this 4-day weekend.  If the weather continues to be this good, I shall be out and about.  Smile.