Los Altos, California
Bernard and I went out and played a little tennis, the first time either of us had do so in years. We were, in short, mediocre, but it was still quite fun to get out and hit the ball around. Neither of us could serve consistently, but by the end of the three sets we played, our serves had improved considerably and at least every once in a while we’d hit a really good one. It made me feel like the possibility of being a decent player still exists if I’m willing to practice. I don’t know if it’s true anymore, but if not, it’s a nice delusion to which I’ll probably cling regardless.
This tennis match was also the first opportunity I’ve had to try out a new Wilson graphite/titanium composite racket I bought on a shopping trip with Dave I don’t know how long ago. Very impressive piece of equipment. Extraordinarily light compared to the 1970s era rackets I’m used to, it also features an oversized head. That’s a crucial feature for iffy players like me. Anyway, a successful test and one I’d be happy to repeat in Salem should any enterprising tennis players out there want to call me up and to achieve a blow-out victory. I really need to work on my serve.
We watched The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring on DVD this evening. This second viewing (I saw it once in the theatres) proved very helpful in figuring out various minor details, relationships, and motivations. The DVD is unquestionably a glorious achievement, but it suffers—how could it not?—dropping from the big screen to the small. Nonetheless, it remains a classic tale well-told, and I plan on buying the extended version DVD when it becomes available in November.