My game

First time back out on the court with Z was typical, I lost 6-2, 3-2. Or, really, it was more like 3-0, 6-4. Often it takes me a few games to get the caffeine out of my system and calm down. By then the first set is half over. I suppose I could cut back on my coffee the mornings we plan to play, but then I would get less coffee, which wouldn't seem fair.

Afterwards, I showered and stood outside watching some rather talented women play. One of them was Emily, who played for the high school back in the day and is now a pro at the club. It was useful for me to stand and watch them, and particularly to notice how they flubbed things. They hit a bunch of stupid-looking shots, the kind of things I would beat myself over. But by any objective measure they were better than me. I need to keep that in mind when I play. It's a hard game, a cruel game.