Tennis Memories

I've been watching the US Open and it's brought back some great tennis moments for me.

Back in the late 80s, when I worked for the giant evil corporation, I got to attend a match at Centre Court at Wimbledon.

What I remember most was how green it all seemed. And small.
I called it intimate so as to not be a total ugly American.
I loved it. The weather was cloudy and cool and the people were delightful.
I have no recollection of who was playing. Two guys in white.

I'm so glad I got to Centre Court before it was renovated.

 Then

Now

I've also attended the US Open a few times. Again, thanks to work - schlep some clients to the good seats and be lady like.

The Tennis Center in NYC is amazing. A park full of things to do even if you don't have a match ticket.

Arthur Ashe Stadium

I sat a few rows behind Barbra Streisand during an Agassi match. That was fun.

He had hair back then

I don't follow tennis regularly so I don't know a lot about the sport or the players.

A friend does Breakfast at Wimbledon every year and we all get together wearing silk PJs; we drink a lot and talk about the player's form. Not their tennis form; their arms, shoulders and butts.

In addition to Agassi I love Serena Williams.

Fierce

I have tons of photos from all my UK trips. I have to get them out of the closet from hell and scanned so I can share them.

Christmas Review: Part 1 - The Trip to the MotherLand

Over the next few posts I'll share with you some sights and situations from Christmas. Try to contain your excitement.

Christmas Eve is always spent in Brooklyn - it's the law.

This year I was traveling from NJ to Brooklyn alone. For various reasons everyone else was already there.

I left early and expected only mind numbing traffic as opposed to the soul crushing traffic experienced once you leave NJ later then 4.

I sailed along the Garden State Parkway, north to the home of pizza, bagels and big hair. Unfortunately my time on the GSP is the shortest part of the route.

I sailed around the curve toward the Outerbridge Crossing and ...




Forget the fact that the OC is only 2 lanes. Ignore the evil of bad road planning.

This is because people suck. The 'Hooray For Me, To Hell With You' club travels en masse on holidays.

I'm in the right lane. Everyone to the right of me is not. There are at least 6 signs leading up to this point that tells them so.

All those folks to the right of me are blocking an exit lane and will shove themselves into formation at the mouth of the bridge.

They're so important and their families need them more than mine needs me.

We could PAY for actual, real healthcare if these asshats were ticketed and fined appropriately. A few Highway Patrol officers on the shoulder could have netted a fortune. Of course NJ Highway Patrol is far too busy following cars driven by black men.

Once over the bridge there was a wondrous moment ...



... brought to me by all the douche's who don't have EZ Pass. I know which lane will be open for EZ Pass only because in the 3rd grade I learned how to read. And I have an EZ Pass.

Apparently all the people without EZ Pass also do not read. Makes sense - if they did read they might know that the guvment can't read their thoughts through the little white box on their windshield.

I wish I could share photos of the rest of the trip. Staten Island and the entrance to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge are just so lovely. My favorite part is all those drivers who brake suddenly when they see the sign that says 'No Toll Maintain Speed'

I just couldn't find a moment to snap any as I was fighting for me life.

Once off the highway and thru the exit I was in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. My brother thinks he's hot shit and moved out of Bensonhurst into Bay Ridge where they keep the snooty people. Not to be confused with Brooklyn Heights where they keep the snooty people who can read. In Bay Ridge they can only read money.

I got scared for a moment thinking I was being called into the light to explain why I used the word 'MotherF***er' on Christmas Eve ...



... but it was only the decor of my last hurdle ...



The main commercial strip of Bay Ridge. Mecca for triple parking and jay walking. Took me 20 minutes to travel 5 city blocks.

And not without incident. On block 4 I whacked the back end of a brand new Escalade (official vehicle of Brooklyn) with my passenger side mirror. Totally my bad - he was sticking out a mile into my lane with his parking lights on while the van behind me settled into my trunk as a woman with 4 children crossed my path against the light. What was I thinking!?

To his credit he waved me off with a "Merry Christmas Sweetheart, don't worry about it - it's fucking chaos here". I think he may have been Santa - or Jesus!

Upon entering my bros's little neck of Bay Ridge I was greeted with the subtle and environment respecting decor of his neighbors ...




My reward for my treacherous travels? Look who was there! Reading her Christmas book and waiting for Nana ...

Creative Photography: Resting at Harvard

Hope ya'all will stop by the CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY site and check out all the entries. I know I say it every week - cause it's true - there are some amazing, creative folks roaming round these internet tubes.

This photo is of a small private cemetery. I wish I knew the name of the place. It looked to be a very old church. It was gated and all the entrances were locked. I didn't see a plaque or a name anywhere. The building and the grounds were quite large, wrapped around a city block. This is the entire cemetery. It sat at the corner, directly across from one of Harvard's main entrances.

It was October and the ground was covered in leaves but it was still early enough for the trees to be full. I found it so endearing that the branches hang so low, as if to shade and protect all those resting there.

Ruby Tuesday: Those Damn Yankees Slept Here

Time for another RUBY TUESDAY. Make sure to stop by and check out all the others.

In honor of Mary’s visit to Boston this past weekend I pulled out a photo I took the last time I was there.

It’s the facade of the Copley Square Hotel. I like the bits of red showing through the trees. I discovered all sorts of new angles – many made necessary by being on a lurching bus stuck in mid-day Boston traffic.

I remember this hotel vividly because the tour guide told us the Yankees stay there when in town and of course everyone on the bus booed which made me laugh out loud. All eyes turned to me and I said “Oh give me a break, I was born in Brooklyn and I live in NJ. Do you really think a little booing can upset me?”

Later I was drinking with a few of the folks from the bus and received the ultimate Bostonian compliment. It’s probably an old Irish blessing as well. One of the guys told me – “I like you. You’re the only Yankees fan I don’t want to kill”.

See how easy it is to get along! Happy Ruby Tuesday.