Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Tennis and Cheez-its







This past weekend I traveled to Woburn Mass.to play in the USTA district mixed doubles tournament. I drove down Saturday late morning and was scheduled to play at 7:30 that night. I arrived at my hotel at around 2:15. I dropped my stuff at the hotel and headed for the tennis club in Winchester Mass. which was about 5 minutes from the hotel.

 When I arrived at the tennis club I found my team and settled in for a good long wait for my match that night. And it was really comfortable in the club, with about 200 people hanging around, half of them dipping sweat from playing that day. And to top it off no air conditioning, not in the waiting rooms and not on the courts. There was, at this facility, about 16 courts and in another building about 10. All of the courts had no a/c and it was hotter then hell with the outside temps in the 90's.
 So this was the spot I would be for about 4 hours. This after a 3 hour and 15 minute ride down. Oh boy I am so happy that I could just shit.

 After about four hours I headed back to the hotel to put on my tennis suit, the head back and wait for my match. We were suppose to be at the club 45 minutes before the match at 7:30. So here I am sitting around waiting......7:30.....8:00.....8:30.....9:00....9:30. Finally they called our match. As I walked out on the court I started to notice how hot it really was. And after a short warm up I was really sweating. When the match started I kicked up the sweating, to the point where I was leaving a trail of sweat where ever I went. My partner, Mary Beth, and I played hard but we lost in a tie breaker. I left the club at 11:15 and headed for something to eat as I had not eaten all day.

 There was a Sea Dog restaurant next to the hotel that I had my eye on all day. Just a nice cold beer and some munchies were in order.

 "I'm sorry they stopped serving at 10:00." the greeter said.

 OK back to the hotel, they have a restaurant and I hope I could get something there.

 "I'm sorry but the restaurant closed one hour ago, sorry."

 OK next stop the vending machines and what do you know.....a bag of Cheez-its and a coke. My prayers have been answered. I am now satisfied as I headed for my bed with a stomach that was 1/8Th filled with nutritious vending machine cuisine. And settled in to dreams of a double cheeseburger and a giant tube filled with french fries and pint of cold beer.

 The next morning I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. Wait a minute I must have been dreaming that it was Christmas.

 OK get together Will and get dressed and find some food. Out to the street and driving like a mad man.... searching and searching.....left and right checking every store. I was like a lion who had not eaten in a week, searching. Oh my god there is a Duncan Donut I pulled in like the police pull into a bank robbery in the movies. Tires screeching,smoke billowing from underneath the car. I leaped out of the car before it came to a complete stop and rushed for the door.
 I was second in line in back of a guy who seemed, to me, to be paying his bill with a bag of change. Come on man I got stomach that has a bag of cheese crackers fermenting in coke and I need something else.
 Finally I make it to the counter. "I'll have 2 egg burritos and a couple of those glazed donuts and maybe a corn muffin and throw in some of those munchkins....and a large coffee." Rushed to my car, tore open the bag and in about 3 minutes I had finished it all. I had a smile on my face and a lap full of crumbs and was happier then I had been in a long time.

 My match was at 2:00 Mary Beth and I had a good run but once again we lost in a tie breaker. The trip home was uneventful and for some strange reason I kept thinking about finding a market and buying some Cheez-its.......Oh yea.

4 comments:

Spencer Troxell said...

Dunkin Donuts is always there for you.

Willie Y said...

Like a beacon in the night.

Lodo Grdzak said...

Maybe that was the organizers plan all along. "Turn up the heat and wear Willie and Mary-Beth out before they win the tournament!"

Or maybe I've just watched too much boxing.

Willie Y said...

I think your right Lodo and also they may have had lots of Duncan Donut stock.