July 26th, 2013 - Friday - Racquetball

My Dad and brother were big racquetball players when I grew up and I loved the game and got good at it by the time I was 15-16.  But I just didn't get a chance to play a lot until recently.

We have a family Sunday Football game.  This is the most magical fantastic wonderful experience.  We gather with family and friends and play Sunday morning early. It's great. Jennie plays, Asher, Riley, Ame.  It's just fantastic.  One of the better things I've EVER done with my family.  We almost always play on the same team, so it's a real family team event.  Well last Sunday due to scheduling conflicts we decided to play at 6:00 in the afternoon instead of 8:00 in the morning...

This was a bad decision. It was BRUTALLY hot.  95 degrees.  While pulling out a victory, I damn near killed myself, and so did Riley (he almost puked and passed out).  It was just too hot.  Not good.  Bad.

But it also motivated me to get in better shape.  I'm getting slowly better, but this really motivated me to work harder.  So... in response to that rigmarole, I played got out the rackets and played Racquetball with Ame on Monday teaching her the game.  Light game, it was fun.  Played with her again on Tuesday, and she got markedly better quickly.  Wednesday was the 24th of July and the Wasatch Recreation Center was closed... so we didn't play that day, but yesterday Ame and I went again and this time we talked Jennie into coming after work and meeting us.  She wasn't thrilled at first but then...

Then she got into it.  We ended up playing 2.5 hours at the Rec Center, and soaked with sweat and tired beyond belief, we went to Don Pedros for dinner afterwards!  What a treat.

Today, being Friday, Ame had to work so she couldn't come, so I took Riley today and taught him how to play.  He got good FAST.  We played light, since yesterday's game was so damn long (for me).  Anyway, it was fun to teach Ame and Riley how to play, as well as Jennie.  Jennie and Ame got a couple games in yesterday while I watched, and they played pretty tight games.

Anyway, now I need to rest and get ready for Sunday's early football game!

Ame and Jason Painting

Ame asked me to do an oil painting with her. We choose a dark evening in the woods by a babbling stream... a dead tree watching over the scene. Ame painted the majority of it, and for one of her first tries it came out magnificently. I'm excited to see what she can do next.