Embarrassment Averted!

Hoping to meet some people, I joined a "Tennis in Prague" group on Facebook, and ended up scheduling a mid-afternoon match at the Branik Hamr tennis club with Bobby, an American who's been living here for 10 years. He said he's a 4.5, which had me pretty nervous — I can usually hang with 4.5s, but I'm rated a 4.0, and I always approach such first matches against strangers desperately hoping I won't completely embarrass myself.

Although, this time of year, all the courts are in bubbles

I was especially worried as the recent introduction of weight-lifting machines to my daily routine has en-sore-ified muscles that I don't think I even knew I had, which made serving fairly problematic, and I'm dealing with soreness in ankles and knees I'm frankly not used to. 

But I ended up doing just fine, winning (a friendly match, so the scores don't matter, of course, but still) 6-3, 6-2, 8-0. He may well do better next time, or I may play worse — who knows? But at least I didn't embarrass myself, and left feeling relieved and good about myself. I'm also, again, over 10 years older than him, which is nice. I'm actually, honestly, prepared for this all to start petering out at some point. I've really enjoyed the past decade or so of regular and intensive tennis playing, and if it starts reverting to ... old-man tennis, good for exercise, but no longer able to compete successfully with those much younger than me, I'm ready. But ... NDY.

   ------------------

People ask me if Catalina has settled in yet. I think so — she's comfortable sleeping all day out on the sofa, and I no longer come home to find her hiding behind the TV set. But until all my stuff arrives from the US it's difficult for me to feel "at home," and I'm not sure she does either. I want there to be another bed and sofa in the guest room so she's comfortable in there. I want the weather to warm up so she can lie in the sun and spend time sitting on her tower or in the bedroom window watching birds, or people walking dogs, etc. I feel like we're kind of both killing time right now, waiting for my things to arrive, for spring to get here, and so on.

In the meantime, you never know where she's going to be when I get home. Sometimes she wanders out into the hallway to greet me with a meow. Usually she's on the sofa, head up, staring at me as I enter the living room. Occasionally, yes, she's still behind the TV. Sometimes she waits for me me in a slightly more ominous/threatening position.

Can you please not be quite so spooky, Cat?

Still, she's a sweetie. and I'm glad she's here with me.