We play Pickleball for 45 minutes to an hour--depending on if there are 2 or 3 of us. With just two, we're pretty pooped after 45 minutes. We usually play before the mall opens, so there are just walkers going by. I like to say that the most exercise we get is retrieving the ball. As you can imagine, with nothing to stop it, the ball just sails the length of the mall! Sometimes, someone will stop it for us.
Last week, Stephanie played with us for the first time. A little while in to it, she said, "Mom, people are taking pictures of us!" I think she was embarrassed. It took Connie a while to agree to play for that reason. Yes, we do see people we know, but I look at it this way: at least we're doing something! I'm laser focused and really don't notice the people around us.
On Thursday, it was just Nancy and me. Our habit is that we play Pickleball, go to Panera for lunch, and then a movie to take advantage of our Unlimited Regal Pass.
As we were playing, I noticed a woman about 50-ish watching and snapping pictures. I struck up a conversation with her. She said she wanted to send a picture to her friend who would love it. Then I asked her if she would like to play. She joined us for about 15 minutes or so. I got her to take a few pictures of us. I invited her to join us whenever she saw us playing. That's when she told us she was from Washington D.C. Apparently she and her friend play, but she had never seen a court in a mall.
Luckily, there's no jumping the net! Our goal is to just not fall down!
It was bound to happen. I lost a ball. There was a store that closed. It had a locked metal fence with a curtain behind it. Well, the ball bounced through the fence and disappeared behind the curtain. I reached in with my paddle and pushed the curtain aside. The ball was against the wall about 10 ft. in. There was no way to get to it. Nancy suggested I pin a note to the curtain. What??
1. I didn't have a pin.
2. What was I going to say: "Uh that Pickleball belongs to me--would you mail it to me?" Or:
3. "Would you deliver it to me the next time we are here?"
When we got there on Thursday, it looked like this:
They put up particle board to advertise what's coming. I could hear work going on behind that wall. I tried knocking, but that didn't really work as the knocking didn't make much noise as the particle board was too soft. So, it's gone for good. Luckily, the balls are cheap and you get 4 with a set--for $12.00. I bought an extra set of blue balls because the yellow ones that came with my set seem to be difficult for me to see with my glasses.
1. It's good exercise---I'm definitely sweaty when we finish.
2. I need to be very careful when I run after the ball.
3. Our main goal is to just not fall down.
4. We never plan to join a league or anything--heck, we don't even play games. We just volley it back and forth. Nancy and I are getting pretty good.
5. It feels good to be doing something athletic--as sports were so important to me when I was young.
6. We might be old, but it does feel good to be able to say that we're 70-somethings playing Pickleball! I don't know anyone else doing it (okay, well one person, but she lives far away).
7. I want to keep moving for as long as I can.
8. It's good for our balance--seriously--it's one of the benefits and I need it!
9. Having a Cinnabon right next to the court just about kills me--the smell!!
10. And the best thing I've learned is--My friends are ALWAYS willing to do anything I come up with!! That's what I call loyalty!!
Pickleball is all the rage around here too, although I haven't heard of one set up at our mall. Probably not a bad idea to draw a little traffic.
ReplyDelete