Aussie Aussie Aussie

Tennis season is in full swing.  The Australian Open is pumping along and the women are slugging it out as I type.  The highlight so far has been Sloane Stephens amazing three-set win over Serena Williams.  I am beyond impressed with this young woman and hopeful that she will be a bright light for American tennis.  My picks for this years Open are Roger Federer on the men's side and either Sharapova or Stephens on the women's.  By the time this post reaches the world wide web the women's finals will be set.  Sadly, I cannot stay up until the wee hours of the morning to see how it turns out.  

Source

Tennis has always been a big part of my life.  I've played since I was a preteen and all the way through college.  I still play some times, but I do more coaching than playing.  I get excited four times a year when the major tournaments are going on and I cannot wait until I get to actually visit one.  Visiting all four majors (the Australian (Melbourne), Wimbledon (London), Roland Garros (Paris), and the US Open (NYC)) has been on my bucket list for over a decade.  I hope I can start knocking these off in the near future (hint Mr. P)!  

Happy Thursday!

High Five For Friday

Hey Guys!  It's Friday again!  Short work weeks are the best and next week will be no exception with Thanksgiving on the horizon!!

Now its time for High Five for Friday!

1. I dusted off the tennis racket this week and it was awesome.  I've still got the magic... look out Wimbledon 2013 ;)

2. Veteran's Day was amazing... I got a day off and Olive Garden... Thank you veterans!

3. I got new pair of slipper/boot thingies. They rock.  Warmth + pink = awesomeness

4. In other news, hot chocolate has just been approved by the FDA as a new segment of the food pyramid.

5. Happy Birthday (tomorrow) to my beautiful sister-in-law!!  Welcome to the Quarter of a Century Club!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Aussie Aussie Aussie

Let's talk about the Australian Open! For those blog readers who do not personally know me, I am a tennis fanatic of sorts. I played competitvely from the time I was 12 all the way through college. I have taken a hiatus of sorts from playing, but I coached for a couple of years and I think the desire to play is slowly coming back. It always seems to happen when a major tournament rolls around... maybe it's wishful thinking that I can play like them?


Naturally my bets are on the most amazing man (besides Mr. Pennington of course!) in the world! Roger Federer. Fed stole my heart years ago and besides my mother I am his most devoted fan. He plays with such ease and finesse that it's like watching moving art. He has cruisedthrough to the quarterfinales, but Nadal is lurking in the shadows and they are on a semifinal showdown collision course. But let's just remember that regardless of Roger's success in the tournament he will look amazing and play with class and style.

On the women's side I am struggling a little more. No one in the last few years has really knocked my socks off. My favorite player, Justine Henin retired a few years back and it's been hard to replace her. I like Sharapova, because the amount of determination and focus that she shows is unreal. That screeching of her's has to go though. Serena Williams may win the tournament, but you will never see a stamp of approval from this lady for her. I respect her as a phenomenal athlete, but as a person and sportsman she is seriously lacking in class and manners. I think I will go with Kim Clijsters for the tournament if her ankle holds up. She has the experience and confidence needed to take her to the finals.

(I really hope none of my picks lose during the night, since I wrote this blog last night!)

The major tennis tournaments are on my bucket list and I hope to hit up the US Open soon, since it's certainly the closest! My mom and I are hoping to goto a small tournament in the spring this year and I like to think that they can be even better, because the atmosphere is more intimate and you can get so close to the players. Back in high school I was able to stand five feet from Martina Navratilova and that is something I will always remember!

*Update... Serena is out