Not Quite the 26th

¡Happy Belated July 26, todos! Due to computer issues, I haven't posted for 2 days. Sorry! (I don't know how to convey the sound of that 'sorry'. In my head it sounded like Rafael's 'sorry' when his phone rings at a presser or he accidently speaks en español.)

Anyway, yesterday was the 26th of July. ¡Viva la revolución! It's interesting how there's actual celebrating of a bunch of rebels getting killed and Fidel ending up in jail. His trial was AWESOME, though. Awesome. He made a 5 hours, extemporaneous, totally epic, speech.

So, happy late beginning of the revolution. Fidel said yesterday that he has no plans to be in office when he is 100 years old, although more Cubans are living to that age now that there is universal healthcare. The government of Cuba has a plan for Raúl Castro to take of when Fidel steps down or dies. But how much longer will he last, really? And the government of the United States has a plan to have people in Cuba, trying to install, I suppose, another Batista or equally horrible excuse for a human being, very VERY soon after Fidel dies.

I did hear, though, that about 15 years ago Fidel quit smoking, in order to be healthier and a better role model for the young people of Cuba.

My Safin Serve

Yeah, sorry I haven't written for so long. I had a good weekend, however. I played in a tournament at the leaf-covered Waynflete courts, and got my butt kicked. It was good though, I played my best, and it was good experience. On Sunday morning, I had a lesson with Dave,(first since April), who offered his condolences about my having had to play a lefty. Dios mio, they're scary! However, they do double-fault in the ad court a lot, which is sometimes very helpful.

Anyway, Dave helped me with the serve again, and it's now actually mejorando. It's sort of a cross between Marat Safin and Rafael Nadal. More like the Rafael Nadal of 3 years ago, in that it sucks. But it really is getting better, and I have a VERY COOL new strategy, and an even better forehand. Hot.

I am loving the new racquet, too.

This is my last week of work. The classes go as follows: First, get corrected a lot by Peppy Natalie the Sophomore, who nobody likes as much as they pretend to, and rips apart my teaching techniques in front of the kids. Say 'caray' under my breath a bunch. In locker room, count down from 100 with Grace. Second, teach fun group with Merideth. Tell kid named Drew to put his face in the water. In locker room, count down from 100 with Grace and talk to the Kwan sisters' mom about diving tips. Third: Help Chris with gigantic group of 7 level 3 boys who think I am an Olympic swimmer. No counting needed for this group, they're fast.

Almost Friday

It is almost Friday and I am incredibly grateful. It's been a tough week, swimming lessons-wise. Yesterday in Team Tennis I lost to an 8-years-old and all I could think about was how I teach kids older than that. Good lord. She was a good player, though. And at the beginning of the 2nd set, Coach Jeff came and asked me if my knee hurt. It did. And then he told me not to push it, and just go up and shake hands if it got too bad. Which is a message to me that I don't conceal injuries very well. I've been playing a lot, and my knees are where I feel it.

Rafa's Hand

The 'problems in the left hand' which Toni said were keeping Rafa out of Stuttgart have had some light shed upon them. Apparently, he has these problems since Second Week at Wimbly. Rafa will be making his return in either Cincinatti or Toronto, although there is no word yet on which. And we are assured this has nothing to do with the crashing into electrical pole.

New racquet!!!!

I got a new tennis racquet! Yay!!! It's a Head LiquidMetal Radical. Not the APD, but good enough, no? I have a gigantic three-matches tommorow, and a USTA Tournament this weekend. No ideas about who I am playing. This is going to be short post.

My Braces

My braces are going to come off August 16th!!! I went to the orthodontist's today, and got the bands changed for the last time. For the first time in a long while, I didn't get a team colors. There's no Copa Fed, Davis, or Mundial, so I picked bright green and blue. It looks nice. After having red and yellow for 80% of the time, it's a nice change. My retainer is going to have stripes like the flag of Spain.

I think I am going to ditch two (count 'em, two!) tournament para viajar al Ocean City. It'll be fun, and Dad doesn't seem too dissapointed. I like Ocean City, and it's got a very cool coffee place with the LONGEST menu board in the world. Se llama Java Jane's.

Tommy R!

Tommy Robredo won quite good. It was 6-2 6-1. That's his 2nd title this year, and he is still in the top 10! Yay, Tommy! I saw him talk, after the match. He seemed very happy (well, yeah), and said he was going to the beach. He said 'Right now, I'm gonna go to the beach with my friends. Rafael, my coach, my physio...' Is this Rafael Nadal? Is he is Bastad? It wouldn't surprise me much. He likes Sweden.

Bored

Still no accents.

I have a really boring day ahead of me. I hate the United States government, and they had no right to shoot Che. And then lie about it. They're so stupid! It reminds me a little of Max Morris, and when I wrote him 2 page argument and asked him to write one too, instead of yelling. He took mine and wrote 'No way!' and 'Communism sucks' all over it. He didn't even spell communism right. I can spell capitalism.

Spanish team have just lost to Italy team in the semis of Fed Cup. Bleh. I guess Italy are not so bad. But I wish Spain had won. They had a really good team, for singles it was Anabel Medina Garrigues and Lourdes Dominguez-Lino. They are both players who I really like.

Feliciano Lopez already has lost today, to Gasquet. It would have been his 2nd career title. It was close, though. Three sets, 2 breakers. The third set was 6-3, however.

If this is going to be a bad day for Spain, it'll continue now. Tommy Robredo is playing Davydenko in the Bastad final. But last time I checked he was up a break. I'll go check again.