Blood Sport Mk II

It’s another brilliantly hot day here today, at last check it was 92.F (33.3c) with minimal humidity.  My favourite, hot, dry heat.  Unfortunately the house is like an oven, but for sunshine and warmth, it’s a concession I’m willing to make.

The day started nice and early with an early morning gym session.  Milla my trainer had suggested that instead of our normal workout that today we play racquetball.  To make sure I was properly warmed up, I got to the gym early and did a good 20 minutes on the treadmill, before Milla arrived and we both made our way downstairs for a game.

Milla is a lot more skilled than I am.  It’s been a long time since I’ve played the game, and even with the lesson I’ve had recently, I still lose to her.  But not without a fight.  The first time we played (and I’ve only played her twice) she defeated me 15-8, today…  well today there was no winner.

Milla is a competitive girl, and given the game is also meant to get my heart pumping, she bashes that ball all around the place to make me run for it.  It works too, my heart rate gets “right up there”.  But, I’m a competitive boy…
I love racquet sports, used to play tennis regularly, and while I’m by no means fantastic at racquetball, I’m pretty determined.  So today while she was smashing the ball all over the place, I started running and smashing it back.

We played off the ceiling, front wall, side wall, and even the rear wall.  Even with that, I was still losing pretty quickly.  Until I injured her.  Oops, time to run and hide.

Anyone who’s had a personal trainer before will know that it’s well within the realms of reality that they can make you hurt, and in multitudes of ways, and in a manner that allows them to smile ever so sweetly, while promising you, that it’s for your own good.  Keeping this in mind, I’ve always been a good client, and in my defense today was an accident.  I swear! 😀

Back to the story…  While making me run for the ball, Milla worked up this great little strategy that if she served the ball in a particular manner it would bounce directly into the corner of the court disabling me from returning it, thus scoring her the point.  This aside, she was already winning anyway.  Don’t quote me, but I think the score was 7-3 in her favour at the time.

Remember…  I said I was competitive, I should also add here, that apparently I’m a slow learner as she did this several times before it occurred to me that if I delayed my approach, the ball would bounce out and I could then smash it as hard as I could at an angle into the side wall where it would bounce off into the front wall, thus staying in play.
*Taps forehead*  Gee, I’m clever.

This worked, at least once.  Until the fateful serve.  Milla served the ball again into the corner, I ran for it, stopped, swung full power, smashed the ball, and hit her right in the tricep (fleshy back of her arm just above the elbow).
I should mention at this point that I also won the serve back, but I digress.

Milla let out a cry of pain, and instantly grabbed her arm.  Me, being the sympathetic, caring type that I am, laughed!  In fact I had quite a lot of trouble stopping laughing, while attempting to appear sincere in my enquiries as to whether she was ok, while through chuckles and tears of laughter I attempted (not so convincingly if appearances are anything to go by) apologise.

It hurt enough that she had to leave the court.  I found out soon after that she was also sunburned.  So you can imagine…  Racquetball ball flying at full pelt into the fleshy part of a sunburned arm…  You don’t have to be Einstein to know that that is going to hurt like a FotherMrucker!

I did manage to redeem myself slightly by grabbing my towel and running it under icy cold water and gently applying it to her arm, both to soothe the sunburn and ease any possible swelling.  From what I saw I think I’ve left a bruise.

The rules to racquetball were instantly changed too.  Hit the trainer again, and each time I’d have to drop and give 10 pushups.  Oops!

Being the caring sort that I am, and seeing that Milla actually was still hurting I suggested we cease racquetball and do something a little less violent.  The outcome was that we went out in the sun for a run/walk.  Me with my water bottle and small towel…  Her with a plastic bag full of ice for her arm.

I have a sneaking suspicion that in one way or another I’m going to pay for my efforts.  Probably because I was still chuckling from time to time as I re-visualised it.

I’m great in an emergency, and a qualified First Aider, but my first instinct in most cases is always to laugh first.  A legacy from my parents.  Who on many occasions have laughed at our accidents, and those of others on television for many years.

To attempt to redeem myself, in this public forum I offer this.  “Milla, I’m sorry I hit you during racquetball”.
I probably shouldn’t be typing this part, but I had a smirk on my face while I typed that, even though I mean it sincerely.  Oh well!

Post gym, I met my friend Celeste in the Bistro for lunch, before we jumped in the car and head over the bridge into Seattle to watch the Seattle Storm Women’s Basketball team play.

I’d been warned before we left to bring earplugs.  At the time I thought that Celeste was joking.  Turns out she wasn’t.  It was Children’s Day, and VERY VERY loud.  I’ve never loved wearing earplugs more than I did today.

One of the Storm members is Lauren Jackson, a fellow Australian, knowing this I took along my Australian Flag so that we could cheer her on.  Celeste and her partner; Stacey, had told us that quite often Lauren is cheered on with that old gem “AUSSIE!  AUSSIE!  AUSSIE!  OY!  OY!  OY!”  A chant that I despise, but when chanted by Americans gains a slight comedic charm.  That aside, how could I resist cheering on a fellow Aussie.  Of course we didn’t just cheer Lauren, the whole team was pretty fantastic.  The women really do play harder than the men.

Unfortunately Seattle Storm lost.  Oh well, it was my first basketball game of any kind, it was fun, even if we did miss the first half due to traffic. 

As has become my new custom (as of today), I purchased myself a big yellow foam finger with the team name on it.  I don’t know why this has become a custom, other than I’ve seen them on television dozens of times, and because I bought one at the Mariners Baseball game I saw last year.  Go figure.  More junk for the house.

So that’s it, a pretty busy, action packed day.

Hope you’re all well wherever you are.

Hooroo!

** UPDATE 17:39
The temperature is now 98.F (36.6.C). It’s going to be a warm night.