The weather's been nice, so we've been enjoying tennis in the cool weather and walks in the evening with Millie.
I turned 45 today, which seems hard to believe. I certainly don't feel like I thought a 45 year old would, but the math seems to add up, so I can't argue the point.
This past weekend we went to lunch with the kids at PVIC to enjoy the chili which is my favorite chili of all time, and always on the menu on Saturdays. I also went on a bike ride with Millie Mae around the neighborhood, and played in the tennis clinics. It was a chill weekend at home, and a perfect way to celebrate my birthday.
The electric bike is my fun gift for this year. I'd been talking about possibly getting one for a while and Andrea and Paige decided it was time to do it. I did quite a bit of research, test drove a couple different options, and eventually ended up with the Aventon Level.2 Commuter. It's a nice size, and I've ridden it over to Trasca a couple times, and around the neighborhood quite a bit. So far, I love it!
This weekend we went to Jekyll Island to celebrate Shawn’s birthday and so Paige could compete in a tennis tournament. Connor drove his car up with Andrea and Paige on Friday and I loaded up Tessy with bikes and came up after work.
Saturday morning, we got to sleep in a little and then we went to the tennis courts for Paige’s first match. Her opponent struggled, and couldn’t keep up with Paige. Paige did a good job of staying focused and continuing to hit her shots. She won the match 6-0, 6-0.
We ate lunch at the pool restaurant after the match, and then we got all the bikes together for a ride around the island.
We stopped off at a Turtle Sanctuary to learn about sea turtles and to see some that were being rehabilitated.
After the turtles, we set forth on our biking adventure. Connor had not ridden his bike in years, and it had gotten rusty. The rear tire was out of alignment and rubbing on the frame, making a terrible noise. He struggled for a little while, but we ended up renting him a bike to use instead. After Connor’s bike got sorted, we enjoyed a ride down along the beach to some shops and restaurants.
After a snack, we took a long ride up to the driftwood beach and then down the west side of the island back to the hotel. Andrea and I miscommunicated somewhere along the line and it was quite a bit longer of a ride than either of us intended.
We were pretty tired after our journey and ate some breadsticks and salad in the room while watching college football.
Sunday morning we woke up early for Paige’s second match. Her opponent was quite a bit stronger than her first match, but Paige dominated the first set 6-0. The second set, Paige was playing safer and fell behind. She eventually figured out a winning strategy and won 7-5. Connor and Andrea had to leave during her first match so Connor could work. After a break and a snack, Paige warmed up for her final match and for the championship matchup of the tournament. Unfortunately, her final opponent was a strong player and Paige lost the match 3-6, 4-6.
Overall, I would say that it was the best I've seen Paige play. She did a great job pushing the pace with her heavy topspin balls, and hustled without hesitation to short balls. Paige scrambled well and got a lot of balls back in play that her opponents weren't expecting. She didn't get many first serves in, but didn't double fault many times.
Paige dressed up as Lola Bunny this year and went trick-or-treating in the TPC neighborhood where one of the streets really gets in to it. Connor didn't have any plans for the day, so he just snapped a pic of Paige and the rest of us, before Paige set out on her adventure.
The end of October, Andrea went to Kansas City for a few days to visit with her mother, sisters, and their families. The hurricanes and rain had just gone through Florida, so it was a great time to enjoy some cooler weather, the Fall colors, and the pleasant Midwest Fall weather.
