Bernie and Edwin enjoying a fine repast

Tricia and I fight over these two: our favorite gentlemen on the porch--Bob Schmitz and Bernie Segal. YUM!

L to R: Airplane, Alan G, Ernie G, Wild Bill and Somebody blog in and tell me who!? enjoying dinner on the porch

COACH "BAGTAG" McCain DOES IT AGAIN! AGAINST TOP TEAM RIVAL FOR DIVISION HONORS!!

Coach Terry's stellar strategy lines up season ending division win. Rob "can't touch this" Schmitz and Gary "bring it on" Conklin take first line in 2 strong sets against big threat, big serve opponents. Mike "volley (and kayak) king" Larrimer and Paul "overhead king" Smith take the 2 spot in 2 sets and Jackie and Greg lose in a tight three setter. Way to go Coach Terry and Teams! COLUMBUS HERE WE COME!!

ALL GRINS FOR THE BIG WIN!

No. 1 and No. 2 Shake on it! Coach Gary Conklin (left) got it right (after coaching women's ALTA for 25 years!). Brilliant partnering with Rob "Goliath" Schmitz, as Coach Gary uses Chinese Water Torture to unwind opponents wheels. Pinpoint serving, precise poaching and perfect putaways off the ROBBO's topspin artillery set up the number 1 spot 2 set victory. On the right: "No lob left unsmashed" PaulJordanSmith, another "it's a good year to be a Techie", wowed the crowd (Terry, Ann, and proud Mama and Pappa Bear "we made him what he is today" Schmitz) with brilliant ball tracking and "had ta been a college player" ground strokes. A thing of beauty and a wonder to behold, Paul. Great Playing!

Thanks Mama and Pappa Bear for braving the damp weather and bringing good MOJO for the team victory! We owe it all to you! See you at Bitsy soon, Marilyn! We're so glad you are better. The Bitsy Prayer list works again!!

TERRY "BAGTAG" MCCAIN CELEBRATES SUCCESSFUL SEASON WITH "AMP IT UP' SCHMITZ

Coach Terry cools off with a cold one after an exciting team victory led by No. 1 hoss Rob "Air Schmitz". Hey! Thanks for letting all the little people play, COACH! It's OK, McCain, we expect you to carry the team in COLUMBUS!! Congrats on another first place finish; your brilliant tennis acumen does it once more!! Eat his dust, Brad Gilbert!

Big Rob dominates again with needle threading sky high missiles off both wings. Although the opponents came out gunning to try to topple Goliath, Robbo's barrage of line-dusting topspin beauties proved too much for our worthy and wiley opponents. Congrats on a fan-tastic season, Baby Bear! Nobody does it better! Team Jackets will follow you anywhere--especially. . .could it be. . . . to COLUMBUS!! Go Jackets!

CHRISTMAS DOINGS AROUND THE QUADRANGLE

Sunday was another of those semi-wretched cold, damp, overcast days when you just have to find a way to get out there and hit anyways. Once you do, you often find that you can get down to your short sleeves and even your shorts or skirt and feel the blessed fresh crisp air on your skin and actually work up a sweat mayhaps. Ahh, sweet mystery of life, persistence does pay off.

Doreen Massell was there on court one with her usual Sunday game. A tight match with Ms. Jane Strickler and Keno. Theo, the artist, showed up and William King got up some CLASS A stuff with Jeff and Joe (not little Joe, this one's the bartender at Bones that always wears the wide brimmed straw hat and has a game as spiffy and stellar as his headgear). Still nursing the left foot, I just hit with always the gentleman and lovely player, Jim Wyatt. Jim has a printing/photography business and took pictures of the Tree Bar Dedication that should be coming soon. He also plays a lot of tournaments and is an expert on racquets. His current choice: he kinda goes between the Babolat Pure Drive (did I get it right, Jim?) 107 and 110 centimeter frames. Baby Bear showed up and wanted to hit which is always a challenge. Sort of David trying to hit with Goliath. On just a regular human speed of a forehand, I had been making some real progress on the topsin. But Baby Bear, even ratcheting back 40 notches, is still bouncing that dang ball over my head. Hercules: get yourself straight to Monaco and hit with Raffa immediately!! Still he's an awful good sport to slum it with the likes of me. Thanks, BB!

Here's what I'm excited about: Mike Bernard (double PhD retired Tech Prof and organizer of the senior men's tennis and Weed Rep--those are really cool oversized rackets--and ultimate expert and best deal stringer and one of the all time classic mainstays of Bitsy AND who just acquired himself a sassy new convertible: LOOK OUT LADIES!!) called me especially to invite me to play in the men's group on Tuesday and attend their Christmans party!! I AM SO EXCITED! More so, cause he said something like-- we want to show you what a real party is like. A party throw down! You gotta love the battle!

Tonight the Friends of Bitsy Grant Board and some others are going to have their December meeting at a festive location and that will be fun to see what these folks look like after they've had a shower and put on real clothes. Everybody's worked really hard for Bitsy and it will be nice to get together and celebrate all the hard work and good fun. Here's to our fearless leader, Mel Locklear, for all his hard work! Persevere, man! And Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Go Jackets! See you round the quadrangle and at the NEW TREE BAR for a wassail soon! AD