Thank whomever for Starbucks, their coffee and free wifi....

March 20, 2013

Played 5 hours of pong last night at the Brovard County TTC.  What at pong-palace!  Nineteen tables, rubber floors, great lighting and at least eight over 2200 rated players to practice against.  If I had to rate all the places I've played so far this has to be near or at the top.  Air conditioned hall, needs to be with all this humidity.  Friendly players and at a high level of skill.

Frozen Yogert after the Opening Ceremonies at the 2012 Huntsman World Senior GamesSlept outside their club, sun shining, so off to the beach at Hollywood, Florida.  The Atlantic Ocean is warm this far south, so it was nice to spend as much time swimming as necessary.  Sitting in the Starbucks Coffee shop in the center of Hollywood watching all the Long Island, New Yorkers soaking up the warmth.  At the club last night 50% of the older players were from Long Island.  They all agreed that by early May the heat will really increase to the point of staying in air conditioning except for early morning and evening.

Playing in a one star tournament at the Brovard club this weekend.  Then off to visit with Dennis and Lisa Fiandola living in Naples, Florida.  Last time we saw each other was in 1968, South Viet Nam.  Should be interesting.

Best to you all,

Andy

Rested, relaxed, and full complement of clean underwear....must be time to move on!

March 18, 2013

Five days of visiting with an old air force air traffic control buddy, sitting around his pool on Amelia Island...too relaxed, gotta get back into a competition frame of mind.  March 23 and 24th is a two day ping-pong tournament I've entered in Hollywood, Florida, must get prepared.  This soft girly-man life won't cut it.

Who says a hard bat can't create topspin!Charlie and I have a combined 50 years of air traffic controller experience, so it's just a matter of time before we talk shop.  In air traffic control we were always looking for new/good candidates to become controllers (same as in table tennis).   A person not associated with aviation was always intimidated when visiting a control tower or radar unit.  The word "radar" just seems to make some people nervous.

We were shooting ourselves in the foot when visitors, and potential controllers, would want to learn something about the job and visit our work place.  We'd expand the radar scope from 10 miles of radar coverage to 150 miles.  Most likely there wasn't an aircraft flying within the 10 miles of coverage, so to impress we knew there were numerous aircraft radar targets at the 150 mile setting.  Kind of like when a basement player visits a real club for the first time.  They are impressed, and maybe overwhelmed, when two players are hitting forehand shots at machine gun speed...and not missing!  

Controller, pilot and adventurer. Andy has many wings.At the ten mile radar setting there were probably one or two airway routes displayed, however at the 150 mile setting you could expect to see dozens of airways displayed along with airway intersections and final approach fixes.  Mind blowing for the new comer, information overload.  These controllers must be from another planet!  Possibly, a basement player may feel the same way when visiting a club.  The club players want to impress this new comer with all they've learned and win a match against them eleven to one or maybe two.  How often have we noticed that new basement player never returns.

I listened to Mark Nordby, El Paso TTC, explain to a potential new player and his parents the difference in skill levels at each of the club's nine tables.  Mark did an excellent job of trying to avoid information overload.  However, I could see a look of being overwhelmed by the El Paso club member's skill level.  There wasn't a weak table.  Are we often shooting ourselves in the foot (feet)? 

Traveling south to the Merritt Island and Vero Beach TTClubs before this weekend tournament.  One aspect of my game, which I expected to see, is that I don't have the huge ups and downs in performance levels.  Playing almost everyday has shored up that issue.  In Alaska we play once or twice a week and it's always the same players, so we know each other's game.  I've seen sooooo many styles and different serves on this trip.  Instead of being complacent, it keeps you on your toes.

Happy Trails,

Andy

Amelia has been located....Amelia Island, Florida that is...!

March 14, 2013

Seems like only at few months ago, wait it was, Susanne and I were driving up the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to Sacramento and now I'm looking at the Atlantic Ocean on Amelia Island.

Last month Charlie Hines phoned Susanne and I informing us his doctors gave him approximately nine months to live with an inoperable brain tumor, same type tumor that took the life of Senator Ted Kennedy.  Going backward, Charlie was an air traffic controller trainee on my crew at Offuit AFB, Nebraska in 1981.  We became friends and have kept in contact since.  Charlie just retired from the FAA as a supervisor in the Boston air traffic control center, with over 30 years service. 

As I'm driving across the country I'm wondering what Charlie's condition is.  Guess it's human nature to hope for the best and be ready for the worst of situations.  Well, it's my pleasure to report Charlie's doctors say he's in the top 10 percent of patients living with this condition.  He looks and acts the same as when we were in Nebraska.  However, doctors also report his condition can go south without any warning.  We had a few beers over dinner last night and laughed about old times.  One fine individual.

Ocean Springs, Mississippi table tennis is alive and well thanks to Mr. Albert Weaver.  At 72 years old Albert still has an intense love of the sport and will talk to anyone with any little bit interested.  It takes a special person to watch air force table tennis players come and go from Keesler AFB while they stay and keep the game alive in Mississippi.  Albert should be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall-of-Fame.

Fort Walton Beach TTC opened my eyes to how important it is for a club to welcome new/visiting players.  Their web site says advanced players welcome on certain days.  They mean it.  I lost only one match, to their top player, but it seemed like an all out attack for one of their players to beat me.  Four tables with eight players each closely looking at the rubber and racket I used.  Each had to rub a ping-pong ball across the common brand of rubber to make sure it wasn't an outlawed rubber.  However, they never offered to show the brand of rubber they were using.  I had a good work out, however never expect to return to that club. 

Relaxing/visiting with Charlie and Cheryl, walking on the white beaches of Amelia Island, and looking out at the Atlantic Ocean day dreaming about Susanne and I vacationing in Denmark May and June.

Wasn't it Mel Brook's movie, "History of the World Part I," when the King of France said, "It's good to be the King!" 

See you along the trail,

Andy

Recharged in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.....k

March 12, 2013

Last email I was recharging my battery in Austin, Texas high ceiling, wood floor, good space around tables and top players. the day before the Austin's Thursday night league.  Thursday they put me on table #1 with six other players, I played well against a 1900 level looper, however didn't fair so well against Rick Mueller....a modern day defensive player. 4 of 15 tables in this spacious facility. Considered one of the top 5 TT clubs in USA according to Karl Augestad Rick returned everything as he constantly flipped his racket from smooth spinny inverted to long pips no sponge.  In my opinion Rick flipped as often, if not more, than some members of congress.  Rick won the table and I held up my number three position.

 Austin was a great place to play and their hospitality was beyond compare.  The day-to-day manager Kenneth was doing his daily student instructions as well as making sure I had coffee, a place to park the EuroVan at night, and plently of different playing styles to practice against.  Perhaps the most tastful thing was to direct me to where the best real homemade Mexican restaurants were located.  Gained a few of the ten pounds I've lost back....was worth every bite.

 Thursday drove half way to New Orleans before bedding down at a rest stop at the border of Texas and Louisiana.  Tired after playing then driving four hours I just found a good parking space, pulled the curtains, and rolled into bed.  Next morning I open the curtains and discover I'm parked right next to a sign, "Beware of snakes."  Oh well, if it ain't a rattlesnake in Texas it's got to be a copperhead.  At least a rattlesnake will usually send a warning, those copperheads are silent and deadly.

 New Orleans TTC meets three times a week in the Hilton, approximately three blocks from the Super dome.  $5.00 to play pong, $12.00 to park the vehicle.  Get full details from Marty (club manager) about where to park before going to the club.  Tables share space with basketball, volleyball, and tennis.  The floor is the same material as in the Alaskan AT&T building where the Anchorage club meets.  All the other activities going on and the same floor, I felt pretty much at home.

 After pong, drove to an old friend's home in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.  Albert Weaver and I played against each other in the 1970s.  Albert is 72 years old and taking care of his wife as she deals with advanced stages of Alzheimer.  Strange how we sometimes believe time has stopped after we leave a place, we think nothing has changed when we returning.  Once again, a reality check.

 Today, off to Niceville, Florida to look up another air force friend from Greenland, Al Cornwell.  Al bought a seafood restaurant in Niceville before retiring from the Air Force, the restaurant continues to operate, so I'm guessing Al is still the owner or they can put me in contact with Al.

This evening I'll go to the Fort Walton Beach TTC.  On the USATT site the club reports only advanced players are welcome tonight.  Suppose I'll find out what an advanced player is?

God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll visit with Charlie and Cheryl Hines on Thursday, on Amelia Island, just north of Jacksonville.  Visiting Charlie and Cheryl is the primary reason for making this cross-country excursion.  However, I've reconnected with old friends and make new friends along the way. 

Enjoy every moment.

As ever,

Andy

An Island in the Desert...

March 7, 2013

That's how Mark Norby described the El Paso Table Tennis Club's (TTC) location.  

Mark is correct, there is approximately 350 miles to Tucson, AZ and over 500 miles to Austin, TX with desert all around.  However, I'd add one word, "a paradise island .  (for table tennis crazies) in the middle of the desert."

I'm way ahead of myself though, to bring everyone up-to-date I've played at the following clubs on this cross country journey:  Berkeley TTC; I TTC in Albany, CA; Indian Community Center (ICC); Ping Pong Dojo; Pong Planet (aka Planet Pong); San Francisco TTC; Fremont TTC Academy; Badminton & Table Tennis Academy; Silicon Valley TTC; Sacramento TTC; Citrus Heights TTC; and Folsum TTC....all in northern California.  Thanks to Bob Palgon we visited 3 or 4 clubs a day for three days.

I was entered in a Sacramento tournament however severe flu caused withdrawal.  Since I wasn't playing in the tournament, decided to head to Henry & Jackie Blankenships in Las Vegas.  Sill under the weather, got to play at Mr. Lee's TTC in Chinatown and the Las Vegas TTC, run by Errol Resek.  Errol lived in Alaska once and this year was inducted into the USATT Hall-of-Fame.

Drove from Las Vegas to play at the Phoenix and Tucson Clubs, just enough to play a few hours and hit the road.  This trip would be easier with two people for driving, documenting, and visiting with the various club members.  Finding many clubs have their own location, not sharing with other activities.  Young players are taking serious coaching, and the internet has opened up a new world.  Years ago, if you didn't know someone who knew someone in a certain city, you'd be lost to find a club.

Arrived in El Paso early in the morning and got a chance to look around at a really beautiful city.  Average price for a four bedroom, two bath home is $125,000.  The El Paso TTC is probably the best kept secret in the entire ping-pong world.  They have 9 Butterfly tables always set up, rubber floor, great lighting, pictures of professional players on the wall (in nice frames), two showers down stairs, and a break room.  A local lawyer/ping-pong player bought the entire building because he got tired of being kicked around at the neighborhood recreation center.  The attorney hired Mark Norby to coach and promote table tennis in El Paso.  Mark says he's a coach but doesn't do well at promoting.  However, as a coach Mark is outstanding.  He's taken several 900 level players to over 1900, truly amazing.  Whenever traveling through El Paso make it a point to play there....it's a first class venue.Andy and Karl visiting another table tennis club on another adventure in 2009

Club's that do not have a permanent location struggle to keep a core number of members.  And some that have a permanent home also struggle.  In northern California families show up at the local club to encourage their children.  Older member clubs have members drop out for a few years and then come back.  Difficult to manage when there is overhead.

Doing most of my driving at night.  Clear skies, thousands of stars, and a bright moon lite night I thought it would be pleasant to hike through the desert, until I crossed Rattlesnake Creek....reality check.  Half way between Vegas and Kingman, AZ there are two road signs next to each other.  One is advertising the Skyway over the Grand Canyon and the other is offering the opportunity to shoot a .50 caliber machine gun.  Since it was 3 am I expect both were closed, however you never know about those machine gun operations.

Sending this email from the Austin TTC, approximately 20 tables in their own building, once again a local business person donated the building.  Adult training going on while 2000 level players are practicing.  The manager is allowing me to park the VW EuroVan Camper outside for the night.  Friendly people those pongers.

Best regards, Andy