The Never-Ending Ramblings...

Finally Home

I'm apologizing ahead of time. i know this entry is choppy and not altogether creative, but it's hard to be creative when you are tired. I’m wiped. Eighteen hours of work in a twenty-four hour period will do that to you. Six hundred players entered the Georgia Qualifying (GA level 1) Tournament hosted by one of our local CTA’s and I had to work.

Saturday’s much needed rain forced format in play changes and matches scheduled late on Sunday evening. 10PM (Sunday) and the tournament desk put on it’s last few matches for the night. I keyed my security code to shut down my facility at 11:30PM only to return the next morning –this Monday morning at 6:40AM. It barely felt like I went home.

Rain delays made for a few unhappy players – especially parents. But in general, everyone smiled, realizing this a part of junior competitive tennis. Even U.S. Open matches get backed up due to rain. At four this afternoon, I was past ready to go. (I did have enough energy to hit the Bath and Body Works semi annual sale though).

All of this is par for the course, save the plumbing problems. Yep. All of my 12 courts loaded up, backed up and the toilets go on strike. Seven-thirty Sunday evening and who the heck am I supposed to call. I phoned in a work order, crossed my fingers and whispered a quick prayer. Forty-five minutes later, the on-call guy pulls up.

“Hey Miss Robin, you got a leak?”

I wish.

“Um, it’s more than that.”

After a quick inspection he informs me the job is too big for him, he needs reinforcements and machinery. He will be back first thing in the morning.

Oh great. Meanwhile, what the heck am I supposed to tell these teenage girls who dash to the ladies room between sets wearing their tennis skirts and twisted up faces when they realize they cannot go to the bathroom?

True to his promise, the plumber arrives, with renforcements; Neal, and the snake, and the head plumber on the way. Only the three of them are unable to fix it. The reinforcements need reinforcements.

Thirty minutes later, Dave, the ultimate reinforcer arrives with his massive truck to wash out two underground lines which are apparently stopped up.

Don’t ask how man times I, along with one of the plumbers, and the custodian guy mopped both restrooms. My T.O.S. arms died long before the job was done.

One of my friends called me up after I had shot him a few emails about the problem and its progression.

“Just wanted to see if you have all your shit together…” he laughs over the phone.

I’m just glad I’m at home. Another early day tomorrow but things should start to return to normal wed or thurs.