FAT TUESDAY

Yes, it's Fat Tuesday -  the day before Ash Wednesday which is the start of Lent.  Lent lasts forty days plus Sundays and is traditionally a time of fasting and self denial.  It is preparation for Easter. 

I deserve to eat a lot today, I overdid it with exercise yesterday.  In addition to my regular walking routine, I played Pickleball for an hour at the tennis club with some other over-the-hill athletes.  It was hilarious.  I'm not that good at it but I'm a near expert on the rules.  Here's what I know. 

Pickleball is a mixture of ping pong, badmitten and tennis played on half a tennis court with a low tennis-type net.  You use a hard, abrasive paddle the size of a spanking paddle which is a little larger than a table tennis paddle.  You hit a hard plastic wiffle ball with holes all around - if you can. 

We played doubles and the serving schedule is something like tennis except that it's not.  I never did quite get the hang of who was serving and where.  The server must announce the score, indicate whether he is first or second server, then serve underhanded and diagonally into the serving area in the opponents court. 

Oh, there's more.  Whoever receives the serve must let it bounce once first before hitting it and whoever tries to return the return must let it bounce once, also.  After that, all hell breaks loose. 

You can go wherever you want on the court except into the kitchen.  You heard me right.  There is a four or five foot area nearest the net in which you cannot hit a volley.  If your opponent bounces one in there, you can go in and hit it back but you must exit the kitchen immediately.  Take Truman's advice, 'stay our of the kitchen'. 

Because the court is half the size of a tennis court, you would think that it would be a lot less physically debilitating - it's not; I'm sore all over.  Near the end, I found it hard to hit the ball because I was concentrating on the clock which would indicate our court-time had expired. 

I did have fun and I can see where this game could grow on you.  I'm withholding my endorsement of the game and  reserving judgement until my muscles heal from my first attempt. 
🏓