In basketball the stutter step is "one good move"! It's a change of pace move. I use that move in pickle ball but it's not on purpose, I'm just tired. I'm a wimp. I was to go hiking with Evan and Linda (i.e. college friends) Tuesday but Evan (i.e. Sunland East's star shortstop) did a stutter step playing softball in the morning and pulled some muscles. And you think being a snowbird is easy!
Don fell on the pickle ball court this week. Luckily he didn't get hurt it appears. I think he took a stutter step and forgot he took it. Don is 89. I talked to him afterwards. He said--I wanted to see if my blood is still red--it is! A pickle ball buddy and I were talking as we were sitting on the bench waiting our turn to play. I asked her about her occupation before retiring. She was an office manager in charge of many things (i.e. great responsibility). She also told me that she had an ovarian tumor maybe 10 years ago. As she was recovering from surgery, she heard the doctor in the hall talk to someone and say--I removed 3 ovarian tumors today and I need to tell two of those gals that it was cancer. She just went "white as a sheet" and "library quiet" she said; then the doctor came in and said I was the lucky one! It was a stutter step in her life. She really appreciates life she told me. Later in the morning I was playing pickle ball with Jimmie. He was a hockey goalie for 60 years (i.e. guess where he is from folks). He is recovering from breast cancer. He just got a call that he is cancer free. He was a happy camper. Huh, interesting!
It might look like a stutter step but...it's not on purpose folks! I was talking to my best friend Secretariat a.k.a. WhiteMagic about trying to improve our pickle ball skills. He said--erv, you better get after it fast as at your age you are not going to get any quicker or faster. He has a point!
Some snowbirds winter in AZ, some in TX and some in FL. How do they decide where they winter? There are many many reasons--as many reason as correct answers. Some like the ocean, the desert, the mountains, the cost, friends, money, family, distance, dry climate etc. There is no correct answer (i.e. the answers are all over the place, sooo ya can't get it wrong). It's just like there is not a correct answer why the gas tank on some cars are on the passenger's side and on some cars they are on the driver's side. Our friend back home, who worked for the state of IA, got a special award from the Governor for her suggestion. She suggested that on the dash of all IA government cars they put a sticker with an arrow telling the IA government drivers on which side the gas tank is thus saving time and frustration for the employees. So there you go. Brilliant! My Daddy, Chester, would say to me--erv, the folks who are really fun to be around are the one who are great but don't know it! Maybe he was just "stutter stepping" me. Could be! I have been fooled before let me tell ya! ANYWAY I had the opportunity to play pickle ball with new guy who is a good player. My observation was that he was arrogant, cocky and thought he was very important. Maybe he wasn't but his body language and how he acted to me sorta kinda gave me this impression. It made me wonder--If I ever became really good at something, if ever I became powerful some how, or if I ever became wealthy some how, would I become arrogant, cocky and obnoxious? I hope I wouldn't but I don't know for sure. Some folks do. Usually those folks that become that way, aren't much fun to be around. I ran this scenario past a youngsmartfriendfromIAwithaMBAdegree and he told me to not jump to a conclusion--Maybe he is just insecure and that is his way of expressing himself. I hope I get the opportunity to meet this person and get to know him (i.e. probably won't as I think he thinks he's better than me). It seems that I'm wrong a lot about a lot of things sooooo I could be this time tooooo! But maybe not! Such is life.
I was getting on my bike after pickle ball and Jim (i.e.a senior snowbird) was doing the same. I like Jim. I said--You're a good man Jim. He said--I don't know about that; I'm pretty much a "has been"! You're a good man Jim!
Ya, we all have probably had to take stutter steps in our lives (i.e. where we had to stop before we could go again). Here are some questions--Will I be proud of how I lived my live? Did I live it for me (i.e. self-centered like DuaneTheWorm) or did I care about others? What did I do with the opportunities that were presented to me? Did I just sit on the couch and eat chips or did I do something to better someone? I told you several times that I pray for opportunities, I pray that I can recognize them (i.e. soooo they just don't fly over my head) and I pray for the courage to act on them. I read it in the paper sooooo it must be right--A perfect time to stop a bad habit or begin a new one is when your routine is already out of whack!
You don't need a spreadsheet to know if a business, church, community etc is an "A" or a "D". You can usually tell by spending 10 minutes around it (i.e. it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out). It starts with it's culture and supported by it's leaders! It doesn't take long to figure it out. My mentor use to say to me--erv, we are all programed by our past. Usually if you get a certain impression, others do toooooo. It might take you a stutter step at the most and then "bingo" you got it figured out! Such is life.
She did a small stutter step! I asked snowbirdNDMarilyn if she golfs. Sorta kinda but not very good. The first time I went with the Mixers, the gal we were playing with was all dressed up and had the nicest equipment. I was all nervous (i.e. intimated). She golfs worse than I do! SusieQ says--Appearance can be deceiving! There were folks behind us the other day when we were golfing. The folks had all the nice golf cloths on and the nice equipment. We had to wait on a par 3 and they came up and visited with us. The score keeper asked what score the others had--Herman said--put me down for a thousand; I actually had a 10 (i.e. the hole was a par 4). She asked Nick. Nick said put me down for a 12; that's close enough! But they looked nice! Such is life.
John lost his stutter step alright! PickleBallDanWithTheSoreKnee put together a fun afternoon for us at Carriage Manor. He's sorta kinda the activity director. Oh ya! He does sign up sheets for 8 beginners, 8 intermediates, and 8 advanced. He sorta kinda puts 4 folks in each court. We played a round robin in that pool. The player with the most points in each of the pools played together, #2s, #3s and #4s did the same. Then we played a round robin again in that pool. I think most folks think they are better than they are when they self-rate themselves. Maybe that is ok. But like a guy who played in our pool said to me while drinking a beer--It sorta knida shows how good you are! Ya it does. John was my partner for the 7th game. He was dead tired. He said to me afterwards--I couldn't move anymore (i.e. lost his stutter step); I need to loose 20 pounds. John also said--During the last game all I could think about was that cold beer! Huh, interesting.
Monday one gal who plays pickle ball with us came but didn't play. I asked her why. She said--I decided last night that my body needed a day off. I was tired (i.e. she needed a stutter step). ANYWAY on my way home I rode my bike past this guy who sits in his drive ever day (i.e. I have ridden by him many many times--he just sits there). I don't know him but he is from New York they tell me. I never say anything but just wave. Soooo today he's reading the paper and I say--Any good news in there? Take a wild guess what he says! He says--Nope, just the same old s---!
The stutter step made him a better person. A pickle ball buddy told me that he was a real jerk when he was younger. Really, are you sure. I was obnoxious and arrogant and cocky (i.e. a real mess). Ouchy ouchy! Soooo what happened that you changed. I met my wife and she changed me BINGO. Hey folks, this is one nice, smart guy--sooooo you know what his wife is like.
SusieQ says--Sometimes we inadvertently disturb someone. We say something we later realize was inappropriate. A humble word of apology can heal a relationship as quickly as it was damaged. "Never ruin an apology with an excuse." ~ Benjamin Franklin ~ I think apologies can make a person better. What do you think? WildWillie says--I have a string of apologies going. How long is your string WildWillie. A string of "one"!
GeorgeTheCrook says--Try not to worry about your stutter steps. Here in paradise we try not to fuss about small stuff! GeorgeTheCrook, it just looks like I'm stutter stepping. I'm not doing it on purpose, I just get flummoxed easily! But I just fooled you didn't I GeorgeTheCrook. Such is life.
Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:
erv
MyFriendJean says--You can take the day off but you can't put it back.
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