Nathan's Insights

It’s all over and time to return back to the city, my job and the reality of life trying to earn a dollar and being a good person.

The last 5 days for the most part have been good.   I got to spend time with people I don’t see as often as I’d like.   My footy team won, I made an unexpected semi-final with Catherine Coutts (well done Catherine!) but I also learnt a few things about how I need to get into better sharp.   The next few years should be my best not the start of the decline! Cleaning up the campsite is not very motivating, luckily I didn’t have to do much, somehow fit everything into the car, throw out the trash and keep an eye on the children.   Reagan, my uncle Paul and I set off for home around 10 am with a fully loaded car.   It took about 3 hours to get to Attwood and getting out of the car proved my legs are getting old (although grass tennis does mean you are stretching for the ball more – at least that’s my excuse!). Sitting back in Southbank uploading my photos from the holiday/adventure while my colleague were back at work I kept thinking that this is what life is for, to get away from the big city and have some fun with friends.   I’ve been up to Myrtleford 8 times now, I not sure how many more are in store but I do know that I much take breaks like this, especially when my work starts becoming very difficult.

The last day of the tournament and my last chance to do something up here.   When I returned from overseas I set myself some goals for the next 18 months, one of which was to win a tennis tournament.   Well all the goals are not looking good at present but this is a possible one.

My D Grade mixed partner is the beautiful Catherine Coutts who now lives in Canberra and who no longer plays regularly.   Catherine is only playing mixed with me so I’m very lucky she said yes.    Catherine is also nurse and she did a great job bandaging my hand so that I didn’t feel any pain hitting the ball anymore. Well we started off with a good 8-5 victory during our early morning match.   We played some very smart older players and I was just happy to get over the line.   Since my first win on Friday I’d lost 5 straight matches.   Winning does feel a little better than losing 🙂

Our next match was even better with an 8-4 win.   Again I hold my serve (making it 7 in 2 matches for the day).   We actually teamed very well and I knew early on we would win this match and therefore win our group and go forward to the Quarter Finals.

I watched my brother Reagan loss to our next opponents.   The team was Shane Bishop and his current girlfriend (forget her name unfortunately – good looking girl).   Shane is a very good young player so a hard match. The quarter-final match was extremely hard fought.   In the end we won 8-6 (I held my serve 4 times – 11 for the day in a row).   Actually there was only one break of serve (Shane’s girlfriend) and that should not have happened either (Shane missed 2 shots at the net).   I have no idea who would have won the tiebreaker.   Easily the highest standard match I played on the day and I think Catherine and I removed tournament winner.

I then watched my sister and Glen Hay play and incredibly close mixed doubles quarter-final.   The winner was playing my team in the semi-final so I took a keen interest.   I was noted how hot it was getting and that to win it all today would be a very good feat.   In the end Glen & Kara won and I faced the reality of having my first tournament loss to Glen (singles on the Friday) and my last to him in the mixed.

In the end Catherine and I lost 6-8 in a tight game.   We actually had them in big trouble at 4-2 up and Catherine serving 40-0 but the sun caused problems and they broke back and then Kara, who was playing extremely well, held her serve (we broke her earlier).   I’m guessing the match went close to an hour.   I kept trying to make Glen and Kara run a lot but they were up to the challenge.   I was very proud of how Catherine and I played (held 15 serves!!).   I was also happy for Glen, but especially my sister Kara who made her first Final appearance after only recently starting to play again since giving birth to Erin.

The D Grade Mixed Grand Final was again closely fought match.   Kara and Glen lost 5-8 to a team that included a 70 year old former Davis Cup player.   In the end I think Glen almost collapsed!   He plays a high percentage game, running everything down and tried to make you make the mistake.   It works great as he is fit but on a hot day when he had to play 5 long and hard sets in got very hard.   Glen headed straight for the beers later that night.   A very pleasing last day, I know I was glad I had one extra night instead of the long drive back to Melbourne.

Three words – EASTER EGG HUNT!!!

I got up early for once and ‘helped’ Mr Rabbit planet a few eggs around the campsite.   Now I knew that I’d end up with a freshly BBQ bacon and egg roll (thanks ladies) so I was well rewarded.   I probably should say seeing the children running around was enough of a reward actually.   This was very fun.

No update today, too lazy.

Well last night was an experience!   I got very little sleep as I couldn’t find my ear plugs.   Now Jason recorded the noises (snoring doesn’t do it justice) which created some funny moments later in the day.   Apparently one of the children got scared during the night! Anyway with only a few hours sleep I rolled out of my top bunk around 8 am.   My first match wasn’t until 10.30 am so there was no rush for me today.

I started with a bye in the first round of the D grade singles.   My form in singles is like the Melbourne Football Club, one year very good the next terrible.   Two years ago (last time here) I made a semi-final so I expected I’m in for a bad year this time. In the end I actually did win my first match 8-4 which really takes the pressure off later matches.   I did get to watch a few of my clubmates in other matches and I noticed Glen Hay in particular look good.   It turns out we play each other in the next round later in the afternoon. Between matches I walk around the town, and very nice place that has suffered a lot in recent times, from missing children, to fires and lately the drought.   The river behind the courts is basically dry and doesn’t run.   This is my 8th year up here and the first time I’ve seen this.

The climate is changing my friends.   I remember standing on a 5,000 year old glacier in Canada that will be gone in 20 years.   Go to a cold climate and see what is happening. Anyway my match with Glen started well enough I got the first game (after Glen asked me to serve – no one does that).   For the next 50 minutes I felt I was in most points but I couldn’t win the games.   It was only at 1-7 down I thought I was going to lose.   Now at this point my hand started hurting.   I had the beginnings of a blister in my left palm; it was a little painful at this stage but nothing more.

Obviously playing Wednesday night, Thursday for practise and today my body wasn’t used to the matches.   I ended up losing 1-8 and stated Glen was one of the best players to have beaten my in singles, most people didn’t believe me since he is only a social player, we’ll see. Now Good Friday means fish and chips night and a few beers around the fire.

Well the Easter holiday begins for me now.   Last night I played for my mixed B Reserve 2 team and we had another good victory.   I moved past Andrew with a great positive score but I’m sure that will be very short lived.   My left knee is still a little sore from a few weeks back, not enough to cause problems but still it shouldn’t be like that.   Probably due to my recent increased weight 😦 I stayed up at Attwood so my brother Reagan and I could head off more easily in the morning.

I took both the Thursday and Tuesday off work for this 6 day adventure (given workloads not easy to do).   Going up the day before Good Friday is always a great idea.   We stopped off at Benalla for lunch.   We talked about winning the lottery and how a first class world trip would be great present to all our family 🙂 We get out to Myrtleford around 2.30 pm after a 3 hour drive (not counting lunch).   Walking into the camping grounds it seemed like I hadn’t missed the last year.

I do miss the excitement of travelling last year but this should be nice and relaxing.   In the bunk house I ended up sharing with my brother Reagan and brother-in-law Jason.   My nephew Andrew wisely finds somewhere else to sleep.   He knows Reagan’s snoring very well (so do I since I bought ear plugs!).

Very surprisingly the courts were available for players to practise on.   Usually this only happens late in the day.   It was great catching up with club members, now that I live in the city I really on get to see players from my own team who are usually related to me anyway.   Tony got a good fire going and we all talked about life, tennis and footy.   The good life.