Summer in Washington

Summer in Washington DC is enjoyable for many reasons. The outdoor suppers are worth mentioning, maybe more for the ambiance as for the quality of the food... But let us concentrate here on the highlights. First on the list, the concert of the Black Eyed Peas!
A lively crowd to jump, sing and dance to the famous tunes, such as "don't stop the party", "i got a feeling", "big girls don't cry", "pump it". A great performance by Fergie. And also nice to hear that this group is conscious of its social role, and promoting education and research.
Having registered with the US Tennis Association, I decided not to be satisfied with only paying my fees, but also to register with their Flexible League. The first step was to assess my level. The guidelines on the website and a talk with one of my opponent made me opt for level 3.50 . The second step was to give my address. The third step was to fill out my availability calendar, within the allocated two-months time-frame. Finally, the Internet coordinator created a group of seven players. And off we go and hit the courts! Even though I had to play with an elbow brace, I made short business of all my opponents! I beat Philipp 6-0/6-3, Juan 6-3/6-2, Kevin 6-1/6-3, Jeffrey 6-3/6-2, Edward 6-3/6-2 and Charles 6-2/6-2. First victory in an official USTA tennis tournament. Well done! I will then move up to level 4.0 for the next round of matches over August-October. Of course, I will post the new results.
Even though the victories were easy, there was a lot of sweating, in the hot and humid conditions. Since the temperature rose above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (close to 40 degrees), it was good to also discover the beaches close-by. At Sandy Point, the artificial beach is convenient enough to swim in the Chesapeake Bay. The water was warm and still - perfect to relax.
Finally, the Legg Mason ATP tennis tournament hosted again some of the best tennis players. This is clearly another level than our Flexible League... On that day, the previous year's tournament winner, David Nalbandian, lost to local favorite, James Blake. These two players had their ups and downs in their career, and it was nice to see them playing again at a competitive level.

Well, on that point, time to recall that it is just been a year that I moved to Washington!