November 2005

Ok, it's time for an update. As most of you know, Dieter and I have moved to Dothan, Alabama. Why? Well I have family here. Real Estate is cheap. No hurricanes! Well one might come up through Panama City occasionally but we are 80 miles inland (mostly up hill) and by the time they arrive to this corner of Alabama where it meets Georgia and Florida they aren't much more than a tropical storm at worst. Dothan hasn't every received much damage from a hurricane ever as far as I know. So, we feel pretty save her. Plus as nice as the weather is in the Fort Lauderdale are is, Dieter just got tired of the endless, relentless summer heat. So we decided to move up here where the winters are short and mild, fall and spring are delightful, and summers are noticeable better than in South Florida as the night actually cool down.

What do I miss about South Florida? Certainly not the bars! Been there done that scene and not impressed with it any longer. I'm older now. Will be 59 in June and don't need to go out bar hopping looking for a new old trick any longer. Don't miss the same old faces at the bar that are there every time you go. Nor the younger studs kissing every old man they can get their lips on as though they are notching their bedpost. No don't miss that.

I miss Sal and Irwin. Irwin was taking medication for depression but he off his medication and back to his horny old self. If I were back in Fort Lauderdale I would surely get to sneak a feel of his huge balls. I miss going out to coffee with them at Borders in Coral Springs. I miss going to lunch with them at Hamburger Mary's and Dorthy's Deli.

I miss the group of old farts that I used to play tennis with in Wynmoor. Mark, big burley and blunt who could end a point any time he got his racket on a ball. Who accepted me as I am and help me learn the game of tennis. I miss George. We called him Mr. Rogers because he was so nice to every one. He was so sweet to me. I could have easily had a relationship with him had he been gay. And even in his seventies he could return any tennis ball hit in his direction. He was one of the nicest men I'll ever meet. I miss playing against Howe, Charley, Carlton, Marty, and Lenny.

What do I like about Dothan. I like living in a house instead of a condo. I love our huge private yard. I could walk naked around our yard it so private and it's big one and a half acres. I like having a dog again. He is the joy of Dieter's and my life. He's a mix breed short with a long body sort of like dachshund but has long hair. Oh, hell, I'll take a picture of him and post it. Well, his name is Taz as in Tasmanian Devil. I got him from my brother-in-law who found him along the river in Newton where they live. He got his name became when he was just a tiny puppy and would get mad at their grown dog he would go berserk and attack her even though she was five time his size. He has attitude! He is devoted to me. Follows me every where I go and is supper smart. But he can't not be left alone in the house! He will get mad and destroy something! Anything if left alone. Oh, well we can live with that.

I like all the tennis courts here in Dothan. There are three different public parks with tennis courts with over 21 courts all together! And nine of them were resurfaced in September of this year. There are three private tennis clubs. The one I play at is Westgate. It has 15 hard-true green clay courts that are kept in perfect condition! It cost $1.50 to play during the day on weekdays and 2.00 at night and on weekends. But if you want to practice your serve they give you a huge basked of balls. If you forgot your balls. They give you balls. Forgot your racquet...take on of theirs. And the employees are great! If you want to join and are over 55 it cost $150 a year. But you don't have to be a member to use the courts.

I like playing in the senior league! I am on the weakest team in the three team league. We are called the Netmen. We aren't suppose to win any matches against the two stronger teams. Last year the Netmen didn't win a match! We this year we've won two matches already and I'm proud to say I was on the winning side during a match on 10/13/05. Me and a retired preacher whipped two guys that had been playing together for years. They looked so good warming up that I had to stop practicing against them and walk over to the sidelines to regroup as every time that tall old (drop dead hansom farmer) hit a ball to me he had so much pace on it that I couldn't handle it. I looked at the old preacher that can't run and told him "Man they are good!" Just before we started play.

Well they say that each dog has his day. That day or night I should say was ours. I played smart for a change and didn't try to do too much with the ball. I lobed. I sliced. I hit low balls to their chubby player (who was as good as the old farmer). I played back, never coming near the net. And Ron, the old preacher, volleyed like a fiend! I got my first serve in even though it didn't strike any fear in anyone. And it worked. We beat them 6 4, 6 3! They were stunned! Yes they were better players than we were. But not that night!

Ok, so I don't have the camaraderie with the group of guys that I play with here that I had with the old guys in Wynmoor. But it coming. I like our captain (man he has these huge balls, they are so big that the front of his short bulge out). I like the old preacher. I like the younger guy, Don (54yo) that hurricane Katrina drove up from Mississippi. I think he's gay. He's trying to start a regular tennis game Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8:30 and includes me in the games. He a 4.0 player that puts so much slice on the ball that it bounces sideways with both forehand and backhand. He's bad news on the court. I tried to play him in singles and didn't even win a game. We usually play partners and mostly win.

There is a gay bar in Dothan called The Bar. Dieter and I haven't gone there since we moved to town, but we have visited it in the past. It open Wednesday through Saturday. Of course most of the customers are younger, although I did see a nice old man in there for cocktail hour on the occasion that Dieter and I visit the Bar.

I like living close to my family. I also don't like living close to my family!! I was having my sister's family for sleepovers on weekends...al six of them...sometime seven when one of the kids would bring a friend along. Well that got to be too much. Dieter and I are not used to all the commotion and drama of a family with four teenage children and parents that start drink a noon! Wow. My party days are long gone. So, we all had a fallen out. And now there's no overnight sleepovers. But I still enjoy them...but not in short visits.

Dieter is happy! He loves the house. He loves the property! And he's more active. At the moment he healthier than he was in Wynmoor. And he loves the weather. Hell today was 75! Ok, so we have several night when the temps were down in the mid 30's already. And it will get down below freezing. (seldom get below 20 degrees at night) and we will have days when the temps only reach the high 30's or low 40's, but mostly the nights in Dec, Jan, and Feb will be in the upper 20's to low 30's and the days will be in the mid 40's to mid 50's with an occasional 60 thrown in. Now that's not a hard winter. I love to play tennis when the temps are in the upper 40's and  mid 50's.

So that's my update.

11/28/05 10:52AM

It's a rainy warm day here. So warm I let the fire die down in the woodstove and so wet that I couldn't play tennis. Tomorrow I think it will be cooler (around 60F for the high) and clear so I'll get to practice tennis. I love practicing alone, working on my strokes, serve and patterns.

Well we have a new puppy (damn got to get off my lazy ass and take some pictures). Dieter and I went to Walmart shopping Saturday morning and as we drove into the parking lot there as a van parked with a sign "free puppies". As I parked nearby, I told Dieter. "I've got to go look at the puppies."

"We don't need another dog!" Was Dieter's quick answer.

I went over anyway. The guy with the puppies was a nice looking, short man about forty with a smiling round face happily showed me the 11 puppies. They were German Shepard mixed. Most were the color of there mother (fawn/reddish) who was a stay dog and a few were tan and black. The man with the puppies own the father, a pure breed German Shepard. But the father had managed to open the van door during a storm (he was frightened of lightening) and got lock in the van. The owner was on a business trip and didn't find his dog until over a week later. The German Shepard had died because if the excessive heat in the van as it was out in full sunlight.

He told me that he thought about taking the 11 puppies to the Dothan humane society but if there were not adopted in 7 days they would have put the puppies to sleep. I glanced over the puppies. My eye spotted a big black and tan puppy with a black face with big eyes. He's black was a little salt and pepper and over each eye he had tan markings making him look like he was wearing a mask. He was just lying there looking at me with those big dopy eyes and I asked the man if he was a male. He said yes. I moved back and looked over where Dieter was standing next to our Honda Element and motioned for him to come over. He did but with reluctance.

"Look at the puppies." I said pointing to the van filled with puppies. The back seats had been removed because the had been so soiled by the German Shepard's death.

Dieter just looked at them.

"Which one do you like?" I asked.

"I don't know. Are we taking one?" He had asked eyeing the puppies.

"I think your friend has already decided that." The owner of the puppies said happily. "It just which one to take?"

I pointed to the dopy eyed black and tan puppies. "Do you like him?"

"Yea." Dieter said.

"Or would you like one the solid tan ones?" I asked pointed to a puppy that was busy biting the back of the passenger seat. "Is the big tan one a male?" I asked.

"Yep, sure is?" The owner asked. "You want me to get him for you?

I glanced at Dieter. "Which one do you like?"

"I don't know?"

"Let me see the black and tan male." I said pointing to the dopy eyed puppy who was still looking at me.

"A good name for him is Bear." The owner said reaching in to the van and picking up the puppy. "Because he the color of a bear."

I took the puppy and held him and kissed him on his snout. He smelled like a puppy. "You like him?" I asked Dieter. "Or do you want the tan one?"

"I think I like him." Dieter said and thus we suddenly owned another dog.

Well, Taz, was not amused when I open the door of your SUV and climbed into the driver's seat. He quickly snapped at the puppy in a nasty manner. He actually bit the puppy but didn't break his skin. He puppy yelped loudly as I scolded Taz. Seeing that I might have a problem on my hands, I told Dieter to go shopping at Wal-Mart while I stayed with the two puppies.

Two days later things are a little better. Taz is beginning to accept his new brother although he pushes him around and knows him down every chance he gets. But Bear is learning to run from bush to bush in the garden to avoid side attacks and from inside the protections of the bushes fights back. Well, it's play not fighting. Taz is warming up to him quickly. And in couple of days they are going to be the best of friends.

But Bear is a bear on your carpets. I have to constantly watch him to keep him from chewing on the carpets with his 12 week old milk teeth. And I don't get much sleep at night. Have to get up when ever I hear Bear walking around in the bedroom as I know he need to pee. And he is constantly biting whenever you pick him up with is needlelike teeth. Still, both Dieter and I are glad we got a little brother for Taz. (little only for the moment. He grown up to be 60 or 70 lbs while Taz at 23lbs is as big as he'll get. So, we have a little devil of a dog, Taz and a bear of a dog in Bear. But the best thing of all is how much Dieter already loves Bear. That alone was enough reason to get another puppy. As little Bear follows Dieter everywhere.

11/29/05 8:58PM

Ok I promised pictures of Dieter's and my children. First there Taz (or should be Little Red Devil). He as big as he's going to get. Yes a little dog with a big attitude!! He is the joy of our lives and so my company. But we thought...ah...I thought he need a little (big) brother.

So now we have Bear. He only 12 weeks old and a REAL BEAR! God, it like having a small child in the house to have a puppy. At first Taz didn't like Bear, but now they are fast becoming lifelong buddies. 

It was hard to get a picture of Bear as he never stop moving, or at least that's the case when I wanted to take a picture of him. At the moment he in the bedroom alone. That were he retires to when he wants a nap. Unlike Taz how can't stand to be out of sight of us, Bear like to be alone when he's not in the mood to play with Taz. So he just heads for the bedroom and take a nap until I call him to go outside or he wants to eat or play. He's a loner, but loves Taz and copies every thing he does. Two dogs and two totally different personalities! Just like people. I think Bear is as smart as Taz. He certainly is a quick learner.

Now that I live in a small town, I can't go telling all my sexual exploits (actually there has been none). People here are and have to be very secretive about their sex lives. Can't kiss and tell all here. So, unless I change my mine this will not be a sex packed bog.

We have had rain the past two days so I haven't got a chance to play any tennis. Got a match coming up next Thursday. I guess there's really no pressure as our teams are suppose to always loose. So, if Ron (the old preacher) and I do loose then we are doing what is expected.

Got two new Volkl tennis racquets. And they are THE BEST! Yea, I probably said that before, but this time it's true. Hopefully I'm learning to play smarter tennis. I'm working on patterns of ground strokes. And mixing up different spins.

I do hope all had a wonderful and delicious Thanksgiving. It looked like I was going to have to have Thanksgiving over at my house, but at the last moment my older sister decided to have it at here house again. Dieter was in panic at the thought of having so many people over for dinner. I fear that next year it will indeed be at my house.

I had to stop hosting my sister, my brother-in-law, and their four children for long weekends. Dieter and I have been living together too long. We just couldn't take all the commotion! So, now either they visit us on Saturday or Sunday or we go visit them on. No over nights.

Ok, got to take Taz and Bear out before going to bed. I didn't have to get up with Bear during the night last night for the first time. I hope he sleep through tonight as well. Boy, getting up to take a puppy out at 3:00AM sucks, but I guess I really don't mind. Bear is worth it.