Crushed thumb; acupuncture; Joanna has gift of gab

I had a mixed bag of personal experiences on Saturday, which is typical of my life here. As I was getting into a taxi, I grabbed the partially opened window to close the door and at that exact moment the driver pressed the button to close the electric window, nearly amputating my right thumb. I screamed in pain because my thumb was trapped and the driver just looked at me. The pressure on my thumb was unbearable, and the driver finally understood and released my throbbing thumb. A lady working a food stand on the corner saw and heard the whole pathetic incident -- locals watch everything that goes on here -- and she came over with some kind of mint-smelling oil and applied it to my thumb. I don't know if it helped, but it sure was a hell of a nice gesture. That's the second time my thumb has been trapped in a taxi's electric window here -- shame on me. Anyway, when I got to my destination, the driver said no charge. Fair enough since I almost had no thumb; my thumb nail will surely be lost. Anyway, my destination is the final installment of my Saturday saga. I went to a woman who does acupuncture. A Russian gentlemen I met told me about his bad back -- a sciatica problem like mine -- and a local lady who gives him acupuncture treatments. He said the treatments have really helped and he gave me her phone number to make an appointment. So I arrived for the treatment with a throbbing thumb. I've never had an acupuncture treatment before, but it didn't hurt when the woman inserted the little needles into my back, butt, and down both legs. They almost tickled. You feel a mild pulsation when the electricity is sent into the needles. One spot on the left side of my back got really hot, and the women pointed this out because, I guess, it also got real red. I have no explanation, even though I have a simpleton's understanding of chi and meridians; the acupuncture woman speaks no English. The woman suggested 45 treatments for me. Cost is not an issue but my time and availability could be.  The acupuncture was an absolutely positive experience and my sciatic feels better. Cured? No, but the pain in my back, butt and down both legs is substantially reduced.  I'll go as often as I can. Maybe she can also treat my thumb next time.

* * *

Joanna continues to amaze me with her wonderful behavior and clever responses. I asked her "Who loves you?" and she responded M-O-M-M-Y.  Spelling is her new obsession of sorts -- I have to be careful with Joanna because like her mom and dad, when she gets fixated on something it's not easy to get her to move on to something else. I was reading a book called "Bubble Bubble" by Mercer Mayer and one of the picture frames shows paper litter on the ground next to a sign that says No Littering. Joanna saw the paper on the ground and said: "Oh no. Horrible, terrible trash on the ground."

* * *

I put my foot down with Phuong (and Joanna) that Joanna must be in bed NO LATER than 8:30 p.m. each night.  Joanna manipulated her way into staying up until 9:30 and beyond each night by claiming: She had to pee; she had to go outside; she lost her duck; she had to pee again; and she lost her chickens. Phuong is much more lenient and patient with Joanna than the White Monkey, which is one reason Joanna loves her M-O-M-M-Y so much. But there has clearly been a change for the better in Joanna's personality and behavior since she's been going to bed earlier and is back on a set schedule. I eliminated her afternoon nap and an early bedtime isn't nearly the challenge it used to be.

* * *

Bad news on the tennis front. Phuong beat me twice last week to take the No. 1 ranking from me, but she pulled a muscle in one of her lovely legs in the process. Now, she's on injury leave, meaning I'm stuck with the No. 2 ranking until she returns. My appeal to be reinstated as No. 1 was rejected by some "corrupt" tennis organization.  I'm willing to play through the pain of my throbbing thumb and painful sciatica to reclaim my rightful place on the family tennis throne, but Phuong is taking a day-to-day, wait-and-see approach. Clearly, she's ducking me.

Bad mall scene; no safety; melancholy memories

I imagine if you went to a market in Dhaka or Mumbai or Dar Es Salaam, the crowds could be worse and the heat more stifling. But the heat and mob scene at Aeon Mall in Binh Duong, Vietnam, on Monday, a national holiday, was as intense as any I've experienced. It was like Black Friday on steroids ... in the tropics. The locals bounced off each other like it was no big deal and just about everyone took off their shoes when they ate at the food court, which didn't sell hot coffee or have chocolate syrup or any servers who could understand English. It was all in a day out for Phuong and her family, but the White Monkey suffers mild panic attacks in hot, crowded places. In short, I don't like them. But I was a good soldier and didn't complain, even when people pointed and stared at the White Monkey. When requested -- four times, I believe -- I posed for pictures with some teenage boys and girls. Phuong found a wonderful toy for Joanna, a bag of good-sized rubber and plastic insects that Joanna has carried with her and played with since she got home. So all was not lost in the heat and masses of people, but scenes like this are clearly not my style.
* * *
One of the daycare moms couldn't get her car to start and she asked me to help. I'm an English teacher -- not a mechanic -- for a reason. But this was an easy fix.  I turned the steering wheel so it clicked into place, then all was well. The car started. The woman was carrying a very young baby, and shockingly, she got in the car and held the baby as she drove away. There was no car seat, but there was a video screen going full blast on the front dashboard. She has to go across town, but safety takes a back seat to convenience and speed (and videos) in this country, as far as I can tell. The woman is nice enough, but I can't understand a mother of four not doing everything she can to keep her kids safe. Holding your baby with her other kids in a subcompact and driving in Vietnam's ruthless traffic isn't doing very much to secure her kids'  safety.
* * *
My older brother Charlie would have turned 71 on Sept. 3. I didn't see him much-- two or three times in the last 10 years of his sad life -- but like clockwork I would call him once a week to chat. I used to try to keep up with people that way, but as I get older I stay in touch with fewer people. And I'm doing it less and less. Folks have their own lives and seem very busy and preoccupied these days; some people don't want contact with me because they remember what a putz I was when I was younger; and besides, I'm focusing on making sure I do the best I can for my little girl and wife. All said,  I miss my chats with my brother. We went through a lot together as kids, sometimes more than kids should have to go through.
* * *
Some wonderful news. My former student Sam is now my current student again. She wants to continue to improve her English and English teaching skills, which is why she's one of my favorite students and favorite people of all time. Welcome back Sam. I'm teaching four students .twice a week -- Sam and her cousin in one class and Lan and Uyen in another. Both classes are wonderful, in case you cared. I know I do.
* * *
 A wonderful high school classmate of mine, Dan Hoeftman, passed away recently. I used to think I had some boxing skills when I was younger until I put the gloves on with Dan. He was quick and skilled enough to pound my face, but he was gentle and kind enough to hold back. I admired Dan, who in high school had to wrestle above his weight for the good of the team. That was Dan's nature -- putting others above himself. God's speed, Dan.

Good fake shoes; dealing with girls; alphabet "worm"

The "Nike Air Pegasus Zoom" shoes that I bought in Ho Chi Minh City when my friend Andy visited are knockoffs of the highest quality. I mean they're fake as hell -- most of the swooshes peeled off after a few weeks -- but they're still functioning very well. I've been told by those in the know that knockoffs of this quality are constructed with stolen or "borrowed" Nike materials, assembled who knows where, and sold to morons like me who think they are cheaper, secret stash Nikes. I saw the $28 price tag for the Zooms, which really cost upwards of $120 in the U.S., and I took the bait. As I strolled around in my well-constructed Nike fakes, I thought back to a pair of name-brand shoes sold to me by a co-worker when I first moved here. Those shoes fell apart -- a la Zion Williamson -- when I walked around in them for a week. The salesman apologized, got me another pair that fell apart -- a la Zion Williamson -- after two weeks. That was my last transaction with the co-worker, who is a good guy but felt compelled to make a buck off a newcomer. Money does funny things to people. Not funny ha ha. My wife tried selling Nike shoes online when we first got together, and they also fell apart; people got really mad. I told her to knock it off and forget about money. She listened and now we are happily married. Like I've said before, lots of people have side businesses selling stuff online. I don't buy it, so to speak, and prefer to get ripped off the old-fashioned way in stores tucked away in the alleys of Ho Chi Minh City that sell "real Nikes." But in this rare case, the shoes were high quality for whatever reason and I got a good deal.

* * *

I believe I've learned how to better deal with the two females in my life. First, Joanna. I understand now that Joanna is one of the world's most stubborn and grouchiest people IN THE MORNING. She doesn't pick fights often, but she won't back down from one IN THE MORNING. So, if I yield to her wishes within reason, we have a great day together. I put food and juice and milk out for her when she wakes up,  but I don't make her eat. Sometimes, she'll scream for chocolate if she knows I have a Hershey's Kiss or almond bar, and I'll give her a piece for breakfast. What the heck ... life is short. Oddly, she'll eat the candy and often have some cereal, fruit and yogurt afterward. An easy victory for the diplomatic White Monkey. Sometimes, I was very pig-headed with my kids from my first marriage. But life is journey and we learn as we go. My wife Phuong is trickier, because we both are stubborn and have big egos. These days I've decided to throw myself into chores and tai chi when there's a disagreement -- the chores that I do will usually placate Phuong, and the chi pacifies me. Everybody's a little happier and everybody gets along splendidly. Good times for the meditative White Monkey.

* * *

A teacher I know, Bronwyn, suggested a wonderful activity for our daycare kids. It's an alphabet worm; kids paint paper plates, color letters, and the letters are pasted on the plates, which are then taped to the wall forming a "worm." Our worm became a centipede/caterpillar (I sort of copied Bronwyn's) and the kids and parents loved seeing the letters/caterpillar/centipede/creature on our wall. One mom said, "It's beautiful." We have seven kids, including Joanna, and four participated in the process with a little prompting, one needed significant prompting, and two didn't get it. Not bad, really, for 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old children. I'm waiting for Bronwyn's next suggestion.

* * *

I'm dealing with some pretty serious sciatica pain, which leads me to think that my motorbike wrecks have finally caught up with me. I can still chi, which is good, but sometimes the pain is distracting, which is bad. I'm reluctant to seek medical help here, but may try acupuncture or a decent massage, as opposed to an indecent massage. We'll see. I have to do something because I'm no longer No. 1 in the family tennis rankings. Now that really hurts.

Pneumonia, driving, tragedy, friends step up

My dry cough persisted for three days in Delaware and Ohio, and my ex-wife insisted I visit the MinuteClinic at CVS Pharmacy. I followed her advice and was diagnosed by the MinuteClinic doctor with pneumonia. It makes sense since the cough was uncomfortable and I've been "under the weather" for a while. The doctor prescribed rest, which is my forte, and gave me six pills. She told me to avoid contact with people for 48 hours so I don't spread the pneumonia. Typhoid Mary ... meet ... Pneumonia John. The doctor also advised me to try to force myself to cough to break up the phlegm. It's been a slog, to be honest. I'm running a mild fever, as if I need to be any warmer, but otherwise I feel pretty much like I usually do -- tired, miserable and angry. The pneumonia didn't alter my schedule in the U.S. and I drove around the northeast, which is one of my least favorite pastimes. I went through Maryland, Washington D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey (right across the Hudson River from New York City). My toughest drive was from Ohio to New Jersey; it took more than 10 hours due to accidents and a thunderstorm as I approached Newark, N.J. 
My lawyer canceled our lunch meeting, which was fine with me because it saved me a drive to Cleveland while in recovery mode. I drove past my house in Yellow Springs, and it looks fine other than the fact it needs a little landscaping love. I arrived in Yellow Springs on the downside of pneumonia, but folks were understandably concerned that they could catch pneumonia from me (WMP -- White Monkey Pneumonia). They could. And unlike some folks, I believe in full disclosure.
The internet wasn't working at my motel, which in a way was nice, but I had to go into town and use free WiFi at the coffee shops to talk with my wife and see my daughter on Skype. I met the fiance of one of my sons, and she's beautiful, bright and engaging. I'm so happy for both of them.

* * *

I was in Columbus, Ohio, at my friend John's when the mass shooting took place in Dayton, Ohio. John recently moved from Dayton, and I would stay at his place there when I visited in the past. I saw the news early in the morning on a friend's Facebook post, and I woke John up. It's difficult to describe the emotions you feel when you hear news like this -- shock, sadness, anger at the situation, and eventually hope. My sincerest sympathies to all the victims, their families and friends.
The U.S. needs larges doses of hope at this time. People seem divided along racial lines, political lines, religious lines, and financial lines.

* * *

Phuong and I are optimistic about her chances to get a visa to come to the United States. I am slightly less enthusiastic about going "home" given the state of the nation and its leadership, but I know our daughter would be more comfortable in the U.S. because she primarily speaks English and it's not as hot as it is in Vietnam.

* * *

 I understand people are nice and creepy everywhere -- they were especially creepy behind the wheel of a car in New York and New Jersey, honking at you as soon as the red light you were stopped at turned green, or honking at you if you actually stopped at a stop sign, or honking at you when you slowed down on very narrow and crowded streets to look for a parking space. But I found that most of the people, especially in Ohio, were very friendly and polite. It's the same in Vietnam -- I've encountered the wonderful and the weird.

* * *

I'm finishing up the U.S. visit at my brother's house in Purcellville, Virginia, relaxing, losing to my brother in tennis and getting my health back. I want to thank all the people who took the time to see me and help me recover, the people who gave me a place to stay, and the people who were just plain nice and accommodating. There's Ron, Andy, Jane, Tommy, John, Robyn, Lynda, Fred, Candace, Jack, Iris, Tom. Thanks for the food, the place to stay and for being good humans. If I left anyone out, I apologize. You know who you are and what you've done. Thanks one more time. And of course I can't wait to get back to Vietnam to see my incredible wife Phuong and daughter Joanna, the people who bring joy not just to me, but to everyone around them.

Super flight, great friends, good food and beer

I could have flown round trip to the U.S. for about $1,000 with Air China. But after three difficult experiences with the Chinese airline, particularly in Beijing, I chose to spend $1,400 for a round-trip ticket on ANA, a Japanese airline. The costly trip to the U.S. was flawless, smooth, and almost relaxing. It's a 24-hour trip with about 19 hours in the air; the transfer at Tokyo's Narita Airport was easy, peasy, Japanese-y.  No long lines, no shoving or pushing, and quiet, professional staffers. I paid for a hassle-free flight to the U.S. and I got what I paid for. I watched five movies on the nearly 13-hour journey from Tokyo to Washington, D.C.: Bohemian Rhapsody (biopic of Queen's Freddie Mercury); The Mule (elderly Clint Eastwood runs drugs); Vice (Dick Cheney biopic); Cold Pursuit (Liam Neeson kills to avenge son's murder); and Venom (weird Marvel Comics movie). They were all OK except Cold Pursuit, but none will make my top 5. Vice intrigued me the most. The trip back to Vietnam will be a little longer because of winds, but I'm hopeful for another good experience.

* * *

Initially, I stayed with friend Ron in Elkton, Md., and looked at a house in his neighborhood. It's a beautiful place in a nice location, but requires quite a bit of work that wouldn't be cheap, possibly $40,000 to $50,000. Looking at houses is always fun for me, and I enjoy imagining the potential and what life would be like there. I have a house in Yellow Springs, Ohio, which is a wonderful little village, but it's wise to keep options open, I guess. I went to visit friend Andy in north Wilmington, Del., and stayed at his (and his wife Jane's) house. I couldn't ask for better or more generous friends than Ron, Andy and Jane, or John S., whom I'll visit next week in Ohio. I'm hoping to hook up with my children in Ohio and New Jersey. And I've got the annual eye doctor visit, and lunch with my lawyer in Cleveland, coming up.  Friend Tommy visited twice when I stayed at Ron's house, but I was so tired that we didn't chat as much as I would have liked. Hopefully, we'll catch up next time when my wife Phuong and daughter Joanna are here with me ... if Phuong can get a visa. We may find out about the visa before the end of the year.

* * *

We're not real far from the ocean in Elkton and Wilmington, and there's lots of bays and rivers in the area. This means seafood is plentiful and generally of higher quality. Crab soup and salmon have already been on my menu. And since I dig the pig and chicken, there's my local favorite, scrapple -- and I cooked and ate nearly an entire one-pound brick at Ron's. The craft beer scene in the U.S. is over the top, and there seems to be a local brewery on nearly every corner. Even Elkton has a couple of craft beer bars with tons of local brews in bottles and on tap. Life suits me better here than in Vietnam, where I'll always be considered an outsider and curiosity. And the weather is more comfortable in the U.S. The Vietnamese are wonderful (e.g. Phuong), but my daughter is an American citizen and belongs in the U.S. with MOM and dad. I know I've beaten this horse to death, but we really need a change for our daughter's sake.

* * *

Of course, I miss my wife and daughter terribly. Joanna tries to kiss me through Skype, and she has such a wonderful and devilish smile. She was quite sick when I left, but she's gotten better. Phuong gets sick for about seven hours and recovers well. Drives me crazy. I'm still coughing and fighting jet lag, but my skin cleared up instantly in the U.S. and I'm confident I'll be back at full strength in time to return to the dirty air and heat in Vietnam, and get sick again courtesy of the little angels that come to our house for daycare.

Keep sick kids home; neighbors don't help; Joanna turns 3

A few people have commented lately that I look a little pale. Well, I am the White Monkey, but I am also sick again with a vicious cough and thumping sinus headache. Filthy air, lack of sleep, and constant stress no doubt contribute to my repeated illnesses, but as I've noted, lots of other people I know are having the same health problems. But the real culprits for me are the kids who come to our house for daycare. One of the little girls had this disgusting green river running from her nose for two weeks. Her parents finally kept her home this past week when she got a fever. Other kids have been sitting in the middle of the floor crying, when they're not sleeping, because they don't "feel well."
Some of the parents sell stuff online and really hustle, and money is apparently a real motivator for them. A couple of kids are being dropped off before 7:30 a.m. so there really is no rest for the weary.  That means when I start to recover, the cycle of sickness returns to our house in the form of the little angels. My mentor teacher Laurie once chastised me for coming to school to student-teach when I was sick. She chastised me for a lot of stuff that I didn't understand at the time; now I understand and respect her even more for the lessons she taught me -- Laurie is a real gem. Anyway, when ego, or money or other selfish motives cause us to act in an irresponsible way, others often suffer the consequences. My wife and daughter have been sick as well. Since I'm the old fart of the bunch, I tend to be the sickest. When you're dealing with little kids, sickness is a fact of life. A 20-month will cough in your face and sneeze on other kids' food. And hygiene in this country isn't exemplary. Phuong is working incredibly hard to teach these kids proper manners, hygiene, and respect. Sharing was a foreign concept. Disrespect and hitting were somewhat routine. Phuong is doing God's work. Me? I stay out of the way and try not to let the little angels be too rude, angry or overly aggressive. And out of respect for my mom, who died 13 years ago, I insist on sharing. I think Phuong is doing an amazing job in every respect. Next, we'll have to teach the parents to keep their kids home when the kids are really sick so they don't spread the wealth, so to speak. I know it's daycare and the parents need help taking care of their kids, but it doesn't help when the caretakers are sick as well. My wise friend Richard and I discussed on Skype how people who are motivated by money lack a quality of character and have an emptiness in their lives ... even if their bank accounts are full.

* * *

While I'm on the topic of money, I needed to withdraw cash from an ATM at Vietcombank on Friday. I put the card in, waited, and the card came out and the money would eventually follow.  I was so busy making sure my card went back in my wallet that I nearly forgot to grab my money.  A woman pointed to the cash, I thanked her, but when I went to grab the money, it was sucked back into the machine with a message that my funds had been "purged". The bank wouldn't give me my the money, of course, without a passport, and I told them I would go home and get it. Then they said no, they would deposit the money in my account "if we have money at the end of the day." A day later and no money (we're talking about $90 U.S. dollars, which isn't chump change to this chimp). The bank girl's English wasn't very good. She looked at my US Bank card and said I didn't get my money because the stripe on the back was dirty. Well, sweetheart, the US Bank card worked, as it has hundreds of times at this same bank, and the money came out, but the machine "purged" it before I could grab it. I accept my share of the blame for being slow to grab the money, but I won't tolerate getting a lecture from some nimrod who can't speak my language well enough to know what she's talking about, doesn't have the facts, and is flat out wrong.

* * *

Our daycare kids were swimming on the third floor of our house when an inflatable life preserver went over the rail (courtesy of me showing off)  and onto the street below. I looked down and saw three neighbors sitting outside their houses and some random people at my sister-in-law's store not too far from the toy. The three neighbors obviously saw the toy because they watch everything we do. All three, and I swear this is true, immediately went into their houses. The random people were random and didn't care. A car and some motorbikes rode by and had the decency not to run over the life preserver. I was hoping the neighbors or random people would just throw the life preserver on our front step so it wouldn't get run over. Hope is for losers -- John the loser walked down the stairs and retrieved the life preserver from the street. 

* * *

Not all the news is grim: Joanna turned 3 years old recently and had a wonderful celebration. Two other kids from our daycare had birthdays -- one turned 4 and one turned 3, and we had a group party with cake. Fantastic. We also had a private party for Joanna and she got shoes and toys and such. I gave her four clay chickens and a clay duck along with a clay drinking cup with fish painted on it. I'm thrilled to say Joanna loves the clay birds and plays with them constantly. She's dropped and chipped them a few times, but dad uses glue and water colors to make repairs.

* * *

We need to send in one translated document and our visa application for Phuong is complete. When all  the forms are in, we'll await word on the interview. I'm leaving for the U.S. on Tuesday -- a short stay this time because of a cash shortage -- Vietcombank isn't helping.

No car seat; friend in accident; sleep is a luxury

One of the children in our daycare group showed up last week with a really nasty looking black eye. This little girl is pretty wild so I assumed she fell, or maybe got whacked by a sibling because it's not uncommon for her to simply yank toys away from other kids. Actually, the girl was a passenger in her parents' car, which made a sudden stop to avoid hitting a pedestrian. She was thrown forward and hit something with her face, most likely the dashboard. I didn't get the details other than the fact that this 20-month wasn't in a car seat. But that's the norm here. Kids don't wear helmets on motorbikes (I've been told they're more at risk for a broken neck with a helmet on, so helmets are not required for children). I'm pretty sure there's no requirement for a car seat, either, since I think I've seen about two or three car seats in the more than six years I've lived here. And the number of cars seems to be increasing daily.
Cars and SUVs don't yield here, regardless of typical right of way decorum. An SUV will pull out into traffic from a side street, for example, with no concern for the sea of motorbikes or smaller cars. They will honk their horns to announce the intrusion. But if a bigger vehicle like a truck is in the traffic flow, the SUV will be forced to yield because the truck will not give an inch, and it will also be honking its horn to warn the vehicles in its path that it will not yield. Size matters. There are no car seats in taxis, of course, so we always sit in the back, and I make Joanna sit in the middle in either Phuong's or my grasp. I know this isn't ideal, but since seat belts are passe here and rarely in working order, we do what we have to do. Besides, walking isn't a whole lot safer since no vehicle -- bicycle, motorbike, car, or truck -- will yield to a pedestrian. And vehicles can frequently be found riding on sidewalks. The buses are hot, dirty and complicated, so they're not an option.

* * *

On Sunday when we went to tennis, court manager and friend Tai came limping toward us. I know this is a stupid cliche, but his face really looked liked hamburger. Smothered in dry ketchup. His left eye was nearly swollen shut and the scrapes and road burn were gruesome. He told us he crashed his bike when another motorcyclist crossed the center line and nearly hit him. I'm pretty sure Tai was wearing a helmet, which is fortunate indeed. Hell, I had a helmet on in my first accident here and still banged my coconut and had bleeding on the brain, which I slept off for five days in a Bangkok hospital.

* * *

My two English students are doing quite well and they're enjoyable in class. One of the two ladies just got back from a trip to the United States with her family and was very happy with her improved English. She told me she understood most of what people were saying to her. When I go the U.S. in a few weeks I'll have to take her with me since I struggle to understand much of the English spoken in my country.
Speaking of students, I had coffee with former student Sam, the sexiest woman alive (according to some, including Sam). Sam is such a breath of fresh air here for me -- she's got a real positive energy and vibe. Sam works for some company now, and get this, she teaches English part-time. I'm so proud of Sam, and proud of the work I did with her to improve her English and boost her IELTS score. I guess the White Monkey gets to beat his chest on occasion, too.

* * *

Daycare remains a challenge for me, even though I sometimes love it. The kids arrive early, so we're up at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday. After I help put Joanna to bed, do chi, and share a beer with my wife, I'm going to sleep around midnight at the earliest (my wife is one of those people who takes 3-minute naps throughout the day; she can sleep standing up). That means I'm a tired and sometimes cranky White Monkey. It happens to the best and worst of us. Throw in the horrible heat and humidity, and bed of nails we sleep on, it's no wonder I've learned to snarl and smile at the same time (Smarl? Snile?). Joanna contributes to the dilemma. She's cute, charming, bright, stubborn and occasionally cranky. She demands I carry her much of the day, but past motorbike accidents have come back to haunt my back in the form of sciatica pain, especially in the morning. I'm fine if don't lift anything heavy in the morning, but Joanna is heavy morning, noon, and night. None of this has affected my tennis, however, as I've reclaimed No. 1 in the household and dominated my lovely wife the past couple of weeks. I'm aging like a fine whine.