Ave Imperator, Morituri te Salutant.....

"Hail Emperor, those about to die salute you...."

Thomas quoted Roman gladiators as he left for golf with his parents this morning. Indeed, a tee off time of 11:56 in the Algarve in July brings to mind many of the less appealing moments in the Colosseum.
I hate to whine, but I have a date to play tennis with a 14 year old and a 22 year old from 11-12:30. So we all have our crosses to bear.

Anyway we have lost Luis, which is very sad. He is such a chum. He and I watched Wimbledon together on my bed because T and F felt we were too "emotional" about Federer and left us. L and I believe we are two of the greatest untapped sources of tennis coaching the world has ever seen. I am not joking- the pearls of wisdom that come out of our mouths need to be recorded for posterity. When Federer won the second set we got a tin of mini Swiss chocolates and passed it back and forth without any bickering about who would be stuck with the white chocolate. You just can't put a price on that kind of bonhomie.

In other sports news, I had a brief moment where I thought I could explain to the aliens what in the name of hell we were doing. Why mankind rushes from point A to point B only to rush right back again; often with a ball under their arm. The most obvious answer is that it takes us out of our heads- into blissful states of not thinking. It is the oasis in the hell-scape that can be our own minds. Frankly, I am of the opinion that Juliet would have gotten over Romeo if she had thought to pick up a racket. No man is worth remembering if you can hit an inside out forehand.

But I think we run (when a car would be so much easier), for the same reason we eat spicy food. Controlled pain with a beginning and end is enormous comfort when we fear random pain so much. It's like pretend pain: run in the heat, but in 40 minutes it will be over, and if you run very, very hard you might actually feel euphoric.
Yesterday I did not want to exercise. I had convinced myself that I was lacking some vital nutrient: iron or magnesium or some as yet undiscovered chemical compound. There was no way I was going out there. But then I remembered how nice it feels afterwards; how I might run to the beach and then treat myself to a swim in the wonderfully icy water; how I had been craving a little time alone. So I said: ok. first, have some sugar. then have some water, then-and this is the most important ingredient: be very, very nice to yourself as you flail around in the heat.

A little sugar. A little water. A little kindness. 

Might be my new religion.
(With Toots and the Maytals as the choir.)

....everybody just calm down calm down calm down, calm down; have your pomp and pride
everybody trying crying dying to see the light.