Hobbits, Tennis, & Old-School 'Cue
Plus: urban fiction, mysteries galore, and gritty television.
This week, I got out a town for a bit, heading over to College Station to take in some Aggie tennis. It was a nice break, even if the rain disturbed the schedule a bit. Getting to eat some nostalgic food and walk amongst the Gen Z hordes was a great distraction. Read more below, and enjoy this week’s collection.
Reading
The City & the City by China Miéville
This one had been on my to-read list for a while. Miéville has stated he wants to write a book in every genre. He covers two here, with this detective/sci-fi mash up. Or has he??? The story centers around two cities who somehow occupy the same physical space. Is it something multi-dimensional? Is it instead a political arrangement? The book takes a long time to suss this out, but the result is nothing if not thought provoking. The murder mystery is the frame that holds it all together, but this is a think piece to be sure.
Watching
Mayor of Kingstown
Staying on a Taylor Sheridan jag after finishing 1883. Lots to like about this one. The Wire vibes abound. Great cast, including Jeremy Renner just absolutely killing it with his constant look of empathy mixed with disinterest. Set in a town filled with prisons and all the corruption that goes along with that, Mayor of Kingstown is very much not the soap opera that Yellowstone is. Lots of the same supporting actors, though.
Missing
A spiritual sequel to Searching, Missing raises eyebrows due to its conceit. The action all takes place on computer screens. FaceTime, YouTube videos, security feeds. The story concerns a daughter who’s mother is… missing. Along the way, more and more unbelievable details are revealed. Any mystery hinges on the reveal, and I have to say, this one does a great job of misdirection. A fun watch.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Look, sometimes watching movies isn’t all fun and games. All three parts of this series, in their extended editions, total almost 12 hours.1 That’s nothing to sneeze at. Honestly, it was a little too much for the family, so the final installment was a solo venture. This wasn’t my first or even second rodeo, but these movies are such spectacles, that I’ll keep going back to them again and again, especially on the big screen.
Moving
Tennis
The Australian Open is in fill swing, so I thought I’d write about my own tennis journey. Playing a sport has been a key to staying motivated in my quest to not just be fit, but get fitter. I’ve had to make big strides to be able to play full matches, and now I’m trying to get better at technique. I’m very much at the bottom of the food chain in racquet land, but it’s a fun challenge. On any given week, I might have multiple discreet events, such as the following.
Matches
Last year, I joined Austin Tennis Net, a ladder that gives me two matches every three weeks against similarly skilled players. In the heat of the summer, there were some brutal excursions, but overall, it’s been great. I’m 13-11, which is about right for the competition. There are currently 245 players, and I’m at the 78th percentile. Here’s to moving on up.
Serve practice
Just me and a bucket of balls. This is the easiest thing to do by myself. I usually go for about an hour, and rarely do I keep track of my results. Sometimes, I play a simulated game, where a first or second serve gives me the point, and a double fault loses one. I had some trouble with consistency recently, and this really helped.
Ball machine
Renting a ball machine for an hour is a great chance to practice my (slowly improving) strokes. It’s not always transferrable to match play, but it’s a good start. With making the shots span from side to side, it can also be a great cardio workout. Good chance to work on concentration and consistency.
Clinics
I have a couple of kinds of clinics I do. One is a group class with 10-12 people that involves everything from drills to one-on-one play to doubles. There’s also Cardio Tennis, which is a noontime affair with similar drills, but sprints, squats, and push ups in between. Not so fun in August, but definitely a great way to break up the day.
Doubles
A couple of years ago, I got invited to hit with a group of guys on Tuesdays. Most weeks, that’s where you’ll find me in the evening. It’s less taxing than singles, but a lot more fun. Banter helps. The competitive juices flow, but it’s all in good fun.
Living (in Aggieland)
Martin’s Place
Even though I’ve driven by it a billion times, I never stopped to eat the barbecue at Martin’s. Truth be told, the food was fine, but the atmosphere was tremendous. Young workers and old ladies talking about the upcoming Cowboys game. Linoleum for days. A building that’s literally on the historic register. And the chopped beef sandwich wasn’t half bad.
Aggie Park
The former Spence Park has been renovated in breathtaking fashion creating a tailgating mecca next to Kyle Field. This Friday night saw the MSC Town Hall committee hosting a concert by a local blues band. It was chilly, but the music gave the whole thing plenty of energy.
Pepe’s
Aah, Pepe’s, Bryan, Texas’s local version of Taco Bell, but so much better, at least to old timers like me. My brother took me there back in the 80’s, and I’ve since found out that none other than Aaron Franklin’s dad helped start it. The pièce de résistance is the “Nachos Grande,” a fried taco bowl filed with beans, beef, queso, jalapenos, and of course, black olives. So traditional! Don’t change a classic, Pepe’s. (But thank you for fixing the leak in the ceiling of the men’s bathroom.) The fact they have a painting of the store in the store is perfection.
What’s Next
Mayhaps another book? This one a recent award winner.
New apocalyptic television is starting up, and we’ll see if it’s better than last year’s.
What’s the minimum any strength workout should have? The answer will very possibly not surprise you!
If you want to take on this challenge at home, HBO Max has the extended editions. Best of luck.