Wimbledon - Day 12

This week is always hardest for me logistically speaking. I don't want to take out too much foreign currency, as the exchange rate back home will suck, and I don't want to wind up short cash at all. I also have to time out how much laundry I have done and when. In that regard, I did take down some laundry this morning. It was another 5.90 GBP. I just can't believe how cheap the laundry there is compared to the hotel. Or, should I say I can't believe how expensive the hotel is compared to a laundry right across the street. If it weren't directly across the street, I could understand. But, I can just as easily walk the bags across the street as I can walk it to the lobby, so I am really puzzled. I guess, much like hotel's crappy exchange rates, they just see it as easy money.

The walk in this morning wasn't too bad. The trains were backed up so we had to spend a bit of time at the first stop, and that meant the train was the most full it has been since we started taking them. I don't dislike the cramped quarters as much as it guarantees a complete lack of moving air, so of course I was sweating like I had just run the marathon. Still, it seems like it could be nicer here today than it has been lately. That would be a relief.

I saw Mary Carillo in the cafeteria. Another brush with greatness, although I have to admit I never thought she was all that good a player, and is a much better commentator. Still I can't believe how much easier it is here to see someone even mildly famous. I can only hope I get to come back at some point. Lunch was an odd compromise for me. I had salmon, very healthy, with chips, which of course are not at all healthy. Still I am almost sure I have lost weight since I got here, and I don't want to look too thin or Colleen won't let me live it down. Well, she will, but she's convinced I am too thin now, and that I am deeply obsessed with losing more weight. I'll admit to a mild obsession, but that is all! :)

So, today is July 4th, and oddly, the cafeteria is decorated for the event. I don't quite understand that, they even had 4th of July cake and the serving girls asked me if I was celebrating my independence today. To me, it almost seems one of those things that 90% of the English really don't even understand and if they did, they'd realize that they are celebrating with us the fact that we chose to secede from the Empire and as a result really spelled the final death blow to British Imperialism. Oh well. I won't spend a lot of time on this subject with respect to the English. For me, there is a slight tinge of disappointment at being here for the 4th, as this is without question my favorite holiday. I love fireworks, and of course creating and executing my own pyrotechnic display. This will mark the first year in almost a decade I have not done something. Not that I would have passed up this venue and this chance for the world, but I did need to mention that it was a tradeoff.

This is the part of the tournament that drags. There are very few players left in the main draws, so it is all about the doubles, mixed doubles, juniors, and ancient players. Now, ancient is of course relative, because there is a draw that starts for women younger than I am (35+) and men have 35+ and 45+ (though I don't know why.) Traffic is low today of course because of the holiday, though the English all believe it is because women's tennis is less interesting. It amazes me how much there are still some institutional biases out there.

The evenings have settled in for sunset on the garden. That means the rooftop garden, which overlooks large amounts of the stadium, and has a bar for the press. The BBC does interviews up there, so there are reasonable chances for brushes with greatness, though it is generally an interview with an exiting player. Yesterday, I saw Flavia Pennetta as she provided her exit interview. Anyway, we go up before 6:30 and then enjoy a Pimms cup and watch a bit of odd tennis. We got to watch Cedric Pioline play in the aged men's doubles. I last saw him at the 2004 French Open soiree. He still is very tall, and still very French.

The shuttle launch was today. I remember when I was in school and they'd stop everything, wheel a television in and let us watch. Since then, things have become quite mundane in terms of the shuttle. That is, until the last disaster. Now, it was a serious deal and most of us stopped and watched it here at the venue. Even the BBC had live coverage. We watched it slightly delayed on the NASA web site as well, since the BBC coverage spent a lot of time talking about things we didn't really care about.

Play ended relatively early. A few folks decided at the last minute to go to dinner, but I had already had dinner here in the cafeteria. I wish they would have told us earlier. I suspect we'll be able to do it again, so I am going to start hedging my bets and just snacking at the venue. That likely means less healthy eating, but I would like to get out with the rest of the folks. They are usually fun to hang out with. Instead, Judy and I caught the train and looked around for a pub. We were surprised to find that the World Cup match was still going on, which meant it was standing room only in every pub. We did find a table at the King's Head (which seems to be our preferred choice) so we had a couple of pints there in time to catch the best two minutes of the match, with Italy winning 2-0 after two overtime periods. We also met a couple of Germans who were most displeased at the results, but were in reasonably good spirits after having what was obviously a ton of drinks.

I tried to call Colleen, only to find out that she had gone to see Journey and Def Leppard. Not a shabby way to spend the fourth, if she couldn't spend it with me.

Cheers!!