March 15, 2011 BNP Paribas Open

Today we are up bright and early for another full day of tennis. We start each day with a room service breakfast because it is just so much nicer to not have to get dressed and look presentable first thing in the morning. We are usually among the first fans to get to our seats.

Early bird

Today first up is Gulbis vs. Djokovic. Gulbis entirely tanks the match not even apparently trying. He loses 6-0 6-1. Gulbis is a quality player but just can’t seem to get his head screwed on right. Some day when he is older he will rue all his wasted opportunities.

Ernests Gulbis (L) in serving position
Novak Djokovic (W) ready to serve

This match is followed by Marion Bartoli playing Kim Clijsters. Kim is a real crowd favorite and Bartoli is very quirky in her playing style. It is evident for whom the crowd is rooting. Bartoli is the product of her father’s “scientific method” of play and he has her bouncing around and swinging madly at the air between points. Although everyone expects Clijsters to win, even Bartoli as she candidly admits in the aftermatch interview, Clijsters retires with a shoulder injury and Bartoli is through to the next round.

Kim Clijsters (L) in action
Marion Bartoli (W) follow through

Of course there is time between the matches to grab a munch from the neverending food in the suite and to look around for notable spectators. Ooh look, there’s Rod Laver sitting not too far away from us!

The great Rod Laver

And now the match we have been waiting for – Juan Ignacio Chela vs. Roger Federer. Roger wins this match 6-0 6-2. Chela, though, is entertaining and seems grateful for the two games he does win. Roger plays well and has no trouble at all in the match.

Juan Ignacio Chela (L)
Roger Federer (W) serving

John and I take a break from the action and leave the grounds for the hotel. During this time Caroline Wozniacki beats Alisa Kleybanova. We enjoyed watching Kleybanova play last year. She is a really hard hitter and Wozniacki has her hands full but wins in the third set. I enjoy a little nap while all this is going on.

Then we are back for the night session where John Isner is playing Andy Roddick. Isner is so tall and has a giant serve but not too much else. Roddick wins. The last match is Dinara Safina vs. Maria Sharapova. I cannot stand Sharapova and all the hype she gets. She does hit the ball hard and she does shriek loudly every time she does so. Safina is just a head case and we make an early exit as she detonates. I didnt take any picture of them.

Big John Isner (L)
Andy Roddick (W)

March 14, 2011 BNP Paribas Open

We are here at the BNP Paribas Open. After a minor hotel malfunction, as in the hotel we were booked into sucked, we were able to switch reservations and are now staying at a much nicer place. Many of the players stay here. This morning we see Fabio Fognini, Oliver Marach, and Dennis Istomin in the hotel lobby. God, are tennis players thin. They look way thinner in person than they do on TV.

We have the same seats as last year. From our vantage point in the Emirates Club Suite we see Wozniacki, Kohlschreiber, Nadal, Safina and Querrey win. Over in Stadium two we watch Dolgopolov go down to Del Potro, Petrova beat an upcoming American player, McHale and Federer and Wawrinka beat Benneateau and Gasquet. It is really great to see these players in such an intimate setting. But it is really hard on the bum to sit in those bleachers for hours!

Here’s some pictures of the players.

March 8, 2011 Nathan’s 5th Birthday

Today is Nathan’s birthday. He is turning 5. Wow, does time fly by. He’s lost a tooth, rides a two wheeler (with training wheels), is the tallest in his preschool class and makes the usual assortment of 5-year old jokes.

We gather with the family at their house and give Nathan his presents. We get him several games with a Cars theme, a view master, a kaleidoscope, a truck and another game about building sentences. His favorite gift, though, is from Mom and Dad, a large truck named Banshee. He is even having a Banshee cake at his party that Auntie Leigh is bringing with her from Wisconsin. His party is on the 13th but since we’ll be in Indian Wells at the tennis tournament, we are celebrating on his actual birthday.

Sam gets a present too! Pretend ice cream cones. They are supposed to be a fun way to recognize colors and help with counting. There are nine different scoops. He makes us several double and triple scoops. After a pizza dinner we watch while Nathan blows out a birthday candle on his cupcake.

March 1, 2011 Kitchen remodel in St. George

I wanted to post pictures of our remodel in St. George when it was done. Of course, it was not done in the time frame that we had anticipated. But time marches on and before I can post other important events like Nathan’s birthday, I need to at least put down the pains of living without a kitchen for three weeks.

In January we went to St. George and set the whole process up. The actual remodel is scheduled for three weeks in February and is supposed to be complete by March 3. But first here’s a picture of the kitchen in the before stage.

Kitchen before the remodel

It is very dark. In the corner is the cooktop. The cooktop is ugly and hard to clean. The control are on the right side which means when we are both cooking it is hard for the person on the left to control his/her burners. But we could live with it. And then the oven breaks and the faucet and the RO system start leaking and the decision is made. So the idea is to replace the oven, cooktop, venting system (there isn’t any), sink, faucet, and RO system. And, oh yeah, the countertops.

The first thing that is done is to rip out the countertops and remove the sink.

Kitchen counterless

Wait, no, I’m wrong. The first thing that is done is that we remove most of the stuff from the cabinets, pile it up in the guest bedroom and tape up the cabinets.

Guest kitchen
Kitchen prepped

Now we wait. And wait. While waiting we are cooking on our cardboard countertops in an electric wok. In fact John and I are thinking about putting out a cookbook called “Make it Wok! Recipes while your kitchen is being remodeled!” Finally three days before we are scheduled to go home, everyone descends on the kitchen – granite guys, plasterer, painter, tiler, electrician, plumber, appliance installer. They are scurrying over each other like so many rats. Of course little things go wrong and it is impossible to get it all done. But here is the work as we left it at the beginning of March.

Kitchen sink area

Yay, we love the new granite! It is so bright after the dark brown of the tiles that were there. It has hints of pink that pick up the rose color that is in the slate floor. The tile backsplash is glass and travertine. It is repeated in the cooktop area. The new appliances are in. Problems that still exist are a scratched cooktop, spills on the granite that need to be professionally removed, tiling incomplete and the RO system and the faucet are not compatible. But we are very excited with the new kitchen and look forward to seeing it all done when we get back on March 21 (I hope!)