What a Week

Happy Saturday Morning – If I wasn’t having such a blast, this week would have been a chore and a massive drain. It begins with the happy sounds of Marcia getting up with the words; “I smelled the coffee.” That was after a short night which began with my sleeping not long after midnight.

Some days it was another happy moment, driving Vaioleti to her job at the Cincinnati Zoo. She’s taking driving lessons with mom and dad but still requires some time with a teaching ‘Pro’. This short trip is our ‘happy-chat’ time together. There is nothing like one-on-one time with grandkids.

Today, midafternoon it’s off to Mason Ohio and start another shift of my volunteer stint with the 2026 Cincinnati Open (today it’s the Semifinals). To make it all easier on Marcia and the kids, Marcia gets dinner a bit early and then all is squared away till I roll back home after my gig.

Actually, I might leave a bit early and make a short swing past Costco (having Oat Milk in the house is important).

The Venue – all week has been my work with the Hospitality Suites group, in the tower 4th floor, which houses the center’s premium venue. Most evening it’s been a corporate purchase of the suite for the evening. Playing host to 150 – 175 people all hoping for a wonderful time of tennis, food, and some adult beverage. And I am delighted playing the role of greeter, host, and problem solver.

Doing everything including escorting a doctor who received a phone call requiring him to rush out. The elevators happened to be backed up, and I was able to help him down a set of stairs and past non-public area.

Thursday evening our Bank had the space for their event. When I arrived, I introduced myself to the Bank’s VP in charge of the gathering. I assured him we’d work our butts off to ensure that everyone would have a great time – with one condition. “Huh?” was his response.

With a straight face I informed him that I had promised my wife that I’d demand that the Bank would not even consider closing their St. Bernard branch.
Me – big Smile
He (name of Nate) – A laugh, and after that it quickly became the ‘Dirk-and-Nate’ show for the rest of the evening.
He did confide that he’d never had such a request.
And yes, our guests all had a great time!

Dinner for me I’ve organized at about eight o’clock on the venue’s green. Here I can eat and listen to an array of singers and bands – what a joy!

Studying the Game – I’ve now been around tennis enough where I’m seeing styles of play. The style that I believe to be very effective I especially noticed with a game between Tirante (Argentina) and Fils (France). The winner played a game of attrition with long rallies. No fancy slams trying to outmaneuver the opponent.

Instead, it was a game of keeping the play going thereby both tiring the opponent out and waiting patiently for the other to make a mistake. Keep the rally going at all cost.

Now that he’s aging it seems to me that Djokovic (Serbia) plays in a manner as I just described.

This tennis thing is a lovely gig. Watching the sport made up of very ‘limber’ guys and gals. All with names I can’t pronounce. Names such as Bouzkova, Swiatek, Nakashima, Gauff, Zaballos, and so forth.

The Shuttle – is only maybe a 20-minute ride between parking and the tennis venue. Just enough time for some discovery. The other day I sat next to a chef from the Jeff Ruby restaurant group – nationally rated steak house. Having said that, the fellow I sat next to is their fish guy – placed on ice the fish is brought ashore, in short order is aboard a freight aircraft and early in the morning arrives at the restaurant. Quite the process, quite the business.

Even more interesting was Thursday evening when I sat next to another volunteer who happened to be from Dayton. For a number of years he worked for the commercial side of the industrial Kodak 3-d printing business.

Then it got better.

Currently he works for a business which runs three labs, 3 shifts a day. By now you’re wondering; “okay Dirk what is that lab doing?”

Body parts!

Cadavers arrive. Skin is taken and processed to be sent to hospitals treating people with severe burns etc. Bones are finely ground up and processed to be used as filler in pockets as filler bone after surgery. And so forth. It’s a whole side of life and work I was oblivious of.

Fascinating!

Quotation – “Don’t think about the start of the race, think about the ending.” Usain Bolt, eight-time Olympic Gold Medalist sprinter.

This week’s Interlude – Mid week 57 years ago – it was August 17, 1969 that Woodstock actually got on the music map. That day a psychedelic Rock masterpiece was unleashed. A musical piece that still has people crank up the volume even today.

The voice and the piece’s sound are so distinct that you’ll figure it out in an instant – this 1-minute clip makes you’re guess super easy. What you’ll want to answer is the name of the singer and the name of the song.

Remember, no cheating on the answer.

Enjoy!

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

In recent memory it was the golden age of comedy. The Catskill Mountains region of the Adirondacks was known as The Borscht Belt and here Jewish comedians honed their craft and perfected new routines. All of the one liners below were used by these entertainers. However, only one was uttered by Jonathan Winters.

The question this week is to select the one line uttered by Winters:

1. “I’ve had great success being a total idiot.”
2. “I’m at an age now where just putting my cigar in its holder is a thrill”
3. “If you can see the handwriting on the wall… you’re on the toilet.”
4. “If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to it.”
5. “You know you’re old if they have discontinued your blood type.”
6. “Who picks your clothes – Stevie Wonder?”
7. “Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.”
8. ”When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.”

Last week Bonus Points answer – # 1 (President Clinton)
Answer, this week’s Interlude: Grace Slick, with the band, Jefferson Airplane: “White Rabbit”