From tennis to television

I was asked to substitute in a doubles game yesterday morning, and I wouldn't have played two days in a row, but I couldn't resist.

I joined three women outdoors in Longmeadow for about an hour and a half of play – two sets of doubles  – and held my own and had a good time. They were all very good but fun and low-pressure, just right for me. It was a beautiful day, sunny with blue skies, and it was great to be playing outside.

Anonymous (who I wish would say his or her name) wrote after my last post that I am already over-doing it. Actually I am trying to keep in mind that, having just gotten out of the boot, I need to start back slowly. Of course "trying" is the operative word here. Yes, I do get carried away.

Yesterday afternoon Katie and I went to Northampton for an errand. Afterwards, we agreed it was too nice to go straight home, so I got a cappuccino and she got a mocha, and we walked around.

It was late afternoon when we got home and headed to the lake. I took Maddie for her walk, and Katie ran circles around me. A lot of people and dogs were out. I stopped and talked to a man with a tan and white puppy that I wanted to take home (the puppy, not the man.) Maddie also liked the dog, whose name was Rosie, and ran circles around her.

We continued on our way.Len Brouilette, the high school running couch, came running up behind us.

"Hi Maddie," he said as he passed.

Len often walks his dog, Simba, around the lake, and a lot of us say hi to the dogs rather than to the people.

A woman I know was also jogging, and we exchanged a couple of words while she passed.

Katie and I ended up together at the end. She had done three loops (a mile each) to my one, which was really a stroll and not exercise.

We walked home together and had a dinner of leftovers. Then we continued in our marathon viewing of the entire "Gilmore Girls" series. We had watched some seasons that she had received as birthday gifts; now we are on the fifth season, which we took out of the library.

Usually we watch one, maybe two episodes at a time. The odd thing is that, having watched the seventh and last season, we know how it turns out, but the characters are so well-drawn and the series is so well-written that it feels like you don't know what will happen.

(Are you laughing at me? No, it is not high-brow, but it is terrific.)

We each got a snack and settled in for an episode (about 40 minutes). It was very unsettling, (OK, romance-wise for Lorelai and Luke), so we agreed to watch another in hopes of a happier resolution...and of course we had to get another snack.

This one ended up even worse. What to do?

Katie wanted to watch another.

"But we're running out of food!" I said.

True confessions: It was late, but we went for a third, a record for us, accompanied by corn chips.

Things didn't turn out any better, but at least there were funny parts, and we went to bed tired but smiling.