The art of getting away from it all

After a lengthy hiatus and a sabbatical to Spain, Shelley Schiavone came back to club for the first time in quite awhile this past Saturday. Apparently the time away did her some good: she finished the session with a 3-0, +83 record and first place. We had a healthy turnout on Saturday with eight people, three of whom we hadn't seen in many months.

Sometimes it's good to take a break from the game. I, too, have been on a sort of vacation over the last year or so. In the past, I've hit about four non-local tournaments per year. Over the last year I've only traveled to one. I attribute my "vacation" to one of the most stressful periods in my life, ranging from a death in the family to workplace woes.

Things are running much more smoothly now. I've negotiated a career shift, I've quit smoking, I'm taking up some other hobbies, and overall, I see things much differently than I did this time last year. Of course, none of this was enough to beat Shelley in that last round Saturday, but hey... I couldn't think of a better way to welcome her back.

Thanks, as always, to the awesome members of this club for sticking around and sticking to it when I wasn't able to. And, a huge thanks to Chris Ross and Lisa Green for stepping up and running club sessions in my absence when I've not been able to.

Getting away from it all can be good, but sometimes, getting back into it can be just as rewarding. Let's see what happens next.