Influenced
by my new “seize-the-day” mentality, an outgrowth of our trip to New Zealand, I
woke up on January 13th and thought to myself, “Order tickets for
the French Open.” I’m talking tennis,
June, Paris, and my heartthrob Rafa Nadal, who has won this tournament a
record-breaking eight times.
I
had registered with the Roland Garros website last year to purchase tickets,
but I was far too late. So when I
clicked on the site in mid-January and discovered the announcement that ticket sales
would commence in just two days, I was energized. I awoke very early on the 15th, but already only a few
tickets, fabulously expensive, remained for the men’s final. I opted instead for pairs of tickets for both
the ladies’ semi-finals and the men’s semi-finals. I filled in a few fields, clicked a few
buttons, and – yikes – I had them!
Next
challenge: find a buddy to enjoy the games with me. My daughter Annie was naturally my first thought, as she is an avid tennis player, but she
would be preoccupied with her final exams that week. So I asked my dear friend Sue Kenwrick,
who lives in the UK. Sue and I go way
back, and we had already been talking about meeting somewhere in Europe for a
few days this spring. We had also taken a few tennis lessons together at one point, so I knew she liked the sport. Happily, Sue
jumped on board! We planned to stay in Paris for four days, and I organized a
post-tennis interview in Basel for PLoS
Genetics, then staying with other friends there. Miraculously I was able to cash in some of
my many United Miles for the flights.
Somehow it all came together, at least in foresight!
And
now, Nadal: If you hear that Yankee screaming, it is I!
