In Lisa's Spin, her new regular blog on wtatour.com, Lisa Raymond brings us her thoughts on tennis, life and more. Here's the first installment...
Monday, February 7, 2011
Who says all good things have to come to an end?
Seinfeld found a new home in syndication. Thanks to satellite radio there are stations completely devoted to the '80s. The Yankees signed Jeter for a few more years. So I was thinking, why should my blogging days have to be behind me? Turns out, they won't be. Thanks to the powers that be, yours truly is the new official resident blogger of the WTA! My assignment: keep you entertained a couple of times each week, just because I can! :-) Some weeks I will be playing the events while others I will just be checking in from home. Lisa's Spin - on life, the tennis world, and everything in between. Let's be honest - do you REALLY care about how many backhands I hit in practice or what my pre-match meal was? Maybe a tiny bit curious but wouldn't you, the reader, find it more interesting to read less about what I ate for lunch and more about who I ate lunch with and what was being said? Who went where and with whom? What was she wearing and where can I get one (or maybe what was she thinking?!)? Think of it like a recipe - a cup of Gossip Girl, 1/4 cup of TMZ, combined with two tablespoons of American Idol and topped with a dash of Ellen. Sounds delicious to me... let's get stared!
It's been a couple weeks since the first Grand Slam champions of the year have been crowned and Fed Cup has come and gone. This week the tour will take some players to Paris, some to Pattaya, and others, like me, nowhere! I have been back home for almost three weeks, a lifetime in tennis terms, and I've enjoyed every second of it. The reality is three weeks can seem like three minutes as time flies when I am home. My weeks back on the east coast of the USA are about recharging the batteries, enjoying some time with family and friends, and just being me. The simple things in life - enjoying home cooked meals, driving my own car, doing my own laundry, having sleepovers with my nieces, and sitting on my couch catching up on some missed shows on the DVR - simple things that when you are away, you miss the most! Funny to think anyone would actually miss doing laundry but ask any tennis player who has just come back from a road trip and they will tell you how much they look forward to it. I swear, Tide and Downy should be two of my sponsors! I have always loved coming home and it seems that lately I am even more appreciative of and enjoying my time on the road and at home. The older you get, the more you learn to keep and put it all in perspective - how blessed I have been to live this life that I have for almost 20 years! Travel the world, making a great living playing a sport I love, while meeting amazing people and experiencing things one can only dream of. Of course it's not always easy - if it was, more people would be doing it. But at the end of the day, I count myself to be one of the lucky ones.....
So I was thinking today after grabbing a coffee, what is it about writing and coffee shops? Why do people love to "write" in a coffee shop? Individuals armed with laptops and lattes, filling these places all day long. I am not talking about the ones using free WiFi to write e-mails or surf the web, I am talking about those who are writing. Writing books, shorts stories, blogs, you name it. If it can be written, it's being typed in some Starbucks right now. But why? Why do people leave the comfort and privacy of their own homes to sit and write in a public place where one is constantly being distracted by strangers and baristas? Is it the people watching (which let me tell you, if ever made into an Olympic sport, the gold medal would be mine!)? Is it the eavesdropping on the surrounding conversations that gives one ideas to write about (another "discipline" if passed by the IOC I would medal in!)? Is it the steady stream of caffeine one consumes while sitting there for hours, causing their finger to type the words even quicker? Maybe it's just the change of venue, getting out of the house, out of your PJs that helps one feel like they are being productive. Is it an escape from the everyday, a refuge if you will one can go to, and write on their Mac while sipping a $3.95 nonfat cappuccino with extra foam? Or maybe it's surrounding themselves with others with a common dream - to become the next Jonathan Franzen, Stephanie Meyers or Perez Hilton. Not really sure what the answer is but the next time I am sitting in a coffee shop enjoying my double shot of happiness I'll ask the person next to me who will undoubtedly be composing the next great something on their laptop - why? Why here and not at home? Hopefully they won't mind the interruption. Then again, maybe they will welcome it. Or better yet, maybe I just answered my own question...
Moving on...who watched the Super Bowl? If you are like me, you tuned in more for the halftime show and commercials than the actual game itself. Before kick-off we were entertained by Christina Aguilera's misstep/rendition of the National Anthem. Oops! Actually, I think she recovered pretty well. That's some serious pressure! What about the halftime show - HOW GOOD WAS USHER?!?! That boy can dance! The Black Eyed Peas - always entertaining. Then there were the commercials. It seemed like Doritos and Volkswagan got the highest ratings. The Volkswagen Darth Vader ad was great - wonder how many moms today had to dig out those Star Wars Halloween costumes! It seemed like Eminem was everywhere! From Brisk Iced Tea to Chevy cars you couldn't miss him. Both near the top of my list but I think my favorite of the night was the Bridgestone "Reply All" commercial - I actually laughed out loud. Maybe because I can relate to it all too well - sending a reply e-mail to someone and then realizing you hit reply all and sent it to everyone! The panic that begins to set in as soon as you've realized the grave mistake that's been made! Was a fun night of watching and critiquing, only then to be capped off with a new episode of Glee! God that show just keeps getting better!!! Oh, and yes, there actually was a football game played. Congrats Packers!
I am leaving for Dubai in a few days but will check back in before take off. Each blog I write I am going to answer a few fan questions as well, so ask away and send any to me via Twitter @cutttie2. I will try to answer as many as I can, a few each time. Thanks for reading my first entry and remember, if ever in doubt, spin it!!!
@CatCatLove asks, "What is my No.1 advice for club level doubles?" Honestly, the biggest piece of advice I can give anyone regarding doubles, as remedial as it may sound, is pick a good partner. Now when I say good, it doesn't always mean the level of their play. Doubles partnerships are like any other relationship and you need to like your partner, get along with them, enjoy being on the court and spending time with them. You don't have to be the best of friends, just need to get along and respect one another. There is nothing better than sharing a great win with someone you can call your friend.
@ Anita_22_05 asks, "Who is your favorite singer/band?" Have not been asked this in a while but it's an easy one for me. David Gray. Sure I love all kinds of music, bands, artists but if there was one artist I would love to see perform, it would be him. I have never seen him live and I am determined to one of these days!!!
@sduffy55 saki asks, "How many tournaments will you play this year on tour?" That number for me will probably be around 21 or so, give or take a couple of weeks. All depends how we are doing and how I'm feeling. I don't like being on the road for more than 3-4 weeks at a time so I try to plan my schedule accordingly.
And of course, a few songs I'm listening to...
"Poison and Wine" by The Civil Wars - I stumbled on this band/song the other day and was blown away. Depressing yet amazing. You know, my signature genre of music :-)
"Perfect" by Pink - My girl Pink, just can do no wrong. Another great song, great lyrics. I guess we all hope that in someones eyes, we are perfect.
"Black Balloon" by Goo Goo Dolls - This and "Iris" are my favorite GGD songs. Love them!
