US Open

One of the fun things about marriage is how melding together brings new interests to each partner... I used to be somewhat of a tennis fan when I was a pre-teen, but over the years I'd lost interest. Jeff, however, is an avid fan as well as a talented player. So for these few weeks - those in which the tennis world turns its attention toward the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY - the Case household is no exception.

I didn't even really know about the US Open. I mean, I had heard of it, of course, but I didn't know much. At the beginning of the tournament, when Jeff told me that this is the one time in the year when the TV would be on every night, I thought, "Okay, well, this is his thing; whatever...."

I've been converted.

I just can't stop watching. Rafael Nadal, the Spanish bull, fighting it out with (and triumphing over) upstart Frenchman Gael Monfils.... Young Melanie Oudin from Marietta, GA, rising from obscurity to beat three-time Grand Slam Singles champion, Maria Sharapova.... And, of course, Roger Federer blowing his way through match after match on his way to the top.... It's all so fascinating!

Even the scoring system... Jeff laughs that it's so convoluted because it was designed by the British. But learning the scoring system alone gave me new appreciation and admiration for the game, making it that much more entertaining to watch.

Tonight the two matches on the radar are Rafael Nadal vs. Fernando Gonzalez (they have to complete their rained-out game from last night), and Kim Clijsters vs. Serena Williams. Too bad I have somewhere to be at 7:30!! Guess who will be trying to get home as soon as possible to catch anything she can afterward....