Project 52 2021 week 36

Week 36 of the year, a first full week of school and a mixed bag of weather. From 2 hot days, to 1 of hideous heavy showers, then back to warm again. Hopefully it’ll stay dry for a while longer.

Here’s our week for Project 52.

On Sunday we started off playing tennis at the club. It’s back to casual turn up and play, although there was only us, with one of the orange boys turning up with his mum half way through. So I had a good hit. I kind of don’t want the juniors to have Sunday coaching – it means there’s more opportunity for me to play. We didn’t do much else all day.

Monday was back to school and work. There’s too many changes at a busy time in our team at the moment so I spent most of the week covering other people’s work for things that were cropping up or needed progressing. None were simple, so it was a lot of back and forth, and checking from experts in other teams to make sure everything was following the correct processes. I do like being busy, but I’d rather things were straight forward to sort out.

On Tuesday it was more of the same with work. N and I had dentist appointments in the evening. These were our previously cancelled ones from early on in lockdown last year. It was frustrating for me as mine had stretched out to annually with hygienist appointments in between. But now I’m back to 6 monthly. Plus I’d noticed a chip I’d previously had filled was back to its black hole again. So I need to go back to get it refilled as it’s got a bit of decay in there now, and it’s a fairly visible tooth so will have to be private costs for while filling too. N has been referred to see a braces specialist as he’s got a bit of overbite. At the moment his adult incisor has grown above/over the milk tooth (a year later, it’s still hanging on). I think he’ll need that incisor pushing back into place like I had when I was younger. It could be 2 years before he’d get seen or get any work if they agree it, so I’m not holding my breath.

On Wednesday I managed to find the open days for the 2 schools we want to see before applying for secondary. So we’re booked on the morning tour for the catchment school, and the other’s just a turn up in the evening thing. N came home saying he’d made a new friend in one of the newer year 5 boys. They were chatting together at pick up time. The boy was new last summer, but with Covid bubbles, N’s year hadn’t mixed with that class. I love hearing that N’s just been chatting randomly to new people. Sets my mind at ease that he’ll be fine making friends at secondary, even if none of his currentl friends go to the same school.

N had his private tennis lesson in the evening. We’ve had to move his time earlier, but I don’t know how that’ll work ongoing as I might have to find someone to drop him off – it starts before I finish work. It was quite a good session, but way too much football chit chat instead of focussing on tennis.

Thursday was a busy work day with nearly back to back meetings. N was pleased that they got to finally do PE. Last year at school, he was playing sports 3-4 times a week. So far, football was the first. He’s concerned too because their assemblies are quite often in the afternoons now, so he reckons that means less time for sport. Disappointing, especially if things like RE, and mindfulness rubbish take its place.

On Friday it was a relatively shorter day at work. This week has been so busy trying to get everything done, I’ve ended up doing 8 hours extra. That’s more than I can get back in flexi, but at least that helps with the flexi I need to take for school open morning. I had to fill up with diesel – £85 cost. Fuel is so expensive at the moment, and because I’m driving shorter distances, my car’s not being as good with fuel economy.

N’s group tennis was only 5 of them because 2 girls finished, and the 2 from the team are stopping for this term due to lots on with 11+ and other assessments and activities. So just the 5 boys. It meant they only need the one coach, and they can play doubles and singles, without people having to sit out. It did tip it down with rain a couple of times, so they had to shelter one time, and get wet the rest. Not really tennis weather, and the floodlights had to come on.

Saturday was another tennis tournament day. We mooched in the morning, then drove the hour to the tennis club it was at. N was pleased to be playing indoors – he likes the consistent surface, unlike at many clubs which have astro which means the ball skids and doesn’t bounce up as much. They were playing a round robin in groups of 4, before going into the main or consolation draw. N only won 1 of his 3 initial matches, but his serve in 2 of the matches went pretty well. He ended up in the consolation draw, which ended up being a bit strange. He’d come 3rd in his group, but instead of playing just the equivalent 3rd in the other group, he played the 4th who he then didn’t play very well against which was a shame. He only had 4 rather than the 5th match because they ran out of time. It must be frustrating for organisers when they request people to arrive 20 minutes before to get registered and warm up. N’s first opponent was late, so others ended up going on first.

After hearing that one girl gets in 5 hours of tennis a week, he’s now determined that we need to sort out the coaching opportunities. We struggle because the 3 higher level coaches just aren’t available outside of their main day job coaching, and court availability is a struggle at our club too. I need to speak to the main guy and if we can’t get the coaching level availability we’re after, we’ll need to find another coach elsewhere for privates.

In the evening, I’ll be sitting down to watch the British 18 year old Emma Radacanu in the US Open final. Fingers crossed.

New posts this week:

• Applying for secondary schools and questions to ask
• Wasgij Original 38 Market Meltdown solution