Stoop so low... to reach so high

Where do I start?

Where did I leave off?
(By the way, you can leave comments right here on the blog. Below the entry it says 'Leave Comment'. I love comments!)

Rob and I have now been together for about three weeks in Anna (the Van) and we're still getting along great... imagine that!!! Rob's been great company and a huge help, and I don't think the stories I'm about to tell you would be so good if it weren't for this punk. He's done everything from cook to clean, from drive to train, from brewing coffee to rubbing my feet (no, just joking), from delivering and picking up racquets for me to string to stringing some himself (by the way, we've strung about 40 racquets so far...), and he's done all this while keeping a good attitude. So Rob's last day on the tour will be Sunday, the 2nd, in which I fly back to Greensboro, North Carolina to pipe for a Wedding on the 7th and spend the 4th with my friends and brother Peter in Charlotte.
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So, what has happened in the past week and a half? Tons. As you know Rob and I have been in Northern California while I've been playing in the ITF Tournaments here. Right now we're in Shingle Springs (in the western foothills of Lake Tahoe) and I played in the tournament here. I lost in a very tough first round match of the qualifier to a player that will be playing today in the first round of the main draw. Since then I have been stringing racquets, playing bagpiping gigs, and meeting tons of awesome locals. I don't think I've felt so welcomed as I do here anywhere else I've been.

Rob and I have been camped in the Gold Country Baptist Church parking lot ever since we arrived here on Tuesday the 19th. The church is located right across the street from the club and they let us use their outlet to plug in, hose for water, and wireless internet which I'm using right now. They have been nothing but a blessing to us ever since we arrived here. We've met all three pastors, several church families (whom we now have contact info for) and have been invited over to two homes for a meal, each a story in itself.

Backtracking to my loss on the tennis court. I have been training tough with Rob over the last few weeks and it had nothing to do with my training why I lost. It was the mistake of business. They say that you've gotta take the money when it comes, or the business when it comes, for that matter. Well, Rob and I racked up 9 racquets to string and have finished before the first matches were to start on Saturday morning. Obviously, the day before the first round matches is the busiest for a racquet stringer. Then I was offered to do a pro-am doubles round robin the evening before for a few more extra bucks and a good relaxing time to meet some locals, which I also couldn't turn down. So after that was over it was just shy of 8pm and I had 9 frames that needed to be finished by 9am the following morning. Hence I got to bed late, got up early and just never got off my feet. This made for a rough day on the court for this mann. Yet, when all was said and done, I couldn't have any regrets, because I had to take the business when it comes. Down the road, I know it will all pay off, just not yet.

So after losing I figured 'heck, I might as well get a gig for tonight since I won't be playing tomorrow', so I called a few suggested local joints and struck gold with Marco's Cafe in Coloma (where gold was first discovered in California.) I invited Barbara (see pic of me playing with two girls in the background - blue top), the really sweet front desk lady with the beautiful smile, to come out. So Marco's was a hit (see video!) and Rob and I had a great time chatting it up with Barbara and Brittany afterward.



So then came Sunday morning, more racquets to string, Gold Country Bagptist church service at 11, and Rob and I are still recovering from the night before. Yet, all racquets were finished and we got to church just after 11. It was a very good service, which Pastor Dale just happened to be basing off the same scripture I read to Rob two days before, I Timothy Chapter 6. Coincidence??? What do you think?

After the service we were invited by a grand couple, Mack and Ronnie DeWaters. Ronnie, Mack's wife of over 50 years even got to take a ride in our van on the way back to their home while Mack ran an errand. Ronnie cooked us an incredible meal, let us do our laundry, and gave us a dozen eggs that Rob got to hand pick from there very own hens(Check out the pics!) They also had rabbits and a big fat cat.

One more thing from that experience, even before lunch I got the chance to surprise there grandson Tyler on his 18th birthday with 'Happy Birthday' on the bagpipes. (see video below - Rob on narration/video coverage again!)



So then that evening we were invited to a younger couple's home, Craig & Jen, for dinner on Monday night. This is another family from the church here. 'Man, this trip just keeps getting better and better' I'm thinking and by now I just can't stop smiling. So fast forward to Monday night, we had an awesome dinner with Craig, Jen, their 21 month year old Noah, and there dog, which I'm blanking on the name right now. It was an awesome 4 course dinner which included some awesome salmon and strawberry shortcake for desert - man life is good! I played the pipes afterward for them outside and seemed to attract everyone in the townhome complex to come out and listen, imagine that... no volume control on the pipes.

So then came Tuesday, a great day of training and tennis, among other things. I was told by the local newspaper reporter, Jerry Heinzer of the Mountain Democrat that he wanted to do a full column on me in the paper, as he had already interviewed me briefly once as a player in the tournament and thought my story was interesting. So the column should come out on Friday, the day before Rob and I finally head out of this town. I'll keep you posted on that...

So Rob and I were planning to go to Lake Tahoe today and stay until Friday, but God had other plans. A wildfire which started about a week ago in Lake Tahoe has closed down the whole highway along the way to Lake Tahoe and burned down over 200 homes and the local high school there. Pray that they get it under control soon.

For us, this means three more days in Shingle Springs, which I don't mind, and you can see why...

Signing off...

~ Nate

P.S. The headline is from an old U2 song, Red Hill Mining Town.

Break On Through to the Other Side

That's what the above image (taken through my van window) represents.






Rob and I have been here in Sacramento for nearly four days now. We have been camping/cooking in the van outside of the Racquet Club and stringing a few racquets on the side to make some extra bucks. Wednesday and Thursday Rob trained me hard and Friday and today were toned down days until I found out that I was an alternate in the draw today again, so I was the 2nd alternate and the 1st was the only one to get in... bummer but we still get to use the facilities, I can still practice with the players and get ready for a possible Doubles match on Tuesday. I'll keep you all posted on that.


Here's what happens on a usual day here:

~ Rob wakes up - makes a small snack and coffee while I read something in my Bible and say my morning prayer.
~ We do some kind of warm-up, whether it is a jog, medicine ball tosses or Rob will run me through one of his yoga routines.
~ Breakfast time! One of us will cook up some eggs & oatmeal, along with some yogurt and V8.
~ Tennis time! I'll go find someone on the circuit to hit with if I haven't planned it already.
~ Stretch time! Rob or the tourney trainer runs me through my stretch routine.
~ Lunch time! Tuna mac, turkey sandwich, more eggs, yogurt, or something of that sort... with some V8!
~ Fitness time! This is when I'll do my main fitness workout for the day with Rob.
~ Tennis time again!
~ Dinner time! Today it was hot dogs and baked beans, so I hope the breeze is flowing good through the van tonight!
~ Time to relax and wind down for the day ahead. Read a book, talk on the phone, drink a cup of decaf at the local Panera Bread and write a blog, whatever.

All in a day's work. I just hope it's not 105 degrees again here for a while! It was much cooler today, thank God!

Tomorrow is Sunday, God's day of rest, and that is exactly what it will be for me.

"May the good Lord be with you down every road you roam
and may sunshine and happiness surround when you're on your own." - Rod Stewart - Forever Young

Signing off...

~ Nate

There's a new Man in the Van

Picture Matching - Try and match the picture with the Pic #! (this wasn't on purpose, but give it a try!)

Pic #1: My Charlotte tennis ladies and me after a good clinic!
Pic #2: Andy fixing the van in Charlotte.
Pic #3: Doug (the best damn maintenance man in the land) & Me behind Milo.
Pic #4: Me working it at Milo w/Andy
Pic #5: Dad & Me in front of Milo
Pic #6: The Mann with the Van in front of Milo (that's my cousin Elsa on the left with the sweet Bike helmet)
Pic #7: My Great Aunt Pat & Me at the Cracker Barrel in Indianapolis
Pic #8: The new Man in the Van!
Pic #9: Rob, Sierra (my neice) & Me in Prescott
Pic #10: Luke & Me outside of his work in Prescott right before Rob & I headed out.

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The van has officially arrived at our first tournament spot in San Diego, California!

So, I headed to Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, June 2nd to stop in and play some pipe gigs to make some $$ in preparation for the major gas bill that lieth ahead. When I arrived around 9pm at Milo (my Dad's artist colony in Columbus, Ohio - see pic) about ten people were waiting for me on the front steps and ready to go! My Dad got a full crew of people to help my cause - book gigs, gather Van Feeders, and donate a great travel trailer to the cause, among many other things. My Mom arrived back in Groveport on Sunday - she had been in Prescott and San Diego (where I am now) with the Western Mann family.

So I made it to Prescott after four days of driving on Saturday. That was where I picked up the new man in the van, Rob Arnold. Rob is working on becoming a Professional Physical Trainer and chose to come with me on the road after I asked him back in December. Rob is my personal trainer for the California and Midwest tournaments during the Summer. Beyond that it's great to have someone else drive! Rob's a super-cool guy and is gonna be great to have around for the next couple of months. Rob and I are staying in San Diego with Lacey, Marnie's (Luke's wife) sister. My first match is today at 2:30. I'll be playing doubles tomorrow too.

I also played my pipes in Prescott at some pubs for some cash last night. The visit to Prescott was short but awesome, as Luke, Marnie & Sierra are awesome people...

Mann I love my family!

Signing off...

~ Nate

Up and Out

I'm hitting the road again tomorrow morning for the biggest road trip I will have ever taken to date... and it's all gonna happen in my 1979 Dodge XPlorer. She's all packed for the journey and ready to roll. She will first be heading to Winston-Salem with my car in tow to drop off at a friend's house. I'm leaving it there so that I can pick it up when I fly back from California in early July (I will be flying to Greensboro, not far from Winston-Salem.) So then I'm headed on up to Columbus to see my Dad and family and play some pipes and raise money for California. I hope to hit the road again to California no later than Tuesday. I will first be picking up my friend and trainer Robert Arnold in Prescott, Arizona, along with seeing my oldest brother, Luke and his family. Rob will be traveling with me for two months or so on the tour through California in June and the Midwest in July and will be my physical trainer every step of the way.

I'm tired and the morning comes awefully early, so goodnight and I'll keep you all posted... Say a prayer for me and the van.

Signing off...

~ Nate