Hobbies

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Other Stuff Besides Food

Posted on May 7, 2021 by Ching under Hobbies, Zumba.

I know it seems like all I do is eat these days. I’m definitely feeling it. I’m currently at 135 lbs, up from my immediate post-COVID weight of 127 lbs from back in December. I’m not really doing anything to get fit beyond just teaching my group fitness classes and playing pickleball and I’m finding that I really need to do something because I can see and feel the additional weight on me.

I took a short 4-week hiatus from teaching Zumba in April so I could play in a Monday night league with my friend Chris Wilson. I was supposed to resume my Zumba classes this week but we are short an aquatics instructor so I’m teaching the Monday night aqua class instead. It’s easier to find instructors who can teach Zumba because we have several on the VASA bench. Aquatics instructor are in short supply unfortunately. Or, I guess, fortunately for me because I actually enjoying teaching Aqua Zumba.

I’m currently teaching Aqua Zumba four times a week: Monday and Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings at the Harry location, and then Saturday mornings at the Woodlawn location. Once we Ivette returns or once we find another aquatics instructor, I’ll probably go back to teaching my Monday night Zumba class unless someone else wants to take it over. Then I would be free to participate in pickleball leagues on Monday nights. It can be quite tricky juggling multiple hobbies.

Speaking of Aqua Zumba, it can be pretty hit-and-miss. I’ve had classes that range from 0-14 at VASA. Of course, when I was teaching at the YMCA, we had a much bigger pool and so many more members so some of my Aqua Zumba classes would average 30 students, specially in the summer time when we are outdoors. At VASA, I normally average 3-5. I would see 6-7 people on a good day and zero on bad days.

Having only a handful of participants is fine because our three-lane lap pool is quite small and can’t really accommodate that many people. Plus, it’s easier for me to learn names and connect with the members on a more personal level when there’s only a few of them.

I’m not quite sure what was going on this past Wednesday, though. At one point we had 14 people exercising with us in the pool. I think it’s the most I’d ever seen since I started teaching Aqua Zumba at VASA and it was quite refreshing. The more people we have in class, the more festive and party-like it is so I absolutely loved it.

This weekend I am teaching back to back classes on Saturday because I am filling in for Brynden’s Zumba class at Woodlawn. It works great because I’ll already be there to teach Aqua Zumba. I just need to end Aqua Zumba a few minutes early so I can put the portable stereo away and get ready for the next class. It’s a bit hectic but it’s the least I can do since Brynden is covering my Aqua Zumba class the following weekend so I can be at Picklemania. It’s the pickleball tournament fundraiser for my Rotary club. Plus, I have missed teaching Zumba. The month and a half of not teaching it feels like forever.

Besides teaching back to back classes on Saturday, I also agreed to play in the Kaycee Mac Pickleball Tournament at Chicken N Pickle from 11 o’clock in the morning to 2 in the afternoon. It seems like a lot but I’m pretty used to it. Before the pandemic I would teach three classes and play 2-3 hours of pickleball in the same day. That was usually on Sundays — my most favorite day of the week back then. Anyway, I thought I should write about something else besides food so you wouldn’t think I’m a complete slug. I have been pretty lazy lately but still quite active compared to the average Joe. I’m only lazy by Ching standards.

I guess that’s all the news I have for now. Have a wonderful weekend and will check in again next time. GNG.

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Wichita Pickleball Now Has an Official Website

Posted on May 3, 2021 by Ching under Community, Hobbies.

Meet Bill Mitchell. The man who inspired the new ictpickleball.com website.

I met Bill while checking out McAdams Recreation Center a couple of weeks ago. As with all the new people I meet, I encouraged him to join the Wichita Pickleball Facebook group to connect with other pickleball players in the area. There’s only one problem. He doesn’t have a Facebook account. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this response. A lot of people these days are not Facebook. It got me thinking, how do we reach people who, like Bill Mitchell, are not on Facebook?

I came to one logical conclusion: we needed a website. And so ictpickleball.com was born. I had a couple of hours to spare and unused hosting space on brubakers.us so I made a simple website using WordPress. I purchased the ictpickleball.com domain from Go Daddy for less than $20 and then just forwarded the domain to the new WordPress site on my existing host.

Along with this, I also started an email list for those who want to stay informed. So now people who do not have Facebook accounts will have a way to keep up with what’s happening in our pickleball community without having to become part of the Wichita Pickleball Facebook group.

I don’t know why it took me a couple of years to do this. I think mostly I was too busy before and only recently had time to really think about things. Anyway, it’s live now and I hope that people find it useful.

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Singles Tournament Night

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Ching under Hobbies.

Earlier this year I began my journey to learn singles pickleball. I joined my first singles pickleball league. When it finished, I joined the next one. My second pickleball league ended last week with a league tournament. Unfortunately, due to lack of participation, it is the last one. Chicken N Pickle isn’t having a singles league this session, which makes me very sad.

The first session had 14 players – 8 men and 6 women. This last session only had 8 participants – 6 men and 2 women (just me and Anna). Anna ended up hurting her back so on our final night (the league tournament) I was the only female playing against 4 guys. There were only 5 of us who competed in the tournament.

In the end, we all finished according to our league ranking. I was the third seed and finished in third place behind Caesar (number one) and Bryan (number two).

Bryan put up a good fight but Caesar ultimately prevailed.

Here’s a picture of Billy. He finished in fourth place.

Here’s some video from the league tournament.

I really love playing singles but there’s just not enough interest in it for the league to continue. I guess if I want to play singles I will just have to arrange it myself.

Until next time. GNG.

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Tournaments are Back

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Ching under Community, Events, Family, Hobbies.

After a year of no events or gatherings of any kind, tournaments are finally back. It seems like there’s pickleball tournament every weekend this month at Chicken N Pickle. There were even two back to back last weekend, one on Saturday and one Sunday. Now that people are getting vaccinated, it seems everyone is getting more comfortable with being out and around other people.

Creating Tomorrows hosted a pickleball tournament at Chicken N Pickle a couple of weeks ago which I attended as a spectator because I didn’t know about it until last minute. We were at dinner at Carrabba’s and Joe just happened to mention that he had donated several prizes to this tournament. I normally play pickleball at noon at Nahola but made an exception because I wanted to support a cause that’s meaningful to my friend Joe.

I didn’t get to play but I got to do the next best thing — write the bracket on the whiteboard. I love when Michael let’s me do it.

Anyway, here are a couple of pictures of the tournament champs Mason McCanless and Caesar Naftzger who played as Big Caesar’s Pizza.

After the tournament, I went home to get Brian and we both drove to the outdoor courts at Mulvane to surprise dad. We gave him a card and some gift cards for his birthday, which he always tries to keep on the DL.

It was a beautiful day for a drive and we had a nice visit with mom and dad and the entire Cannady clan who were all there playing with them. We didn’t get to play with them that time but I’m hoping we have more nice weather ahead and will have another opportunity to play pickleball with the family very soon.

Until next time. GNG.

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APP Delray Beach Open

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Ching under Hobbies, Travel.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from APP Delray Beach Open, my first APP Tour tournament. First of all, the location was amazing. The stadium court at the Delray Beach Tennis Center is huge!

I’ve never been to a place quite like this. They spared no expense. Not only did they paint three pickleball courts in the stadium, they also had a couple of digital scoreboards for championship court.

This place is so huge that even with the APP Tour’s 27 pickleball courts, there were still several tennis courts available for the locals.

This is the view from our favorite shady spot at the stadium.

That blue tent on the right is the main streaming booth. Brian actually got to go in and get some live streaming tips from Kyle Selinko.

Here are a few pictures with some of my favorite people.

With Regina Franco, who played with Sarah Ansboury in women’s doubles and Jocelyn Devilliers in mixed doubles.

With Lauren Stratman, who played with Lea Jansen in women’s doubles and Patrick Smith in mixed doubles. Lauren and Pat took second in pro mixed doubles and Lauren also completed in pro singles where she took fourth.

With Patrick Smith (aka the Winter Soldier) and Lauren McLaughlin of Live with Lauren fame. She’s the one who gave him the Winter Soldier nickname.

I got a super awesome Live with Lauren shirt that I can’t wait to wear!

One more pic with Lauren McLaughlin for good measure. We took this after I French-braided her hair.

With Jocelyn’s wife Aleks. They took advantage of spring break by going to Florida a few days ahead of the tournament and turned it into a family vacation.

With Belinda Dettman, photographer extraordinaire, and Dana Joseph, volunteer extraordinaire. Dana gave the best player orientations ever.

This is a picture of Dana giving her player orientation speech. She did all of them.

With my 4.0 35+ mixed partner Brent Huff.

Here’s a photo of the two of us courtesy of Belinda Dettman.

Belinda also took a great pic of Brian and me.

With my fabulous 3.5 35+ women’s doubles partner Kerry Shannon, founder of the Pretty Picklers. She gifted me with these awesome sunglasses which I absolutely loved and wore all weekend long.

This bright pink Pretty Picklers half zip long sleeved shirt was another gift from my new friend Kerry. I felt so official.

With Ken Hermann, CEO & founder of the APP Tour.

With Steve Deakin and Dekel Bar, who played together in men’s doubles.

The guys playing against each other — Patrick and Jocelyn on the left, and Steve and Dekel on the right.

Here’s a picture of Pat getting a butt rub.

The community center people did not like their parking lot being overrun by tournament players.

Here are a few more pictures of the amazing set up at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. They had so much space for everything, including an entire row of vendor tents (after the volunteer and player check in tents and the ticket sales), tournament desk that was centrally located, and food trucks.