BURKARD'S BLOG
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23 JUN 03: AGAINST THE WALL
I did something Sunday afternoon I hadn't done in about ten years. I pulled my racquetball racquet out of the bedroom closet - and did more than simply dust it off and put it back.
For the first time in years, I had a racquetball workout. The last time I did that sort of thing, large numbers of people still actually played racquetball.
Did you realize the Columbus Parks Department has public outdoor handball/racquetball courts? There are two of them hiding in Benning Park, across the street from Baker Village Apartments -- where admittedly the only "courts" many residents know are basketball courts and Recorder's Court.
I drove to Benning Park at about 12:45 p.m., and found hardly anyone there. A police car was parked outside the Recreation Center -- which, come to think of it, might explain why hardly anyone was there.
The two racquetball courts at Benning Park are on opposite sides of a wall, which is about 30 feet high. I chose the court facing west, next to the parking spaces -- so I could monitor my car for visitors at all times.
The east court at Benning Park has several things which make it unlike any racquetball court you'll ever play at a YMCA:
+ A blue line is spray-painted across the wall, about three feet high. So apparently the Crips work out here....
+ A blotch of red paint is on the court, just past the entry gate. At least I assumed it was paint - it seemed thicker than blood.
+ Along the wall there's a spray-painted green outline of a small human body, apparently face down. [True!] Either someone dove for a ball in vain and hit his head - or police detectives need to clean up crime scenes a little better.
Yes, I DID check the west racquetball court. It had a bit of gang graffiti on a sidewall, and three crosses on the main wall. Well, I WAS facing east - but this seems like a strange way to hold an Easter sunrise service.
I ran around, swung, missed, and actually had a couple of sustained rallies in my half-hour racquetball workout. Only one of my hits went over the top of the wall - so I could celebrate hitting a home run.
A small child watched a few minutes of my workout, standing outside a fence. I'm not sure what intrigued him more - seeing someone play racquetball, or seeing a white guy in that part of town.
A good stimulating workout ended after 30 minutes. I stopped for three reasons: 1) I wasn't wearing a hat on a bright sunny day. 2) I didn't put on any suntan lotion. 3) The longer I stayed, the more time criminals had to plan their strategy.
It was a sparking sunny Sunday. A nice breeze was blowing, I'd just played racquetball outdoors and Ritmo Latino Radio was playing shoulder-swaying salsa music on the car radio. For a minute with my sunglasses on, I felt like I was in Miami - but then I realized there weren't any bagel shops for miles around.
I refreshed myself after the workout by driving to RaceTrac on Victory Drive. At this time of year, I don't really care which station has the best gas price. At 79 cents for all sizes, the best SODA price is what matters.
Sad to say, RaceTrac was out of the largest-size soda cup. As I told a couple of people inside, "I'm having a 32, on a 44-kind-of-day."
Now a quick check of how other people's days went Sunday:
+ We went to the Bradley Library - and who should walk out the front door carrying a couple of books but Dick McMichael! He must have finished "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" faster than anybody in town.
+ The Ledger-Enquirer had a feature article on Al Fleming - asking now that his Al Who's nightclub is sold, "will he stay out of the limelight?" A headline like this proves NBC-38 commentaries are NOT the limelight.
+ The "Bishop Bishop" religious telecast from Auburn on TV-66 featured a ponytailed woman standing behind the preacher, jerking her body around and waving a white handkerchief. This must be what happens when the TV cameras don't show your sign at the sports event.
COMING TUESDAY: A new restaurant opens in Columbus - and we plan to be there....