Friday June 17th, 1977

I have a headache, It’s funny how a few beers can change one's perspective. We had a lot of fun last night but I’m paying for it now. I just got back from breakfast, Sanderson and I ate like horses. I should be feeling better; I think I had 5 orange juices.

Tom sent me down to the court early to pick up tennis balls. Yesterday no one gathered up the balls. Mr. B. went into Tom’s room and tore him a new one so Tom assigned me ball duty for the next two weeks. While I was picking up balls Mr. B came by in the two tone station wagon. He was whistling and without a care in the world, hard to believe an hour ago he was pissed. Mr. B can whistle how many tough guys can do that? The other thing that I noticed is that he loves Barbara Streisand. He has one of her cassettes and plays it full blast in the car and he hums and sings along. We chatted for a while and I know that I got brownie points for picking up the balls; Sanderson should have come along.

Friday PM.
It’s another hot, humid day. Eighty-five degrees is nothing in Idaho, but here with the humidity its scorching hot and its hard to breathe. I worked on forehands with the Adults and they're responding to everything Im showing them, they really want to learn and when you give them a tip they appreciate it. I worked with Kirk the millionaire and praised his progress and gave him some things to work on when he got home. He told Mr. B that I was his favorite counselor.

Late this afternoon Bobby Dickinson and his little brother Roger arrived at the camp. Bobby is usually very aloof but acted glad to see me. His brother Roger is very different, very polite, a bit shorter but a very a nice guy with a quick smile. Roger is the type of guy that if you are talking to him, you have his full attention but he is full of mischief and funny wisecracks. Bobby told me that they have been coming to camp for years as campers and this is their second year as counselors. They’re good friends with Mr. B back in New Jersey, Franklin Lakes is not far from Upper Saddle River.

Bobby was the best player at Idaho State, no one was close to him except Gary Benedetti…he had a couple of wins over Bobby…but it was even. When we played Santa Clara last spring Bobby played Mike Bogert, one of my teammates at Pocatello High. Bogert beat him in straight sets, which surprised me. Bobby looks and plays like Borg, heavy topspin, two handed backhand and lots of attitude. I played him a couple of times but could only manage a game or two. I think I could do better against him on clay, we will see.

Sanderson and I played Feinberg and Solomon, we had our asses handed to us. Feinberg is a solid player and tore through us at the net. His best shot is the service return, he didn’t miss a shot. He played college tennis at John Hopkins, Solomon played college tennis as well so it was an even matchup on paper. Afterwards I played Feinberg in singles and lost 6-2, I don’t have the patience down yet. On this surface you have to set points up, you win on the 5 or 6th ball.

Its Friday night and I went upstairs to check and see what everyone was doing. Roger and X were sitting in the Lounge watching TV, Roger had a radio on and was listening to a far off baseball game somewhere. Feinberg, Solomon, Riley, John Day and Sandy were going to walk downtown to McKinstry Tavern for a beer. Bobby, Pat and I went to the movies and it was fun. Bobby was a lot of fun and we traded ISU stories, we have a lot of mutual friends. Pat was very flirty tonight, I wonder whats up with that?

There are fireflies here at night. I've never seen anything like it, as you lookout across the night you see them streaking in the night, they're everywhere. The crickets are very loud as well and they dominate the night, at the Academy is there is no sound at all, the stars are so close and its dead silent except for the crickets.

I picked up tennis balls at noon and then again at 4 and then again at 8. We had a ball count of 110…so in the past two days we have lost just 8 balls. I reported this to Mr. B and I could tell he was pleased, the balls are money. He says he has them all budgeted for the summer and if we run out he has to order more, that’s wasted money. I told him Id keep an eye on the balls, that I didn’t mind picking them up. Tom came back to me this morning and said that Mr. B was happy that he had someone he could depend on with the balls. If this all I have to do to make the boss happy, Ill do it.

Tomorrow is the last day for the Adults, we are going to have a mini tournament for them and then they'll leave at noon. Its sad to see them go, so many great people and the atmosphere is relaxed and fun. My tennis is in a huge rut. I haven’t won a set since I’ve been here.

It’s past midnight I’m sitting here listening to WRCV, "the voice of Mercersburg, Upton" what a great radio station. They just played that new James Taylor song, “Up on the Roof” I like the line, “At night the stars, they put on a show for free…”
Sanderson is still not home, I’m going to sleep.