Classical movies took a TV Sunday to mark the passing of Doris Day. Reminded me when Doris’ hairdo was copied by my lady.
Dateline is Summer 1970, Ohio University, Athens Ohio. I was attending a six-week seminar on political communications. I went to Ohio a week ahead of my family while Maxine waited for our daughter and son to finish their last school week at Chapel Hill NC public schools.
The professor attending from Murray State University in Kentucky and I had found common interests. My parents were Kentuckians. We both thought we could still play basketball. He could. After one after-seminar trip to the gymnasium, I told him I should stick to tennis.
Great, my wife has been looking for a tennis partner while we’re here. Can you be her double’s partner tomorrow? And by the way, she’s not bad looking. A few years ago she was crowned ‘Mrs. Western Kentucky’.
The next day I discovered his wife was not only beautiful, but played a mean tennis game at the net.
Two days later, Maxine arrived with high-schooler Mickey and grade-schooler Kelson. They moved into the married graduate student apartment vacated for the summer. And the next day Maxine answered the doorbell. There stood Mrs. Western Kentucky holding her tennis racket, dressed in her cut-off tennis shorts.
Oh, hello. Can Dick come and play?
While I played tennis, Maxine went to the beauty parlor, had her hair done in a Doris Day style, bought a new tennis outfit. The next day Maxine played even meaner at the net across from Mrs. Western Kentucky.
Photo by Jacqueline Macou from Pixabay