Saving on a rainy day

Since my first full-time job in 1983, I've only had 2 employers that did not pay me via direct deposit. I have always set up the funds to go into my checking account. That didn't change when I began this job 2 months ago.

It only took my second paycheck to come in via direct deposit. When I verified funds, I found it went into my savings account instead. When this has happened with previous employers, I'd contact payroll to correct the error.

In today's pouring rain, I realized 'correcting the error' would be a mistake. Why?

Time and money.
1.  It only takes me 1 to 3 minutes to transfer the funds from savings to checking using my credit union's mobile phone app.

2. When I choose an amount to the nearest whole dollar, it saves me a ton of time to reconcile the balance. As I don't want to leave less than the account's previous balance, it forces me to save, even only if it seems like a little.

On my first deposit, I left about $50 in savings and transferred the rest to checking. On my most recent paycheck, I left $20 in the savings account.

Most money savers already know this, but as a fiscally conscious yet frugally challenged person, my brain's bulb lit up 200 watts. I just saved $70 in my last 2 paychecks. 

I get paid every other Thursday. That's 26 paychecks. If I leave $20 in my savings account from every paycheck for the next 12 months, I'll have saved $520.

Chump change no more.

Women's Bowling Tournaments (or lack thereof)

An early league trophy

Today I was scheduled to bowl in the 8th Annual San Francisco USBC Women's Tournament at Classic Bowl in Daly City. It was scheduled to begin at 10 am. I would have been there anyway for practice with friends from Wednesday league.

Found out yesterday I wouldn't bowl the tournament. It ended up being another practice session. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Due to the low turnout (8 teams  = 32 women), we cancelled. It would not have been worth our strongest bowler's time and money to drive 50+ miles from her house to battle for payouts less than our $80 entry fee (doubles, singles and 4-person team).

I bowl 3 to 7 tournaments a year. All but 1 or 2 of them are outside the San Francisco Bay Area. Of all the tournaments I have bowled in the past 6 years since I began league, only 2 have been women's - Sea Bowl in Pacifica and a state tournament in Fresno.

What frustrates me is that once the tournament started, there were at least 7 other female leaguers (including me) on other lanes not bowling in it. Four of us have 150+ averages. The remaining 3, 175 and higher. Krystal didn't know until I told her. It's my guess at least one of the women practicing didn't know either.

In my humble opinion, I'd like to offer a few suggestions that might generate a better turnout:

1. Early notice - Put out the word, especially via email and on social media (Facebook, Twitter) 3 months BEFORE the tournament date. This gives women with families and many other commitments to clear calendars and organize teams. I didn't know about the tournament until late February. By word of mouth.
2. Friendly reminders - Get people to pass out flyers to women on their league night.
3. Recruit women without teams - as I did with both leagues I'm currently in, I didn't know anyone. I just signed up and got placed. I bet there'd be enough interested women not on a team would sign up and form their own teams. These are women you would not get otherwise.
4. Open the invitation to other Bay Area USBC leagues. I know several women league bowlers not in SFUSBC that would have participated but could not. The Asian American Bowling Association's tournaments permit any USBC sanctioned league bowler to participate as long as 50% of the team is of Chinese or Japanese ancestry, or bowl in a Chinese or Japanese league.

I don't claim to know all the answers. What I do know is that there are a lot of recreational/sporting functions out there league bowling has to compete against. Don't make it more difficult for women who want to bowl other than weekly leagues and can't.

Take a bath, clean your tub

Yes, that's a picture of my bathtub. Clean, shiny, and free of soap scum. And I got it that way by taking a bath. With baking soda and shampoo. No scrubbing needed.

The key ingredient - baking soda. Inexpensive, easy to find, extremely versatile and a household item most people already have at home.

The baking soda softens the water and rinses off the soap scum around the tub. It'll do the same for your hair and remove shampoo buildup.

Run a load of without clothes in your washing machine with baking soda and vinegar in place of detergent and it will clean out the buildup in the machine's agitator and tub.

My favorite use of baking soda - clogged toilets. I pour about 2/3 cup into the toilet, then 2-3 short squirts of dish detergent (original formula Dawn works the best), vinegar, and about 2 cups of hot water. Repeat application until the clog dissipates. Since finding this information on the internet, it hasn't failed me yet. No plunger, snake, or expensive visit from the plumber needed.

I know many experienced household cleaners have a bunch more uses for baking soda than I do. Like tissues, it's a must have in my house. If I'm down to a single box, it's off to the store for more.

Penguin in a Wetsuit

This past weekend, SFGate featured a story on longtime California Academy of Sciences resident Pierre the Penguin, who turned 31 last month (February 16).

Pierre's claim to fame was in 2007, when senior biologist Pam Schaller, wetsuit manufacturer Oceanic Worldwide and children's costume seamstress Celeste Angel desiged a custom made wetsuit for him in 2007.

source: USA Today

Here's the 2008 local TV story on Pierre from KRON-TV:


Pierre eventually grew his feathers back and no longer wears the wetsuit. He now lives happily ever after with his colony of followers and his woman, Homey.

A History of Cell Phones I've Owned 1997 - 2015

This past Friday, I got an email from Best Buy for a weekend special offer for iPhone 4S and 5 owners to upgrade to a 16GB 5S for $1. The special also includes a $150 gift card. So immediately after work, I drove down the block to Best Buy at Tanforan to exchange my 4S.

While the offer wasn't as wonderful as it first sounded (the $150 gift card was applied toward the 5S purchase), it was still a very good deal. I spent about $75 total (new phone cover, charger and activation fee).

As someone who once eschewed ownership of an iPhone, the 5S is my second Apple product. I've never owned an Android phone so I can't say if the iPhone is better or worse. But in comparison to a Blackberry Curve 8310 (my first smartphone), it is worlds better and the closest thing to a pocket-sized laptop.

With the new 5S, I now officially have owned more cell phones than cars. I thought it'd be fun to recap the history of all the cell phones I've bought.

1. Motorola Microtec, 1997-1999. 

source: Forum XDA Developers
As my first cell phone from Cellular One, the phone number they assigned me is the number I still have today. It was too heavy and bulky to carry in my purse so I kept it in the glove box of my car. I bought it primarily for emergency purposes. I don't think I actually talked on the phone more than a dozen times in the 2 years I owned it.

2. Nokia 8210, 1999-2001.

source: Wikipedia
With this phone, I went from the bulkiest and heaviest to my smallest owned phone. It was the first phone I carried in my purse, the first and last phone to be charged roaming fees, and the last phone that I would turn off when it wasn't in use. I eventually gave the phone to a friend of an ex-boyfriend when I got a Nokia 3650.

3. Nokia 3650, 2001-2004.

source: my-simbian.com
Technology really jumped when I got this phone. It was my first phone with a pretty awesome camera and bluetooth. I knew it was a cool phone when I saw Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner's character in "Alias") carry it with her.

I kept this phone powered on at all times and became a fixture on my desk while at work. I sold the phone in its original box and all its accessories at a yard sale to a younger guy who had only a clamshell phone without bluetooth or a camera. He was so appreciative he insisted he pay me $40 cash for it.

4. Sony Ericsson W600, 2004-2008.

source: Wikipedia
This phone didn't really offer anything more than my previously owned Nokia 3650. I got this phone because I was eligible for an upgrade and didn't want to fall behind having a phone without the latest technology.

I liked the swivel design and how it felt like a landline phone when I used it. I owned this phone longer than I normally would have, probably because I wasn't quite ready to give in to a Treo, the bulky smartphone all the techies had.

5. Blackberry Curve 8310, 2008-2012.

source: AT&T Wireless
My first smartphone, cost subsidized from my employer. I was eligible to buy an iPhone but after 4 people "over" sang their praises about getting one, it only made me more determined not to get one. This was my way of not jumping on the hot and trendy bandwagon. It was the phone I began to send and receive email and text on a regular basis, which many use a lot more than voice calls these days.

It was this phone another boyfriend would constantly play with when we were first dating. It endeared me to him even more to see him so fascinated with a phone that could surf the internet. For our first Christmas together, I got him a gift card through his cell phone carrier so he could get his first smartphone.

6. Apple iPhone 4S, 2012-2014.

source: AT&T Wireless
Resistance is futile. I was in my interminable unemployment phase of 3.5 years and promised myself a new phone once I got back to work.

But as rebooting the Blackberry became a habit, I could no longer wait for a new phone. I found no other phones that had as much excitement as an iPhone, even after 3 generations. Nearly everyone I knew had an iPhone, so they were no longer the short-lived trendy gadget I thought they'd be. Once I got it, I knew I had some catching up to do. A phone with so much demand, my first 4S was stolen during practice at Classic Bowl.

7. Apple iPhone 5S, 2014-present.

source: mobilefun.co.uk
My latest and greatest. Longer and thinner than the 4S, it's got all the cool features that makes the iPhone an essential, yet fun tool. The best feature I've found in the 5S so far is LTE.

When my 4S was in wi-fi territory, it often had problems loading and I'd have to turn off the wi-fi feature and revert back to 4G. With the 5S, it loads right away, thanks to LTE. The LTE speed is about equal to DSL speed. My cable internet connection at home is by far the fastest.

So that's all for now. If my next phone is an Apple, this will be the first line of cellphones I'll have owned more than 2 times.

What Will Your Verse Be?

As many of us know, the narrative in Apple iPad's latest ad is a scene from one of Robin Williams's finest films as English teacher John Keating in , "Dead Poets Society", directed by Peter Weir. The film was released in 1989.

For a film to be 25 years old and have "dead" in its title, Mr. Keating's powerful words are still very much alive.

The original scene from the film:



And, the same words used as powerfully, 25 years later:

Dame Helen Mirren - BAFTA Fellowship Recipient

Congratulations to Dame Helen Mirren for receiving a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Fellowship. Ms. Mirren has been a favorite of mine for many years. I included her as one of my "girl crushes" from a November 2007 blog entry.

Despite her wonderful Oscar winning performance in "The Queen", I consider Helen Mirren's strongest role in television when she portrayed the balls-busting Jane Tennyson in the TV series, Prime Suspect. Tennyson's character was based on former police officer Jackie Malton, who was a script consultant for the Prime Suspect series. 

What I admired most about Jane Tennyson was her strength and vulnerability in a male dominated workplace. 

If you're an Amazon Prime Member, the full Prime Suspect series is available on Instant Video for free.

Back to Work

Two weeks ago, after 3+ years, I returned to full-time work.

I am beyond relieved and ecstatic to return to work I've done for the past 15+ years: card operations and processing with a strong emphasis on customer service. I find this area of work very fulfilling.

During the time I didn't work, I got back into writing this blog, took online courses at Treehouse and Google (Google Analytics), explored different career paths, and bowled countless practice sessions.

I had to. They were necessary outlets from the stress of no full-time work. It wasn't the only life event I experienced which compounded what was already difficult. It got so bad I had to consider leaving San Francisco, the city I've called home for the past 30 years.

source: Wikipedia

On the left is a snipped chart taken from the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale. Along with no job, I experienced 2 close family member deaths and an event equivalent to another of the top life events listed.

What has and always helped me is a wide network of family, former classmates, co-workers and current/past teammates from softball and bowling to lean on for support. Especially during a time when my self-worth was constantly in question.

I can't emphasize enough for anyone who's going through a difficult time to reach out to people you know and trust. And don't be afraid to reconnect with someone once close to you but have lost touch. Strength does come in numbers.

Lunar New Year of the Horse

Listed below are sweet, heartwarming and touching tweets and instagrams from those in the San Francisco Bay Area celebrating the Lunar New Year. George previously included my tweet this past October remembering the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake

Thanks again, George Kelly (Twitter name: @allaboutgeorge).

As previously I tweeted on January 30, "...this unmarried, 'jook sin' still graciously accepts red envelopes."

I wish you all a healthy, happy and prosperous Lunar New Year.

A perfect effort - Fairleigh Dickinson Women's Team bowls 300

These days, to see a 300 in bowling happens a lot more than it did in years past. But for a team of 5 bowling 10 frames, it's even more difficult and not done often. Tonight was different.

Fairleigh Dickinson University, a perennial college women's bowling powerhouse and Danielle McEwan's alma mater, bowled a perfect 300 game. Above is a video recap featuring each frame bowled by the team.

Please refer to my November 12, 2012 blog entry on Baker style rules.

Congratulations FDU Knights! Best wishes for a great season.

ESPN 30 for 30: The Price of Gold

source: ESPN
Nancy Kerrigan (top), Tonya Harding (bottom)

The above photo is a sneak peek at ESPN's "30 for 30" latest feature, "The Price of Gold", a documentary that examined the infamous women's figure skating scandal of January 1994. The top billed stars: Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan.

It all began when Olympic hopeful Nancy Kerrigan's right knee was clubbed during practice at Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Harding's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly (now Jeff Stone) and co-conspirator Shawn Eckhardt, planned the attack. Eckhardt hired Shane Stant to carry out the dastardly deed.

Harding, former CBS anchor Connie Chung, former Olympic skaters Scott Hamilton and Paul Wylie, Kerrigan's coaches Evy and Mary Scotvold are among those interviewed in the documentary. Kerrigan declined. She will, however, have her own story to tell on NBC during the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

I scrutinized the documentary this past weekend. Watched it twice. Paid close attention to Harding's difficult upbringing and allowed me to understand, but not excuse the events that led to her permanent ban from figure skating. Therefore, it came as no surprise to me when the documentary did nothing to change my opinion of Harding.

In the preview clip, "The Noose Tightens", Harding says in her interview, "...everything hit all at once...and you just want to crawl into a closet and you just want to say 'go away, leave me alone', because you don't know what's going on.".

To me, the remark sounds cryptic and odd. Why? Let's break down her statement:

• "Everything hit all at once...". Interesting word choice when she says "hit". 
• It isn't Tonya's modus operandi to crawl into any closets. Ever.
• If the media goes away, then she's no longer the center of attention. Which is what she wants.
• "Because you don't know what's going on."  This isn't possible. Tonya had to know what was going on. Without Harding, Jeff Gillooly has no connection or motive to injure Kerrigan.

Torn ACL - anniversary of surgery

image source: corflex.com

Yesterday in 1991, I underwent major surgery my first and only time to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in my right knee.

The accident happened 5 days earlier (January 6, 1991). I drove up with my friend Alice's father and sister-in-law to Lake Tahoe. Up until the trip, I skied a few times, mostly at Sierra. On this trip at Kirkwood, I was just starting to get comfortable on the slopes. When we stopped to have lunch, Alice's husband Ryan told me I was ready for the intermediate slope.

After lunch, I got on the lift with 2 family friends of Alice's for my first try on the intermediate slope. As we were coming off the lift, my skis hit an icy patch (there wasn't much rain that season) and was going faster than I liked. There was a group of skiers in front of me that were going slow and having trouble maintaining their balance.

To avoid crashing into them, I tried to turn in the skis and snowplow to slow down. Instead, I lost my balance, legs out from under me, fell down, and then heard a distinct snap. I initially thought it was only a sprain and felt no pain. The guys stood between me, asked if I was OK and helped me stand up. When they let go, I couldn't support myself and fell down again. Ski patrol arrived shortly afterwards.

I got put into a sled and ski patrol brought me immediately to the first aid center at the lodge. The doctor on duty took X-rays and confirmed I tore ligaments. He gave me the X-rays to take back to San Francisco. It ended my short-lived love of skiing.

It wasn't until evening I began to feel the pain. Everyone at the cabin went out of their way to help me. Alice, Ryan and their son Kyle gave up their first floor room. The 2 family friends that were with me on the slope drove my car home. I got to the primary care physician's office the next afternoon. He immediately referred me to an orthopedic specialist. An MRI exam was done and my surgery date set up within a few hours.

After my MRI, the orthopedic specialist told me I also tore my medial collateral ligament (MCL) and meniscus, and fractured my tibial plateau. What was originally scheduled for same day surgery ended up being an overnight stay. I barely slept due to the non-stop pain. Nurses gave me 2 shots of morphine which helped numb the pain and tingling.

For the first 2 months, I couldn't put weight on the right leg. I was on crutches and a brace (similar to the above picture) for 4 months. I couldn't work and was put on disability for 3 months. I spent 6 months in physical therapy. I didn't play softball for a year. Other than my physical therapy visits, I had painful at-home exercises I had to do to regain mobility and range of motion.

The ACL injury became one of the hardest, yet most rewarding experiences I ever had. At my first dining outing after the surgery, a woman who was waiting for a table at the same I was spoke to me for about 20 minutes about her ACL tear and post-op recovery. So amazed a total stranger correctly advised me physical therapy would be hard but I'd make it. Over time, others like her would approach and tell me the same things, all encouraging and positive. To this day, I find myself holding the same talks with other people I see with knee braces, with or without crutches.

After 23 years, the right knee now is probably stronger than the left knee. I do my best to remain active in one way or another which has kept the knee mobile and mostly injury-free. Sports is and always will be a big part of my life.

The Bowling Center

For bowling fans too glued to watch anything but the NFL on Sundays, the PBA began this season a weekly YouTube show (about 25-26 minutes in length) that provides a humorous, rollicking summary of the most recent match you may have missed on ESPN.

Hosts are Xtra Frame's The Internet Bowling Personality, Jef Goodger and The Bowling Guy, Jason Thomas. A few of my favorite weekly features include:

• Beers with Bowlers - ESPN play-by-play bowling announcer Mike Jakubowski (aka Mike J) interviews a PBA tour bowler. Bowlers have included Jason Couch, Stu Williams and Ryan Shafer.

• Troll Bowling - commentary and response by Jef or Jason on those who troll about the demise of pro bowling.

and my favorite, 

• Bowling Wars - Jason drills for himself and Jef the winning bowler's ball used in the previous day's match. Let's just say the bowler with the higher average isn't a shoo-in to win.

You can find previous shows on the PBAProBowlersAssn YouTube channel. Below is yesterday's show.

If you want to see the stepladder matches (no TV ads!), go to the bowlingvideos4all channel.

Dom Barrett, 2013 PBA Championship Winner

Two days ago I said I'd write my last blog post for 2013. I fudged. I couldn't help it. Especially when it comes to bowling.

As I wrote on November 2, I'm a big Dom Barrett fan. Yesterday on ESPN, Dom captured his third PBA title (and first major), the PBA World Championship. His first, in 2011 (2011-12 season), when he won the Scorpion Championship.

Dom's opponent in both matches, Sean Rash.

For anyone who's seen Dom bowl before, it was unusual to see his emotional outburst at the end of the match. He also didn't realize he still needed 8 pins to seal the win. But the normally cool and calm Dominator collected himself and bowled a strike on his last ball.

I've included video of both matches. Watched them several times and will watch again. Ecstatic to see Dom getting recognition in the United States.

Can't say it enough. Congratulations! Best wishes on your pending nuptials to Cassie in April.

End of 2013 - We May Never Pass This Way (Again)

As 2013 comes to an end, my biggest highlights this year:

• My 30th Anniversary in San Francisco.
• My 35th high school class reunion.

But it's also been bittersweet. We lost 3 classmates this year. Two of them, Jenny and Wendi, were part of our senior class homecoming court. The other classmate, Bob, was in my 8th grade class and worked at the same place I did while I was a student at Ohio State. 

While at the airport on the way to my high school reunion this past August, my former college roommate notified me a friend of ours from Ohio State passed away suddenly. I felt so badly for her because they were very close. It'd only been a few months earlier when Vish sent me a Facebook friend request. Unfortunately, that was my last direct contact with him. My next contact to him was my condolences to his friends and family on his online obituary. 

The silver lining in all of this is that I've reconnected (hopefully permanently) with long lost friends and family. As I get older, the passing of friends and family comes around more often than I'd like. We begin to see "life is short" is magnified much, much more. It can be hard, but don't be afraid to reconnect with someone special you haven't seen and/or heard from in awhile. 

I'll close with a corny dedication to Jenny, Wendi, Bob, Vish and Amy's mom Anne. Sorely missed, but never forgotten. Cue video. 

Father and Son Bowl Perfect 300 Game - Same Team, Game and Night

image source: Facebook page of Derby City Bowling, Louisville, Kentucky
L: James Stringer Jr., R: James Stringer Sr.

James Jr's.Twitter ID: @Lil_J_88

I love seeing families bowl together in leagues and tournaments. A teammate from my Wednesday night league and his dad bowl, but on different teams. My Sunday practice is with my Wednesday team along with the dad's team. The dad, Steve, bowls with Monica and Walter, who are wife and husband.

Not rare, yet not all that common, do we hear about family members bowling perfect games. But to me, it is the ultimate accomplishment when they can do it on the same team on the same night. Kathy, my Monday league teammate, is friends with a father who did this with his daughter.

So when James Stringer Jr., of Louisville, Kentucky and his dad, James Stringer Sr., both bowled 300 on their Tuesday league night December 17, they did exactly that. 

Congratulations to Big and Lil J! I somehow get the feeling you guys will repeat.

2013 GIBBY Award Winner - Pitching Performance of the Year - Tim Lincecum, SF Giants

image source: MLB.com

A big congratulations to San Francisco Giants Tim Lincecum as winner of the 2013 Greatness in Baseball Yearly Awards (GIBBY) - Pitching Perfomance of the Year.

Timmy pitched the no-hitter on July 13, 2013.
As was noted in my blog entry on that date, it was the 7th no-hitter in San Francisco Giants history (15th in franchise history) and the first no-hitter in San Diego's Petco Park.

Buster Posey, who caught Tim's game, also caught Matt Cain's June 13, 2012 perfect game. Buster is the only catcher in Giants franchise history to catch 2 no-hitters.

And, if you're so inclined to watch, FlyingHellFish99 was kind enough to put San Francisco's broadcast of the game on YouTube. In HD too.

Happy Birthday Johnny Bench!

image source: rantsports.com

Wishing Hall of Fame legend Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench a very Happy 66th Birthday!

One of my favorite JB appearances was in 2009. Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres had been having a very difficult time to get actor George Clooney to appear on her show. Ellen found out through Clooney's ER co-star Noah Wyle was that Clooney was a huge Big Red Machine fan.

So Ellen enlisted the help of former 2nd baseman Joe Morgan and JB to play catch outside Clooney's trailer. It worked. Below is the video. I couldn't stop smiling. Especially when Clooney gushed how much he admired Joe and JB.

Ohio State versus Michigan - History of Rivalry

image source: runnerspace.com

Some of my favorite team rivalries include:

• San Francisco Giants versus Los Angeles Dodgers (baseball)
• North Carolina Tar Heels versus Duke Blue Devils (basketball)
• Alabama Crimson Tide versus Auburn Tigers (football)
• USC Trojans versus UCLA Bruins (football)
• Oklahoma Sooners versus Nebraska Cornhuskers (football)
• New York Yankees versus Boston Red Sox (baseball)

But for me, what separates rivalries above all others:
Ohio State Buckeyes versus Michigan Wolverines.

Why? It began for me as a 9-year old growing up in Columbus, Ohio. Woody Hayes was the Ohio State coach. His former assistant coach, Bo Schembechler was the Michigan coach.

As Wikipedia describes it:
"The Ten Year War is the informal nickname given to the series of college football games in the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry, played between 1969 and 1978. This series of games pitted coaches Woody Hayes of Ohio State and Bo Schembechler of Michigan against each other in classic teacher-versus-student matchups. In most contests, the Big Ten conference championship and a trip to the Rose Bowl were at stake, and in some cases, a possible national championship."

It became the subject of a 2007 HBO documentary. See for yourself:

Wow, oh wow. This year's game, another one right down to the end. Ohio State 42, Michigan 41.

49th QubicaAMF World Cup - Women's Final - Cherie Tan vs. Caroline Lagrange

image source: QubicaAMF Bowling

Best 2 out of 3 games wins. And it took all 3 games for a winner to be decided in the second ball of the 10th and last frame. Nail biter of a match between former Wichita State Shocker Caroline Lagrange of Canada versus Cherie Tan of Singapore.

Caroline, no stranger to the tournament, won in 2009. Cherie is a member of the formidable Women's Singaporean team and teammate of 2013 USBC Queens Finalist/2012 QubicaAMF Women's Champion Shayna Ng and another former Wichita State Shocker, Jazreel Tan.

I previously wrote about Shayna on September 5 and Jaz on June 3.

Here's Caroline's 2009 championship match versus UK's Zara Giles.



And, big thanks to the Russian network who helped Bowl.com provide a very high quality HD video feed. I felt as if I was in the bowling center itself (located in the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk, Russia).

Below is this morning's semifinal and final match. The semifinal match was Cherie versus Aumi Guerra of the Dominican Republic, 2010's and 2011's champion.