Annoying Man

We have a family joke about husband/partner who is a great talker and tends to go on about things such as asking the kids and me in several different ways what they are doing about something.  We coined the term "annoying man" when he does this and son, Greg,  made up an  "annoying man" sign: i.e. thumbs together and forefingers touching above,  making the letter A. 

Last week, husband/partner was in his Chatty Kathy mode (CK for short) and was completely ignoring the fact that he was dealer.  After I pointed this out to him and he kept talking, I showed the opponents the annoying man sign.  The next day husband/partner, with one of his fave partners, Barney,  sat down against the same opponents and made the mistake of opening a conversation.   Opponent Carol immediately whipped out the annoying man sign. 

I am thinking I need to feel more guilty and laugh less but maybe not.

Two Over One? Maybe!

I read the Two over One book over the past few weeks and, today, I am going to try two over one and one no trump forcing when friend/partner, Rebecca, and I play.  I told friend/partner Fran yesterday that I was ready to start using that system (having aced the end of chapter quizzes in the book which I know means nothing in real world play) and she promptly told me she wanted to use new minor forcing also.  After a quick explanation, I said I would make every effort to remember it.  Of course, I blew the system twice but Fran is nice and patient and said she will make more play dates with me for which I am always grateful.  Only once did one no trump forcing come up and, of course, I failed to announce it having forgotten it completely.  Oh well, try, try again today.

Rebecca invited me to join a small group of very good bridge players who, twice  month, magically travel to bridgemaster Wayne's world for lessons.  They had been together for quite some time prior to my joining and I am struggling to catch up. They are also way better than I am.   Much of the material is so complex that I just can't process it, but, I'm thinking that if I just listen for a while, maybe it will start to make sense.  To my great surprise, some of it is and on the last quiz I didn't get EVERYTHING wrong which was progress.  Husband/partner is worried that the new stuff which I'm starting to learn will screw up our partnership.  I keep assuring him that isn't possible but, actually, we have been doing much better together and planning some KOs in New Orleans to attempt to get some of that mythical gold. 

I have somehow scrabbled my way up to 195 points.  I never thought I would ever get even near 200 and life master, at the start, seemed an impossibility.  If any newbies out there are still reading this sporadic blog, hang in there.  As all of the great players and masters told us at the beginning, table time pays off as well as classes, reading tons of bridge books and Mike Lawrences's counting program.  I only wish I had the time to start a new quilt project.  Maybe next year.

Where have you been?

That's the question recently from our usual opponents at the club.  Husband/partner contracted a severe cold after we returned home from the germ factory; I mean cruise ship.  The week after that, I got it.  The week after that (bad timing), the renovation team started deconstructing husband/partner's circa 1970 odious green bathroom.  So, that was 3 weeks of no bridge except for an occasional night game and the Austin sectional where, on Saturday, three of us were sleep deprived after reaching the finals of the Friday knockout and the fourth team member had previously mentioned bad cold.  I was feeling guilty that we had given it to her.  Anyway, mixed results in Austin.

Obviously, no bridge, no blog and I'm getting complaints.  To sign off today, here are my newest bridge laws:

If you absolutely can't wait to take a bathroom break one moment longer, you have just played a slow pair and you are the dealer on the next board.  It never fails.

If your partner bids a club and you have 6 points, the 2 and 3 of clubs, and no suit,  and if you put on your big boy or girl panties and bid 1 NT, you get left there always. 

If you think to yourself, "Wow, we seem to be having a good game today"; the next pair to play will be the AX Hessels and you go down in flames.  The bridge goddess loves to take away all hope and any whiff of cockiness is grounds for zero boards as punishment.

My fave game tonight, the pro AM at Turtle Creek.  Husband/partner and I are about 20 points away from not being AMs any more (200 is the cutoff for that game).  I am playing with former dementor Robert and husband/partner with Biig Al.  I may let you know how it goes but probably not.