The new year is off to an interesting start. When was the last time you had to get six inches of snow off your car before you could hit the road in sunny Southern California? And when was the last time you ran into two 6-0 trump splits, two 7-6 distributions, and a 9-card suit in the same week? Obviously, global climate change has thrown the entire planet off kilter. Be prepared! Start building an ark!
While you are getting out the power tools and your blueprints, however, we might as well review the past month’s items of local bridge interest. On the social scene, Hans Hehnke, showing his usual keen judgement, decided that mid-winter would be the ideal time to visit family in Alaska. He is currently back and thawing out at home in Claremont. Penny and Gino Barbieri tossed their wonderful annual New Year’s Eve dinner and bridge shindig. Appreciative guests got to enjoy top-notch cuisine and the most spectacular Christmas display this side of Rockefeller Plaza. It was, however, a little ungracious for Gino and Penny to finish first and second in the evening’s bridge event. Tom Lill will be missing in action for several weeks so he can have his new bionic knee installed. He picked the one with the chrome trim, so he should look very sporty when he returns to the tables.
The unit Christmas party was so much fun that the board has decided to throw another special event at the Feb. 11 game. Instead of the usual potluck menu, we will be staging our second annual Pomona-Covina Chili Cook-off! All of you great chili chefs out there are invited to bring in a pot of your best secret-recipe chili for the edification and admiration of your fellow afficianados. There will be no cash prizes (are you kidding? on our budget?) but winning entries will surely receive standing ovations.
In actual bridge results, top game of the month was a 75% whopper posted by Joe Unis and Vito Sartori. Honorable mention goes to Penny Barbieri and Helen Wang, with a nice 65% game. Also posting 60%+ wins were Lary Alba, Cordell Goode, Karen Olin, Lynne Parker, Richard Patterson, Roger Boyar, Rick Whitham, Jerry Androus, Billie Steiner, Dave Ruoff, Toni Dennett, and Kurt Trieselmann. Other winners included Genise Hasan, Edwin Kelly, Donald Naf, Karen McCarthy, Mary Miller, Lucille Glunt, Ben Harris, and John Tyner.
For our hand of the month, we hark back to one of the previously mentioned 6-0 trump splits.
Sitting E/W, you hold