Loading ...two hearts doubled
Another really good day yesterday: I played 24 relatively easy boards in the afternoon, we were up 30 at the half (I’ve decided I love being up 30) in the knockout semifinal; won the match by 31. The girls and I went out for a fast dinner and George and I caught up on the events in our life together during a break that stretched from 3:30 until the game started at 7:30.
We played the Minnesotans in the final, I was terrible. Poor Sue had the worst of it: first I stepped in to show both majors 5-4 holding QJxxx / QJxx / xxx / x. She had to bid 2H, get doubled and go down 1100. Then later, Sue opened 1C, righty passed and I bid 1S; Cindy Balderson bid 2H and it passed around to me. Well I had something like Qxxx / x / AJTxx / KTx, it looked like a had that should double and so I did but lost track of the hand almost immediately and managed to toss a couple of undertricks. -870.
2Hx wasn’t quite finished with us. On the penultimate board I held Q / AKJx / xx / AQxxxx. In third seat I opened 1C and Cindy bid 2H on my left; partner doubled and I sat, and I could tell by the look on Sue’s face that she’d had quite enough of 2Hx. We beat it 800, but I’m not sure +5 was enough for poor Sue, who managed never to say a word about any of it.
I ran into Jon Ferguson who introduced himself in the afternoon and stopped by to catch the last few disastrous boards in the final, got some more photos from the Hall of Fame dinner on the way from Elaine and thought an awful lot about Laurie Kranyak, who’s sitting this tournament out because she’s ill.
I’m very fond of Laurie — she’s somebody I look forward to seeing at tournaments. A few years ago I started carrying all sorts of stuff in my purse when I go down to play Women’s events because inevitably I could count on Laurie to want something to eat, a couple of aspirin, anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, a band-aid, a tissue, a sip of my coffee to wash down her meds, a cough drop, a breath mint, an emery board, nail polish remover, a bobby pin, a safety pin, a needle and thread, a little scotch tape.
“You’re a mother,” she’d say, “you probably have some dental floss in your purse.” Out it would come and she’d shake her head, “Thanks, hon, I’ll bring it back.” It’d feel distinctly like she was calling me the biggest dork in history to be carrying around whatever obscure thing she’d requested, but in the nicest possible way.
Anyway, I’m feeling Laurie’s absence this week, missing our scavenger-hunt-in-reverse and sending my very best wishes for her quick and complete recovery.
July 21st, 2008 at 10:06 am
As Laurie is one of my favorite partners and a good friend, I, too, miss her, S.
Here is hoping she has a full recovery and is able to join us next Nationals!
July 21st, 2008 at 8:41 pm
What she said!! I miss her too.