Fat turkey

Hi all

Last Thursday I enjoyed my first Thanksgiving ever. Discard soberness, the task at hand was to indulge in enormous amounts of food. I’m not exaggerating here, there was not just one 16-pound-turkey prepared for us (some twenty people), no, there were two of those beasts waiting for us. 

I have some nice memories from the day before as well. I was a mercenary for Leerdam in the ICL. This game I had a trick up my sleeve, and when the opponent didn’t pay attention for a moment, I got away with murder.

South
K8765
8
AQ962
JT

West
North
East
South
 
pass
pass
1
double
31
4
4
double
a.p.
 
 

1. Weak, 4+

I thought I had an easy save against their vulnerable game, but look what happened:

North Dealer
EW Vul
North
AJ32
543
73
9765
West
Q4
AQ96
K854
A83
East
T9
KJT72
JT
KQ42
South
K8765
8
AQ962
JT

West started with a trump for the Ace in dummy. I finessed in directly and West fired back his Queen of trumps for my King. When I played the Ace of I noticed East had dropped two pretty valuable cards. So far I’ve only lost one trick, but there are still a and two to lose. If only I could dispose of three  in dummy.

Ingredients: an evil and greedy mind + sleepy West

I innocently played the 6 of from hand and West followed with the 5. Bingo! Next I was able to discard two more  from dummy and claim +590.

Bliss

Hi all

Thursday, November 20th. Browsing around on the internet looking for events and nice places in the neighbourhood I found out there’s a Belgian beer bar in Oakland. Some twenty minutes later Sanne and I arrived at The Trappist where they were celebrating the 25th anniversary of Chimay in the US. Too bad all the Chimay was gone already, but I think I have found my sanctuary. The Brother Thelonious I had brought a very bright smile to my face and spread familiar warmth throughout my body.

A game. I was watching Leerdam (old colleagues from Transfer Solutions) in the Intercity League and what I saw wasn’t very good. After eight boards they had to close a 50 imp gap. But in the second half of the match they blitzed their opponents ending the match 71-56 in their favour. Not bad for only sixteen boards *cough*.

South
AKT754
9642
T63

West
North
East
South
 
1
1
1
4
pass
pass
4
pass
pass
double
pass
5
5
double
a.p.

West led the Jack of and now Geert-Jan (ggoulash on BBO) could shine, for this was the deal:

North Dealer
NS Vul
North
QJ62
842
A8
AJ84
West
JT965
JT73
Q972
East
983
AKQ73
KQ5
K5
South
AKT754
9642
T63

He ruffed the lead, drew one round of trumps noticing the 0-3 split. Ace of and another one and the opponents tested him with more love. Next he negotiated two ruffs in dummy with the Queen and Jack. The play was virtually over, Geert-Jan had a complete count on East. This is the five card ending:

North Dealer
NS Vul
North
8
AJ84
West
T
Q972
East
9
Q7
K5
South
K7
T63

When Geert-Jan played a small from dummy East could have made life a bit more difficult by ducking, but when he rose with the King of , Geert-Jan simply drew the last trump and finessed against West’s Queen of  for 11 tricks. Nice!

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

Hi all

I’ve seen Hellboy 2 three times now, and I guess it’s time to write down how I feel about it. I like the whole Hellboy package, movies, comics, and if I were young enough action figures probably too.

So what is it? Guillermo del Toro, a longtime fan of the comic and its creator Mike Mignola, directed the first episode in 2004. In this sequel he proves again he’s able to deliver a brilliant mix of real and unreal. Hellboy is definitely his labor of love. A lot of effort is put into design work, great use of costumes and cgi working together. Ron Perlman stars again as the horned, cigar-chomping demonic anti-hero. He works for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, and this time he and his colleagues/friends have to cope with rebellious creatures from the mythical world. I know I’ve just discarded all credibility and realism, but I go to the movies for a good time, to escape daily life for a moment.

Del Toro has already hinted about a third episode. Please please, pretty please? And a fourth one too, if that’s okay with you.


 

No vampires!

Hi all

Today Sanne and I went to a restaurant called The Stinking Rose. As you already might have guessed, garlic is their specialty. We shared a garlic fontina fondue first, and I had a very, very tender short rib (garlic braised) as a main course. Amazing! Well, if you have any plans visiting us (or just San Francisco), go there. You will not be disappointed.

Last week Sanne and I played a sectional in El Cerrito. They don’t know about Dutch masterpoints, but the lady looked at us and thought we would fit in the medium group. Oh well… Here’s a mamma-pappa-slam. At least I thought it was.

South
6
KQ7
AKJ
KQJT82

West
North
East
South
 
1
pass
2
pass
2NT
pass
4
pass
4
pass
4NT
pass
51
pass
…7NT
a.p.
 
 
 

1. 0 or 3 Aces

I probably could have bid a forcing 3, but I wasn’t sure. So I opted for a self agreeing 4. La-die-la-die-la, I asked for Aces and when Sanne showed three of them I could count to 14 tricks. Director! Where is the 8NT card in my biddingbox?

North Dealer
– Vul
North
A7
AJ832
953
A93
West
QT842
T94
QT8
64
East
KJ953
65
7642
75
South
6
KQ7
AKJ
KQJT82

What I’m still wondering about is why we were the only pair present that bid this (in my opinion) yawningly boring grand.

SF by bike

Hi all

I don’t understand, everybody here in California is happy it’s raining. Yesterday (my birthday actually) the American weathergods decided I should feel at home a bit, and showed they are very capable of delivering Dutch weather. Yay me!

Here’s a picture of our bikeroute through San Francisco on one of the last sunny days. First we took the BART to Embarcadero Station (the blue line) and from that point it was uphill, via the Golden Gate Bridge to a vista point where we had lunch. Amazing!