Let’s Celebrate!
What an exhausting, exhilarating month! We’ve got all the Winter festivities, both holy and secular. We shop, wrap, cook, clean… many interruptions and distractions to our REAL jobs – as bridge players.
But wait! There’s more! What about all the wonderful observances most of us don’t know about that could/should be celebrated in December?
How "Bathtub Party Day" became an observance on our calendar of (real, actual---I promise!) observances boggles the imagination. My first thought when I discovered it was "Well, that certainly does limit the number of guests one can invite."
A little further research shows that our "holiday" harkens back to the Prohibition Days, when there was something called "bathtub gin." Ugh. Will Bathtub Parties become a big part of our holiday season? I would imagine they'll be a hit among those who only know one or two people. But for bridge players? I see no future.
And at last! The day I wait for all year. BACON DAY is finally here. As some of my Faithful Readers might remember, my contributions to family pot-lucks were often overlooked, to my dismay. (C'mon. Who can resist Scalloped Brussels Sprouts?) Then I started bringing Candied Bacon Strips. My family usually has snatched the bacon off the platter before I can even get it to the table. And this year I have cranked it up a notch. I found a recipe for Candied Bacon with a Bourbon Glaze. Talk about gilding the lily.
We need a break from all this craziness. Let’s turn our attention to celebrating those big, bold hands where slam is achievable. Definitely worth celebrating, and we’ve got the Party People to lead the way.
MATTHIAS HUBERSCHWILLER brings us a bag full of goodies. Three of his hands center on the importance of deciding what to do first when playing a hand. Deciding when to pull trump, first or later, can make the hand. Also, Matthias helps us select the 100% line of play—recognizing it is half the fun. Also he guides us through a tricky safety play.
BEN NORTON—Wait till you see what BEN is bringing to the party. His hands are all about thinking it through. Simple to say, but there’s so much to consider. Ben points out that it’s embarrassing to fail through carelessness, so he helps us figure out what can go wrong (so much, so much). Also there’s a nifty hand with a VERY deep finesse.
And you already know what I’m bringing (the aforementioned Candied Bacon with Bourbon Glaze, recipe available at mronemus@comcast.net) but I’ve also got six hands that are small celebrations of skill.
To round it all out, MATTHIAS HUBERSCHWILLER has two quizzes to sharpen skill.
There you have it. There’s lots to celebrate, so hop to it. We’ve got work to do first!
Return To Home