Bridge Blog 745: Streak week

Beginning last Monday, with a 56.25% game with Joyce Greenspan (second overall, 0.49 of a point), the second week of March was the best week I’ve had in ages. Tuesday saw June Feuerstein come back from a long layoff for a 55.93% game that was first overall (0.90 of a point).

The March blizzard snowed out Wednesday’s game, but the Airport Bridge Club reopened Thursday for the ACBL-wide International Fund Game, where Dianne Bloom and I collected 1.64 points, half of them red, for a meagre 50.99%, which nevertheless was first in the B strat in our direction (see Blog 745-A).

I would have gone to St. Catharines on Friday, but Friday partner Selina Volpatti had a family matter, so I wound up at the Airport Club again with a pickup partner, Jerry Kemsley. We kept things simple and came in first in the B strat with 54.06%, winning 0.48 of a point.

With my significant other out of town, there were no qualms about playing over the weekend. Saturday morning brought me back to the Airport Club to play with my usual Wednesday partner, Celine Murray, who was so-so on defense, but very good on offense. Our 51.46% won’t get our names in the paper, since we were fourth in the B strat, but it earned another 0.28 of a point.

After a quick stop home, it was over the Peace Bridge to St. Catharines for the monthly social at the Bridge Centre of Niagara. There was an Irish theme, of course, and I opened the back door of the club into a performance by Irish dancing girls. I quickly retreated to the front door and caught the rest of the dancing from the edge of the bar, where partner Selina Volpatti was drinking red wine. They also had white wine colored green, but the red was better. And best of all was the food, especially the shepherd’s pie.

As for the game, it’s been a long time since I’ve played wine-soaked bridge, not since my social bridge friends stopped playing with me. Those social games had a reckless edge to them, but I managed to rein that in and still have a terrific time. It also was the best game of the week – 57.19%.  We were third overall North-South in a 10-table competition and earned 0.70 of a point.

I had high hopes to continue when I was paired with Cleveland Fleming in a 3 ½ table game at the Airport Club on Sunday afternoon, but we didn’t click. In fact, our 43.75% put us dead last. Still, it was a good run while it lasted. Total earnings – 4.49 points. Add that to the 1.49 from the first week of March and this month is almost as good as February. And it’s only half over.