Bridge Blog 767: Too soon, too soon, the first of June

          Thirty-one days weren’t enough to muster a respectable number of master points during the merrie month of May, especially since I missed 10 of them on vacation. The final week was especially miserable:

          Memorial Day – Double session with a chicken barbecue at the Airport Bridge Club. Best deal in town for $14. Two chances to win. Usha Khurana and I were dead last with 39.33% in the morning, rallied to 53.63% in the afternoon, fourth overall, 0.36 of a point. That would be the last point, fractional or otherwise, that I would earn all week.

          Tuesday – With Florence Boyd. 47.92%.

          Wednesday – With Celine Murray, both of us off our game, 33.50%, dead last.

          Thursday – With Dianne Bloom, couldn’t quite put it together, 44%, not quite last.

          Friday – Selina Volpatti tied up in a political conference, so I stayed on this side of the border and played again with Celine Murray. Improved, but barely with 45.83%.

          Saturday – Marietta Kalman calls in sick, so I’m with Celine again and we always seem to do better after Bill Finkelstein’s lesson before the game. Sure enough, we’re 52.78%, but no points.

          The month? If my figures are correct, the totals were 5.05 at the Airport Bridge Club and 1.29 at the Bridge Centre of Niagara in St. Catharines, Ont. Aside from finally reaching the 1,700-point career milestone, this was my worst calendar page of the year.