Tuesday - Thursday, September 1 - 3 2009 (diary)

Tuesday evening in the painting class we finish our still life. I don't like this detailed stuff very much (not to say "not at all!!") and I battle my way through it. Finally it is over, next week hopefully something more to my taste.

Wednesday is the start of the 5-day long Territory Gold bridge tournament, there are over 160 competitors from all over Australia. I play the first two days with Freda Park in the Match Points Pairs event.
The first afternoon session I find very tiring and am in desperate need for a descent drink by 4PM. So we don't do that well. But our evening session, after a great meal at a nearby Pub (Fettucini Calambrese with salami and Kalamata olives for me) with a couple of beers and a large Cuba Libre (Bacardi and coke), is much better.

It is very late when I final get home. I pick up an email from Lars Roos, the male nurse in Mijas who attended Irene when she was ill there a few years ago. Lars will be in Mijas next May-June which should be a reassuring thought for Irene in case she decides to go next year as I proposed previously. We will see.
Antien and Babette have arrived at Wivica's in St.Peter (Black Forest) and are having a good time together. They have not seen each other for a long long time, so it is quite an emotional reunion.
Thursday morning the last session for the Match Points Pairs event and Freda and I are doing quite well. Finished at lunch time, when I head to Casuarina to have a sushi lunch at the new Bar Zushi venue which is very nice. The rest of the day is sleeping, reading and relaxing.

Friday & Saturday, September 4 & 5 2009 (diary)

Friday another day of rest but on Saturday it is again full on bridge at the Territory Gold bridge tournament.
This time (in the "Swiss Pairs" event) I am playing with Mairead Kelly. A total of 60 boards being played, 30 in the morning then, after a short lunch break, another 30 boards in the afternoon. Towards the latter part of the afternoon I manage to sneak off during a short break and fill two large plastic cups with red wine from a bottle I have in my car, and our play improves immediately.
We finally finish by 6.30 PM and Mairead and I rush off to the Stokes Hill Wharf to get some fresh air into our lungs, and a bottle of wine with some Asian finger food for nourishment. It is a lovely evening and wonderful to sit on the waterfront overlooking the harbour with all its lights.

Then it is onto Freda Park's 60th birthday party in a pub in town. Lots of people there, Freda's family, her work mates and some of her bridge friends. Finally near 11 PM I get home and crash into bed for some much needed rest, for tomorrow we face up to another 60 boards.