When there is a tournament, weather conditions are important; if it is too hot or too wet, things can get sticky and affect the outcomes of the games.
Yesterday though, we were blessed with almost perfect atmospheric conditions; I am pretty sure that this happy set of circumstances was due to Mark and Sandra Shirkey’s organization and diligence. Without fanfare, this power couple is doing a heck of a job and has to be recognized for their hard work… I petitioned the French government for a medal.
The only grousing I heard on the field had something to do with the lack of available women. I saw a few haggard-looking men (with a wad of dollars in their hands) desperately trying to book a partner for the tournament, to no avail alas.
I believe that we need to address the Board about importing some women from the former Soviet Union where there is a surplus of women.
“The gender ratio in Russia is currently 86.8 men per 100 women, and the ratios in Latvia (84.8), Ukraine (86.3), Armenia (86.5), Belarus (86.8) and other former Soviet nations are similarly low.”
Fifty players answered the call and showed up on our beautifully groomed field eager to rumble. As usual, 3 timed games were played in the morning to separate the Big Boys from the small fry.
I always believed that my aptitude to function has something to do with the stars’ position and yesterday something was definitely out of alignment.
Tamara and I lost our 3 starting games 3/13, 12/13 and 11/13 and were relegated to the Consolante. I felt totally out of sync and unable to concentrate. Despite some Ibuprofen, my left heel hurt like hell and I almost threw in the towel.
Around noon we were graced by the presence of Calvert Barron and her sister Sally. It was good to see Calvert smile and hear her laugh again. We all miss her and hope that she will soon come back to our field.
In the afternoon, despite my lack of enthusiasm to persevere, the gods took pity on me and lent me a helping hand. I found my mojo back and suddenly everything seemed to click; due to Tamara’s superb pointing, we won every game in the afternoon… and the Consolante.
During our crossing of the desert, a lot of things happened and I was unable to catch any of it. It is only around 3:00 pm that I was able to grab my camera and take a few shots.
In the Concours finals, Tom Lee (the Cobra) and Suzie Lee faced Christophe (freshly inked) Sarafian and Michelle Dang. All excellent players.
Both men and women played very well, but in the end, Christophe and Michelle prevailed 13/7.
Concours:
1stplace: Christophe Sarafian and Michelle Dang
2ndplace: Tom Lee and Suzie Lee
3rdplace: Toy Vorachak and Cindy Vorachak
Consolante:
1stplace: Alain Efron & Tamara Efron
2ndplace: Jean-Claude Etallaz & Liliane Sebban
By 6:00 pm it was all over and we drove back home to collapse on our bed.
Alain
Due to weather conditions (too much shade) the pictures are not outstanding but still pleasant to look at.
I liked Tom Lee, “the Cobra.”