Category: Fourre-tout

Our pétanque field, formerly known as the “Marin pétanque field”, was just officially re-christened the “Pierre Joske Pétanque Park.

This happened yesterday in front of a sizable crowd, some county officials and the surviving members of the Pierre Joske family.

Pierre who passed away in 2011 was the Parks and Recreation Director for Marin County for many years and did much to promote parks and open spaces. His wife Maryse, and 3 children and grandchildren survive him.

It was a late but well deserved homage for a French immigrant who did so much to develop many parks and promote our sport. I did not know this Pierre personally, but by all accounts he was true gentleman.

“Pierre Joske, a brilliant civic leader who spearheaded formation of the Marin County Open Space District and launched a string of regional parks during his 17 years as Marin’s parks and recreation chief, died at 83.”

The Board of Directors of la Pétanque Marinière deserves high praise for this affair. They provided tables and chairs for the picnic as well as a tasty catered lunch.

They also organized a raffle to benefit our club and a Shooting and Pointing contest for some our macho players.
Mark Shirkey by the way is the winner of the pointing contest, and Joe la Torre took first place for the shooting.
Congratulations lads!

Incidentally, I think that being on the mark is swell, but as a photographer I am partial to style, and some of our members have got it.

I will let you be the judges, but personally I think that Liza Moran, Brigitte Moran, Louis Toulon and Mark Shirkey (Travolta style) are among our most photogenic players. I don’t know about winning, but they have got style, and for me this supersedes a few measly wins.

Everybody will agree that it was a fun and busy day, particularly for me who shot over 600 pictures with 3 different cameras. Results vary but I think that I scored a few good shots.

If you like (some of) the pictures, drop me a line. I could live for two months on a good compliment.

Au revoir et a bientôt!

Alain

You probably seldom think about it, but when a tooth acts up you will be quickly reminded that every single part of your anatomy matters. And when that glitch happens, you will pray for a quick fix.

A few days ago, while munching on a bagel, I cracked a tooth. I very distinctly felt it. A fairly common occurrence I have been told… but it hurts. Not a big hurt, but a constant throbbing reminder that it needs to be fixed.

After consultation, my dentist decreed that the tooth had to go… and should be replaced by an implant,  fitted with a crown.
I don’t look forward to that procedure. My mouth is an extremely personal area and very few people are privy to it.

My periodontist in turn assured me that the tooth extraction would be painless. I cannot help but being dubious. Isn’t it what the executioner told Robespierre on the scaffold? “Don’t worry citoyen Robespierre, you won’t feel a thing.”
Oh yeah?

Actually that’s what I want. A painless procedure. Whenever somebody has to violate the sanctity of my body, I don’t want to know about every gory detail of the modus operandi. I am fully aware that you can now request local anesthesia and watch the surgeon tinker with your organs on a  monitor. But I am not a masochist.

My last surgery lasted over 5 hours. I have no idea what the dozen surgeons and nurses in charge did and I definitely don’t want to know.
My admonition to my doctors is always: “Do your job my good man. Knock me out and wake me up when you are done.” If the whole thing does not work as planned, I will be in no position to enquire about what went wrong.

Finally, when it comes to surgery, the most frightening thing is not the deed itself. It is the Godzilla tab looming over the horizon, ready to pounce on you. What can I do with my puny insurance shield?

I will dispose of my damaged tooth next week. The surgeon looks like a capable young man… I trust him implicitly.

Hasta la vista compañeros!

Alain ?

“Happiness is your dentist telling you it won’t hurt and then having him catch his hand in the drill.” ―Johnny Carson

I am not the greatest pétanque player in the world (or even in the county) but I love this pastime and I play at least twice a week.

I enjoy it greatly but I don’t fancy all the players equally. Some have a tendency to upset my delicate nervous system, and when they do, they derail my happy-go-lucky choo-choo.

Our weekly games are friendly encounters and should be played in a generous and forgiving spirit. When a boule’s position is difficult to assess, one should be gracious and (once in a while) accord it to the opponents.
If there is a difference of opinion, resolve it quickly and courteously.

And by the way (for those who don’t seem to know), the “shooter” is traditionally the quarterback. He calls the shots and his teammates abide by his decisions. Furthermore, there is no official “cochonnet thrower”; any player can grab and dispatch the “cochonnet”.

Then, when you are involved in your favorite pastime, you are supposed to pay attention to what’s going on. It is bad form to be oblivious and be constantly reminded that it is your turn to play. Any seasoned player (and we all have been playing a long time) should always know what to do next without being told.

Sometimes people play in a triplette formation; they then often argue endlessly about the strategy to follow.  This is another irritating nuisance that should be avoided.

Now… to win a game you need skills… and team cohesion. You all need to pull in the same direction… and never give up. Nothing riles me more than a defeatist attitude. You need to believe that a game is never lost until the opposing team scores the 13th point.

In my book, you keep firing with the same spirit until you are victorious or dead!

Is it just a pastime?

Maybe, but win you must scrogneugneu!

Alain

“When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less.” Paul Brown