Category: Fourre-tout

A little bit of everything

Lamorinda, August 19, 2012

Yesterday I was at Lamorinda to compete in the first Annual Lamorinda Cup Tournament.
The format was Select Mixed Doubles and I had invited chicken farmer Sabine Mattei to be my wingchick.
This tournament attracted some heavyweights (Peter Mathis, Mickey Coughlin, Gilles Karpowicz, Alain Gusella, PJ Mallette, Dan Feaster, etc.) and the event promised to be lively.
Coffee and croissants were served before the tournament. Coffee was particularly welcome since it proved to be rather chilly in the morning. It became hot in the afternoon (hot enough to wear my shorts), and cool again after 5:00 p.m.

Etienne Rijkheer (who elected not to play) and “Carreau-Lina” Jones were the circus masters.
Since I was playing, it proved a little difficult to collect all the facts and tidbits, but here is what I remember.

Thirty three (33) select mixed doublettes enrolled to play. Three eleven points untimed games were to be played before lunch, and 13 points eliminatory games for the Concours and Consolante A and B in the afternoon.

After a rather inauspicious beginning (we almost lost our first game), Sabine and I won our first 3 games in the morning and were marshaled into the Concours.

After lunch, in our first game of the Concours, we faced le Facteur (Jean-Michel Poulnot) and la Factrice (Tamara Efron). It does my heart good to report that we brought them down to their knees. I might finally be able to sleep at night after defeating my longtime nemesis. It feels gooood to say so.

On our second game, we faced Trish and John Harris. Never heard of them, but we were told that they were good players. They were indeed.
After an auspicious start, we finally lost (10/13) to them after an epic struggle. The game hung in the balance until the last minute and we were defeated I am sorry to say, due to two capital errors of judgment of my part.
We lost and I am the only person to blame for it, but I don’t feel too bad barely losing to a team that made it to the finals.
Sabine did an excellent pointing job and should be recognized for doing so. Here is to you wingchick!

I would like to add that the Lamorinda field is very challenging (especially for those who are not used to it), and that’s where you separate the men from the boys. Winning in Lamorinda is indeed an honor.

Apéritifs and munchies were served after the tournament.

Final results (compliments of Etienne Rijkheer):

CONCOURS  (16 Teams)
1st place: Peter Mathis and Holly Sammons, VOMPC
2nd place: John Harris and Trish Harris, Oakhurst Pétanque Club
3rd place: Mickey Coughlin and Nicole Coughlin, Redwood Empire Boules Club
4th place: Carl and Linda Mottscheidler, Fresno Pétanque Club

CONSOLANTE A  (9 Teams)
1st place: Alain Gusella and Phim Nielsen, La Boule d’Or
2nd place: Beth Lysten and Daniel Genini, Lamorinda Pétanque Club
3rd place: Peter Wellington and Teri Sirico, VOMPC and Petaluma Valley Pétanque Club

CONSOLANTE B  (8 Teams)
1st place: By Vang and May Lee, Fresno Pétanque Club
2nd place: Carlos Couto and Carolina Jones, Lamorinda Pétanque Club

Thank you Lamorinda for a fun day and a job well done!

Alain

Tantalus torment

Last night I was watching an episode of “Julia and Jacques cooking at home” where the legendary twosome were demonstrating the proper way to make “Crêpes Suzette”.
It looked mouth watering and I was salivating like a basset begging for a hot dog.
But this dish (like many others alas) is now off-limits to me!
Sugar, Grand Marnier, Cognac… Those things that I took for granted in my youth are not allowed to touch my lips anymore.
Alas, alas, alas!

For the last thirty years I have been afflicted with Type 2 Diabetes and I have to follow a very strict diet to keep that condition from worsening.
Sugar, carbs, alcohol… Those devilish aphrodisiacs are now strictly verboten.
Like Tantalus, I am constantly exposed to tempting dishes, but not allowed to satisfy my cravings. Over my head hangs Damocles sword and if I overplay my hand it will some day come crashing down on little old me.

I check my blood glucose every day and my glucometer is quick to tell me if I have broken my sacred covenant with the medical establishment. If the readings are out of the recommended range, I feel remorseful about my careless behavior.
Like all addicts, I swear that I will forsake sugar and all its vicious cousins forever.

But I am only human, and once in a while I fall off the wagon and surrender to debauchery. I indulge in some deadly sins; I will drink booze and have a sugar fix under the table. I do it quickly so that those watching me won’t notice, but my glucometer (my medical ankle monitor) does.

In the morning it will accusingly produce damning figures, and demand that I change my evil ways. I promise, but the flesh is weak… especially when Satan (in the form of Jacques) baits me with such scrumptious dishes.
Damn you Jacques… I mean Satan.
Let me confess, and let me have the absolution. I won’t do it again (soon), I promise…

But it is extremely difficult for somebody who was born in the land of Escoffier to keep those promises. I will sin again I know, but you will have to forgive me because there is no greater sin than to abstain from foods that make the Gods themselves cry.

Alain

 

 

Facelift

Most of us live in a bubble called the “comfort zone”. That’s where people and things are familiar, and where we feel most anxiety-free.

But changes are unavoidable, and the transition from the comfort of our bubble to some unknown territory can be difficult and stressful. It is therefore better to embrace a new paradigm early than to fight an angry and futile rear-guard battle.

For the last 2 or 3 years I have been using an Apple application to produce this website, but due to fact that this program will soon be obsolete, I have decided to migrate to another piece of software.

As I said, changes can be painful and I am now compelled to tackle an unfamiliar program and relearn once familiar routines. It is not easy and (like Saint Michael) I am struggling to tame the dragon.

But the most satisfying undertakings in life are self-taught; when you are not coerced to walk in step and when instead, you take it upon yourself to learn and master a new discipline.

That’s why at “la rentrée” (when people in France–including government- are returning home after a long summer vacation) this website will have a new look. It will be more functional, easier to navigate, and have among many new features an “archival” capability. It means that you will be able you to look at articles, editorials, etc. that were published in the past and are not accessible on this site anymore.

Mastering a new program can be an arduous task and I am still struggling with a few features. But I am an obstinate bastard and the recalcitrant components are falling in line one by one.

I hope that very shortly now you will be able to feast your eyes on my new blog.

In the meantime, share this site with your friends and keep comments and suggestions coming. It is always greatly appreciated.

Hasta la vista!

Alain