Category: Fourre-tout

San Rafael, July 10, 2022

So, how was it, are you going to ask? Well, it was freezing cold in the morning and hellish hot in the afternoon. This didn’t stop 40 people from coming to our field and locking horns.

Due to persistent back pain, I regretfully chose to abstain from playing and instead concentrate on documenting the event with images.

I like to take pictures, but there is nothing more frustrating for a shutterbug than a combination of bright sun and dark shadows. Most of the time, it spoils the contrast and clarity of many shots. But I had to cope with this, and I did my best.

For as long as I remember, I want to warmly thank Hans Kurz for letting a little boy named Daniel borrow his dog Boomer for a good solid hour and get him out of my few remaining hairs. I don’t know how Boomer felt about this, but Daniel was pleased like punch about this turn of events. Thank you again, Hans!

I took pictures most of the day without paying much attention to the winners or losers, but I followed the Consolante and the Concours finals more closely.

In the Consolante finals, Mike Menefee and Erin McTaggart faced Jean-Michel Poulnot and Kevin Evoy. Two good teams with good shooters and good pointers. It started very badly for Jean-Michel and Kevin. At one point, Erin and Mike were leading 7/0. Then they reached 12, with Jean-Michel and Kevin lagging behind. Everybody thought that their goose was cooked, but the cooking was suddenly interrupted by the dynamic duo who managed to come back and win the game by a dramatic finish of 13/12.
Morale of the story: a game is never lost until the fat lady sings.

Now, for the Concours. Paulo Custred and Philippe Arnaud took on Philippe Guerit and Serge Hanne. Two good teams again with excellent shooters and good pointers. I thought that it would be a good seesaw fight with many developments. To everybody surprise, Paulo and Philippe executed the other Philippe and Serge, almost in a matter of minutes. Final Concours score 13/0 in favor of Paulo and Philippe. Sacrebleu, a Fanny in a Concours game! Congratulations Philippe and Paulo!

And that was the way it was…

Concours
1^st place:        Philippe Arnaud & Paulo Custred             $72.00 ea
2^nd place:       Serge Hanne & Philippe Guerit                 $60.00 ea
3rd place:     Tom Lee & Tim Peppel                                   $48.00 ea

Consolante
1^st place:        Kevin Evoy & Jean-Michel Poulnot          $36.00 ea
2^nd place:       Mike Menefee & Erin McTaggart               $24.00 ea

Alain

 PS: Watch the pictures of this event by clicking on “My Photos” on the right side of your screen

If you are regularly exposed to your grandchildren, you might have noticed the hard-to-ignore generation gap.

 “We didn’t have a generation gap; we had a generation Grand Canyon.” ~ Mary Brave Bird

Indeed, there is a Grand Canyon gulf between the old and young, and through regular contact with the younger set, I have become acutely aware of the issue. Kids have become little encyclopedias, and they are savvier than the average adult.

Today, many grownups still struggle with computerese stuff while nippers (often still unable to read or write) are already fluent with it.  Nowadays, a child is practically born and raised with an electronic device in his hands, and by the time he is around six, he can already draw circles around his elders.
Grandma, do you want me to show you how to add a contact to your iPhone? Or to add it to your Favorites? It is very easy…

Shut up kid, you are getting on my nerves!

Some adults (probably deprived of grandchildren) struggle with basic messaging, while the whippersnappers are racing through the process with both thumbs. At 7, a kid is already a whiz with iPhones, iPads, PlayStations, and computers. And he has already experienced VR. What’s that will ask “les croulants” (doddering old fools)? Is that a new sex fad?

Yes, there is a big Generation Gap between grandparents and grandchildren. Like in any discipline, you need to start young to be proficient… while your mind is still unclogged with stressful grownup stuff. And this is what the kids are doing.

But, they, in turn, will have to compete with the next generation that is going to be even smarter than they are. Surprise!

“Each new generation born, is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late.” ~ Thomas Sowell

The kids (apprentice sorcerers) might have the knowledge but still lack life’s practical experience…  and the Internet is full of pitfalls. Don’t believe everything you see my young friends, and don’t rush into questionable suggestions. All that glitters is not gold!

And that when, son of a gun, “les croulants” become astute again.

“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.” Mark Twain

 Yes, there is a Generation Gap, but with a little teamwork, it can be bridged.

Alain

I am somewhat fluent in the canine language, but even though I consider myself a relatively decent linguist, I still struggle to communicate with my cat.

A dog is easy to read. Hello dog, how are you? A wag of the tail immediately tells me that he understands me and that he is eager to interact with me. With a cat, especially mine, it is quite a different story.

When I say, “hello cat, qué pasa? I am never sure of what the answer will be. She often pretends that she did not hear me, even when she can hear a fly yawn.

“Dogs come when they’re called; cats take a message and get back to you later.” Mary Bly

If she looks at me, or if she moves her ears, I know that she heard me, but it does not mean that she is willing to talk. A cat stare, by the way, can be intense, even scary. After many bites and painful scratches, I have learned to read the “look”. When she crouches and stares, watch out. She is like a coiled spring, ready to pounce. It is then better to avert her stare and retreat.

“The problem with cats is that they get the same exact look whether they see a moth or an ax murderer.” —Comedian Paula Poundstone

After a long cohabitation, I am starting to doubt that this furry beast is really a cat. She looks like a cat but does not behave like one. First, she does not like to be petted or fussed with, and regardless of the circumstances, she never purrs; isn’t this odd? Even suspicious?

She also has weird habits. During the day, she sleeps most of the time, but at night she likes to do some yoga exercises and practice short dashes in the bedroom.

She is a fastidious creature and insists on being let outside every day at daybreak (around 5:30 am). She will harass my wife or me until we let her out. When I say “harass”, I mean it. Or what would call the practice of repeatedly running at full speed over our sleepy bodies? To me, this is definitely harassment.

When I get up in the morning, she waits for me to get dressed, and if she thinks that it takes too long, she will meow to hurry me. When I am finally done, she will guide me down the stairs… and satisfied with her mission she will go back to her mysterious occupations.

To her credit though, she can be kindhearted too. When I had some back surgery a while ago and had to stay in bed for a few days, she never failed to jump on my bed and curl up close to me. I am pretty sure that her solicitude hastened my rehabilitation.

So, we have a kind of love-hate relationship. I love her and she (kind of) hates me. A typical romantic relationship, wouldn’t you say?

Alain

“In a fire, between a Rembrandt and a cat, I would save the cat. » Alberto Giacometti