Lamb celebration

IMG_1889Yesterday, the world famous Marin pétanque club (La Pétanque Marinière) hosted its annual Leg of Lamb picnic.
It drew a decent crowd (around 60 registered guests and some stragglers) who came to chomp on the lamb, chew the fat and incidentally toss a few boules.

 

IMG_1891This picnic, which was gratis for club members, reinforces the fact that with a membership fee averaging less than $3.00 a month pétanque is a ridiculously cheap form of entertainment.

And no special equipment is required to play the game.
No helmet, no protective gear, no mouthguard (even though some individuals could use it to keep their mouth in check) and no flashy uniform.
All you need is a set of good boules and you are set for life.
What popular sport can claim this distinction?

But enough said about the virtues of pétanque.

Here are the people who elected to play in the tournament:

  1. Alain Efron & Helga Facchini
  2. Louis Toulon & Tamara Efron
  3. Christine Cragg & Genevieve Etallaz
  4. Rene Di Maio & Lillian Sebban
  5. Bleys Rose & Calvert Barron
  6. Gustave Foucher & Monique Bricca
  7. Philippe Arnaud & Blaise West
  8. Colette Van Der Meulen & Claudie Chourre
  9. Magge Lane & Mireille Di Maio
  10. Joe La Torre & Charlie Davantes
  11. Henry Wessel & Francois Moser
  12. Jean-Claude Etallaz & Susan Holbert

IMG_1888The “piece de resistance” of the picnic was lamb and it was expertly cooked by Jean-Claude Etallaz and Antoine Lofaro.

I am unable to mention all the people who toiled behind the scene to make this event successful but they were many.
Some cleaned the field, some did the shopping, some prepared the meat, some prepared the vegetables, some did the paperwork, some helped to serve the food.
Let’s just say that it was a communal effort that ought to make the club proud.

Back to the tournament.

Three leisurely games were played after lunch and no scores were kept.
The format of the tournament was “à la mêlée » and luck provided a partner.
Personally, I had the good fortune to land a very capable teammate (Helga Facchini) and we did well.
We won 3 games out of three and we could have done better if I had not faltered in the last game.

I managed to take a few pictures, mainly before the tournament, and those quick candid shots turned out pretty well.

IMG_1905Incidentally, we have a new club member and his name is Harold. Please make him feel welcome next time you see him on the field.

The tournament ended with a wine lottery. Some people were extraordinarily lucky and ended up winning three bottles.
Lady Luck can be overwhelmingly generous or dreadfully spiteful.

 

“Nothing is as obnoxious as other people’s luck.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

Alain

PS: To look at photos of this event and listen to accompanying background music, turn the sound on, and click on the link “My Photos” located on the right side of this page.

DBAA

Everybody abides (or should abide) by a small list of principles.
A kind of personalized Ten Commandments.

Regardless of your beliefs, the very first commandment on that list should be: DBAA. Don’t be an asshole.

Scholars agree that this sentence was first recorded when Moses parleyed with Pharaoh.

-Let my people go Pharaoh.
-In your dreams, Big Mo.
–Don’t be an asshole Pharaoh. Let my people go.
Get lost Matzo Boy!
And so the die was cast.

This admonition should also sound familiar to “Breaking Bad” fans. This is what Jane Margolis (Jesse Pinkman’s landlord and girlfriend) advises Jesse not to be.
It is a wise recommendation!

To avoid being an asshole, one should always remember to “put his brain in gear before putting his mouth in motion.”
Especially in view of the Miranda warning “Anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law” and the ubiquitous presence of recording devices.

Whatever you say in a fit of anger or passion (or even worse, cold-bloodedly) will come back and bite you in the “derriere” (and hopefully in the wallet).
It is like a boomerang. In worst cases, it will come back to you and kiss you, Mafia style.

When you slight somebody you should rightly expect retribution because no bad deed should go unpunished.

Vase de SoissonsFrench kids are particularly familiar with the story of the Soissons Vase.

No one is immune from “assholitis”.
It is a debilitating disease that is strangely similar to dementia.
Those afflicted by it exhibit impaired reasoning, delusions of grandeur, arrogance and paranoia.
They are anti-social, rude, intolerant and misogynistic. Attitudes that should not be tolerated anywhere.

Assholitis is an equal opportunity sickness and there is no-known cure for it.

The best protection against these lunatics is to put them in a virtual isolation ward.
Surround them with a wall of silence and let them marinate in their bitter, hateful brew.

Alain

For Lea

Some people requested that I translate the previous story, so here you are:

*************

Short story for young children.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Coquelicot (Poppy).
She was given that name because she always smiled like a flower caressed by the sun, and also because she had brightly colored red hair.
She was six years old and she was always hanging out with a dog going by the name of Loustic (Joker).
Loustic was only two but he was much stronger and he could run much faster than Coquelicot.

Loustic and Coquelicot were friends because Coquelicot always understood what Loustic said.
Grownups don’t understand the language of animals, but some children can and Coquelicot was one of these special children.
Loustic also understood everything that Coquelicot said, but sometimes when he didn’t want to, he pretended that he did not understand.

Since she lived close to a forest, one day Coquelicot decided to go mushroom picking.
She left her house, escorted by Loustic who went scouting ahead.

A little later, while busily picking mushrooms, Coquelicot forgot about Loustic who disappeared checking some mysterious scents.
Suddenly she heard a noise behind her, in the bushes.
She turned around and saw something looking like a big pig with very stiff hair.
The beast looked at her and grunted.

Coquelicot got scared and screamed “Loustic, help, help!”
Loustic came running and asked “arf, arf?” which everybody knows means “what, what?”
There is a big beast that really scared me Loustic…
A big beast? Arf, arf? (which can also mean: Where? Where?)
Behind me, in the bushes…
Don’t move Coquelicot, I’ll take care of him.
And he disappeared running and barking very loudly.

He came back a little later and declared: the enemy has been routed!
Coquelicot kissed him and gave him a mushroom as a reward.
Loustic did not really like mushrooms, but he pretended that he did.
A few minutes later though, he discreetly spit out everything he had in his mouth.

Coquelicot kissed him again and Loustic kissed her back with his big red tongue.
Thank you Loustic, said Coquelicot, you saved my life.
Of course Coquelicot. You are my best friend!

The end.

Alain