Au Cochonnet Marin

I always dreamed of having a sister… For I often heard that “sisters make the best friends in the world.” Regardless of one’s marital status, everybody needs a bestie, a confidant with whom you could share secrets, confidences, gossip…

Life is notoriously unfair. You seldom get what you wish for… and there is very little that you can do about it… But wait a minute… «Impossible n’est pas français,» Napoleon said it, and I have to believe it.

A few decades ago, a lonely soul looking for a mate, decided to do something about his/her predicament and started an Online Dating Site. It was much pooh-poohed at the outset, but today it is used by every Tom, Dick, and Harriet. Never laugh at impossible things because today everything is possible. Who would have ever thought that man could fly?

Why then not start an outfit that would cater to people looking for family substitutes? A brother, a sister, an uncle, an aunt, or grandparents? It would benefit everybody… And I am even willing to bet that these substitutes would often work better than the originals. No hurt feelings, no jealousies, no inheritance problems…

Husbands come and go; children come and eventually, they go. Friends grow up and move away. But the one thing that’s never lost is your sister.” Gail Sheeny

Yes, I could definitely use (or be used) by an artificial sister.

Today, nothing is impossible. You have to believe it. Presently you can get a new nose, new boobs, a sex change… with nobody none the wiser. Even absurd ideas can come true. Who would ever have thought that a “pet rock”, “bikinis” or a Trump candidacy could be successful ventures?

So how would it work? Elementary, my dear Watson! It would operate like a dating site. You would meticulously specify what you are looking for, and Artificial Intelligence would deliver the perfect candidate for the job.

Now, it is understood that there would never be any hanky-panky. Everybody would comprehend his/her role and play strictly by the rules. This new partner would be your “consigliere”, a friend who would serve as a confidential advisor to resolve family problems.

How does that sound? Far-fetched? Implausible? Ridiculous? “Do not judge, and you will not be judged, and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon and you will be pardoned.”

If you think that you are sister material, please let me know and apply for the job.

Thank you for your attention.

Alain

Yesterday, after weeks and weeks of torrential rain, the sky kind of cleared up and allowed us to hold a long overdue tournament. Forty (40) people showed up for this Select Doubles event and by 9:30 am things got underway.

At this point, I would like to recognize Ann Krilanovich for the tremendous job she has done in promoting our sport. Yesterday she brought along fresh-faced Bek Smith to our field, another one of her countless recruits, and she deserves to be acknowledged for her contribution to our common good. Ann, we salute you.

Since my shooting days are over, I secured a few weeks ago the partnership of Bernard Passemar for this tournament, and I felt confident that with his assistance we would do well.

As usual, I brought my cameras, but left the large one in the trunk of my car, to be used in the afternoon, after our elimination from the tournament.

Three games were played in the morning and even though the field was still wet and rather difficult to handle, we managed to win 2 games out of 3.

In the afternoon, we found ourselves in the Concours and managed to win our 3^rd game of the day. So far, Bernard and I played rather well, and I felt that we could retire honorably from this tournament even if we lost the next game.

But the capricious Gods on Mount Olympus saw it differently. They allowed us to win another game, and another game until we reached the Finals. So far, we stood with 5 wins out of 6 under our belts, and regardless of the final results we were content.

In the Finals, we faced two heavyweights, Louis Toulon, and Ed Porto and I thought that it would be a challenging game, especially when we played on a different (still very wet) surface.

The game started rather poorly for us, and at one time, our opponents were leading 6 to 2. But we didn’t lose faith and managed to rally. Bernard played extremely well and managed some great defensive shots.

At this time, I didn’t have much of a chance to take many pictures, but I managed a few between games. When we started playing against Louis and Ed, I gave my camera to Tamara and asked her to fill my shoes. Photograph the action I told her and make me look good regardless of what you see. Capisce?
So the last phase of the tournament was photographed by the One and Only Tamara.

Ultimately, we lost the final game 8 to 13, but by all accounts, we lost honorably. By 6:30 pm it was all over, and Tamara dragged me to the car and put me to bed where I slumbered for approximately 10 hours.

Concours:

1^st place: Louis Toulon & Ed Porto
2^nd place : Bernard Passemar & Alain Efron
3rd place : Peter Wellington & Adair Hastings

Consolante:

1^st place: Tim Wetzel & Holly Sammons
2^nd place: Noël Marcovecchio & Shama
3^rd place: Ted Bissell & Mike O’Leary

Alain

Click on “My photos” to watch the pictures

“Everyone should have a deep-seated interest or hobby to enrich his mind, add zest to living, and perhaps, depending upon what it is, result in a service to his country.” ~ Dale Carnegie

You might have heard that today, France is in an almost permanent state of political upheaval. The government wants to progressively change the retirement age from 62 to 64, and labor unions are adamantly (and often violently) opposed to it.

But the average life expectancy in France is now 82.18 years, meaning that you will have 20 years to occupy yourself after the holy retirement. It is a long time and for many, it often turns out to be a harsh disillusion. After a short period of exhilaration, many feel bored and restless… and horror of horrors, some even yearn to go back to work.

People, like animals, are creatures of habit. They cannot abruptly stop a life routine without encountering ill side effects. Retirement is often a brutal life disconnect that can be extremely traumatic… It is somewhat akin to swimming: if you quit paddling, you will drown.

If you retire, you need a hobby, otherwise, you will feel lost and make your mate’s life miserable.

“When a man retires, his wife gets twice as much husband for half as much money.” — Chi Chi Rodriguez

To keep everything peaceful on the home front, a human being needs to give his mate (and himself) some breathing space. And the hobby should include a variety of people… to fill the gaping void left by his former colleagues.

In this respect, pétanque is an excellent hobby. You get out of the house, meet friends, get some exercise, and go home happily tired (and unable to start even the slightest argument).

I doubt that anybody could find fault with this. If you don’t want to lose your zest for life, you need to remain active and social.

In conclusion, I would like to quote an extremely capable woman who molded her husband into the 29th President of the United States:

“I have only one real hobby – my husband.” – Florence Harding

How about this?

Alain