More HD beatings

So AC is really on a roll. I think they've won at least the last 4 nights of bridge, and HD is getting pretty sick of it. HD has decided to give up the Shaikh bidding system, and move on to the American Standard (5 card Major) system. HD will need a little time to figure this out, and hopes that AC doesn't mind that we will be using a cheat sheet next time we play. Starting this week Bridge night has moved to Sunday's so that Cris can still play pool all summer. Unfortunately, HD is busy tonight, so no bridge this week. Unless we can reschedule for Wednesday??

Anyway, on to the scores from last week. I really need to figure out some HTML on how to enter these scores in a more readable manner. If anyone can help, it would be greatly appreciated. I would love to have a little interface to enter the "above" and "below" points, then have the lines and such all come out correctly. My "real" programming skills are not this high...SAS programmers aren't real programmers.

Highlights from last week include Cris bidding something ridiculous like 4 NT and making 7, Cris bidding 5 spades and making like 2. This was the most aggravating "stink" bid. HD would have won the rubber except for his stupid bid.

HD | AC
------------
30|30
30|-300
------------
90|--
60|--
------------
70|--
120|--
------------
130|--
------------
------------
90| 90
-200| -400
30|20
------------
70|130
------------
120|--
------------
--|60
--|40
------------
------------
-100|-400
30|-200
20|-400
-50|40
-50|30
--|-500
--|-100
------------
120|--
------------
60|60
--|80
------------
--|60
--|60
------------
------------

Bermuda Pictures

For Memorial day we visited our friend Monbill who lives in Bermuda. I can't believe that there are people who live in Boston or New York who haven't been to Bermuda. From Boston is it a 1.5 hour easy direct flight, and you go from gloomy Boston to Paradise. Bermuda is just awesome; lush greenery, lots of birds (wild chickens), and unbelievable water. When we were there both the air and the water had the same temperature 72. Perfect for a little snorkeling, a little beach time, a little (terrible) beach volleyball, and of course a little Rock Band. You don't need good weather for Rock Band, but after a day on the beach, it is a perfect drink beer and relax activity.

Highlights of the trip were a day out on Monbill's boat, some time in Horseshoe bay
and snorkeling in Tobacco Bay.

Enjoy the Pictures.

Bermuda

Smoking AC

So after a while of not posting, I'll finally get around to posting the two devastating blows to the HD reign. AC smoked us two weeks in a row. I'll attribute the first loss to my reading of the quality book (I paid $2.12 at Lorem Ipsum) "The Basics of Winning Bridge". So this book talks about different bidding strategies that I thought were good but Heike disagreed. Anyway we did prove that it is a team game, and one person with one bidding strategy and the other with a different, does not help at all. Check out the scores. A lot of -200 and greater.

Let's start with the blow out on the 12th.
HD|AC
-50|40
-50|20
-100|-100
30|-200
--|-100
--|30
-----------
90|120
-----------
--|80
--|60
-----------
-----------
-200
-----------
-200|20
60|60
-400|30
-200|
60|
120|
-----------
60|
90|
-----------
--|120
-----------
40|60
--|40
-----------
-----------

May 19 (after a weekend in the real AC)
HD | AC
----------
-100|60
--|60
-----------
120|--
-----------
100|--
-----------
-----------
90|60
--|40
-----------
30|--
40|--
90|--
-----------
90|60
60|--
-----------
-----------
-300|30
40|100
--|500 (small slam!)
-----------
--|180
-----------
120|--
-----------
60|40
--|90

Atlantic City Killing

Cris has reminded me just about everyday that I need to post the latest scores...when you see the scores you'll see why I wasn't too motivated to post them this week. Dinner, first of all. The boys cooked and we had Fajitas which were delicious. Let me see if I have some pictures of them. They were served with guac, various hot sauces, and cheese. No salad this time. When Cris and I cook there seems to seldom be salad.

Onto the bridge. AC delivered a beat down to HD. We played 4 rubbers. A couple of them went so fast that we decided to play one more. (and HD hadn't gotten a W yet, so we tried once more.)

HD|AC
-------
-100|-100
--|30
--|-100
----------
--|120
----------
60|--
60|--
----------
--|60
--|40
__________
__________
-50|30
-50|90
-100|40
90|-200
-50|60
----------
90|60
--|40
----------
60|60
--|60
__________
__________
-300|90
--|60
----------
--|90
--|60
----------
--|100
__________
__________
-50|-400
30|-100
180|60
--|90
----------
--|120
----------
200|60
----------
30|80
120|
__________
__________

Ouch. A 3-1 beating.

Grill Veggies

I finally posted the pictures. Dinner tonight was Grilled Vegetables, with chicken, and corn. It felt like summer.

In a grill pan, grill squash, zucchini, mushrooms, red peppers, and onions in a tiny bit of oil and a little Herbs de Provance. I don't like to add salt, because I feel it takes the water out of the veggies and then they steam rather than grill. Anyway, we did the chicken with a little Cajun seasoning, in the Wok. Everything kept in the oven until ready to serve. We served it with salad, bread, and steamed corn on the cob.

Bridge. We only played one rubber tonight, because we got a late start, and we had actually played yesterday when we were all together for some German Cooking.
HighDef won the unenthusiastic rubber.

HD|AC
-------
30|-200
20|-100
-200|30
-50|--
90|--
-400|--
---------
-- | 120
---------
60|30
20|--
60|--
---------
60|--
60|--
__________
__________

Drunken Noodles

Another day of bridge. First the dinner then the Bridge.
Drunken Noodles:
Cut and stir fry vegetables: Snow Peas, carrots, broccoli, onions , garlic, Serrano pepper (DON'T OVERCOOK THE VEGETABLES)
Add cooked wide rice noodles
Add a mixture of fish sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, Siarcha (Crazy Chicken), lime juice
Heat through.


Was good, but tasted a little too fishy for me. Maybe less fish/oyster sauce next time, substituted by perhaps more Soy Sauce.

The bridge:
Another killing given by High Def. Alternate Current had no chance tonight.



HD | AC
----------
90|-200
90|-100
-- |-400
-- |-50
-- | 60
----------
40 | 40
30 | --
60 | --
_______
120|--
_______
_______
30| 30
-100|60
40 |--
----------
--|60
--|70
_______
20 |--
100|--
_______
240| --
_______
_______
20|120
20|20
30|-100
20|-50
----------
60|--
90|--
_______
--|40
--|60
_______
40|90
60|--
_______
_______

Photos uploaded

I uploaded some photos from our escapades last year. I put up pictures of Breckenridge, the In -laws' visit, Washington DC, various food pictures, a trip to Acadia and some awesome glass sea creatures.

A weekend in Breckenridge

Washington DC

Food Pictures

Glass Sea Creatures

Gutekunst First Visit

Acadia