19 MAR 2016 RENO North American Bridge Championships CsbNnews.org USA Correspondent GS Jade Barrett
«People get so in the habit of worry that if you save them from drowning and put them on a bank to dry in the sun with hot chocolate and muffins they wonder whether they are catching a cold. – John Jay Chapman»
One of the not so great aspects of large tournaments is that there are so many people from all over the world that some poor soul is likely to not be feeling their best. In the spirit of social sharing, they are also likely to provide you access to their malady as well.
So for the umpteenth NABC in a row, I have caught some kind of something.
Just awesome. It is hard enough to engage in this highest level of mental warfare when you feel great, so this extra challenge that adds to the degree of difficulty is truly annoying.
I sometimes wonder if some unknown opponent looks for the sickest person around and sends them to kibitz the strongest players they can find. It could certainly be a winning strategy.
My team travels with all sorts of allergy medications, Vitamin C things, Cold Symptom treatments, acid reducers, pain relievers and a bandaid or two, just to avoid side trips to the local pharmacy. Fortunately, we often have a kitchen and yours truly makes a mean chicken soup – you never know, it might not help, but it couldn’t hurt.
Chris Patrias commiserated with me some years ago as we were both suffering from the sudden onset of a severe cold «Take heart and remember that a cold lasts only seven days if you treat it aggressively and a full week if you don’t do anything at all».
The exemplary wisdom that you come to expect from a National Tournament Director of the American Contract Bridge League.