Whew! What a year this has been! Absolutely chronic! Virtually every issue has been at least 25% larger than anticipated. And speaking of virtually, we also have the website, cjc.org.za, which needs some attention to upload, so that web-readers can download. Loaded is the name of the game. A dicey situation!
Donโt let anyone kid you, bridge is not a card game like poker or kalookie. It demands logic, good memory and a temperate nature. So how I dare to play it is a mystery. Yet appeal it does. If you play it with people of round about your own level, even if you are kailikers, itโs still stimulating. And, since it is not played at โthe clubโ โฆ fun!
Of course, were it not for the extramural time required for this paper over the past 23 years, I could have become an Ace player. I know I have the finesse.
Forgot to mention, however, that one is required to know the rules โ never my strong point. And one also has to take cognizance of the โThey sayโ element โ the forward passing of advice and tips from those mysterious and mythical โtheysโ.
So happens, one of my bridge partners passed on a bloody good one. I tested it out on the evening of the Rugby Cup final, when our hostess to the TV viewing of this nerve-wracking event accidentally cut her hand in the excitement of the moment.
As the blood flowed, I could rescue the situation with a โGet some pepper, quickly!โ
Pepper was shaken onto the wound โ and, lo and behold, the bleeding stopped. It was a painless procedure and, as pepper is a natural disinfectant, no other medicating was required. And we didnโt need to call the CSO medical team.
We then decided, having watched the gory battle on the field โ and especially John Smitโs face, streaming with blood โ that a pepper cannon for spraying over the wounded would have been an excellent idea. There too an international call to the CSO would not have been necessary.
โWhat happens if you train people and they leave?โ โฆ โWhat happens if you donโt train and they stay?โ
Another good one, which was relevant to Staff Wisdom, was: โYou hire for attitude; train for skillโ.
So I hope that I was gentle earlier in criticising readers for not coming up with tips. And to show that no ill feelings are harboured, I am going to offer you a special tip for the idle moments that will undoubtedly arise during the forthcoming holiday season.
Tip: Go into the website freerice.com. Itโs easy, stimulating and also great fun. And in the process you will do your bit to feed hungry mouths.
Check it out and let me know what you think about it. Little skill, as such, is needed.
Iโll be here at the beginning of January, ready to receive such reports and hoping that you will do better than you did with the โtipsโ. Happy Holidays! Happy Channukah!