The Regional ... ... #1

... starts this evening at the Adams Mark Hotel.

How does one ever get it past their head that the Adams Mark is no longer the Adams Mark? (And hasn't been for a number of years.) It is now one of 89 gazillion billion Marriott Hotels worldwide. Never you mind. It will ALWAYS be the Adams Mark to me!

It's just up the street from here. What this actually means, in "Houston-speak", is that it is 'just around the corner', which could be anywhere from 1/2 block to a mile (or two or three or four - maybe even more). Teehee!

From my house to there, I go up to Beechnut, catch the Beltway heading north, exit Westheimer and I'm there. Well, almost. No more than ten minutes max (normal conditions).

Edna and I had our 'practice game' for Sunday's Swiss team session earlier today at Tracy Gee Community Center, which is just a touch closer to me than the hotel I was talking about. We had a very nice game ... not humongous, but nice. A few things came up that were worthy of discussion, and I'm feeling quite comfortable about our game.

Watching a former student's progression through the years can be almost as exhilarating and satisfying as watching your own child's. Geez, I hope we do well on Sunday! They - my former students - always seem so nervous when they play with me. Almost like they're expecting impossible things of themselves because they're playing with their teacher.

I've asked them - time after time after time - why they seem so nervous when they're playing with me. I always get the same answer, "Because you're our teacher."

Well, shuckeydurn and tarnation, anyway! I don't know what I can do about that other than try to play my very best and not make a mistake. (I always try and do that when I'm playing with a student - former or current - or mentee, but I'm not perfect. I'm not one of the 'big time pros' nor a robot. I make mistakes. I just try not to make any when I'm playing with them!)

Please wish us luck on Sunday?


Now, in re other events for the Regional, Julian and I will be playing tomorrow afternoon. Actually, it'll be round #3 of a knockout event, but Bill Breslin (Julian's regular partner) can't make the afternoon session, so I'm a replacement. Hopefully, their team will still be "in" the event and I can hold up my end of the bargain and help them carry on to the finals.

Friday night, Julian and I are scheduled to play in a "midnight Swiss" .. .. so-called because this event used to start around midnight. However, with earlier start times for the regular games, it's now advertised as starting at 10:30.

This brings to mind "pajama games", which were notorious at Galveston sectional tournaments in the 70's. My, my! I remember 'pajama games' there when, if you were in the lobby of the hotel just minding your own business, you could be pressed into service and be part of a hand where dealer bid, you sat on dealer's lap, someone else played the hand and you tried your best to sort your cards and follow suit. (Exaggerating only slightly here. Ask Jolie ... she'll tell you!).


That's all I have scheduled. I imagine, however, that when I show up tomorrow afternoon, someone will ask me whatall else I have going and would I be available for thus and so?

We'll see. Meanwhile, you have my schedule as of 7pm Monday, February 1st, 2010.