I’ve just come home from a small game at the club. It was a very satisfying way to spend the last evening of 2009. The single most significant development in my life in the past year year was taking up bridge. It is kind of hard to believe that a year ago I had not even the foggiest idea of how the game was played, especially at the moment when I’m coming off a week in which I spent over forty hours at the table (the truly frightening thing is that I can’t yet say that I’ve found my limit, though I suspect I’m close).

And so, to paraphrase a friend of mine, in the coming year may all your trumps split evenly and may all your missing honors be onside.

Since I am obligated to appear at my place of employment tonight, I regretfully returned home today. It was a short trip, but well worth it even with the unfortunate incident with the car.

Last night while my grandmother and I were watching television she noticed some movement outside of the window. The movement was caused by the twitching of a set of ears and the ears belonged to a deer whose nose was a scant few inches from the window. It appeared to be staring in at us. We could see the face pretty well thanks to an electric candle illuminating the windowsill. The deer remained there for at least a minute. My grandmother commented that it must be like going to the zoo for the deer.

My drive back home was not eventful. There were signs on I-95 north of Baltimore advising of “Major Delays” ahead. Having experience with the sort of delays that do not warrant such a warning, I opted to take Highway 40 through the rest of Maryland and into Delaware. The lower speed limit and traffic lights seemed like the lesser of two evils. It too became congested, but only in and around the shopping areas.

I myself intend to descend into the heart of darkness that is the suburban shopping center on Christmas Eve. I need to go to the grocery store since there is very little in the way of food (with the exception of Christmas cookies) in the apartment at the moment and there won’t be much open tomorrow. Though I suppose I could always get some Chinese take-out to take to work with me tomorrow night.

Speaking of the apartment, I received a letter and a copy of my new lease from the management. I noted a particular turn of phrase in the former, “We thank you for continuing your stay …” While this doesn’t bother me on a personal level, I really do think that some people who think of this place as their home would be offended by the implication that it was only temporary — a very poor choice of words public relations wise.

I left very early this morning for Virginia, racing the dawn down the I-95 corridor. I managed to get past Baltimore before rush hour. My progress was fine until the last 100 yards. The driveway was not well plowed, and my attempt up the steep curved drive left me sliding and my front tires ended up over the edge of the asphalt and in the snow which quickly became mud. Eventually the sun and I cleared off the ice from the steepest section, AAA retrieved the car and I made it up the hill without further incident.

My long-suffering regular partner and I had a horrendous game tonight in no small part due to several terrible bids on my part. I didn’t realize just how bad until the results were posted, but I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised considering I had reversed when I shouldn’t have, made a quantitative invite to a slam that I shouldn’t have, took a flying leap into a club contract that I shouldn’t have … I’m sure there’s more that I’m blocking out at the moment. One bright point was when I found myself in an apparently hopeless contract and instead of playing to accept down one or simply trying to “feel” my way through it, I analyzed the only way in which the contract could be made and then played for it successfully. I’ve previously noted here that my playing is suffering even as I’m studying that aspect and it was gratifying to feel like I could reason my way through that particular hand.

The first real snowstorm of the season is upon us. My drive home this morning was decidedly treacherous. I can only hope the roads will have been adequately treated before I have to make my way back to work tonight, at least enough to negate the effects of however much snow accumulates between now and then.

The wind outside my windows sounds fierce. Brrr.

Evidence of tool use among octopi:

I’ve got a lovely half a coconut … deedly dee …

I’ve been slowly working my way through Watson’s Classic Book on the Play of the Hand, which is the bible for such matters in bridge. Still as the process continues I am playing worse, much worse in fact. It is if I can no longer see the forest for the trees. Today I misplayed a slam, down two when I should have made an overtrick. I am more than a little frustrated, though my teacher claims it is natural for me to be playing worse while trying to learn to play better. I’m going to have to defer to his expertise, but it doesn’t feel right. I am in a foul mood.

An image from one of my new favorite ‘blogs:

This morning I planted the Chia® Christmas tree I bought on clearance last year. I have never done one of these before; I was surprised by how effectively the two teaspoons of seeds turned the ¼ cup of water into goo in preparation for spreading on the terracotta base. I noted that this is the first year I’ll have a Christmas tree in this apartment.

My visions of ending up with a Chia® cat kept me from allowing the Beet Weasel to help despite the fact he seemed very interested in the process. Daniel implied that this made me a Scrooge.