Hello Again, Dear Readers!

What momentous occasion has brought me back to you, you ask?  After all of this time, what has inspired me to write again?  It must be something big, you muse.  Hmm, bridge in mid April…newly retired with free time in the spring for the first time since she was 5 years old…can it be…is it possible...she must be in…GATLINBURG!

Yes, for the first time I am able to attend the Gatlinburg regional tournament.  We haven’t started playing yet, but the fun has already started.

No, I am not here with Julie and I didn’t even drive here with her.  But you will not be surprised to learn that we texted en route.  We shared our locations (the car I was in was 3 ½ hours ahead), what we were talking about (more on that later), and our plans upon arrival.  Wait, you say.  You are leaving out something important …whose car are you in?  With whom are you playing?

As you know, the Gatlinburg tournament is known for its team games.  I am pleased to announce that my team includes Doug and Susan Minder, and Kathy Woudstra.  With Doug driving and Susan navigating, we did not make one wrong turn!  I really enjoyed the drive—and since I am not a car person, this is really saying something. 

The 11 hour car talk ranged from a stinky favor Doug once did for his father-in-law to how to bid and play certain hands to the meaning of historical sites (is seems they have some kind of history).  We sang the Daniel Boone song, the tune being oddly reminiscent of The Beverly Hillbillies.  We researched the origin of common terms such as “going to hell in a handbasket” (related to beheadings during the French Revolution).  When the car finally grew quiet I texted Julie.  My group is fading, no one is talking, I told  her.  I’m asking questions, she replied, like, What was the worse job you ever had? “Okay,” I said to my group, “Let’s take turns asking questions.  I’ll start.  What was the worse job you ever had?”  That got us going again without any more lulls in the conversation.

Now it is Monday morning.  The Minders are off for a walk, Kathy is sleeping, and I am drinking coffee and looking forward to my first Gatlinburg knock-out!  Keep your fingers crossed and I’ll let you know how we do.