Don't Cry Over Spilt Wine

Last night we finally had our neighbors, Bernie and Patty, over for dinner. They are part-time neighbors who live in Seattle and have a vacation home here in Cannon Beach. I felt very uncomfortable with Bernie for a while because we "had howdied but ain't shook", as Will Rogers used to say. Helene and Patty bonded quickly, as women do, but for some reason we had never gotten together socially. So, last night they came over for wine and pizza. I served Bernie some red wine and poured myself a glass. Patty was drinking white wine. I announced to Bernie that he would need to sit in one of the seagrass chairs because he was drinking red wine, while Patty got the sofa because she had white wine. The reason for this stems back to Christmas when I sat on the pale yellow slipcover sofa with a glass of red wine and somehow a couple of drops spashed onto the cushion. I tried mightily to remove the stain, but somehow only managed to lighten it, along with the color surrounding it. Yikes! Well, anyway, with that history behind me, it made sense for Bernie and I to sit on the dark upholstered seats safely away from the sofa. But what I forgot was Yankee ingenuity. We have small, but heavy, side tables that are usually by the chairs, but one had been moved to the side of the sofa. So, being the great host that I am, I put my drink on the floor and moved the table so we could share. Unfortunately, with our new deep shag very light color carpeting the floor was very unstable and my wine spilled with a long gash across the carpet! Immediate first aid was applied, i.e. blotting and seltzer water and this morning some carpet cleaner, but I fear the worst. I am just a one-man wrecking crew on our new stuff.

One quick poker note: played in one tournament and went out on the bubble with pocket aces. I was the second short stack, and limped in at $100 blind with them, hoping for someone moving on the pot. The shortest stack did just that with pocket 9's for another $500. The humongous stack at the table (8000 or so) flat calls with 6/8 offsuit. I reraise all-in for another 500, which he hesitates, but getting good odds, calls. The flop is 234 of clubs. Since I have the ace of clubs, this is a very good flop. The 9's are drawing to one out (he has no clubs), and the 6/8 gutshot draw is drawing to 3 outs (he has no club either). So, of course the 5 of diamonds comes completing his straight and we are both out when no club falls on the river. Mr. shortstack finishes 5th, me 4th, and the other 3 players line up for their paychecks. I make up for my loss with some great omaha play and end the day up financially, but still....aces cracked yet again.