Friend sees too much risk in monitoring home remodel

For several years, my husband and I were good friends with “Pam” and “David.” About a year ago, we moved to a new house just a few blocks from theirs. They decided they liked some of the features of our new home and immediately started remodeling theirs to resemble ours.

Pam and David both work and I am retired, so Dave asked if I would go to their home throughout the day, while several workmen did this extensive remodel. I refused, saying I wasn't comfortable alone in someone else's house with a bunch of strangers milling about, not to mention the responsibility if something was broken or stolen. (The company wasn't bonded. They are just random guys doing side jobs.)

Long story short, David was extremely offended that I declined and no longer speaks to us. He has shunned other friends for lesser things since then. I'm still friendly with Pam, but I can't help feeling that deep down she resents me, too, and thinks I should have done it because we are good friends.

Was I wrong to refuse, Abby? Should I have done it to keep the friendship, even though I wasn't comfortable?

I not only don't think you were wrong, I think you made a wise decision, and for the right reason. If anything had gone wrong with the remodel or one of the laborers was less than honest, the blame would have fallen squarely on you. Add to that the fact that Dave drops people he feels let him down for any reason, and you have a recipe for disaster.

If Pam resents you for protecting yourself, she may not be as good a friend as you assume she is. True friends should be able to say no when it's warranted, and true friends accept a refusal with good grace. What is a pointer?

It might be a person or an arrow pointing in a particular direction or at a specific item. There is a breed of hunting dog that points at prey. Two stars in Ursa Major are called the pointers because they aim straight at the pole star.

A pointer can also be an instructive indicator, and the best bridge deals have two, one for declarer and one for the defenders. Today’s is one of my favorites. What happens in five clubs after West leads a high heart?

In the auction, West might well have rebid two hearts despite the unfavorable vulnerability and all of those losers. North’s two-heart cue-bid promised at least 12 high-card points. His three-heart cue asked his partner to bid three no-trump with a heart stopper. When South could not do that, North pushed into five clubs.

South has two top heart losers, so must play the trump suit safely.

Let’s suppose West starts with his three top hearts. It should be easy for South to ruff, cash the club ace and run the club jack through West. South is missing only 13 points, so West is almost certain to have the club queen. When you buy the contract after an opponent opened the bidding, always count up the points.

Now let’s go back to West. He should anticipate South’s playing the trump suit successfully. So, West, at trick three, should lead a low heart and hope it occurs to his partner to ruff with the club four, which effects an uppercut to give West a trump trick.