Husband’s moodiness may signal deeper trouble
DEAR ABBY » I have a question about my daughter’s new husband, “Brad.” I haven’t interfered with their marriage and don’t want to, but he seems very moody and barely speaks to me. Just when I think I’ve found a common topic, on the next visit four or five weeks later, he doesn’t say a word.
During my last visit, he got very upset with my daughter because a piece of chicken fell out of his wrap while she was tasting it. She apologized twice, but her eyes were watering when I walked into the room. I wanted so badly to just hug her and ask Brad “What’s wrong with you?”
Bridge
Calvin Trillin, a writer and humorist, said, “The average trade book has a shelf life of between milk and yogurt, except for books by any member of the Irving Wallace family — they have preservatives.”
Some contracts need trades to preserve their success. Today, South is in four spades. What should he do after the defenders begin with three rounds of diamonds, West ruffing the third with the spade seven?
In the auction, North’s jump to three spades was pre-emptive, showing four-card support and a 10-loser hand — exactly what he had! (With nine losers and 7-9 high-card points, he would have bid three diamonds, the jump cue being called a mixed raise. That is a useful addition
I have heard his tone before. Should I do anything?
DEAR QUESTIONING » If Brad has behaved this way before when you were visiting, is it possible that your visit was inconvenient for him?
I don’t think it would qualify as interference to ask your daughter how often her husband gets upset over things as trivial as a piece of chicken spilling out of his wrap. Exploding over something so insignificant could be an indication that there is a larger problem that hasn’t been dealt with. It also would not be interfering to let to raises in competition.) South’s four-spade bid was necessary for this column to see printer’s ink!
South had four potential losers: one spade, two diamonds and one club. But, assuming East held your daughter know that if this happens often, it isn’t normal, and that you are there for her if she feels she needs it. the spade king as part of his opening bid, declarer counted 10 winners: five spades, two hearts, two clubs and a diamond ruff on the board. What could go wrong?
Maybe the defenders would gain a trump trick even when East held the king. Note what happens if declarer overruffs West’s spade seven with dummy’s 10. However South turns, East will get a trump trick.
To avoid falling to this trump promotion, declarer deftly discarded a club from the dummy — a textbook loser-on-loser play. West shifted to a club, but South won with the ace, ran the spade jack, drew trumps and ruffed his third club for a sixth spade trick.