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Donna
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Dec 27, 2008 09:55PM
I've enjoyed reading all the posts. My name is Donna, and I'm relatively new to the group. I live in Fairfax, VA with my husband. One of his holiday presents was a shirt that says "Dangerously Overeducated." A previous one was "The Truly Educated Never Graduate." Those statements describe both of us. I'm a former high school history teacher. The temporary 'retirement' that began when our son was born (he's a college student) has turned into a permanent one. I keep busy doing volunteer work, reading, playing bridge, spending too much time on the computer, knitting, and singing. Favorite genres are historical fiction, mysteries. I also like to read series, but have to read them in order. I usually read fiction, but have a long list of non-fiction that I plan to read.
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Hi donna. Welcome and happy reading! A fellow bridge player, how rare today. I haven't played in centuries - son's sports/social activities are temporarily more important and conflict with bridge club times... hope to get back to it soon, however.
I can related to the "Dangerously Overeducated" T-shirt. lol The T shirt I received from my dad for my graduation present read: I am eruditer than you, which I thought summed it up nicely ; )
Welcome to the group!!
I can related to the "Dangerously Overeducated" T-shirt. lol The T shirt I received from my dad for my graduation present read: I am eruditer than you, which I thought summed it up nicely ; )
Welcome to the group!!
Mod
Welcome to the group!
Hi Donna Welcome to the group!!!
Welcome Donna! You're fortunate to have 'retirement' time to read more! I agree with reading series in order!
Hi Donna & welcome to the group!
Hi Donna. My mother is a national bridge champion but I can't hardly win at snap. Is bridge very hard to learn?
I have never played Bridge but always wanted to learn. How hard is it to learn?
Depends, really. It's pretty easy to get started, if you're good at card games and like them.
Getting good at it is another story. I'm not at all good, for a number of reasons: It takes a long time and a lot of time - haven't got time. YOu need a constant partner - you've got to be suited to each other in playing styles and personality. I can't find a partner, so I played with whoever was "single" at the bridge club.
Then there's how you wnat to play. Here in italy there is no such thing as a friendly game, sitting around talking and having fun, which is how I learned playing with my mother and friends who lived in the building where I grew up. Here it's all geared to competition and who's ahead of who in the standings, etc. I find that a bit difficult.
Getting good at it is another story. I'm not at all good, for a number of reasons: It takes a long time and a lot of time - haven't got time. YOu need a constant partner - you've got to be suited to each other in playing styles and personality. I can't find a partner, so I played with whoever was "single" at the bridge club.
Then there's how you wnat to play. Here in italy there is no such thing as a friendly game, sitting around talking and having fun, which is how I learned playing with my mother and friends who lived in the building where I grew up. Here it's all geared to competition and who's ahead of who in the standings, etc. I find that a bit difficult.
I would mind learning bridge. I love card games and I am pretty good at the ones I know. I used to play a game daily while I was at University. There were two guys in my class who loved it too, so every time we even had jsut 15 minutes we would be playing or during lunch...one of them was my ex-boyfriend. We seemed to be perfect match for the card games. We had the same style, seemed to know what the other one thought, what we needed to do...so most of the time we won.
Donna wrote: "I've enjoyed reading all the posts. My name is Donna, and I'm relatively new to the group. I live in Fairfax, VA with my husband."ME TOO!! - I live a stones throw from the Vienna Metro which I use to get to/from work while I read!
And Lori - yes you must relocate to Fairfax it is a great city to live in -- but alas yes it can be expensive.
Lori wrote: "Donna, my hubby was considering relocating us to Fairfax, he is a Paramedic and wants very badly to work in that area..... The area is gorgeous but oh so expensive, no??!!Welcome to the group!"
Lori wrote: "Donna, my hubby was considering relocating us to Fairfax, he is a Paramedic and wants very badly to work in that area..... The area is gorgeous but oh so expensive, no??!!
Welcome to the group!"
Yes, it is, but it could be worse (or so I'm told). We've been here for 23 years - husband was in telecommunications field, and there were a lot of jobs here. Now, he's a government contractor, so this is the best place to be.
It's a great place to live.
Petra X wrote: "Hi Donna. My mother is a national bridge champion but I can't hardly win at snap. Is bridge very hard to learn?"Bridge basics are easy to learn.
The basics just require knowing how to count. Then you can do simple
bidding and playing. I first learned when i was 8 and my older and her friends sometimes needed a fourth player.
However... after that, you learn that there are 1,000,000,000 (or more)
conventions, and all sorts of mathematical concepts that are used to determine what to bid and how to play the hand.
I love to play bridge because it is always different - and there's still so much to learn every time I play. And, of course, LUCK does play a big part in the game. Sometimes I'm frustrated, sometimes I have a lot of fun, but I'm never bored.
Hayes wrote: "Depends, really. It's pretty easy to get started, if you're good at card games and like them. Getting good at it is another story. I'm not at all good, for a number of reasons: It takes a lo..."
My favorite partner is my husband, but we rarely get to play. Of course, I do tell people that I always wear open-toed shoes when we play so I don't have the urge to kick him under the table.
I know many people who play social bridge. I actually prefer duplicate bridge.
Robin wrote: "Donna wrote: "I've enjoyed reading all the posts. My name is Donna, and I'm relatively new to the group. I live in Fairfax, VA with my husband."ME TOO!! - I live a stones throw from the Vienn..."
Ah, yes... I taught for a year at a school in DC, and had a 41 minute ride from Vienna to Eastern Market. Did a great deal of reading there.
Donna said: My favorite partner is my husband...
lucky you. I know my husband would be good at it, and would be a good partner for me, but he has work commitments and his own hobby (jazz guitar) to cope with, so I don't force it.
I may try again when the son doesn't need a "taxi driver" to get to basketball practice/games, music lessons, friends' houses, etc.
*tooting own horn* 7 or 8 years ago I was on a bridge team and we were to play in the regional (Lazio/Rome) finals. I was the weak member of the team standing in for a case of appendicitis, feared ruining everyone's chances and wanted to back out, but the instructor said, and rightly so, you can go, play, learn and have a good time, or you can back out, but they haven't got another team member, so you might as well go.
Thanks to my brilliant partner and the other two team members we won the regionals in our class (duplicate, 2nd year students), but unfortunately got wiped out in the first round at the Nationals by the team that went on to win the silver medal.
It was a lot of fun, but I had to go back to motherhood and work. My partner's regular partner got out of the hospital and reclaimed his "possession". So no time and no partner means no bridge... *sigh* It was great while it lasted.
lucky you. I know my husband would be good at it, and would be a good partner for me, but he has work commitments and his own hobby (jazz guitar) to cope with, so I don't force it.
I may try again when the son doesn't need a "taxi driver" to get to basketball practice/games, music lessons, friends' houses, etc.
*tooting own horn* 7 or 8 years ago I was on a bridge team and we were to play in the regional (Lazio/Rome) finals. I was the weak member of the team standing in for a case of appendicitis, feared ruining everyone's chances and wanted to back out, but the instructor said, and rightly so, you can go, play, learn and have a good time, or you can back out, but they haven't got another team member, so you might as well go.
Thanks to my brilliant partner and the other two team members we won the regionals in our class (duplicate, 2nd year students), but unfortunately got wiped out in the first round at the Nationals by the team that went on to win the silver medal.
It was a lot of fun, but I had to go back to motherhood and work. My partner's regular partner got out of the hospital and reclaimed his "possession". So no time and no partner means no bridge... *sigh* It was great while it lasted.
