Happy new year to constant and new readers of this column! Are your New Year’s resolutions programmed into your pocket computer so you can’t forget them? If only mine would do my bidding.

Here’s an item to note. We’re having another unit game on Sunday, January 27. We’re calling it the Rose Bowl in honor of board member Rose Meltzer’s continuing triumphs. Look for more details about the game at the club. Our board tries to come up with fun formats.

Our wine and cheese unit game drew a crowd on a Saturday night in November, 13 full tables. First overall were Anne Boboricken & Jim Hayashi, first in the other direction were Elaine Erickson & Anne Struthers. First in the Bs and Cs were Ray & Maxine Lubow. 10 bottles of wine were emptied before we had time for a mid-session break. I couldn’t figure out where it went. I was light-headed but my opponents played well.

Speaking of wine, Larry & Lynn Brown earned a strat top in the Wine Valley sectional, as did Ray & Maxine Lubow. I have no results from the East Bay Harvest sectional. All the directors who normally report to me were at the nationals. I’ll bet Cole Powell’s East Bay column elsewhere in this paper will have a complete list of the winners.

Speaking of the Las Vegas nationals, there was a record number of tables for a fall sectional. It was exciting to see so many people playing the game we enjoy and to rub shoulders with international bridge superstars. One sunny but chilly day I saw a solitary male sitting out by the pool reading a bridge book . . . Zia.

In national events, Steven Tu and Steve Chen were 3rd in the non-Life Master pairs. Rose Meltzer’s team won the Open Board-a-Match. Rose’s team was 3rd in the Reisinger Board-a-Match. Rose & Peter Weichsel were 14th in the Blue Ribbon pairs.

In other events at the nationals, winning in their Swiss team brackets were: Richard Jacobs & Sherry Waki; Ed Barlow & Don Nemiro; ChingLing Jim Tseng; and Richard Reitman. Winning knockouts were: Li-Chung Chen; Richard Reitman; Shih-Ming Shih, Gigi Spinazze & Mindy Foos (twice!); Neal Webb & Ray Yuenger; Richard Jacobs & Tom Coleman; Lynn Yokel, Ray Yuenger, Derek & Teddi Fiero; and Will Watson, Bruce Luttrell, Jeffrey Hu & K-P Cheng. Strat tops in pair games went to: Loretta Flynn; Lynn Yokel & Ray Yuenger; Joy Baker & Jane Casciano; and Constance Dunckelmann.

Though it was my first Thanksgiving dinner at a casino buffet, I was thankful to be among friends doing something I enjoy. I hope you all can say the same wherever you were on Thanksgiving.

Corrections, comments, and news are welcome at (408)379-7717 and rayyuenger@starband.net. Old columns appear under “old stuff” at www.sjbridge.org.