"Stuff your sorries in a sack"

Hi Canasta Lovers,

One morning last week I watched a segment on Today dealing with how often women say, "I'm sorry!"  As an example a young woman opens her boss' door and says I'm sorry, I have a question"  What is she sorry about?  Why not just say "Good morning, I have a question"?  Another great example showed a woman sitting on a bus, a man sits down on the empty seat beside her and invades some of her space.  The woman moves further away and says, "Sorry"  What?  What is she apologizing for?

Playing our favorite game that same afternoon I noticed how often "I'm sorry" was said at the Canasta table.  If you meld with too many of the same cards as your opponent, why apologize?  You and your partner should be happy that you melded.  If, having no safe discard, you give the pack, don't apologize I'm sure you had no choice.  If you pick a pack and get stuck with aces, don't say you are sorry, think of all the canastas you made and the threes you covered.  If you lay down six sevens and your opponent goes out before your partner can close, you don't have to apologize, you were going for the gold!

As I often say, in the scope of our lives Canasta is just a game, albeit, a fantastic one and there is little room at the card table for apologies (unless you spill you coffee on your opponent's new white jeans.)  So follow George Costanza's advice to Jerry Seinfeld in November, 1997 and "stuff your sorries in a sack, Mister."*

We are enjoying a cool day today here in Paradise. The roads and restaurants are getting crowded and season is almost upon us.  If you or any of your friends are interested in learning Canasta or taking your game to the next level, give me a shout at 561-818-3131 or email me at canastagal8500@gmail and we will set something up.  If you already have a group and would like to have some supervised play, I can do that for you too.

Stay in touch, you gorgeous goddesses.
Love, Barbara

*also said by Oscar Madison on The Odd Couple, October, 1974.