The Orlando Regional has come and gone, and Florida did its best to charm the out-of-state players with gorgeous weather and mercifully light traffic. Our players, however, were the real attraction—and they showed up in force. We returned home with gold points, red points, a surprise award, and one brand-new hip (more on that below).

Friday morning, Julia Bomalaski was honored by the Unit with a lifetime appointment to the Goodwill Committee. Julia was recognized for her unwavering ethics, consistent goodwill toward fellow players, and a lifetime of donating her time and energy to the betterment of the world’s best game. Congratulations, Julia—an honor richly deserved.

Also on Friday, Pieter Vanbennekom and Christine Matus earned 2.24 gold points for placing second in the Bracketed Pairs with a blistering 54.76% game. Unfortunately, during the break Christine suffered a fall and ended up in the hospital, where she received a new hip. She is now home and recovering nicely. We wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her back at the club very soon.

Final tally from Orlando: plenty of points, well-earned recognition, memories to last, and proof that our group can win awards, post great scores, and even pick up replacement parts—all in one week. Truly a tournament no one will forget.

Adventures in Botswana   

On Saturday, our good friend Debra (not Debbie) Phebus returned from her African safari adventure. She waltzed into WPSC sporting a bald head and a neck brace swathed in a silk scarf — because, of course, it was silk. This is not the souvenir package anyone signs up for. Apparently, she fell off a balcony and, just to be sure the trip was unforgettable, scalped herself on the way down.

She was air-vac’d to a bush hospital where a doctor did his best with what I assume was a needle, some thread, and optimism. After that, she was airlifted by ambulance to South Africa so someone with actual training could take a look. Once there, a plastic surgeon was called in to undo the bush doctor’s handiwork.

During her hospital stay, a baboon regularly tried to pry the screen off her bedroom window. This alone should disqualify any facility from being called a hospital. Somewhere in all of this, they put her in a neck brace without bothering with something trivial like an MRI.

After a week, her doctor declared her “fit to fly.” At the airport, with a shunt still sticking out of her skull, this assessment was questioned by several people with eyeballs. After a lengthy and animated discussion and the presentation of a very official “Fit to Fly” letter, she was allowed to board the plane.

Once home, she went straight to our local hospital, where X-rays revealed three broken vertebrae. This caused a brief but lively scene as they immobilized her inside the CAT scan machine, fitted her with a proper neck brace, and collectively marveled that she had survived African medicine, international air travel, and an attempted baboon home invasion — and still managed to make it home alive.

So if you’re ever tempted by a safari, just remember: the wildlife doesn’t always stay outside, the medical care may involve guesswork, and “fit to fly” is apparently a very flexible concept. My friend insists the trip was wonderful, but personally, I prefer my vacations to end with photos, not X-rays, fewer baboons, and all my vertebrae accounted for.

When you meet Debra at the bridge table I suggest you say "Ulikuwa unafikiria nini kuzimu".

This story is mostly true with only a few embellishments via the author (the baboon was not an embellishment).

Congratulations to Julia Bomalaski who became a Platinum Life Master on Tuesday, Jan.13, 2026