Meltdown at the end of Day One

Those 5 days (3 in tournament play) in Phoenix went quickly while playing the 23rd (?) annual Phoenix Scrabble tournament with co-directors Larry Rand and Barbara Van Alen.  Eighty opponents played one another in mostly good humored competition.

One quick story:

At the end of the first day of tournament play, a Division One player (top division) was frustrated when his opponent played a seven letter word and bingoed out, leaving him with a rack of tiles counting against him.  He slammed down his tile rack and stormed out of the tournament room and did not return to play the remainder of the tournament.

The word his opponent played against him was
 " M E L T D O W N " .

Scrabble and Tournament Scrabble and the WPGO

Yesterday was the regular Wednesday Scrabble® :Day with friend Allen at my dining room table.  We have been playing and competing against one another since 2003, generally on a weekly basis.  That is a lot of games.  I have a book containing all of our games including the date played, scores against each other, and number of bingos per game per person per game for over seven years.  Really.

To further gild the lily, I have a spreadsheet on the computer compiling all those statistics.  And you think that is odd?  Scrabble® players are very strange, generally speaking, so it should not be a surprise about our keeping obsessive/complusive track of our games.

Allen showed me a game he had recently played with a different opponent, told me all about his word plays, and then showed me his high score on his score sheet.  This will be considered his pictoral history of his 635 point "high game:"

(Allen)

Of those four games we played yesterday, we each won two.  That is pretty typical (although Allen would say he generally wins most of our games, and reluctantly, I would have to agree).

When one of us has a "bad" Scrabble day and the tile gods have not been fair, this is how you might see the outcome:

photo from Calvin & Hobbs

My next Scrabble tournament will be in February in Phoenix.  It will be the 11th tournament I have attended in Phoenix at the Barbara VanAlen and Larry Rand Directors' tournament.  It will be about their 17th annual Phoenix Winter Tournament to host.

A list of upcoming Scrabble® tournaments can be accessed here.   More information about the new Word Players Game Organization can be accessed here. Scrabble Resources can be found here at the bottom of the listing.

Try competitive word play. You might like it.

Scrabble in Vancouver: Another Type of Olympics

Vancouver, BC, Canada is the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics, but did you also know it is the site of the
9th Annual Vancouver Scrabble Tournament?  The Scrabble tournament will be held the first week of March, so most of the tourism around the Olympics will be only a past memory.

My registration is set, hotel accommodations reserved, and extra studying for the games has commenced. The previous link will lead you to "Important Words to Increase Your Score".  Basic Scrabble Word Lists can be accessed here.

These are the sites my friend Darlene and I will be visiting while in Vancouver:

Butchart Gardens
Vancouver Art Gallery
Old Town
Gas Town
Chinatown and great cuisine



If time permits, I'd love to visit The HandMaiden Fine Yarn: they have several outlets in Vancouver.  One can never have too much fiber in their stash!

Updating Technology at Home

This month was tech update in our household.  From television to internet service provider packaging to the new iTouch and iTunes, our gadgets are now up to date (ha! ... so little I know).

Of course, updating was not without its hazards, as our internet connectivity suffered during the transition.  Why, sometimes, internet Scrabble was not available for play.  That was a serious situation!

Above is a screen shot capture of podcasts that I listen to while knitting, painting, cooking, walking, etc.

The program (free) that was used to capture the screen shot is Faststone Capture found here under downloads.  It was a free 30 day trial.  I will continue to look for the eternally complimentary program.  Meanwhile, the intuitive program is fun to learn. 

Scrabble Again

See the word "M-U-T-I-L-A-T-E" up in the right hand corner of the Scrabble board in the above picture?

That was my coup de grace in a winning game with opponent Wesley Slocum in Calgary on October 23.  The word spread across two triple tile scores and used all 7 letters on my rack, and the play counted for 149 points.  That play truly won the game for me as Wesley had a 120 point lead on me prior to that coup de grace play.  Wesley was a nice guy about the good word find and even took a picure of me with the board to bring home to Colorado!

A highlight of the week was going to the Saskatoon Berry Farm west of Calgary for lunch and a look-around.  The saskatoon berry cobbler was a favorite dessert and is local to the area.  Yum.

Thanks, Darlene, for your hospitality and to the Calgary Scrabble Club for hosting the 14th Annual Western Canadian Scrabble Championship last week in Alberta.  A great time was had by all 95 participants in four divisions of tournament play.

14th Western Canadian Scrabble Champtionship

Off to Calgary this morning: the beautiful land of Alberta.  Playing Scrabble.  See you in a week.

Knitting: The Magic Loop Method

Finishing up the week related to Scrabble: 1)National Scrabble Tournament 2009 First Place Winner in Division One: Congratulations to David Wiegand, 35 year old winner of a $10,000 cash prize. 2) Where did I place? Dead center, quite mediocre; but I had a ball in Dayton, Ohio and played 31 games in tournament play, many which were awful. Overall, the games I played were more fun than torture, and I did increase my Scrabble ranking by 25 points.

Now, back to crafts: what I learned from a knitting buddy there: investigate the Magic Loop method of constructing socks. This "Magic Loop" technique is a way to knit socks or small circumferences using one circular needle instead of five wooden needles. It is more portable, and the ends of the article in process will not slip off the needles. Go here for more detailed information.

This is a video on YouTube that explains the "magicality" of knitting in the round on a circular needle.



And this is a picture of the beginning of the Ty Dy sock started in Dayton a few days ago on a size 1, 32" circular needle, using hand painted, washable wool in the Evil Stepmother colorway yarn from Knit Picks:

The pattern for the sock is from Becca at A Hard Days Knit. She says:

No more socks that don’t fit! It took me years to perfect the best fitting socks. I love just plain stockinette socks in fun stripey yarn ( I think they fit the best and they are great for knitting while watching television and you can take them anywhere).

This is a very basic pattern and is intended as a guide for knitters who already have some sock knitting experience.

Can't wait to see how they turn out. Thank you for the Ty Dy Sock pattern, Becca.

Watch National Scrabble Play Live

Typing to you from Ohio, here is the website for live coverage for the 2009 National Scrabble Association. Tournament: 2009 NSC Live Coverage

Another link: National SCRABBLE Championship

See you on August 8!

Scrabble Tournament in Ohio

Competitive Scrabble playing is one of my time suckers. I. Love. It. If you'd like to play online with people from all over the world, go here to sign up, create a player name and begin the adventure. My name on the Internet Scrabble Club is "templeton7", so give me a shout and we can play an online game.

So, in two weeks I'm off to the beautiful city of Dayton, Ohio to compete in the 2009 National Scrabble Tournament (over five days, 31 games total). As of today, I will be competing with 483 registered entrants, having the opportunity to play with the best players from all over the world. If interested in this tournament and organization of players, visit Scrabble Players Organization.

While perusing a chat site for players who are addicted to this game, I came across the New York City Scrabble Club site. It gave me a laugh, and you might grin while reading it, too. Their website is: New York Scrabble.

Our mission, and what you should and should not expect from us:
1) To foster competitive Scrabble® play.

... our regulars include the highest percentage of the most skilled regular club attendees in NYC.

... all are welcome, we also have plenty of players at various lower levels of skill. Our players range from teenagers to octogenarians; from writers to chefs to dog-walkers. We also let in braggarts and blowhards, but we don't let them out without giving them their comeuppance.

... it's not a social club that also plays Scrabble, it's a Scrabble club that occasionally also fosters socialization outside of the club.

... you come to us because you're looking for a stimulating challenge, a genuine battle of wits, as you've run out of that among your relatives, friends and neighbors.

... we're not a substitute for something missing in your life, tho many do view competing at Scrabble as a form of therapy; we're the focal point of something you already had at least a minor obsession with.

... we're not going to take it easy on you just because you're a "beginner" -- lots of players are developing their skills online these days before they ever come in for face-to-face play, so we can no longer make assumptions that you're unskilled just because we've never seen you before. But if you are relatively unskilled, we hope you're mature enough to take a beating or several and view getting your revenge as an intellectual challenge, and we will gladly show you a few ideas to help you improve quickly.

2) To increase your awareness of the vastity of language, the variation in North American usage of English, and the amount of international culture it now absorbs.

... your degree in English doesn't mean you know the only way to use English, and more words than the average bear; our dictionary is THE dictionary, arguing with it is tiresome and pointless. Our dog-walker will defeat a surprisingly high percentage of English professors and scriptwriters, and he’s not even Hank Azaria.

3) To increase your understanding of how to mathematically optimize the application of your vocabulary and spelling skills in conjunction with values of the letter set and the geometry of the game board.

What a hoot. Those New Yorkers know how to say it.

This will be my third national tournament to attend. Over the past 13 years, I have competed in about 25 sanctioned tourneys; too bad my scores don't reflect that I am anything other than your average nerdy, obsessed, Scrabble player.

Scrabble

Hope you have a good Wednesday! I'll be playing Scrabble today at my kitchen table with fierce opponent, Allen, getting ready for the National Scrabble Tournament in August in Dayton, Ohio.
Myspace Comments

Travelling to New Zealand

We interrupt this blog to bring you a notice that I will not be posting for about three weeks due to exciting developments on the National Scrabble front.

Thirty Scrabble players and our 27 companions will be traveling on a Scrabble cruise (Jan. 16-Feb. 1, 2009) with esteemed travel guides Barbara Van Alen and Larry Rand from Phoenix, AZ. Both are Scrabble directors and have overseen hundreds of tournaments and local club games. Barbara and Larry are excellent tour guides and an all-around wonderful couple who also run a travel agency named "Van Rand Travel". They were highlighted in the Phoenix Magazine in 2008 in a very complimentary article. You can read about their game passion and directing abilities at Word Play in Phoenix Magazine.

You might also check out their Phoenix Scrabble Club information at Phoenix Scrabble Club News.

We (30 Scrabble players and 27 companions of the players) will be leaving from Los Angeles and arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on January 19, 2009.

We will be travelling on the Celebrity Cruise Line around New Zealand, ending our journey in Sydney, Australia on February 1.

Travel itinerary includes:
Auckland, New Zealand Day 1
The "City of Sails," known for its sparkling waters, bustling harbor and cosmopolitan flair, and an ideal spot for water sports and sailing.

Tauranga, New Zealand Day 2
Located at the entrance to one of the largest natural harbors in New Zealand and nestled beside magnificent Mount Maunganui.

Napier, New Zealand Day 4
Arguably one of the prettiest cities in New Zealand, with elegant art deco architecture,captivating beaches and award-wining vineyards.

Wellington, New Zealand Day 5
The cultural, commercial, cosmopolitan capital of New Zealand and home to one of the largest wooden buildings in the world.

Christchurch, New Zealand Day 6
New Zealand's "Garden City," featuring numerous parks and gardens as well as Victorian architecture, avenues and squares.

Dunedin, New Zealand Day 7
Dramatic scenery and some of the finest historic buildings in New Zealand, including remarkable architecture that reflects the city's Scottish roots.

Dusky Sound Day 8
One of three amazing sounds featured on most itineraries. The largest and most complex of the many fjords along this coast, with steep-sided cliffs and hundreds of cascading waterfalls.

Milford Sound, New Zealand Day 8
One of three amazing sounds featured on most itineraries. Situated within Fiordland National Park, part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Site and surrounded by sheer rocks and lush forests.

Doubtful Sound Day 8
One of three amazing sounds featured on most itineraries. An unusual sound with two distinct layers of water: fresh mountain water atop cold,heavy, saline water teeming with remarkable deep-sea species.

Melbourne, Australia Day 11 Day 12
The capital of Victoria and Australia's second largest city. A cultural melting pot of Greek,Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese and Lebanese and host to major international events.

Sydney, Australia Day 14 Day 15
Among the world's most exciting cities with dazzling beaches and the Sydney Opera House, an architectural marvel and arguably the most recognizable performing arts venue.

This will be a tremendous opportunity to learn about another country, to play the addictive game of Scrabble, and to enjoy the summer weather of New Zealand and Australia. I am really looking forward to this trip. Hubby is staying home with the pups and keeping the home fires burning (his choice :o)

See you in a few weeks!

Scrabble Tournament Pictures and Chinatown

Here are a few pictures from the Western Canadian Championship Scrabble Tournament in Calgary last weekend:

On the left is player Gloriosa Agdeppa (California) and on the right is Eric Tran from the Calgary Scrabble Club. He executed an amazing game against me in the tournament and won that game with an impressive total game score of 597.

Eric racked up four bingos (using all seven letters on your rack in one play, resulting in an additional 50 points for the bingo) in our game. Four bingos played in one game was just super, and I was so proud that he beat me so thoroughly, that I took his picture with his score sheet just to prove what an awesome player he is! He is 21 years old and a student at the university in Calgary. Needless to say, I believe he won the overall game plays in the tournament and received a fairly large monetary prize.

The picture above is an interior shot of a spice and tea store in the downtown area of Chinatown in Calgary.


This picture is the dome of the Chinese Cultural Center in downtown Calgary. It is patterned from the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The cultural center had a well stocked gift shop, and a few toonies were spent there.

We shopped at several lovely yarn stores in Calgary, and tomorrow the posting will be about the hand dyed yarns purchased from independent Vancouver, BC fiber dyers.

Integrity in the Game of Life and the Board Game Scrabble

Over 110 participants from throughout Canada and the US met in Calgary for the Western Canadian Scrabble Championship held from October 15-19, 2008. It was a marvelous time of competition and camaraderie. One incident discussed later in this post was the only unsavory incident.

More information about the National Scrabble Association (NSA) can be found here. Schools are getting in the swing of hosting Scrabble clubs, so younger people are finding satisfaction in the game at earlier ages.

There is even internet Scrabble(c) on line in case you would like to play on the computer with another person at a separate terminal, sometimes several thousands of miles from your home port. Online internet Scrabble (c) can be found through this link: Internet Scrabble Club (ISC). It is free of charge to join this computer site. ISC and WordBiz (c) is free and easy to download to your computer. Just read through the help section, and you will be ready to play anyone from all over the world, and in many languages. If you would like to play WordBiz (c)...Scrabble (c) and need help, just leave a comment and I will get back with you.


Scrabble tournaments are held every week, sometimes two or three a weekend, almost anywhere in the States and Canada. Countries outside North American also have Scrabble active clubs and tournament. Newsletters are sent to the participating NSA members at a cost of $20 a year. Again, check out the website here for further details.

Above is a picture of players awaiting a game to start after a short break. Chess clocks (an updated version used in tournament play is the Sam Timer) are used to count the allowed time of 25 minutes per person to complete a game. Point penalties are assessed for any portion of a minute over the allowed time.

I took a few pictures from the game room and at the fun dinner party which Calgary Director Siri Tillekeratne and many others in Alberta both directed and hosted over the past weekend. The tournament was excellent overall, with a total of 8 games in each of two early bird tournaments, and 21 games played in the main tournament. Our tournament hosts were friendly, efficient and professional. They put a lot of effort into running this meet. Thank you!

Calgary was beautiful, the weather was nice, and the fall colors were still in force. My hostess and friend, Darlene, even took me to Chinatown!

My second day of tournament play was slightly marred by a spoil sport whose main focus was to win at games, no matter the cost. Sadly, there are cheaters out there; amidst the intellectual realms of science, medicine, industry, spirituality and even in the board game of Scrabble, people sometimes perform unsavory actions in order to win at the game.

Cheating is an ugly thing. It demeans everyone involved in the act; the perpetrator may or may not have a conscience or concern about the act of cheating, which is maddeningly aggravating. But the ramifications on others is even more profound. Being duplicitous creates heartache not only for the people involved in the hoax, but also has effects long term effects on others. Stress and other debilitating resulting ramifications of leading a double life and lying can be damaging even on future generations. I speak from experience on this topic.

Integrity, keeping promises, being faithful to vows and being a decent human being are all too often not the main focus of our daily lives. We have to constantly keep our humility, seek the higher ground, and do what is right, even if it is costly in unimaginable ways.

Remember this?:

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, c.1920 (from this reference)

We are about as content as we choose to be. My happiness is outside the boundaries of being wronged. Fortunately, the unpleasantness over a board game is neither critical to either my ego or self worth.

This being stated, cheating perpetrated by one of my opponents was still an unpleasant experience.

Dharma says it all.