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It’s a wrap!

I went 1-2 for the morning and didn’t land in any 💰 BUT my overall record was better than the past two Nationals and my rating bumped up into the 1300s! I also had a really fun time…though now I’m daydreaming about the next Scrabble tournament.

In my first game I beat Cameron (a repeat match). I drew well (both blanks) but made some good plays in the end game to block his bingo. I scored over 500 so I got to take a photo with the W necklace. My bingos were PAYOUTS, ORCEINS, and STRAINED. The good end play was NELLY for ~50 points. Cameron challenged (it’s good) and that sealed the deal. He’s a kid so he doesn’t know the old timey expression, Oh! Nelly! He did challenge off my WOG which was no good. It’s one of the scrubbed words in NASPA (still good in rival org, WGPO).

Next up was another repeat match against Carl. I played well but couldn’t quite pull it off. I played the TONSURE(blank as an S). He answered immediately back with DREIDELS. What I learned was I should have made the blank a D so that it was harder to bingo off of. Carl is really fun to talk to and taught me some great lessons - that I’ll hopefully remember.

My last game was against a very tactical player who I’d lost to before. My draws were pretty terrible and he had both blanks. I lost by 10 points. Need to figure out how to do better in games like that. I don’t think my strategy was super sharp.

Heading to the airport soon to get home to my boys!! Can’t wait!

Thanks to my fans for tuning in! Over and out!

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Final morning!

Every morning at about 6:01am I walk to the Starbucks across the street. Today the doors were shuttered and lights were off! 😱😱😱😱

I quickly searched on maps for coffee shops nearby and walked to a place called, the Yellow Cat Cafe. A diamond in the rough.

Except the coffee was gross - gas station coffee with little flavored creamers 🤮. But the ambience was amazing and they do make a mean breakfast biscuit. Hoping that the other cafe nearby opens before game time!!

Got a few last glimpses of the St. Joseph River on my walk home.

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Afternoon, Day 4

I went 1-2 this afternoon. A couple of tough losses to some good players. I’m just barely in the top 20 and have to play this kid, Cameron first thing tomorrow.

I think I should’ve played more defensively in the first game because when I opened up a spot he immediately played a bingo that he couldn’t have played elsewhere. I started strong with WRAPPER and QUBIT, KHAT, and HEX/OX. I also played ACTA and he got 60+ by putting the J there. I challenged his play of RENITENT. Never seen that before. Lost the challenge and that was all she wrote. I have failed to practice WWDGD? (What would David Gibson do?). Gibson would have played more defensively…

In my second game I played REDIALS early. I almost had SOAPIEST but he played in the I spot. I had ASSROPE on my rack which is no good - though apparently SOAPERS is good. I was proud of putting down a triple-triple, SNARLIER for 131. He had both blanks that he made bingos with. Right when I was feeling optimistic he put down CURATION. Nail in the coffin. But a high loss at 441-515.

In my final game, I mustered some energy to pull out a W. Opened up with ELYTRON. I sort of set him up with a bingo lane when he a blank. I found AUNTLIER. Other nice plays were JESSE (48 points) and in a close end game I risked, BOXINGS. The Bowens shared a tip with me that MOST sporting-related -ING words CAN take an S. So I though I’d try out the logic. He challenged and it was good! So I ended up with a nice win to round out the afternoon.

3 more games tomorrow and then I’m headed to the airport! I’ll be home late tomorrow evening. Which is when the Scrabble withdrawal symptoms will kick in.

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Halftime Report, Day 4

Pretty good (not perfect) morning at 3-1. I got the bag in the first game but played well as my opponent (a native South Bender!) struggled. Played WOOFING and NAIVETES. The latter is one I ALWAYS get confused and I wasn’t 💯 sure. But went for it. It’s good.

Next I played a kid who beat me badly in New Orleans. He’s quite good but was getting grousy over some stupid stuff. He almost challenged STERNER and I was like, “PLEASE!! Do it!!” But he didn’t. I then too an unnecessarily risky play, UNFILES. He challenged it off. He got both blanks and I just tried to get scores while he fished. I happened to get the X in my last draw which determined the game.

The next game is the one I lost. A luckier draw at the end would’ve helped but I got EEIOOWU. She’d played QUIRE and if I’d had just one better consonant I could stretched to the triple. No such luck.

In my final game I got EXTREMELY lucky. My opponent and I used to play together online and she’s super nice. I drew both blanks and played two early bingos GOLFING and SAURIAN. But then I stupidly kept opening her up for some big comeback plays. THEN … despite reviewing the power 5s all week…I erroneously challenged, HERTZ. So she came roaring back. I managed to get ARENITES and then TEXTERS at the very end to seal the deal. I almost chickened out over VUG taking an S. Final score, 426-392. She really deserved it but hey…I’ll accept luck when I can get it.

Ugh, I play two dudes I’ve lost to before after lunch. Please wish me more tile luck.

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Afternoon, Day 3

Better afternoon today with one very embarrassing loss.

Started out with a close, low-scoring game with a kid who was fishing a lot for bingoes. I was able to score enough on my turns to negate his bingoes.

In my second game I made a fatal error, hooking my bingo to ET (for ETS). My opponent challenged it off and I went with EARSTONE - should’ve done this in the first place. She was able to bingo out - catching me with enough on my rack to squeak by. This was a very rookie move on my part. I have a doc of “No S” words with ETS prominently featured there.

I was happy that I ended on a high note with a game where I played, GOUTIEST and SCENTING. I had a a good challenge and some nice plays throughout.

Went to dinner with some new and old scrabble friends and looking forward to another 1.5 days of Scrabble!!

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Halftime Report, Day 3

I fared better this morning - not a hot streak - but a tepid return to more Ws than Ls. I’m also crawling out of my ginormous negative spread to ALMOST positive. At -22 now.

I “drew the bag” (got all the good stuff) in the first game but this hasn’t happened yet - so not complaining. Opened with OKAYED which is kinda cool. KAYOED is also good. I also made a disconnected play on the Q to find QUAINT - getting rid of some vowel trash. Also, got INERTIAE and MENORAH.

Lost my 2nd game with a Hail Mary play of SNORTLE (I swear this is what 🐷 do??). The only bingo I had in the rack was LORNEST which didn’t have a spot. I challenged WOODIE which is apparently a golf thing 🤷‍♀️.

Then I found some great 5s (for about 70 points each) in my third game, IXORA and AZINES, as well as the bingoes EMPTIED and TRAINED.

In the last game I put some of my earlier game’s lessons into practice. I didn’t challenge, BIRRIAS (which is good) bc I had a bingo in my rack. I did challenge of WOOSIER because it stank to high heavens. Then I also challenged off some 4s because I know them a bit better now. My opponent did play WHERES and I challenged … but it’s good. Luckily I needed that S later when I played OUTCRIES.

Still a steep hill to climb to the top 20. But I’ll ride the wave wherever it takes me.

Oh yeah. The Barbie board has been spotted. The pink hand sanitizer takes the set over the top.

Let’s not repeat yesterday afternoon!!!

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Good morning, South Bend!

I’m running on about 5 hours of sleep (thanks insomnia!) but excited about another full day of Scrabble. After yesterday’s carnage a friend shared this inspiring pep talk from the movie Rudy (notably set at Notre Dame):

Making no promises except that I’ll do my best! Rocky V is on my hotel TV, so I’m taking in all the sports comeback movies.

In other news, Sterling is getting Jay off to his first day of second grade. He says he was chipper except for when the photo was snapped. Typical Jay. I’ve got our niece’s tarot art sticker on my water bottle which always reminds me of him!

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A Losing Afternoon

Well, I lost all my afternoon games and one was an especially big doozy of a loss.

Started off well when I confidently challenged off my opponent’s play of UNHEAR(d) (D was a blank) / GEEZE (GEEZE is no good JEEZE is). But then…I opened up a triple-triple and he put down a ~150 point, HAUNTER(s). That was super dumb on my part since I knew what his rack was and should’ve known HAUNTERS was a possibility. D’oh!

He then made 5 bingos in 6 turns and got everything- all blanks, s’s, and power tiles. I erroneously challenged, OUTSPAN. Then didn’t challenge the phoney, BOWTIES. Final score? 287-611 - demolishing my spread. Nice guy. Very humble. But I don’t care to repeat that kind of game any time soon, plz!

I went on to lose the next two games - lost one by ~150 to a young player who was a real coffeehouser. But he asked if he could guess my age and said 32. So I can work with that. In the last game I lost by 10 points to a very kind Canadian. So maybe I’m improving? And getting younger?

Going to wipe the slate clean and look forward to 21 more games before heading home to my boys!!

In a walk this evening I had this moment of zen.

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Halftime Report, Day 2

If you’re still with my crazy Scrabble reporting, welcome back. So I’m just barely in the top 20 at 7-4. Started the day playing the #1 seeded player, Carl, who used to play Division 1. He’s a friend of Nancy’s and any friend of Nancy is a friend of mine. I did what I always do and when I have the first turn and can’t score more than 20, I throw them back because it’s like a free turn. I drew and played CHANTED. Carl answered back soon after with NEARNESS and it stank just enough for me to challenge. The problem was if I’d let it stay, I could’ve played my X on the triple letter and gotten 50+ points. Carl is a very experienced player and he also gave me feedback that he could tell where I was looking later in the game to play and he blocked me every time. Apparently I squint my eyes at the spot I’m looking at - maybe I need some aviators? You can see his dope bling in this photo.

I think the second game was pretty unwinnable with vowel-heavy racks I couldn’t shake even with trading.

I then played someone named Mad who had lost her first games and suffice it to say she was still Mad after our game (but a great sport). I found my bingo wand and played, INTORTS on her WATCHER. Then MISSILE and the phoney, TIGHTIES. She played the phoney RESIZERS, so we both got away with something.

My last game was against an excellent and disciplined player. Like I did in the game with Carl, I tossed back my tiles because I was going first. Bingoed with STARVES. He answered back with with a sick play of DENIZENS with the Z hitting a triple letter and doubled for 124 points. He challenged off ANEROBES (I knew it was bad). Correct spelling is ANAEROBES. So he knew my rack and that I had the blank. It was a very closed board and he was playing very strategically. I wrote at the top of my scoresheet, don’t give up! He couldn’t resist putting the X on the triple to make DEX with a lane open underneath. I drew a Y and played VOYEURS. My mom is reading the blog so I’ll censor myself to say, it was a GOSH DARN MIRACLE! Still had to catch up and got super lucky to get the right tiles in the end game. Even got away with the phoney, BAIN.

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Final Report, Day 1

Ended the day at 5-2 and still in the top 20 - woot! Many more games to go (24 to be exact), so anything could happen. Started with a W and a couple of bingoes (AGONIES and WEARIES). Also got away with ZOOMY. Should’ve known better. Always say that our dog Wiki has the ZOOMIES but it’s no good. Then lost to a formidable player who challenged my Hail Mary, TRODDENS. Won my last game against an affable kiwi named, Terry. Got some decent luck with URBANITE and ARENOUS.

All in all, a fun first day. Trying to decide whether to go to the Scrabble town hall which is always dramatic (think a very weird episode of real housewives). Jkjk.

In other weird news, Katelyn and Evan were getting married in our venue. Do you think they appreciated this dude juggling scrabble tiles??

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Halftime report, Day 1

I broke the ice with a loss in my first game. Little bit of jitters and some clunky consonant-only racks in the last half of the game. For some reason thought NOTARIA was good and it got challenged off. Then played ANTIDORA which got challenged - and stayed! But ultimately it wasn’t enough.

In game 2, i opened with the bingo RUNLETS and she answered back with EXTENDED (womp, womp). Then I thought DIASTEME was good but it’s only MEDIATES and SIDEMEAT. Don’t ever be anyone’s SIDEMEAT! I took a risk with TREMBLER which my opponent challenged and it was good! She made the fatal error of putting down her blank when she didn’t mean to and she’d already hit the clock. I was a stickler. Sorry, sista, it’s gotta stay.

In game 3, I was behind but bingoed out with NORTENAS for a surprise win! The nice gentleman I was playing always carries a bag of fun-sized milky ways and snickers. He offered me one. Should I eat it?

I was struggling in the last game with almost no Es all game. But I found TROILUS and my opponent got stuck wasting time with the two blanks he had.

Many more games to go but so far I’m feel good. Sneaking up into the enhanced scoreboard.

If you want to follow live results, you can go to this page and look for me in Division 3:

The enhanced scoreboard is good if I’m in the top 20.

And here’s me with a bronze gorilla.

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Good news, bad news

The good news is there’s a Starbucks 2 minutes from me. The bad news is I woke up at 4:30am and it opened at 6. I wish Scrabble tourneys could start at like 5am because this is when I am sharpest! Running through my 4s and words that don’t take an S. This is quite a long list and they are only partially swimming around in my brain. These are important because you could challenge off someone who is using an S hook for a bingo. Even better, you can bait them to hooking an S on a word you put down in a tempting spot (triple lane).

There are a lot of 4L that are already plural with an I, E, A- therefore they don’t take an S. Examples: CECA (CECUM), DATA (DATUM), FILA (FILUM), FORA (FORUM), HILA (HILUM), ILEA (ILEUM)…you get the picture. Most interjections don’t take an S except for AAHS, YIPES, EGADS, CRIPES, ERS, UGHS, HAHS, OHS. Then there are words that have to have an -ES - often words ending in O or a consonant. Examples: EDDOES, FICOES, HADJES, LECHES. And just to make things interesting there are a number of monetary unit words that don’t take an S. Examples: BANI (Romania), HWAN (South Korea), JEON (SK), LOTI (Lesotho), DENI (Macedonia). Recently revised that CORY and KORI can take an S.

Phew! Phew doesn’t take an S.

Hubbub online about pushing back start bc of travel disruptions. Hoping it starts on time because otherwise I’ll be …

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Hello, South Bend!

After an unexpected drive to Charlotte and a loooong wait in the airport, I’ve arrived in South Bend! According to my Lyft driver, it’s frankly a boring town. But it’s got some neat architecture (Chicago-ish) and a Jimmy John’s. So basically a win. Sadly some of my Scrabble BFFs are not here but I’ve promised to harness their Scrabble powers as best I can. Games start at 9!

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A global tech meltdown won’t bring me down! Decided to drive to Charlotte to catch my flight to South Bend. I was concerned the RDU flight might not get me to Charlotte in time. Flight to South Bend is delayed but not canceled. Charlotte airport is a zoo. Waved to Davidson (my Alma mater) on the drive.

An ode to technology words

Newly added:

ATS/ATTED/ATTING

CAMGIRL

CAPTCHA

CLICKSTREAM

COPYPASTA

CROWDFUND

CYBERSAFETY

DOX/DOXX

GOOOGLEABLE

INTERNETWORK

NOOB

PAGEVIEW

PWN

STAN

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Enjoying a cup of coffee at 5am in my lucky Scrabble mug. Fingers crossed for on-time flights and smooth travels for all the Scrabblers out there! Sterling said if my flight got canceled I could drive. That is a wild idea but not TOTALLY out of the question. Only an 11-hour drive.

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Got some warm-up games in with Marvin (Sterling’s dad). Hoping it bodes well for SB! I scored 567 to Marvin’s 322. The coolest play was finding a triple-triple, HOLSTEIN, for 172 points. Added bonus was that Marvin challenged it (it’s good) and I got an extra turn.

I’ve been studying 8’s and HOLSTEIN, NEOLITHS, HOTLINES, was in my list. A triple-triple happens when there’s a single tile dangling in the triple lane (in this case the S from SOAPIEST). If you can place your 7 tiles to hit both triple-word scores, you score BIG.

Marvin also noted a cool pattern that would be helpful to remember. I played TUMOR and he told me all the OR words can also take the British ‘U’. So tumor, tumour, labor, labour, harbor, harbour…and so forth. THAT could come in handy.

Here’s my 8’s worksheet:

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See you around the Bend!

7 days and counting until NSC 2024!! While not on the top of my vacation destination list (thanks, NASPA), the National Scrabble Championship is luring me to the thriving metropolis of ... South Bend, Indiana. You'll be hard-pressed to find many fun facts about SB. It is notably the home of Mayor Pete, touchdown Jesus, and my surgical oncologist. My intrepid followers may remember that I fared pretty well in Ft. Wayne, IN in 2016 - winning 5th place in Division 3 in come-from-behind fashion. Could there be magic in store for me this year in Indiana? idk, should be a fun getaway regardless.