Accordion Update

So far, so good with the accordion lessons. It is challenging, rewarding, and enjoyable. I hope to play "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" by April. I've also been figuring out how to play the Minnesota Twins song. The Hoop Dee Doo Polka could happen by December.

Bodie got an accordion for Christmas, but he's still a bit small for it. It's neat though -- sometimes when I start practicing he will go get his accordion. He also claps when I finish a song.

An Unexpected Trip

Wednesday I leave for Minnesota and my grandfather's funeral. Mom and Dad are driving up from Florida and they'll pick my sister and her daughter up in Alabama.

I'm looking forward to the trip: a goodbye to grandpa and a hello to my niece whom I haven't yet met.

Rest In Peace Horace "Jeff" Sundby

My Grandpa Jeff died on Monday. He was 92 years old.

He lived a full life, served his country as a Marine, had friends who'd do anything for him, and was a great grandpa. His mind was strong all the way to the end and he lived comfortably at an assisted living facility in Edina. He will be buried with Grandma Esther ("Tiny Gram") at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.

July 7, 1915 - October 29, 2007.

The Accordion

Okay, I've been taking accordion lessons. I decided to give the accordion a try for a few reasons. First, as you can see from the photo, my grandfather played the accordion so it's in my blood. Second, I LIKE polkas. Third, I want there to be some music in the house for Bodie and if he ever starts playing an instrument, I want to be able to help with the music theory. Fourth, I like the challenge of something new and difficult.



The Minneapolis Public School system gave me a very good music education. I am amazed at how much music theory I remember! I played the recorder, clarinet, saxophone, and finally the trumpet, but not the piano. So, I have much to learn and I'm enjoying it. My teacher is Janet Hane in Thousand Oaks.

I'm Ready For Some Football!

The Vikes begin their season on Sept. 9th at home against the dog-hating Atlanta Falcons. We are not going to get NFL Sunday Ticket, so I won't see many Vikings games this year, but I'll be rooting for them in my heart.

So, next sunday I'll put on my Vikings jersey and Kristi will wear her Helga Helmet. It's purple power time! Go Vikes!

An Insider's Guide To Minnesota, Part I (post script, part II)

It's not a logical or consistent position, so don't try to argue with me.

Yes, I own a St. Paul Saints baseball hat, yes, I've been to Taste Of Minnesota at the "Capital," yes, there are some beautiful neighborhoods in St. Paul, and yes, I had relatives who lived in St. Paul.

That's not the point.

An Insider's Guide To Minnesota, Part I (post script)

In Minnesota, people who do not live in Minneapolis or that city East of Minneapolis, refer to the two as "The Cities." Thus, a conversation in Duluth might be:

"Whatcha doin this weekend?"
"Oh, we're goin to The Cities to do some back-to-school shopping"
"That should be fun"
"You betcha"

I grew up hearing these conversations and accepting them because concessions have to be made for those who live in Rural Minnesota (ANY city other than Minneapolis or that city East of Minneapolis including Duluth, St. Cloud, Rochester). Rural Minnesotans have enough to worry about (food, shelter, winter boots) without worrying about the significant differences between Minneapolis and that city East of Minneapolis.

But, when I was asked, "Are you from The Cities" or "Do you live in The Cities," I would always respond "I'm from Minneapolis."

An Insider's Guide To Minnesota, Part I

I was born and raised in South Minneapolis. I went to Page Elementary School, Susan B. Anthony Jr. High School, and Washburn High School. I went to the State Fair in August, the boat show in January, and I rooted for the Twins and Vikings because I, like most Minnesotans, believed in loyalty, hard work, and the ability to overcome large obstacles, including terrible seasons and better teams!

There's a good chance I'll move my family back to Minnesota. My wife mentioned moving to St. Paul and didn't realize what a nerve she had hit.

I'm from Minneapolis. I wasn't aware of the existence of St. Paul until I was in high school and by then I knew only cheeseheads would live in such a place. In my heart I knew Minneapolis was the real capital of Minnesota. I couldn't point St. Paul out on a map because it wasn't on our maps. Although the State Fair was in St. Paul, it was its own territory, much like an embassy in a foreign land. St. Paul didn't have Lake Harriet, Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles, Lake Nokomis, or the Minnehaha creek.

Bodie loves the Twins song. This is the version he's learned:

We're gonna win Twins
We're gonna score
We're gonna win Twins
Watch that baseball soar
Knock out a home run
JOIN THE HIT PARADE
Cheer for the Minnesota Twins today!

In St. Paul, JOIN THE HIT PARADE is replaced by SHOUT A HIP HOORAY. How can they even call themselves Minnesotans?

So, I calmly informed my wife that I COULD NOT live in St. Paul.

Archie

There was a neat article in today's Los Angeles Times about Archie, a Newfoundland-breed dog who "works" at Casa Pacifica in Camarillo. Casa Pacifica is a home for abused and neglected children and Newfoundlands are very large dogs.

After telling how Archie injured his hip, required surgery, and howled at home while recovering because he was not around the children, the article ended with this paragraph:

"Murphy decided that work was the best medicine, and so Archie limped back to the office, his leg in a cast. And children who had known great callousness in their lives treated the giant canine with exquisite tenderness."

It was the best two sentences I had read in some time.

Road To Orlando -- 1

National Scrabble Association Club 357, Carlsbad, CA -- A special day at Club 357 because it was Sue Kaye's last day. She founded Club 357 and helped me when I restarted it in 2002. Now, after 20 years in Carlsbad, she's moving to Woodland Hills. I hope to visit her once she gets settled in.

I had a good day at Club 357. I was 4-1 with a 400 average and a 2.20 bingo average. I played a double game at the end (two opponents at one time), won both games, and played three bingos on one board and four on the other. I went over on time in my first game, but not in my others (no timers in the double game), my tracking was good, and, most importantly, my word recall was good. Well, my seven-letter word recall was good. I was unsure of a few threes.

Overall a good start down the road to Orlando!

2007 Vacation Update

Grandpa Jeff aka Great Grandpa Jeff is just fine.

2007 Vacation -- Saturday

Grandma's Marathon! Unfortunately, Bodie got tired so we didn't see Kristi on the course or at the finish. It was warm and humid today. I believe Kristi's time is 4:31. We haven't seen her yet, but I followed her progress online while Bodie napped!

2007 Vacation -- Friday

2007 Vacation -- Thursday

Look out seagulls!

2007 Vacation -- Wednesday

Bodie's first baseball game! Duluth Huskies v. Brainerd Blue Thunder at Wade Stadium. The game is still being played, but Bodie is sleeping soundly knowing the Huskies had a two-run lead when he left in the bottom of the 4th.

2007 Vacation -- Tuesday

Fried cheese curds. Is there anything else?

Vacation Photos

2007 Vacation -- Monday

Bodie is truly an Anderson. He grimaced when he tasted chocolate pudding, he won’t even try ice cream, but today he ate smoked lake trout without a blink! His great grandpa Andy, whose fish smoker I can smell to this day, would be proud!

Bodie also took his first steps into the frigid waters of Lake Superior and didn’t want to get out. His grandpa, who I’ve seen bathe in Lake Superior at Isle Royale, will be proud!

Of course, I wanted those first steps to be taken in Minnesota where Lake Superior’s water is more pure. But, we were at the beach and the breaking waves made Bodie laugh and want to get in the water. I tried to explain to him that it would be worth the wait but he just walked in.



I am fascinated by the books found in the condo or cabin rental. There are always gems hidden among the dime store novels. Ours is an eight-volume Treasury circa. 1942 that includes A Treasury Of American Literature, A Treasury Of The World’s Greatest Speeches, and, my favorite, A Treasury Of The Familiar.

2007 Vacation -- Sunday

Another travel day, but first we stopped to visit Grandpa Jeff. He lives at a high-class assisted-living facility in Minneapolis. We signed in and walked around the lobby while Grandpa was called. Bodie made several friends among the crowd waiting for the dining room to open for lunch.

“Jeff didn’t answer his telephone, do you want to go knock on his door?” I was asked by the lady in charge.

“We really don’t want to bother him; he didn’t know we were coming.”

“Well, I’ll just run up and check on him, he hasn’t been down yet,” she said. It was 10:55. She then verified his room number with a gal behind a desk, took a key, and headed to the elevator.

She was going to go into his room! I drew mental pictures of all the possible outcomes to her fact-finding expedition and was really uncomfortable with one of them. The Worst-Case Scenario, I called it.

It’s just that we were on a tight schedule and The Worst-Case Scenario involved paperwork, telephone calls, staff and resident interviews, a determination as to final wishes, and more telephone calls.

The dining room doors had opened and Bodie’s friends had all gone to lunch leaving us alone in the lobby waiting like Pavlov’s dog for the “ding” of the elevator. Finally, it came.

“Well, I went in his apartment and shook him pretty good, but just couldn’t wake him,” I was told.

“Yeah, he’s a pretty heavy sleeper,” I said from experience, having tried to wake him up on a visit three years earlier.

“Do you want to go and try?”

“Oh, no,” I replied as I realized there was a scenario worse than The Worst-Case Scenario, “we’ll just leave him a note and stop by next Saturday evening.”

While I was writing the note, there were mumbled conversations between the lady in charge and the gal behind the desk. I wrote faster.

2007 Vacation -- Saturday

We left the house at 5 a.m. and were sitting at Gate 28 by 6:40. Parking, baggage check-in, and security all went smoothly. The only things that didn’t go through the X-ray machine were the underwear, socks, pants, and shirt I was wearing!

The ticket agent told us the flight wasn’t full and guaranteed us a middle seat by assigning Kristi the window and me the aisle. We boarded late in the process, but it was still an agonizing 20 minutes before the plane backed away from the gate. Bodie had been awake for three and a half hours and was not happy. He fussed a bit, but took his bottle while we were taxiing and was asleep by the time the flaps were retracted.

That lasted 45 minutes. It was all new to him and he just decided he couldn’t miss it. He was pretty good the rest of the flight and made a lot of friends walking the aisle. The diaper change in the lavatory looked difficult from my vantage point in the aisle.

Minneapolis was warm and humid when the sliding doors opened and a lot attendant gave us the keys to a beige, boxy car-van. Looking back, I think he actually said I could take any of the vehicles in the row, but I thought he meant the closest one. I remember a Pontiac G6 and a PT Cruiser as nearby choices. Boxy doesn’t mean big. We all had to hold our breath, but our stuff fit and the doors shut.

The air-conditioned, extra-large room at the Sheraton was a welcome sight for three weary travelers. We all took a late-afternoon nap until, after only an hour, Bodie decided it was time to walk around Lake Harriet.



Bodie finally called it a day at 9:09 p.m. He woke up at 8:30, well-rested and ready for more!

23 Hours And 8 Minutes I'll Never Get Back

The Chik-Fil-A Oxnard Grand Opening. Greg, Matt, and I now get free Chik-Fil-A for a year because we camped in the drive-through and were among the first 100 customers.



Matt brought an X-box.


Matt was first in line and known as the King or Numero Uno, Greg was second and known as The Deuce or Deuces Wild, and I was fifth and known as Cinco or Nickel.

I'm not sure why I did it, but if you're ever in town and want a good chicken sandwich it's my treat!

Planning For The 2008 NSC

Okay, I know. It's more than a year away. But, I'm doing some preliminary planning for the 2008 NSC.

First, I want to play in Division 3. To do so, I need to raise my rating to 1400. To do that I need to learn more words and play in at least five tournaments. So, Zyzzyva is up and running again and I'm looking at tournaments, but probably none before October.

Second, Bodie and Kristi will make the trip with me.

Third, I want my mom to play in the tournament. I'm sure it won't be too hard to convince her.

Fourth, I hope dad and Bodie's Florida cousins will make the trip with mom and hang out with Kristi and Bodie during the day.

Potential Tournaments: Twin Cities (November), Reno (January), Phoenix (February), and some one-day tournaments in Laguna Woods, CA.

2008 National Scrabble Championship

July 25-30, 2008, at Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Looks like Bodie's going to Disneyworld!

Hopefully, my mother will be able to attend.

Time to start studying!

Eastern Sierra Trip

A few weeks ago I made a quick trip to the Eastern Sierras. I needed to catch my breath. This is my 13th year practicing law and lately I've been feeling a bit burnt out. It's not the law itself; I enjoy studying, reading, and discussing law, particularly Constitutional law. The practice of law, though, can be tedious.

I knew, of course, that the solutions to my problems or the answers to my questions would not be found driving up the 395, sitting by a campfire, sleeping in a tent, or soaking in a hot spring. But, the sights and sounds of the Eastern Sierras have brought me comfort since 1993 and didn't fail me this time.

Alex's Graduation

My nephew Alex graduated from Venice High School in Venice, Florida earlier this month. He'll be 18 in July.

Wow!

My mom e-mailed me a very nice slide show she made for him. As I watched it, I was once again reminded of how far away I am from my family. My sisters' kids are growing up quickly and I just don't get to see them enough.

So, I'm renewing my New Year's Resolution of going to see Jina and her family and Kristen and her family sometime this year.

My Jeepin' Buddy

Book Report

I finished volume I of Shelby Foote's The Civil War: A Narrative in early April. After a few weeks off, I am now ready to start volume II.

I read The Planets by Dana Sobel, but didn't like it as much as Longitude.

I'm also reading The Book Of Dave by Will Self.

Holding On To The Past

My father bought a Minolta SRT 101 single lens reflex 35mm camera sometime in the late 60s or early 70s. I have childhood memories of this camera, especially its red, white, and blue camera strap, its fun-to-explore case which held two other lenses, a flash, and the manual, and the identification number my father engraved on its base. Sometime in the early 80s, the SRT was replaced with another, more modern, Minolta SLR 35mm as well as point-and-shoot cameras. On our summer sailing trips, though, I would still bring the SRT and its hard-sided black case.

I don't know anything, really, about my dad's early photographic "career." I now know that the SRT was a revolutionary, state-of-the-art camera when it was introduced, so dad must have been interested in photography. I know that the camera was well-used because I have seen many, many slides taken by my father. And, I know that my father, using that camera, took a picture of a young me that won a competition of some sort. I don't know where that picture is or what it looks like; I'll have to have dad send me a copy.

Somehow I ended up with the SRT and all its gear. I haven't used it for many years: its light meter is a bit off, I bought a Nikon N65 SLR 35mm, and now I usually use my Canon digital camera.

A few years back I thought I would sell the SRT on eBay. It's well-made, practically unbreakable, and is sought-after by aspiring photographers because it's a great learning camera (everything is manual) and old-school, no bull photographers because it lets them control the photograph (everything is manual!). I knew it would sell.

Something kept me from selling it though, and I'm glad I didn't. That camera is a piece of my family history and is worth so much more to me than a high bid on eBay. One day Bodie will be exploring closets just like I did and come across the camera in its black case with all its accessories.

Last night I got the SRT out of the garage and cleaned it up. I've decided I will use it to re-learn my basic photography skills and do some photoblogging along the way. One thing is certain: I will never replace the red, white, and blue strap!

MN Twins Biggest Fan Turns 1

Cake, presents, and the Twins-Indians game on TV.

Bodie's Almost A Year Old

It's exciting, this thing called fatherhood.

I was working in the backyard on Saturday and a father and his son were working on baseball skills. The kid was wearing all the gear and the father really knew what he was talking about. They warmed-up with a medicine-type ball and then did hitting and throwing drills. It was fun to watch and hear some of the great advice, instruction, and praise being given and I really look forward to the day Bodie and I begin working on baseball skills.

But, life is not just about looking forward to things, it is about enjoying the things that are happening right now. My time with Bodie is spent stacking blocks, playing with his animal train, and reading books. Watching Bodie learn basic skills is a blast. He can put together about 2 1/2 steps now and he beams when he does it! These moments, this year, are flying by and I make sure to pay attention because I know that in just a few blinks of the eye we will be out back practicing throwing a baseball.

On Friday we leave for Joshua Tree National Park, one of my favorite places, for Bodie's first camping trip. Claudia, Angela, and Nico will join us for some rockclimbing, hiking, off-roading, stargazing, and, of course, stories around the campfire. It's going to be a great weekend. Claudia, Kristi, Bodie, and I did a practice run last Friday night at McGrath State Beach, about five miles from our house. It took Bodie a little longer to fall asleep, but once he did he slept through the night.

Perfect Duluth House

Here's what we have so far:

Congdon neighborhood, attached garage, main floor laundry, porch/deck, office/library, formal dining room, 4 or more bedrooms, not on a main street.

Kristi wants to add 1-story, but that eliminates most of the historic homes, which are my favorites.

The house pictured probably doesn't have a main floor laundry or attached garage and is on a main street (Superior Street). I think I could compromise!

Minnesota Trip

Bodie will make his first trip to Minnesota June 9th.

We decided it would be easier to leave from the Oxnard airport even though we could take a non-stop from LAX. Oxnard Airport is about five miles from our house, LAX is about 60; we can easily get a ride to Oxnard, but would have to drive and park at LAX; Oxnard security should be pretty quick, LAX takes a while. So what are we giving up? A non-stop flight from LAX. Instead, we fly from Oxnard to LAX, LAX to Denver, and Denver to Minneapolis. I think it will work out better, but I'll let you know!

We haven't planned all the details yet, but here's what I know: Minneapolis, Bayfield, and Duluth are our destinations. We hope to walk around Lake Harriet, eat cheese curds, see a Twins game, go to the Duluth Zoo, go to the Duluth Aquarium, walk the Lakewalk, visit Canal Park, see a Duluth Huskies game, and take the ferry to Madeline Island. We want to visit my friends Fawn, David, and Chris, and Grandpa Jeff. Oh yeah, Kristi will run Grandma's Marathon on June 16th!

I hope we find some time to house hunt in Duluth. Bodie will never be a hockey player growing up in Oxnard!

The Idiot Box Is Back

We lasted about three months without TV, but now we're back! Goodbye reading and nice conversations. Hello Survivor and Flip That House!

As part of the incentive package to sign-up again (re-sign up?), we were given a DVR. Pretty cool. Now I can watch Little People Big World without the commercials. That Matt Rolhoff! He's crazy!

Here's what's on my DVR so far:

Little People Big World
The Office
House Hunters
Flip That House
Shark
Several movies from IFC

Race Report: 2/4/07 Ventura 5K

My alarm woke me at 6:30 a.m. and I had to make my choice -- go run the Ventura 5K or go downstairs, eat some Cheerios, open a beer, and start watching the 8 hour Super Bowl pre-game show. I quickly decided I had seen enough fluff pieces on football players and I didn't want to hear the overanalysis of the Colts-Bears game. But, the Cheerios and beer sounded good. So, I compromised.

After my Cheerios and beer, Kristi and I made our way to Westpark in Ventura. She would run the half-marathon with her friend Rita and I would run the 5K and then position myself .3 miles out to shout encouragment to her as she finished. I was trying to ease back into running and not make my old mistake of training too hard too soon. So, I had spent every other day in January running either a 5K loop or a 4.2 loop at a moderate pace.

We parked, registered, and met up with my friend Matt who would run the half-marathon. Matt's 24 and is training for L.A. in March. Although an athlete, he had never run a competitive race. Rita showed up ten minutes before the start to register. Usually she would've been a few minutes late, so this was good. I had to admire Rita's bravery/craziness. Kristi had told her of the run on Wednesday and she said "I'll do it." She had not run in the past two months although she was on the cardio machine at the gym last week for 10-20 minutes! I couldn't wait to see what'd happen.

The half-marathoners started first shortly after 8:00. It was good to see a few Rinconers in the group.

The 5K started 15 minutes later. During that time I ran keys, gloves, and sweatshirts back to the car and did a short warm-up jog. I was apprehensive. Running a 5K when my longest run in the past month had been 4.2 miles wasn't my idea of good training. But, I reminded myself that I was here to have fun and see what I could do without pushing too hard.

The 5K drew about 90 runners and when the gun went off I went with the lead group. Within a half-mile the group had broken into two and I was in the back of the second group. At the turn-around the packs were gone and the runners were mostly alone or in groups of 2 or 3. It was the roomiest 5K I had ever run! My split at the turn-around was 12:19, I felt tired, and I didn't think I could keep the pace. My closest competitor was about 30 yards ahead and running consistently so I decided to just try to stay with him. I did, and finished at 24:35.

Matt ran a 1:39:XX half-marathon. Ahhh, youth. I'm not even sure he was wearing running shoes! Kristi can tell you her results in her report. Rita finished before the awards ceremony started and then went to work waitressing at Rookies in Ventura. So, my accomplishments for the day paled compared to others'!

Now, I know what you're thinking -- it took me longer to read this race report than it took you to run the race. True, but I had to do something while I was waiting for the Super Bowl to start!

Book Review: Class Action: The Story Of Lois Jenson And The Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law

This is the book upon which the movie North Country is based. I recommend both.

The book is well-written and a quick read. The story of the legal case is balanced well with the story of the women involved in the lawsuit. The authors had access to a lot of information, but the defense lawyers did not agree to be interviewed so their strategies can only be gleaned by the publicly-available documents and transcripts. Thus, when compared to A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr (an excellent legal book by which I judge all others), where Mr. Harr had total access to plaintiff and defense, the story is incomplete. Given the nature of the case, sexual harassment, versus the nature of the case in A Civil Action, environmental torts, the loss is not that great though. In A Civil Action the legal issue was the cause-and-effect relationship between ground water contamination and the diseases the residents developed. Reading Class Action there seems to be no real issue that there was a hostile work environment. In fact, it is shocking nearly to the point of unbelievability to read about the abuses the women suffered. An interview with the defense attorney, therefore, is not going to add much to that part of the story.

This story, like many others, reminds you that our legal system is inherently imperfect and reactionary. Although the women ultimately "won" their case, they had much more taken from them than money could ever repay.

Book Report

Right now I'm reading The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote. It's a three-volume series and I'm about 1/3 through volume 1. So far, so good.

In the queue: Supreme Conflict by Jan Crawford Greenburg, Pride Of The Inland Seas: An Illustrated History Of The Port Of Duluth-Superior by Bill Beck, and The Planets by Dava Sobel.

Usually I'm a fiction reader, but I'm going through a non-fiction phase.

Pasadena Report

Ethel Sherard Cannon Celebrity Tournament
Pasadena City College
Louis Creveling Lounge
Pasadena, California
January 21, 2007

Game 1 vs. Tom Titus

A poor start to the tournament. Mostly small, bad plays by me and then I wasn't able to find a bingo despite some decent-looking racks. On turn 9 I finally played TONnAGE for 68 but Tom's JESSE for 83 had put me in a big hole. When Tom played cREOLINE* on turn 10 for 74 I was behind 175-318 and afraid to challenge so I didn't. Tom's a quick player and this was my first tournament game in over a year so I had time trouble: I went over by 48 seconds. The only power tile I got was a blank. I feel very rusty.

274-470
0-1 -196

It's no fun to start any tournament, much less a 7-game tournament, with a spread of -196.

Game 2 vs. Don Austin

Got a blank on my second draw, but couldn't find a bingo until turn 8. I played TETRaDS which was quickly challenged. I had hooked the S to FOH and now I was sure FOHS was no good. Don wisely challenged both TETRaDS and FOHS so when the play came back unacceptable I started doubting TETRaDS also. Surprisingly, Don opened the board up with WIRE allowing me to play STaRTED hooking the D on WIRE. I tried to keep it tight from then on resulting in a low-scoring game although Don did play INSnARE late in the game. It wasn't quite enough for him.

328-316
1-1 -184

Game 3 vs. Anita Sy

Anita is a kind, quiet lady who smiles and says nice things while she's beating you! I recorded my racks so I was able to replay this game on Quackle. Wow! I missed a bunch of bingos. Anita played RAVINEs on turn 3 while I again sat with a blank on my rack trying to find bingos. After playing LAWINEs for 66 and EX for 56 I was down 191-204 but felt I could win the game. My next two racks changed that: IOOORSU (exchanged 000U) followed by IIRRSUY (exchanged IIRUY). Meanwhile, Anita kept making nice plays and it was now 201-266. Late in the game I think she purposely didn't block a bingo lane just to make me feel better. I bingoed out with STAINER for 65, which was not even close to enough. My tracking and rack recording were 100% though and I had 4:16 left on my clock.

307-390
1-2 -267

Lunch

After the tournament-provided Subway box lunch, I called home to check on Kristi and Bodie and report on the morning's action. I hope the little guy takes up Scrabble one day!

Game 4 vs. Margy Slavin

To reach my goal of winning 4 games, I know I have to win 3 of the 4 afternoon games -- not an easy task! Margy Slavin IS Southern California intermediate Scrabble. She doesn't study, she plays. She's been playing a while. We get off to a good start with strong plays and after six turns it's 150-154. I feel good. The rest of the game is not good for me though. Margy plays OXEYE and SCAbIES while I have a few bingos I can't play. I sputter out. I blame my scoresheet and decide to use different scoresheets for the next 3 games.

287-371
1-3 -351

Game 5 vs. Joe Clark

The new scoresheets work much better! After JIVED and MAZE I play UPRAIsE on turn 3 and I'm up 135-82. This is more like it! Later, Joe plays UNCASED and suddenly I'm down 262-283. But I have good tiles and am able to play ReTINAL for 72 in a tight spot. I get a few more good tiles, a few more good plays and it's over. Five games into the tournament it finally felt like I was playing Scrabble.

453-340
2-3 -238

Game 6 vs. Mollie Braverman

My friend and nemesis. I played Mollie at my first tournament ever - Pasadena in 1994. She beat me then and I can't remember ever beating her in a club or tournament game since. I'm due. It's a good game with good plays on each side. On turn 10 I play TRIAGED and Mollie plays NEedIEST. I lead 293-281. Mollie then plays SPECTURE* which I successfully challenge. I get big plays from the J and X to seal my first victory against Mollie.

425-340
3-3 -153

Game 7 vs. Emilie Pandolfi

I really want to win this game and go 4-3 for the tournament. On her second turn Emilie plays FLOWY* for 43 and I don't even think about challenging it. Now I have to add high-point 5-letter words to my study list! I respond with DINErOS for 72 and two turns later play DISRAtE for 72. DISRAtE makes a hook spot for Emilie to play METERED for 83 and then EX for 52. This isn't looking good. In the middle I get some no-go bingos and make crappy little set-up plays that don't pan out. At the end I play GRAZE for 48 and am down 25 points with KNST on my rack and Emilie holding AEFGINT. I actually feel hopeful: if she ignores an obvious spot and makes a really bad play I can go out with KENTS* and if she doesn't challenge it I win the game! But she's no dummy. She takes her time, tracks the tiles and makes the clear play. Sigh.

349-419
3-4 -223

My Bingos

TONnAGE
STaRTED
LAWINEs
STAINER
UPRAIsE
ReTINAL
TRIAGED
DINErOS
DISRAtE

Congratulations to my friend Jay Hillis on his 4th place finish in the Intermediate Division.

Pasadena Preview

Six days to Pasadena.

I've been studying using the Cardbox mode on Zyzzyva and it's a great learning tool. First, I quiz myself on a word list, say 4-5 letter X words. Then, I save the words I missed to the cardbox and it takes it from there. The more often I get a word correct, the longer it is until I am quizzed on it again. So, if I get XENIA correct today I won't be quizzed on it again for 2-4 days. If I get it correct again in 2-4 days, then it'll be even longer before I'm quizzed on it. If I miss it, I get quizzed on it the next day.

Just make sure you don't load up the cardbox with too many words or you will never be able to get through a day's quizzing.

So, here's my pre-tourney assessment:

WORD KNOWLEDGE: C+. As I get back into studying, I'm amazed at how many Bingos I remember, but my recollection of other words is spotty. My 3s and 4s are weak (C-); my JQXZs are good (B+); my vowel dumps are fair (C+).

STRATEGY: C-. I just don't have my board vision back yet.

GAME READINESS: C+. Just like there is no substitute for word knowledge, there is no substitue for real-world game experience. In the last year I've mostly played against Quackle. That helps with strategy, analysis, and word recall, but it hurts time management and tracking. When I played at Club 357 in Carlsbad on January 6th my tracking was solid, but I wasn't able to record my racks. Also, I did feel some time pressure even though I never went over on time.

So, I've set some realistic goals for this tournament:

1. Track tiles
2. Record all racks/plays
3. Play each rack
4. Win 4 games
5. Have fun

I'm in the 3rd division out of 4 with a ratings spread from 1100 - 1399. I am rated 1111 so I will mostly be playing higher-rated players, which is my preference. Given where I'm at, it will be difficult to win 4 games, but I think it's possible.

Stay tuned for my tournament report.

Board Options

There are several options for your Scrabble board needs. REMEMBER, you need a rotating board (sometimes called a Scrabble Deluxe board), NOT a flat board.

FOR THE CHEAPIES: Dig around a closet, attic, or basement at your house or a friend's house and you have a 64% chance of finding a Scrabble Deluxe game set circa 1976, probably with a ligth blue base. I have one of these. This will do.

FOR THE BUDGET CONSCIOUS: Go to Target and buy a new Scrabble Deluxe game set.

IF MONEY IS NO OPTION: Order a custom board from any of the approximately five people in the U.S. who make boards. Here's an example.

IF YOU ARE HANDY: Make your own custom board. I've made two and I have one more in the works before I permanently retire from board-making.

Some advice. This is an important Scrabble rule: you shouldn't spend your time worrying what others think about you. BUT, you need to work into a custom board slowly. You do not want to show up for your first club game or tournament with a brand-spanking-new $200 custom board and then lose all of your games. This is known as ALL BOARD NO GAME. At the same time, you do not want to show up with an old Deluxe board that barely spins and is still in its original box which is falling apart and has slips of paper in it documenting old games between your Aunt Maddy and Uncle Larry.

The Essentials, cont.

It is also essential to learn the following words as soon as possible:

1. All two-letter words
2. All three-letter words
3. All J,Q,X, and Z words to five-letters long
4. Vowel dumps to five-letters long
5. The top 10 seven-letter stems

To learn these words, and many others, I recommend the program Zyzzyva. I'll post a link to the Zyzzyva website.

The Essentials

If you want to get into tournament Scrabble you need the following:

1. Rotating Scrabble board
2. Tournament tiles
3. Racks (I prefer extra-long)
4. Game clock (I have an Adjudicator)
5. Scoresheets with tracking area
6. Pen/pencil
7. Clipboard
8. Official Tournament And Club Word List, Second Edition (OWL)
9. NSA Membership
10. Rulebook

It is essential to know everything there is to know about the game itself and be able to remember it at any moment. For example, I should be able to shake you out of a deep sleep at 3 a.m. and get correct answers to the following questions (which I would YELL at you):

1. How many Ts are in a Scrabble set?
2. What is the procedure if you overdraw 1 tile and have already put the new tiles on your rack?
3. How many double-word squares are there on a Scrabble board?

Back To Scrabble

Okay, this is where I'm at.

I only played one Scrabble tourney in 2006 and that was Pasadena in January. I can't say I planned to play in just one tournament, but I knew I would be busy first getting the nursery ready and then with Bodie, so I didn't expect to play in many tournaments in 2006.

But it's 2007 now and I want to get back into it a bit this year. Nothing big planned, just some local tournaments and some word study.

I'm signed up for Pasadena, which is a one-day, seven game tourney on January 21st. I'm just doing some brushing up on my word study until then, but I did get a chance to play in my old Carlsbad club last Saturday.

It was fun to be back in it. I went 3-1 with a 380-something average and a 2 bingo/game average. I tracked 100% on all my games but really felt the crunch of the clock even though I didn't go over in any of my games. Still, despite my tracking, I made some bad end-game plays. I also made some bad mid-game plays, especially setting up come-back plays for opponents.

I was not able to track all my racks though and that makes it impossible to do a post-game analysis with Quackle, which is essential, in my humble opinion, to improving your game.

I felt good with bingo racks and my 2 bingo/game average, but my short word knowledge suffers. I got away with a phony, TUM, which was a hook play, and nearly played GUP* but played PUG for fewer points because I couldn't remember if GUP* was good or not. When my word study starts in earnest after the Pasadena tourney I am going to get those 3s and 4s down!

For bingos I played CIGARET, UNHEATED, SEXiEST, STORIES, tRIVIAL, TIRADES, DESTINE, and TARdIES.