Sunday afternoon I attended a new Scrabble club for the first time. The Atlanta Sunday Scrabble Meetup is much more competitive club than the Kennesaw group I have been attending. The try to abide by the official rules of the North American Scrabble Player's Association which includes the use of clocks.
This group meets at Oz Pizza in East Point. I did not try any pizza as I was stuffed from a after church meal with my family. I arrived early and waited for the restaurant to open. As the the door was unlocked the group organizer Artis got out of her car with a satchel. After some introductions and instructions I was paired with a fellow named Bright to play my first Scrabble game on the clock.
It was a little intimidating at first to use the clock. Each player gets a total of 25 minutes to complete all his turns before incurring penalty. You make your play, announce your score, and then hit the clock stopping your time and starting the clock for your opponent. Each of you keeps track of the game score.
On Bright's fourth play, he got a bingo. A bingo is a word that uses all the letters on your rack and you awarded a 50 point bonus. "What had I gotten myself into?" I wondered. But then a few plays later I played my first bingo ever in real life - ZEALOUS through the top center triple word score for a total of 105 points on one play. What an amazing rush! In the hundreds of games I have played online, I think I have only had three 100+ point plays, so to get one in my first time in an official type setting was quite enthralling.
After my bingo I was able to extend my lead and won that game by the score of 382-318. While we played our first game, other people had arrived and started games so we played another game with each other. In the second game Bright bingoed twice and won 378-331. Bright played quickly and we finished our second game around the time the others finished their first. Then we exchanged opponents.
Now I was paired against Phyllis who I later learned has been playing in tournaments for over 20 years. She offered to give me help. She went first and then I played the bingo TRAILING on my first turn. She then withdrew her offer to help me find points. Phyllis was tracking tiles - writing down each word played and crossing the letters off a list. I went on to lose the game 416-366.
For my next game I was paired against Delbra. We did not have a clock for this game as not enough people have one. This was my first game of the evening when I could not achieve rack balance between consonants and vowels. I struggled and was beaten soundly 437-288. It was also during this game that I realized that the restaurant was a bit on the warm side.
Next I played JJ. I learned that she had played in one tournament but did not think she would try that again. I got to open our game together and played the bingo DEMOTEE. I wasn't sure if it was a word or not, but I figured I would take the risk since it was the opening play. JJ did not challenge, but as she started to lay her tiles down she realized that she had misread my word, but it was too late. I wound up losing the game 360-306.
After my first game with JJ, some folks left. We decided to play another game with each other. It was during this game that I played my fourth bingo of the night - ARCSINES. I won this game 360-310.
I went 2-4 with 4 bingos my first time playing in this type of environment. I was pleased with the competition and pleased with my results. I realized that I need to really learn the two and three letter word lists in order to achieve greater success at this game. I am looking forward to next time.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Razor Sharp
This weekend I got a new razor. If you are not aware of the fact, I tend to push the useful life of items as long as I can under the banner of frugality. I usually don't start using a new razor or blade until I perceive the quality of my shave has diminished. Shave quality has two primary components: the smoothness of my face afterward and the comfort provided during the process.
The odd thing about waiting so long to change razors is that there is such a profound difference between the quality of the last shave with an old blade and the first shave with a new one that I wonder why did I not change earlier. However, it is hard to perceive the difference in quality on a day to day basis. I know that it will only get worse each day, but that imperceptible daily difference eventually results in me doing this daily activity with much greater effort with worse results than it should.
I think that life in general is somewhat like this. We go through our daily activities over and over, each day dulling the sharpness of our souls until we are putting forth much more effort with worse results than we should tolerate yet we might not even realize it. We must make a conscious effort to renew ourselves in order to get the most out of our lives.
I am reminded of Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The 7th habit is Sharpen the Saw. It is something I definitely need to work on.
The odd thing about waiting so long to change razors is that there is such a profound difference between the quality of the last shave with an old blade and the first shave with a new one that I wonder why did I not change earlier. However, it is hard to perceive the difference in quality on a day to day basis. I know that it will only get worse each day, but that imperceptible daily difference eventually results in me doing this daily activity with much greater effort with worse results than it should.
I think that life in general is somewhat like this. We go through our daily activities over and over, each day dulling the sharpness of our souls until we are putting forth much more effort with worse results than we should tolerate yet we might not even realize it. We must make a conscious effort to renew ourselves in order to get the most out of our lives.
I am reminded of Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The 7th habit is Sharpen the Saw. It is something I definitely need to work on.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Draw Me Close
Last night at church June Evans taught on seeking God. To me this message served as a reminder of a truth that God had revealed to me several years ago as I was driving to work. I still remember the exact spot on the highway where He showed this to me.
I was singing the worship song "Draw Me Close to You" when I felt like God asked me, "What more do you want me to do Preston? I gave my only Son so that the world could be close to me. The veil into my presence is removed. My Spirit lives within you. How much closer can I get?"
It hit me like a ton of bricks that when I don't feel close to God, then I need to examine myself. God hasn't gone anywhere. It must be me that is distracted from seeing that truth. God doesn't manipulate us into a relationship with Him. We have a choice. James 4:8 reads "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." God has already done His part. We just need to receive Him.
I was singing the worship song "Draw Me Close to You" when I felt like God asked me, "What more do you want me to do Preston? I gave my only Son so that the world could be close to me. The veil into my presence is removed. My Spirit lives within you. How much closer can I get?"
It hit me like a ton of bricks that when I don't feel close to God, then I need to examine myself. God hasn't gone anywhere. It must be me that is distracted from seeing that truth. God doesn't manipulate us into a relationship with Him. We have a choice. James 4:8 reads "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." God has already done His part. We just need to receive Him.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The Carnivore Challenge
Last night I made my second visit to Big Pie in the Sky. This pizzeria has what they call the Carnivore Challenge. Two people get one hour to eat a 30 inch, 11 pound all meat pizza to win a cash prize. They are proud of the fact that it has been featured on the Travel Channel show Man V. Food.
I thought maybe I might could pull off this feat. I am a big guy and I love to eat. I ordered a slice of the Carnivore pizza to get a taste of the pizza. After just a few bites I knew that there was no way I could attempt such a thing. The meat on this pizza was cured to the point it would survive a trip across the Atlantic on the Mayflower: salt cured ham, salt cured bacon, salty and spicy pepperoni, spicy sausage. I also had problems keeping the meat on my slice. It was just piled up loosely with very little cheese. I had to drink plenty of sweet tea just to wash it down.
Later in the evening a pair of young, athletic looking men did attempt the Carnivore Challenge. They started off quickly stuffing the pizza into their faces. As I kept glancing in their direction I noticed their pace quickly declining. I walked by their table when their pizza was about 2/3 gone and noticed one of the fellows had that glassy look in his eyes. Just a few moments later he bolted out the front door and his companion followed. They returned several minutes later to box up the remains of their failed challenge.
And just in case you are wondering, I won both Scrabble games I played.
I thought maybe I might could pull off this feat. I am a big guy and I love to eat. I ordered a slice of the Carnivore pizza to get a taste of the pizza. After just a few bites I knew that there was no way I could attempt such a thing. The meat on this pizza was cured to the point it would survive a trip across the Atlantic on the Mayflower: salt cured ham, salt cured bacon, salty and spicy pepperoni, spicy sausage. I also had problems keeping the meat on my slice. It was just piled up loosely with very little cheese. I had to drink plenty of sweet tea just to wash it down.
Later in the evening a pair of young, athletic looking men did attempt the Carnivore Challenge. They started off quickly stuffing the pizza into their faces. As I kept glancing in their direction I noticed their pace quickly declining. I walked by their table when their pizza was about 2/3 gone and noticed one of the fellows had that glassy look in his eyes. Just a few moments later he bolted out the front door and his companion followed. They returned several minutes later to box up the remains of their failed challenge.
And just in case you are wondering, I won both Scrabble games I played.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Second Scrabble Group Experience
Last night I made my second appearance at the Kennesaw Scrabble Meetup Group. This meeting was held at the House of Brews Coffee Cafe, a new coffee house on Highway 41 in Kennesaw. I was not as impressed with this facility as I was with the previous venue.
I arrived a little before the appointed time of 7:00 in order to make a food and beverage purchase. I walked in with someone whose face I recognized from last time, but not their name. I passed on the $8 sandwiches and just got a frozen caramel mocha while we waited for others to arrive.
Soon enough we get started and break into two games of four people each. Once again I am seated to the right of the New Yorker. Her name is Maddy as I learned. Across from me sits Christy who holds a degree in physiology and a master's in public administration and yet she has worked for twelve years as a firefighter. To my right is Tracy, a young phlebotomist.
All of the players at our table are good. I draw the J and Q late figuring correctly that I will only have two more turns. I manage to play both for decent points and surprisingly come out the winner. Our table finishes our game at a similar time as the other table, but we decide to stay put and not switch.
The second game is just as close as the first. After the bag is emptied, I play a six letter word to ensure that I will go out next turn. I manage to go out and the added points from my opponents once again puts me in first place. A few people leave, but a mother with two teenage daughters has shown up to play. From our table Tracy is replace with Susan. Susan and Maddy seem to be very good friends and equals as scrabble players.
In the third game Christy races out to an early lead, but then she starts playing defensively which I believe is a mistake in a multiplayer game. The other players alternate big scores with small ones while I seem to be consistently scoring in the 20s with each turn. Susan gets the X played on double letter in two directions late to take a nice lead. I hold the blank, I & R on my last hand down by 22 points to Susan. She has 5 tiles still on her rack so I know that I really only need to score 13 to win if I go out. And go out I did victoriously.
Three games, three wins for me against equal competition. I am liking this.
I arrived a little before the appointed time of 7:00 in order to make a food and beverage purchase. I walked in with someone whose face I recognized from last time, but not their name. I passed on the $8 sandwiches and just got a frozen caramel mocha while we waited for others to arrive.
Soon enough we get started and break into two games of four people each. Once again I am seated to the right of the New Yorker. Her name is Maddy as I learned. Across from me sits Christy who holds a degree in physiology and a master's in public administration and yet she has worked for twelve years as a firefighter. To my right is Tracy, a young phlebotomist.
All of the players at our table are good. I draw the J and Q late figuring correctly that I will only have two more turns. I manage to play both for decent points and surprisingly come out the winner. Our table finishes our game at a similar time as the other table, but we decide to stay put and not switch.
The second game is just as close as the first. After the bag is emptied, I play a six letter word to ensure that I will go out next turn. I manage to go out and the added points from my opponents once again puts me in first place. A few people leave, but a mother with two teenage daughters has shown up to play. From our table Tracy is replace with Susan. Susan and Maddy seem to be very good friends and equals as scrabble players.
In the third game Christy races out to an early lead, but then she starts playing defensively which I believe is a mistake in a multiplayer game. The other players alternate big scores with small ones while I seem to be consistently scoring in the 20s with each turn. Susan gets the X played on double letter in two directions late to take a nice lead. I hold the blank, I & R on my last hand down by 22 points to Susan. She has 5 tiles still on her rack so I know that I really only need to score 13 to win if I go out. And go out I did victoriously.
Three games, three wins for me against equal competition. I am liking this.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
My First Scrabble Club Experience
Last night I attended my first Scrabble club meeting. Yes, there are such things! I didn't realize there were six months ago either.
I found out about the club meeting just that same morning. I decided to attend out of curiosity as much as anything. I almost chickened out though at the last minute. I am not one who usually does spontaneous things, nor do I often freely choose to do things that are inherently social, much less alone.
The club meets on the second Tuesday of the month at Big Pie in the Sky in Kennesaw. I parked outside and asked myself if I really wanted to do this. I knew no one there. How would I recognize the Scrabble club? What if no one was there yet? I set my fears aside and walked in the door.
I saw a couple of scrabble games laying on the second table from the door. At the third table were four ladies of varying ages. My eyes scanned around the restaurant. A family here, a couple on a date there, this must be the club. I stopped at the table and asked if they were here for the Scrabble club. Yes, they were.
After quick introductions to those seated, I was invited to go order some food from the counter and pull up a chair. A couple of them already had a slice of pizza. And by slice I mean a triangular shaped piece of pizza that was about 15 inches long and 10 inches wide at the crust. I place an order for a slice of supreme and make myself a drink and pull up a chair to the table.
Over the next several minutes a few more people show up and my giant slice arrives. The crust is extremely thin and crisp. The pizza is more like a heaping of meat and vegetables on a giant cracker. I am forced to eat it with a knife and fork out of necessity.
Someone holds out a hand with tiles and asks me to pick one. I draw an I. I am told that the I's are to play together on an adjacent table. They have decided to play 3 games of 3 people each. I pick up my huge aluminum pizza tray and move to the next table where I am joined by two women. We elect to finish our pizza slices before commencing with our game. Well, I finish mine anyway. They just quit eating and place the rest in a box.
Our table has a very nice game board. The kind with the built in turntable and plastic seats for the tiles. Each rack has the tile distribution printed on it. The tiles are in a cloth bag. The other tables are stuck with the more common boards.
I am seated on one side of the table with two ladies across from me. I know I was introduced to them when I first walked in, but I cannot remember their names now. About a third of the way through the game I ask them to repeat their names. Elizabeth is the tannest natural redhead I have ever seen in my life. She has been teaching swimming lessons since her summer started. Directly across from me is Nicole, a young African American. These ladies are both teachers and spend most of the game discussing that subject with each other.
About halfway through the game Nicole gets a phone call and shortly thereafter a woman enters and hands her a book. She explains that it is a book written by a woman to help women understand and converse about sports. She is attending an NBA finals watching party on Thursday and wants to be prepared.
I don't remember much about the game itself, except that I win. The game progresses very much like a game with my family would. I play the most unfamiliar word and am questioned about it but not challenged.
After all three tables finish our first game, one of the player leaves. We now redivide into two games of four players each for a second game. Elizabeth leaves to join another table and Nicole and I are joined by Daphne and another woman whose name I did not remember. I do remember however her New York accent.
I get to go first on this game and then the New Yorker, Nicole, and Daphne in that order. Daphne sets me up for a nice triple word score to take a lead. I have quickly ascertained that the New Yorker is the most experienced scrabbler at the table. She shows me her rack of all vowels and asks me what I would do. I say I would swap and she does so.
After a few turns, my rack becomes not so desirable and all my best plays set up possible triple word plays for someone with an S. I decide to do that anyway. Big mistake. The New Yorker has not only an S, but she is able to play QUITS on triple word score. I rue that I didn't play my second option, but she still would have had QIS on triple word score.
Daphne has set up another triple word score but I am hurting for playable letters and dump two vowels elsewhere. The New Yorker makes big on another triple word score and my lead has evaporated. I manage to go out first, but even catching the Z on Nicole's rack does not make up the difference and I finish second to the New Yorker.
While we are playing the second game, a customer walks out through the double doors with the largest pizza box I have ever seen in my life. She had to use both doors because the box was so large. I would love to have seen the pizza itself sitting on a table in front of me.
All in all it was a very enjoyable evening and I look forward to the next one.
I found out about the club meeting just that same morning. I decided to attend out of curiosity as much as anything. I almost chickened out though at the last minute. I am not one who usually does spontaneous things, nor do I often freely choose to do things that are inherently social, much less alone.
The club meets on the second Tuesday of the month at Big Pie in the Sky in Kennesaw. I parked outside and asked myself if I really wanted to do this. I knew no one there. How would I recognize the Scrabble club? What if no one was there yet? I set my fears aside and walked in the door.
I saw a couple of scrabble games laying on the second table from the door. At the third table were four ladies of varying ages. My eyes scanned around the restaurant. A family here, a couple on a date there, this must be the club. I stopped at the table and asked if they were here for the Scrabble club. Yes, they were.
After quick introductions to those seated, I was invited to go order some food from the counter and pull up a chair. A couple of them already had a slice of pizza. And by slice I mean a triangular shaped piece of pizza that was about 15 inches long and 10 inches wide at the crust. I place an order for a slice of supreme and make myself a drink and pull up a chair to the table.
Over the next several minutes a few more people show up and my giant slice arrives. The crust is extremely thin and crisp. The pizza is more like a heaping of meat and vegetables on a giant cracker. I am forced to eat it with a knife and fork out of necessity.
Someone holds out a hand with tiles and asks me to pick one. I draw an I. I am told that the I's are to play together on an adjacent table. They have decided to play 3 games of 3 people each. I pick up my huge aluminum pizza tray and move to the next table where I am joined by two women. We elect to finish our pizza slices before commencing with our game. Well, I finish mine anyway. They just quit eating and place the rest in a box.
Our table has a very nice game board. The kind with the built in turntable and plastic seats for the tiles. Each rack has the tile distribution printed on it. The tiles are in a cloth bag. The other tables are stuck with the more common boards.
I am seated on one side of the table with two ladies across from me. I know I was introduced to them when I first walked in, but I cannot remember their names now. About a third of the way through the game I ask them to repeat their names. Elizabeth is the tannest natural redhead I have ever seen in my life. She has been teaching swimming lessons since her summer started. Directly across from me is Nicole, a young African American. These ladies are both teachers and spend most of the game discussing that subject with each other.
About halfway through the game Nicole gets a phone call and shortly thereafter a woman enters and hands her a book. She explains that it is a book written by a woman to help women understand and converse about sports. She is attending an NBA finals watching party on Thursday and wants to be prepared.
I don't remember much about the game itself, except that I win. The game progresses very much like a game with my family would. I play the most unfamiliar word and am questioned about it but not challenged.
After all three tables finish our first game, one of the player leaves. We now redivide into two games of four players each for a second game. Elizabeth leaves to join another table and Nicole and I are joined by Daphne and another woman whose name I did not remember. I do remember however her New York accent.
I get to go first on this game and then the New Yorker, Nicole, and Daphne in that order. Daphne sets me up for a nice triple word score to take a lead. I have quickly ascertained that the New Yorker is the most experienced scrabbler at the table. She shows me her rack of all vowels and asks me what I would do. I say I would swap and she does so.
After a few turns, my rack becomes not so desirable and all my best plays set up possible triple word plays for someone with an S. I decide to do that anyway. Big mistake. The New Yorker has not only an S, but she is able to play QUITS on triple word score. I rue that I didn't play my second option, but she still would have had QIS on triple word score.
Daphne has set up another triple word score but I am hurting for playable letters and dump two vowels elsewhere. The New Yorker makes big on another triple word score and my lead has evaporated. I manage to go out first, but even catching the Z on Nicole's rack does not make up the difference and I finish second to the New Yorker.
While we are playing the second game, a customer walks out through the double doors with the largest pizza box I have ever seen in my life. She had to use both doors because the box was so large. I would love to have seen the pizza itself sitting on a table in front of me.
All in all it was a very enjoyable evening and I look forward to the next one.
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