Tag Archives: Scrabble

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Dale Woods adds to my Bucket List

YorktownMy last post generated an email from a former traveling companion, who may be the best customer service guy in the travel biz, my pal, Dale. He sent me a link to an online brochure about a Mississippi Cruise in the spring of 2013. Looks absolutely fabulous: Springtime on the Mississippi.  This is a small ship adventure through the deep south on Old Man River. How romantic is that?

I love small ship cruising. My first cruise was aboard a small ship, 109 passengers out of Seattle bound for the Inside Passage and the small ports of Alaska. All my touring in the polar regions was on small ships. I’ve never sailed on a ship that carried more than 110 passengers. I’m not a midnight buffet and gambling kind of cruiser. I prefer a game of Scrabble in a lounge with a fabulous cocktail with people who are about to become lifelong friends. I love the intimacy of a guest lecturer who shares your table for breakfast – or lunch – or dinner. Conversation is in fashion on a small ship.

The Yorktown looks like my kind of vessel. The itinerary is just my style. Thanks Dale, you just added to my travel bucket list.

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Scrabble Players – the vowelless universe just got bigger!

Confession: No one will play Scrabble with me. I haven’t played Scrabble with a human being from the same gene pool since December 2009 [in Antarctica!]. I play with myself – online.

I know why, I must resort to robotic opponents. I take the game too seriously. I know all the 2 letter words, the q words that don’t need a u…and the words without vowels. Although my fundamental belief is that competition is evil – I am a competitive Scrabble player. Intervention may be required.

The Oxford English Dictionary has expanded the lexicon to include OMG, FYI, and LOL. If only the official Scrabble dictionary would follow suit. The fourth new word that means absolutely nothing to me – but I’ll use it – is WAG. That term began as an abbreviation of wives and girlfriends in reference to soccer players. Coined in ’02, it was commonly understood by ’06.

Anyone up for a game?

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One Trick Pony

KK in the Weddell Sea: Peter Guttman
KK in the Weddell Sea: Peter Guttman

Let There Be Blood was a film starring Daniel Day-Lewis that was marketed as a one-trick pony – Lewis’ performance. A traveling acquaintance suggested it was a film worth watching, because of the performance. I never took his advice, because when I watch a  film – there has to be more to it than a performance. I don’t like one-trick-pony films. Cinematography is great…but. Sound track is the highlight.

Yet, I’m a one-trick-pony when it comes to board games. I play Scrabble – that’s it. Nothing else. I can play it for hours and have online against robots. I’ve been thinking about taking my portable Scrabble game with me for days at sea. There is a game on board Khelbnikov, but I’m so obssessed, I would count the tiles to make sure none were lost. OK decision made. I’ll not subject the rest of the guests to my obssessive behaviour.