From: MBaron1949@aol.com
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 1997 16:36:22 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Reno reflections
Message-id: <970715163528_-1977526921@emout04.mail.aol.com>
CGPers:
Johnny Nevarez, Rick Wong, and the other many helpers are to be congratulated once again for another superb job of organizing and overseeing a perennially wonderful event. Now if we could just get the hotel to become a smoke-free environment.
Did I hear someone mutter "Fluke!" when first place was decided with two rounds to go? ;) But seriously, 23-8 and now the number 1 OSPD ranking ain't too shabby, Joel. Congratch. And kudos to Jim Kramer's great 2nd place showing following his WSC alternate berth earned in MN, where the MOOSES roam, and the skies are not cloudy some days.
The fewer tournaments I attend, the more I relish each game. But after going 9-1 to start, finishing 15.5-15.5 (including an 8-game loss streak after a thai game with a Thai guy in round 11, while left with relish, where was the HOTDOG? No doubt, at the table where AEFILLOT was re-sequenced. Mind you, I got to play HOTDOG[S] versus Karen Merrill, but I dared dump 6 tiles with TRUNNEL, one short of column O, only to see her INV[I]TES come down upon it. Speaking of BONEHEAD, why in all these years passing by a sign reading BONEYARD did I never look it up, presuming it was a phony? After Jan Dixon openened with JNANA (40 points), I rejected BONEYARD through the N, opting for JOYED. Speaking of Joy Delee, after his AIOLI, I knew ACTIONED and EDACTION were the phonies, but did I see the HiProb Type I CATENOID? So there was TACNODE hung out to be pluralized across a TWS with SPAZ. And not even a "Thank you," though an unlikely "I'm sorry" would have been just fine. ;)
Was it lunch on Day 1 that a group of about 10 of us went to the wonderful Vietnamese restaurant - the days merge at my age. Les, Joan, Clennon, Trey, Rita, Feltster, and others of us sit down at a large table. Delee, by himself at the next table, is invited to join us. Trey asks Delee if there will be another Superstars tournament. His straight-faced reply: "Between you and me and the people at this table, it could go either way." We laughed uproariously at being privvy to such hot information. Seems like there is a prospect for a first (US) Nationals School tournament in the makes for 1999, but how the publicity for that event would allegedly preclude also having a Superstars escapes me. (I suggested the top one or two from the Schools tourney earn spots to the Superstars.) Seems the UK has it right and has for some time, namely, an annual Nationals School tournament and an annual Nationals Championship (except when the WSC is hosted there). Many people, esp those newer to the game, ask why not an annual NSC here. As I've posted last year here, we may be able to address the desires of more players by having the NSC 3 of every 4 years (when the WSC is not hosted) and having a firm 1900 cutoff for the top division. So, instead of 2 Nationals and 1 Superstars every 4 years, we could have 3 Nationals with a Superstars-type division within it every 4 years. ButwhatdoIknow? Perhaps the time is ripe for this question to be in a survey.
Over one sumptuous dinner hosted by Mark (770) and Joanne Landsberg, the following anecdote from an old LAX (Los Angeles) tournament emerged: Two players discover there is a tile on the floor by their board. They call the director (the inimitable Deborah Sapot) over for a ruling. One says to her, pointing to the floor: "Deborah, there's a tile on the floor." With an air of rightful indignation, she replies, "Well, you don't expect me to pick it up do you?!" :) :) :)
Dr. David Poder, who could pass for Jack Eichenbaum's cousin, is a retired doc having come in with a 1500+ rating after starting just last year at the game. If he's not above 1800 now, Mark Landsberg's student will be soon.
Was it past CGP discussion which led me to digest WUDDEST (former OSW word)? Well, after Stu challenged it off on my opening play, I had no place to play WUD. Uh, crazy game. Line not announced loudly: "Quiet, please, Stu is playing." Line getting the most boos: Stu's "Is anybody directing this tournament?" after he waited a good 10 seconds for a word judge. Stu, after completing his 18,158th tournament game, decided to begin keeping game scores on a new second sheet of paper. The other thing Stu reminded me about himself is that he always plays upside down. Now that may be the reason for all the drink spills.:) Stu assured me on Day 4 he'd only had one spill during a game this time at Reno. No, food crumbs do not count. It was reported an attempt at organizing a seniors- only tournament in CA was nixed by the Hasbro legal dept. for fear of a lawsuit for age discrimination. Golf and tennis get no flack.
Compensating for the head cold/flu?, sore throat, and congestion I developed the night of Day 2 were the smiles and laughter Pamina's and my daughter Melina (3 y.o) had after arriving the night of Day 3. Big on her list were Paul Avrin, Larry and Joel Sherman (the latter having just asked for her hand in marriage in 15 years - Joel, you'll be the number one ranked player before that happens. Oops!), Gail Wolford, Polly DuBois's son Mack. The marriage of Polly DuBois and Rich Moyer at the Hilton (did it just seem like a smoke-free casino there?) was THE event of the week. One gift included a miniature bride and groom atop a Scrabble board, which read: "TILES DEATH DO US PART." Dr. Greg Wood provided a CD of his own wonderful piano music and, unbelievably, Polly baked two wedding cakes and prepared much of the food herself which she transported by car from the West Coast to Reno *on her wedding day.* When, by Round 26 (Sat afternoon), she'd not yet arrived, Rich was, uh, a little distracted. ("....But get me to the cake on time.") It was good to see the original "Portland foxes" (Polly, Karen, Helaine, Alice) reunited.
So, the "luck" Bob Schoenman said I carried with me to MN, rubbed off not only on him in MN but my (before family arrived) roomie Clennon. We were the only two NA players above 1900 not to surpass .500. So, as a result, Clennon is now moving to Portland, will be working with Bob (and Dave Weigand and Lou Miller), and, will, no doubt, have better luck. BTW, Marlene (Milkent), it was to Chris that I boasted your having played the naturals LITORAL and CAVILED, among your bingos. As for playing off SAN from your AALNRST rack, without the board configuration, others would be hard-pressed to judge its merits. You played a great game, albeit with a word I was not expecting, and only wishing I had the chance for the, ahem, front C-hook. :)
Marlene, you also posted:
I love the game, I love to play, and I love to win; but I don't hate to lose so much that I go around sulking when I do.Amen, er, apeople. Actually, despite my Day 2-3 fall from [the] race, each game, within itself, was a marvelous new beginning of opportunities for excitement, puzzle-solving, as well as for venturing into new worlds of dunderheadedisms. Many players look at their game (if not themselves) from the point of view of where they currently stand or may end up within the tournament. This is unfortunate as it ignores the beauty and joy of each play within each game. Rather than 31 opportunities to win X-needed number of games to place in Y-position, I prefer to see it as 31 X 13 turns/game = 403 opportunities for best playmanship and puzzle- solving. But my own headset was tested when I fell from 9.5-1.5 to 9.5-9.5. I almost felt like screaming: "Okay, I'll take a boneheaded win, Damnit!" Instead, to my next opponent, I said, "You go first. Let's have a good game." And, sure enough, I broke the string with what may have been a good game and was certainly no less than a boneheaded win.
For those coming out to Albuquerque (Sep 13-14), I look forward to seeing you then. The Guadalupe Cafe in Santa Fe has great New Mexican food, tho Albuq abounds with such fare, champagne balloon rides available, and the World's longest tram takes you atop the Rocky Mountains at the east edge of the city (with a restaurant at 10,000+ feet above sea level). Not too shabby. For more info, you can contact Gertrude Savadge 505-888-4355.
Hasta lombago and have a large bagel, Mike