SCRABBLE - The Last Word Newsletter

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L E T T E R F R O M A M E R I C ALetter from America from an Englishwoman AbroadBy Nicki HuitsonNicki Huitson competed in the Collins division at the 2013 NationalSCRABBLE® Championship.Well, what a week this has been! The first time I've been to America (thoughdefinitely not the last!). I have been overwhelmed by the niceness andhelpfulness of the American people -- most of the Americans I have met priorto this have been quite stereotypical versions that tend to dwell on cruiseships.... So it was refreshing to see that they are in the minority!Las Vegas, although glitzy and brashy beyond belief, has also got some fascinating places to go to,and the vision of the architects, etc. is given free rein.... It's like a whole Disneyworld city, with tinypockets of culture -- I love it! And as a photographer, it has given me so many opportunities for greatshots.The Grand Canyon was A-MAZ-ING.... It really puts things intoperspective -- little motes of dust are we on this planet, comparedto this phenomenon that will outlive each of us, our children, andour chldren's children.... I am so glad we went to look, althoughat that point the temperature hit 118 degrees over here, and as itwas our first full day, I don't think we had fully acclimatised to theheat, but the wall-to-wall air conditioning here is a boon...Iwonder if there's any way they could extend it to the Canyon?!Friday we mooched around some of the hotels, and tried outescalators, travelators and fried potaters! Coming acrossSt.Mark's Square in the middle of the Venetian Hotel was aWOW moment! The only thing missing was millions ofscavenging pigeons.... It is a strange thing to be walking aroundindoors with no idea if it's day or night, sunny or raining, hot or cold (though I think you could havestab in the dark on that one easily enough!) The whole city seems designed to permanentlyengender a timelessness....Sunday night, Nuala and I ventured out to the Stratosphere and dinedat the Top of the World Restaurant -- terrific views of the city, onlypunctuated by the mad fools who periodically bungee jumped off thetop of the building, and flew past our window with alarming speed --very unnerving to observe, let alone to contemplate doing! We didventure up top to watch even madder fools do the Roller Coaster thatflings you out over the edge of the building, suspending one above LasVegas' finest..... I sincerely hope someone there knows how to work adefibrillator! We didn't consider that it was worth the risk that our veryexpensive but extremely delicious dinner would make a quick returntrip, so we just watched....40
L E T T E R F R O M A M E R I C ASaturday through Wednesday was the 31 game tournament, which most of you will have seenpictures of, so I won't bang on too much about it, except to say that it was an exceptionally well-runand friendly tournament to be a part of.... Everybody was so nice and fun to be with, and our littleCollins group was cosy and friendly. Big thanks to all the organisers, and I'm definitely consideringBuffalo for next year -- to play, not to eat!The players in our division were of high calibre, and I was surprised to even get into double figures-- I think when your original dictionary was TWL, and you have to unlearn, as well as learn, it mustfocus the mind wonderfully. I was pleased to end up on a double-figure win, and it has highlightedhow much work I need to do before Prague. I narrowly missed out on 3 prizes (highest-scoring wordcontaining SUN... I played SANGUINE for 76, and on the last morning someone pipped me with a78 pointer; highest-scoring word of the tournament in our division -- mine was FRONTMAN for172... someone pipped me again on the last morning with one that made 176(?); and, (anignominious one here), lowest win... I won with a score of 331, and someone snuck in with a 313win.... ) Bah.... Interestingly here, which I quite liked, was that if someone won more than oneprize, they were not automatically excluded from winning a second or third prize...which seemed fairto me.... Though as Awards go, I think the Americans outdo us 100%!!! (Was waiting for the awardfor the nicest English player.... In a field of one, I stood a good chance!)Saturday night we went to the Riviera Comedy Club. What a mistake that was! Whether it's just adifferent sense of humour, I don't know, but Nuala and I were the only ones that didn't seem to laughfrom the moment we walked in until the moment we left. And I guess the usher that placed us inrow 2 didn't know how unnerving that was going to be for the two comedians involved, who bothkept glancing over as if to say, "Why are you not finding this funny?!" I'm afraid to our minds it wasdated humour of the least pleasant kind. It seemed racist, sexist, and ageist. And every time one ofthem swore, everyone went into hysterics.... I don't know...maybe it was us.... And we couldn't leavebecause we were right at the front!!!Anyhow, equilibrium was restored by aswift pint or two in the Queen Vic, ourlovely English pub within the hotel -- thishas become our bolt hole once we escapethe unremitting heat of the outside. Afascinating place with its 99 beers, whichmostly are British, and appropriatelyplaced artefacts to remind us that we're inan English pub, innit geezer?! Loved theIrish flag that welcomes you in.... Thatmade us giggle... The staff in there arelovely, and have been following ourprogress with interest and someamusement. We had a couple of nights ofthe Duelling Pianos, (how brilliant arethey?!!) and a really funny Karaoke nightrun by twin sisters, who not only hosted,but also sang along and danced to everyone's tracks.... 41
Page 1 and 2: W O R D G A M E N E W SThe Last Wor
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Page 8 and 9: A D V E R T I S E M E N TAsheville
Page 10 and 11: A D V E R T I S E M E N TNEWTOWN, c
Page 12 and 13: A L B A N YAlbany Fourth of July To
Page 14 and 15: Annette’s Barbecue on the HudsonA
Page 16 and 17: 2 0 1 3 N A T I O N A L S2013 Natio
Page 18 and 19: 2 0 1 3 N A T I O N A L SAfter Coll
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Page 32 and 33: Music at NationalsM U S I C A T N A
Page 34 and 35: M U S I C A T N A T I O N A L SSupr
Page 36 and 37: MOUNTAIN VIEW CA(WGPO) 7/211. Pat D
Page 38 and 39: Word-Finder Challenge:S C R A B - D
Page 42 and 43: Tuesday night we were taken out to
Page 44 and 45: L E T T E R F R O M A M E R I C ARa
Page 46 and 47: T H E N E R V O U S R A C KCigarett
Page 48 and 49: DweebovisionBy David WebbD W E E B
Page 50 and 51: D W E E B O V I S I O NAlthough the
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Page 57 and 58: S C R A B B L E I N T H E N E W S
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Page 61 and 62: Arctic SCRABBLES C R A B B L E I N
Page 63 and 64: The Write StuffS C R A B B L E I N
Page 65 and 66: The WordsmithGood Old English, craf
Page 67 and 68: O N L I N E S C R A B B L E G A M E
Page 69 and 70: F I L L I N T H E B L A N K SANSWER
Page 71 and 72: 2 0 1 3 N S C T O W N H A L L M I N
Page 77 and 78: Word Trivia QuizBy Siri Tillekeratn
Page 79 and 80: N E W N A S P A A D V I S O R Y B O
Page 81 and 82: Real or Phony?By Adam HendersonR E
Page 83 and 84: Tournament TalkT O U R N A M E N T
Page 85 and 86: Linda’s LibraryBy Linda WancelL I
Page 87 and 88: S C R A B B L E : T H O R E A U & T
Page 89 and 90: JUMBLETIMEA free web site for pract
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SCRABBLE®TOURNAMENT & CLUBWORD LIS
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T O U R N A M E N T C A L E N D A R
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