Offending the Tile Gods

FriendFeed

2008-05-29T02:32:26Z

I'm trying out a new social media agglomerating site called FriendFeed. It looks like it's got all the features of Twitter, Facebook, various blogging portals, plus a lot of other functionality similar to all those things like favoriting books, movies, things to do, places to go, people to see, etc.

You can find me over there at friendfeed.com/greatscott. It looks like it's pretty interesting. Maybe this is just spam to you, but I hope it's not.

Wherein Scott Actually Talks about Scrabble - Part the First - Directing

2008-05-15T22:38:16Z

Since I started this thing many years ago to talk about my journey through Scrabble, I figured it might actually do some good to talk about what I've been up to these past few weeks.

So I helped direct a tournament in March. This is the third year we've run the Princeton Scrabble Classic, and generally, I think it seemed to go well. We typically run it the last weekend of March, and this year was no exception. So Friday started off with me helping to set off the fire alarm! Hey, I didn't know that door was alarmed, nor did I know that our early bird would be held in a room different from where we were last year. Oops. In any case, the whole thing went off really well, we gave away a bunch of money, and life was good.

In between the end of the early bird and the beginning of the main event, edhorch made his customary run (read, "He did it last year and was nice enough to do it again this year") to PF Chang's to keep the directors and certain spouses well-fed for the evening festivities. The evening started off just fine with the usual problems due to folks not showing up or staying to play.

From the director's side, I have a thing or two to say about this. If you're planning on playing in a tournament, tell the director. Conversely, if you've previously said you were playing in a tournament and have decided not to, tell the director. A corollary to this is that if you've asked the director to play up, and he/she says no, approaching one of the other co-directors and asking them if you can play up will generally end in a response of "Not just no, but hell no." If your rating is too low to qualify you for a division, and you're not first in line to move up if someone above you drops out, you will not be asked first if you wish to move up. Further, if your rating is too low to qualify you for a division, and you're not first in line to move up if someone above you drops out, and this would upset you if you don't get your way, don't bother to sign up. Directors don't appreciate this sort of whinging, and it only gets you on their bad side.

Most of the above happened to us in between the time the early bird ended and the main event began.

The main event ran smoothly from Friday night through early Sunday morning ... right up to the point where we suffered a complete and catastrophic data loss.

Absolutely unrecoverable.

No backup.

Wow, did we learn a lesson on that one! Always back up your tournament data at the end of each day or session, preferably twice. So after providing color and standings to CGP on a fairly timely manner, I spent the first hour and half of Sunday morning furiously typing and recreating all the data - thank god for paper copies! - and by the middle of round 12, all was fine. Still, there was a moment or two of sheer panic there. We made it through the remainder of the tournament with no problem.

As a club director, I was very proud to see 3 of my club members win divisions in the main event: sr_orangepants in division 4, Paul in division 3, and Sam in division 1. Sam's rise in particular has been quite gratifying because he and I started out playing at just about the same time in 2001, and as he's grown up - what else does one do at age 8? - he's become a great young man and a Scrabble expert. I'm very proud of him, Paul, and Jason for doing our club proud this year.

Next time: how about you Scott? Don't you play this game?

Tune in next time to find out more!

The New 36-Question Meme

2008-05-15T16:20:00Z

1) Are you currently in a serious relationship?

The large gold ring on my left-hand ring finger should be a hint to that.

2) What was your dream growing up?

I either wanted to be an astronomer or a weatherman.

3) What talent do you wish you had?

I wish I could teleport. Or maybe cast magic missile.

4) If I bought you a drink what would it be?

Fortunately, my most common drink is free: water.

5) Favorite vegetable?

Tomato.

6) What was the last book you read?

Napalm and Silly Putty by George Carlin

7) What zodiac sign are you?

Capricorn with a Sagittarian cusp.

8) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.

No and/or no.

9) Worst Habit?

Nail biting.

10) If you saw me walking down the street, would you offer me a ride?

If I saw you walking down the street, and you needed a ride, I would offer you one. Sometimes a walk is just a walk.

11) What is your favorite sport?

There are two seasons: baseball and football.

12) Do you have a pessimistic or optimistic attitude?

Generally optimistic.

13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?

With Scrabble bag: play Scrabble. Without Scrabble bag: talk.

14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?

Surgery to remove gallbladder. Lots of anxiety building up to it, then cancelled right before going in. Same thing again 2 weeks later, then the physical recovery.

15) Tell me one weird fact about you.

It feels very strange now to spend a piece of paper money without either having stamped or written some form of "Visit wheresgeorge.com" on it.

16) Do you have any pets?

Not right now, but I'd like to.

17) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly?

I'd probably take you out for an unexpected drink or cup of coffee.

18) What was your first impression of me?

Who are you again?

19) Do you think clowns are cute or scary?

Most clowns are OK, but I can definitely see the "can't sleep, clowns will eat me" thing. Clowns like this are bad.

20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?

I wish I could have a permanent crew cut. Not no hair, but ultra-short hair - enough peach fuzz to give the wife what she likes. Going to the barber every month to get the thin, scraggly growth cut away is a pain in the kiester.

21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?

Depends on the crime, but mostly a conscience.

22) What color eyes do you have?

I've got my mother's eyes, a deep brown.

23) Ever been arrested?

Nope.

24) White or red wine?

White, unless the Malbec you're offering is a really good one.

25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?

Pay off credit card debt.

27) What's your favorite place to hang at?

edhorch's and reillye's house.

28) Do you believe in ghosts?

Not the supernatural "ooga booga" "sheet-on-a-person" kind, but I like to think our spirits hang around near this plane of existence.

29) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?

Push around little plastic tiles and make words with them.

30) Do you swear a lot?

Every goddamn day.

31) Biggest pet peeve?

Bad drivers, particularly the idiots who don't realize that most states around here require the use of a hands-free device when they're talking on a cell phone.

32) In one word, how would you describe yourself?

Nice.

33) Do you believe/appreciate romance?

Yes.

35) Do you believe in God?

Yes, but maybe not your vision of Him/Her/It/Them.

36) Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?

Consider it done.

Hey, look! A meme!

2008-05-06T18:55:05Z

Stolen from the usual suspects...

1) What’s the last thing you put in your mouth?

Diet Coke

2) Have you ever kissed anyone named Matt?

Nope.

2a) Have you ever kissed anyone named Matilda?

Also no.

3) What does your last text message say?

There isn't one. I deleted the cache this morning. Sorry.

4) What was the last song you listened to?

Mason Rocket by Beatnik Turtle. It was the final part of the Balticon Podcast episode where Mur Lafferty was interviewed.

5) If you hated someone and got put in charge of their funeral music, what would it be?

The vindictive bastard in me would probably play Dare to Be Stupid by Weird Al Yankovic, but I'm not sure I'd ever be that vindictive.

6) What did you do yesterday?

Work, Scrabble Club, driving in between each, and sleep.

7) What did you dream about?

Last night, nothing.

8) Pick a scar on your body - what did you do?

In the crease of my left eyelid, I bear a one-inch scar. When I was 9 or 10, my family and I were on vacation on Barnegat Bay down the Shore. Early one morning, one of my parents asked me to go out to our boat and get the pack of cigarettes that was out there. I stepped down off the dock into the boat onto a smooth fiberglass surface covered in morning dew. My foot went out from under me, and I pitched forward, striking my head on the outboard motor. *insert cringe* Yes, there was wailing. We made it to the first aid station about 20 minutes north of where we were, and I got examined. I opted for the interesting scar over stitches.

11) Last time you cried?

I tear up at the drop of a hat, but out and out cried? I think it was when my sister's dog died. That was a real shame.

12) Who’s your most religious friend?

Oh boy, here we go ... you see, here's the thing. In the church that I belong to, the majority of the congregants are humanists, agnostic, or atheist. I don't know a whole lot of deists, theists, or people who believe in God outside of myself, nor do I go out of the way to ask - I think that's a private matter. For people who talk the talk and walk the walk according to UU's 7 Principles, Brad does it pretty well.

13) Who do you trust with your life?

Just about everyone.

14) If you could change your name to anything what would it be?

When asked this question at the age of 10, I said I wanted to. Now I don't.

15) What would you do if someone told you that you were the most beautiful handsome person in the world and they would do anything to wake up to your face each and every morning?

Beckon for them to come close and check their forehead to see if they were running a fever.

17) Do you trust all of your friends?

I like to think that I do. They certainly seem to trust me enough.

18) Would you move to another state or country to be with the one you love?

Happily, I haven't had to, but I would.

19) Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?

No, there are plenty of things that are senseless as well.

20) What are two things you would N0T tolerate in a relationship?

Dishonesty and dishonesty.

21) Which one of your top friends do you think would make the best prostitute?

With the right reainmation serum and a good body, just about anyone.

22) Who is the nicest person you know?

My wife.

23) What is a goal you would like to accomplish in the near future?

Cross the Bihlmeyer Line.

28) If you were to wake up from being in a coma for an extended time who would you call?

Assuming immediate family was right there, Rod would be first. No, not lordiceman, but my best man who I've known since college.

29) Would you make a good parent?

I like to think so.

30) Where was your default picture taken?

Players Championship, Dayton, OH, August 2007.

31) Honestly, what’s on your mind right now?

The technical evaluation I have to write.

32) Who knows you the best?

My wife.

33) When is the last time you truly liked someone?

Hasn't stopped since 1989.

34) What are your plans for the weekend?

Sleep. Where's George gathering on Saturday in Easton, PA. Going to see Iron Man on Sunday.

37) What’s your favorite saying?

There are no personal problems which can't be solved through a suitable application of high explosives.

39) Have you ever punched a tree?

They've never done anything bad to me.

40) Have you ever snuck out of your house/someone in your house?

Not yet.

41) How would you describe your relationship with your best friend?

Romantic comedy with frequent asides.

42) Morning or night person?

More night than morning.

43) Are you there for your friends?

If they need me, yes.

44) Do you like to spend time with people?

Absolutely, so long as they respect my occasional need for solitude.

46) Are you a forgiving person?

Very.

47) Would you ever share a girl/boyfriend with your best friend?

Um, no.

48) Have you lost a friend recently?

No.

49) Are you talking to someone while doing this? Who?

No, the office is all mine today.

50) Do you want a relationship right now?

Sorry, I've already got one, you see.

The Food Meme

2008-04-30T15:01:23Z

1. Are you a vegetarian? Vegan?

Nope. PETA stands for People Eating Tasty Animals. Om nom nom nom nom...

2. What's your favorite food?

I promise not to cop out here and say that I've got different things for different times, but pasta's just so versatile that I'm going to call it my favorite.

3. White bread or whole wheat?

Generally whole wheat, but it really depends on the application.

4. What's for breakfast?

Given my druthers, either an omelette with meat and some bread product or french toast with scrambled eggs and meat. Typically, though, it's coffee and breakfast bar of some sort.

5. You're making a Dagwood sandwich. What's in it?

Roast beef, a little on the rare side, muenster cheese, tomatoes, onions, mayo (or horseradish sauce) on toasted rye.

6. What's on your pizza?

If red, sausage and onions. If white, broccoli and garlic. If green, extra pesto and extra garlic.

7. Coffee, tea, milk, or soda.

Daytime: coffee. Lunchtime: soda. Nighttime: tea. Milk occasionally with the most chocolatey of stuff, but always in coffee and tea.

8. Dark, milk, or white chocolate?

My friends think I'm a heathen anyway, so it's definitely white chocolate for me. Lindt white chocolate truffles FTW.

9. Teetotal, beer, wine, or hard liquor?

Mostly teetotal, but the occasional adult beverage is fine. Usually, it's either a malternative (Mike's Hard Lemonade, Smirnoff Ice, etc.) if I'm having casual food or a sweeter Riesling or other white wine for fine dining.

10. Does cilantro taste like citrus, or like soap?

*shrug* Not soap, but not citrus either. It's cilantro.

11. Is chorizo the greatest thing ever or is it totally disgusting?

Can't say I've honestly had it.

12. Do you use garlic like a vegetable or like a spice?

Arun said it best: "Garlic is a vegetable, not a spice."

13. Onions: raw, cooked, or not at all?

Yes, but depends on the application.

14. Does broccoli taste sweet or bitter?

Broccoli is made of win. I don't care what George W.'s dad said - I like it.

15. How do you feel about fish?

I liked a previous comment which I'll echo here: I should have more of it.

16. How about sushi?

Sorry, it's just bait to me. My fish needs to be cooked.

17. Fave ethnic cuisine?

Other than strict meat and potatoes, it's gotta be Italian.

18. What's your favorite fruit?

Given I don't like much fruit at all, probably apples, but they've got to be crisp. Mushy ones are horrible.

19. Cheese - thumbs up or thumbs down?

Two thumbs way up!

20. Finally, favorite dessert?

Mint Marat at Orvieto in Flemington, NJ. Om nom nom nom nom nom nom nom...

Is it lunchtime yet?

That 200-Question Meme That's Going Around

2008-03-25T16:09:34Z

01. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said ‘I love you’ and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Done a striptease
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long, and watch the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Touched an iceberg
20. Slept under the stars
21. Changed a baby’s diaper
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
23. Watched a meteor shower
24. Gotten drunk on champagne
25. Given more than you can afford to charity
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight
29. Bet on a winning horse
30. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
31. Asked out a stranger
32. Had a snowball fight
33. Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
35. Held a lamb
36. Enacted a favorite fantasy
37. Taken a midnight skinny dip
38. Taken an ice cold bath
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse
41. Ridden a roller coaster
42. Hit a home run
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
45. Adopted an accent for an entire day
46. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
47. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
48. Had two hard drives for your computer
49. Visited all 50 states
50. Loved your job on all accounts
51. Taken care of someone who was shitfaced
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends
54. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
55. Watched wild whales
56. Stolen a sign
57. Backpacked in Europe
58. Taken a road-trip
59. Been rock climbing
60. Lied to foreign government’s official in that country to avoid notice
61. Midnight walk on the beach
62. Sky diving
63. Visited Ireland
64. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
65. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
66. Visited Japan
67. Bench pressed your own weight
68. Milked a cow
69. Alphabetized your music collection
70. Pretended to be a superhero
71. Sung karaoke
72. Lounged around in bed all day
73. Posed nude in front of strangers
74. Gone scuba diving
75. Got it on to “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye
76. Kissed in the rain
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain
79. Gone to a drive-in theater
80. Done something you should regret, but don’t regret it
81. Visited the Great Wall of China
82. Discovered that someone who’s not supposed to have known about your blog has discovered your blog
83. Dropped Windows in favor of something better
84. Started a business
85. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
86. Toured ancient sites
87. Taken a martial arts class
88. Sword fought for the honor of a woman
89. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
90. Gotten engaged
91. Been in a movie
92. Crashed a party
93. Loved someone you shouldn’t have
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy
95. Gotten married
96. Had sex at the office
97. Gone without food for 5 days
98. Made cookies from scratch
99. Won first prize in a costume contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice
101. Gotten a tattoo
102. Found that the texture of some materials can turn you on
103. Gotten divorced
104. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
105. Got flowers for no reason
106. Masturbated in a public place
107. Got so drunk you don’t remember anything
108. Taken illegal drugs
109. Performed on stage
110. Been to Las Vegas
111. Recorded music
112. Eaten shark
113. Had a one-night stand
114. Gone to Thailand
115. Seen Siouxsie live
116. Bought a house
117. Been in a combat zone
118. Buried one/both of your parents
119. Shaved or waxed your pubic hair off
120. Been on a cruise ship
121. Spoken more than one language fluently
122. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
123. Bounced a check
124. Performed in Rocky Horror
125. Read - and understood - your credit report
126. Raised children
127. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
128. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
129. Created and named your own constellation of stars
130. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
131. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
132. Called or written your Congress person
133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
134. …more than once?
135. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
136. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
137. Had an abortion or your female partner did
138. Had plastic surgery
139. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
140. Wrote articles for a large publication
141. Lost over 100 pounds
142. Held someone while they were having a flashback
143. Piloted an airplane
144. Petted a stingray
145. Broken someone’s heart
146. Helped an animal give birth
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
148. Won money on a T.V. game show
149. Broken a bone
150. Killed a human being
151. Gone on an African photo safari
152. Ridden a motorcycle
153. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
154. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
155. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
156. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
157. Ridden a horse
158. Had major surgery
159. Had sex on a moving train
160. Had a snake as a pet
161. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
162. Slept through an entire flight
163. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
164. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
165. Visited all 7 continents
166. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
167. Eaten kangaroo meat
168. Fallen in love at an ancient Mayan burial ground
169. Been a sperm or egg donor
170. Eaten sushi
171. Had your picture in the newspaper
172. Had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime
173. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
174. Gotten someone fired for their actions
175. Gone back to school
176. Parasailed
177. Changed your name
178. Petted a cockroach
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
180. Read The Iliad
181. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
182. Dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because your apartment needed them
183. …and gotten 86'ed from the restaurant because you did it so many times, they figured out it was you
184. Taught yourself an art from scratch
185. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
186. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
187. Skipped all your school reunions (so far)
188. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
189. Been elected to public office
190. Written your own computer language
191. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
192. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
193. Built your own PC from parts
194. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
195. Had a booth at a street fair
196. Dyed your hair
197. Been a DJ
198. Found out someone was going to dump you via LiveJournal
199. Written your own role playing game
200. Been arrested

Sunrise, Sun Wet

2008-03-19T18:41:04Z

Monday and Tuesday morning, we had awesome sunrises. When I was driving to work, I drove over the little rise (the one where the gas station is that I will never go to because they won't take my Where's George bills), and I got hammered by the sun glare. Monday morning was a brilliant yellow, and yesterday was a wonderful ruddy orange. It was the old "Red sky at morning, sailors take warning" writ large.

This morning, and now, it's pouring rain. Yuck.

Old News: Christine Lavin Thinks I Look Like Mr. Clean

2008-03-05T18:45:03Z

So let's back up a few weeks...

My lovely wife, who never updates her blog, heard a few weeks ago about an upcoming performance by Christine Lavin at a church not too far from here. Ms. Lavin, well, she's a singer. I don't feel like I want to just classify her as a folk singer, though her music does tend toward the folksy side. Nor does she exclusively do parody, a la Weird Al Yankovic. My opinion is that her music lies somewhere in the middle. But I enjoyed what I've heard of her work with the Four Bitchin' Babes when The Wife played it for me, so I was up for the date.

Making things even better were two things. First, Valentine's Day was the day of the concert, and that was a convenient pseudo-present of sorts. Normally, on holidays like this, she'd say, "Let's just have a nice dinner out together," which we do on a regular basis anyway, so this was a nice change of pace. Further, they were having a chocolate celebration for the evening: chocolate cakes, a chocolate fountain, chocolate just about everything except for the coffee, tea, and water. Instant dessert!

So the 14th rolled around, and I got home as early as I could, which surprisingly was before The Wife. We had a long-ish discussion about dinner which kind of made our choice for us: Saladworks in Chatham. Yeah, it's not very romantic, but: 1) it was close to the venue; and 2) it was likely to be un-crowded unlike just about every other single restaurant in the entire universe because of the holiday. After a quick drive, we enjoyed our meals and headed over to the venue. It was a little confusing to get there since it was being held at a church, and there were two churches right next to each other: Roman Catholic and Presbyterian. Naturally, we chose the wrong one, but still ended up there plenty early, paid for tickets and settled in with decent seats - tenth row or so - for a good show.

The opening act was Small Potatoes, and if you've seen A Mighty Wind, you probably know the type of performers they were. They were a duo. The man was a 50s-ish guy with a receding hairline and long gray hair tied up in a ponytail; he played guitar. The woman had kind of shoulder-length frizzy hair and dressed in a peasant top and flowing skirt; she sang and played as well. They were just fine.

And then there was chocolate.

And then there was Christine Lavin, who put on a single 90-minute set with a little break in the middle for something I will elaborate on in a moment. Admittedly, she got off on my bad side when she sang the opening line, "I like Hillary, but I voted for Obama," but we got along better after that.

Now for the little break in the middle. Her break in the middle of the show asked for a show of hands for those of us with birthdays in the wasteland between Christmas and New Year's. With my birthday the day after Christmas, I put my hand up and didn't see many others up in front of me. She called upon a woman who wasn't listening who said her birthday was 12/16 and then she got to me ... "Hey, Mr. Clean, there in the middle, what's your birthday?" When I said 12/26, I got a chorus of "Awwwwwwww," from the audience and after hearing from another gentleman with a 12/29 birthday, she invited both of us on stage for a memory quiz about the show so far.

I threw down early and took a lead by answering multiple questions about her song about a 6-foot-long thresher shark that washed on shore in New York last summer that the beachgoers saved by taking back to the water. He pulled even with questions about the Beatles and narrowly beat me to the question worth a bunch of points that gave him the win and the prize package. I put on a good pout for the audience, and she took pity on me and gave me one, too, though I suspect that was the set-up all along. :) The Wife says I hammed it up, and maybe that's true, but I do have a certain enjoyment for performing so there you go.
Afterward, since I'd won all the freebies, we purchased her new album, got her to autograph it, and chatted for a moment or two before heading out into the night.

And that's why "Christine Lavin thinks I look like Mr. Clean" is up on my Google Talk chat bar.

That Scrabble Meme

2008-03-02T20:30:38Z

GENERAL

How did you get into the game?
It's all Stefan's fault. No, not key_lime_guy, but rather the guy that wrote the book from which many Scrabblers joined the ranks of tournament players. When I first met Stefan Fatsis at Danbury '02, I had him autograph my copy of Word Freak and take responsibility for that which he created. He got a little chuckle out of it.

I first picked up the book in the local bookstore when it came out in hardcover in 2001, read the first couple of chapters in the store, and bought it that day. And I rarely, if ever, buy books in hardcover - just sayin'. I pounded through the rest of it in a day or so and thought to myself, "Yeah, I can do that." And that started me on my journey.

Why do you play?

When I'm not spending my time blowing things up, I need another outlet to vent my frustrations. It's a nice competitive outlet for me. It keeps the old noggin working and thinking when it might not otherwise be doing so.

TOURNAMENTS

First tournament: Atlantic City, summer 2001, 5-13, -798, 18th of 23 in division 6
Last tournament: Atlantic City, winter 2008, 6-9, -431, 28th of 36 in division 2
Next tournament: Philadelphia, March 2008 or Poughkeepsie, April 2008
Favorite tournament ever: Wow, I honestly don't know what to put down for this one. I have many favorites for many different reasons. I hope this doesn't seem like too much of a cop-out answer. To at least say something, I'll put down Plainview, NY, 2002 (my first win), Atlantic City, summer 2006 (my first multi-day win), and NSC New Orleans 2004 (my first nationals).

GAMES

Favorite game ever: I've got a few of them. 3-point loss turns into a tie after recount at Berlin, NJ, September 2002. Almost beating Amit Chakrabati at club that same year; that's a nice little bit of egoboo*. Beating my first expert at Parsippany, September 2005. The 412-412 tie I had at BAT in 2006. Beating Jack Eichenbaum to make the NAST at Essex Junction, VT, this past November.

Most excruciating game ever: The game I played against a player who shall be named "Dragon Breath" because of his extreme halitosis at BAT a couple of years ago. Whenever he sighed, I got a good blast. The good news was that I won the game.

Highest scoring game: Club: 599 against Rae Higgins. Tournament: 572 against Dave Cullen at Atlantic City, January 2005.

OPPONENTS

First tourney opponent: Debbie Avins. That was a loss.
Most common opponent: Stan Williams. 14-7 against him, and just about every game between us is a good one, unlike this past Atlantic City tournament when he walloped me by 200 points.
Most feared opponent: Believe it or not, Mike Sherman. The man's umpty-ump years old, fathered two expert level Scrabble players, and in every game we've played, I could never touch him. He's got a subtle intimidation field around him when I've played him.
Your Scrabble daddy: I'm a nice 1-7, giving away 63 rating points to Mad Palazzo. Darn those Canadians. ;)
Whose daddy are you? I'm a nice 5-2 against Winter Zxqkj; he's given me 55 points.

Five opponents you like to play:
1) The aforementioned Stan Williams.
2) Yoli Ushry. I miss her now that she's moved to Atlanta.
3) Marty Fialkow.
4) Anita Rackham. It's a Canadian thing. :)
5) Verna Richards Berg.

Five opponents you don't like to play:
In order to not hurt anyone's feelings, I'm going to generalize.
1) People with "Dragon Breath". Thankfully, it's only been the one guy, but use a toothbrush, people!
2) People who disrespect your equipment, mainly by moving it about when it shouldn't be moved.
3) People who use the tips of their pens to touch the faces of your tiles.
4) People who are discourteous. I always offer a hand to shake both before and after a game. Being sportsmanlike is something I try to engender. It's not a bad thing.
5) Cheaters. 'Nuff said.

Five opponents you'd like to play but haven't yet:
1) Robin Pollock Daniel
2) Brian Cappelletto
3) Marlon Hill
4) Mike Sherman's son, you know, the former world champion. I think his name's Joel. :)
5) Jason Katz-Brown. We MIT'ers have to stick together. ;)

You are in the finals in D1 for the 2016 National Scrabble Championship. Who is sitting across from you?

The person who'll lose to me in a best of five match and hopefully someone who I can have fun with while beating them.

WORDS

Five words you hope you get to play someday:

1) MMSUUUU
2) AVYYZZZ
3) DDIIIOO
4) ZZZ
5) HHMRSTY

That's all for now.

By the way, I'm still around. :)

Winning at flu

2008-02-11T14:03:29Z

So I'm here in Maryland on business and have been since Thursday night because our contractor insisted that we not waste any available testing time. We did manage to get one phase of our testing done on Friday, and that was a good thing, but I think we could've just started on Monday - today - with little to no loss of time.

The good news to come out of this was being able to visit my Mom and Dad who live not all that far from where we do work down here. I hung out with them for a while, took them out for dinner, and drove back across the Bay. During the day, though, I was starting to feel a little off. Nothing really crazy, but just off a little.

Yesterday morning, though ... the flu crashed over me. My body ached. No energy. I was a wreck. I wanted to curl up and die. It was a bad scene.

And there I was. Away from home. In a hotel room. Sick as a dog.

Once I was able to get back in the room - after it was finally cleaned - I napped for several hours (yay!), watched a little TV, and went to sleep. It wasn't the best sleep, but I did get some.

This morning hasn't been too bad. I still don't feel 100%, but I feel like I can actually go to the test site and work. Yesterday, not so much.

So that's where we stand this morning.

Twelve Hours Later

2007-12-27T16:09:35Z

In the light of day, well ... the car's still got problems. The hood's pushed in for certain and the passenger side turn signal's been popped out and is dangling by its wires. The woman who backed into her has already talked to her insurance people and called us this morning. We're waiting to hear from the insurance folks now.

Other than that, things are about the same, though I seem like I've got a little more energy than I did yesterday. I feel like I'm running around 60% of normal or so. Definitely still on a down-tick, but better than yesterday. I might even feel like having a coffee at the bookstore later; we'll see. Still somewhat congested, but I'm throwing echinacea, zinc, and Airborne at this thing, and I seem to be doing OK. No fever or anything either. *knock wood*

The Aging Process

2007-12-27T04:43:38Z

41 years, 4 hours, and some odd minutes ago, I emerged into the world. I've had 41 birthdays since then, and some of them have been fine, and some of them have sucked. This one has tended toward the suck end of things and probably ranks toward the bottom.

The day itself was pretty much OK, but fairly well dampened by this cold I've picked up. Christmas Eve, I felt fine, but yesterday evening, I started blowing my nose, and my one nostril has clogged up, and it seems determined to lower my energy level. I've been running at about 50% or a little better all day. I've just felt run down and blah.

We got out of the apartment with the hope of making the 1:40 showing of Charlie Wilson's War, but the diner waitress we had was exceptionally slow, so by the time we got out of there, the movie was 15 minutes in. Needless to say, we gave up and ran some errands. About the only good thing today besides getting a couple of hot meals was our stop at the post office, where we found out that the second birthday gift we had for my brother-in-law had finally come through, and that was quickly sent out to him.

After an hour or so at home, I gathered my strength, and we headed out for the 4:20 showing of the movie. Now, mind you, I've read the book, and Sorkin's telling of the story summarizes things pretty well, but emphasizes only the wild and funny coincidences of the story without providing a lot of the meat behind it. For 97 minutes, it wasn't bad, but I'd expected a lot more from the movie.

I'd hoped to go to the bookstore with my wife to hang out and relax while she knitted with her Knit Club friends, but my energy was on the wane, so we went home, and I dropped her off at her car, so she could head out, and I'd lie low at home. I called my family to let them know I'd heard their message from earlier, and we chatted for a couple of minutes. After the phone call, I sent my wife a text message asking her to call when she got there safely and had just plugged my phone in to charge when she pulled back into the parking space she'd vacated less than 20 minutes earlier.

She had gotten into an accident on the way there and never made it.

She's fine, and it wasn't serious, but still! She was traveling behind an SUV, and a car was backing out a couple of car lengths in front of them. The SUV shifted into reverse and backed right into her before she could even complete the thought about how close it was getting. They exchanged information, and we hope to hear from her and her insurance company tomorrow morning.

The rest of the evening's been spent resting up and recovering: me and my nasal passages *honk*, and my wife and her frazzled nerves. It's been a heck of a day. Honestly, I can't wait for it to be over.

Vacation: Northampton, MA

2007-11-12T18:01:37Z

We survived the drive up here last night. We got out of town sometime around 1:30 after having a nice brunch at the diner. The drive up was fairly uneventful. We only made a couple of quick stops, one for the bathroom and one for a caffeine break. We pulled into Northampton just about 6:00. It was dark, but most everything was on interstates. Props to the Eisenhower administration for making the drive an easy one. We were able to pass the time with a few podcasts: the first 3 episodes of Search Engine and a couple of episodes of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me from May.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Hadley, MA, where we met a very nice young woman who was quite pleasant and helpful. More on that to follow, but we were checked in quickly and efficiently and hooked up to the room's wireless to allow me to George some bills prior to going out to dinner. While I was Georging, we watched the end of the Cowboys-Giants game, which was a big disappointment to us. The Giants really blew it and their chances to win the NFC East last night IMHO.

When the game was over and I'd stamped enough bills, we went down to the front desk where our nice young receptionist was able to successfully direct us to the Northampton Brewery. Jen had her wish for good beer on, and I'm always up for pub food, so it seemed a good choice.

Oh yes, quite a good choice. I was quite pleased with my black bean dip and roast beef sandwich. The dip included chips that didn't break for the most part when dipped into the mixture of beans, cheese, and sour cream, and the sandwich was one of the best roast beef sandwiches I've had. Rare roast beef, Vermont cheddar, lettuce, tomato, an onion ring, and horseradish spread on a fresh-baked bun. *drool* And did I mention the sweet potato fries? To. Die. For. Yum! Jen's akara was good, but bland without the aioli, but her pulled pork, mashed potatoes, and applesauce was really good. And the chocolate cake made with real stout was an excellent topper. We were quite full afterward and stumbled back to the room to collapse for the night. I finished stamping bills, and she hogged the computer.

We were up between 8:00 and 9:00 this morning and made it out around 10:30 to head for Sylvester's, where we had a most excellent breakfast seven years ago when we were here last. My Norwottuck Rail Trail Omelet was quite good, though the sunflower oat toast was pretty bland without jam (and probably needed more butter, as well). Jen's pear and cheddar omelet seemed like a good idea, but eating through the rosemary sprigs was a little much. The coffee was strong, hot, and plentiful. I particularly enjoyed the mugs: Sylvester's of Northampton, where the coffee is strong and so are the women. Heh. If only you knew.

My next stop was to drop Jen off at Webs, the brick and mortar part of yarn.com because she needed to get her yarn geek on. The text message I received from her was "OMG teh yarnz!" so I think she's pleased. I gassed up at the local shell station -- $3.04/gallon, ouch! -- and made my way over to Woodstar Cafe, which surprisingly doesn't seem to have a web presence anywhere. However, their decaf is good and plentiful, and their wi-fi is strong. I've got a few hours to kill until Jen's done playing with yarn, so I'm going to take care of computer stuff for a while.

More to follow once we make it to Brattleboro later tonight.

New Jersey New Media

2007-11-08T01:32:58Z

Well, we're here again at Panera tonight to talk about new media in New Jersey. We've been talking about Stonehenge, the CBC and their show, Search Engine, which talks about the Internet's impact on social interaction, the One Laptop Per Child project, and booksherpa's latest obsession, Ravelry, a very popular knitting web site.

More to follow later, I'm sure.

Greetings from Michigan!

2007-10-30T02:48:05Z

I'm only here for a couple of days, but I'm here. Almost with no connectivity; just spent an hour futzing with the wireless on my computer and getting a wireless bridge from the front desk. The bridge is making things work now, but no guarantees. There are wires all over the place, but I'm online and browsing.

The trip was pretty uneventful. I had an unexpected trip to work because in my scatterbrained mind I had everything when I left on Friday only to discover I had no itinerary, no slides, no charts, no schedule, nothing. Oops! So it was back to work this morning, back home to pack, grab the limo, and off to the airport. The flight was fine, picked up everything with no problem, got my rental car, and began driving. The drive was a little longer than usual -- it's 696, not 96, dummy! -- but still made it here to the hotel with no problem.

Beyond that, I've got nothing. Monkey suit tomorrow, home Wednesday. Cya!

Philadelphia Tournament Recap (very short)

2007-10-29T03:24:48Z

Really short because I need to go to bed, go to work tomorrow, come home, grab a limo, go to the airport, and fly to Detroit.

Won the first 6, lost the last one, lost on spread to the winner. He outdrew me and nearly stuck me with the Q, so losing by 50, not all that bad. Also took home $80; did I forget to mention the money that went with second place? :) Likely a 40-point ratings gain or thereabouts.

Sleep beckons; good night!

Good News, Bad News

2007-10-27T15:42:14Z

Good news: getting a free breakfast!

Bad news: getting a free breakfast because you found a worm in your grits.

Worse news: I already ate half of them.

Ewwww! Bleah!

Currently, I'm none the worse for wear, but ew!

9/11, Six Years Later

2007-09-11T19:03:58Z

It's really difficult to know where to begin with a topic like this that comes around every year. It seems like my generation has two really big canonical questions attached to it: "Where were you when the Challenger exploded?" and "Where were you on 9/11?" Depending on how old you are -- and I am -- you might even add "Where were you when Reagan was shot?" to the list.

That being said, 9/11 rouses such varied and disparate emotions that it can be difficult to talk about it. Happily, I don't have to spend much time dwelling on all of it. I didn't know anyone directly involved who was injured or killed, or worked at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, or in Shanksville, PA, as a first responder or rescuer. In the six degrees sense -- it's said that you can connect yourself to anyone in the world via six degrees of separation -- I know someone who worked with someone on one of the planes that were hijacked on 9/11. I know someone who would've been in the Twin Towers had he arrived at work a few minutes off from when he did. I work with a couple of people who've been to Southwest Asia and back since 9/11, serving their country.

The enormity of it all can get to you sometimes, if you let it. Days of remembrance such as this are the times when it strikes most. I must admit that the memories of that day have faded for me. I know where I was: here at my desk at work, albeit in a different building. I watched all the coverage I could. I went home that day with a heavy heart. I cried with my wife at home and at church the following Sunday with friends. I saw the smoke rising in the distance as I traveled east on I-80 on the most crystal clear of days ... a day that had dawned with promise, but with the sun setting on a world forever changed by a group radical Islamists, armed with box cutters and knives, and with murder in their hearts.

I keep a collection of lists, quotations, and stuff in a notebook that I carry around with me. One of the quotes I wrote down last year came from a possibly-recognizable source: "The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies - civilians and military - is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it." You may have seen him on some videos in the news the past couple of days. Apparently Grecian Formula 13 has made it to whatever cave that guy is hanging out in.

Another came from the guy in South Jersey who turned in the Fort Dix Six, another group of Islamic radicals who were going to shoot up the Army base down there. He said, "You don't wake up and wonder, `Hey, I wonder if I can wake up and change history.'"

The thing is, we can all change history if we try. Everything we do affects everyone else on this rock of a planet whether we know it or not. It's often been said that the flap of a butterfly's wings thousands of miles away will cause a storm somewhere else. Whoever you are, wherever you are, extend the hand of friendship to your neighbors and be excellent to each other. Thank your soldiers, policemen, firemen, and paramedics for their service; the butt they save may be your own. Kiss your spouses and partners and be thankful they're there. And call your parents, OK? They probably wouldn't mind hearing from you.

Peace.

Dayton: Highlights and Lowlights of the Tournament Itself

2007-08-20T20:12:29Z

The Good:

1) Big win against Joe Petree in round 2, 449-318. Three bingos to his none, both blanks, all four S's.

2) Beating the #10 seed in round 10, 380-368.

3) 449-465 loss to Adam Bohnsack in round 16. A great game, despite the loss.

4) 528-244 win over Dan Milton in round 18 to get my spread positive again. His challenge of UNTWINING opened the floodgates for me.

5) Drawing the challenge from Judy Horn on my REIFIERS in round 23.

6) Finding TEAZELED and JUNGLIER against Stu Goldman in round 26.

7) Four-bingo game for me against Anne Hay in round 27.

8) Winning the last game against Frank Lee to go out on a high note.

The Bad:

1) A consonant or two in my last rack in round 5 vs. Stan Williams would have flipped the result from its 390-398 loss for me.

2) Playing ARIOSES* against Mason Shambach in round 8 in a 410-422 loss.

3) Holding STHENIAL*, but letting it go against Marian Capalbi in round 15, leading to another loss.

4) Challenging REBOILED against Chani Katz in round 20.

5) Trying OUTHATE* against Jeff Myers in round 24. If OUTLOVE is good, why isn't OUTHATE*?

6) Probably the worst play of the tournament for me: round 26 vs. Stu Goldman. I play QI N1 for 32; he plays IMMY O1 for 83. Lost 404-414.

7) Playing DOCILEST* and holding and letting go REROBING* against Dee Jackson in round 28.

The Ugly:

1) Playing 3 people local to me at home on the first day.

2) The recount in round 11 vs. Elaine Glowniak turned a tie into a 350-351 loss, beginning a 6-game losing streak.

3) 0-3, -430 Sunday afternoon in rounds 12 through 14.

4) 0-2, -300 Wednesday morning in rounds 29 and 30.

Dayton: Bingo List

2007-08-20T19:44:24Z

The easy part of the reporting about the tournament. :)

1: SINUATE/RETRACES, ENGENDER
2: REMOUNT, AERATES, HOMERING/--
3: --/NESTLED
4: OUTSEEN/LAUGHED, PERSONAL
5: SQUANDER/MUSTIEST, PORTABLE
6: BUSTLES, CALORIES/DUELERS, ADJOINT, MARLINS
7: MOTIONS, FUMIGATE/TANAGERS
8: STEALER, LUNATICS/TINDERS, HOOTERS
9: ALIENORS, REROUTED/ --
10: PETROLS/CHAINERS
11: --/SOAKING
12: --/HOOTERS, SAVORER, INDITES
13: UNEARNED/ANERGIC, CREASERS
14: RETSINAS/ EMACIATE, INDENTS
15: AUREOLA/STHENIAL*
16: INDICTER, FLOATER, RETRAINS/COUTHIE, OUTFOOLS
17: OUTRAGE/--
18: UNTWINING, ARTISTS/--
19: --/LEDGERS
20: TASTING/REELECTS, REBOILED
21: PUMICES/--
22: CANAPES/CLEARING
23: SALTERS, REIFIERS/--
24: --/TAILGATE, RESIDUA, MORIONS
25: STOMPING/TROUBLED
26: TEAZELED, JUNGLIER/HARPIST
27: OUTRAGE, INSANELY, SECTIONS, OVERTIRE/MANACLED, ACARIDS
28: --/REROBING*
29: LIONISES, SERIATE/DUNKERS, DEFRAYER, ARCSINE
30: --/GHOSTED, ESTRONES
31: SOLVENT/ATONIES

Dayton: Getting There

2007-08-15T19:27:06Z

I suppose any multiple-day trip to a tournament deserves a tournament report of sorts, so here goes nothing.

Starting with the trip out to Dayton...

booksherpa and I had it all planned out. We'd leave in the morning of the 2nd for Dayton, get a decent night's sleep, and travel the rest of the way there on the 3rd. Happily, that's how it all turned out, even with our patented late start.

We must've needed the rest on Wednesday night because we woke up late on the 2nd, and there was still plenty to do. Believe it or not, most of it actually got done. I cleaned the car's trunk out -- mostly, but it's still half full of Scrabble stuff -- picked up bagels from my lucky bagel shop, got a hair cut, and got the car washed. Getting the tires rotated wasn't a full-on necessity, but it was deemed a nice-to-have-done-if-possible, so it was let go until we got back. We ended up hitting the road around 1:30.

Our destination was Washington, PA, with a reservation already in place at the Hampton Inn there. Some observations from the road that I remember: 1) there are two honking-big Cabela's sporting goods superstores on the way out to Dayton. If you ever need camouflage, let me know; I'll hook you up; 2) gas in the middle of Pennsylvania is expensive ($2.91/gallon); 3) Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me is an excellent NPR podcast diversion during one's travels -- the "Please Explain" section of the Leonard Lopate Show was less so; 4) Pennsylvania's long, very long. In fact, I misunderestimated how long it was, and we got there around 8:00-something Thursday night.

The highlight of the first day's travels, even with Hampton Inn's free wireless and excellent beds, was our stop at Texas Roadhouse for dinner. For those of you unfamiliar with how booksherpa and I roll when we travel, we have two rules when it comes to eating: 1) No chains! and 2) No repeats! Obviously, the unwritten third rule is 3) If we find a new, interesting, or out-of-local-area chain restaurant that seems interesting, or is so good not to miss out on for a second look, rules 1) and 2) may be ignored. With Texas Roadhouse being out of our local area, we gave it a shot.

OMFGWTFBBQ! And I mean BBQ, literally. Good stuff! The first thing they hit you with is the bread. Besides being homemade, they serve the bread with cinnamon-flavored butter. *drool* I'm all about cinnamon. I'm pretty sure it's my favorite spice, Ginger aside, and I don't mean the root. The meat was excellent, and everything was homemade. The ranch dressing is some of the best I've ever had. We vowed to be on the lookout for another one of these in the Dayton area if possible.

After a good night's sleep and brunch at the local Bob Evans, we were on the road again. After a short trip in Pennsylvania and a similarly short trip through extreme northern West Virginia, we were in Ohio for the remainder of our trip. More Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me was on the listening trip. There was a conveniently located rest area when I needed one (thank you, ODOT). Western Ohio's flat, very flat.

We arrived at the hotel around dinner time on Friday. After checking in at the hotel, we checked in across the street and picked up my player's packet, goody bag, and T-shirt (right size, too, w00t!). We saw several folks we knew and said hello. Rather than go back out in the heat, move the car, and all that, we chose a quiet dinner in the hotel bar with its nice view and settled in for the night ...

... for Scrabble began on the morrow!

The Top Ten Songs Letter Theme

2007-08-15T14:55:19Z

Comment and I'll give you a letter. In your journal, list 10 of your favorite songs that begin with that letter. anendlessnight, who knows NEARSIDE better than I do, gave me the letter U.

Nota Bene: The letter "U" ain't exactly the most popular for starting words with. Just sayin'. Here we go...

1. "Under the Boardwalk," by the Drifters. booksherpa's and my song.
2. "Unwritten," by Natasha Bedingfield.
3. "UHF," by Weird Al Yankovic.
4. "Urgent," by Foreigner.
5. "Under Pressure," by Queen.
6. "Uptown Girl," by Billy Joel.
7. "Up on the Roof," by the Nylons. Yes, there's an older version. This is the one I've got.
8. "Up the Ladder to the Roof," by the Nylons. There's a theme here somewhere.
9. "Unzippin' My Doo-Dah," by the Capitol Steps.
10. "Union of the Snake," by Duran Duran.

Some live blogging on Twitter

2007-07-21T01:18:22Z

I've been doing a little live-blogging about the release activities for Harry Potter and the ~~Cauldron of Money~~ Deathly Hallows at my Twitter account: twitter.com/greatscott. There's lots of people around.

That 50 Question Meme that's Going around Just about Everywhere

2007-07-20T17:31:34Z

1. How tall are you barefoot?6'2"
2. Have you ever smoked heroin? Are you on crack? .
3. Do you own a gun? Not yet, but I expect to at some point in the (hopefully far) future.
4. Do you play with the ads on the side of the screen? We don't need no steenking ads!
5. Do you get nervous before "meeting the parents"? It's been so long, I forget, but maybe just one important time, though.
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Yum!
7. What's your favorite Christmas song? The one whose title I can't remember about the guy and girl who try to meet up all year and finally hook up in the check out line at the supermarket when they're shopping for Christmas dinner. Yeah, that one. "Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee, one (big) mug, two equal and milk.
9. Can you do push ups? Push ups push me around.
10. Is your bathroom clean? Not nearly.
11. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? The engagement ring I gave to booksherpa
12. Do you like pain killers? When I'm in pain, yes. Otherwise, eh..
13. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?Huggability.
14. Do you own a knife? Many, but only one that might be considered remotely dangerous and that's on my Leatherman tool.
15. Do you have A.D.H.D? Not that I know of, but who's to say?
16. Middle Name? Scott
17. Favorite number? I have fondnesses for e and i. Among whole numbers, 12's a favorite.
18. What's your normal bed time? 2300-0000
19. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink: Coffee, water, and tea, earl grey, hot.
20. What time did you wake up today? 0630.
21. Name one person that comes to mind right now? The Egyptian general I met.
22. Current worry? Paperwork.
23. Current hate? Gas station attendants who don't come around to the driver's side to talk to you. Imagine that!
24. Favorite place to be? Comfy chair, cold/hot drink (as appropriate), good book, wife nearby.
25. Least favorite place to be? Lately, airports.
26. Is there anyone that you haven't seen in awhile that you want to catch up with? Laura.
27. Do you own slippers? Somewhere there's a pair for me.
28. What shirt are you wearing? The Big Dogs surfing shirt that my mom likes..
29. How many people have ever truly ever broken your heart? One.
30. Favorite color(s)? The color of the ocean on a nice summer day.
31. Would you be a pirate? Arrrrrr!
32. Last time you had an alcoholic drink? Albany, while playing Other Foot with vavaverity, baudekin, and Denise.
33. What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever's on the radio, most recently the new one by Maroon 5.
34. What did you fear was going to get you in the night as a child? Indescribable monster.
35. What's in your pockets right now? Right front = wallet. Right rear = handkerchief. Left front = keys, nail clipper, lucky rock, and many Where's George bills. Left rear = hotel bill from Atlantic City.
36. Is anyone on your mind right now? Not specifically.
37. Do you think you get enough exercise? Nope..
38. Worst injury you've ever had? Leaving aside my gall bladder surgery, slipping in a boat and hitting my eye on the outboard motor. Left a nice scar; I'll show you sometime!
39. If you could cheat on your spouse, would you? Hell, no! She knows where I live!
40. Who is your loudest friend? Lisa.
41. Who is your most silent friend? Usually, that's me. Huh!
42. Do you have a crush on someone? I have many girlfriends, but one true booksherpa crush.
43. Does someone have a crush on you? I hope so!
44. Do you wish on shooting stars? I have when they're around..
45. What is your favorite book? The Stand by Stephen King.
46. What is your favorite candy? Milk Duds at the movies.
47. What song do/did you want played at your wedding? A Whole New World from Aladdin, but not the commercial version the DJ played.
48. What song do you want played at your funeral? I'll Be Mellow when I'm Dead by Weird Al Yankovic. Or maybe not.
49. What is one of your favorite quotes? "There are no personal problems that can't be solved by a suitable application of high explosives."
50. What were you doing 12 AM last night? In the middle of finsihing up Prisoner of Azakaban. Yes, I know I need to read 3 more books in the 10.5 hours before ~~Cauldron of Money~~ Deathly Hallows comes out.

"Service" Station Attendants

2007-07-19T20:25:10Z

Now that I'm pretty solidly established in my fifth decade of existence, I'd like to think I'm not getting crotchety in my old age, but I'd like to know something: what's with the recent trend toward gas station attendants not coming to the driver's side window to discuss the vending of gasoline? Granted, this question should only extend to those of us in the state of New Jersey who get their gas pumped for them or those elsewhere who insist on full service.

What's up with this?

Last night's experience getting gas is what brought this question on. booksherpa and I had stopped for gas on rt. 22 at a fairly busy station. She was on the phone, and I had rolled down my window. The female attendant -- a rarity -- made absolutely no move toward my side of the car even when it became clear that my wife was on the phone having a conversation and I had made zero move toward lowering my window. Then she bent over and looked into the car -- still on the passenger's side, mind you -- as if to say, "Dude, if you want gas, you'd better roll down your window because there ain't no way I'm coming around to your side of the car." She was hunched there for at least 10 seconds before it became utterly clear to me that she wasn't coming to my side at all. Given the gas options on rt. 22, I should've just rolled up my window and driven to another station, but 1) the prices there are the best within 5 miles, 2) I'm too nice of a guy to be too pissed off over something like this, and 3) I needed the gas. The transaction was completed, and she came around to my side, took my money, and that was that.

booksherpa was pretty torqued about it and rightly so. Whatever happened to "service stations"? I remember the days when an attendant would clean your windshield after you inquired about gas; those days are pretty well gone now. Having someone do this is a rarity, even in winter months when it's clear that road salt and grime from snow plows have pretty much frosted your windows over in a tan glaze.

I guess I should just start waiting for the days when robotic attendants will take care of all of this, and our paperless society will allow me the free time to study 7-letter words on Zyzzyva and improve my Scrabble game enough to become a master by the time I'm 45.

And maybe there'll be the discovery of those anal-dwelling butt monkeys from Bruce Almighty, too.