…with Gary Moss

There’s always one more thing.

You’re a scrabble player and you finally mastered all the 2-Letter-Words in the year 2002. Along comes the NSA word committee and Merriam Webster who wanted to add a few sheqels to their coffers and POOF, another 5 2-Letter-Words were added to the OWL, along with some 4,000+ other words. To make things even more interesting . . . they deleted some words from the old list too.

Life is an ever changing drama. There is always one more thing to do. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it gets in the way of vegging out in an easy chair.

Casual players don’t really seem to care much about the official word list, except when they have a word challenged off the board by some scrabble purist. Then some of them become very huffy and ask why this is a word and that is not a word.

All games have rules. Without rules, there is only chaos. The rules define the game and how it is to be played. The rules of playing scrabble include a list of acceptable words (OWL2). Home players often make up ‘house rules’ and use any old dictionary that is handy as the word source. ‘House Rules’ and ‘Any Old Dictionary’ won’t fly at sanctioned clubs and tournaments.

There is just one more thing to do . . . . . LEARN THE WORDS IN THE OWL2. There are only a little more than 155,000 words in the OWL2. The average person on the street know about 5% of the words in the dictionary. Persons who play regularly at scrabble clubs will amass greater word power simply by playing and being exposed to what other opponents are playing. But even playing regularly is not enough to get you to the ranks of the scrabble mavins. The champions devise study regimens that they adhere to religiously. It is not uncommon for a scrabble champion to devote 20 – 40 hours a week to study (not just playing). But that is true about anything that you want to master.

What’s the ‘One More Thing’ that you have to do today? What are you putting off doing?

If learning more words is your ‘One Thing’ a great tool for learning high-probability bingos is my BOOKMARKS. Buy one or buy the ‘Starter Set of 10′. CLICK HERE.

It is the beginning of a new month, but a lot of Septembers and rolled their 30 days ’round before.

For students it is the new beginning of another academic year; same old systems of students and teachers with brand new opportunities for discovery, learning, and inspiration.

My personal space on Punta Alta is undergoing a transformation of its own. Many of my familiar things on shelves, on the walls, in the closets have moved out; some of them remain, shifted to new locations; some have moved on to new owners via GOODWILL and The Salvation Army. Movers are about to arrive with an infusion of stuff which will change ‘my place’ into ‘our place’. Somethings ‘old’ will be ‘brand new’ to me.

We all go through this life encountering many new beginnings. And yet there usually is a common familiarity with new experiences. We each assign qualities to the way we deal with ‘newness’ and ‘transitions’. Some people feel fear of the unknown; some people delight in surprises around each bend; some people dread the adjustments that must occur to have change; other people resist the changes that they have opted to undertake.

You have control of the way we meet and deal with the changes in our lives.

For those who have difficulty dealing with change, it answer may be hard to understand, but it is very simplistic: when you seek to change you are still bringing yourself along. You are bringing along all of your ‘past’ hopes, and dreams, and fears, and likes, and resentments, and preferences, and beliefs, and more . . . .

If you find yourself saying, “Back home we always did it this way . . . “, then you are stuck in your past and resisting new opportunities to see things differently.

If you are attending a lecture or class with an expectation related to some past instructor, you may be sitting in judgement and miss out on all the good stuff being offer by this new teacher and program.

Scrabble players who say, “I can never remember a word unless I know what the word means”, may be right, but the statement indicates to me that they are not open to the other possibilities that will allow them to achieve greatness in the scrabble ranks.

You set your own limits on our own greatness. You are your own stopper.

‘TODAY’ is always the best time to begin a new regimen for change and improvement.

You may be well aware of my love dedication to helping people achieve expertise as scrabble player. I will always continue to offer that coaching and tutoring service. What you may not know is that I am also an educator and personal coach who is trained to help people achieve their personal goals. Let’s Talk: (949) 510-1673 I can help you make an incredible difference in you life in ’21 Days’.

I’m back.

It is always fun to get away, go on vacation, and have an adventure. It is sometimes fun and entertaining to play some new game (just for the fun of it.) But if you’re anything like me, it is always special to return home.

Home, for me, represents that which is most comfortable and familiar: a comfortable pair of shoes; the aroma of bread from the oven; long time friends gathered at a scrabble club.

Returning home, for me, this time will have a special twist; I am bringing home a wife and I am now a husband. Everything’s the same, yet everything is different. It is like learning a new step to a dance. At first, the two partners find the movements unfamiliar. They learn the new step and movements to allow their two bodies to move in sync, in a seamless motion. In a short time the new step seems natural and enhances the entire dance.

Being away from scrabble competition for three weeks will probably cost me aplenty. Those who have maintained their regimens will have most likely expanded their word knowledge while my word power has be coasting and losing ground to others. And yet there is always an excitement for me in the act of returning home. Seeing friends and familiar faces, reestablishing comfortable routines, and sleeping in my own bed are a few of the things I cherish.

I look forward to writing my blogs from the easy chair in my living room or at Bruegger’s Bagles or The Corner Bakery over a fresh cup of coffee and a delicious breakfast.

I’ll be anxious to learn how all my friends are doing and sharing my recent adventures with them too.

Be sure to check in on my blogs frequently as I will share a lot of new with you, my readers, right here.

As the wise philosopher Rosannadana would say,

It’s Always Something.

Back in June I planned a trip from LA to Detroit for August. I knew that the price of air travel was predicted to soar over the summer, so I purchased my ticket early. I also knew that the cheapest non-stop ticket for that market was on Spirit Air. I had used their airline successfully in the past. Even though I had purchased my ticket in a timely fashion, forking over cash from my bank account into the paws of Spirit Air, after the fact of my purchase, Spirit Air added charges for ‘carry-on’ baggage, to the tune of $35 per bag.

Oh well, there went my savings and shrewd shopping.

If you live in Orange County and fly out of LAX, there isn’t any cheap way to get there. I opted to use ’24/7 Ride’. I booked them 1-way for $62 and was told that a 20% gratuity was expected. I was heading to Detroit to be married. What’s an extra dollar here or there for such a special occasion? Again I booked a week before my flight, and again 24/7 Ride didn’t hesitate to take cash from my debit account, a week before they performed the service. I had never used 24/7 Ride before. Within minutes of making the reservation I receive a confirmation for the day and time and notice that they had received payment. On the day of my departure I decided to call to re-confirm with 24-7 Ride. Ooops! A big OOOOPS. Even though they had records of receiving my money, somehow my name was never scheduled for pick up. Only due to my re-confirmation, disaster was averted. The general manager himself called me and then arrived only 15 minutes late in a long black town car and drove me to LAX. PHEW! There was some excuse offered about the scheduled driver being sick and not showing up . . . . . . Who knows what is real?

So now I’m there at LAX at the SPIRIT AIR counter. Since carry-on is $35 and checked-in bags are $25, I checked in my 1 bag. I was pretty proud of the way I packed this time, very efficient. On other trip I have sometimes packed using 3 bags. On my last trip I traveled on Southwest Air where they do not charge for luggage. Oooops. My red-eye, non-stop flight, which is scheduled to leave at 10:15 PM is running late. Meanwhile it is 1:15AM in Detroit and too late to call Adrienne who will be at the airport, promptly at 5:45AM (only to find that I’m not there yet). Big OOOPS! The plane is delayed two full hours. After all passengers have boarded and there is not a seat to spare, the plane loses power and we sit there without air conditioning for 20+ minutes. Finally we take off. Nothing at all is free on any longer of Spirit Air. They even charge $3 for a bottle of water.

Adrienne figured out what happened only after getting to the airport. She lies asleep on her front seat, parked in front of the Spirit Air Arrival Terminal. My plane finally lands. I head on down to the baggage carrousel with all the other tired and weary passengers. And guess who’s piece of luggage is missing? If you guessed me, you’re right. To make things even more dicey, I packed all my meds and the suit that I intend to wear at my wedding in that bag. My bag is the only bag that is missing. I head over to the office to report my missing luggage. The door is locked. There is no attendant. A security guard suggested that I go upstairs to the Spirit Ticket counter where they are busy accepting money from other customers. When I complain to the only agent behind the counter, she comments to the customers in her
line, “Some people just have no patients.”

What ever happened to the notion that the customer is always right?
~ Gary Moss

To rub a little salt into the wound, I packed all my meds in my luggage, including my insulin. And of course the suit for my wedding and all my other belongings are most likely on holiday in Fort Lauderdale or some other Spirit Air destination.

It gets even worse. Lets say you forgot or lost your prescription medication, or lets say that some airline just lost it. You are out of town, getting married and have plans to travel for a week or more before returning home. But you really MUST HAVE your meds. Do you think that your insurance company will automatically step up and help you out? If you said YES, you are either A COCKEYED OPTIMIST or maybe you are POLLYANNA. Chances are they’ll make you pay through the nose.

One of the main things that I love about scrabble is the civility of it all. Come share my board and tiles. Can I offer you enough score sheets for the evening? You say that you’ll be in town next week and need a place to stay? You’re welcome to stay over a night or two. How can I be of service?

The problem with most peoples’ memories is that they are not nurtured and used in a way that builds new synapses. It is no different than what happens to other muscles that are underused. (Just look at the rolls on my waist that I call ‘love handles’.)

Not all scrabble players are getting the bet biggest bang for their buck, even though they are playing scrabble. Just because you are a scrabble players does not mean that you are using memory to the max. I can site many players, especially those who have been playing for a long time, who are now comfortable and complacent, using the same set of words over and over again, game after game. They are like the bicycle rider who is coasting down-hill. (No muscle growth happening there.)

It doesn’t require a lot of work to get the old engine going. I’m not suggesting that you go from coasting to riding up a 6% grade. Beginning memory junkies will want to start out on level ground. If you are a scrabble player you may want to verify that you know all the 2-Letter-Words and 3-Letter-Words. If you haven’t mastered those lists then that is where you need to begin. (Which of these, if any, are legal 3-Letter-Words? AAL; BRR; CWM; DAH; ELD; FOH; GRR; HMM; ILM; JOE; KOI; LOL; MYC; NAN; OOH; PST; QUO; RHO; SST; TWA; UMM; VAV; WHA; XUS; YEM; ZOA

Dr. Moss’ Prescription For Building Sound Memory
1 Choose to play a game, like SCRABBLE, for instance.
2 Set aside 15 – 30 minutes every day for study
3 Develop a Study Regimen (choose Gary Moss as your coach)
4 Begin at the beginning
5 Study word lists and strategies
6 Use proven tools (Whiz Card, Bookmarks, etc)
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Prescription: Learn 5 new words today and call me in the morning.

It has been my experience that of all the ‘onlookers’ who have stopped out of curiosity to check out CLUB #350 and were then invited to sit down and play, those who responded “next time,” they were all hit by that ‘streetcar’ that travels down the 405 and 5 freeways.

You know what I mean. When you and I really want to do something it usually gets gone sooner than later.

Many of us put things off, out of fear and uncertainty or one of our other reasons. Some time later, we often find ourselves asking ourselves the question, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”

What is your biggest stopper? What did you avoid for a long time and then were happy when you finally did it? Getting an educational degree? Changing the status of your relationship? Moving to the place you always wanted to live? Learning how to win at competitive scrabble?
.
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Life Lesson # 8: Life never stands still.
When we put things off to some future time, life keeps moving right past us. (Ask people who put off having a family and later on struggle to get pregnant; Ask the person who was hired into a great job in their 20′s without a degree but is now 50ish and looking for work; Ask the scrabble player who hasn’t attended a club since last year about the level of the other players who have been playing weekly.)

We are only human. We can’t do everything. There isn’t enough time to taste everything. But we know when we are simply snuggled into the comfort of some cushy Lazy Boy, allowing opportunities to pass us by for our manufactured reasons. When know that when we leave our comfort zones we will be making ourselves vulnerable again to the cold and the heat, the rain and the traffic, the rudeness of others and the inefficiencies of business and government.

But that safe place, snuggled into the chair, robs the rest of society of the gifts that we all still have to contribute. And if you are honest, you know, that you feel the best of all when you are giving and doing.

Decide to choose scrabble today. Join me as an ambassador for the game. Find a local club to support with you participation. Let me help you improve your game (SCRABBLE 101). Let me show you how to use scrabble to raise funds for your pet charity.

DON’T PUT IT OFF TO TOMORROW! DO IT NOW! CALL: (949) 510-1673

EMAIL: JFTSOI.MOSS@GMAIL.COM

We are all used to seeing the same usual pictures of Honest Abe, but like you and I, he was a many faceted and complicated individual. He was ‘honest’, just like they say. He never palmed a ‘Q,’ he could never be accused of ‘fast bagging,’ and he was never known to have played a phoney.
Like scrabble players, Lincoln was known for always choosing his words carefully and wisely. In his Gettysburg Address he use 15 words that were bingo words: fathers, brought, liberty, created, engaged, testing, whether, dedicate, portion, resting, fitting, honored, devotion, measure, and freedom.

It is well known that Abe was influenced by many of the wise sayings of the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Yogi Berra, and George Carlin. On one occasion when he and Mary Todd Lincoln were having a major disagreement, about her role as a ‘stay-at-home-mom,’ the whole mishpacha chimed in. It was related to this circumstance that Abe uttered one of his most profound sayings. He took a deep breath, took a step back, outside of himself, and said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Abe in turn inspired multitudes, including me, Dr. Laura and Michael Smirconish.

It was misreported by a cub reporter on the campaign trail that Lincoln had said, “Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” What really happened was . . . . on a whistle-stop campaign journey, Abe was playing a tile word game with Stephen Douglas. Since the train was jarring and swaying, Abe firming suggested, “Be sure you put your tiles in the right place, then press them down firmly.” Due to the errant report, disagreements developed which in turn lead to what we know as The Lincoln Douglas Debates.

Other Lincoln / Scrabble Coincidences:
Lincoln died on April 15th. : There are 15 rows and columns on the standard scrabble board.
Lincoln was self educated : Mark Landsberg, Mr. 770, educated many of us on how to play scrabble.
Lincoln was the 1st Republican President : The face value of the tiles in ‘republican’ = 15
Lincoln preserved the UNION : Preserves are generally served on buffets at tournament breakfasts.
Lincoln was an Abolitionist : The ‘word committee’ often abolishes words from the OWL
Lincoln debated Douglas in Galesburg : I won Division 4 in Gatlinburg (a long time ago)

Lincoln said, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”
and such is the case when newbies are typically beaten down by unscrupulous experts.

Lincoln said, “Force is all-conquering, but its victories are short-lived.”
and mavins beware: defeated scrabble players do come back to beat their ‘scrabble daddy’ on some other day.

Lincoln said, “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
and most scrabble players are extremely happy, given the opportunity to play their favorite game.

Today is my birthday, thank you very much.

I began a tradition a few years ago of permitting myself the same number of wishes on my birthday equal to my number of birthdays. (In this way I am bound to have at least one of my wishes come true during the year.)

I’m sad to say that my wish for WORLD PEACE on last year’s list did not happen. But I will make it Numero Uno again on this year’s list. (Would you all please try a little bit harder?)

If you find yourself in a position to grant any of my wishes, please feel free to jump in and do so.

My 68 Wishes For My 69th Year:
1. World Peace
2. Health (for me and you and and all of our loved ones)
3. Prosperity (may we all be free from need)
4. Love (I think I’ve got this one solved for sure)
5. Good friends
6. Lots of laughter
7. Hugs
8. Making my/our condo work for two
9. Obama to appoints a Secretary of Scrabble
10. A safe motor trip cross-country
11. A 600+ scrabble game against one of my ‘scrabble daddies’
12. Growing numbers of scrabble players at my scrabble clubs and tournaments
13. Acknowledgement of my blogs at scrabblesense.com via emails
14. Increased sales of the Scrabble Name Plaque
15. Speaking engagements
16. A book contract followed by a movie contract
17. A major win on the lotto
18. Invitation to the White House from the Obama’s for a beer
19. Writing a school curriculum
20. Season tickets to the symphony
21. Directing the 1st scrabble tournament in Death Valley
22. Dental work repaired
23. Kosher shrimp
24. Fewer commercials on TV
25. Being a contestant on The Price Is Right
26. Create a shram tische (maybe at Scott Sellman’s new restaurant)
27. A scrabble cruise on The Mississippi Steamboat
28. A daily entry on UTube
29. Directing a major charity benefit using scrabble as a tool
30. Play in the Escondido Literacy Scrabble Tournament
31. Continued temperate weather in southern California
32. Water Aerobics fun
33. Diabetes under control
34. Weight loss (down to 190 by 8/20/11)
35. Mile markers along CA. highways
36. Free WiFi city-wide in Laguna Woods
37. No data loss from my computer
38. Gardenias
39. Staked to an entry in the World Series of Blackjack
40. Smelling more roses; watching more sunsets
41. Bruegger’s Bagels aplenty
42. Expanding memory between my ears
43. Cheesecake (toppings optional)
44. Avoiding food poisoning and the common cold
45. Great photos on my Canon
46. Seeing a really great movie (being touched or motivated)
47. Hot showers
48. Delicious morning coffee
49. A dog named Boo
50. An income stream that flows
51. Comfortable shoes
52. Squishy pillows
53. Produce from Growers Direct
54. Disneyland (comps for two)
55. Massage
56. Less traffic on the 405
57. Entertaining friends
58. Completing Sudoku puzzles successfully
59. Clean windows and carpets
60. Karaoke
61. Storytelling
62. Hummingbirds at my feeder
63. Oil in pipelines and clean sand on the beaches
64. Affordable gas in my tank
65. No phone calls before 8:30AM or after 11PM
66. Honest politicians & hanging judges to take care of the others
67. Making a difference
and # 68. Making it to 69.

My great-grandmother made the most delicious brisket that you can ever imagine tasting. She was famous throughout the family, around the block, and way over into the next county. If you ever were invited to Sunday evening dinner at great-grandma’s house, you’d be sure to cancel any other activity in order to be there. Some family members recall one time when grandpa’s friend, Harry Houdini (Ehrich Weiss), was invited to dinner before one of his local performances. He made two full servings of great-grandma’s brisket disappear.

Last year, at a family reunion, we had been served brisket by the caterer. It was a far cry from being as good as I remembered great-grandma’s brisket. I shared my thoughts with my daughter and then she asked if anyone still has the recipe. I suggested that she ask her mother. She immediately pulled out her cell phone and fast-dialed my ex. Shelly thought a minute and then began with the recipe: 1) purchase a 3 pound brisket about 8 – 10 inches long. 2) Trim the thin end of the brisket back to 7 inches. (Give the trimmings to the dog.) 3) Place the brisket into the cast iron pan. 4) Season with salt, pepper, celery salt, a splash of anise and paprika. 5) Surround the brisket with carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes. 6) Add a cup and a half of water. 7) Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

“Why did great-grandma buy a large brisket and then cut some off and throw it away?” asked my daughter. ” I’m not sure”, answered my ex. “Ask grandma.”

Out came her Palm Pilot with all of her phone numbers. After locating grandma’s number, it was only a second until the number was punched. Grandma sounded out of breath when she answered the phone. She had just walked in from her daily 3 mile run. “Grandma, do you remember great-grandma’s brisket recipe?” “Sure, Honey. Do you have a pencil? Here goes: 1) purchase a 3 pound brisket about 8 – 10 inches long. 2) Trim the thin end of the brisket back to 7 inches. (Give the trimmings to the dog.) 3) Place the brisket into the cast iron pan. 4) Season with salt, pepper, celery salt, a splash of anise and paprika. 5) Surround the brisket with carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes. 6) Add a cup and a half of water. 7) Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.”

“But grandma, why did great-grandma buy a large brisket and then cut some off and throw it away?”

There was laughter on the other end of the phone. “What are you laughing about? What’s so funny?” “Nothing, dear. It’s just that great-grandma’s cast iron pan was only 8 inches long.

Following some player’s blind advice about playing scrabble can be as silly as asking someone for a recipe. Always begin by asking the correct source for the information. It really irks me when a newbie walks into the club and asks questions about matters of substance to other newbies and novices. Even many of the experts who may know the correct answers may not be able to give an explanation in an understandable, sensitive manner.

I consider myself to be the ‘scrabble-answer-man’ at CLUB #350 and for my many students around the country. As a teacher, by profession, I have worked hard learning how to communicate with people of all ages and all natures.

Just ASK ME! I’ll either tell you -or- I’ll tell you where you can go.

I often expound on the many-sided benefits that come from playing scrabble. Mostly I write about building word power and memory skills.

But there are social benefits and challenges for some. Several divorces have been noted through the years, as a direct or indirect result of scrabble. For those couples, it became a wedge.

But then there are a number of couples who found one another at a club or a tournament or online and a common interest (scrabble) led to other things, including marriage.

By the way, did I mention that I am getting married TODAY. (And would you believe it? Scrabble played a part in my story.)

About 22 years ago, at the beginning of my scrabble obsession, I was single again, and found myself dating a lovely woman, herself just out of nonfunctional marriage. Both of our lives were unsettled. We enjoyed one another, but the timing for anything more than that was lacking. There wasn’t any drama or bad vibes when we went our separate ways. We just moved on with our separate lives.

In recent years I had come to accept the fact that I would most likely remain single for the rest of my days. I had settled deep into my easy chair and was very much at peace with a life of scrabble, restaurant food, an occasional female companion and the frequent company of ‘Law & Order’.

Unbeknownst to me, my friend Adrienne of some 22 years ago, was out of a long term relationship and still hoping to meet her Mr. Right. While at work one day (in Southfield, Michigan), a man walked in wearing a SCRABBLE T-Shirt. Adrienne turned to him and said, “I used to know a guy who was consumed by his involvement with scrabble.” The man responded. And before you know it they were talking about scrabble and Adrienne mentioned my name. The man to whom she was talking was Paul Epstein, one of the best of the best in scrabble circles, and by chance, an old friend of mine.

Paul told Adrienne that I was still smitten by the game of scrabble and that she could find me right here at scrabblesense.com Her curiosity led her to click on my website and sparked some good old memories of some fun times together with me. A few days later she entered my name into Facebook and read my profile. She learned that I was single and that Scrabble had been my constant mistress over the years.

At the end of March I received an email (at my home in Laguna Woods, CA.) from my old friend. And a marathon of emails began that turned into a marathon of phone calls by April. (Thank god for ‘Magic Jack’. I couldn’t have afforded the growing relationship with the cost of overtime cell phone minutes.)

My family (mother, kids, grandkids, cousins) mostly live in Michigan. I had a planned trip back to Michigan on the week of June 20. I needed a place to stay. Adrienne owns a 2 bedroom condo there, about a mile away from my mother’s apartment. (A match made in heaven.)

I proposed on June 25th.

My family had a reunion planned for the weekend of August 13. With the bulk of Adrienne’s family and my family being in one city at the same time, it was only thoughtful and reasonable that we get married today and save everyone the expense of traveling another time to our wedding.

Many people were shocked by the speed that all of this has occurred. Several people have pulled me aside and suggested, “Why rush? Take some time.”

I will turn 68 on August 20. What should I wait for? Should I wait until I turn 70?

After the wedding we’ll have a reception with family and friends. The next few days will be spent waiting for the movers. Then Adrienne and I will hop into her car and drive cross-country over 5 or 6 days to my condo in Laguna Woods, California. Most of the renovations to my closets and storage spaces are complete. (We may have to rent the condo next door as a walk-in closet.)

Good friends will look over and fill in at my scrabble clubs in my absence. I will be back home in plenty of time to direct the 1st Sunday Tournament on Sunday, September 5th.

Here’s a link to our wedding invitation. CLICK HERE

As ‘they’ say, “When you least expect it.”