…with Gary Moss

Archive for August, 2009

1 Health
2 Friendships
3 Bingos Without Blanks
4 Mild Temperatures
5 Brighter Financial Times
6 Continued Excellent Service From My Yaris
7 Prosperity In The Lives Of My Children
8 More Movies Like Julie&Julia
9 Meals & Deals
10 Laughter
11 Hummingbirds At My Feeder
12 Inspirations For My Blogs
13 Continued Computer Joy
14 Meeting Ms Right & Being Mr Right
15 Clear Vision
16 Few TV Commercials
17 A Self-Cleaning Home
18 An Endless Well Of Creativity
19 Establishment Of A Cabinet Position For Scrabble
20 Being Offered a Writing Job
21 Falling Asleep When My Head Hits The Pillow
22 Losing 30 Pounds On A Cheesecake Diet
23 Average Attendance of 24 At The 1st Sunday Tournaments
24 Directing Honorariums Instead Of Memorials
25 Less Traffic Tie-Ups On The 5 and 405
26 More Time At The Beach
27 Redecorating My Home
28 Being Visited By Family
29 Brighter Blooms In My Garden
30 Breathtaking Sunsets
31 Speaking Engagements
32 A Lot Less Spam
33 Continued Success For NASPA
34 Good Books To Read
35 Free WYFI Everywhere
36 Comfortable Shoes
37 Championships For My Favorite Teams
38 The Thrill Of Victory
39 Making Other People Laugh
40 Playing At The Dallas National in 2010
41 Raising Funds For Charities
42 Knowing
43 Designing A Popular T-Shirt
44 Publish A Tutorial
45 Never Have To Wait For Others
46 A Massage & A Back Scratch
47 A Green’s Hamburger & Lafayette Coney Island
48 A Digital Camcorder
49 Playing Scrabble At A Death Valley Tournament
50 Coining A Word
51 Making A Difference
52 Free From Debt & Interest Charges
53 Pleasing Music
54 Organization; Everything In Its Place
55 White Teeth
56 Happy Days
57 Joy Of Walking
58 Lawn Mowing at 8AM Instead Of 7AM
59 52 Students In 52 Weeks
60 A Ride In A Blimp
61 Truth & Honesty In Advertising
62 Cheaper Ink Prices
63 Leaning How To Sew
64 Easy Drop Off For Recycling Sharps
65 Egg Foo Young In Brown Gravy
66 12 Or More At Every Club #350
67 Being Here Next Year To Write 68 Wishes

The greatest gift that Alfred Butts, John Williams, the NAS, the NASPA, and YOU have given and continue to give is friends and friendships.

Most people go through their lives walking down a very narrow road. They don’t really get to know many people outside of their family, their neighborhood, or their church.

From the moment I embarked upon the scrabble world I discovered a world filled with diversity; a world of people that I had always known were there, but had never met and engaged. And I am the beneficiary of countless friendships as a result.

Scrabble players are very generous and welcoming, especially to other scrabble players. You say that you want to go on a short, inexpensive vacation? I can book you a few days with players who live on Maui, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, or in Fish Hoek, South Africa on your promise to play a 4 – 6 games of scrabble per day.

Come to southern California and we’ll create a day of scrabble in your honor.

If you live somewhere with cold, icy, snowy winters, come and enjoy the mild climate of southern California and play scrabble until you babble. You find an organized club within an hour’s drive every day; you’ll find monthly scrabble tournaments; and no lack of new friends who will meet you to play oceanside or at a local cafe.

Now, get out there and play some scrabble today.

There are many ways to learn things; we don’t all learn things in the same way. One tool that works well for most people trying to learn the STEMS is The Bookmark Series. Each BOOKMARK is similar to the one pictured here. The front side shows the name of the STEM ( this one is ‘SATINE’ ) and listed below are some of the bingos created from that stem. The information continues onto the back of the BOOKMARK.

100 different BOOKMARKS make up the entire series.

Always carry a BOOKMARK with you wherever you go. Look at it while you’re enjoying your morning coffee; take it to work with you; leave one in the restroom; put one on your nightstand.

In no time at all, many of the bingo words on each stem list, that were initially unfamiliar to you, will become easily recognizable.

You’ll surprise yourself and astonish you opponents when you transform from a good scrabble player into a bingo king or queen.

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For pricing information and availability of The BOOKMARK SERIES, CLICK HERE.

No need to leave your home. Available online.
Learn the SECRETS OF THE CHAMPIONS.
The BEST lessons around.
Learn from a Certified Director who has produced more than 200 tournaments.
SCRABBLE 101
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Enroll NOW! Begin your journey.

Some of the things that we ‘love’ or ‘hate’ may have nothing at all to do with the actual things at all.

I must have been about 3 or 4 years old. My mother and father were going somewhere and needed someone to look after me for the day. My aunt Betty and uncle Dave were saddled with me for the day. My aunt Betty was the CEO of the house; uncle Dave was a hard working, soft spoken dentist who yielded the reigns to his wife when they were together.

( pictured at left: My mom and me, Uncle Dave and Stuart)
Their son, my cousin Stuart, was exactly 2 months older than me. We always liked one another, but we were as different as night and day from each other. Aunt Betty wanted Stuart to ‘look good’ and ‘perform’ to reflect her own superiority as a mother and a gene donor. Stuart was always dressed perfectly and crisply. Betty read endless books to Stuart and coached him to repeat verses. Betty always insisted that Stuart perform for family and friends. Stuart would have been a child star on JEOPARDY had it existed in 1946. He knew the answers to questions on topics he could barely pronounce.

I liked Lincoln Logs and scribbling with crayons. At 4 years old, I still hadn’t mastered staying inside the lines. My cloths were clean, but hand-me-downs. My parents were loving and allowed me to find my own fun with an empty box or listening to Baby Snooks on the radio. I rarely was far from my mother side. Sometimes I was looked after by my grandmother, who lived in the apartment across the hallway from the apartment in which I lived.

Stuart always was expected to clean his plate by eating every last mouthful; I ate what I wanted and left the rest (my primary staple was PB&J or Bologna ).

On this day, after I was dropped off with my aunt and uncle, I began experiencing an unsettling, mild, stomach upset, the kind you might get when you feel homesick. My aunt Betty scared me with her abrupt, stern, mannerisms. She was very authoritarian, very unlike my parents.

During the morning hours I played alongside Stuart. After playing with each object, Stuart was trained to put it away before taking a different toy. My toys at home were all piled in a bin. Betty hovered over me and Stuart, demanding me to do things her way. Each demand made me more fearful.

When lunch time arrived we were instructed to wash our hands, a good idea, but not required at my house. Stuart and I sat across the table from one another and we were each brought a plate with a tuna fish sandwich, some potato chips, a pickle, and a glass of milk. I can’t remember if tuna fish had been part of my food experience. From the first, I didn’t like the smell; it turned my delicate, upset, stomach. I asked for a PB&J instead. Betty told me that at her house, people ate that which was served to them on their plate.

Stuart dived in and ate his lunch without hesitation. I lifted the sandwich to my mouth and gagged, as the aroma from the tuna fish hit my nostrils, long before the sandwich passed my lips. Betty looked me straight in the eyes and told me to “Eat It”. Almost, as if on some cue, I think I vomited.

I haven’t been able to even imagine eating tuna fish ever since. I do enjoy Yellow Fin Tuna at seafood restaurants, but I think of it as simply ‘Yellow Fin Fish’. These days, even when shopping at the local supermarket, I avoid the aisle with tuna fish. I hold no grudges against Charlie, personally.

I guess the reason my children don’t enjoy scrabble is in part due to the fact that I was too competitive with them when we played together, many years ago. I didn’t allow them to win.

Our actions do have consequences. No tuna for me please.

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LIVE
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LAUGH
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LOVE
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DINE
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BINGO

There are an endless number of ways to ‘taste life.’ We may have all relished the experience a time or more, and yet none of us may have done the same things in the same way. In truth, we all taste life during every waking moment. But when we talk about tasting life we are usually referring only to those times that stand out from the rest; the times that are special and unique.

If I met you over coffee at Starbuck’s and were to ask you, “What is your passion in life?” Would you have an immediate and definite response? Or would you have to think long and hard before giving me an answer? Or would you not have an answer? Are you the kind of person who loves ‘everything’ in life and plays with 100% of your energy no matter what it is that you are doing? Or are you more reserved . . . participating, but waiting for the event or the other person to provide the joy to you?

You’ve probably heard it said thousands of times in your lifetime, “The more you put into something, the more you’ll get out of it.” Those are not idle words. Those are words of fact.

People who throw themselves into their work, their leisure, and their relationships get much more out of those things than others who show up with less enthusiasm and passion.

Assignment: Take a sheet of paper and fold it into thirds. Write these titles over the three columns: Things That Excite Me; Things That Are Okay; Things I Dread Take 10 or more minutes and list some things that you do in an average day/week/month in each of the three columns.

Which of the columns contains ‘JOY’? What can you do to move items from columns 2 and 3 over to column #1? Which items in columns 2 and 3 can you walk away from?

There will always be some things in life that we MUST do that are not our favorite things. But the way we choose to do those things, our attitude, can move something from column #3 to column #2 -or- from column #2 to column #1. All the power is within us and the way we choose to perceive things.

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………………………………NOW GO PLAY SOME SCRABBLE!

A ropes course is a challenging outdoor personal development and team building activity which usually consists of high and/or low elements. Low elements take place on the ground or only a few feet above the ground. High elements are usually constructed in trees or made of utility poles and require a belay for safety. In order to stay safe and maneuver through a ropes course successfully, most of us would want a knowledgeable instructor to teach us technique and coach us along as we gained the necessary skills.
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As tempting as it may be, only the fool hearty would rush out onto the ropes, risk personal injury and life itself. (And some might.)

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Less dangerous, but equally important, is knowing what to do if and when your car breaks down on a road trip, especially if you are traveling in remote locations, at a distance from AAA and other forms of road service. Do you know what to do when a tire gives out? The simplest task becomes frustrating and difficult if you don’t have the proper tools and a knowing of how to remedy the situation. There is no need to give up road travel. Just get a handle on being prepared by learning the basics.
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Everything has its own little secrets for success: ropes courses, preparedness on the open road, and even playing scrabble. Because it’s just a board game, people don’t hesitate to jump in and play without a second thought about the potential dangers to ego and self-esteem. Those who take the time to ‘know the ropes’ of scrabble, before blindly following the newbies, will have a more positive scrabble experience, I promise.
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All the secrets to winning at scrabble are taught in my online class ‘SCRABBLE 101′. The road to success is simple, but it is not necessarily easy. But to achieve success you must ‘know the ropes’.

One day your right on track, speeding like a bullet train, toward your destination. Then something catches your eye, then some thought enters your mind, then some impulse occurs autonomically, and then, as fast as a hiccup, you are sidetracked, off course.

If you don’t take an immediate action, in no time at all, weeds can grow up around you and stymie your growth and progress.

Yesterday I missed out on writing my daily blog.

It was due to a scheduled, routine, screening at a doctor’s office. It was one of those procedures that stir up a little angst. Butt, everything came out all right. Hopefully, I won’t have to experience that again for another five years.

I relearned a life lesson as a result of yesterday’s diversion in my routine. I was ‘sidetracked’.

This blog today is my attempt to force-squeeze some words of significance out of myself and thereby right myself, on track again.

In thinking about the process that dislodged me from my focus, I identified a brief list of other circumstances that have had the same effect on me in my past. That list includes, but is not limited to: receiving a poor grade on a test in school; being rejected after asking a girl for a date; being elected class president in 8th Grade; returning from a memorable vacation; some dreams, more than others; being involved in an auto accident; playing a flawless game of scrabble against a high rated opponent.

These kind of events have, at times, stolen my breath away, turned my stomach, diverted my direction.

The lesson learned here is that the duration of the misdirection is totally in my control. Often, the confusion that accompanies these experiences makes us think that we are powerless, mere victims of some greater force. But the truth is, if we are still alive after the tsunami, we each have the power to ‘pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again.’

It is extremely dangerous to ‘give in’ to the event.
Some students who receive a poor grade then evaluate themselves as incapable, and stop trying.
Some people who have auto accidents become timid drivers, none the better for it.
Some winning scrabble players become overconfident and forsake their study regimens.

So today, I am choosing to get back on track, a bit wiser for having been sidetracked yesterday, recalling events from my past and using the lessons to make me and you more powerful in our own lives down the track.

All Aboard.

There have been a large number of people showing up at clubs expressing interest at joining in the fun. That’s great!

Most of these folks have been hidden away, around kitchen tables, across America for years. They have been playing with their own ‘house rules’ and using the old Webster or Funk And Wagnall’s as their word list.

I am representative of one of the first people they meet when they show up at club. I am very welcoming to them, and I always give them a brief overview of the way scrabble is played at club. Most are very nice, and appear to be attentive. But most just want to jump in and play; they want to see how good they are and how they measure up to seasoned club players.

I guess that is the nature of people. ( I want what I want, when I want it. )

Most newbies are unable to grasp all the different rules and protocol at one sitting. I admit, there is a lot to learn. But when the teacher says, “the tile bag must be held at eye level or higher when drawing tiles”, why do so many newbies insist on picking their tiles from the bag while it lies on the table? (Even after being reminded several times.)

The most difficult thing to learn is the order of things when taking your turn. 1) place your play onto the board; 2) count your score; 3) announce your score for the play aloud to your opponent; 4) HIT YOUR CLOCK; 5) record your score and the cumulative score on your score sheet; 6) replenish the tiles on your rack.

I remember 1957, Mumford High School, and Mr. McNair, the driver education teacher. Like every one of my friends in the class, all I wanted to do was hop into one of the cars and drive. But there would be several weeks of ‘book work’ before we even had an opportunity to open a car door. The frustration of being so close to a car, and yet so far away ‘driving’ was excruciating.

Maybe that is a good analogy for how it feels being a newbie at scrabble club. Players are anxious to get their hand into the tile bag and play some words. . . . and then find themselves being delayed by some guy with a list of rules and procedures.

And yet, a game without rules is chaos and meaningless. The rules make us accountable to one another, provide a level playing field, and insure fairness. I encourage newbies to develop good habits by learning the proper way to do things from the very beginning.

Get the facts, digest them, employ them, then rev your engine.