The Double Trouble of Scrabble
It was a mega game and a record turnout with six players, two boards, two dictionaries, lunch plates, tea cups, score pads and one decked out cappuccino spread out on the two tables put together to make one long one. We drew straws to see which of two teams we would play on. As the games began, mental struggling and concentration mixed with bursts of laughter and visitors coming by to chat. I kept looking across the long table at Rosemary who kept reaching into a large brown paper bag. For most of the game I thought she was eating popcorn and was hoping the bag would make its way down to my end of the table. Turned out their three person team was picking Scrabble letters from the makeshift bag. I played for a turn or two with 8 letters by mistake, and for awhile thought I had a blank until I discovered the letter A was on the other side.
Post note: This was last week’s game. Another game is scheduled for today but may be canceled because of the snowy wet weather. Click HERE and scroll down for more Scrabble antics at the Cafe del Sol.
December 21st, 2007 11:34 am
I wish I lived in a burg where the people spent enough time with each other to engage in magical moments like this. What I wouldn’t give to have a game of Scrabble with friends and neighbors at the local cafe.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again because I’m feeling redundant today: I think I need to move 🙂
All the best from Michele’s today, Colleen. I hope the weather doesn’t scrub the next game.
December 21st, 2007 1:49 pm
More snowy weather…good for the water tables! Of course, I’m not having to live with it. I was wondering what dictionary you all use…I hope not the one put out as a Scrabble dictionary – I think it has non-words in it.
December 21st, 2007 3:06 pm
Hey Colleen…I have a scrabble question for you.
I have become a much better (as in higher scores) scrabble player since playing online because I can look up words to see if they are in the dictionary before I play them…sometimes I just play around with letters and find words.
I don’t ever remember dictionary availability (except for challenges) being a part of *real* scrabble. Is it?
Merry Christmas!
December 21st, 2007 3:36 pm
I have to agree with Carmi – it would be most fun to live in an area where you could get together at the local coffee shop and play scrabble!
BTW, I answered your question – in the form of a blog post…
December 21st, 2007 11:21 pm
We do use the Scrabble dictionary, June. All the tournament players do, only they have a better version. The one the public uses has had so-called offensive words taken out for “recreational and school” use. I highly recommend “Word Freak,” a book about Scrabble that goes into the history of the game and the dictionary used.
Ampersand, technically you’re not supposed to use a dictionary to look up words when playing board Scrabble unless you are challenging a word, but whoever is playing can decide on the rules. We play for fun and allow 3 free look-ups and no one really counts those. I do find we learn more when we can look up words. Today someone played Jarl and we learned it was a Norwegian noble and maybe how Jarlsberg cheese got named.
December 21st, 2007 11:51 pm
Oh, how I miss playing Scrabble! Too bad I don’t live in Floyd. Michele says hi.
December 22nd, 2007 3:49 am
yes, i agree with the sentiment of the group….you live in a magical place! i told patry when she was here on her book tour earlier in the year that i wish i knew more about floyd – so many people seem to gravitate there. i see why as i read more!
December 22nd, 2007 9:09 am
you guys are serious about your scrabble over there in floyd! 🙂 i have an old scrabble game in my closet that i need to get out…. first i need to find someone to play with, though…..
December 22nd, 2007 9:36 am
We did play yesterday too and had a blast! Mara, me, Max (a past cafe barrista) and his sister. More on that later…
December 22nd, 2007 2:30 pm
Thanks, Colleen. I like playing with the ability to look up words. Like you guys, I learn so many new words that way.
December 26th, 2007 1:07 am
Now, see Colleen… this is why you have to, have to, have to join Facebook! I play Scrabble (called Scrabulous on FB) with JulieUnplugged and Ampersand Prime almost everyday on FB. Sometimes the pace is quick and sometimes not depending on how much time each of us has. The games are saved from turn to turn so that you don’t have to constantly be online. If you decide to join FB, please let me know.
This photo and story reminds me of the marathon games of Monopoly my older sister used to play when she was a teenager. She’d put two boards together overlapping them on the go to jail space to make a figure eight and the game would last all day and into the night.
December 26th, 2007 12:32 pm
I so tempted. But at this point the Cafe Scrabble games are my best excuse for getting off the computer and out in the real world. Plus, I tried to join Facebook once but didn’t understand it very well and ultimately felt that the blog was enough of an online interface. Right now I’m playing with Josh, who’s in town for a few more days.
March 14th, 2010 6:05 pm
[…] time she put a Scrabble box on our friend Bruce’s head. Once we played Scrabble with two boards, six players at two tables. Another time my blog friend Naomi called from from Los Angeles because she knew from […]