This is the year, by the way, that I learned to play Scrabble. I'd never played it before.

I went through many expected phases, such as the one in which you learn that a love of long complicated words gets you nowhere (it is about 2-letter thuggery in the end), or the one in which you learn to not think so much. I generally fail dreadfully at this latter; I spend a lot of time with a corrugated (EFB) forehead and creaking cranium behind, staring at the board in agony--I only fitfully have Scrabble Brain, the one that lets you just See Stuff. But I've been lucky that my two regular competitors (Dorette & Summer) are much much better than I, which forced me to get much better much faster. Not to mention I would have been kicked out of regulation play long ago without their patience at my agonized delays (I'm always having to ask for more time...so obnoxious). So, thanks ladies. And shoutouts to everyone, scrabblous or not, I'll be missing at Labor Day fatty fun fest this year! Wah! I pine for you all.