The other half of my dashboard

Some of you may have seen the scrabble rack near the center of my dash in previous posts... I thought I'd post this shot showing my flashcard storage area. (Notice my son's 'scrabble cards' label underneath) I also may use this post when people question a word I play on Facebook scrabble. I'll say, 'it's somewhere in that pile.'

7 things I learned at club this week

1. don't play a phony in a desperate attempt to win an unwinnable end game without seeing if it opens up an easy out-bingo for your opponent. (In this case, I had DDNNRU? and tried UNDeR(WET)* for 33, leaving me with an out play of D(O)N. Unfortunately, I didn't take the .5 seconds to see that I set him up for RELATIO(N)).

2. There are 4 bingos in LORSTY?.

3. There is 1 bingo in DELMNRY?.

4. There is an even awesomer* bingo in ADIRRWY?

5. GASSINGS is not a phony.

6. It's possible for me to make mistakes 2 thru 5 and still win a game.

7. I need to look harder for parallel plays when I don't have other ways to score decently.

Episode 59 notes

extensions
TARRIESt- STARRIEST
twARTIEST- HEARTIEST
RATITES- ZARATITES

snapbacks:
GLA GRA SEI ZINGS

VEXIL (vexillum, part of a feather)

HEX words
HEXAD a group of six HEXADIC
HEXADE a hexad
HEXANE a volatile liquid
HEXER one that hexes
HEXONE a hydrocarbon solvent
HEXOSE a simple sugar
HEXYL a hydrocarbon radical HEXYLIC

interesting hooks:

BLASTYier stably blowing in gusts

OBLAST(I) an administrative division of Russia OBLASTS

TRUNNELS (treenail)
FAROUCHE sullenly shy (no s) BAROUCHE: type of carriage
PHRATRY a tribal unit among primitive peoples PHRATRAL PHRATRIC
TACITRUN =URTICANTs

vAGUE a malarial fever AGUELIKE, AGUISH, AGUISHLY, AGUEWEED
CRUE* CURE ECRU
GRUEls a shudder of fear
SLUE to cause to move sideways
SPUE to spew

Episode 59

out now...
here
or
here

(ed. note: an astute listener pointed out an egregious error I made during the 'stupid tip of the week' section. this has now been seamlessly repaired and the new version uploaded.)

Another fill-in-the-blank quiz

This one has three answers, all pretty interesting, I thought. Notice the wrench in the picture, for emergency under-the-hood alternator belt tightening....

Seven things I learned at club this week.

hook1. If you're fishing off two tiles to get a bingo-prone rack, and the board is closed, put them somewhere that opens it up. (even if it's a few less points)

2. DULA* is not an alternate spelling of DOULA. (didn't challenge it, but mainly because it took the TWS for a low score, and I couldn't put anything there anyways.)

3. KAFTANS is good. (spotted on another board.)

4. AMI-, CAS-, EDU-, EVO-, PEC- and PLA- are all ways to extend an opening move of CABLE.

5. ALCADES is good. (anagram is eSCALADE; it's an alternate spelling of ALCALDES.  Interestingly, I knew ALCAIDE, which is a slightly different word, and convinced myself I was imagining it without the I.)

6. RELAYERS* is not good!!!! Best phony I've seen in a while.

7. EDGIER takes front hooks H, L, S, W. (couldn't remember them from a month ago, when someone played EDGY on me.)

The latest quiz from my dashboard

I've been staring at this one for a few days, and finally gave up on the answer (I wasn't sure if there was one.) The tiles are GHIIRT? in case you can't see.


Also, can anyone tell me why this is the most viewed page on my blog? Leave a comment, please.