Superscrabble Update Again!!

Wasn’t it Shakespeare who said ‘much ado about nothing’? Figuring out where the next Superscrabble club might be has taken on a life of its own. I have spent the last several days trying to figure this out. After much discussion today with Gretchen and Renee Kahn, there seems to be a growing desire to have 2 SS sessions a month. One will be at Laguna Woods and the other at IHOP. In years past Maliha held 2 sessions a month at her home which had great support at the time.

One thing is for certain! Every proposal by Gary Moss in an earlier email was shot down by the majority of the regular SS players. These were Gretchen’s words, not mine. But where to play has been an issue with most players wanting to play close to home. So it does appear as if we may have 2 sessions a month and each of you is free to attend either or both. The top regular players will be assigned a SS board to keep and bring to each event. The following players may be headed to Laguna Woods: Gary Moss, Bill Lapinski, Amnon Meyers, Lynn Gunn, Gretchen Cowan and Fern Trausch. This is a total of SIX…

The following prefer the IHOP: David Poder, Alan Stern, Don Platt, Evelyn Davis, Jeff Polan, Joanie Scafuto, Karen Sturm, Najat, Nancy Douglas, Pat Reed, Renee Kahn, Tom Titus, Yuki Loritz, Janet Goldstein and Joel Elkins. This is a total of FIFTEEN…

Some players will like to attend both clubs. I know I will. The IHOP event will probably

be on the third Thursday of each month, start later and end later to avoid rush hour traffic. There will be 3 or 4 games. Lunch or dinner at the IHOP strictly!!! All of this will be decided later. I cannot speak for the Laguna Woods group…

Of course all of this is subject to further discussion and change but I think we are getting close. We can start anytime. There is no rush…

I have misplaced my Club Championship sign up sheet. To the best of my recollection I think we have 17 signed up so far and I am looking for 7 more. These players include David Poder, Beth Byrne, Bill Lapinski, Bruce, James Cassidy, Jane Crane, Jeff Polan, Joanie, Karen Sturm, Kim Peterson, Lorry Higgins, Maxine, Najat, Nancy Douglas, Paul Rickhoff, Tom Brown and Tom Titus. If there are any mistakes in this list, let me know Tuesday. I will collect $20 from each of you that day….

David Poder, Club 34 Director

Superscrabble Update!!

I have added 4 names from Maliha’s emailing list to what I already had from Club 34 so I believe I have a complete list of all players interested in continuing with the Superscrabble tradition started by Maliha Mahmood.  We all want to carry on her legacy and memory and continue with the tradition she set forth years ago!!

With the help of Gretchen Cowan, Gary Moss and others, we are busy at work trying to establish a new tradition to our future Superscrabble home.  We are considering the IHOP and Laguna Woods as the new venue.  We may alternate the locations.  That remains to be seen.  Gary will be contacting his people at Laguna Woods regarding room availability and I will be speaking with IHOP manager Hector as well.

There will be some changes obviously.  The biggest one will be the absence of any further payouts for wins, bingos and special words.  Maliha was very generous about this and everyone appreciated her generosity so much but I do not see anyone stepping up to carry on this tradition.  But we must carry on her tradition and her memory and we will!!!  We owe her that much for all the fun times we had with her…

If we have events at the IHOP, everyone MUST eat breakfast or lunch there to show our appreciation for having us there free of charge.  If we play at Laguna Woods, all of us must pay for a catered lunch which may be $10-15 apiece.  This is mandatory.  This is the way it has to be…

We will be getting all equipment from Maliha’s husband.  He has been kind enough to donate this.  By all estimations we may have l0-l5 SS boards and sets of tiles and clocks which means that we may be able to have anywhere from 20-30 people at any event.  I know that the IHOP room can have 30 people comfortably.  I am not sure of the Laguna Woods facility at this time.

We will continue with the 3 game format with lunch after the first game.  We should be able to start at 10am as before.  What I am not sure of is the day of the week.  Some players cannot make a Thursday event so I am taking a vote for Monday, Wednesday or Thursday.  We cannot have it on Tuesday or Friday because of Club 34 and the weekends are not good for the IHOP because the restaurant is quite busy on Saturday and Sundays.  Of course I have to speak with Hector about room availabilty for those days.  I know other clubs and organizations reserve that room from time to time.

If you do not want to participate any further, please let me know and I will remove you from the SS mailing list.  If I do not hear from you in ONE week, I will assume you are no longer interested and you will be removed.

I want you to contact me by next Monday to let me know if you are still interested and list which day of preference you have.  Email me privately at DPoder@socal.rr.com.

Once we secure the venues and the day of the week, another communication will be set forth.  We hope to be up and running in a few weeks.  And one more thing!!  Since the venues will change possibly and even if they do not, it looks like each SS board, tiles and clocks will be assigned to the most frequent attendees.  You will be expected to bring the equipment to each event.  We must have an even number of players, so when you accept an invitation I will be sure that the numbers are even.  If the numbers are odd, the last player who tells me he or she is coming will be put on a waiting list.

I hope I have included everything but probably not.  More to follow…

 

David Poder, Director Club 34

A Very Very Sad Day!!

It is unusual when someone comes into your life and leaves such an impression!!  But that is exactly what Maliha Mahmood did..  In the peaceful serene surroundings of the Melrose Abbey Memorial Park, Maliha was laid to rest today surrounded by Scrabble friends and family..  My relationship with Maliha was short-lived compared to others but she left a mark on my life and on my inner being that few people have ever done before…

As director of Scrabble Club 34 and as a leader in the Scrabble community, I will do what I can to continue the legacy and memory of Maliha.  I want to keep Superscrabble a monthly event.  Maliha would want that and so do many others.  With the help of Gretchen Cowan, Yuki Loritz and others, this will be a reality.  We have the equipment, we have the food and I am pretty sure we have the location.  I think I have found a spot very attractive and centrally located that can accommodate the Superscrabble club of Orange County.  More specific details will follow but the one thing that will not happen are the financial awards that Mahila gave out on a monthly basis.

Maliha was so very generous every month she would spend in excess of $500 on prizes and food.  I do not know of anyone who will continue that tradition but no one should care.  I know of very few people who came to Superscrabble for the money!!  So we will carry on the tradition but things will never be the same without Maliha!!

David Poder, Director

NASPA Club #34, Huntington Beach, CA

In Memoriam!!

I never wanted to write such a column and certainly not about this lady!  It was supposed to be a fun event today, another amazing Superscrabble party at Maliha’s home in Tustin Ranch.  I look forward to it every month and today was no exception.  But tragedy struck yesterday when word came out that Maliha had suddenly and unexpectedly passed away.  What a loss for me personally and for Scrabble in general.  I have been in deep depression ever since I heard the news.  I found her to be one of the gentlest and most caring people I have ever met.

I heard about Superscrabble years ago but never had the urge to participate.  I thought it was kinda silly.  After all, who wants to play Scrabble at twice its normal size??  But I finally gave in and never looked back.  It was December 2017 and did I have a blast…  Some of the most fun I ever had…  And it was all due to Maliha.  She made everyone feel welcome in her home.  She had a heart of gold and now she is gone.  This really hurts but with the help of others I hope to carry on her legacy with more Superscrabble.  The details still need to be worked out but it would be a tragedy if we did not carry on in her honor and in her memory..

We were supposed to have fun today but instead we will be attending her funeral tomorrow.  How very sad!!  Rest in peace my very dear friend..  You will always have a special place in my heart…

David Poder, Director

NASPA Club #34, Huntington Beach, CA

Dear Maliha passed on to meet her Creator

May the angels lead dear Maliha into paradise;

1. may the martyrs come to welcome dear Maliha
   and take her to the holy city,
   the new and eternal Jerusalem.
2. May choirs of angels welcome Maliha
   and lead her to the bosom of Abraham;
   and where Lazarus is poor no longer
   may Maliha find eternal rest.
3. Whoever believes in me, even though that person die, shall live.
   I am the resurrection and the life.
   Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.

Triune fiat,
Joyce C Payne, OCDS

REMINDER: August 22, 2019 Superscrabble Club Games

The following players signed up for the next Superscrabble Club games: David Poder, Tom Titus, Renée Kahn, Najat Reikes, Lynn Gunn, Bob Agnew, Karen Sturm, Fern Trausch, Joyce Payne, Carmelita Silvino, Nancy Douglas, Joel Elkins, Don Platt, Gretchen Cowan, and Maliha Mahmood. PLEASE confirm your attendance.  Games begin at 10:00 a.m.

We are expecting to see the following birthday celebrants (belated or advanced) so we can serenade them:  Gary Moss (8-20), Miriam Green (8-4), Alia Mahmood (8-19), Cheryl Melvin (8-26), and Jeff Polan (8-27).  Please let me know if you can make it.

The reward for finding a word with 14- to 15+ letters is now worth $445.  The prize pot for 12- to 13-letter word category is now worth $345. The players who find the long word may split the prize.  Take a look at the category words; to qualify for the category, the word must contain 5 letters or more.

1st game category:  PLACES you want to visit:  BEACH, DESERT, FOREST, CEMETERY, THEATER, CHURCH, MUSEUM, ANCHORAGE, STADIUM, GARDEN, SCHOOL, STORES, MALLS, PRAIRIE, STADIUM, ARENA, etc.

2nd game category:  PETS you want to have, including names of species – BIRDS, REPTILES, PUPPY, LIZARD, SNAKE, MONKEY, HORSE, DONKEY, etc.

3rd game category:  PICNIC words — useful things you’d take along useful during picnic somewhere in the park, beach, forest, desert, such as: UMBRELLA, DRINKS, FOODS, TOWELL, CANDY, CHAIR, SHEET, WATER, COFFEE, ect.

ALL DAY category:  Words containing two –MM– anywhere in a word; the lettersmust be together.  Examples:  AMMETER, AMMINE, AMMINES, AMMINO, AMMOS, AMMOCETE, AMMOCETES, AMMOLITE, AMMOLITES, AMMONAL, AMMONALS, AMMONIA, AMMONIAC, AMMONIC, AMMONITE, AMMONIUM, AMMONO, AMMONOID, BAMMED, BAMMING, CAMMIE, CAMMIES, DAMMAR, DAMMARS, DAMMED, DAMMER, DAMMERS, DAMMING, DAMMIT, DIGAMMA, DUMMY, GAMMA, GAMMADIA, GRAMMAR, GRAMMA, GAMMAS, GAMMED, GAMMER, GAMMERS, GAMMIER, GAMMIEST, GAMMING, GAMMON, GAMMONED, GAMMONER, GAMMONS, GAMMY, GUMMY, MOMMY, MUMMY, etc.

LEARN a long word each day:  GENTLEMANLIKENESS=17 letters.  You may start with GEN, GENT, GENTLE, MAN, GENTLEMAN, MANLIKE, LIKE, NESS, LIKENESS, etc.  Make it longer by adding ES at the end:  GENTLEMANLIKENESSES=19 letters.

Visit superscrabble.wordpress.com for reminders and results.  The next Superscrabble Club games is scheduled for September 26, 2019.

RESULTS – 7-25-19 Superscrabble Club Games

CONGRATULATIONS to the champions of the month: FERN TRAUSCH and DAVID PODER.  Fern won 3 games and played 10 bingos. David won 3 games and played the mostest bingo words=15.

WELCOME to our latest newcomer that made us 20 happy players: CARMELITA SILVINO. This is the first time Carmelita played the Super Scrabble®.  Thanks to Joyce C. Payne for taking her along to experience the Superscrabble Club.

CONGRATS to the following additional winners: AMNON won both the High-Cum= 3139, and the High-Game=1214 awards.  EVELYN and MALIHA tied in their score for playing a high-bingo: Evelyn for INCREASE=140; and Maliha for JOININGS=140 points.  Evelyn also won three category words and the high-non-bingo word QUIP=100 points. The following players should pick up their additional awards next meeting–it will be ready in an envelope. It will include awards for players who missed their awards at the end of the games:  Amnon, Bob, Evelyn, Bill, Gary, and David.

Tell your friends that the results for games on 7-25-19 are posted.  See the blog site superscrabble.wordpress.com.

Players	GAMES Played	Win	High Game	CUM	Bingos	Category Words
BOB AGNEW	2	0	738	1444	1	0
GRETCHEN COWAN	3	2	983	2596	10	0
EVELYN DAVIS	3	1	1081	2850	10	3
JOEL ELKINS	3	2	1004	2895	11	0
LYNN GUNN	3	1	918	2453	6	1
MAY JOVES	3	2	813	2118	1	0
RENÉE KAHN	3	0	835	2275	5	3
BILL LAPINSKI	2	1	926	1678	3	0
MALIHA MAHMOOD	3	1	934	1710	0	0
AMNON MEYERS	3	1	1214	3139	13	0
GARY MOSS	1	0	1042	1042	4	0
DON PLATT	3	2	855	2342	5	0
DAVID PODER	3	3	1275	3313	15	0
JOYCE C. PAYNE	2	1	873	1644	3	0
NAJAT REIKES	3	0	914	2537	9	1
CARMELITA SILVINO	2	0	734	1387	1	0
PETE SKAGGS	3	2	971	2829	10	0
KAREN STURM	3	1	1026	2523	4	0
TOM TITUS	3	2	1065	2882	8	0
FERN TRAUSCH	3	3	1032	2925	10	0

Next Superscrabble Games:  AUGUST 22, 2019.  A reminder will be posted.