Scott, our director emeritus, has bestowed upon me many years of club session logs, going back to the beginning of 2004. As I’m looking through the early records, I see a bingo that I now remember was one of the classic plays in the history of the club.
Some of you remember Shane, member #3, who had to quit Scrabble[1] when the stress of competing at an expert level was giving him writer’s block. For a sci-fi novelist, this is not good. You may also remember that when things didn’t go his way, Shane was–how can I put this politely–easily irritated.
Some of you know Winter, the mononymous player who is also on a quest to visit every Starbucks on earth[2]. For a while, Winter was on a consulting assignment here in NJ, and regularly played at our club.
It’s March 22nd, 2004, and we’re playing at Borders. In the second round, Winter and Shane are paired, and I’m at the next table over. Shane goes first, playing something that I can’t remember. Winter overlaps that play with AMP but doesn’t hit his clock. Instead:
Winter (loudly): “Director! Is AMP good?”
Scott: “You know I can’t tell you that!”
Winter: “Then I guess I’ll have to play something I *know* is good!”
He then extends AMP to DAMPERS for 82 and hits the clock.
Shane was–how can I put this politely–irritated.
[1] The day Shane told us he was quitting, he sold me the red apple-shaped board I still use today.
[2] Visit http://starbuckseverywhere.net to learn more.
