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The players are beginning to return from about a 90-minute lunch break. The majority of players appear to have feasted at the Convention's food court.

Division 2's Eileen Gruhn, now 2-2, tells me of a 497 game against Nancy Jessup where she ended up with 218 in spread! Ever fair, Eileen admits, "I got both blanks and had a SATIRE rack (she played ATRESIA) and a SATINE rack (she found INGATES, which Nancy challenged, and it is good)."

Division 5's Vicki Blizzard is still smarting from a 2-point loss in round 1 where her score was 390! That has got to be a high loss for that division!

Bob Felt (div 1) informs me that he is 4-0 +92 and in 17th place.

Mark Milan (div 1) played the lovely BEzIQUES for 90 (through the first E) and his opponent Carol Roark didn't miss a beat before she replied with PAREUNIa through an R. When I last looked, the score was 296-295.

A division 2 game in progress between Leah Katz and Steve Cook had FEBRILE and OUTRANK on the board. Nearby, Mary Ellen Weisskopf vs. Eric Chaiken had CORDITES played by Mary Ellen and SUDARIES played by Eric.

Keith Savage (div 2) got down the play DARKENER through the A in a game with Joel Horn.

Division 1's Marjorie Schoneboom had one of those embarassment of riches racks near the endgame in her match with Joel Sherman. While he held the flexible AIIUBLT, she had IIOJQSX. I saw her play OX for a bunch of points before I wandered off.

Marty Marcus was having a go at the still undefeated NSC 1998 champ, Brian Cappelletto at table 1. Brian looked to be ahead.

Lester Schonbrun (div 1) opened up with TWANGY in his game with Scott Appel. He got down VISiTOR and Scott played SALTERS, but the game was Lester's, 446-314. Scott is having a tough day with a 1-4 record. Lester is 3-2.

Rick Wong, comfortably stationed at table 1 in division 2 is currently playing Lawren Freebody. Lawren eked out the win, 458-420. Rick played TERRINE and the lovely URALITE one short of the triple lane. Showing some well-placed word muscle, Lawren responded with RANCORS/RURALITE down the triple lane for 88 points. She also played JERrIDS for 92, which Rick challenged. Nothing like losing a challenge to learn a word, huh? JERRIDS is good. I also saw the word ZINKY to triple, and a lovely nestled play of NIDGET/ZIN/DE for 34 points.

Division 1's Sammy Okosagah is now 5-0 after a crushing victory over Mike Baker, 452-322. Among Sammy's better plays: BARkEEP, BRIONIES, and COuVADES. Mike is slated to play Adam next and he is looking to add a win to his 1-4 record.

Adam Logan (div 1) just had a big win over Rod Macneil., 484-272. Rod played FAINTERS, and the mathematician, Adam, played ADDIBle and COLTERS.

Division 5's Annette Bailey is pretty happy. After losing her first game, she won the next four! Talk about a comeback kid.

Scott Pianowski had a hard loss to Mason Shambach, 425-459. Scott's play of tracing put him ahead, but then Mason made an incredible two blank outplay of sTANDUp which won him the game.

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