Empty Frames

"Hey Mom I'm glad we managed to find some time to fit in a game before the holidays. Ready for a butt kicking?"

"Of course."

"How you doing this week." Q U E R Y ................. 34 points

"Fine, Why?"

"Well I know you felt really bad when you found out about Rudy and Cathy."

"Yeah that pretty much sucked. Still can't believe he strung me along. He couldn't even man up and tell me the truth. But then, men can be assholes."

Q U I T ................. 13 points.

"You got that right. But you're OK now? " T R U T H ................. 10 points

"I think so. Just hate getting dissappointed by people I love and trust. Guess I should be use to it by now. You know the pictures of Rudy and I that I'd taken down from the wall?"

"Yeah"

"I'd put them away, but when I found out he'd lied I dug them out and pitched the collages down the garbage shoot and ripped the rest of them out of the frames and tore them up."

A N G E R .............. 21 points.

"Ouch. Did it help any." S A D ............. 15 points.

"I don't know but I couldn't stand to look at the face of the man who I thought was different and turned out to be just like all the rest." L I A R ............ 6 points.

"I'm really sorry it turned out this way. I liked him a lot. Thought he was real. He fooled all of us, Mom"

"So how was your trip to New York?"

"It was great. Oh and I brought you the picture of me that you wanted."

G I F T ..............12 points.

"It's so darned cute. You are really pretty in that photo. Let me see it."

"Well it's only a 4X6. You said that was all right."

"Perfect. Let's go put it on the bedroom wall." F A M I L Y ..................... 18 points.

"But I didn't bring a frame. I didn't even think about it." S O R R Y ........... 21 points.

"It's OK. I've got lots of empty frames now." A L O N E ................. 5 points.

Awwww Mom.

Breakfast Scrabble

"I'm so glad you spent the night. The movie was a great idea."

"Yeah. And I love eating at Olive Gardens." F R I E N D .........20 points.

"We'll finish this game up quick so you can go visit your friend. Ouch."

P A I N .........10 points.

"What's with the ouch?"

"Ugh I must have slept on my back wrong. Got this stabbing pain between my shoulder blades. You know the kind where you can't draw a full breath?"

"You'll be fine. Just play." C A L L O U S ................15 points.

"Oh! It hurts to reach across the stupid board." P L E A D ................8 points.

"You're such a baby. Just like Jim. Every little pain is a big deal with him."

" I resent that. Ow! He's a man and there is simply no comparison in my opinion. Women are always tougher than men."

"Well then stop complaining." I R E ................3 points.

"Don't worry. I don't think you'll have to take me to the hospital yet."

S A R C A S M .............. (bonus for using all seven tiles) 64 points.

"Well that sucks. "

"Gawd. You are so unsympathetic. Ow Ow Ow."

" OK so on a scale of one to ten, how bad is it?" Q U E R Y ............36 points.

"A full ten, like childbirth. Like when I had you!" R U D E ..............18 points.

"Oh that's good Mom. The guilt thing doesn't work on me you know."

"But you're a nurse!"

"Yup and I work in the OR for a reason. All my patients are under an anesthetic. They can't complain." S T O I C ................ 12 points.

"Wow. I'd better rethink my power of attorney for health contract. Maybe your sister should be my primary instead of you." A L A R M ...........8 points.

Play The Tiles You Got

"How are you doing now that you aren't with Rudy anymore?"

"Fine, really. I miss his company but I always knew we couldn't live together."

R E A L I T Y ............. 22 points.

"I see you already took the pictures down and redecorated."

T O U G H ............. 16 points.

"Yup! That's me. Cut the losses and move on. It's all I know to do."

"I really liked him. I wish it could have worked out."

"Well thanks for that. I feel much better now."

O U C H .......... 18 points.

"Sorry but it's true. Jim and I thought he was great."

"So did I, but his life is so full of anger and chaos. "

"And you're so darned independent." T R U T H .......... 8 points.

"Well. Yes. There is that. But you know I can't be around angry people."

"You mean like Jim and me.?"

"Sometimes it's hard to watch you struggle together. Yes."

C H A O S .......... 14 points.

"All we do is fight."

"We've had this conversation before. Why stay in the relationship?"

"He's a pain in my ass but he's a good guy." C A R E S .......... 8 points

"So is Rudy. But sometimes two people just aren't good for each other."

"I want a family."

"Sarah, you are so amazing. You do so much to make the world a better place."

S A I N T .......... 22 points.

"Yeah right!"

"You do! You're always volunteering and you're the most generous person I know. And with your nursing skills....."

"It's hard, Mom." A N G S T .......... 10 points.

"You could be the next Mother Teresa." P R A I S E .......... 8 points.

"I don't want to be Mother fucking Teresa." A N G R Y .......... 18 points.

"I know. I know. You just want to be a mother."

"I'm thirty two years old and I'm never going to have a baby."

"I'm sixty and I'll probably grow old alone. " S O R R O W .......... 9 points.

"Why is it like this, Mom?" W H Y .......... 12 points.

"I don't know. Maybe it's like Scrabble. You don't always win. Sometimes you can't even score, but you gotta play the tiles you're given. The only other option is to forfeit."

D E F E A T .......... 24 points

"I'm not ready to quit. I still like to play the game. H O P E F U L

All seven tiles! 36 points plus the bonus of 50. 86 points."

Money Money Money

"How are the computer repairs coming along?"

"Slow. Already put $1,100 into it. The hard drive is OK, but if its the mother board that's ruined, it will take another $1,200 to replace it."

M O N E Y ..........22 points.

"Wow! That was one expensive spilled beer."

M I S T A K E .........26 points.

"I told Jim I didn't have any more money right now and all I could give him was the first $1,100. It's been a rough few weeks here."

"Yes. Money problems can be hell on a relationship."

"Oh! And then Anubis keeps jumping the fence. I came home the other day and there was a school bus and a line of cars stopped in front of our house.Then I saw this big deer in the middle of the road and thought, "What's a deer doing in our neighborhood?" "

S H O C K .............18 points.

"Let me guess. It wasn't a deer was it?" C A N I N E .........10 points.

"No. It was Anubis, big as life. I pulled into the drive and started screaming for Jim."

"Was he home?"

"Yes! He was sitting inside with a friend playing video games!"

S T U P I D ......... 15 points.

"Well. How could he have known Anubis was in the road?"

"Mom! If the dog jumps the fence once, don't you think Jim should have known he'd do it again and again and again?????? Maybe not let him out in the yard by himself?"

"So what are you going to do about it?" F I X ...........26 points.

"We spent $350 on a shock collar. God, I hate to use it but I don't want Anubis killed by a school bus."

"Argos and Anubis are a lot of dog for this little house and yard."

"I know and it looks like we're never going to get out of here either. In this economy we'd never be able to sell the house. It's so frustrating." A N G E R ........12 points.

"All the more reason to take the money I gave you for your birthday and spend it on something nice for just yourself." R E L A X .............18 points

"Good idea. I think I will. Hold on a minute, Mom. Hey Jim! Want to make a beer run? I'm buying!" B O O Z E .............. 32 points.

Priorities

"So, how are the party plans coming?"

"You mean for Jim's birthday?"

"Yeah. I still need a gift idea. I was thinking maybe a game for his game boy or whatever it is he plays." V I D E O ........22 points.

"Well, I'm not so sure there's going to be a party."

"Why not?"

"Um. Jim's not speaking to me at the moment."

T R O U B L E............18 points.

"Uh oh. What happened now?"

"I spilled beer all over his computer and wrecked it. I mean, it's fried. He's so mad. It's unbelievable."

"OK. So what's the computer worth?" C R A S H ......12 points.

"He says, $3,600."

"Well, he had it backed up. Right?"

"Nope. He says he lost everything." C H A O S .........10 points.

"What is it with you anyway, Sarah?"

"I'm clumsy."

"No. I mean, we all screw up, but when you do it, it's like unfixable." P I T Y .......10 points.

"I told him it was just a material object and that we could fix it as soon as we got the money together." P R O M I S E .........32 points.

"Kind of like your new car, when he backed over Wendy's driveway posts with it this winter?"

M E M O R Y ..........26 points.

"Yeah. Kinda like that. The car is still not fixed."

"Did you remind him of that little incident?"

"No. I'm trying to be the bigger person here, Mom."

S A I N T ........10 points.

"Well, good luck with that one. I mean, good for you!"

M A R T Y R ........22 points.

"He's so mad, Mom. I've never seen him this mad."

F U R Y ............10 points.

"He'll get over it. You'll just have to give him some time."

"I hope so. In the mean time, could you do me a favor?"

"What's that?" H E L P ........10 points

"Would you serve my people in Cafe World and feed my dogs in Farmville so they won't run away?" N E E D ........6 points.

"Of course I will. At least you still have your priorities straight."

I Hate Losing

"Wow mom, you're really off your game tonight"

"I'm having trouble seeing the board with the light flashing off that big ring of yours."

D I A M O N D ............ 22 points.

"It's a beauty isn't it. Maybe next year we'll add a gold band to it."

M A R R I A G E .............72 points. " All seven tiles gives me a 50 point bonus. I love this game when I'm winning."

"Now you sound like Michelle! At least you can't post it on Face Book like she does when she beats me."

F L A U N T .......... 18 points

"She's been kickin' your ass on line. What's the deal?"

T E A S E ....................10 points.

"She cheats of course!"

L I A R ..........6 points

"Do I detect a bit of poor sportsmanship on your part?"

L O S E R ............... 6 points

"Not a bit. Michelle and I are just very competitive, even when we are on vacation."

"Don't tell me you take the game to Cancun with you."

"Oh no, we compete for the best tan instead. She spends six weeks in the tanning booth. I do nothing. She spends the entire vacation in the sun. I sit in the shade with a wide brimmed hat. I remain the champion every time."

A L B I N O ........... 12 points

"Um, Mom? You're part Indian and she's Irish. Doesn't that factor in just a little?"

T R U T H ............18 points.

"Don't cloud the issue with facts, Sarah. The point is, she may be a scrabble princess, but I will always be the Q U E E N ................. 36 points.

Scrabble Comes To FB

Change may be inevitable, but that does not necessarily make it a good thing. Sarah and I discovered Scrabble on-line through Face Book and the resulting game play is frightening. We continue to communicate through the tiny chat menu while we duke it out in cyber space. The following is a sample of what goes on during one of these battles.

I start the game.

Me: UNDONE.......16 points
Love this new way to play the game.

Sarah: DUMB.......12 points
Dictionary and 2 ltr combo menu is kind of a cheat sheet

Me: MAYBE.........14 points
Levels the playing field

Sarah: BI/BI...........36 points
One little ltr. So many points

Me: CREEP.........10 points
You suck!

Sarah: RUDE..........10 points
Don't b a hater mom.

Me: EXIT.......38 points

uh huh uh huh likin it better now

Sarah: XI..............32 points

how bout now?

Me: You used my X

I got nothing but vowels

Sarah: Cry baby. Its yr turn

Me: ONE......3 points

crap!

Sarah: QUIET.........38 points

so many tiles to play

Me: QUIETS/ZITS........42 points

hookin rocks

Sarah: now who sucks?

Me: you still do! don't b a hater sarah.

Sarah: STINK........12 points

you got ny wine over there?

Me: nope

Sarah: ya need to start drinking

Me: SOBER........... 8 points

I can focus better without it.

Sarah: DUH.......10 points

thats the problem