Scrabble Studying

I've been trying to focus on studying Scrabble stuff but it's not easy.  I did go to the library earlier this week which helped.  I've been making old fashioned study cards with index cards, but I'm also creating online study cards using a program called Quizlet.  I'm hoping the dual card making will lead to more retention.  There's just a whole lot of words I have never used before and have no idea what they mean like "fyke", "kapu", "hwyl", "ekka", or "eruv".  I'm probably not nearly ready enough for nationals, but I'm more prepared than I was two years ago.  This year's section is much smaller though - half the size, in fact.  When I went in 2013 I was ranked 81st out of 95.  I ended up being 61st out of 95 at the end of the tournament.  This year there are only 46 entered in my division and I'm currently ranked 30th.  I don't know if that is good or bad.  I'm expected to win at least 15 out of 31 games.  That's what I won last time.  I hope I do slightly better, but a good portion of it is the luck of the draw.  I may study my bingo stems, but if I draw all vowels, it isn't going to help.

I think I'm going to go play in a tournament in Austin this weekend.  Hopefully it will help me prepare for nationals.  I'll try to take stock of what I need to focus on and then get back to studying.  Of course I should also be focusing on cleaning out the garage and doing the other things I had planned.  I'm still waiting on my cousin to come get a bunch of stuff he left here.  His family just moved into a house down here and has been leaving stuff here each trip they've made before they finally got the keys to their house.  His van then had to go in the shop because the radiator broke after being towed.  Oh well, it has given me an excuse not to clean.