UVSC Session Report Monday, May 20, 2019 (Session #228) (authored by BJ) This week featured a potluck dinner between rounds, with contributions built around a main dish of home-harvested ham from Jeffrey. Fueled by the culinary deliciousness, the seven of us in attendance played 17 total games, which included some wordily delicious moments as well. Johanna was able to join us for the first time in a while, and cashed in on STAIDLY (in a staid manner) for 92 points and a free turn against Jeffrey. Jeffrey, for his part, had the high play of the night with the triple-triple ANTRORSE for 113 as well as the funny-sounding (to my ear) STRAWIER, about which he admitted he was a bit surprised that it drew neither a challenge nor even a hold. Marilyn roared out of the gates in one of her games with bingos on her first two plays (VIOLATOR and INTREPID), only to see David, her opponent, battle back to win the game in which both players scored over 400 points. David was plowing through opponents left and right, getting down 13 bingos in his first five games! That streak eventually came to an end when he met Iliana, who bingoed with the lovely RUGOSAS (a RUGOSA is a garden rose) on her way to victory. Ellen and I had a strategically fascinating endgame situation which hinged on the fact that I wasn't 100% sure whether "oasises" was valid or not. I was comfortably ahead by perhaps 80 or so points with about five tiles in the bag on a difficult board. Using the blank, Ellen found an impressive 4-way disconnected parallel play of the aforementioned word of uncertain validity. If it was valid and I challenged, being a TWL game I would lose my turn, she would get the last five tiles in the bag and likely go out and win. Though I seriously doubted the validity of the word (knowing that OASES was a valid plural of OASIS), I ended up not challenging because I thought I could play out the game and hold on for the win. I did manage to do so, but only by the tiny margin of five points after a lot of pondering of different endgame play sequences, as well as Ellen's graciousness when at one point I carelessly put down an obviously Collins-only word (she let me take it back and retry). If only I had been sure that OASISES* was not valid (and indeed it isn't), this all could have been avoided, but in the moment it sure made for an interesting and strategic endgame. Other notable bingo words from the session were UNCRATE, DETANGLE, ENACTORS, SNODDER# (more SNOD#, or smooth), REEQUIP, ANISOLE (a colorless liquid chemical used in perfume), ARBALEST (a type of crossbow), CHOREES# (a CHOREE# is a type of metrical foot in prosody), GENOMICS (the study of genomes), BIGNESS, INCASED (INCASE is an alternate spelling of ENCASE), LORRIES, FINALIST, FISHERY, ETESIAN, HEXANES (HEXANE is a volatile liquid chemical), FUSSILY, GENITOR (a male parent), SEASIDE, OBTENDS# (to OBTEND# is to allege), TARDIES (a TARDY is an instance of being late), GENISTA (a spiny shrub), IDOLATER (an idol-worshipper, also IDOLATOR), and COGNISE (to become aware).