Photos: DO 2008: Before the Tournament

The Cree hot springs.

Pool: 82 degrees. Air: 34 degrees.

Staff dinner: Dee Segrest, John Chew, and Chris Cree.

Bryan Pepper and John Chew, reviewing the cancellation list.

John Chew dipping in the pool. Frozen tundra man!

John Chew in the Cree hot springs.

Friday morning and a fine layer of snow greets us on the pool furniture.

Early morning snow, Dallas style.

Amy Krafchick's homemade banana bread while there is still some left!

Laura Scheimberg (Littleton, CO), Ruth Hamilton (Lake Oswego, OR), Rich Moyer (Portland, OR), Chris Cree (Dallas, TX), and [mikebaron line up at the registration table in the Conference Center's foyer.

Carla Cree (Dallas, TX) and Lynn Sneed wrok on assigning player numbers to contestant scorecards.

Mingling ner the registration table.

Robert Gillis (Owens X Roads, AL) searches for his goodie bag and name badge.

Now which bag is mine?

Flat screen television screens welcomed us at many entrances to the inner playing room.

Welcome Dallas Scrabble Open! Thanks! We're happy to be here!

Tulips pretending that there is not snow beneath their leaves.

One of many beds of tulips in front of the Conference Center.

The covered outdoor seating by the Conference Center's main entrance. Otherwise known as the event's smoking section!

Gregg Speicher (McKinney, TX), John Chew, Carla Cree (Dallas, TX), and Lynn Sneed.

Sunlight streaming in and warming the bodies of old friends reuniting. Chris Cree (Dallas, TX), back, Mike Baron (Corrales, NM), and John Luebkemann (Bear, DE).

Keith Pries (Denver, CO), Angela Dancho (Thornton, CO), and Laura Scheimberg (Littleton, CO).

One half of the Texas State School SCRABBLE Championship team, Stephen Sneed (Ft. Worth, TX). Next DO, perhaps Stephen's partner, Peter Olson, will decide to join us, too!

T-shirt guys: Siri Tillekeratne (Calgary AB) and Jim Hughes (Austin, TX).

Wayne Clifford (Calgary AB) and Siri Tillekeratne (Calgary AB), take a break from the Canadian tundra to enjoy the Dallas tundra!

Zana Anderson (Layton, UT) and Sam Kantimathi (El Dorado Hills, CA).

Our very own living legend, Stuart Goldman (Riverhead, NY). This is a term given him by Bryan Pepper, our event director, and it is just so fitting!

Annette Bailey (Town Withheld, CT) and Jim Hughes (Austin, TX). Luggage lost and enroute, She is actually wearing his T-shirt! A friend indeed!

Bennett Jacobstein (Milpitas, CA) and Eric Harshbarger (Auburn, AL).

Thanks to Ann Sanfedele for digging out this photo of Chris Cree (Dallas, TX) from about ~20 years ago. Taken at the Boston Area Tournament during the Alan Frank reign, Chris won an Uncle Wiggly game for placing third. Thus the honor continues of the game being awarded at the Dallas Open!

Joel Sherman (Bronx, NY), clearly, absolutely overjoyed to see me.

Okay, which jokester set up this board? How fun! But is it 100? How do we know?

Pairings recently put up, the throng descends.

I'm playing who and where?

A photo of pairing peering as seen from outside the building.

They finally arrive: Cecilia Le (Cambridge, MA) and John OLaughlin (Cambridge, MA), greeting Terry Kang Rau (Newington, CT) and Chris Cree (Dallas, TX).

Jason Katz-Brown (Cambridge, MA), seemingly prepared to backpack across Europe, greets Doug Brockmeier (Yorba Linda, CA).

Sam Kantimathi (El Dorado Hills, CA) makes brief comments and mentions our event's lumanaries.

Sam Kantimathi (El Dorado Hills, CA) thanking old friends .

Brian Cappelletto (Chicago, IL) and others were part of the phalanx of lumanaries thanked by Sam Kantimathi (El Dorado Hills, CA).

Our hard-working John Chew.

Sam Kantimathi (El Dorado Hills, CA) presented Stephen Sneed (Ft. Worth, TX) a brand new SamTimer to congratulate him on being part of the Texas School SCRABBLE Championship team.

Chris Cree (Dallas, TX) welcoming the players to the 3rd annual Dallas Open.

Event director, Bryan Pepper, makes about 15 seconds of comments before he begins the event.