I always have a busy March, and this year is no exception.  Again I wrote a recap of a trivia night, only to have my computer lose it.  Sure, it's the computer's fault; no operator error here!

I have no recollection of the events way back on the 8th, but here are some pictures anyway.

In third place, we have this crew, Paddy O'Furniture.

I like the puppy dog eyes on the guy on the far left.  He must like video games, since I'm standing in front of two of them, and he sure isn't giving me that look.

In second place, here are our old friends 2nd 1/2.

I sure hope that they enjoyed their trip to the Golf Show.  I know they enjoyed their meal.

In first place, for the first time in a while, Spoken Like a True Wildman!

A little shorthanded, but they still managed to come out on top.

Here's last night's action.  I forgot my camera, so a nice trivianaut loaned my his, which was very nice, but if the camera has red-eye corrrection, it wasn't on.  No matter; thanks Cyrus, I owe you a beer!

In third place, surviving a three-team tiebreaker, I give you the husband and wife team, Hunting Dragons (or something like that -- I lost the scoresheet).

I was woefully unprepared for the tiebreaker last night, so I reached into the big bowl of mints at the front desk and challenged the three teams to guess how many mints I was holding.  Tres lame, I know, but it got the job done.  They guessed 49, and I had 52.

In second place, with 92 points, is this bunch, whose team name I cannot for the life of me remember.  That's okay, though, because they couldn't remember it last night either.

That's a box of Finnegan's Irish amber glasses, for a job well done.

In first place, for the first time, here's Slytherer (or something like that).

Oddly, when I asked what school left in the NCAA tournament was located in East Lansing, this bunch knew.  I wonder why?

Thanks for playing, everyone, and we'll see you on the 29th!

People are sick, things are haywire, and I have something else to do.  Show up for $3 margs or go to another triviamafia venue tonight!

See you on the 22nd!

I wrote a long, funny synopsis of last week's proceedings, one that I was certain would put me in consideration for a regional Emmy or a Webby award. Alas, my computer ate it, or goblins spirited it into the netherworld, or something.  That means that this week, you'll be treated to a dual recap!  How thrilling!

First things first.  Do not argue with your friendly MC unless you have ironclad proof that you know what you are talking about.  On the 22nd, our picture round was Hitchcock films.  Here's picture #1.

The correct answer for this is Strangers on a Train.  After the round had passed and I had given the answers, a woman at the bar told me that I was wrong, that the correct answer was Rope.  I disagreed with her.  She then explained the point of Rope (an explanation that wasn't required, since I've seen both films) and said that she owned a Hitchcock collection and that she was right and I was wrong.

I showed her where I found the picture; it was from an on-line syllabus for a film study class or something like that, a reference that would make me realize the error of my ways, if it were presented to me.  No matter, she was right and I wasn't.

I had to break off the discussion at that point, since I had a quiz to finish, but look at this picture.  Yes, Farley Granger is in Rope, but he's also in Strangers on a Train.  Rope is set in a high-rise apartment and never leaves that room.  Look out that window.  Is that the view from a high rise?  Not likely.  In fact, that really looks like the view from tha dining car of a train.  In short, if you are going to question your friendly quizmaster, back it up or shut up!

On a happier note last week, a group was in for a birthday celebration, and they were having fun and eating homemade cupcakes.  After I gave them some (good-natured) grief for not having enough for me, they offered me one.  It was very good.  So, Happy Birthday, Caitlin!  Even though I'm a week late.

Caitlin's the third from the left.  This group returned this week, so they must have had a good time.  They also suggested that there might be cookies in my future.  If they keep bringing me sweets, I might get fat!  Oh, wait...

On with the recap from 2-22.  In third place we have our old pals, Paddy O'Furniture.

A really nice bunch of guys who never forget what's important.  Namely, pizza and beer.

In second place, here's Olympic Crush on Katherine Reutter. 

Nice team name, nice person to be crushing on.  Did you see what she did after the games?  She said that she was going to give her Olympic medal bonuses to her parents, for all they did for her.  What a sweetheart.

In first place, with about 98 points, Vomicorns!

I may be the worst photographer on the planet.  Thanks for sticking around for the picture this week, folks!

Now for an abbreviated recap for 3-1.  I made things pretty difficult for everyone this week -- the picture round was really tricky, as was the Harrison Ford quotation round.  So sue me!  If you got everything right, how much fun would that be?

I didn't have my good camera last night, and I was going to pass on the pictures, but our 3rd place team, Little Lebowski Urban Achievers, bitterly complained.  "We never win at the 331, and now our picture won't be taken here?  No fair!"  Alright, here's your picture.  Inept photographer + Crappy phone cam = this.

And this was the good shot!  This group was new to our quiz, and I think they enjoyed themselves.

In 2nd, with 81 points, we had Paddy O'Furniture and in 1st, with 85 points, we had Vomicorns.  You can gaze on their lovely visages above, though they both had team members AWOL this week.

As for next week, you need to get to 2626 Hennepin S. and knock off these top two teams!  Do it!

It was damn full when I started trivia last night, but fear not, my friends -- the sound of my voice cleared the room in short order.  Well, cleared the room of all but the most dedicated trivianauts, that is.

My best moment of the night was when a couple of young women swore at me and told me that the quiz was too obscure and too hard.  That always brings warm fuzzies to my head.  On the off chance that you remember what website to look at for this recap, thanks ladies!

I didn't think that things were going to be particularly difficult, and I was right, at least in the case of the top three teams.

In 3rd place, proving that, for team size at least, bigger isn't always better, with 93 points, Paddy O'Furniture.

Alas, they didn't know their star-crossed lovers.  So very sad.

In second place, with 95 points, Vomicorns.

These are but two of the four members of this team that is relatively fresh to our proceedings.  The other two had to skate quickly because they had to "get up in the morning".  I have never encountered such a lame excuse in my life.  I think I might need a note from their Mother.  To demonstrate what their team name signified, they drew me a picture of a puking unicorn.  If we awarded extra credit, they might get some -- or they might get points taken away.  It's both funny and disturbing.

In first place, with 106 big points, Slab City!

This is another group of relative newcomers to the proceedings, proof that I don't play favorites.  They took the unusual step of bonusing their first round, something that makes me think that they've been keylogging my computer.  Oh, well, time for my deviousness to ratchet up a notch or two.

See you all next Monday for the last quiz of February!

Since my superiors intimated to me that I'd be having a close relationship with some walleyes if I didn't get off my lazy ass and start up this forum again, here I go.

I only missed all football season.  I've been busy!

Last night, we had 10 stalwart teams braving the snow and a particularly nasty quiz.  I think everyone had fun, but I can never be sure.  Holding your head in your hands while being asked a question is indicative of fun, right?

I also tried a little experiment, and went acoustic, since it looked like a light turnout.  I can assure you htat I'll never work without a speaker again.  Thanks to all for putting up with my nonsense.

In third place, after losing a tiebreaker, with 84 points, here's Spoken Like a True Wildman.

Guys, next time you need to flip the gift card right side up, so we can see what you've won.  Apparently, these three never buy produce -- if they had just two more correct answers on the Fruit Varieties round, they would have won.

In second place, after winning a tiebreaker, with 84 points, here's Oh, Crap, a Name.

The tiebreaker question was how far is the driving distance from 2626 Hennepin Ave. to 201 Duval St., Key West, FL, which is the address of Sloppy Joe's.  These guys guessed 1700 miles, and the answer, according to Google Maps, is 1,947, which seems a bit high to me.  If these guys had known a bit more about how many people are in bands, they might well have prevailed.

Our winners on this evening, with a mere 86 points, are Paddy O'Furniture.

Sorry about the breathtakingly poorly composed photo here.  Thanks for holding up the picture round, guys!

We'll be back next Monday Night with more fun and games, complete with a microphone and a speaker!