Some Kind of Saturday

Saturday evenings are reserved for trivia... It's the bar kind but not the typical NTN kind that one might see in a sports bar. Instead this is live trivia with a quizmaster who reads questions and the long standing teams write their answers down on paper and turn them in at the end of the round. We play for gift certificates to the bar, but mostly for pride. Some of the teams have been around since the beginning (more than 15 years ago). We've been playing for a few years and I've only joined this group last fall.

Each week there are three rounds: general trivia, music on tape (name the title and artist.. complete the lyrics), and a specialty round that follows a theme. My favorite part, though, happens between rounds two and three and after the final round. They are the "free drink" questions. And that is NOT the only reason I like it. (it's a tense and exciting time) The trivia-man usually does a song on tape... and he starts with something fairly unrecognizable or obscure and people around the room are now playing for themselves.. trying to name the musician. These questions are done out loud and hands are raised and people are called on... when a wrong answer is given, it costs the participant a quarter which is tossed on the dance floor. If the answer is right a free drink card is issued and a new free drink question begins. Sometimes the quiz-master reads clues in 20 question format until someone guesses the identity of the person (usually it's a person). Whoever answers the last question of the evening correctly wins all the quarters on the floor.

Our team ranges from 4-8 of us.... often we bring guests. This week there were two of us and a guest and though we came in dead last on one of the rounds and didn't do so hot on the other rounds it was still fun and Pam even won a free drink. My goal is that SOMEONE on our team must always win a free drink to make up for the fact that we are permanently planted at 3rd or 4th place. I am a goal oriented-list making fool.... It keeps me focused and gives me a "purpose."

Following our trivia ass-kicking, we topped it off with a stop at a bar none of us had frequented. The Highlander. It wasn't like I thought it would be. We didn't stay all that long but just long enough to play four games of bingo. After the first bingo round, Pam was all confused. She asked within the hearing of our server... do you just shout bingo if you win? How do they know if you win?" And Sara and I gave her a strange look... we'd both heard the bingo-er call out, but Pam deep in concentration totally missed it. The waitress looked sympathetic (for our profound naievety, I suppose), and then said, "I thought everyone knew that." :)

Later. we decided to try out some of the late night menu at Sanders and Sara was eager to order a martini. She knew they had a LONG list of options (154 to be precise), and so she asked our rather serious waiter if he would recommend one. His deadpan response was, "Yes, I would. One or two, but not three...."

Perhaps our drinks from earlier was enough to make us giggle, but for some reason that seemed very funny. So we worked our way through the list and I settled on chocolate because it seemed fun. It was only "okay." Then, I spent the next hour or so nibbling on veggie quesadilla, escargot, and artichoke dip, trying to remember this quote.

I like to have a martini,
two at the very most.
After three I'm under the table.
After four, I'm under the host!
--Dorothy Parker