I know I’m a week late in posting this, but two Mondays ago was a great trivia gathering, and a LOT of things went on. 

We had 9 different teams competing for the title, including “clint eastwood likes grilling”, “four chicks and one d!¢k, oh that’s Vic”, “four bitches and a traitor”, “jehova witness protection program”, “the rza”, “my {ahem} are bigger than the BP oil spill”, and others. 

There were the traditional four rounds of ten questions, with queries such as . . .

• What was the name of the stock that Martha Stewart was insider trading?
• What is the current price of gas at Turkey Hill on 5th and Market – be within 1 cent either way?
• Name the star whos imprints at raman’s chinese theatre are wheels.
• Name the only country whose capital begins with the letter Q

but, even before teams started working on that, we brought out the “Big Bucket” with all of the index cards (each with a player’s name) that we’ve been saving up all summer long.  and yes, I started drawing cards.

The FIRST step on the way to winning the big prize was defeating the “Fact or Crap Demon”.  Once your name had been pulled, you came up to the mike and had were given a statement and had to decide if it was A Fact, or just plain Crap.  for example . . .

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was knighted by the Pope at the age of 14. Fact or Crap?
• Bill Gates earned a computer engineering degree at Harvard when he was just 18. Fact or Crap?
• Binocular parallex is the ability of the human brain to perceive three dimensional depth. Fact or Crap?
• Titanium is the hardest natural substance in the world. Fact or Crap?

If you got the answer correct, you would be one of the “Great Eight”.  Here’s a pict of everyone who survived the demon . . .

[photopress:grill8.jpg,full,pp_image]

The SECOND step on the “great grill journey” was posting a qualifying time in the “Perfection Event”.  Yep, we dragged out the puzzle box and players had to put in the pieces as quickly as they could.  the top 4 times advanced, and so it was that Kate K., and Randy K. both moved into the next round along with Lisa Brokenshire and Pat.

How do you go from 4 to 2 players in a most entertaining fashion you ask?  Pull out the Wii, and fire up the Hula Hoop contest!  well, that’s what we did.  and yes, I did capture some of that on digital camera, but that kind of action you really need to be here for.  when the hooping was finished Pat and Lisa found themselves facing each other in the SHOWDOWN!

to decide the final winner, we pulled out the weapons.  my son thomas was kind enough to share his Nerf rifle and a couple of 6 round clips with us.  so, we lined up a series of targets on top of the grill.  each of them had a point value.  the player that earns the most points by knocking down targets wins.  it’s that simple!

[photopress:deadEyeLisa.jpg,full,pp_image]

in the end, Lisa won the Tin Can Alley contest, and the grill!

[photopress:grillLisa.jpg,full,pp_image]

everyone who made it past the “Fact or Crap Demon” took home a little somthing.  Pat took home a pair of “Campfire Drinking Chairs” for his efforts.

[photopress:campfireDrinkingchairs.jpg,full,pp_image]

Oh yeah, there was Team Trivia as well! 

it turned out that at the end of four rounds, there was no winner.  we had a TIE!  actually, a THREE WAY tie!  and so each team sent one representative to the stage to answer a final nail-biting tie-breaking question. 

[photopress:showdown8_9_10.jpg,full,pp_image]

the question was . . . in what year was LSD made illegal? 

it turns out that was sometime in the 60′s.  the team with the closest answer, and the Champs on the big Grill Giveaway night were . . . .

[photopress:champs8_9_10.jpg,full,pp_image]

i’m sure everyone knows by now that we gathered last Monday Night for Team Trivia, and in memory of Eric Trocki.  It was great to see everyone out. 

[photopress:trivia8_10.jpg,full,pp_image]

[photopress:cornerGuys8_10.jpg,full,pp_image] 

Eric touched the lives of many, that is for sure.  i don’t know how to take pictures of pictures, so this is the best I could do – for those of you who haven’t seen the collage of Eric in all sorts of attire and situations, with his signature smile . . . .

[photopress:trockCollage_sm.jpg,full,pp_image]

Larry put teams through their regular paces, with everyone who participated having to face four rounds of ten questions.  i can’t remember many of the questions, except that the Flyers played for the Stanley Cup 8 times, even if they haven’t won it in a few decades.

the game was really far from the highlight of the evening though.  instead, it was the generosity of the friends and family that made the evening as special as it was. 

a trust fund had been set up for Eric’s daughters, Jocelyn and Gabriella.  winners throughout the night donated their prizes to the trust fund, which was a wonderful gesture.  others made personal contributions, and it really made a difference.  wonderful things happen when good people come together.

the team of “There’s a New Sheriff in Town” took down the top spot in the trivia contest.  the team was almost too big to catch in one photo!

[photopress:itrB8_10.jpg,full,pp_image]

[photopress:mgnco8_10.jpg,full,pp_image]

their smiling faces all together . . .

[photopress:winningTeam8_10.jpg,full,pp_image]

Monday Night we had the traditional evening of Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, cheap beer, and Team Trivia!  Teams such as “Fat kids are Hard to Kidnap”, “temporary Relapse”, ‘RZA”, “I walked into a wall with a boner and broke my nose”, and “The Four Horsemen” gathered to compete for the trivia crown.

For two weeks running the team in the corner has taken the title, so all eyes were on them this week.  

Players waded through questions such as . . . . 

• Who was the lead singer in Ritchie Cunningham’s band on Happy Days?
• What was the name of the B-29 bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima?
• Who is the “Dog Whisperer” according to NatGeo?
• What fictional Japanese monstor first appeared in 1954 breathing atomic rays that resembled fire, and destroying Toyko?
• Which famous Briton did Linda Eastman marry?

The Fat Kids are hard to Kidnap crew came flying out of the gate, and never faltered.  They withstood a push from the RZA, and ended up taking down their THIRD consecutive championship.   not all of the faces are the same over the past three weeks, but you’ll find some familiar ones . . .

[photopress:fatkids.jpg,full,pp_image]

Only TWO MORE WEEKS to get your name in for the Grill Giveaway, so make sure you make it to Trivia on Monday!!

We gathered last night and enjoyed some Miller Lite Bottles on ICE.  (By “we” I mean everyone but Sammy and Bower).  Trish and Kaitlyn were there, helping spread the joy through the magic of chilled shooters and room lighting smiles . . .  

[photopress:trishAndKaitlyn.jpg,full,pp_image]

Larry was testing the Trivia Players with questions such as . . .  

• Name the planets classified as gas giants
• Name the two blockbuster speilberg movies released within a week of each other in the summer of ’82
• What was joseph merrick better known as?
• What sports team had a lineup nicknamed the Broad Street Bullies?

Ahem, that’s the Philadelphia Flyers for that last one

The Grill Baby – the GRILL

We finally put the gas grill together and had it out on display.  It is the big prize in our Summer Trivia Giveaway.  I’ve been talking to Big A, and he seems to think it’s ok if someone else wins this time – so that’s good news. 

Anyone who has been attending trivia during the summer knows what I’m talking about.  we will pick several players who will then compete against each other on August 9th for the big prize.  you can get the full details from me at the bar!

back to Monday – after the smoke cleared, and at the end of two rounds things were probably as tight as you could possibly get, we had a sole winner.  no ties, no uber-exciting tie-breaker, just one team standing on top – for the second week in a row! 

Congratulations to “We’re back, just like . . . [i, uh, errrr, you had to be there] ”

[photopress:tc7_19_10.jpg,full,pp_image]

they look a lot like last week champs . . . .

[photopress:triviaChamps7_12_10.jpg,full,pp_image]

SPORTS TRIVIA – is under construction, and we’re looking at a August 5th gathering for that – which is on a Thursday.  more to come on that.

Team Trivia has been taking place every Monday night at 8 PM at the bar, even though I’ve been behind in the reporting duties.  The action has been fun and heavy, and sometimes nip and tuck.  highlights include . . .

well, let’s start with the important stuff.  I’ve rediscovered that the absolute best tasting beer is Ice Chest Beer.  and so, by the request of the winning team (and i believe in this case it was Bubba’s team) we proudly put together an Ice Chest of the Champagne of Beers – Miller High Life.  this was enough to make even chickalet smile!

[photopress:highLifeOnIce.jpg,full,pp_image]

“If I Hear Anyone Say 1978 One More Time!!”:  we had some intense trivia competition that resulted in a tie two weeks ago.  several teams sent their representatives to the stage and had to answer the question of “In what year did NASCAR begin?”

[photopress:6_21_10tiebreaker.jpg,full,pp_image]

bubba, who was awarded the sports trivia title on four separate occassions, came closest with his answer helping his team take down the title for the week!

[photopress:topGuns6_21_10.jpg,full,pp_image]

 action was just as intesne the following week, with another tie between only two teams this time.  the question was once again sports.  “How long in distance is the Boston Marathon?”

[photopress:26point3Miles.jpg,full,pp_image]

 after both contestants wrote down 26.3 miles, larry announced the question to the entire room.  someone from back announces proudly “26.22 miles, everyone knows that!”  unfortunately, his teammate, who was at the stage and could have brought home the win, didn’t know that.  soooo close!

so, things moved into a 2nd tie-breaker, which was a short visual puzzle. How many toothpicks remain in the jello-shot toothpick container? 

[photopress:jellyBeansToothpicks.jpg,full,pp_image]

and finally, we had a winner, by a terribly slim margin.  and so the summer competition at Team Trivia seems to have found a level where everyone has a chance at winning each night!

This Week: we had a great showing, Bud Pounders for a buck, and a team that managed to outpace the competiton and win outright!  Apparently the key to victory this evening was the pickup of Free Agent trivia player Hobo.  Hopefully we see these guys back next week to defend their title!

[photopress:emporiumAward.jpg,full,pp_image] 

that’s right, this past Monday we celebrated the greatness that is ”the Champagne of Beers” – Miller High Life!  that’s thanks to the Rizza, but more on that later! 

[photopress:moreTeams.jpg,full,pp_image]

The season has a taken a turn, and the warm air of summer is upon us.  Team Trivia kicks off at 8pm, and I’d suggest getting there a little early so you can stake out your table. 

two weeks ago Monday we had 8 different trivia teams battling for the top spot. action was tight, with two teams tied for the lead going into the final round.  everyone else was within striking distance.   

before the winners were announced, chickalet had his ticket chosen for a chance to open one of the Magic Envelopes.  he hit the big time, finding a crisp $50 bill inside, making him perhaps the biggest winner of the night.

[photopress:numberFive.jpg,full,pp_image]

the team that won was none other than “The RZA” . . .

[photopress:champagneOfBeers.jpg,full,pp_image]

and that’s how we came to have Miller High Life on special Monday night.  Taking turns between their favorite brews – Lord Chesterfield Ale, Yeungling Lager and Miller High Life, they chose the Champagne of Beers to be the dollar bottle special this time around.

this past Monday some different teams came out for Trivia.  for the second week in a row one of them dedicated their team name to Chickalet, this time commenting on the things that delight his tastebuds. 

after four rounds of questions, the teams of ”Vic’s Gay” and Bubba’s team were tied. 

[photopress:breakingTheTie.jpg,full,pp_image]  

so, we had a sudden victory question . . .

“On this date, June 14th, the words “under God” were added to the Pledge of Allegiance.  What YEAR did that take place?”

luckily the RZA weren’t involved, they knew the exact year.  Our teams guessed in the early 1900′s.  the actual date was 1954. and the team that came closer with their guess?

[photopress:vicIsGay.jpg,full,pp_image] 

congrats to the ladies of Vic’s Gay on their trivia victory.  Team Trivia night is certainly a good time for a Ladies Night Out! 

well, that’s not only the chant that you’ll be hearing tonight when the Fly Guys take on the ‘Hawks on Versus at 8pm on the big screen tonight, it’s also the name of one of the teams from Monday Night Trivia this past week.

Trivia on Monday had a twist to it.  Partly because it was the final hurrah of the Memorial Day Weekend which kicks off the summer, but also because it was the first edition of “80′s Trivia” where players knowledge of the pop culture of the 80′s was going to be a definite help.

plenty of new folks were out to compete, well, and some blasts from the past . . .

[photopress:sixers.jpg,full,pp_image]

and they waded through questions such as . . .

• Who was Ronald Regan’s attempted assassin?
• What legendary rocker was WWF’s honkeytonk man famous for impersonating in the ring?
• Which came first: band aid, farm aid, or live aid?

as the night wore on, the winners came out.  first, we chose the winner from our “Golden Test Tube” contest.  players had been finding ways to have their names placed in the lucky Miller Lite bucket.  and Monday, we drew one of those names and awarded that person with free seats on our trip to Balitmore to see the Orioles take on the Mets in June. 

big congrats go out to the lady who actually won the tickets . . .

[photopress:mrsK.jpg,full,pp_image] 

and the men who are most happy about it!

[photopress:baltimoreWin.jpg,full,pp_image]

to help everyone enjoy the evening even more thoroughly we were lucky enough to have the loveliest lady in all of sunny San Diego stop by and be our shooter girl for the evening, Mrs. Mutzy . . .

[photopress:mrsMutzyShooters.jpg,full,pp_image]

these guys were enjoying themselves – big 80′s buffs they are . . .

[photopress:happy80sNight.jpg,full,pp_image]

and every week we’ve had the Magic Envelope Pile – where one lucky player can get the chance to recieve the contents of one of ten envelopes.  inside of one of the envelopes is a $50 bill.  i think the last person to walk away with one of those was Joel.  this week, prizes were certainly in the air as our lad from the RZA picked the right envelope, and walked aaway with a cool $50.  here’s his smile to document the occassion . . .

[photopress:magicEnvelopeRZA.jpg,full,pp_image]

but wait, let’s get back to the actual GAME.  err, in a moment.  one of the great things about Team Trivia is that it allows you to be creative with how you present yourselves on a Monday night.  you can keep the same team name over and over and become known as a force in teh trivia world, like the RZA and the Jehova’s Witness Protection Program, or you can reinvent your team every week with a new name.

these guys get the name of the week award . . .

[photopress:noManicure.jpg,full,pp_image]

i don’t know which one of them works in a beauty parlor, but apparently it inspired the name of “She wanted a manicure, but I gave her a facial instead”. 

when the dust of four intense round of trivia cleared, we still didn’t have a winner.  and so we went into a “Sudden Victory” mode, where each team – and they were The RZA and Let’s Go Flyers – sent a representative to the stage to answer the tie breaking question.

[photopress:finalShowdownDi.jpg,full,pp_image]

During the 80′s Princess Dianna and Prince Charles were married.  It was a really big to do.  Give me the day, month, and year of the wedding.

the team who cames closest was . . . .

Let’s Go Flyers!

[photopress:goFlyersTrivia.jpg,full,pp_image]

and they look a lot like last week’s champs as well . . .

[photopress:triviaChampsAaron.jpg,full,pp_image]

more trivia action coming your way – and yes Tanney, that includes chicken sandwiches – Monday at 8pm!!!

we gathered this past thursday night for the May edition of Sports Trivia. 

instead of the usual three man teams, we broke things down into two man teams.  it didn’t seem to matter though because in order to win, you’d have to best the powerhouses of Tanney/Big A and Varano/Bubba.  and that is a tall task!

some of the questions of the evening were . . . .

• Where did Allen Iverson play his college ball?
• Who drives the #24 NASCAR?
• Who holds the NFL record for most passing yards in a career?
• What Mt. Carmel Red Tornado was a member of the 1973 national champion Notre Dame football team?
• What is the only tennis Grand Slam event held on a clay court?

the big bonus questions that really gave teams a chance to separate themselves were . . .

• Name the 6 NFL coaches with over 200 wins and
• Name the 9 baseball players who had over 3,000 hits, and played their entire career for the same team

at the end of the night Bubba and Varano outpaced the second place team by a mere two points!  so, they take the title of Sports Trivia Champions for the month of May.  here’s a picture of our top dogs . . .

[photopress:may10sportsTChamps.jpg,full,pp_image]

next month we may be changing the format a little. I’ll certainly keep you posted. in the meantime, congrats to the victors!

last week at Monday Night Team Trivia we had teams sifting through questions such as . . .

• what flavor kool aid was used in the mass suicide at jonestown?
• what disease was spread in the early 1900′s by Mary Mallon’s dessert of peaches and ice cream?
• what’s the pasta name of the chef in Ratatouille?

it turns out that once again, four rounds of questions were not enough to create a “pack leader” amoung the trivia teams.  in fact, THREE teams tied at the end of the night.  and so we had a TIE BREAKER!!

a representative from “the college kids must be swimming in the pool clint eastwood dug” faced off with members of “the teachers need an enema” and “larry, does the carpet match the curtains?”.  the question was . . .

“most satellites orbit how many miles above the earth?”

[photopress:uncleDwaynethinking.jpg,full,pp_image]

that’s not a picture of Uncle Dwayne pondering the tie breaker question.  that’s him at the magic envelope pile.  he puts a lot of thought behind everything on trivia night! 

the team of “the college kids must be simming in the pool clint eastwood dug” won the tie-breaker, giving them a new winning streak.  they had done well in the fall before going cold for weeks on end.  now, it looks like they’ve regained their form! 

 [photopress:makingItAHabit.jpg,full,pp_image]

we’ll see if they can keep it up for another week tonight!

it’s already time for Team trivia again tonight!  but before we gather this evening at 8 PM – which is the summer start time for Team Trivia (well, for everyone except “8:20 Tony” as we like to call him), we need to recap the action from the past two weeks!

Last week several teams showed up, and were mesmerized by Larry’s striking hair color.  that was reflected in the team names of “i’m too sexy for my hair” and “bleached blonde”.  They did battle with “temporary relapse” and the crew of “what did clint eastwood do before he became an actor?”.  Don’t ask about that last one, you had to be here.

over the course of the evening they waded some through questions such as . . . .

• What’s the name of the oil drilling rig that exploded and sank in the gulf of mexico?
• I can be a girl anyone can call, a female donkey, or a drink ordered at dorko’s, what am i?
• Where did the abbreviation I.N.R.I. originally appear?

I’d like to say something like “teams see-sawed their way through the standings as the night progressed”, but I was in the back making Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, so I’m really not sure how it went.  I do know, however, that we ended in a tie!! 

that’s right – the teams of “Temporary Relapse” and “Clint Eastwood” were called up to the mike for a tie-breaking showdown!  And the question?

Cinco de maio commemorates the Mexican victory over the french in what year?

Here’s a picture of our champs, “What did Clint Eastwood do before he became an actor?”

[photopress:5_3triviaChamps.jpg,full,pp_image]

these guys seem to be breaking out of their slump.  after having gone, weeks, and weeks, and weeks, and weeks, and weeks without posting a victory, they have managed to outduel their opponents two out of three weeks on a tie breaker.

here’s a picture of them from the week before last, when they bested the rest of the teams in the house to take the title on Team Trivia night!

[photopress:trivia4_26_10_1.jpg,full,pp_image]