Yes, it really was cabbage

So last night Andy and I met Finky and Davey Davey out at the Olde Ship in Santa Ana for their monthly pub quiz. I am sure that you recognize from the ‘E’ in Olde that the “Ship” is of the English pub variety. It’s actually pretty authentic, that is, if the pubs you go to in England haven’t redecorated since 1867. My friend, Andrea, and I used to go to their sister pub out in Fullerton (way back in the days when I could still manage to stay awake past 10 PM) and I used to get a kick out of their tiny Ladies Room that had news clippings and portraits of the Queen in various stages of her Queen-ness. There is nothing like trying to pee with her Highness staring you down.

It's hard not to say "Oldie" when something is spelled 'Olde'.   Maybe that's just me.  Anyhow, here's the inside of the "Oldie Shippy"

Andy, Finky, Davey Davey and I used to go to this particular pub quiz on a regular basis last year. We had a decent team and even though there were only 4 of us, we still managed to place high enough to win a prize most months. We never won first mind you, but the $25 gift cards and bottles of booze weren’t a bad runner up prize. Finky was our History and Sports guy, Davey was our Music guy, Andy was our English History, Literature, and Wacky General Knowledge Guy, and I – truly the only thing I really know a lot about – was the Pop Culture and American Television Chick. It worked for us. Notice I state “worked” in the past tense. Last night was truly tragic.

Last night’s quiz was 65% History, 20% Literature, 14% Random General Knowledge and 1% Entertainment that Nobody Fucking Knows. Finky and Andy basically were their own team with Davey Davey and me offering up incredibly helpful shoulder shrugs and “put down whatever”. To be fair, Davey Davey was a bit more gamely in throwing out ideas whereas I just sat there. My sole contribution to last night’s quiz was knowing that Mia Farrow was once married to Frank Sinatra. Since I failed to remember that Ava Gardner was his wife as well, we didn’t receive any points.

How could I have forgotten Ava? Stupid Stupid!

What is ironic (is it ironic, or just a coincidence?) is that I hold my own pub quiz at the Harp every first Wednesday of the month. Every month I get up on the stage with my 3-ring binder and Madonna-esque headphone-microphone and read off 60 questions like I know what the hell I’m talking about. But I don’t, I really don’t. I make my own quizzes but I create them under the idea that quizzes are supposed to be fun. A lot of the answers I don’t know until I look them up. For example, last week’s quiz I had the question: True or False – Is it legal to go topless at hotel swimming pools in Las Vegas? I think that’s a fun question. Not to say I knew the answer, I had no idea. But it was 50\50, people could guess. (It’s True, by the way)

I will say one thing though – I at least know the subject of the question. Last night the Quiz Master asked the question, “Promillio* sent his 6 men on search for what?” and then turned around to a table standing near her and asked, “Am I pronouncing that right? Who’s Promillio anyhow?” That’s just not right. How can you expect a people to know the answer to one of your questions if you don’t even know what the hell your question is asking?

That was a rant. My apologizes.

Anyhow, last night we came away empty handed. Actually worse! We came away with a $95 food and bar bill (for the 4 of us). It was fun though. Any time you can get 3 grown men discussing the weight properties of vegetables that start with the letter ‘C’, it’s a good night. (Sorry Fink that we trumped your ‘cabbage’ with ‘corn’ – I’m sure that one point would have made a difference.)

Cabbage: The heaviest vegetable per pound\per acre that starts with the letter 'C'

*Can’t remember actual name, but it was something Italian