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

Much Todo About Nothing

So I’m going to start right off by saying, I really don’t have much to tell you about today. Doesn’t that intrigue you? I bet that line would make an award winning start to a bestselling novel:

"What you are about to read is very dull. Thanks for the $12.99 you just paid for this paperback."

Fact of the matter is I have to continue to write even when I don’t have much to say or else I will stop writing entirely and that does not a good blog make. I pre-apologize (your favorite phrase, Andy) for what I will assume is a dull post. I can’t say for sure, I haven’t written it yet. Perhaps my best bet is to give you a life at the moment update.

First off, Happy Birthday Mom! Not that she reads this blog as I’ve been afraid to give her the link due to my penchant for cursing. And it isn’t that she hasn’t found it on her own- she’s a smart woman and a year wiser today to boot –but she hasn’t mentioned it to me if she has. Happy Birthday regardless.

Secondly, yesterday Andy let his boss know about his intent to move to Oz sometime in the near future. Andy inquired about a transfer through his current place of employment as it’s the easiest option for migrating. His boss’s response? Perhaps Andy should consider migrating to India as that is where the largest IT centers is in his company. Andy, being polite, said he would discuss it with me. When Andy first told me all of this I had to resist my urge to laugh, but then it got me thinking – would India really be so bad? The first thing I did was look up what the current temperature was in Hyderabad, India – where his company is located. It said 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Then I looked up yearly averages. In December, the coldest month, it averages 82 degrees. Since Andy and I both tend to moan, whinge, complain, and all around bitch when the mercury goes above 75 degrees here, we quickly ascertained that India was not for us. It’s a shame really; I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have my own cook, maid, and driver.

Brr...looks cold.

Thirdly, Billy the tomato plant developed blight a couple weeks ago. That’s the last time I heed advice from Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter comment boards. I’ve stopped watering him so much so he’s coming around, including with the spotting of two dime sized tomatoes.

Lastly, it’s the monthly pub quiz at the Harp tonight. I’m ashamed that I haven’t updated my pub quiz blog in two months. Not that anyone was reading it, but it’s the principle. I’m hoping for a good quiz tonight though, I think we’ll be going into tie breaker rounds as my quiz is so ridiculously easy this month a Miss Teen USA contestant would do well. I’m not sure what I was thinking when I wrote it up – I must be watching too much television, my general IQ has gone down.

So yes, that’s all I have for now – exciting stuff. Now please go here and read for 5 minutes so you can suddenly think of me as the Most Interesting Blogger To Ever Walk The Earth.