Some very uncharacteristic traits have been revealing themselves to me as of late. For years I’ve been part of a trivia team that has religiously played in different trivia spots to earn our way to tournaments. I’ve followed the rules, done whatever it takes to get my team to the “big dance” at the end. We’ve barhopped, we’ve played multiple venues, etc. I’ve scrambled (often last minute) to get decent players for tournaments, we endured a miserable tournament over an hour away last December. My husband and I have even trekked hundreds of miles on our last day of vacations to attend trivia games close to home.

Lately all I can think about is breaking the rules and I am caring less and less about whether we make it to finals. Is it selfishness? Spring fever? Burnout? I really don’t know. All I know is it feels pretty damn liberating, for some reason! We have two more games to go in the Sporcle Live season, and I am giving zero f—s about whether we play those last two in the spot we’re trying to qualify for finals. Yes, this could hurt our chances to qualify. And yet, strangely enough, I just don’t care!

Truth be told, the place we’ve been playing, the Corner Brewery, is starting to wear on me a bit. Getting there an hour early just to get a table (boy is that hour dull), having slim chances at prizes, and the host making the final questions more difficult every week. I understand why he does this – it’s a very competitive spot, and point margins are slim every week among the top teams. I get it. This doesn’t mean I want to deal with it week…after week…after week. I’ll still probably schedule games there occasionally, maybe once a month or so. But starting now, I want to focus on playing at places that I like the best – whether my team comes along for the ride or not! I’m done trying to please everyone. Let’s see, I have a player who won’t go to “away” games unless driven there by us and won’t play with us Monday at Powell’s, I have a player who dislikes the food at Corner, as for me, I’ve had it up to here with the host at the spot we’ve been playing on Saturdays because of her attitude toward the players. And I’ve become weary of Corner because of the reasons listed above.

We’ve been dominating the Monday games at Powell’s and have a significant lead there. Most importantly, we’ve been having fun! I see no reason for those games to end.

Me decked out for a beer festival, circa 2007-2008…

From this point on? I’m going rogue! I hereby bid adieu to past trivia enslavement! Let the “free-lance” trivia adventures begin NOW!