A couple of us ‘Pods made a 278-mile drive from Cheboygan State Park to our home Monday, and then another 1.6 miles to Powell’s Pub for our weekly My Trivia Live game. It was strange driving south into COLDER weather than we were having up north! The shorts I was comfortable in that morning on the shores of Lake Huron were not as comfortable to be wearing when I got home (weird Michigan weather indeed)! We didn’t qualify to play in the MTL “finals” on Saturday, but thanks to some “field correspondents,” I was still able to find out the game winners, the final question, and even the tiebreaker question that decided who would finish second – or third. As for Monday’s game, we lost out on a tiebreaker for third place, so no prizes. We still remain in the overall lead in the bar’s standings five weeks into this season. Our players this time were myself, Mike and Brad. And here are the questions…
Round One
1. Cereal – Katie the Kangaroo briefly replaced the mascot of what GRRREAT cereal? 5
2. T.V. Which actor/rapper shares his name with the character he played on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?” 3
3. Alcohol – Which cocktail is made from whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters and also shares its name with a borough of New York City? 1
Round Two
1. Trophies – Awarded to the Super Bowl winning team, the Lombardi Trophy is named for the 1959-1967 head coach of what NFL team? You know a sports question is too easy if even I know it, lol…5
2. Novels – What was Stephen King’s first published novel in 1974? I knew this answer because of a tiebreaker about this book we lost a few years ago at the Corner Brewery to another team, whose two representative players were both born that year (which is why they knew it, apparently). The question asked for what year that book was published (our guess was a couple of years off if memory serves, they got it spot on). So nice when a question you fail winds up becoming a question you get correct later- even if it takes years to do it (patience is a virtue)! This will [SPOILER] wind up happening again with our final question! Got this for 3
3. Cartoon Characters – In what decade did Yogi Bear make his debut on TV? For an extra three bonus points, on what TV show did he make his first appearance? Missed this for 1, did not attempt the bonus…
Round Three
1. Royalty – Of what country of origin was the House of Bourbon, established in 1268? 3
2. Geology – Of the three main rock types, which one is formed through the heating and cooling of hot magma? 5
3. Directors – Who directed their first feature-length film Pee Wee’s Big Adventure in 1985? Brad said aloud, “This is Heather’s favorite movie.” Yes indeed! Cinematic perfection (lol)!

If you’ve gotta do it, overdo it…of course this doesn’t keep Pee Wee’s bike from getting stolen anyway!

Halftime – Given the name of the following roller coasters, name the amusement/theme park in which they are located.
1. Millennium Force
2. Kingda Ka
3. The Beast
4. Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train
Missed #2 and missed #4 on a coin toss. I’ve ridden two of these roller coasters, two of them when they first opened.
Halftime scores: Yaks/Says Who, 29; ‘Pods, 30; Ham Wallets/One is the Loneliest Number, 33; Dan Smith ,36.
Round Four
1. Golfers – Professional golfer Hal Irwin was Academic All-American in what sport? Newsletter bonus, 6.
2. Films – What film, which won best picture in the 2002 Academy Awards ceremony, was ranked second out of all of the nominated movies in terms of box office grosses? We made sure to clarify that the film won the Oscar in 2002 and was not released in 2002 (these questions have burned us in the past), got this for 4.
3. Slogans – What soft drink has used the slogan “What’s the worst that could happen?” in the U.K.? Considered right option, but missed for 2.
Round Five
1. Rudy – In his only game, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger played for Notre Dame against what other team? Wow…so specific. Miss for 2.
2. Birds – (speaking of specific) What U.S. state changed their state bird in 1948 from the Northern mockingbird to a species of wren? “One” team in the house got this correct, we missed it for 4.
3. Songs – The U2 song “Pride” features the line “April 4 – shots ring out in the Memphis sky” which pays homage to what American? An easy one to end this tough, tough round!
Round Six
1. Serial Killers (yes I got excited when I heard this as a category) – What person was the subject of the 2003 film Monster starring Charlize Theron? In a recent recap of the MTL semifinals, I specifically mentioned a plea for a question about female murderers more colorful, prolific or creative than the person we were asked about in the final question – and this question certainly delivered here (well played, MTL)! I do kind of turn my nose up at anyone (male or female) who murders by using poison (so, so cowardly and lazy).
2. Fashion – (not as excited about THIS category as I was about serial killers, lol) Worn by Michelle Obama, “The Row” is an upscale clothing line designed by what American celebrity designers? And I actually knew this one (yes me getting a fashion question right…what madness is this?) 2
3. Monuments – Located in St. Louis, MO, which monument measures 330 feet wide and 660 feet tall? Softball to end this round, woo!
Scores heading into the final: Yaks/Says Who, 47; ‘Pods/Dan Smith, 58; Ham Wallets, 61 and One is the Loneliest Number, 65.
Final Category – It’s All Relative
Which historic figure’s nephew changed his name to William Stuart Houston in 1947 and wrote an article for “Look” magazine in 1939 titled “Why I Hate My Uncle?”
Remembered having a similar question previously that we missed, so I remembered it (thank you brain for not betraying me)!
This put us in a tiebreaker for third with Dan Smith, we had to answer how many total episodes aired of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Dan Smith’s answer was closer than mine.
That’s it for this trivia recap! We’ll be playing again Thursday at Original Gravity Brewing Co. unless the game is canceled (which goes without saying). Look for the next trivia recap Friday, unless any of the teams playing Wednesday does a recap that I can share here. As always, Go Pods, and stay classy, the Olson Twins!