We logged our highest score since 2017 in our My Trivia Live game Monday at Powell’s Pub, and it couldn’t have been more of a “sexy” score! Yes…we had 69 points heading into the final, which was easy enough for ALL teams to have gotten it correct (which they did). Hell, we’ll take an easy final question if it means we got to hang onto our lead at the end and win the $30 top prize! We had our “three amigos” in the mix this time, with Brad joining the usual “duo” for the fun (the poor dear had to ride his bike home in a DOWNPOUR)! Brad proved very valuable when we were asked about a ’70s TV series that Mike and I were both a bit too young to have remembered. Though Mike and I ARE familiar with a 1997 movie starring Robert Blake (the star of the 1970s series), in which he played a very, very…creepy character.

Age gaps are good on trivia teams! Though we drew a blank coming up with the name of that TV series without Brad’s help, he was at a loss when we were asked about the album that PRECEDED Nirvana’s “Nevermind” album (which any self-respecting Gen X’er should know). Yes, there was lots of sexy, sexy teamwork all around! With four games to go, we are in a pretty decent lead, so if all goes well, we should be poised to play in the MTL semifinals and represent Powell’s for the second consecutive season. It’s become a bit competitive out there as of late, with one of the “barhop” teams in the mix being a team that has tended to win money in a few of the recent MTL tournaments. It’s good they’re keeping us on our toes! Trivia games are no fun without some competition, after all…All of that said, let’s see the questions!

Round One

1. Explosives – What is the more common name of trinitrotoluene? 5

2. Space Program – Often misquoted, which Apollo mission is associated with the Jim Lovell quote “Houston, we have a problem?” 3

3. Planes – What was the name of Charles Lindbergh’s plane, which was used on his first solo Transatlantic flight? 1

Round Two

1. Actors – Who portrayed Al Capone in the 1987 film “The Untouchables?” 5

2. Old West – What was the name of the sheriff who shot William Bonney aka “Billy The Kid” at Fort Sumner in 1881? 3

3. Debut Albums – What band released the 1987 debut album “Appetite for Destruction?” For an additional three bonus point what was the name of Nirvana’s debut studio album, which preceded “Nevermind,” and was released on the Subpop label? Got this for one plus the bonus points.

Round Three

1. Anniversaries – Before the Chicago Public Library released an updated modern list, what was formerly considered the traditional anniversary for which you’d give china as a gift to a couple? Miss for 1.

2. Poets – What major Italian poet’s birth name was Durante degli Alighieri? 5

3. Hats – Sharing its name with a 1970s TV series starring Robert Blake (but spelled differently), what is the name for a hat with three peaks typically worn by Catholic clergy? 3

Halftime – Shows Within Shows

Identify the TV series based on the series that was featured within the series and the years of the series run.

1. 1991-1999, Tool Time

2. 1997 to present, The Terrence and Phillip Show

3. 2006-2013, TGS with Tracy Jordan

4. 2009-2015, Pawnee Today

Got them all.

Scores at the half: Eight teams – did not hear the low score. We were in first with 39 points, with All About that Bass right behind us with 35, and One is the Loneliest Number in third with 33, and Bi-skatonic Bio Diverse Bi-Cephalus right behind us with 36 points. I asked this team to write their team name down on my notes so I’d get it right!

Round Four

1. Microsoft – In what U.S. state was Microsoft founded? Newsletter bonus, 6.

2. Simpsons – What was the name of Ned Flanders’ wife, who died in season 11? I wrote down the answer right away, and Brad asked me if I was “sure.” Anyone remember the scene from “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” when Beethoven is playing around on the keyboards in a music store – and a store worker says to him, “Are you a musician?” The responding incredulous look on Beethoven’s face was priceless! And of course you had to wonder a couple of things – did Beethoven (a German) actually understand English, and if he did…could he hear at all at that point in his life (he went deaf in his later years)? All of that said, just to prove to Brad that YES, I knew this answer, I also described how she died in the episode! 4 points.

3. History – In what year did the initial dismantling of the Berlin Wall begin? A bit of discussion, but Brad ultimately gave in to the guesses of two Gen X’ers who remembered this happening when they were teenagers…2 points

Round Five

We got to pick the “you pick” category after coming closest to the guess on how many pounds of trash a person in the United States generates per day (on average). Our choices were world leader nicknames, elements, or medical conditions. So we chose…

Round Five

1. World Leader Nicknames – What was the nickname of Haitian president Jean Claude Duvalier, who served from 1971 until being overthrown in 1986? Brad made a guess as to whom the question would be about before it was even asked – and he was right! Got this for 6.

2. Golf – Winning the Royal Poinciana LPGA Invitational in 1962, what male golfer won by five strokes in 1962? Miss for 2.

3. Flowers – I did not take good notes on this question, but they wanted to know what “type” of flower one of the U.S. states has as its flower – and the answer was “orchid.” I even tried to “reverse engineer” the question based on the answer and I STILL don’t know what was asked. I think all teams missed this one, we missed it for 4.

Round Six

1. Submarines – Launched in 1954, what was the name of the first nuclear powered submarine used by the United States? Hint: it’s also the name of a member of the cephalopod family…2

2. Cocktails – What was the name of the cocktail made from a mixture of half stout and half champagne? I used to drink these, only with hard cider subbed for the champagne. And I’ve heard them described with a few different names over the years. Thankfully I picked the one we needed for 4.

3. Puppetry – What is the “m” word for the name of a puppet worked by strings? 6

Scores heading into the final: Eight teams scores ???? to 69, with us in first.

Final Category – Celebrity

What word is commonly associated with Fellini’s work “La Dolce Vita” and describes a character named for the the Italian word for an “annoying buzzing sound?”

Final scores: One is the Loneliest Number, 110; Bi cephalus…(not typing that again), 128 and ‘Pods, 138.

Our next trivia game is Thursday at Original Gravity, so look for the next recap on Friday. As always, Go Pods, and stay classy, “Baby Doc” Duvalier!