I have a friend/player on my trivia team whose life basically revolves around the Michigan Renaissance Festival during August and September every year. He has at least three different costumes he wears to this thing every year. Yet, when I told him the dates of our trivia tournaments AT LEAST THREE WEEKS AGO, he said, “No conflicts, those dates should be good.” Furthermore, I continued to double-check those dates with him starting from when they were announced. Yes, they were fine!

Today, when I reminded him that our semifinals are coming up THIS SATURDAY and was arranging carpooling details (long story), he replied, “Oh no! I’m going to Renaissance Festival that day.”

And to THINK I thought this trivia tournament would be the first one I wouldn’t have to scramble to find butts to put in the seats during the big games! Bwa ha ha! That would be too easy, wouldn’t it? That would not be following my trivia team’s playbook, would it?

I messaged a couple of different folks – my first  choice was someone whom I hoped may not have had a team to play with in this tournament, though I kind of figured he might already have found a team with which to play by the time I messaged him. And sure enough, he told me he already had a date for the “big dance.” Color me bummed out, but all righty then! Moving on!

So I messaged a second person – someone who had previously inquired about playing with my team and had played with my team about a year ago –  and he said nope, his own team would need him for the tourneys this time. He was not my first choice, since he is not a “local.” He showed up for a semifinal to play with us last fall, and just barely made it on time! I had to get on the phone with him to make sure he would make it on time (photo finish)…My preference was to use a “local” in this game, and not an out-of -towner (though I am importing a player from Toledo to join us in these two games). Toledo is much closer than Okemos!

What’s a trivia cap’n to do? Well, I called up my third choice man (someone who has played with us in previous trivia tourneys), and he said yes, he was available. Furthermore, his knowledge areas are very similar to the guy for which I have been forced to sub out for these games. Though he is more knowledgeable in older movies/TV/music than the guy for which I am subbing him. Plus, he is also pretty knowledgeable in sports. If nothing else, we will have a great time playing with this guy, and he will drink us ALL under the table! LOL…seriously, he is a pretty strong MTL player, since he is “older,” (MTL questions tend to favor older folks, sometimes folks way older than my husband and I, LOL) and he helped us finish in the top 10 when he played with us in May, 2016.

So, so frustrating! I guess I will have to take it upon myself to try to remember the key dates in the lives of the players on my trivia team if they’re not going to remember those dates themselves! Jesus…does my brain not have ENOUGH work to do? Statehood dates, historical dates, years presidents were presidents…and add to that remembering when the Michigan Renaissance Festival is going on! I used to kind of like that festival, but not anymore. It’s too cliquish. If you go there and don’t wear a costume, those costumed weirdos look down on YOU! Plus, everything there is overpriced or otherwise designed to take your money. Except the “privies.” THOSE are still free to use!

A scene from the 1988 film The Serpent and the Rainbow, which is about voodoo, zombies, and stuff…and Bill Pullman is in it.

Oy, pardon me while I strangle a voodoo doll representing my ABSENT MINDED FRIEND! HOW COULD YOU NOT REMEMBER THAT YOU LIVE AT THE MICHIGAN RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL THIS TIME OF YEAR? Furthermore, why did I not remember this? Uh, why blame myself? Pardon me while I beat my head repeatedly on some kind of hard, flat surface….

Stick a fork in me. I am DONE with people for today!