It really sounds better coming out Neil Sedaka, when he sings, “Breaking up…is…hard to do.” Reminds me of a funny scene in one of my favorite ’80s movies Better Off Dead when a lovelorn Lane Meyer (played by John Cusack) hears NOTHING but breakup songs on his car radio, which  prompts him to rip the damn thing out and throw it out the window.

In addition to Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, other songs Lane finds on the radio include 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover (Paul Simon), She’s Gone (Hall & Oates) and Hurt So Bad (Linda Ronstadt). NOBODY was better at Gen-X male teen angst than John Cusack (he is absolutely SIMMERING here).

Like Paul Anka said, breaking up IS hard to do! Since we found another Thursday night trivia spot, we will have to “break up” with Original Gravity. There are countless reasons for doing so – it’s a closer drive for us (about the half the distance), it’s an earlier show, and it’s a MTL show (we have kind of been “shopping around” for a MTL spot). Plus, a friend of mine lives near where they do the show and will be able to come out to some games to play with us.

Still, I don’t REALLY want to give up on OG! I’ve played there semi-regularly since they started serving up trivia in March, 2016. We’ve won two tournament spots by playing there. I have played TONS of solo games out there, which I think helped me greatly improve as a player.  I like the beers there – and I liked the “relaxed” trivia scene. I like the comfy, swivelly barstools. It’s mostly just a bunch of dedicated “townies” meeting at their weekly “gathering place.” Sometimes the kids will run around all willy-nilly (thankfully I have not stepped on one of ’em yet). I think the current trivia host, Lauren, is doing a great job of engaging with the players and running tight games. I like the “country” drive out there. One of our players, Dave, really likes playing here. Dammit…this really…isn’t easy for me!

But it’s for the best! After all of the crap we put up with at a couple of Ypsilanti-based MTL spots, it’s about damned time we found another trivia spot where we can (hopefully) win a semifinals spot at the end. Too early to tell whether we’ll be able to do that or not.

I would love to see some newer teams come out and set up shop at OG. I would love for team Mellows to come back and  play here regularly (I have a sneaking suspicion they may have been…scared off from playing here, if you know what I mean). I want good things for this place – and for its players. This is Sparta has come a LONG way, starting out when one of their players, Doug, would play solo and sit at the bar using the name “Suck It Trebek.” This past season, they won a tournament spot outright for the first time, following a season wrought with personal tragedy (one of their players died in October). Big Heads Big Hearts eventually did a “merger” with another longtime player there and were able to start making some noise (they are using the name Mind The Gap now). Pity the fools who wind up sitting in “their” spot at the bar (wink-wink)! I get it…I had “my” spot I liked to use at the bar, too! Maybe one of these days “Where’s Trey” will earn a tournament spot outright. My team played about…six full seasons here.

If this is a “breakup,” I am doing it under the caveat that we’ll STILL be friends! I’ll try getting out there again when I can!

I really am looking forward to new trivia adventures – new scenery, new faces. Speaking of, we’ll be playing tonight at JB’s in Canton, and will (hopefully) be joined by Kim. I’ve planned an all-women’s trivia game here later in the month.

Sigh. Maybe we’ll both be better off seeing other people!