Three of us “met” virtually on a lovely summer evening to try to test our wits against some wily trivia questions. Didn’t fare too well on the question set! Were our brains too relaxed after having enjoyed some happy hour drinks at Sidetrack? A question about obscure Kirsten Dunst movies (where she didn’t play a child vampire, cheerleader or girlfriend of a superhero), collaborative songs, kids’ books and populous nations all humbled us… Moods were too high on the lovely weather evening for us to really care! We haven’t been able to set up for a virtual game on our deck in quite a while…usually if it’s hot, we retreat to our basement, where things are cooler.

Here are the questions as presented to us…

1. Talk Shows – What long-running talk show aired its first episode September 8, 1986 with the topic “How to marry the man or woman of your choice?”

2. Soft Drinks – What variety of Mountain Dew was released in stores in 2013, after 10 years of being exclusive to Taco Bell restaurants? Miss – haven’t been to a Taco Bell in…how long? May have been an urban legend, but a Taco Bell where I grew up supposedly had a disgruntled worker who urinated on the meat. I haven’t been able to really eat at a Taco Bell since then (some hangups you just can’t shake). I think I set in one in Houghton, MI because my niece wanted to eat there or something…probably in the mid 2000s. So not knowing Taco Bell – and not knowing about Mountain Dew? Double whammy.

3. Sci-Fi Novels – What 1985 novel by Orson Scott Card is set sometime in the future, where humanity prepares for a third invasion of the Formics, an insect-like species? All Mike…

4. Managers – Larry Rothschild, Hal McRae and Lou Piniella were the first three managers in the history of which MLB franchise? We at least had the correct state, but miss…

5. Slogans – Name either of the two words that fill the blanks in a slogan introduced by Kodak in the 2000s. “Share (BLANK), Share (BLANK).” Nerd point, name both. Got one, not both.

6. Populations – After China, what is the most populous country with a common English name that includes the letter “H?” Picked one in the top 20, but not the one we needed…miss. Forgot about this country that floods a lot…ooops.

7. Government Positions – Michael Brown served as the administrator of what government agency from 2003 to 2005 before resigning following Hurricane Katrina?

8. Collaborations – Norah Jones, Elton John, B.B. King and Van Morrison all collaborated with what singer on the 2004 Grammy-winning album “Genius Loves Company,” which was released  posthumously? Miss.

9. Actresses – Name any one of the three films released between Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 that feature actress Kirsten Dunst. No idea, we put a movie we knew was incorrect that was too early.

Bring it On. Always a guilty pleasure! A couple of nights ago, it aired right before Legally Blonde, which is also a guilty pleasure!

10. Comic Strips – Jim Davis is the creator of what comic strip title character, who is owned by Jon Arbuckle?

Mystery Round – Kids’ Books’

Give the title of the children’s book, given its first line(s), author and year of publication.

M1 – “These two very old people are the mother and father of Mr. Bucket,” Roald Dahl, (1964).

M2 – “When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen,” Frances Hodgson Burnett, (1911).

M3 – It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened,” Lois Lowry, (1993).

M4 – “The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play,” Dr. Seuss, (1957).

Missed #2 and #3.

Final category – World Capitals

According to the 2010 census, three of the six most populous municipalities in Georgia share their names with capital cities elsewhere, including one that share its name with the capital of a foreign country. Name that country.

Got it, but we were too far behind for it to matter…

Unsure when the next trivia game will be, I’ll be heading back to work next week (mixed feelings), so this will shake my nighttime schedule a little bit! As always, Go Pods, and stay classy, Ray Charles!