We revisited McShane’s Pub on a recent brisk fall evening after about a three week absence.

We walked out with a second place/$20 gift certificate for our “efforts.” And by “effort” I do NOT mean dominating the game in any way, shape or form!

But that was totally OK, since we decided once again to play under what could become our favorite pseudonym – “Jackie Daytona’s Normal Human Trivia Team.”

We’ll use that pseudonym until the other teams figure out our true identities!

Before the game started, we watched some sporting events:

All silliness aside, it was a rough set of questions on this trivia night, which featured women’s college soccer on the TV screens. Who doesn’t enjoy watching the knee socked women running around with their pony tails flapping and OMG did you SEE that goalkeeper? She might actually be taller than me !. IKR?

I have no doubt that the position of GK is where the team would put me if I was on a women’s soccer team since I can’t really run for sh–! Though I am good at being in the way, so they might have me be a defender 😃

I mean absolutely nothing pervy by anything I just wrote. Scout’s honor. These are the words of someone who was a soccer fan girl who made World Cup brackets back in the day – and even videotaped matches during the 2002 World Cup. I might actually still have some of them, but have no means of playing them. Maybe someone on eBay wants to buy them? How fun would it be just to see the old commercials from 2002?

I still have lingering threads of soccer fandom running through my veins even if I don’t follow it like I used to. It can be an enjoyable sport to watch if you know where to look! And what joy it is that most games wrap up within two hours rather than NFL games which can take up to a half a century to wrap up 😕 

Yes, the NFL games are decidedly more popular things for most bar patrons to watch. To each their own! I guess there was a field goal that was blocked that was quite fascinating that caught my husband’s attention!

Now back to the less fascinating game, i.e. our trivia game, for which the questions will be heavily abridged:

Round One

Same Name – What word for a spice can also refer to the hair colors of Lucille Ball, Emma Stone and Ed Sheeran?

Gym Class – What team sport features two opposing teams that try to throw balls at and hit their opponents while simultaneously avoiding being hit with them?

Shopping – What nearly defunct retailer featured “blue light specials?”

Speaking of “nearly defunct,” I noticed recently while looking at Google maps that there is a Sears appliance repair shop in the Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor. The Sears anchor store was demolished a few years ago and replaced with a grocery store, a Dick’s Sporting Goods and an upscale apartment complex.

Yes, I just confirmed that the Sears Appliance Repair is still open – even if the sprawling anchor store is now a thing of the past! Anyone need a fridge or  water heater fixed in the Ann Arbor area? Now you know where to go! I don’t know whether they come to you or not, you’ll have to contact them and ask. 

Round Two

Cold Cases – Duane “Keffe D” Davis was found guilty of the 1996 murder of what rapper in September 2026?

Toys – The Lego Group is a privately held company with headquarters in what country? 

Board Games – The English version of Scrabble has only one tile worth five points represented by which letter? 

Miss. 

Round Three

The Calendar – Which month of the calendar features more birthdays than any other month? 

Words – What 10-letter Spanish phrase refers to soap operas in Latin America and Spain? Miss. 

Languages – What letter in ASL is represented by this?

Halftime – Weights and Measures

Give the numbers associated with the following measurements:

Fortnight (days), furlong (feet), cup (ounces) short ton (pounds)

Missed #2 and #4.

Halftime scores: Pants, 22; Pods, (us), 26; Poets/Baby, 28; YpsiStarlings Rugby, 30; Joneses, 31.

Round Four

Supreme Court – Which former Supreme Court Justice, from 1961-1963, attended Columbia Law School and focused on gender-oriented issues?

Sitcoms – What is the longest-running live action sitcom which has never won any awards? Miss. Did not know that it’s still on TV.

Vacations – What vacation rental site was founded in 1995 and is now owned by Expedia? Miss.

Round Five

Politicians – What youngest member of Congress, serving in Texas, has been referred to as “Clark Kent” and “Superman” in social media because of his appearance? We didn’t know this, so Mike wrote “no idea” on our slip, but I added the qualifier “somebody really cute” with little hearts. Yes I looked up images of him after the game, sure he looks like Superman, but apparently  he can’t fly without the aid of an airplane, and doesn’t have X-Ray vision. So he isn’t actually Superman.

Greek Philosophers – What ancient philosopher made the statement ‘No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth?”

Now it’s probably time to think about using our secret word to avoid losing more points…

Restaurants – What acclaimed Italian restaurant located on Thompson Street in Manhattan also has a sister location in Las Vegas? No idea, so secret word for six…

Round Six

Activists – What late American journalist and social activist was the co-founder of Ms. Magazine?

Medicine Cabinet – What first-aid product had a jingle written about it by Barry Manilow?

Cocktails – What refreshing cocktail made with spicy ginger beer, vodka and fresh citrus juice is typically served in a copper mug?

Final scores: Cunning Linguists, 46; Pods, 50; Pants/Poets/Baby, tied with 52; YpsiStarlings Rugby, 54 and Joneses, 59.

Final category – comedians

Appearing as himself on both Sesame Street and SNL, what comedian and actor was the first person to receive the Kennedy Center Mark Twin Prize in 1998?

The correct person was on a long list of comedians we had brainstormed, but we didn’t write him down. It appeared no teams seemed very confident, so we wagered just five points on this.

Just enough to put us in second! Joneses held onto their lead, YpsiStarlings finished third.

This concludes our trivial pursuits for the week. I need to get the car packed for a weekend getaway!

As always, Go Pods, and stay classy, Richard Pryor!

Answers:

R1 ginger, dodgeball, kmart

R2 tupac, denmark, K

R3 September, telenovella, s

Halftime

14, 660, 8, 2,000

R4 RBG, always sunny, vrbo

R5 brandon gill, plato, carbone

R6 steinem, band aid, moscow mule

f Richard Pryor