Are we having fun yet?

       I'm learning more all the time about the unofficial Jeopardy! reunion and National History Bee and Bowl in Washington, D.C. on April 16th and 17th.  Like: The pub quiz is going to be on Thursday night that week.  I hope there will be one Friday night, too, because I was looking forward to it but I'm not arriving til Friday afternoon.  Also, they're asking people to pay $50, which will go toward the prizes.  On Friday, a panel discussion with former Jeopardy! contestants is being planned.  Current teen tournament champ Raynell Cooper might be at the discussion, and he is competing that weekend!
     Those are some of the latest bits of information.  You know I'll keep you posted!

Lori Cain

 
Today's contestants: 

Tom Kunzen (call me "Joe Jonas")

Kristi Meyers (She lost 60 post-pregnancy pounds exercising while watching Jeopardy!)

     Mr. Trebek made a pretty big deal out of how Lori was doing so poorly at the beginning of yesterday's program.  That day, he said not once but twice that Lori said she was not having fun because of it.  (What?!)  Needless to say, I didn't like Lori's attitude.  She doesn't want this very badly, and that's too bad.

     Today's Jeopardy round featured an Ides of March theme.  Tom, who I saw on Twitter has been on a "Brain Bowl" team, found the first Daily Double at the end of the second complete category.  Tom was off to a fast start with 3000, while Lori had 2000 and Kristi had yet to ring in.  Tom wisely wagered everything on this clue, in Julius Caesar: "It took from 58 to 50 B.C., but Caesar decisively overcame this fractious French region."  I got this wrong but Tom didn't.  At the first break, Lori still had 2000, Kristi had 1800, and Tom already had 7200.  At the end of the round, Lori had 1200, Kristi had 4600, and Tom had 12600.
     Tom continued to dominate, and by the time he found the first Daily Double in State Department Travel Warnings, he had 26600 to Lori's 4400 and Kristi's 9800.  Mr. Trebek did his usual encouragement to wager all of it, but Tom wagered a still-healthy 6000.  This was the clue: "From December 31, 2009: 'recreational craft...risk seizure by pirates...in the international waters near' this African country."  Tom and I got it right.
     The very next clue was the second Daily Double!  Trebek goaded Tom again, but Tom wagered 6000 again on this clue in Accidental Inventions: "In 1946, a Raytheon engineer's candy bar melted while he worked on a magnetron, leading to this; the first ones were 750 pounds."  I was surprised that Tom missed this one.  He definitely had some tougher gets.
     At this point Mr. Trebek said there was less than a minute to go, and regrettably, three clues remained uncovered when all was said and done.  Lori finished with 6800, Kristi still had 9800, and Tom had 28600.  The Final Jeopardy category was Sports and Music.  This was the clue: "In July 2010 this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer performed at the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies."  I was pretty confident about this one but I had it wrong.  Lori was the only one who had it right.  She almost doubled with a wager of 6700.  Kristi lost 4200, and Tom lost his usual 6000 (edited: he lost 600!!!).  Tom looks strong, maybe as strong as another Tom from this season?  I liked this Tom's fist-pump at the end of the game!

     My Coryat score today was 23600.  Tom's was 28200, Kristi's was 9800, and Lori's was 6800.  My weakest categories were Julius Caesar and The Civil War.  My best were Exes and "O"s, which I swept, and "B" Wear.

     There were no quadruple-stumpers OR triple-stumpers today!
     The Coryat scores for Monday:

3-14: Katie Sowder 5000     Ethan Dougherty 4800     Lori 16800     Me 22400