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(I have to do it, and this is my last chance.)
Today's contestants were Jeff Amoros (who unseated Adam Marshall yesterday), Meg Price (from Wales!), and Rachel Winer (once stayed awake for 50 hours for an experiment, and she doesn't even know the results!). I notice sometimes Mr. Trebek is quick to heap praise on the champion, even when he really hasn't proven himself. Mr. Trebek did that again today. I think he was in a little bit of a weird mood. Why would he say that Mammals was a good way to start the round?
In the category about sitcom spouses, I got the "I Love Lucy" triple-stumper. I swept the easy category about the Ten Commandments.
Did you guys think it was weird when Mr. Trebek asked Jeff to specify which "Long" he meant in the clue about Huey Long in the 1930s category? I didn't know there was another one. I was proud of Jeff again, by the way, that he made another true Daily Double in the Jeopardy round. It didn't work out for him this time. I didn't get that one either.
I was pleased that they mentioned my favorite board game, Trivial Pursuit!
Is it just me or did they mention Tibet like three times in this game?
I swept the Con Film Festival category in the Double Jeopardy round.
My Coryat today was 23600Y. The Final was an "instaget" for me, and all the contestants got it right, too. Rachel wins. Her Coryat was 12200Y, Jeff's was 15200Y, and Meg's was 9600Y.
I couldn't get to the keyboard fast enough today - So much did I love today's episode! It didn't hurt that I think this is my highest Coryat ever - 34000. VAMOS! Also, there was plenty of drama on the Jeopardy! stage. I just loved this episode from beginning to end.
Adam Marshall returned to defend after his second (impressive) win yesterday. Adam, who we found out is only twenty years old!) was strong again today, and he made it look like a no-brainer that he'd win his third today.
The episode started out happy for me with the category about sports books that became films. I only missed "Bang the Drum Slowly." I got the triple-stumper "fungus" and swept the category about seasons.
The Jeopardy round didn't seem slow to me, but Mr. Trebek announced that there was a minute to go with 8 clues left! Only two were left covered.
In Double Jeopardy, I got the triple-stumper about Hirschfeld and swept the Guns n Roses category, including the triple-stumper "Fine Young Cannibals." I also swept the category about Bummer words and the Videopourri category, which ended the round with a bang: a clue about my beloved tennis - specifically, Wimbledon. Nothing like finishing the round with an ace.
I also aced Final Jeopardy - I had seen "Old Ironsides" on a trip to Boston and New York with my high school class when I was going into my senior year.
Jeff Amoros (like Adam, from Maryland!) was well behind Adam for much of the game. I liked Jeff's guts: two true Daily Doubles! (Who is "Judy Chicago"?) That certainly helped him make quite a comeback in Double Jeopardy. Jeff was the only one to get the Final right, and he pulled the rug out from under Adam in the end. How far can he go? Jeff's Coryat was 13600, Adam's was 14200, and Dolores DeStefano's was 9000.
Mr. Trebek said that Kids Week starts Monday. Do with that what you will.
I'm back. For Friday and Monday's episode, I was either on my way to or back from Baltimore. Yesterday, my family and I went to a crepe restaurant in Washington D.C. that had been hyped by the people I met at the unofficial Jeopardy! reunion. It was across the street from the hotel where the attendees of the reunion gathered. I got pictures of both:
 
Today's contestants were Polly Ruf, Chris Clayton, and Adam Marshall (from Maryland!). Adam looks like a young George W. Bush to me. Adam defeated Jay Rhee yesterday. Jay won five games, so we are pretty sure to see him in the next Tournament of Champions. (Did you guys hear Mr. Trebek say "next year"?!) I wonder if Jay is studying.
Today was my strongest in a while. I swept "H"ealth and Medicine. I was surprised when no one knew "hamstring." That was my response as soon as they showed the picture. In the Jeopardy round, I also swept Out of Jail and the category where we were to translate categories from French. Did you guys think that the whole Double Jeopardy round was going to be those categories, when they revealed Lakes and Rivers? I didn't get any right in that category, but the contestants struggled, too.
Did you guys get the "Pep Boys" triple-stumper? I don't think we have those in Nebraska, but I had heard their names somewhere before. Chris said "The Three Stooges"?!
My Coryat today was 31600. Now we're getting somewhere! Adam's was 22200, Chris' was 8200, and Polly's was 5800. Below are the Coryats from Friday and yesterday. : 6-24: Elaine Garrett 10000Y Marc Tracy 8600Y Jay Rhee 20600Y Me 28600N 6-27: Dan Carroll (husband to champion Robin Carroll!) 7400Y
Adam Marshall 22600Y
Jay Rhee 10800Y
Me 25000N
I liked the categories when the Jeopardy round started. It wasn't my best Jeopardy round, though. I didn't get more than three right in any category. Is it just me, or was General Science tough? The first clue of the round was a triple-stumper, and they all stumped me. I did get the "chainlink" triple-stumper in the round, which I was surprised was one. I got the "Runaway Ralph" triple-stumper, but I thought Andrew Dobbs had a decent guess with "Ramona." In the Double Jeopardy round, I got the "Dunes" triple-stumper which I decided to try at the last second.
Would you guys accept "worms" when Jay Rhee said "earthworms"?
The Double Jeopardy round featured a theme with categories that were also '80s Oscar Winners, including a category all about them. Jay seemed to hunt for the Daily Double again, and he did find the first one three clues in. Pat Connor found the second one. I was dismayed by her wagering this game. She wagered just 600 of her 1200 in the Jeopardy round, and in Double Jeopardy, when Mr. Trebek pointed out she was behind Jay by about 10000, she wagered just 2000 of her 6400. Playing not to lose, for sure. As a result Jay had a lock going into the Final. There were three clues left at the end of the Double Jeopardy round.
I got today's Final, which was a triple-stumper. Too bad that doesn't boost the Coryat. Mine today was 18600. Jay's was 16000, Dobbs' was 3800, and Pat's was 7600.
With four wins now under Jay's belt, will we see him at the Tournament of Champions? I like Jay and I think he's worthy, but here's hoping Buddy Wright will still be there.
Yesterday's Coryats: Kate Sparich 8400 Kartik Venguswamy 9400 Jay Rhee 21200 Me 19000
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| Jay Rhee |
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| Scott Goldstein |
Did you guys know this triple-stumper in Ghoul-ash?: "Edgar Allan Poe referred to ghouls in the 4th section of this poem about objects that jingle, tinkle, and clang." I wound up sweeping the category. I would've swept State the Senator but I, like the other contestants, did not recognize this guy:
The clue was: "In 1964, the man seen here was appointed to serve this state." (So there were no hints in the clue.)
Scott found the Daily Double in the round, in South American Geography. He had 2000 and Jay had 4600. Julianna was in the hole 1800 after a couple of ill-advised guesses ("The Tell-Tale Heart" for "The Bells," "Rio de Janeiro" for "Sao Paolo," and "The Netherlands" in a category about South American Geography), but at least she could be first on the buzzer. Scott wagered just 1000 (this was the last clue before the first commercial break) on this clue: "Punta Parinas, South America's westernmost mainland point, lies in this country's Talara province." Scott missed it. At the end of the round, he had 2400, Julianna had -600, and Jay had 9200.
I was a little surprised that Julianna chose a category going into Double Jeopardy, Musical Theater, that you'd think would be a wheelhouse category for Scott, Touring Company Director for Second City. He did only get one right in the category, though.
Scott "struggled" (but he was coming up with correct responses) in What Do U Stand For?: The idea is to say what the "u" stands for in various acronyms. He kept giving the entire acronym, leaving himself wide open to make a mistake somewhere else in his response! Mr. Trebek told him they only needed the "u," but Scott did it one more time. Next time he tried, he gave only the "u" but forgot to phrase it in the form of a question. He had it all together for this last clue in the category: " In UFO, possibly an alien craft." I swept the category, and Scott would've if he'd used correct phrasing for that one clue.
Jay found both Daily Doubles today, one after the other. He seemed to be looking for them. The first one was in Papal Bulls. Jay had 17200, Scott had 7200, and Julianna had 4600. Jay wagered only 100 on this clue: "Gregory XIII's Bull of February 1582 reformed this." I got this, but Jay did not. I only missed this last clue in that category: "Clement V's 1312 'Vox in Excelso' disbanded this knightly order."
The next Daily Double was in International Year of Chemistry. Jay wagered just 100 again. This was the clue: "Chemist Frederick Soddy came up with this term for atoms having the same nuclear charge but different masses." Jay and I both got this one. I only missed this clue in that category: "A solid can be finely analyzed using the EELS technique, which studies energy loss in these particles." I had the right answer in my head but didn't pull the trigger.
At the end of the round, Jay had 17200, Julianna had 6200, and Scott had 10800.
Now, I know I've been talking a lot about coincidences that keep happening, where something I study or otherwise come across appears on Jeopardy! I hope you're not sick of it, but this is too weird for me: A long time ago, when my animal-loving friend Catherine and I were just beginning to talk about Jeopardy!, she told me about a clue she remembered from a long time ago about Rhodesian Ridgebacks. (We looked it up on j-archive.com to find the exact clue.) This past weekend, our friend Christine and I were trying to tell her that she could indeed watch Jeopardy! at her home. (She barely watches TV ever.) I hope she was watching today, because this was the clue (category Dogs): "This alliterative dog breed bears the former name of an African country." I slam-dunked it thanks to her, and all the contestants got it right, too. Julianna added 4601 to her total. Scott added 10799, but Jay wagered enough to beat Scott if he'd doubled. We'll see Jay tomorrow.
Today was a good one for me, Coryat-wise: I had 30000. Jay's was 18800, Julianna's was 6200, and Scott's was 11800.
I hadn't planned to write a full recap tonight because I'm probably working. Today, as it turns out, is a good day for that for three reasons:
1) Dumb tornado warnings pre-empted two or three clues of the Jeopardy round, and all but two clues of the Double Jeopardy round. Weird as it sounds, a tornado warning even pre-empted the tornado warning. That is, the warning that shuts off your recording interrupted the TV weather guy.
2) The Jeopardy round did not go well for me.
3) I realized at the last minute I hadn't printed out a blank Coryat scoresheet and had to make an imperfect one on a notebook.
I did get to see the Final, though, and was surprised to see after the clue that Danielle Harlow wasn't there! I'll be eager to read your input in the comments as to what happened. I assume she didn't drop dead. ;-)
I know many people raved about "The King's Speech," including my parents who I trust about such things. I didn't see it, though, because I don't like to listen to stuttering. It sorta stresses me out. And I wouldn't have come up with the correct response today based on the other hints in the clue. Sam Fleming missed today's Final and Jay Rhee got it right, so we'll see him tomorrow.
(Not because these are today's contestants):
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| Danielle Harlow |
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| Stewart Tuttle |
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| Steve Sobelman |
Stewart, who impressed yesterday, was off to a fast start today. He correctly responded to the first three clues of the round in World Cities, the first two of which I thought were pretty tough: "In 1949 Indonesia became independent & Batavia became this capital city" and "(read by Jimmy from Israel) When this city had problems treating its sewage prior to the 2008 Olympic games, Amiad's water filtration company helped with machines like the E.B.S. filter." Stewart and Steve both missed the fourth clue: " This Irish city is home to Reginald's Tower, said to date from 1003, but is better known for its crystal." Steve said "Blarney." ??? Danielle got it right, and the next clue was the Daily Double, still in World Cities. She led even though Steve had gotten those first three right, which shows how costly an incorrect guess can be. She wagered just 500 of her 800 on this clue: "Morocco has its own 'white house,' this city whose name means just that." She got it right. I got this triple-stumper in Which Bible Book?, even though I wasn't even sure it was a book in the Bible. I had to memorize the books of the Old Testament in 6th grade, but the deeper in the Old Testament the book is, the rustier I am. Here is the clue: " For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas."
Just before the break, Steve had a couple of good gets in For the Home Team, and the one after the break, too. One of the clues was similar to a clue I came across playing Jeopardy! on the Wii today (but I knew it then, too): "Fans of this NBA team can look up to the rafters and see 22 retired jerseys, including Larry Bird's." Steve had 600, Stewart had 1200, and Danielle had 1700 at the first commercial break.
Speaking of Wii Jeopardy!, I had a clue today about T.S. Eliot and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," two things I would not have linked together before. Later today I went to see "Midnight in Paris." It wasn't bad, and with all those characters it's educational for those studying for Jeopardy! One of them was T.S. Eliot. When the protagonist met him, he said like, "J. Alfred Prufrock is my mantra!" Now that fact will certainly be stuck in my head!
Another strange coincidence: Would you believe I just bought a book of these stamps today?: (category U.S. Stamps) "The Latin Music Legends series of course includes this woman in her signature fruity hat." Here's the proof:
At the end of the round, Stewart had 3000, Steve had 4200, and Danielle had 3100.
Stewart found the Daily Double two clues in, in American Poetry. Here's the next weird coincidence: I just learned this from playing Wii Jeopardy! today. (Okay, it was either that game or Wii Trivial Pursuit, I'm not sure which!) Imagine my excitement when I pulled out the correct response to this: " He began a 1951 poem, 'Good morning, Daddy! Ain't you heard the Boogie-Woogie rumble of a dream deferred?'" Oh, it was heaven! It took me a second, though. It's a good thing for me Stewart used all of his time, but he didn't come up with it, unfortunately. He lost 3000 of his 3400. (Steve's and Danielle's scores were the same as when the round began.) After that miss, Stewart jumped to the 2000 clue, but in the same category.
Danielle found the next Daily Double, in Hero Sandwich. It's kinda like Before and After. You have to insert two words into the clue, that will form the name of a "hero." Sample clue that just happens to mention my happy hometown: "F. Murray _______ _______ Nebraska." I thought this category was pretty tough, and I only got one of them right. Danielle led with 11500 after almost sweeping Soderbergh Movies in Other Words. Her only mistake in the category was saying "Ocean's Eleven" instead of "Ocean's Twelve" for this clue: "Pacific's Dozen." At Daily Double time, Stewart had 4800, and Steve had 8200. I was disappointed that Danielle only wagered 1000. Mr. Trebek said before she wagered, he thought she seemed comfortable in the category. I went back and checked, and she only answered one of the previous three right! Here was her clue: "Red-breasted _____ ____ ornament." I only got it after she said the first word of the two (so I'm not counting it toward my Coryat, obviously!) She didn't come up with the second word. Then I was disappointed when Mr. Trebek said she was "wise" to wager only 1000. At Final Jeopardy, she had 15300, Stewart had 4000, and Steve still had 8200. The category was Medical History, something else that worked in my favor because I am an RN. Here was the clue: "In December 1967, Louis Washkansky, a patient in this country, claimed, 'I am a new Frankenstein.'" I knew where the doctor is from who created the artificial heart, so I got this one right. Stewart knew it, too. He added 2800 to his score. Steve, who I thought performed well today overall, missed it and lost 7200. Danielle, too, missed it, but she only wagered 600. It wouldn't have been enough had Steve doubled. At any rate, we'll see her Monday.
My Coryat was a pretty good 28000. Danielle's was 16800, Stewart's was 7000, and Steve's was 8200.
It's not every day you see conservative wagers work and bold wagers fail. How long will she last?
Even though it's just been two games, I'm kinda gonna miss Stewart. He had two of the best contestant interview stories I've heard in a long time. He knows how to tell a story. (But the ones I heard at my audition this week were pretty good, too.) Is it just me or have the episodes been extra good this week?
Hopefully the title of this entry gets the correct response to this clue in That's Entertainment out of your head. (You're welcome): "'It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk' -- time for this Lady Antebellum hit, a big winner at the Grammys in 2011." Was anyone else more than a little surprised that ubiquitous smash was a triple-stumper? Maybe listening to the radio is not such a bad thing. But I am listening only to NPR right now as I study for a potential (someday) Jeopardy! appearance. And it is boring as heck. By the way, I wondered today, is it necessary to listen to classical music to learn about it?
Today's game was a thriller, to continue with the music theme. The contestants:
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| Nick Condon |
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| Lisa Longo (yet another stay-at-home mom) |
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| Stewart Tuttle |
Nick, now a three-day champion, found the Daily Double before the first break in the Jeopardy round, in 80s TV. I was sweeping it to that point. Nick had 1400, Stewart had 2400, and soft-spoken Lisa had 1200. I knew Nick had prepared for his appearance and would know how to wager, so I started writing that he was making a true Daily Double before he said he was. This was the clue: " This 80s detective show used the same production facilities in Hawaii that were used for the old 'Hawaii Five-O.'" Did anyone else besides me say "Miami Vice"? Nick got it right and doubled his score. At the first break, he had 2800, Stewart had 3200, and Lisa had 2200.
I liked Stewart's story of getting his hearing back after a doctor somehow used bones from a cadaver bank. I also liked Mr. Trebek's line, something like, "You have to give up a lot to donate there."
I swept It's "Al" Delicious (weird category name) before the Jeopardy round ended. Nick ended the round with 5800, Stewart had 6400, and Lisa had 2800.
Even though Stewart seemed to be looking for it, Nick found the first Daily Double of the Jeopardy round, in & In Other News.... I gave incorrect responses to the two previous clues, but Nick got them. (Stewart missed the clue just before this Daily Double.) Nick had 14200, Stewart had 5200, and Lisa had 2400. Nick wagered 4000 on this clue, which I thought was pretty easy: "In 1914, James Joyce finally found a publisher for this collection of stories about the people of his native city." Nick got it right.
Stewart seemed like he was still looking for a Daily Double. He had a couple of good gets in the meantime (Niger River? Volstead Act?) He had 11600 when he did find the next Daily Double, in Legislative Legacies. Nick had 17800 and Lisa had 5200. Huge pat on the back for Stewart: He wagered 10000. This was the clue, another softball: "Galusha Grow was the father of this 1862 law giving western land to anyone who'd settle and improve it." Stewart got it right. Oh, the drama!
I swept Double the W before the round ended. Nick ended with 18200, Stewart had 22400, and Lisa had 5600. The Final Jeopardy category was 20th Century Novels. This was the clue: "Penned by a British author, it became a No. 1 bestseller in the U.S. in 1959, 31 years after it was initially banned." Lisa did not write anything, and she lost all but a dollar. I'd never heard of Nick's response "Tropic of Capricorn," even though Mr. Trebek said he thought someone might come up with that. Unfortunately it was wrong, and Nick lost 9799. He absolutely did the right thing in terms of the wager: It appears he was expecting Stewart to wager just enough to beat Nick if he doubled. It doesn't make sense for Nick to try to double, because he will lose even if he does, and if he misses? He still loses because he will have 0. Therefore he wagered enough to beat Stewart if Stewart gets the Final wrong. Stewart didn't get the Final wrong, though. He did wager 14100 (a little more than necessary to beat Nick if Nick doubled), and becomes the new champion with quite a payday. Stewart was good but also pretty lucky. He twice, I think, rang in only to just stare. My Coryat today was 21800. Stewart's was 13200, Nick's was 15800, and Lisa's was 5600.
I've had a couple more thoughts about my audition (okay, maybe more than a couple!) - I know Stephen said try not to think about what I'd have done differently, but I do wish I'd said something else when they pressed me on what I'd do with Jeopardy! winnings: My friend and I, a week or two before the audition, talked about opening a Dunkin' Donuts franchise, as weird as that sounds. We even went to the site together to see what we'd have to do. Turns out we need a ton of money. Huh, imagine that! Anyway it would've made for a more colorful answer than the lame one I gave, and it is true anyway.
Secondly, a piece of the interstate is closed now on the way to Kansas City from Lincoln. So I'm thanking God it was still open on the day of my audition, and hoping all works out there.
Third, I want to add that I actually hope they will pick me on the late side of the 18 months - I have my work cut out for me, and I just want to succeed. Former contestant Karl Coryat says it could take a year or two to prepare.
By the way, does any boardie remember how to find Ten Pound Hammer's blog? I thought I'd try to invite him to leave his oh-so-popular comments here. :-)
Finally, a co-worker found this article and thought it might be good fodder for the blog. I'll just throw it out there in case anyone wants to comment there or here. ("Men vs. women" is not really my thing.)
This entry will more closely resemble a post on the Jeopardy! message boards, as I am headed back to work tonight and don't have quite as much time.
Another great show today. My Coryat score was 24400, but it could've been higher. I thought I'd be totally "fair" and not count things (possibly Tip O'Neill, Regis Philbin, marrying a brother's widow, Northwest Passage, and railroad crossing) that I would've gotten had I maintained focus and not thought about recent clues.
I doubt I'd have gotten the clue about Michele Bachmann had I not watched the debate the other night.
I swept Kings, Queens, and Jacks. I loved Houdini; I read a book about him once and find him interesting. I only missed the 200 one about being born in Budapest.
I was so excited about Nick Condon's true Daily Double (5000) that I sent him a private tweet at that moment saying, "Good for you!" (I didn't want to spoil anything for anyone else at the time.)
Did anybody get that "High Rollers" clue? I'd think I'd heard of Ruta Lee from my Jeopardy! studies, but would not have gotten it today.
Did they applaud Michael Vlach even though he didn't sweep Bands by Lead Singer? I got them all except the first one; I said "Aerosmith" instead of "Journey."
I didn't get any in Exploration right. Ouch.
Good thing Nick, an avid photographer, got the "camera" clue right!
Did you guys see the announcement that Mr. Trebek is getting a lifetime achievement award at the Daytime Emmys?
Nick had a lock on the game going into the Final. (I thought the Final was easy, by the way.) We'll see him tomorrow. Nick's Coryat was 19800, Michael's was 9800, and John Mingey's was 10600.
Today's contestants:
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| Jeff Fleischer |
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| Nick Condon |
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| LuEllen Buhrman |
I still have yet to watch yesterday's whole episode, Nick's first. (I was at my own Jeopardy! audition when it was on TV.) He won more than 30000 that day.
I was on a roll at the beginning of today's episode. I only missed these two before the first break: In Historical Quotations: "Attributed to Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata: 'It's better to die on your feet than live on' these." And in "Aw," Shucks, I fell into the same trap that Jeff did: " It's the only state that doesn't have national parks, monuments, battlefields, or historic sites." Jeff said Hawaii. This one was a triple-stumper.
I managed to sweep Cookbooks, including this triple-stumper: "'Skinny Italian' offers recipes and cooking tips from Teresa Giudice of this 'Real Housewives' franchise." (And I do NOT watch the show.) :-)
Those of you who follow me on Twitter or who come here often know that I LOVE tennis. Naturally I was really excited about today's Tennis, Anyone? category and, naturally, I swept it. I was a little saddened that the category was chosen last (with one minute to go!), and I was more-than-a-little-saddened that this was a triple-stumper: "In 2008, Stanislas Wawrinka teamed with this pro to represent Switzerland in the Olympics, winning the doubles title." Commentators are always saying how much that gold medal means to this gentleman, and it was evident to those of us watching the end of the match. To be fair, though, this guy is definitely NOT known for doubles.
Jeff answered a clue about my hero to get the Daily Double, the final clue of the round. He had only 200, while Nick had 7000 and LuEllen had 3000. Jeff wagered 1000 on this clue: " The 2 Martinas to have been ranked as the year's No. 1 women's tennis player." Jeff and I got it right.
LuEllen found the two Daily Doubles in the Double Jeopardy round, which was a rougher round for me. She found the first one 3 clues into the round, in Art. She now had 5000 while Nick still had 7000 and Jeff had 1600. LuEllen wagered 2000 on this clue: "It's the nickname of the painter Domenikos Theotokopoulos, acquired when he lived in Italy." I should've gotten this one, but I didn't. LuEllen got it.
She found the next Daily Double just a few clues later, in "Go," Baby, Go. She had 8200, Nick still had 7000, and Jeff had 2000. LuEllen wagered 2000 again, on this clue: "For several decades in the 20th century, this Caribbean capital was known as Ciudad Trujillo." Again, I should've gotten this one, but didn't. LuEllen didn't get it either.
Nick started on a roll, and he put the game out of reach on this last clue of the round, in Great Lakes: "NFL star Carnell Lake recorded 819 tackles in a 12-year career spent mostly at SS, this position." I had never heard of this. That correct response gave him 19800 while LuEllen had 9800 and Jeff had 9200.
The Final Jeopardy category today was Flags of the World. My shower curtain shows all the world flags. I chose it thinking it would help me learn them. I didn't need it today. This was the clue: "'L'Unifolie' is one of the names popularly given to the new flag unveiled in 1965 by this country." Jeff missed it and lost everything but a dollar. LuEllen got it right but didn't risk anything. Nick missed it and lost just 100. So we'll see him again tomorrow. Vamos, Nick!
My Coryat score today was 18800. Nick's was 19800, LuEllen's was 11400, and Jeff's was 9200.
( June 13!) Today was the big day. The one I wait for. The one that may lead to dreams coming true (mine and others). The Jeopardy! audition!
The ride to Kansas City from Lincoln went smoothly. My mom was afraid that our path would be blocked because of floods, but we did not need to take an alternate route. The water did fill up one of the two lanes going east on Highway 2, near Nebraska City. If it rains any more, the road will have to close. On our way back, we noticed that businesses in that area had built huge mounds (there's probably a better word) all the way around them, to protect them from flooding.
After changing, I found the room where the tests were administered. (I was thrilled when Maggie and Corina said they liked my dress as I approached to play the mock game. Mission accomplished!) I still had about a half-hour left before my audition was to start, so I said goodbye to my parents and filled out an application in a big room outside the "holding room." One of the questions on the application that I had not remembered from last time was, Have you had played in quiz bowl? (or something to that effect). They also asked on the application whether I knew anyone who had been on the show! I hadn't remembered being asked that before, but then I didn't know anyone who'd been on the show when I last took the in-person test in 2007. They wanted to know my relationship to them, how often we communicate, and when we last communicated. I listed as many people as I could think of, but I forgot somebody obvious. Later, during the mock game, Maggie started listing all those people I listed! I had to say quickly, for the benefit of the other people in the audition, that I write a blog about the show and that's how I know those people. (I did mess up and say that Vijay Balse was the first person I interviewed - In fact it was Stephen Weingarten.) Maggie was complimentary about many of the people that I listed. She asked me what advice any of them had given me! I told her someone told me to follow their instructions "to the letter."
Today, the coordinators could not advise strongly enough that we have to be LOUD when we select clues and also when we respond. I think I fell short there in past attempts, so I made a big point to shout, or so it felt to me. I hadn't thought about what a challenge that will be if I'm ever selected on the show, maintaining that voice the whole time! But I know I did it right this time: Maggie said as I was playing with two guys that I was doing well with speaking loud, but the other guys need to be LOUDER! (Phew!)
While I was filling out the application, something happened very similar to another time I'd taken the test: About 10 years ago, I took the test for the second or third time in Los Angeles. My aunt was with me, and we were early. She crept up to the door of the testing room and accidentally closed it as she tried to peek in. She scurried away, and a few minutes later, a contestant coordinator ("Glenn," who was there again today) walked up and tried to get in the room but couldn't because she locked it when she closed it. He had to call someone to open it up. Almost the same thing happened today! My mom, this time, walked up to the door and tried to peek in (but it was already closed). After my parents left, "Robert," who took my picture today and last time I took the in-person test in 2007, tried to get in the room but had to call for someone to open it because it was locked. I happened to sitting right under the phone he used.
At about the same time, I noticed a guy was gone who had been sitting at the other end of the table. He left behind an Omaha World-Herald! Turns out he was one of several Omaha residents in my test. One of them came up to me after the test and asked for the URL to my blog. When the World-Herald-reading guy left, I decided to move to the holding room, too.
There, I heard a guy say either this was his third time taking the test or he'd already taken it three times. A lady next to me (from Lincoln, Nebraska, incidentally) was like, "You're an old pro!" I wanted to go, "You know how many times I've taken the test?" The guy took advantage of the lady's admiration and was like, "Oh, it's always the same..." [my eyes rolling]
Last time Robert took my picture, in 2007, he said I reminded him of somebody but he couldn't think of who it was. Later the coordinators were all considering it, and Maggie decided I looked like Carol Lynley. (I know Lynley as "Nonnie" in The Poseidon Adventure. I'll let you look up her image so I don't have to obsess about finding a good one!) Would you believe Maggie said the very same thing this time when I went to play the mock Jeopardy! game? I told her she told me that last time, and she stood up to high-five me. Maggie's good - I heard another potential contestant say Maggie remembered her despite the fact that it had been several years, she'd had a much shorter haircut, and oh yeah, she'd lost 80 pounds. Incidentally, that girl writes a blog, too, but I didn't quite catch what it was called. Something about girl geeks. Maybe she'll stop by here and leave a comment? I hope?
Before we took the test, Maggie had a Wii Jeopardy game to give away to someone who could answer a Jeopardy! trivia question. They gave away a prize last time, too. The question at that time was, How many consecutive games did David Madden win in the regular season? I didn't know at the time, but I sure do now. Someone did know the answer, and I was impressed. Turns out the guy knew David personally. Today they wanted to know what was the correct response to the second Final Jeopardy that Watson faced. Everybody knew about how Watson thought "Toronto" was an American city. No one in the room remembered that "Bram Stoker" was the correct response to Final Jeopardy the next day. I actually had great fun listening to the other contestants talk about themselves. They had good stories. Best one, I thought: One guy had been robbed at gunpoint! He had details that made the story even more interesting. Another guy had just received a kidney from his best friend. He said he'd been on dialysis for a year, and that if he won on Jeopardy! he wants to take a trip. I thought that was sweet. That's the question you can expect for sure: What would you do with the money? I said today what I said in 2007 (and I mean this from the bottom of my heart): I want to win for the glory, not the money. That didn't go over well in 2007, but today it seemed like a hit with both the fellow contestants and the coordinators. Maggie still encouraged me to say what I'd do with Jeopardy! winnings. I thought of this on the way home and I wish I would've said it there: What I'd like to get from being a Jeopardy! champion is experiences that I otherwise might not get, things so wild I don't dare describe them lest it look like I'm expecting more success than is prudent. I would be thrilled to meet interesting people that I wouldn't otherwise have access to, for example. All in all, the day was a success. It will be an even bigger success if I am chosen this time around. I genuinely had a good time today. Now I wait...
When this entry publishes, I will just be finishing up the Jeopardy! audition in Kansas City. Of course I am eager to tell you all about it when I can.
Also today, Nick Condon's highly-anticipated episode airs. I can't wait to watch it myself! Have a look at Nick's blog - He writes, among other things, about the odds of a person making it into the Tournament of Champions. This makes me suspicious that we may see him at the next Tournament. Also, Nick took part in the pub quiz that was part of the National History Bowl/ unofficial Jeopardy! reunion. (Incidentally, speaking of the National History Bowl, today is David Madden's birthday.) I came into town the next day, but that weekend I spoke to someone who was at the pub quiz. He said emphatically that we "don't know" how well Nick did on Jeopardy!, but he said it in such a way that it could be assumed he did well. (I guess you had to be there.) Anyway, here is your space to discuss Nick's appearance on the show.
Besides answering some Trivial Pursuit questions from my mom today, and playing Jeopardy! on the Nintendo while I walked on the treadmill, I played 5 recent weekend episodes. I did consider playing them standing up to build my stamina, as was recommended my someone on the Jeopardy! message boards, but decided against it. After playing them in a row, I think it demanded stamina anyway.
Twice while I played I found myself saying to my mom, "Can you believe I answered that?" Things I never would've answered before studying for the Jeopardy! test in recent weeks. I came across two clues today (one on the Nintendo) that had to do with amendments: "What is the 22nd amendment?" and "What is bail?" (about the 8th amendment) I'm so proud, and I'm gonna keep it up.
Here are my Coryats:
originally 3-9-10: Shelby Sadler 13600 Becki Norris 3200 Vijay Balse 18200 Me 17600
(I see I played this game on my Jeopardy Challenger when it first aired.)
originally 3-11-10: Ryan Stander 16800 Leslie Sommer 7400 Cyd Musni 17000 Me 24200
(I blogged about this episode when it originally aired. It hit me when Cyd said, "Deo Volente" in response to a Daily Double. I remembered how that puzzled me at the time, and still kinda does.
I played the next three games on my Jeopardy Challenger, too, when they first aired.)
originally 3-23-10: Colin McClain 10200 Regina Robbins 18000 Kristian Zoerhoff 19200 Me 25800
originally 3-24-10: Derek Honore 16000 Tatiana Walton 11200 Regina Robbins 11600 Me 20400
originally 3-25-10: Sean Burns 11800 Susan Malmo 10400 Regina Robbins 10600 Me 18000
My Jeopardy! audition is Monday. And don't forget to watch Nicholas Condon on Jeopardy! that day!
Like yesterday, I'm not able to blog about tonight's episode. I'm getting my hair and toenails done in preparation for my Jeopardy! audition Monday. After that I'm going to visit my friend who's recovering from hip surgery, and she's going to read me some more clues. After that it's home-sweet-home, where I'll get caught up on several weeks' worth of weekend episodes of Jeopardy! Then the long-anticipated audition Monday! I can't wait to give you the deets. In the meantime, I wanted to give you a space to talk about today's episode.
You'll probably hear from me one more time before the audition, but in case not, please watch Nick Condon on Monday's Jeopardy! The Jeopardy! fan community is buzzing a little bit about him and I for one am expecting big things.
Unfortunately I am not able to blog about tonight's episode. But people have been leaving comments like crazy because the message boards have been down, and I wanted them to have a space to comment on today's episode.
The contestants:
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| Makeen Huda |
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| Tim Kuehn |
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| Mary Anna Martell |
I'm sorry I can't do this episode justice! My own Coryat was 26600. Mary Anna's was 22000, Tim's was 5200, and Makeen's was 5600.
What a show tonight. I enjoyed it, and I did well. The contestants:
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| Chris Hauck |
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| Sam Meyer |
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| Tim Kuehn (Doesn't he look like he's from Venice, California?) |
Before the first commercial break, Sam had 4000, Tim had 800, and Chris had 1200. After the break, Sam's score was reduced to 2400 because he was ruled incorrect on this clue in the The 90s: "This large Indian city on the Hooghly River was founded in 1690 by Job Charnak of the East India Company." Sam said "What is Calicut, or Calcutta?" Turns out Calicut is not the same thing as Calcutta. I guess the lesson is, Keep it simple.
Sam's troubles continued when he found the Daily Double in Just Chute Me. By that time he had 4000 again, which is good. Tim had 1800 and Chris had 1600. Sam wagered 3000 on this clue: "In 1797, Andre Garnerin became the first to use a parachute without a rigid frame when he jumped from one of these." I thought this was a toughie. Sam said "mountaintop," which was like my guess of "cliff." (Did anybody get that right?) Consequently (maybe), Sam trailed with 2600 at the break, while Tim had 4600 and Chris had 3600. I swept "Kick"ing and Assets (Yes, those were next to each other on the board.) I only missed this one in The 90s: "In 1793 this Irish college allowed Catholics to study for degrees for the first time."
I was sweeping Around the Body when Chris found the Daily Double there as the second-to-last clue. She had 15200, Tim had 11000, and Sam had 9000. Now, I have to wonder if she realized that the last clue was the other Daily Double. In any case, on this one she wagered 2000 in a category in which she'd gotten two right. This was the clue, read by Jimmy of the Clue Crew: "When an injury like a cut is sustained, these blood cells change shape, become sticky, build up on the wound, and form a plug." Chris answered very quickly, even before Jimmy was off the screen, but I'm giving myself credit because I truly believe I'd have gotten it, too.
So, the next clue, the other Daily Double, in They Give Us Gas. Let's review the scores, shall we? Chris: 17200. Tim: 11000. Sam: 9000. Chris said, "Sorry, guys," to her opponents when she found the clue. You'd think that means, "I'm about to put this game out of reach." But no. I mean, it would've been so easy to do that. Say she wagered 5000, or even 4801. She'd still have the lead even if she'd missed. It seems that even Mr. Trebek noticed. Here was the clue: "The 'Our History' section of this gas giant's site shows its path from an 'Anglo-Persian oil company to global energy group.'" Side note: Would you believe my mom read me a Trivial Pursuit question over the phone about this very clue last night? And I'd missed it! I tell you, I didn't miss it this time, and neither did Chris. My frustration turned to peace in an instant. Studying is such a beautiful thing. I think it's true that the harder you work, the luckier you get.
The Final Jeopardy category was The Movies. Here was the clue: "Lt. Col. A.P. Clark played a key role in the elaborate breakout from Stalag Luft III that inspired this 1963 movie." Props to Sam and Tim. They got it right. All I could manage was "Papillon." Chris missed it. She'd have still won with a decent wager in Double Jeopardy. Not even two, just one. On the Final, she wagered 199, which puzzles me, too. Was she trying to lock up second place in case Sam doubled? It reminds me of a lesson I've mentioned before in Brad Gilbert's great I've Got Your Back: Coaching Top Performers from Center Court to the Corner Office: (I'm paraphrasing) Don't play not to lose. That is, play to win. (I love Brad Gilbert.) I hope Chris will find this blog and comment on her wagering strategy.
So, Sam wagered 8765, and Tim wagered 7201, enough to win today. I like him. We'll see him tomorrow. My Coryat score today was 29800. A good day for me. I need more like these. Sam's Coryat was 12000, Tim's was 11000, and Chris's was 19200.
The Jeopardy! message boards have been down since about Thursday last week. I miss it more than I would've thought (if I'd thought about it). I miss the people that post there, if it's possible to miss people you haven't really met. I just hope they bring the boards back. It would be such a shame to lose all that. Does anyone know if this has ever happened before? Of course, I welcome all boardies to discuss the show here instead, and I hope you will stay.
Speaking of the J! boards, I found out earlier today that a fellow Kansas City auditioner (and boardie) is posting things he's learned from studying for the test to his blog. If you're auditioning for Jeopardy! in Kansas City this year, I'd appreciate a comment! I'm trying to find as many as possible.
I finally picked out what I will wear to the audition. It's the same dress I returned because I wasn't going to be able to wear it to the unofficial Jeopardy! reunion. I almost chose this dress, which looks different on me than it does on the model:
It's so cute and fits like a dream. But my sister, when I asked her, thinks it's not quite right for the audition, and I agree.
On another happy note, I am finally able to leave comments on this blog. I know. It sounds weird. But I've been unable to respond to people's comments on my own blog. It seems I am still unable to when I use my "Google account," at least from my own computer. So I have to use my "AIM" account, which sucks because it doesn't point directly to this blog. (Does anybody have any ideas about this?) If you've left a comment and I haven't responded, I have now. Go back and look if you're so inclined.
Today's contestants:
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| Sam Meyer (He admits he still sleeps with his childhood teddy bear. ?) |
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| Crystal Leonard (yet another stay-at-home mother) |
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| Lindsey Peterson |
I swept Special "T"s to start off the game. Lindsey almost did, but Crystal got the last clue in the category.
I was dismayed to miss this clue in Annual Events: "The Saturday after Thanksgiving, Salley S.C. celebrates with a festival devoted to these fried pig intestines." My friend Catherine and I had just reviewed this clue with the same response over the weekend: "It's the common 8-letter term for a hog's innards, popularly fried or boiled ." At the time I answered "gizzards." I knew that response wasn't correct today, but I couldn't come up with the right one in time.
The next clue was the Daily Double, in the same category. Sam found it, and he in fact found and answered correctly all three Daily Doubles today. He had 1000, Lindsey had 2200, and Crystal had 600. This was the clue: "Fence painting and frog jumping contests are highlights of an annual festival held in this Missouri city." I got it right, too. Sam doubled his score. At the first break, he had 3400, Lindsey had 2800, and Crystal had 2600.
After the break, I swept Meet My Exes, including this triple-stumper: " John Lloyd, Greg Norman."
At the end of the round, Sam had 5400, Lindsey had 6800, and Crystal had 4000.
The first Daily Double of the Double Jeopardy round was in Science. It was the second clue of the round. Sam had just answered the 400 clue correctly (although he may have taken a little bit too much time!), so he had 5800. He wagered 3200 on this clue: "The name of this noble gas is from the Greek for 'new.'" I didn't quite come up with before Sam did, but I did get this triple-stumper in the same category: "The Haber Process uses nitrogen and hydrogen to synthetically produce this pungent gas."
The second Daily Double was in Alphabetically Last. Sam had 7800, Lindsey had 10400, and Crystal had 4400. This was the clue: " ...of Rome's 'First Triumvirate.'" There was no way I was getting this one. Sam added 2800 to his score.
Sam made a costly mistake and lost his lead on the last clue of the round when he missed this clue in Leaning: "Take the apostrophe out of this word and it means to lean to one side." It wound up being a triple-stumper, and I didn't get it either. The scores, then going into Final Jeopardy: Sam with 12600, Lindsey with 13600, and Crystal with 12400.
The Final Jeopardy category was Bestsellers. This was the clue: "In the beginning, this 2005 novel was simply titled 'Forks.'" I didn't get it right, but I'm guessing many people did. Crystal got it right, but she wagered nothing! But Sam got it right and added 12345, which would've been more than Crystal if she'd doubled (lucky for her). Lindsey missed it and lost 11642. Sam, then, is your two-day champion, and we will see him tomorrow.
My Coryat score today was 22200. Sam's was 9200, Lindsey's was 13600, and Crystal's was 12400. Coryats from yesterday:
6-6: Sam Meyer 13600 Joanna Liff 11200 Jericho Saria 8400 Me 23000
I'm blogging from McDonald's tonight, but this time by choice. I usually read the newspaper while I eat dinner but I'm avoiding Spelling Bee spoilers. (Anybody else watch it?) There was a "Bee" category in the Jeopardy round today!
Today's contestants:
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| Jericho Saria |
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| Nancy Hale |
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| Patrick Stubbins |
Jericho started today's show a one-time champ.
I swept At the Drugstore off the bat. Jericho nearly did but he guessed "Jergens" for this clue: " This skin care brand that's "#1 dermatologist recommended" has a line of Norwegian formula moisturizers." Nancy picked it up. Later, Jericho did sweep On a Swiss Army Knife. I missed this last one in the category: "There are two of these, one for wood and one for metal."
I was pleased by this clue in Olympian Gods, because I had just last night reviewed a clue that I had missed before about this guy: "This Greek god had dominion over the sea, springs, and lakes, but not rivers." I only missed this one in the same category: "Appropriately, the name of this Greek god means 'male warrior.'"
At the first break, Jericho had 1000, Patrick had 2600, and Nancy had 3200.
Jericho found the Daily Double as the third to last clue, in Extraordinary Dentition. Mr. Trebek said it took a "long, long time" to find it. Jericho had 6400 while Nancy and Patrick were tied with 2800. Jericho wagered 3000 on this softball of a clue: "Armadillo teeth don't have this, the hardest substance in (most) mammals' bodies." Jericho got it right. At the end of the round, he had 9400 while Nancy and Patrick were still close to each other with 3600 and 3800, respectively.
Double Jeopardy featured a themeboard about TV. In fact the first Daily Double was found by Patrick in TV Shows on the Map. He was still close to Nancy with 4800, and she had 5000. Jericho still led with 13000. Patrick wagered 3000 on this clue: "In 1985 the theme to this hip cop drama was tops on the Billboard charts." I'm still kicking myself over my lame "L.A. Law" guess. No excuses. Patrick got it right.
When Patrick found the next Daily Double in The King of Queens, Mr. Trebek said there was less than a minute to go...and I counted SEVEN clues left! The reason? Jericho, who you can tell by his score was in control of the board a lot, selected clues very. Very. Slowly. Yesterday I don't know how they got through all the clues. Today there were three left. As for the Daily Double, Patrick and Nancy both narrowed the gap between them and Jericho with 11400, 10200, and 15800, respectively. Regrettably, I didn't write down Patrick's wager here and I'm not by the TV. He got this one wrong, though: " This Middle Eastern king's marriage to Queen Noor in 1978 was his fourth." I got it right, which I followed up with this triple-stumper in the same category: " This 'great' Pharaoh of Egypt's 19th dynasty had 60 daughters, 96 sons, and 200 wives and concubines."
At the end of the round, Jericho had 15400, Patrick had 7400, and Nancy had 12200. The Final Jeopardy category was World History. This was the clue: "Traditionally said to founded 421, this city was later built up on islands in a lagoon by refugees from invading Lombards." Okay, so it was pretty easy. Mr. Trebek still didn't have to say, "Of course" when Patrick's correct response was revealed. All three contestants got it right. Patrick added 2000, Nancy added 5000, and Jericho added 9001 for the win. We'll see him Monday!
My Coryat score today was 20800, but it felt like it was going to be higher. Jericho's was 13400, Patrick's was 9200, and Nancy's was 12200. The Coryats from the past couple days:
6-1: Maggie Berndt 12600 Michael Philpy 16200 Ty Cone 16800 Me 26000
6-2: Jericho Saria 22400 Steve Tipton 6200 Michael Philpy 14600 Me 21200
Today's contestants:
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| Matt Larson |
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| Jennifer Najarian |
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| Ty Cone |
The game started out shaky for me today, kind of like the past couple of days overall. I didn't get to study for the Jeopardy! audition (and possible subsequent appearance) as much as I wanted to, but it's not like something happened - I just couldn't keep my eyes open. I don't get it because I slept all night the night before. This always seems to happen when I try to read. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. I need a solution!
Then you may remember from yesterday that I am trying to figure out what I'm going to wear to the audition. Today I went to Maurice's, the same store where I returned that dress just before the National History Bowl. They did have the dress in my size, but I got to thinking I may want a different dress, one that I almost got for the Bowl. Of course, they didn't have my size in that one. And the salesperson was less than helpful about checking if it's available online or if I can get one sent to the store from another store. So, I don't have a dress yet. I don't know exactly what I'm gonna do, but I'm sure it will work out.
Anyway, I did poorly in the first two categories of today's game, Beatles Last Lines and Yes, We Have No Army. I swept the next category, though ( Animal Anagrams), so I picked up this triple-stumper: " These spotted cats are the coolest!" After that I missed only one each in the next two categories. In The Human Body: "Allowing for almost no movement between 2 bones, a suture is a joint found only here." And in Summer School at Yale: "'The Chinese House From Courtyard to City' was a course offered in 2010 by this department."
Jennifer found the Daily Double in The Human Body after responding to the first two clues correctly after the first break. She had 1800, Matt had 4600, and Ty had 2400. I liked Ty, by the way, as soon as Mr. Trebek said during his interview that Ty's been practicing for the show. He goes to pub quizzes!
Jennifer wagered 1600 on this clue: "Appropriately, part of this organ's name is an archaic term for bile." She got it right. At the end of the round, she had 4400 while Matt had 5200 and Ty had 6400.
Jennifer also found the next Daily Double, in Theodore Roosevelt. She had 5600, Matt had 5200, and Ty had 7600. Jennifer wagered 1000 on this clue: "Having reconciled with Teddy only a short time before, this ex-president attended TR's funeral." I didn't get this one, but I think I will get to it soon in a book I'm reading about presidential campaigns. Jennifer didn't get it right, either.
By the time Ty found the next Daily Double, Mr. Trebek said he had a "comfortable lead" (16400 to Matt's 10000 and Jennifer's 7000). Ty wagered 2000 on this clue in Play Mates: "Captain Keller and his wife Kate think that Annie's methods are too harsh for their daughter in this drama." Ty got it right. At the end of the round, he had 19200, Matt had 11200, and Jennifer had 9800. The Final Jeopardy category was Ancient Writings. This was the clue: "In 170 A.D., Melito of Sardis compiled a list of religious works to be included in this, a 2-word term he coined." Thankfully, I got this right. Jennifer and Ty got it right, too. Jennifer added 5000 to her total and Ty added 3205, while Matt lost everything. So we will see Ty tomorrow.
The Double Jeopardy round may have been my worst one ever, I'm sorry to report. I didn't get any in The Incas or Michael Douglas Movie Roles. I didn't get three in Play Mates and even "Bull"-y, and I didn't get four in Theodore Roosevelt. My Coryat for the day was 10200. Matt's was 11200, Ty's was 19200, and Jennifer's was 9800.
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