Oscar makes a grouch out of me tonight

     (Just kinda.)
     Wow. I can't believe it's been a week since I blogged. I worked every evening this week but tonight! So I missed blogging about the end of the College Tournament. (Monica Thieu won.) I also missed blogging about yesterday's episode, which featured an Omaha teacher named Brooks Humphreys. I didn't want to miss that because, the more time passes, the more certain I am that he was in my audition. Brooks won his quarterfinal so I may get my chance to blog about him. Also of note: a buddy texted me the other morning to tell me Brooks was being interviewed on the local Catholic radio station. Maybe I'll get to do that!
     Before getting into today's episode, here are my recent Coryats. (By the way, my friend Robert and I tweet details about our daily Jeopardy! performances. I think I can speak for him; we'd love to have you join us!):
originally 1-3-06: 27600
originally 1-4-06: 23600 (This episode featured message board moderator Andy Gefen!)
2-13-12: 23600 again
originally 10-19-05: 14400
2-14-12: 12600
originally 10-20-05: 19400
2-15-12: 22000
originally 10-21-05: 21600
2-16-12: 18800
originally 10-24-05: 15000
     Also new: I found out today that 6-time champ Dave Leach has his own website, including write-ups of his Jeopardy! experiences. I want to share it with you, too, although I don't see a place for comments there.
     Today's contestants:

Lisa Johnston (I keep wanting to call her "Lori.")

Catherine Whitten (I keep wanting to call her "Elizabeth.")

Nate Rice (I love a man with a deep voice.)

     I should've calmed down before I watched today's episode. First I slept way longer than I thought I would - til 7 p.m., and I like to publish this blog at 9:25 p.m.! When I woke up I had a tweet from the guy who writes about the movies in the Lincoln newspaper. It was in response to my question whether he was holding his annual Oscar contest. He is, which means I had to buy a Friday newspaper today since the Oscars are next weekend and the contest runs in the Friday paper. I don't live in Lincoln, and apparently the gas station on the corner doesn't carry the Journal-Star anymore. So I went to another gas station I know has it, and they don't either! Finally I tried Walgreens, which has always had it - Not anymore. I'm frustrated, but I guess there's nothing I can do now, since it looks like I can't enter online. I don't like to miss his contest! >:-(
     There was that, and I was trying to respond to another guy who tweets back and forth with me and my friend Robert about Jeopardy! And once I started blogging, my poor mom called me to say hi, but when I told her I was blogging she was too nice and said she'd call me tomorrow. She's wise, too, as I'm sure she knew I'd be distracted and anxious to get back to this. I love you, Mom.
     Despite the frenzied feeling, I started out by sweeping Beauty and Makeup. Jeopardy! had tweeted a clue from this category that afternoon, so I was eager to see the whole thing. My favorite clue was about my own makeup, which I hate to admit is as good as the hype: "Bare Escentuals has a foundation called Bare these, said to have no irritating chemicals or preservatives."
     Has anyone else never heard of this man, in Born in 1912?: "This cartoonist's 100th birthday was commemorated with a Google doodle featuring a drawing of his ghoulish family."
     I stumbled through Name the Network: VH-1 for NBC, Nickelodeon for Comedy Central, and TLC for A & E. The first break came in the middle of that. Lisa had 3400 at that time, Nate had 2400, and Catherine had 1400.
     Did anyone else think of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation when Lisa said she's been attacked by a flying squirrel?:

     I followed up the Network mess by sweeping State Farm, including nailing this triple-stumper: "Fairwinds Farm in Bowdoinham." I doubt I'd have gotten this one if it weren't for a recent clue in the College Tournament.
     I got the next two clues right when the Daily Double came up, in Born in 1912. Nate found it. He had 4000, Lisa had 5000, and Catherine had 2400.  He wagered 1500 on it. I regret missing this one, as I am a dyed-in-the-wool Catholic: "Born in Italy in 1912, he chose a papal name that honored his 2 immediate predecessors." Nate got it right. At the end of the round, he had 6700, Lisa had 5600, and Catherine had 3200.
     I got tripped up again in A Well-Stocked Library: "World Encyclopedia" for "World Book Encyclopedia," and "1001" for "1000."
     I was a little surprised when just "Lee" was accepted for this clue in Last Major Movie Role: "Eric Draven in 'The Crow''; he was fatally wounded on the set." I swept that category, by the way.
     Lisa found the first Daily Double, in Pirates. She had 10400, Nate had 12700, and Catherine had 10800. Lisa wagered 3000 on this clue on which there was no hope for me: "The first Barbary Coast Wars fought on the 'shores of Tripoli' against pirates occurred under this president." This is one where I probably would not dare to guess anything because I'd probably be 100 years off. Lisa got it wrong, too.
     I am giving myself credit for sweeping That's Not Gneiss, even though I said out loud "coal" for "quartz" on this clue: "You're looking at this silica mineral, widely used in clocks and watches."

I had said "quartz" in my head when the clue came up, then just said the wrong thing. "Coal" was the answer to the previous clue.
     The next clue was the next Daily Double. Lisa found it, too, in That's Not Gneiss. She had 8600, Nate still had 12700, and Catherine had 14000. Lisa wagered 3000 again, on this clue: "I am giving myself credit for sweeping That's Not Gneiss, even though I said out loud "coal" for "quartz" on this clue: "This porous volcanic rock floats; After the eruption of Krakatoa, banks of it covered the ocean for miles."

Lisa didn't get it right, but it was insta- for me.
     At the end of the round, Lisa had 6800, Nate had 19500, and Catherine still had 14000. The Final Jeopardy category was Literary Characters. This was the clue: "The only title character in her creator's 6 major novels, she was portrayed in a 1996 film & a 2009 miniseries." I had the right answer instantly, but I switched it to "Mildred Pierce" because I couldn't think of a miniseries with that correct response. Arrrggggh!!!  I liked the movie. This is my favorite part:

Lisa got it right. She'd wagered it all. Catherine got it right, too, and had wagered 7173. Nate got it wrong, and lost 3000. So Catherine wins today.  My Coryat was that magical 28000.
     Now excuse me - I'm going to soak in the tub. (Okay, after I read the message boards.) I deserve it.