Saturday, April 18, 2009

Life is good

Winter is over, so the seasonal summer beers have returned to the store shelves. I just popped open a Buffalo Bill's Brewery Orange Blossom Cream Ale. Yes, it is an orange-flavored beer. Refreshing, and it totally matches my blog.

I found out I passed the online Jeopardy! test in January (I had 40 or 41 out of 50 answers right), and I get to audition in Chicago on May 28. W00t! I have several weeks to concoct five killer anecdotes/topics. I am open to suggestions here. One blogger friend, Julie, was on the teen tournament back in the day and could only think of four good ones, so she threw in a fondness for disco as her fifth topic—and wouldn't you know it? That's the one Alex Trebek asked her about on national TV. So damn, I need five solids here.

Tomorrow, I'm helping out at a local crossword mini-tournament. I've been asked to give a brief presentation on crossword tips (which you may see in my Twitter feed to the right before they scroll off) and to sign copies of my book if folks are buying them. What should I write? This is my first official book-signing opportunity. The others, mainly of the standing-in-the-hall variety, usually say "Happy solving!" That's lame. Should I switch to "Rock on with your bad self"? Again, I'm open to suggestions but I need them by Saturday morning! Please hurry!

Oh! While I'm on the topic of Me Me Me (obnoxious, ain't I? and just think, I was such a shy and unassuming child), check out the May 2009 issue of Wired magazine. I hear subscribers already have their copies, but I'm still waiting to receive one. The "Mr. Know-It-All" modern-day etiquette column quotes me.

Audience participation time: Tell me something that you're proud of or a reason you're glad springtime is here.

7 comments:

Narya said...

Dave Barry once inscribed a book to me thusly: "with fond memories of prom night." But, delightful though you are, you're not Dave Barry, so that probably won't work.

K said...

I'm proud to be surviving grad school AND my kid's first year of life (she's one next week yay)

V's Herbie said...

I'm proud that I passed my qualifying exams, and that I didn't quit grad school when I really wanted to.

Trope said...

My (22 mo old) kid just behaved himself beautifully when visiting a little 14 mo old, and was patient and kind and shared his toys, which just flabbergasted me. When he runs with his usual pack (mostly 3 and 4 year olds), he is the king of pushing, grabbing, and "mine!". Seems he knows how a big boy is supposed to act. Whew!

E. said...

Congrats to you on your Jeopardy thing, and your citation in Wired!

I'm proud of recently having had a couple of my poems published in little journals, and generally of the fact that I've continued to submit my writing to publications despite being a crazily busy working mom.

Spring - what's not to love?

Genevieve said...

For your Jeopardy! anecdotes, be able to sum each one of them up in a pithy, interesting sentence. I think that almost matters more than the content of the anecdotes. And then be able to tell the anecdote itself in very few sentences. You'll get a form where you put the five summary sentences, and then they may ask you about them at the audition.

As an example, one of mine that they didn't use (I think because I didn't boil the anecdote itself down very well - it was still too long) was "I was vindicated by a scientific study."

Also, have something interesting to say about how you would use the winnings - something other than travel (unless you have something very specific and unusual), renovations, and paying down debt.

evaberlinerin said...
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