Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Trivial Things

Jon and I have taken to playing Trivial Pursuit when we don't have anything else going on. Actually, to be more clear we don't PLAY it because board games with two people are about as fun as playing catch with yourself. We just ask each other questions back and forth; a veritable lightning round of impossible trivia.

I remember playing Trivial Pursuit once as a kid and I thought that the questions were so hard the experience lacked any amount of fun at all. That hasn't changed much really - on a good day we will know maybe 1/4 of the answers to the questions we ask each other, and that involves giving hints.

What further complicates the exercise is that our edition of Trivial Pursuit was purchased at Salvation Army and it is from 1981. The game actually pre-dates both Jon and I. Which means its more of a cold-war era obsessed historical journey than it is a rousing game of DIY jeopardy.

I get more answers right when I mentally prepare for the time warp. Back to a time when Hong Kong was still a crown colony of Great Britain. When Prince Charles and Diana were just married and the turn of the millenium was but a mere glow in the distance.

And I find it's best to remember that regardless of the category, chances are the answer is China, Mao ZeDong, Ronald Reagan, Gymnastics, Bay of Pigs, Robert McNamara, East Germany, Michael Gorbachev, Patti Hearst, Symbionese Liberation Army, Burma, First dog in space, Rhodesia - you get the point.

And when none of those seem to apply, I always answer jai alai. There is absolutely no reason for it and I have never actually seen anyone play this fast paced Basque originated sport, but friend I'll tell you it has proven correct on more than one occasion.