HOLY AND LOWLY: RETURN OF THE JEDI

Posting up, right on time. Nice to be back in the zone. Your answers to last night's questions were very interesting. The Hey, Arnold one which I thought was difficult you all got in a flash, (way to go, John) but that Catholic one (lifted directly from the ACRE test) gave some of you a little trouble. The correct answer is indeed the Magisterium. I tried to steer you in the right direction with the comment about it being a big word, but some of you just wouldn't bite. So, for the first time, not everyone is getting the full TWO points. This is how we separate the men from the boys. And frankly, it was the boy who got that one right.

So, here's how last night's points went down:
Chris/Jamarcus--TWO for answering both questions correctly, THREE for being first with magisterium and ONE for being third with the Hey, Arnold/Seacrest answer for a whopping total of SIX--well done, jedi
John: ONE point for the Hey, Arnold (how the hell did you get that so fast?) and THREE points for being first with it--FOUR total
Stacy: First of all, you are proving to be a very able competitor, every single day you are in the race to win, place or show.  Very strategic: TWO points for getting both answers, FOUR points for being second to buzz in on both..TOTAL: SIX points--very, very well played. You have a knack for stealing just the right answers and posting up just in time to finish in the money.
Judy: Sorry, I love you like a sister, but you should have followed Jamarcus on this one. ONE point for knowing the Hey, Arnold...and THREE extra credits for noting that he was a fourth grader, not a fifth grader. Again, how do you all know so much about Hey, Arnold?? Night's total: FOUR
Sue: Again, should have followed the Jedi Jamarcus. ONE point for knowing Hey, Arnold. But, FIVE extra credit points for being the hit that moved me over 20,000 Timing is everything. Your total for the day: SIX
Tricia: Smart thinking picking a different answer than your husband. And for dissing him, you get TWO big points. Also, TWO EC points for loving the Longchamp--it's pretty awesome, isn't it? so despite no longer having the will to win, you are tied with John for the night.
Mrs.Sarge: TWO very well played points. Way to cover your bases by posting up any and all answers. It is not against the rules to pick more than one answer. Nicely played.
Kim: Once again, you are spot on with the answers. TWO big points, plus ONE  point for being third with the magisterium plusTWO  EC points for completeness and Longchamp knowledge that does not involve handbags...impressive...Total: FIVE

For those of you keeping score I still have THREE extra credit points to award. But, Just because I can, I will be awarding a total of TWENTY extra credit points tonight, in honor of the 20,000 hits, so that really leaves me EIGHT points to pass around. I think--I swear adding up these points is requiring more skill than I have. And though I gave SueChi credit for the magic hit that put me over the top, I know that it was a team effort and those other four of you who were in the mix last night hitting the blog and commenting were a big part of me reaching that milestone. So, John, Jamarcus, Stacy and Judy-TWO EC point apiece for moving the ticker counter up...So, tonight's wrap up of total points for these all stars is: Jamarc-EIGHT points, Stacy--EIGHT total points John--SIX points, Judy--SIX points. Way to keep it close, way to support the blog, way to be a great bunch of team players. Frankly, a very good night for everyone. Hooray for the blog.

Tonight's questions: I am putting out a little disclaimer here--just as you all "borrow" answers from each other, I am going off the board and "borrowing"  questions for innocent bystanders.

1. Who was the first martyr? (Jack McKeon gave me this question--he was just passing through the kitchen and I told him I couldn't make dinner until I finished this post, so someone better give me a holy question. He did....I'm not saying it's a good holy question, but it counts)
2. This question was sent in by my good friend Barb Clark--who would probably by kicking ass in this competition if her company computer did not have some sort of firewall that precludes her from commenting (What's up with that??) Anyhow, here is the question:
   On the series The Monroes, starring Barbara Hershey - how did their parents die and what state were they going to on their trek to the West?  (I am hoping that Barb knows this answer, because I do not...)

Good luck to you all, No need to stay up too late, but let's keep those count numbers moving. I'm getting a little greedy. Because there is a little time, here is today's top ten:

1. Longchamp--every single bag is a winner
2. Citizen of Humanity jeans--the softest pair of jeans I have ever owned
3. Wendy Nickels--panicked a little about the grout, but has nicely recovered--good luck this weekend. I am on speed dial to talk you off the ledge
4. Bob Evans mashed potatoes--I don't love them, but my kids like them better than the homemades and it saves me a TON of time not having to peel a bushel of spuds
5. Angel food cake--always good, even upside down
6. Stephen Colbert--He still cracks me up even though his character is always the same
7. Reese Witherspoon--did you see those wedding pics?? Your loss Ryan Phillipe
8. The Lady Irish--Final Four bound
9. Joey Rodriguez--point guard for VCU. He is an assist machine
10. "We're Kind of Perfect" by Kacey Crowley--still love it

OK--done and done and 10 minutes early- you're welcome

HOLY AND LOWLY: THE SAGA CONTINUES

I'm coming, I'm coming. Keep your pants on....Sorry, I was out with my lady friends celebrating someone's special Happy Birthday. We were out a little longer than I anticipated...Happy Birthday, Kristi Ambro, many happy returns.

Once again, fine, fine comments. Great answers. And speed is still King. You are all a masterful bunch of players and I am overwhelmed not only by your knowledge, (or ability to cheat, pilfer and lift knowledge) but by your tenacity and strategic gamesmanship. Oh, I  was prepared for Jamarcus, Judy and Louis to fight to the death, but Stacy, John, Tricia and Kim??Who knew? And please, don't for one hot second count out Mrs. Sarge or Suechi.  Both of them know EXACTLY how to appeal just enough to my soft spots to garner maximum EC. Burberry jumper, indeed. (It's a mighty fine jumper, what I like to call an "investment piece"--it is kind of pricey, but it's a classic that I have and will wear often so it is amortized over several seasons and thus justifies the high sticker price. Try explaining that logic to Dave McKeon with a straight face--he so wasn't buying it....."You paid more for that jumper than I paid for my first car. An investment is a share in Berkshire-Hathaway, not a dress that looks like it was made from the sofa in my parents basement..."  Oh, well, some people just don't get it. Wait until I try to rationalize the LongChamp bag I just ordered....)

The answers to last night's questions were not all that hard, (nice try with the Joshua red herring, John) as long as your internet was working fast. I already knew the Tommy Lee Jones one because I find it just fascinating. All that Ivy League college roomie stuff. Did you know that Scout Willis (daughter of Bruce and Demi--though I'm sure you all knew that) was roommates with little Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame at Brown? Emma has since left school to model and act--shocker there)

With that fun fact in mind, here is the scoring: Chris, John, Judy, Sue, Amy, Mrs. Sarge, Tricia, Loius and Kim, all TWO big points. Where is Sara?? Should I be worried?

Stacy--Fast and Furious--first with both answers--that is a major SIX points for you. Excellent work. You are coming on...that's an EIGHT point night for you
John--Pretty fast and furious--second with both answers--FOUR additional points coming your way-SIX total for the night. Moving up fast
Judy--Third one to buzz in with the Trivia answer--ONE additional speed point---getting faster every night
Mrs.Sarge--That internet can't be too slow, ONE speed point for being third with the Rahab answer. (and yes, you were the first one to spell it right, but no, spelling does not count, nor does typing. I am weak at both, so I won't hold it against any of you)

Chris, sorry about the auto text mix up. but you live by the high tech, you die by the high tech. There are no retroactive points in this contest. Just get the answers right next time. Judy, I also apologize for not giving you credit for outing Kristi McNichol. My mistake. But to make everyone feel better, and try harder, and jump higher (and because I can never decide who gets the EC,)  I am awarding a total of FIFTEEN Extra Credit points tonight. Yeah, you read that right 15. And here is how they are going down:
Kim; FOUR big, big points for great detail, interesting subject matter and for bringing in Ivy League football, another one of my odd interests. (also, saying I looked fabulous sure didn't hurt your cause)
MrsSarge: FOUR big points for you, too. I liked your comments, I feel bad that you have to work so late, and I, too, would not turn down a date with Tommy Lee Jones. I would take a huge pass on his roommate, because Tricia is totally right that he can't dance, and that is a big issue for me. Along with many other things...like his big fat....carbon footprint...
The following contestants get ONE EC point:
Tticia: for being so honest about the scoring for last night AND for mocking Al's dancing
Judy: because I feel bad about not giving her credit for her Kristi McNichol comment
Stacy: for the awesome poem. I was rolling
John: because I can't resist those song montages
Jamarcus: because he mentioned Brian Kelly (Go, Irish--just please win some games)
Amy: because even sick she hits the blog, stakes her claim and  I LOVED the botox story...I'll take your botox, I need all the help I can get keeping that straight face while I explain my clothing expenses to Dave.
UpsideDown Kate: for copping to a crush on TLJ and the Joshua throw down. Remember Kate, we're all Catholics, we really don't know that much about the Bible...

THIS JUST IN: BREAKING NEWS: according to Sue Chiappetta who just called me, I am now over 20,000 hits!!!! it's a miracle. I am SO super excited. thank you all. There will be major EC points tomorrow!!!

And now, with no further delay (and again, I apologize for being late--blame the birthday girl and her upside down cake...

1. What do we call the Church's office which teaches on matters of faith and morals?
2. This is a two parter: A. Name the favorite 90s cartoon series that featured a 5th grade boy who lives in a boarding house with his grandparents. B. In one episode of this show, this boy and his family compete in a game show with  another family. Name the famous guest star/voice in that episode.

You must answer both parts to get full credit. No time for a top ten, I know you are all chomping at the bit for these questions. I promise you I was not using you to up the count, I was just distracted by the birthday fun....who we kidding?? Doesn't take much.

good luck--20K all the way....

HOLY AND LOWLY: HIGH LEVEL MATH

Due to a school meeting, I was unable to post this up until right now. Sorry, about that but as the keeper of the blog, I am working hard to make sure that all those who may work late, have serious obligations or are otherwise so engaged (really, though, what is more important than answering these vital questions on this life altering blog??) have the chance to get their answers in before I send out the new questions, (I'm not leaving Mrs. Sarge out of the fun) but I also want to avoid those late night posts, because they are just brutal. So, as a loose rule, and I'm all about the loose rules, look for the next day's questions some time between 7 and 9ish each night (except Saturday night...). You're welcome.

Admit it, yesterday's "Little Darlings" trivia question was pretty awesome and sparked much blog traffic, comments and confessions....And who knew that the special '70s show "Family" would prove to be just as thought provoking today as it was back then...Good Blog Times, Good Blog Times..

Now, with this new scoring system, I am pretty much doing some high level accounting functions to tally the scores. It would sure make my life easier if the same person could answer BOTH questions first, etc. But, because I love you all, am super fair and do like to mix it up, I will continue to do this upper level math. And I am still trying to figure out the easiest way to type this all up, with the Regular Points, the Early Bird Poi:nts and that all important Extra Credit. 

Tonight, new format: Who are we kidding? No one ever gets the questions wrong, because you are all a big bunch of cheaters, (and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that). It's all about the speedy points and the EC. So, John, Stacy, Jarmarcky-Mark, Sara, Judy, Amy, Tricia, Mrs.Sarge, Louis, Jane, and Kim--you all get your compulsory TWO points. Excellent. Also, I think that one of Sue's lovely daughters buzzed in for her (was that you, Angela, or was it Emily? Claire? Katherine??) so she, too gets her TWO big points.

John--First with the Holy Question: Constantine the Great, (THREE points for that), and Second with the "Little Darlings" Question-(TWO more points for that) bringing your point total for the night up to (SEVEN).  Oooh, College Boy is hearing footsteps....
Tricia--First with the Kristi McNichol, Matt Dillon, Tatum O'Neill answer so an extra THREE points for that, bringing your night total up to FIVE. It looks like a Heinzmann kind of night. Way to tag team it for total point domination...though your son went to bed late, I'm sure it was well worth it to rake in TWELVE big, big points for the family.
Jamarcus--Second with the Holy question, busted on the Little Darlings--you were first, but you were wrong. It's more than a little ironic that the same technology that allows you to jump in first burned you with it's autotext feature. As Stacy so aptly points out, Matt Dillon and Matt Damon aren't even in the same hemisphere... TWO points for being number two, and a FOUR point night--which would have been great last week, but in the new world order, is barely keeping up....
Stacy--consistency is thy name--Third to answer both questions (thanks for making that a little easier for me) ONE extra point per question, bringing your night's point total up to FOUR.  Well done,

Man, this race is getting tight....Allow me to further complicate the matter by awarding the extra credit:


Here goes:
 FOUR  huge EC points for whoever it was (Angela, Emily, Claire, Katherine, undercover Sue??) that awarded me "Best Dressed" and "Best Gift" from the shower. You all know my weakness for the whole Best Dressed thing, and I also take my gift buying very seriously. Public recognition of these two undervalued skills will always garner EC points...I think these points go to Sue....You did your part, she owes you one.
The following people each get ONE big EC point, (hey, man, there were a ton of comments, SO hard to narrow it down to just a few people...
Tricia--ONE point for noting Kristi McNichols sexual orientation--new news to me
Judy--ONE point for taking the lesbian theme and running with it
John--ONE point for confessing to your secret Kristi McNichol crush--this blog is all about sharing
Stacy--ONE point for confessing to the Matt Damon crush--confession is king
Kim--ONE point for owning up to some Matt Dillon love
MrsSarge--ONE point to you, too, for admitting to crushing on Matt Dillon AND Patrick Swayze

There you have it. Once again, a BIG night for the Heinzmanns. Lessons learned: EC points have been rewarded more than once for comments regarding Laurie or Posey's wardrobes, and EC points are also often frequently rewarded for sharing odd facts and personal, secret crush information...just trying to discern some trends here. This blog is all about self awareness.

Here are tonight's questions:

1.  Who was the only person saved from the battle of Jericho?
2. Who was Al Gore's  college roommate? and where did they go to college?

These are super easy. I'm trying to give everybody a fighting chance. Get going now, it's all up for grabs.
No time for a Top Ten, just time for some great comments. Please don't disappoint me.

HOLY AND LOWLY: ON THE FLY

OK, don't stone me. I know that I am running a little late with today's questions, but I have a very good excuse. I spent the entire day with my sister Wendy, helping her look at furniture for her new and totally awesome house. It was a full day's work, with many more days to come. Choosing the absolute right piece whether it be clothes, accessories, furniture, or jewelry takes some serious time and for me, is much more than a hobby, much more than a job, rather it's somewhat of a calling or a full blown vocation. I take my role as "the decider" very seriously and cannot be rushed. On the bright side, Dave McKeon is so very grateful that I am spending someone else's money (today)--Sorry, Tim Nickels, he loves you like a brother, and there is no one he'd rather share beers with at the Dockside, but Dave would still rather I spend your money than his.

Today's results:
Chris/J'marc: You are killing me, son. How do you know these trivia answers? You were the first to answer both questions right, so TWO points for correctness, SIX points for promptitude. Whopping EIGHT points in one night.  Go ahead, you earned it...
Sara: Very smart play, sister. Cheating off of J'marc, quickly--excellent strategy. For that you earn your TWO correctness points plus FOUR big points for speed. total: SIX--you are climbing the charts.
John: Nice try with the fake answer to throw off the pack, Didn't work this time, but I like the thought. You did answer both questions correctly and were the third blogger to do so, so kudos to you and congrats on the FOUR total points.
This is going to be a race to the finish. Keep it up.
Judy, Sue, Amy, Stacy, MrsSarge, Tricia and Louis: TWO points for all of you. Hey, has anyone heard from Kim today? Hope all is ok. I hate for her to miss her points. She is such a true competitor. I miss her chat.

Here are the extra credit points for today:
Judy: SIX ginormous EC points--so close to being in the quick three, so great for egging on the boys, nice multiple comments and big props for mentioning Monk Malloy--I am trying to get Nate McKeon to be Monk 2.0, but his jump shot isn't quite there yet...EIGHT  total points tonight for Jpulera. Watch your back, Chris...she's making her move.
Tricia: TWO points for mentioning abstinence--when my kids were little, I used to say that we should have been a stop on the abstinence tour. After spending a few short hours with the McKeon kids, American teens would totally reconsider having sex. FOUR total points--funny how you and John often seem to tie...great minds or what?
Amy: TWO bonus points for not practicing abstinence. It is so nice to laugh at someone else's kids for a change. Love that Ava...she's the best. FOUR  total points for you as well. Way to stay in the hunt.

Now, here are today's questions: Told you I'd be speedy:

1. Who is responsible for ending the persecution of Christians? (lifted straight from ACRE)
2. In 1980, two very well known teenage actresses starred in a movie together. In that movie, one of them lost something. What did she lose, and who did she lose it to? Name the actresses as well, please.

Now, only 36 minutes late. I am posting this up. J'marc should still be at work. Let's win this one for the grownups. Go, go, go, go....there's no time for a top ten today, just get out there and win this thing...

HOLY AND LOWLY: WEEK ONE, SCORES AND MORE

OMG!!! Why am I always so late posting these on a school night? I have boot camp at 5:15am and yet, I finally just finished tallying the scores for the day, and the week. I know, you guys are all tired, too, but no one can sleep for all the excitement of the Holy and Lowly Challenge.

Well, I won't keep you in suspense much longer: here are Friday's results:
Bal haamon was correct, and there appears to be differing schools of thought on the whole "Dude Looks Like a Lady" deal. According to my original source, the answer was Vince Neil, but further research also noted the whole drag queen, pub crawl thing. I'm not fighting over this one. I personally like Vince Neil because it is a short answer, but once again, because it is Sunday, and it's late, everyone is right...so here are our Friday scores:
Jamarc--FOUR big points--first in with both answers, both answers were correct. Excellent work. Your strategy is working
John, Tricia, Louis, Stacy, Sue, Tina, Kim, Judy all get TWO big points. Nice work. Way to stay focused and keep up your level of intensity. Many of your fellow competitors failed to answer this pre weekend question. This may come back to haunt them in the later rounds. These early points add up quickly, as you will all see from the total weekly tally. Remember, consistency is key here.

Now, for the extra credit: John- FOUR massive points for you. LOVED the way you wove all of those Aerosmith songs into your comment. And any useless details are always a hit with  me. VERY skillful move--you are certainly making your mark, especially for a late entrant.
Stacy-- For some reason, you consistently earn extra credit. I think it is because you always make me laugh. You were right on the money with the shrunken apple head remark. And for that you receive TWO very important EC points.
Sue: --I'm not going to lie. You are receiving ONE extra credit point because Claire's shower was so great, and also, because I totally stiffed your daughter Emily and forgot to give her the FEED t-shirt she won in the BurberryFit Club Challenge. I kept wondering why I had an extra t-shirt in my closet, but never connected the dots (Hey, Emily, send me your address and I will pop the t-shirt in the mail. And your few months without that t-shirt earned your mom ONE big EC point. She should thank you for that)
Tina/MrsSarge--ONE big point for you for mentioning BonJovi, so I could get the whole "still married to his first wife" thing out there as a subliminal hint for Dave McKeon (not that he actually reads this blog, but....)
Tricia--  Despite the fact that your husband already scored 4 HUGE points, I am awarding you ONE big EC point just to show everyone that I certainly did not hold your rocker chick comments against you (they cracked me up). I love the comments from everyone, particularly when they are opinionated or personal. C'mon. I wrote a whole post about all the things that creep me out. The least you guys can do is share a little back. (Aside to Kim Pechous: I'll see what I can do about the whole Scotsman in a kilt thing. I don't want to get your hopes up, because Dave McKeon has already made his stance on luggage over 50 pounds pretty clear...so unless it's a little, tiny guy or he is willing to pay his own way to the US, I may have some trouble...)
And finally, to show once again, how imminently fair I am, I am awarding ONE giant EC point to Louis, the son I never had, because his comment about "success, good looks and victory" made me laugh. I may very well be stealing that line at some point.

So, now that we've awarded all of Friday's points, it is time to tally up this week. Let me tell you, folks, we have got an VERY tight race here. I'm not kidding. Eight of you are only within a few points of each other, and one or two well played rounds could move anybody to the front of the pack. Here we go, according to my calculations, (and please correct me if there is any discrepancies. You've all heard my GRE math story, so I am sure the error is with me) our leader board looks like this:
Stacy:   19 big points (a testament to the steady player...excellent comments)
Jamarcus: 19 big points (being fast does have its advantages...)
Kim: 16 points (posting often works well, too)
Sue: 15 points (consistent, witty, and an excellent cook)
Judy: 14 points (never fails, and will come on strong)
John: 14 points (late start, but is shooting to the front)
Tricia: 14 points (another very steady competitor, always seems to pick up the EC)
Tina: 13 points (would have even more points if she hadn't missed the first day)
Louis: 9 points (coming from behind, building momentum)
Sara: 8 points (making up for lost time. DO NOT count her out)
Amy: 7 points (if she were kidless, she would win this thing)
Adam: 5 points (a little streaky, but throws down when he has to)
Jane: 4 points (pretty great for someone who makes up her own questions)
Barb: 2 points (she'd be killing if she could master the comment portion. Kim, tell her how it works)
Jakes (Snake and RunHard):  1 point apiece--awesome for two guys who aren't in the competition.

As you can see, it is just about anybody's ball game. And to make it even more fair, because it does seem that Chris and John have some techno knowledge that the rest of us do not possess, starting tomorrow, I will be awarding THREE points for the first correct answer, TWO for the one who answers next and ONE point for the one who answers third. Does that make sense? So, now, instead of getting four points for answering both questions correctly and first, you will earn SIX points, and it will go from there. These possible TWELVE extra points are in addition to those TEN golden Extra Credit points. So, keep answering quickly, and you will be rewarded, Keep answering wittily (is that even a word??) and you will be rewarded. And just keep playing for the love of the game and the points will take care of themselves.

In all honesty, I am having a big old blast with this contest. You guys are too much. And because I love you all, I will quickly post up tonight's super special questions:

1. After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the king of which land takes Sarah?
2. Name the sales woman from "Say Yes to the Dress" who was too scared for several weeks to go to the doctor after finding a lump in her breast?  

Admit it, these are both great questions. Good Luck on that second one.

Now, today's Top Ten:

1. Shaka Smart--coach of Final Four bound VCU and magna cum laude grad of Kenyon College
2. Filet wrapped in bacon--an integral part of my high protein diet
3. 4 Hour Body--super interesting book. Inspiration for the McKeon high protein diet
4. Club MDub--if you don't know what it is, I'm not allowed to tell
5. Monk Malloy--am reading his autobiography and loving it
6. The Fighter--GREAT movie
7. The sisters of Mickey and Dickey --what a total riot
8. The Zeller brothers: Luke, Tyler and Cody--all Mr. Indiana basketball players
9. Tiffany crystal candlesticks
10. TOMs PRICE furniture store--managed to get my sister Wendy to start buying sofas for the summer house. Well, alright for that... 

HOLY AND LOWLY: THE MUSICAL

Once again, great comments, great banter and great theology. It's Friday night, my friends and I want to update the tally board and get these questions posted pronto, and let the weekend begin.

Without further ado, John Heinzmann obviously never sleeps and he once again answered both questions first and right. FOUR big points for John. For a late entry, he has certainly made up for lost time. John, thanks for the "tech" support, but I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. I hit that mobile device thing, and it was all down hill from there. You may want to refresh your recollection of the early days of the blog when I had that background with the scary birds on it because I did not know how to put in photos. I still don't, but young Jamarcus handled it. I would like to give you some extra credit for the advice, but until I can actually understand, and then implement said advice, I fear that extra credit may be a little premature.

Sara, Kim, Stacy, Sue, Judy, Tricia, the sons (Jamarcus and Louis) and Mrs. Sarge--JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME) all answered both questions correctly and get their two hard earned points. In a little aside to Mrs. Sarge, Jason owes you way more than a Burberry purse. And Dave McKeon would be lucky to have you on his team, but let me warn you, not only did he go to the school of extreme stinginess, (as his son pointed out) but he got his PhD from  the school of Hard Ass Boss.

Jane gets one point, as she nailed the Regis Philbin question, but the ACRE test did not mention of John Michael at all when referring to the Homily. Yes, I was surprised, too. However, because she made me laugh, Jane gets ONE big extra credit point.

The other NINE points are awarded as follows:
TWO big, big points to Kim Pechous (again) for the multi comment posts. This blogger loves to see her hit count go up. And she is not too proud to get 100 hits from the same person...not too proud at all...I also am intrigued by the slightly communist approach of sharing the prizes. Interesting.
THREE even bigger points for Stacy. Her Gordy's Pub comment was the best. I busted out laughing---and she had the same reaction I did when I realized that Regis, the man who has been on TV more than any other human being, the man who constantly talks up Notre Dame, the man who put up with Kathi Lee during both of her pregnancies with those two obnoxious kids, gave a puny 2.75 mil for DEPAC (as it is referred to by those of us in the ND know) which wasn't even 5% of the total costs. "Jeeez, Reeg, you're kind of a cheap ass"
Finally, FOUR enormous extra credit points go to Sara Pond!!. Welcome back, Sara. I admire your efforts to try to answer these questions without the assistance of Google, wikipedia or cheating....yeah, good luck with that. I admire even more your way with the expletive.

Congrats to all the winners. Remember, no questions tomorrow night, so these are the last two questions for the week--and if the title did not tip you off, they are musically based. Here goes:

1. In the Song of Songs, where does Solomon say his vineyard is located? (it has the word song in it, that's as good as I could do. I know even less about liturgical music than I do about the Bible)
2. As you all know, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith is now a judge on American Idol. (did you guys see it last night? I did not, but in case you do not watch this form of American entertainment, Steven Tyler is the judge that looks like a girl).  Aerosmith's tune "Dude Looks Like a Lady" was written about what rock and roller? (and it is not Steven Tyler).  

Good Luck, Happy Friday, I will have a total point tally for the week on Monday so you can all know EXACTLY where you stand. It's pretty nip and tuck so tonight's points are critical. Let's just see who is first today.

And now, today's Top Ten:

1. Naked burritos from Qdoba. They are really good, and full of protein.
2. Burberry's classic check rain boots--just got Posey another pair
3. Gordy's Pub--all day long.
4. Chuck Pechous--world's nicest basketball coach. Coach Pechous led the 5th grade Little Lady Lancers to a 1-?? season. Despite the fact that their point total for the entire season was under 30, Chuck never punched a ref or threw a chair. Actually, he was amazing with the girls, many of whom did not realize that you had to dribble the ball as you walked...great season, Coach
5. Jamarc for saying I looked like a college friend of Angelas. Total lie, but I'm a sucker for a compliment
6. Towels hot out of the dryer
7. This month's GQ, great mag, seriously
8. Kimba Walker--I am so not a UConn fan, but Kimba is for real
9. Barbour quilted coats and waxed jackets.  These are a fav of the London crowd. I have the navy trench. Way cool and classic. They also make hunting bags, in case you need one.
10. Sandra Bullock and her son Louis--Jesse James who???

Have a great weekend. Look for the next set of questions Sunday night. Go, go, run like the wind to be the first to post....

HOLY AND LOWLY: THE SAGA CONTINUES

Late again...again...Sorry, I will try to make this one short as I am super tired. Moreover, if I post this real fast, I may be able to get these questions up before Jamarcus finishes his shift at the Notre Dame phone center. 

Man, I sure didn't mean to start some big old issue with the number of married Catholic priest question. In all honesty, I was watching the NBC news at 10, saw that story about that married Episcopalian who was ordained a Catholic priest, heard the announcer say "There are close to 100 married Catholic priests in the US" . And because I was way too lazy to get up and get my newly obtained copy of the ACRE test off of my desk, I thought: "well, there's a holy question" and just typed it up. You guys are giving me way too much credit. I WISH I could think up trick questions, I'm still super glad when I think up ANY questions.

So, for tonight, as poor Liz Taylor's body lies in state, everybody is a winner. Any answer whatsoever involving anything remotely close to "married priest"  is fine with me. (I feel like Will Farrel acting as Alec Trebeck) 80, 100, 20,000, who's counting? You all get your two points because I think Elizabeth  (thanks, Tricia, for that little nugget of knowledge) would have wanted it that way. Thus, John Heinzmann, because he did answer first, gets those crucial two "early bird" points. Explain that to your wife, John.  I think those two points may be considered "community property" in several states. I'll leave you two to hash that one out.

So, John has four points, the rest of you have two, and I am ready to award those elusive 10 extra credit points. This is harder than it looks--because there are so many great comments, and so many interesting facts and factoids. So tonight, I'm going to work backwards and tell you who is NOT getting extra credit--nothing personal---1. Despite his current stroke of good fortune in the grade department, (and his ability to drive traffic to the blog) Chris McKeon will not be getting any extra credit tonight. Hey, Chris, you know what your reward is for getting good grades, right? We continue to pay your tuition for another semester....Although, that whole 33 comment may well earn you extra credit the next time. 2. Adam, sorry pal, you threw the Dave McKeon card last night and were well comped. Can't play that trick again quite so soon. Nice try though.3. Louis, I love you like a son (which, depending on the son, could be a whole lot, or not so much), and really appreciate your self less effort to keep Chris away from the Capri Suns, but you will not be getting any extra credit tonight either, because I have just capriciously (get that pun?) decided:
 That in honor of Elizabeth Taylor, IT'S LADIES NIGHT!!! All night long....
So, ladies, here is how I am divvying up those precious ten points:
SueChi: TWO very important extra credit points for standing firm on your "Once a priest, always a priest" answer. I love a woman of conviction and you, my friend, are that.
Stacy: TWO extra credit points for you as well...nice, nice work for connecting Don Taylor back to Elizabeth via the rat pack. Any time you can work Regis Philbin (ND Class of  '53) into an answer, I'm impressed.
Kim: How can I not reward you for your masterful use of the blog? TWO extra credit points for you, mostly for bringing Sr. Sylvia into the mix, but also for your super fast learning curve on hammering the blog and posting up repeatedly. Love it
Tricia: The double eyelash thing was quite compelling, but your husband already got two points, you got one last night, and I'm a little nervous about stirring up any marital discord...so I am going to give you just ONE extra point tonight. However, please note, I not only read your entire comment, but enjoyed every single word of it. I think you have a real future in this contest....your details are excellent.
Amy: I feel your three year old pain, but again, I've spent time with all your kids, and let's just put it this way, if Chris McKeon's horrible behavior at three was worth 10 extra credit points, Ava Parker's behavior at three is only worth ONE. She has miles to go before she is even within striking distance of the terror that was young Chris (we actually asked the priest to re-baptize him at Nate's baptism because we were pretty sure the first time didn't take) Sorry....
Mrs. Sarge: You, too, get ONE point of extra credit because you are just so darn nice. Good luck with the move. Tell those docs to  give you a big, fat raise AND a Burberry scarf (cashmere) AND a Tiffany bracelet. You deserve it.
Judy: You know you are my idol, but I can't make this too easy for you. ONE extra credit point for not only being a lady, but for being a lady who can kick Louis' ass. I love the "rung on my ladder" comment. I just read that same phrase in the funniest article in this month's GQ. Not only are you a kick ass lady, but you are a hip and culturally relevant one, too.

OK, I think that adds up to TEN. Now, the moment you've all been waiting for: Tonight's questions:

1. (and this comes straight off the ACRE test) What is the purpose of the Homily at Mass? (and the answer, providing Dave McKeon with a chance to discreetly check football scores on his Blackberry doesn't count. He really does do this, and one Sunday, some little old lady told the priest on him.  Laughed my ass off....)
2. Speaking of Regis Philbin, how much money did he contribute to Notre Dame's DeBartolo Performing Arts Center (he paid for the experimental "Black Box" theatre) and what percentage was his gift of the total cost of the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center? (yeah, this one involves a little math....)

That's all  for tonight. I have to go cry in my pillow because my Jimmer Fredette is out of the tournament and I have no one else to root for....

Get posting, people.  These questions aren't that hard, and Jamarcus will be home soon.

HOLY AND LOWLY: THE FASHION ISSUE

I know, I know. I'm late...again. Sorry, I started this thing at 7pm and then the phone rang nonstop. Don't these people know I have a blog to post??? I guess not.

Well alright!! I am loving the banter, the smack downs, the caliber of play here. Keep it up, keep it coming. Everyone's a winner in the Holy and Lowly Challenge. Because it's so darn educational.

So let's get right down to business. Yesterday's questions were a little trickier, no? How 'bout that best dressed question? I may not know my Bible, but I know me my best dresseds. And yes, that question did stop Chris McKeon's reign of terror...He may have been first, but he did not collect all the points this time. To the rest of the competitors, your welcome.

As you all know, the answers were 88 and Vito Pascucci.  Most of you got these right.....eventually. Now, Let's look at the score board for tonight:
Chris gets three points: 2 for having both right answers....eventually, and 1 extra for being first with the 88 kids.
Judy gets three points: 2 for having both right answers and 1 extra for being first with the Vito Pascucci--way to be a trail blazer, Judy. I knew you would start dominating this competition.
Kim, Mrs. Sarge, Louis, (welcome back, Louis-now it's a party!) Amy, Tricia, Suechi, Barb Clark (who gets the Kim Pechous papal dispensation as she works to master the comment portion of the blog) and Stacy all get their two points for getting both answers right.
Jane gets a point for knowing Vito Pascucci (I think it was her husband who told me the Vito Pascucci story originally) and probably will not get the Hermes cuff bracelet she keeps hinting for....at least not yet..
Adam gets a point for knowing the King question (nice reference to Michael Irving)

AND NOW, I WILL AWARD THE EXTRA CREDIT, but before I do, I want to tell you all a little story:

When we moved to the east side of Cleveland (which considers itself the Boston of Cleveland--tons of prep schools, many over indulged children) our kids went to this really high end Catholic school. Pete aka "Typhoon" was in kindergarten. Unlike the other kids, Pete did not have to wear a uniform to school, and thus could wear the many cute outfits that I liked to dress him in. Seriously, Pete had a very rocking wardrobe. (little aside: all my kids were extremely well dressed because I noticed very early on in the kiddie game that people treated us much nicer when we slicked ourselves up. Frankly, when you have six kids under eleven, people kind of assume you live in a double wide or drive an Amish buggy. We tried to break those stereotypes with our sartorial splendor.) Anyhow, for the first few days in his fancy kindergarten, Pete would come home and tell me that he won "best dressed". I was slightly puzzled, thinking, "this must really be some high end kind of school if they are noting the Papo d'Anjo shorts that Pete is wearing with the Ralph Lauren sweater and tiny Bass Weejuns but hey, we're new here, what do I know?". Secretly, I was smugly pleased that not only could I hold my own in the fashion department with these east siders, but my kid was hands down, publicly acclaimed repeatedly as the best dressed kid in class. Here is Pete. Isn't he so cute? These were his play clothes. Now you know why I thought he was winning best dressed. 

When Pete came home the third day to tell me once again  that he was awarded best dressed, I said to Annie: "Can you believe they keep naming Pete "best dressed" in his class? Not that I'm surprised, but you think they'd spread it around...you  know, they're only five year olds." And Annie looked at me like I was nuts (which I guess I kind of was) and said: "Mom, he is winning BEST REST--he's the kid that sleeps on the towel during nap time the best. No one is going to give a kindergartner some best dressed award. That's just stupid..." And honestly, looking back, I cannot believe that I seriously thought the kindergarten teachers at Gesu were giving my kid the best dressed award, but truth be told, I really did. This story speaks volumes about me in so many ways....(and that photo explains a little bit about our Pete, doesn't it?) and will absolutely explain part of the reasoning behind how I awarded the extra credit.

First though, I just want to say that starting tomorrow I will be giving out 10 extra credit points because you guys are all just that good. I really wanted to give Sue extra credit for the "favorite" comment, Kim extra credit for staying up, Judy for baiting both Louis and Chris, Stacy for the  paparazzi comment, Louis for coming out swinging and Mrs. Sarge for working late and still pounding the blog, but because I said five points last night, I will stick with five points because frankly, I need to follow the rules I set up for at least ONE day. But tonight, be sure to bring it, because there are 10 big points at stake--with those ten points, plus two correct answers, any comer can beat the total points of young Jamarcus and take over the lead in this competition...play big, people.

Little note to Amy Parker: Sorry, Amy, I've met your baby. You're not getting any extra credit for him. He's a total angel. Now, if you had asked for extra credit for your daughter who cut her own tongue in preschool because she wanted to see if the scissors would really work on a tongue...well, that may have held some sway....better luck tomorrow.

So, tonight's FIVE big extra credit points are awarded as follows:
Both Jake the Snake and Runhard (the other Jake) get ONE big extra credit point each for putting Posey on the best dressed list....you know exactly how to turn my head.
Tricia gets ONE extra credit point , bringing her night's point total up to a whopping THREE because she was right, Vito Pascucci was on a domestic best dressed list, not an international one...my mistake
And the last TWO extra credit points go to Adam, also bringing his point total tonight up to THREE because in naming Dave McKeon as not only best dressed but as a Duke, is pretty much genius, because as we all know, Dave McKeon is the financial backer of the Holy and Lowly Challenge and he will be the one footing the bill for all those awesome prizes, not to mention, the dude who will be mixing up the Long Islands.  Nicely played, Adam. I admire your gamesmanship....

With no further ado, here are tonight's questions:

1. How many married Catholic priests are there currently in the United States?
2. Elizabeth Taylor died today (RIP). She starred in a famous movie with Spencer Tracy. What was the name of her fiancee in that movie and the name of the actor who played him?

One, two three Go...but first: today's top ten:

1. Elizabeth Taylor--love her or hate her. In her heyday, she was a total knockout
2. Panera steak chili--full of protein
3. Papo d'anjo children's clothes--that photo does not lie
4. Chris' twitter friends--keep them coming
5. Vito Pascucci--I think we would have been BFFs
6. Larry Coe--gave me an actual copy of the ACRE test, (but no answers)
7. Cadbury Caramel eggs
8. The Jonathon Adler monogrammed pillow--a lovely gift from a lovely friend
9. Robot Candy Company--home of the 10 pound gummi bear
10. The Dixie Chicks--rediscovered them and all politics aside, they are chickeriffic

HOLY AND LOWLY: DAY TWO

Darn that fricking Wikipedia--there are no hard questions any more. It's just too easy. Tonight, I vow to come up with a trivia question that is not easily googled....

And please tell me that none of you actually knew those Luminous Mysteries without looking them up.   I was totally feeling like a major pagan and was seriously considering asking Notre Dame for a partial refund until Kim Pechous noted that these Luminous Mysteries weren't even invented until 2002. Pfft...In 2002, I had six kids between the ages of twelve and three, was moving just about every summer, mired in tons of laundry, and spending six hours a day looping the East side of Cleveland dropping various children at random fields, gyms and lessons. So frankly, unless John Paul II presented the Luminous Mysteries on Nickelodeon, was asking me to wash his baseball uniform by tomorrow, or needed a ride to violin, his new fangled mysteries never would have crossed my radar.  And they didn't...until this week.

Tonight's post will be short and sweet.  Here's the Lowdown: "JaMarcus" gets his four points--well played, son, but your reign of supremacy may be short lived.

PAY ATTENTION HERE, THERE IS A SLIGHT ADDITION TO THE CONTEST:
As of tonight, I am officially imposing the extra credit rule: (I need a way to level the playing field here, yet still keep the competition above board ish) Starting with tonight's questions, I will award up to five extra credit points each  night. I can split these among several competitors or award them all to just one person. Extra credit will be awarded for many reasons including but not limited to: making me laugh, (Stacy, Jane, ) making me feel better about the fact that I know nothing about the entire Catholic religion, (Kim) throwing in some extra fun facts like birthdays or lightening bolt tattoos (Tricia), sucking up, mocking Chris, being extra nice, adding a quirky view point, and any other random note that may strike my fancy...Let's be honest here, these points are totally subjective (and basically my way to try to prevent Jamarcus from sweeping the competition--sorry, Chris, there is no way you are scoring some Long Island Iced Teas...you either, Pete, you scary little punk....Let's be super clear here, no alcohol will be made for, delivered to, or consumed by underagers.... not on my watch...will not happen--go for the bracelet and use it to bribe some girl to date you...it may work)

As far as the rest of the field: Stacy, Judy, Amy, Sue, Tricia, and Tina (yeah, hey, Mrs. Sarge aka "Miss Congeniality" is back in the hunt, any and all comments from her will be greatly appreciated--still waiting on one, both or all of the Ponds to jump back into the mix.) all get their solid two points.  Had I instituted the extra credit rule sooner, many of you would have received extra points on top of those two points, Keep up the good work. And shoot for those extra points tomorrow.

Jane, nice answers, but in order to get some points, you really do have to answer the actual questions I ask. Frankly, because I think you already own all of the prizes on the list except the Long Islands, you can just keep making me laugh by providing your own special answers. I just may have to create a new category for you and possibly John Heinzmann who is quite the theologian. Keep the comments coming.

Typhoon Pete, I no longer feel badly about the fact that the college fund would most likely have run out well before you finished your alotted four years of undergrad. I am confident that we can use any of the money that may have come your way to assist Jack or Nate with Med school as you obviously will be following a very different "life plan" which does not involve higher education. Moreover, your obtuse and incomplete answers explain oh so very much.  Good Luck with that career as a "rapper/street performer/UFC fighter".  I'm sure your father will be very proud.

OK, here are tonight's questions:

1. How many children did King Rehoboam have? (for those who don't know, this is the Holy question)
2. Who is the Kenosha native that was listed on the International Best Dressed list several years ago? (hint: it is not Jane McTernan or Al Molinaro)

Now let's see who is the master....Good luck and God Speed to all

Too tired for Today's Top Ten--and way too hard to come up with 10 great things EVERY single day, however, right now, as we speak there is a size 42 Hickey Freeman tweed trench coat on sale on gilt.com that somebody better buy because it's like 90% off. I was thinking about buying it for Pete, but given his new career path, it seems like a waste.

THE HOLY AND THE LOWLY CHALLENGE: DAY ONE

Hey, hey, hey, we got a few brave souls who are running the Lenten gauntlet of  the Holy and Lowly Trivia Challenge. (Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?) Time is up for today, and we are moving on to the next two questions, but I must say, Nicely done, people. There is plenty more where that came from. I both thank and commend you for your commitment to the blog, and I am pretty sure each and everyone of you is heading straight to heaven for even attempting this sacred quest. Ok, maybe not, but it has to be burning off some purgatory time.

For those of you who have not yet partaken of the Trivia Challenge (yeah, I mean you, Brian Pond, Louis from Steds, any and all Nickels girls, Katey Caspar, Tina Lampe and the rest of you biblical slackers...) there is ample time to catch our current leaders, as we've got 30 more days for you all to flaunt your Theological and  "sociological" knowledge. I'll keep the questions coming, and you all keep up the answers. And people say this blog is not educational...

Here is our leaderboard thus far, with a little editorializing on my part about our competitors chances:
Currently in first place with four big points is Chris McKeon. Young Chris was the first to buzz in and he answered both questions correctly. I must warn you, Chris is freakishly competitive, has nothing but time on his hands, and with all of his high tech gadgetry, unless he gets totally electrocuted, he will be pouncing on the blog to maintain his self proclaimed superiority. I'm not going to lie to you, Chris has staked his spot and he will be tough to topple. The good news (for all fellow competitors), is that Chris is obviously playing for the alcohol. The bad news (for me), is that Chris is obviously playing for the alcohol....As the contest progresses, I may indeed need to revise a few of the rules/prizes...but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.  Walk carefully, young jedi...

Next to buzz in, and the recipient of two very crucial points was none other than Judy Pulera---Of course she did. History has shown us that Judy is a total winner. She came out on top in the Fitness Challenge and I will put real American dollars on her chances to win, place and show in this new trivia format. Interesting that her main nemisis Louis is no where to be found....(yes, Louis, the sound you are hearing is me calling you out, ...Please, for my sake, give Chris a run for his money in the Long Island Iced Tea Sweepstakes...)

A new, but wholly worthy competitor is Tricia Heinzman. Tricia has that special  photo with the iconic Ruth Buzzi, so she knows her celebs, she was all over the Papal Schism deal, and Tricia will fly under the radar, quietly racking up points, while no one is paying attention. I really like her chances, because this is a thinking man's game and Tricia is a thinker. Also, very impressive breadth of knowledge with the whole Elvis, lightning  bolt connection. Keep it coming, Tricia, and there may well be extra credit points for tidbits like that.... She is also tied with Judy with two important points.

Always a contender, Sue Chiappetta was right there claiming her first two points. Frankly, there is nothing Sue Chiappetta can't do: whipping up dinner for fifty, shingling a habitat roof, decorating the entire high school gym, raising Burberry Challenge winner Angela Fitzpatrick and her equally lovely three sisters, Sue's got serious skills and winning this competition is well within her reach.  The big hope for all others is that she may be distracted by the impending nuptuals of her daughter Claire...(keep that happy thought, fellow competitors, but Sue will be tough to beat)

Another new but formidable challenger is Kim Pechous. Kim knows her stuff, she just does not know how to comment on the blog. I've given her a "papal" dispensation for today, as she really did work like crazy to get her comment section to work, and she answered the questions really early. Kim will get her two points for today (and probably should be given some extra credit for her super informative answer) and let's all hope (or not) that she figures out how to comment via the blog.

Finally, we have Stacy Spracklin. Stacy will certainly get her two points, and as the competition continues, she may be getting significant extra credit because her comment made me laugh out loud. Keep it up, Stacy. Everyone knows that in these bloggy competitions, the rules can and will change according to my whims.  Making me laugh goes a VERY long way.

Here are today's two questions:

1. Name the Five Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, and the appropriate day of the week when these mysteries are said. (who knew about these ones? back in my day, at least at St. Judes in New Lenox, there were only the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries.)
2. Name at least five of the eight kids from the classic family show "Eight is Enough" and the actors who played them. (this may slow young Chris down just a bit)

Good luck to all competitors, I look forward to your correct answers. Same timeish tomorrow, so get your answers in good and fast. And for all of you wall flowers, sitting on the side lines, afraid to jump in....Let's go, you big bunch of Nancies (gave up swearing for Lent...taking it one day at a time). That Tiffany bead bracelet isn't going to just jump onto your wrist.... 

Today's Top Ten:

1. The Hominy Grill in Charleston--was featured on Man vs. Food, so you know it's good
2. Delman ballet flats--perfect for spring
3. Stacy Spracklin for making me laugh
4. Buttered popcorn--wish I had some
5. The Luminous Mysteries--I learn something every day
6. Jimmer Freddette--after ND's tragic and painful exit from the tournament last night, I am now officially rooting for Team Jimmer
7. The monogrammed bathing suit in Bella Bliss (it's for Posey, not me)
8. Mentos chewing gum in those flip top canisters
9. The giant gummy bear from Robot Candy
10. The Paris Wife--that book about Ernest Hemingway's first wife--it's really good

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE--LET THE CONTEST BEGIN

What?? Finally, a post on the blog? You read that right. Halleluia and Praise the Lord (more about the Holy stuff in a minute) The Blog is back and better than ever. I've got a very cool and fun contest planned, and I am very jazzed about it. I will describe it in detail below. But first, I do apologize for the lengthy hiatus from posting, but truth be told, I was struggling with a bit of blog disillusionment, and middle aged malaise...it was nothing personal..no, no, no....it's not you, it's me..., seriously...

Blog thirty second time out: I am currently watching Notre Dame getting HAMMERED by Florida State...and if that doesn't cause me to shut down this post, nothing will, so I think we can all safely say, I am back in the blog business to stay. I am begging Dave McKeon to change the channel because I just can't bear to watch the carnage, but like so many of my pleading requests, (the white Hermes bracelet, a week in Bermuda, washing the garage floor, throwing out his golf sweaters from the early 90s) he adamantly refuses.

I was all ready and psyched to post up on Fat Tuesday, (which is my absolute favorite holiday, always celebrated with a dozen donuts or five) and get this new contest rolling, but I was too busy drinking Hurricanes and eating pralines to make it happen, and then, Shocker, I was slightly brain damaged on Ash Wednesday and frankly was unable to string two sentences together, (Hurricanes plus jello shots plus middle age equals full day alcohol recovery detox)...and then we took off for Spring Break on Thursday,(best Spring Break ever--).... and it was all over from there. Sorry, I love you guys, but not enough to actually produce a big post over my vacation.

But guess what did happen on our Spring Break? We were spending an awesome week on the Isle of Palm at the Wild Dunes Resort (highly recommend, we booked through Jetsetter.com--got a GREAT deal) and went in to Charleston the second day we were there to meet my cousins Mark and Amy, and their three kids. (Their girls were hysterical and their baby Luke was a total champ. He is only three months old and never peeped once). But because the world is getting smaller every day, guess who we bumped into while strolling on King Street in Charleston?  ANGELA and BRENDAN FITZPATRICK-!! I kid you not! Yes, that Angela, the winner of the Burberry Fitness Challenge. Sure, she and her lovely family happen to live in Charleston, but what are the odds??? Fate, not chance, people, Fate. While Angela was not wearing her Burberry Victory scarf, and in her defense, it was like 78 degrees out, she and Brendan could not look better. They gave us many super suggestions for great meals and were even kind enough to invite our big, hungry crew over for dinner one night. Their hospitality was amazing (both Angela and Brendan's moms were there, so the eating was top drawer) and their two boys Jake and Henry could not be cuter. Seriously, they were so funny and incredibly well behaved.  We had a terrific time and I feel pretty darn good knowing that the Burberry scarf is residing in such a happy home.

 We returned to town last night, I've unpacked all the bags, done all the vacation laundry, cleaned out Posey's closet, rearranged my closet, cleaned out the refrigerator, celebrated Jack's birthday, bought a few pairs of shoes from gilt.com, a few more from Bloomingdales (Tory Burch flip flop season is right around the corner) and picked up a pair of Stewart Weitzman boots on sale from Nordstroms (told you I was over the middle-aged malaise) So, now with all those chores done, I am unveiling THE CONTEST OF THE SEASON.

Here we go: Get ready because this is a good one:  I am starting the "You can't scare me Trivia Contest" Yes, Brian Pond, this ones for you.  All trivia, all day. Well, some trivia, most days. Here is how it will work. Every evening except Saturday, I will post two trivia questions.  You all will have until the next days' post to answer the questions.  You can cheat all you want, because all I am looking for is blog traffic and some great comments. The only real restriction is that your answers must be posted on the comment portion of the blog before the next days' post. Hell, you can all cheat off of each other for all I care. If the first dude to post an answer is right, just steal and repost his answer. I really don't care. I just want the traffic, feedback and conversation. But, because I do want to reward the eager beavers who actually know some stuff without copying off the guy sitting next to them, I will award one bonus point per question to the first person who answers each question correctly, and likewise, because I don't want to penalize those people with actual jobs who can't hang out on the internet all day, everyone at all who answers the questions correctly during that day will get credit for their answers. ( I will explain more later)

However, there is a slight twist to this competition. In honor of the Lenten Season, (when I mentioned this contest to my sister Wendy, she said: "Really, Laurie?  Lent is like half over". Not sure what calendar she's looking at, but at our house, Lent is a full 40 days--and again, blame the delay on the jello shots), one of the trivia questions each day will be Bible and holy trivia. Yep, so all that knowledge about Charlie Sheen is not going to get you too far. You actually have to know some Holy Stuff. Why? you may  ask, Well, in addition to the Lent thing, I recently learned that my kids in Catholic high school have to take this Catholic achievement test called the ACRE test. I guess they've been doing this for several years, but it's the first I've heard about it. This ACRE test assesses students' knowledge of their Catholic faith. Word on the street is that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is going to require all teachers in Catholic schools to pass this test, or take some class to learn more Catholic doctrine. Ouch...it got me thinking, who am I kidding? Despite several years of Catholic school AND Catholic college AND Catholic Law School, I am pretty darn sure I would flunk the ACRE test...in spades. So, in solidarity with my Catholic teacher friends, (that means you, Casey Ferraro) I am going to bone up on some Catholic fun facts to know and tell, and if I'm learning this ACRE stuff, so are you fellas. (The good news is, you guys get to win some fun and special prizes--and I promise, they won't be just some Holy Cards--the saving your soul part is extra). Your welcome.

So, while one question each night will be Holy, the second question will be totally not. It will be pure American, cultural, low brow, reality TV driven, possible 70s tv genre, maybe some random sports question, People magazine fodder, celebrity driven trivia, no GRE math, no Double Jeopardy, no Masterpiece Theatre sort of questions. Just pure trash. I like to think this levels the playing field a little bit for all of us. Half good, half bad...hopefully this should appeal to everyone.  (OK, Notre Dame just got KILLED in the NCAA tournament. I knew this was going to happen the  minute Marquette beat Syracuse---Go ahead, John Mattuecci, rub it in...I can take it...)

So, to recap this awesome contest: Starting tonight--you will be given two questions: One holy, one not. You have until tomorrow night (probably around 7pm or so) to answer these two questions. Everyone who answers the questions correctly will get points. One point for each correct answer. (so if you only get one of the two right, you get one point) The first person to answer each question correctly each day by posting their answers on the comment section of the blog, will get a bonus point for each correct answer. So, if you answer both  questions right AND are the first answer poster, you can win a total of four points in a day. If you answer both questions right but are not the first to post the answers, you will get two points. If you just get one right, one point...Got it? AND you can cheat like crazy. but again, cheating on a Holy test?? During Lent??? Do so at your own risk...Every night, except for Saturday, I will post the answers to the previous days question, have a rolling tally of contestants points, and will also post the questions for the next days' competition, so you have six days a week to earn points.Obviously, consistency counts. You know Judy and Louis will not miss a single day of question answering, so everybody be forwarned. ( I am not posting questions on Saturday because according to my dad, Sundays are not part of Lent. So in his loophole version of Catholicism, you can smoke, swear, drink, mainline sugar or indulge in whatever you gave up for Lent to your heart's content on Sundays. Of course, my dad also swore that milkshakes were not "sweets" so he could drink them every single night during Lent, but...I do think it's nice for all of us to have a day off)

Now, on to the prizes: Because the last contest resulted in several winners, I am already planning on Five super legit prizes for this contest. The person with the most points can pick the prize they want, the person with the second most points can pick from what's left and it goes from there. Oh, and did I mention, EVERY one is eligible in this contest, even my kids...So, Holy Nate, show us what you've got....
So, here are the prizes in kind of descending order according to face value:

1. Two tickets to the Notre Dame home football game of your choice for this fall (ok, so they suck at basketball, but by all that is good and holy, I KNOW they will win a few football games this year, and besides, Marquette doesn't have a football team, so no weird karma juju going on there) and the chance to tailgate with the masters...(really, to tailgate with us, but you don't have to....)
2. The silver Tiffany Bead bracelet--it's a classic and every chick should have one--win it for yourself, or win it for your lady friend..
3. A $150 Gift certificate to J.Crew--always fits,
4. The silver bead Notre Dame rosary--it is very, very cool and fits with the theme
5. A five gallon vat of Dave McKeon's super special, kind of deadly, home brewed, Long Island Iced Teas delivered to your door on the date of your choice.(or if you live far away, I will ship all the ingredients to make your own)

So, those are the prizes you are all fighting for. (I may kick in a few more, as I am going to London and Scotland  to visit Annie during this competiton and may come across a uber cool international gift that will up the ante at just the right moment...) Good Luck, God Speed, and join the fun.

HERE ARE TODAY'S QUESTIONS:

1. (Holy Questions) What was the Great Papal Schism and when did it take place? (What? you thought I was going to give those tickets away to just anybody?? You  have to earn this)
2. (Non Holy Question) Who is the girlfriend of the step brother of the Kardashian sisters?

Post your answers as soon as possible to get those crucial bonus points....they will really come in handy as the contest progresses.

And because this is still a full service blog, here is TODAY'S TOP TEN

1. The Fitzpatrick Family, including the mother-in-laws, sister-in-laws and kids
2. Poe's Bar on Sullivan's Island, the best burgers and onion straws ever
3. Ben Silver--a super old school store in Charleston
4. The Battery area of Charleston--so beautiful
5. The Beach at the Wild Dunes Resort--miles of sand, no crowds,
6. Hall's Chop House--great steaks AND the owners sent us a thank you note!
7. Jack McKeon--turned 18 on St. Patrick's Day--now legal to buy cigarettes, lottery tickets and a hand gun....scary!
8. The Tory Burch espadrille flats--almost all sold out at Nordstroms, get yours today
9. The Morris Inn at Notre Dame
10. The "You Can't Scare Me Trivia Contest" --enter today, early and often, get in it to win it...