Royal Wedding

Yes, I know that there is a new blog photo, and it is so awesome. I have a post in progress discussing the "Laurie, Dave and the Little Monsters" Christmas card from whence this photo originated, but there is something oh so more important that I need to share with you all, right now, this second. I know that you are all glued to the television watching the Royal Wedding...ok, maybe that's just me, but our own local correspondent was right on the spot. ...right on the spot, right outside Westminster Abbey. She saw the Beckhams, the Elton Johns, Harry, and Wills all walking into the Abbey and sent just for us, just for you, this AWESOME, INCREDIBLE photo of the happy couple.  You're welcome.

Can you even believe it??? Here they are. And Annie McKeon was right there. She took this photo with her phone. That's how close she was to the action. Ok, she didn't get the invite, but she did get the pics. What an amazing experience for her. From what I can gather, she and her British friend Joelyn (sp?--that's a boy's name, not surprisingly, they call him "Joe") something, something Smith, snagged a perfect spot right on the parade route and camped out over night. I'm sure it was a blast and obviously a once in a lifetime experience. And  you can all share in that coolness via my hipster, international blog.

Seriously, though, even watching it on TV was pretty impressive. Princess Catherine looked incredible, Prince William looked regal and Prince Harry seemed to be really enjoying himself. The thing that impressed me the most was the decorum of the British people. When they were all walking from Westminster Abbey (right about where Laurie McKeon made a wrong turn on her running route) to Buckingham Palace for the kiss, no one was pushing, shoving,  or Jersey shoring it up in any way en route. Even when that new mob stood in front of all the people who had been there waiting for hours to see the kiss, no one through a fit or a punch in protest. I fear that if this happened in the US, it would have been another Who concert experience...And the British people seemed so delighted about the whole thing, really into it, really excited...genuinely pleased for the Royal Family and for their nation. It was kind of cool...and I'm so glad Annie got to feel the whole vibe.

 Enjoy the photo, enjoy this royal day and take the time to remember your own special events that brought out the best in your family, friends and loved ones. Hooray for love.

HAPPY EASTER!! I JUST BITCHED UP 4 DOZEN CUPCAKES

Happy Easter, everyone!! I know that you are all tingling with anticipation regarding the Holy and Lowly Challenge. I know, so am I. Sorry to be a lot later than intended with this VERY important post, but I just completed filling 12 Easter baskets (could not do them last night, because the "college boys" did not come home until quite late and I did not want them to see the veritable smorgasbord of goodies that comprise their Easter baskets.) Yes, everyone at casa McKeon gets Easter baskets...that's how we roll. I take my holidays very seriously and make the most of them. Just wait until the big egg hunt.

Also, as Brenna/Kim told you, we attended the Easter Vigil...most important Mass of the Year and by far the very LONGEST mass of the year. Dave McKeon had his black berry out well before reading number five. (out of seven...) Ask Kim. I try to stop him, but he so doesn't  give a shit. (please note: Lent is over...some vulgarities have already crept back into my verbiage...of course they have) And I must say, the geriatric hand bell choir was quite a treat...It's nice to see someone bringing a "free form" version of that art form to the Masses...Dave and Pete were laughing so hard I thought Pete's head was going to pop off..Once again, the pious McKeon family ruins the most important mass of the year. Posey and Nate were serving this marathon or frankly, we would not have attended. Dave McKeon is an "hour max" kind of guy. Any Mass over an hour and he's out of there. However, it was a beautiful service and the true highlight was when Nate FINALLY got the incense lit...We have had a few issues with incense lighting before (don't ask, it was at a funeral and Fr. Bill just about punched the boys because they couldn't get it started..it was pretty awful) so seeing that smoke finally blooming was pretty much the Easter miracle for us this year.

Needless to say, I was a little tired when I got up this morning at 6am to make my famous cupcakes, load up the baskets (all twelve--five for my kids --sad, no Annie, 6 for Chris' friends, and one for Dave McKeon). I started with the cupcakes, figuring I could divvy up candy and goodies for the baskets while they baked. Excellent plan. However, after whipping up the batter, filling 47 cupcake tins, and popping them in the oven, I realized that I forgot to add the last three eggs....shiittt...Judy, I am feeling your lamb cake pain. I just let them cook, figuring it would be easier to throw out cooked cupcakes than oozing batter...did not work out as planned, and I had one big mess. It's cleaned up, the baskets are filled to the brim, and now, I am finally posting up for all of you. I still have to redo the cupcakes, but I'll do it while the big boys are at Easter Mass.

Then, I must fill the money eggs for the hunt this afternoon. We hide about 250 eggs and fill several with money. Here is this year's break down: 20 one dollar eggs, 10 five dollar eggs, 5 10 dollar eggs, 2 20 dollar eggs and one fifty dollar egg. Then, the person who finds the most eggs gets a fifty (the money jumped up a bit this year, due to the age level of the participants) twenty five bucks for second and 15 for third. It is a total blast and I think Chris' friends are somewhat surprised/horrified/scared at the fervor that surrounds the hunt. I also made all of these boys dye Easter eggs on Friday. Interesting to see, because I often forget that normal families do not do this sort of stuff once their kids stop believing in the bunny (I am not sure if Posey is still a believer. I think she's on the fence and just like you, Tina, I gave it all away this year. Of course, she is 11 years old, it is high time she learns the truth, just so she doesn't embarrass herself in middle school)  Or if you believe Dave McKeon, normal families (read this as his family) NEVER do this sort of stuff. "What is all this shit??I never dyed an Easter Egg in my life. You just hide the basket. that's it. Not a million f"ing eggs" According to Dave McKeon, no one ever took him to the zoo (told to me as we were slogging five little kids through the Lincoln Park zoo), no one ever came to his junior high graduation (said in a loud voice as we are sweating our asses off in the gym, listening to some old dude drone on) no one ever wrapped his Christmas gifts ("no, you just set them under the tree. You don't wrap this shit. How much is all this paper costing me?") No one ever taught him how to ride a bike, throw a ball....on and on...

So, when Dave McKeon saw me buying 6 more baskets yesterday, adding to the candy total and bringing back a big wad of cash from the bank, he had more than a little to say "Seriously, you are making baskets for 6 college boys we just met??? And you are filling them with gifts and candy? I tunes gift cards too:??And we are putting  cash is eggs for them to find? Are you f'ing kidding me?, just give them each a six pack--that's what they really want. Happy F'ing Easter. Here's some Miller light--in bottles. Your welcome" Well, we could do that, but I must confess. There are so many times that life can slap you upside the head, and slap you pretty hard, I might add., that when I can, (and I find I can more than you would think (like this awesome blog and challenge)  I really do try to find the stupid, silly, fun part of as many things as I can, and enjoy the living crap out of those moments. Frankly, if not, then what's the point? Back when I was in high school, my aunt and uncle started the out door egg hunt for money. It was a total blast and as we got older, and brought our own friends home from college, we all took part and I remember it with nothing but joy and a huge smile on my face. My cousin Mark has vivid memories at age six of being plowed over by college kids who were not too cool to go hard for the eggs with the coins in them (quarter beers!!). And honestly, what sort of mom would I be if I didn't let Posey have the chance to get run over by some big kids in pursuit of drinking money?? Given that charge, I've tried to replicate some sort of egg hunt every year.

My kids have hunted eggs in the desert in Arizona (spring break--Nate fell in a cactus, ouch) in several rental condos and even in the Fitness room/pool area of the Ritz in Boston (Spring of 2007--the year of the east coast college swing) I wanted to hide them out in the park but it was super cold. The front desk gave us until 7:30 to clear out of the exercise area, so eventually Dave and I just started throwing the eggs into the pool and then told the kids to go get them...good times, good times. And in all honesty, they are really good times.

And as I circle back on all of this, I hope you all understand just how much joy I've gotten out of this challenge. You all make me laugh very hard. You are clever, smart, engaging, and quite lyrical. (new lyrics to Peter Cotton tail? Killer) You are all also extremely kind, caring and compassionate. The connections that have been made through this blog (and even I was surprised at how interconnected you all are--just like Kevin Bacon) have been heart warming and life affirming in a way that has meant more to me than most of you will ever understand. It's been an honor and a privilege to get to know you all  better and I know that I have had the very most fun of all. Thank you for that. Don't worry, there will be more challenges to come...some even affiliated with this blog.

Now, with out further blah, blah, blah on my part (I know John already skipped those first six paragraphs to cut to the chase and find out who beat him...haha), here are the answers to last night and the all important scoring. Yes, the Easter Vigil is the most important Mass of the year, and The Movie was With Six You Get Egg Rolls, starring Doris Day and Brian Keith (have a tiny crush on Brian Keith--he of the original Parent Trap "Mitch, it's been so long, so very long..." and Family Affair fame). Brian Keith/Jake Iverson wooed Doris Day with Champagne and popcorn. I totally loved (still love) this movie, and Doris Day looks amazing and her clothes are still WAY cool --check out her suede boots when she is in the grocery store--classic) Great job finding the answers and a very nice not on which to end the questions. Here are the scores:
Judy--Way to bring it home: 2 for being right, 6 for being first with both (though John came through with the popcorn and champagne, so he gets first honors on this one as well) 8 very crucial points for you!! These will come in super handy...as you will see.
John--2 for being right, 3 for being also first with the lowly and 2 for being second with the holy. 7 big points for you.  I give you HUGE props for finding the popcorn and champagne answer. (see EC below) Nicely done, enjoy those net flix.
Suechi--true to the end, you get 2 points for being right, and 2 for being second with the lowly, and 1 for being third with the holy. your total--5 crucial points.
Tricia: 2 for being correct and 1 for being third with the holy=3 for you.
Stacy, Jamarcus, Kim/Brenna, Mrs.Sarge, Louis, and even Brian (nice work with the answers, they weren't correct, but they were good) 2 for each of you. Great work. Great results and now, time to award the EC.

Here is a little side note/disclaimer on the way this whole EC system works (and I'm not saying it's a good system, I'm just saying it's my system) So, before someone goes crying foul, or getting steamed, just understand that my system is not scientific, but more Laurietific. As I read the comments, I note the ones that make me laugh, the  ones that are very kind, the ones that take super skill--poems, songs, etc--and I jot down EC points. I do not tally or add as I go, I just know how many points I have to distribute and place points next to each person's name on my little score card. That's about it, so when you see how this whole thing finished, you may think it was rigged or contrived, but I can only say, " I wish". If I could do this sort of math in my head, I would not have had such flop sweat while taking the GRE. So, as you see how this thing unfolds below, just kind of go with it and please remember the spirit of this HOLY contest and the spirit of the blog. Here is today's EC:
 John: 80 big EC points. Your totally earned it with the songs, the extra effort on the popcorn and champagne thing, and the total body of your work. Your comments were incredible, consistent and spot on. your total for tonight: 87,
Judy: 40 EC points for you. Great comments, loved the With Six you get Egg roll summary, and loved your continual  speed, spunk and spirit. Your total for the day: 48
Stacy: 30 EC points for you. Great poem (again) and honestly, great, ass saving scoring. I really appreciate it and hope the volleyball is all you ever dreamed of. your days total: 32
Sue chi: 25 EC points for you. Loved your comments, loved your willingness to share the recipes, and thanks for bringing such an upbeat voice to the blog.
Tricia: 25 EC points for you as well. Thanks for all the babes you thought could play me in the movie and thanks for always making me laugh. Your comments were always timely, informative and clever. You and John are WAY fun, and when he wins this thing, I hope he picks the ND tickets so we can make a day of it.

Now, before I do a final tally, again I want to thank you all for participating, and who are we kidding, everyone is a winner here, just for being a part of this blog family (Ok, ok Capone--I'm getting there)
As always, there are great competitors who do not finish in the top five: These two woman are the "honorable mentions" with a big emphasis on the "honorable":

Kim/ Brenna--j has been just a delight on the blog, a truly compassionate individual with great insights, and great commentary. Probably gave us all the most pure info per comment than anyone else. If Kim had not missed a day or two, she would have ended in the money. For Kim/Brenna--I have a very cool key chain, charm thing from Harrods.

Mrs. Sarge/Tina--once again, Ms. Congeniality and quite the mentor for young Louis. I honestly can see Mrs.Sarge's smile in every one of her posts. She too missed a day or two because of her work obligations, but made a more than valiant showing, and because of this--she also receives a cool, Key chain, charm from Harrods. (do you want the one with the "bobby" or the one with the Harrod's bear?" you and Kim can pick.)

Little Aside to Louis: You did great, SYL. You've got your youth, Skylar and an invite to the McKeon egg hunt. You don't need these prizes...

Now, the top five: in reverse order...Just another aside: This was WAY tighter than I thought. I honestly thought that with all the regular points, speed points and extra credit points that the totals would be more spread out.  They are not. However, there are no ties, so that's something. Feel free to ask for arbitration on the point totals, but I'm not sure if it will get you anywhere. I've basically turned most of the math over to Stacy. Talk to her.
Number 5: Suechi with 220 big points. Sue always had great things to said. Between her recipes, the poem and her holy knowledge (special shout out to her spiritual advisor and in house chef, Chip) Sue never let me down. Best line ever: "Adult racist Laurie". It still makes me laugh . Add to it that she is in the midst of planning a wedding and Well, it's a testament to her that she made it into the top five--nice job. Sorry, but you get whatever prize no one else wants...(rosary??)
Number 4: Judy Pulera--with 234 points. Judy always finishes strong and I knew from the beginning that she would finish in the money. She, Tricia and Stacy were so close in the point totals that it made me kind of nervous..not nervous enough to go back and re add up all the points, but kind of nervous still. Judy was so consistent, so fast and so great with comments....I always knew I could count on her to come through. She and Louis really do need to get together, just to put this whole push up thing to rest...Judy will win, I promise. So, Judy, once the top three make their choice, it's all you. Again, great, great job . (didn't find the St. Claire goggles and the Catholic bookstore--what's up with that??)
Number 3: Tricia---with 240 points. Time and time again, Tricia had me cracking up. I love her take on the whole mom thing, and can totally relate. Add to that her love of the high end accessory, and I am not surprised at how well she has scored in this competition. I swear to you, Tricia, you and I will be sporting those Hermes bracelets...maybe not this week, maybe not this year, but someday...trust me. Well done, well done.
Number 2: Stacy--with 249 points (told you it was close) Stacy really pulled out in front once she introduced the spread sheet--and then clinched it with the poetry. A super nice touch, which scored really well. Stacy played a masterful game, not really relying on speed, but confident in her ability to score the EC, and score she did. --between the jokes, the comments, (shrunken apple head, Stephen Tyler) her math skills and her rhyming ability, Stacy was a true competitor. You get second pick, Stacy--hope you get what you want.
Number 1, that's right, Number 1--John/Capone...With 304 enormous points. You did it, dude. YOU ARE THE WINNER!! YOU'RE NUMBER ONE, YOU'RE NUMBER ONE!! (time to do the "churn the butter" dance) Really, once you jumped in, was there any doubt? You ALWAYS finished in the money--right answers, major speed, and a total flair for the comments. The golf knowledge was just an added bonus. Once Jamarcus p*$$ied out, it was totally yours to win. And win you did. Honestly, John never, ever let down and he brought the entire level of the competition AND the blog up a huge notch. thanks for being on the show. You get first pick of the fabulous prizes and then it will go from there. Take your time with the picking up. It's a tough choice...tickets, booze, bracelet, gift card, rosary??? so many options, all of them AWESOME!!

So, that ends the Holy and Lowly Challenge. I know I had a good time. Hope you all did, too. Happy, Happy Easter everyone. I hope your day is filled with chocolate, eggs, great food, friends and family. And if you got nothing else from this competition, it's all about balancing the Holy and the Lowly. And having some fun along the way. Winners, let me know the prizes you want and I will arrange for delivery...again, thanks and congrats to all.

I will close this out with a little quote from Chris' friend Kevin (the college boys just left for Mass....nice to see. They really are great guys) as he came down and saw his Easter basket: "An Easter Basket, a money Egg Hunt AND eternal life? I LOVE Easter"   (holy and lowly, baby, holy and lowly)

Have a great day. Top Tens return with the next post...your welcome.

HOLY AND LOWLY: LAST SUPPER

I know, this isn't actually the last supper, (and I know that the Last Supper actually is commemorated on Holy Thursday, so don't be sending me any emails or corrections. It just makes a nice title) but it is the last night of questions. Sorry to be posting so late. Long day, still jet lagged AND I spent the last several hours trying to find the answer to that Liz Lemon question. John, did she really say she could read people minds?? I thought she said she was a hologram...that was the answer I was looking for, but I must confess, John always seems to find some other answer that I didn't know existed, and then I have to apologize and eat my words and award EC points for my errors. So, I'm just giving everyone credit for the answer John said, because even after watching hours of 30 Rock video, I still can't find anything saying she can read people's minds, and the only thing I saw about jury duty was the excerpt from last night, where Liz Lemon, dressed as Princess Leia, said she was a hologram....But in reality, who are we kidding? the correctness points don't really mean shit anymore, it's all about the Extra Credit.

Last night's/today's comments were beyond excellent. I loved the poems, the jokes, the banter, the "remember whens" and all the love. Do not worry, there will be many posts and I will start another contest in May sometime..so none of us ever really have to say good bye. But I do think Stacy is right, we may need a little break after this one. Imagine, while you all are waiting for me to post up, I am simultaneously trying to make dinner, listen to Posey chatter about the latest Littlest Pet Shop animal, getting a rugby recap from Jack, pretending like I care about Dave McKeon's work life, watching prime time TV,  folding laundry, and scoring the blog...it's harder than it looks. And scoring the comments from last night's post was the hardest yet.

A little aside to Tricia: Do not feel bad about getting the "tooth brushing" letter from Dr. Crawford. We've gotten that a million times. It's a total boy thing. They never brush well enough and two of our boys have actually swallowed pieces of their braces that "somehow" broke off. No big deal. But here is our best Dr. Crawford story. a few years ago, Jack was getting his recheck from Dr. Crawford and was between sets of braces (yes, one set of braces is never enough for the McKeon children...we like to do two and sometimes three phases of orthodontia...I was so proud when Dr. Crawford's daughter graduated from dental school, because I know that I single handedly  paid her tuition...). Dr. Crawford did his examination of Jack to make sure that he was ready for round two, and said, "Well, Jack, I can tell that you haven't been wearing your retainer" and Jack looked at him and said in all seriousness: "I have a retainer???" That about sums up the relationship between boys and their braces..

Now, scoring tonight is rather tricky, because several of you have stopped actually answering the questions and instead, provide big sweeping paragraphs with the answer implied or embedded. (this means you, Brenna/Kim and sometimes Sue) and again, while correctness is only worth a few points, it does factor into the speed points, which can add up ...so I've done my best to try and keep track..Here goes:
John: 2 for being right (as long as the mind reading thing is correct--and I'm not sure it is, but I'm afraid to say it's not) and 6 for being first with both--total thus far: 8
Judy: 2 for being correct and I'm giving you 3 also for the Liz Lemon "dress funny and talk in a funny voice answer" but I'm not sure if you ever said the "harrowing of Hades" which should be the answer to the Holy question but then again you had a bunch of holy stuff in your answer, so I gave you correctness points and only one speed point Your total= 6
Suechi: 2 for being correct, and I gave you 4 speed points because I think you were second with both answers, again, as long as the whole "reading minds" thing is correct. Your total=6
Tricia: 2 for being correct )thanks for using the 1.  2.. format. Makes my job much easier...and I gave you the 1 speed point for the Liz Lemon thing...your total 3.
Sara, Mrs. Sarge, Kim, Louis--You all get two correctness points (again, based on the premise that John has some deep insight into Liz Lemon's jury duty episode that I couldn't find...if anyone knows otherwise, feel free to let me know)

I just want to let you know, that you all can feel free to appeal the correctness and speed scoring, if it comes down to a one point difference and I will gladly hear your case...but the EC points are totally subjective and all up to me...And here is how I've divvied up the 200 BIG, BIG points.

Brian: 10 points for providing answers to questions I should have asked--and anyone who brings up Chet Copick is a friend of mine. Your total tonight--10
Louis: 10 EC points for all of your random comments, for letting us eavesdrop on your love life, and for making us all laugh. ...12 for you
Mrs.Sarg: 20 EC points in sympathy for the broken furnace, for all the niceness, and for the Easter memories--22 points for you as well.
Kim: 20  EC points for all of the Holy comments and for confessing that you don't know who Liz Lemon is...nice to know someone's life is not ruled by television=22 for you
Judy: 20 for you. The failed lamb cakes make me laugh repeatedly. I'm with John, just go buy one...26 for you tonight
Tricia: 30 EC points for you. The USC jokes were a riot, and I too am so over the whole low carb thing. It  worked for a while, but now, I'm going no where with it and just want to eat a box of donuts..33 for you. Have you caught up to John yet? I hope Stacy is updating the chart, because I've totally lost track.
Sue: 40 very big points for you. So excellent with the poem, I totally loved it and I will make that egg thing for Easter and promise I will cook the sausage.
Stacy: 50 EC points for your masterpiece. It is a work of art and I couldn't have enjoyed it more. ..I only with I had more EC left to give you. Like I said, you have set the EC bar very high...keep it up.

Scoring tonight was beyond difficult. There are another 200 points to be awarded for tonight's questions. These are the last set and I'm hoping to make them good. I will then score tomorrow and announce the winners sometime on Sunday. (I hope Stacy has updated "the chart" or it may take me a little while),

Here are tonight's questions:
1. What is the most important Mass of the liturgical year?
2. Abby McClure is a single mother who begins to date again. At one point in the film, Abby's suitor comes over to discuss why she's giving him the brush off. Name: 1. the film, 2. The actress who plays Abby, 3. Abby's suitor and 4. name the two items he brings with him to woo her back...
Sorry this is being posted so late. I'm trying to find great questions and trying to be fair with the scoring , the EC and the whole deal. No top ten...again...it's just so late. I will give you guys all day tomorrow and well into the night to answer the questions. I will very fittingly reveal the winners early on Easter Sunday morning--
Good luck with that 4 parter and don't forget...now is the time to WOW me with your EC prowess...good, good luck to all...you are playing for the booze...and a bunch of other stuff..

HOLY AND LOWLY: HOLY THURSDAY?

Tonight will be a very quick post because I am suffering from delayed jet lag....and really need to go to bed earlier than usual. Also, Chris just got home with his posse, and in their honor, I just finished making 5 dozen chocolate chip cookies. I also made prime rib for Dave, because he is a living, breathing carb shunning spartan.... The boys, all ten of them, went off to Wingstop, our back up  kitchen, but will be back soon for food round 2: cookies and cheetos...or some other awesome combination like that.

Last night's questions once again raised some controversy. According to my sources, Perry Mason only lost one case. I'm not sure where everyone else is getting their answers, but you all sound pretty convincing. I will hold my ground on the Tamara Mellon/Jimmy Choo answer because I am a shoe expert, but this whole Perry Mason thing? I'm not sure. So, because I do not want to ace anyone out of these critical points at this critical time--I will accept one, two or three (or all of the above, Sara)  However, the  Holy answer is Fig Monday. (Sue and Kim, did you say Fig Monday? I couldn't tell. There were an awful lot of words in Sue's answer, and the word fig was in there so I'm counting it--for Kim, too)

Here's how the regular and speed points shake:
Brian: 1 for the Perry Mason question (did you answer the Holy question at all? ) and 3 for being first with it. I hope you are in this contest because you just got 4 points
Sara: 2 for being right, and 2 for being second with the Perry Mason question=4
Tricia: 2 for being right and 2 for being second with Fig Monday=4
John: 2 for being right and 3 for being first with Fig Monday and 1 for being third with Perry Mason=6
Suechi: 2 for being right (I think) and 1 for being third with the holy question ( I think fig monday was implied in your answer...)=3
Judy, Stacy, Kim, Louis and Irish Pete: all get 2.
I have not heard from Chris, Amy or Mrs Sarge--I waited as long as I could, but I really need to go get some sleep...sorry you guys, you can make it up over the next two 200 point days.
Here is some EC:
John: 10 pts for the US list=14 for you
Sara: 10 pts for jumping back in the game=14
Sue; 10 pts for the lengthy Raymond Burr and Holy lesson=13
Kim: 10 pts for the seat kicking story=12
Judy: 10 pts for the PhD in Perry Mason losses=12
Brian: 50 pts for refusing to google or wikipedia the answers. Who says honesty and innate knowledge doesn't pay? If you clean up these next two nights, Brian Pond, you could easily end up in the money. Nice job.
Special aside to Stacy--I know that you can't post from your hotel. No worries, keep emailing me, and once Jamarcus fixes my email, I will add your comments to the mix. Other aside to Stacy, just blew the protein diet for a spoon full of cookie dough. Whenever I get tired, all bets are off...and I could live on cookie dough, I have lived on cookie dough...

Very well done to all with the extra credit. You have two more chances to wow me with your humor, knowledge, talents and skills. 200 extra credit points ride on tonight's questions. No pressure, but let's not forget just how special that bead bracelet is, let alone those Long Island Iced Teas...so, bring it home people. Don't ease up now. Kick to the finish.
Here are tonight's questions:

1. What event is associated with Holy Saturday in the Coptic Church?
2. Why did Liz Lemons say that she shouldn't have to serve jury duty?  

Remember, 200 EC points are on the line here. Answer the questions, give it your best shot and may the best man/woman/child win.

HOLY AND LOWLY: IN THE HOME STRETCH

Though thoroughly jet lagged, we are back in the US and had some KFC grilled chicken on our way home from O'Hare to prove it (Stacy, I am still on the no carb diet, but just barely...and  kind of took a pass toward the end of our trip.) And now I am posting up some quick questions as we head into the Home stretch of the Holy and Lowly Challenge. We have one heck of a race and those Heinzmanns are out in front. I keep trying to find ways to deny them points, but in good, Holy and Lowly conscious I just can't. They are always right, they are very fast and they are really great with the comments...the H & L trifecta. What can I say?

But, do not despair. As we head into the final days of Holy Week and the final days of this contest (the last questions will be posted on Good Friday--very fitting), starting tomorrow the EC points go up to 200, with one person able to earn 100 EC points at once, so it is still very much anyone's game. So, to be clear, tonight's question have 100 EC points at stake, tomorrow's and Friday's have 200 EC points each night, so even after tonight's scoring, there is still 500 points to be had. Bring your A games and let's see how this whole thing plays out.

It's very nice to be home, and I must report that the boys did a great job keeping the house neat, their sister alive and themselves out of jail. They exceeded my expectations. Our trip was wonderful--a real highlight from start to finish. Dave McKeon was a total champ, because in all  honesty, once he walked off the 18th green at St. Andrews, (or maybe after the four beers and the Long Islands at the Jigger Inn) it was all down hill for him. But he saw all the sights in London, fed all of Annie's friends, marked time on the bench outside Harrods, hardly complained at all this morning as we cabbed back to Harrod's to pick up the big Longchamp wheelie bag (it is indeed beautiful--I almost hated seeing it go down the conveyor belt into luggage underworld because I was afraid it would get dirty or stolen--don't worried, it made it out the other side unscathed) and did it all while paying in pounds--(the exchange rate blows) After we packed up all of Annie's winter things, (which she brought to our hotel in three shredded recycling bags--class all the way) we said good bye to our daughter (who was in the throws of finishing an 8 page paper...) and headed to the airport. Where we promptly got upgraded to business class with the sweet bigger seats, better food and free drinks--very nice way to end a stellar trip. (note to Louis: I will never go to a hostel. I wouldn't even have done it in college. I have huge issues with dirt, bugs, bad linens, etc. Annie wouldn't even let me see her flat because she knew it would send me over the edge--this is not a joke. I am only a tiny bit kidding when I say if I found out we had bed bugs or head lice, I would burn my house down and just start over)

London is so historic, so architecturally interesting, and so busy. You could stay for weeks and weeks and still see something new. (we missed the entire Chelsea area and only circled Hyde Park) Scotland was beautiful in an entirely different way, much calmer, much greener (though the parks in London are plentiful and gorgeous) and so friendly. I have a feeling that the McKeons will be in Scotland again...we really loved it.

On to tonight's scoring. Thanks for the update Stacy. This is way closer that I thought and as I said above, it is still anyone's game to win. Once again, Tricia buzzed in first with both AND and Tamara Mellon. Sorry, I didn't mean to mislead you guys--according to both Vanity Fair and CNBC Europe, Tamara Mellon is the founder of Jimmy Choo. Her backstory is fascinating...I read that Vanity Fair article about her a few years ago and was intrigued. So here are the scores:
Tricia: 2 (for the correct answers) plus 6 more for being first with both. You are moving up fast and tonight's 8 points will only help.
Jamarcus: 2 for being right and 2 for being second with the Holy=4
Louis: 2 for being right and 2 for being second with the lowly and 1 for being second with the holy=5
Stacy: 2 for being right and 1 for being third with the lowly=3
John, Judy, Suechi, Kim, Pete and Mrs.Sarge: 2 points for all of you.
Now, on to the Extra credit--and let me tell you, this was tough to decide because their were so many admirable things going on in the YCSMIHK blog community.
John: 10 EC points for you for giving the boys such great "dating" advice. I love to hear your dating stories and love even more when you share your wisdom with each other. I'd give you more EC, but you are WAY out in front, man, and I need to keep it close. Your total: 12 (but keep the many advice coming, because I got nothing)
Louis: 10 points for you for making nice with the crowd and for even imagining that I would go anywhere near a hostel. 15 for you tonight.
Judy: 10 points for the handicapped lamb cake. Nice work-12 for you.
Tricia: 10 points for your great stories and constant enthusiasm. I loved the list and the blond jokes your total: 18
Stacy: 10 points for you, too. The concert story was a total crack up, especially for me. While you were obviously a fifteen year old who looked older, I was a fifteen year old who looked like I was maybe eleven. One New Years Eve, I had a babysitting job for a family I didn't know (someone one of my sisters baby sat for, but because they were all  older and cooler than me, they all had New Year's Eve plans,...I did not) and when the mom came to pick me up (I was fifteen and babysitting a ten year old) she said "Are you sure you are old enough to babysit? You are smaller than my daughter..."  Not exactly what every fifteen year old girl wants to hear...13 for you tonight
Kim: 10 points EC for you, too. Your comments are always insightful and make me smile. 12 for you tonight.
Mrs. Sarge: 20 points for you. The Sarge story was priceless and I loved the way you told it. Great advice for the youngsters and a great reminder to all of us about those first heady days of young love.
Sara: 20 points for you. Get back in the game, missy--It's On.

OK, I think that is 100 points. Remember, tonight's questions have 100 EC points attached and then 200 each night for Thursday and Friday's questions. And speaking of questions: here are the one's for tonight:

1. What other name is Holy Monday sometimes known by?
2. 'Perry Mason' lost how many cases?

Hope someone is awake to answer these brain benders. Time to make your move, Sara. Good luck. I'm going to to bed.

HOLY AND LOWLY: GOES TO HARRODS

Today the McKeon's went to Harrods and did some shopping on Bond Street. It was pretty awesome (for me and Annie--poor Dave McKeon sat outside Door Number 5 and texted me every twenty minutes or so to see if I was ever coming out) If you have not been to Harrods (and until today, I was among the unitiated) and you enjoy looking at an unprecedented amount of high end consumer goods, you should go there. If you are Dave McKeon or any other un metrosexualized dude (don't ask, the amount of unmanly men's clothes at Harrods was a huge issue for Dave and somehow, Harrods is to blame for the feminization of the American male...consider yourselves lucky--you are getting the much shorter, edited version of Mr. McKeon's rant), you should quickly find the bench outside Door number 5 and get comfortable.

Quite frankly, Harrods has everything, including truffles, Krispy Kreme donuts, Prada shoes, and a $4,000 chihuahua. They also have a Longchamp wheelie bag that I will be going back for in the morning. We need a bag to bring Annie's excess  baggage home (no more overweight luggage for the McKeons) and I really want a nice piece of luggage with wheels. I would have bought it today, but we went directly from Harrods to the theater and even I would have been embarrassed to wheel a big ass bag into the matinee performance of Jersey Boys. (as someone in Harrods said to me when I said that I would be back tomorrow to buy the bag as we were going to see Jersey boys--"What? You can't go a week without hearing a bad American accent?"  --those Brits, just a laugh a minute) But back to Harrods--there is a boatload of stuff there. It really would take a couple of days to scope the merchandise out thoroughly before pulling the trigger on just about anything other than the Krispy Kremes--it's pretty overwhelming actually but I muscled up, made a few easily carried purchases, and tagged the bag for later. Yeah, I'm a pro...Oh, btw, also genuflected in the big Burberry store, (but truth be told, the have just as good of a selection in the US) and made a brief pilgrimage to Hermes--want the H bracelet, but actually want the suitcase more...sophie's choice and all that...

Then we went to Jersey Boys, which was very good, and which Dave McKeon really enjoyed. Our seats were fab and it was fun to spend the entire day with Annie (her classes in this extremely academically challenging program for which we are paying top dollar were cancelled for the day--shocker there)  and get to see her stomping grounds. We then went to a real English Pub for dinner (with Joe the Brit and her friend Catherine) where I had fish and chips for the first time. While I enjoyed the cultural experiment, I have to confess, now that I have a little distance from the fish and chips, that it is a bit like White Castles--tasted great going down, now ...maybe not such a tasty treat sensation... As both Kim and Suechi reported, the food situation is not really all that great--I should have just gotten a dozen Krispy Kremes and called it a day.

On to all the H & L news: the correct answer for the Holy was William Tynedale--there is a statue of him outside our hotel and there was also an article about him in Vanity Fair. I know, I know, there's some debate here, but William was the answer I was looking for. (don't worry John Capone, you will get your 2 correctness points) And you all got the Hard Rock dudes dead on. Word on the street (actually word on our tour bus was that the two dudes who started the Hard Rock were from Wisconsin...not so sure about this one and too hard to look in up right now. I'm on Dave Mckeon's lap top and he hates to share...) So, here are the scores:
Tricia-2 for being right, and 6 for being first with BOTH questions--Heinzmanns rule. 8 for now
Suechi-2 for being right and 4 for being second with both questions--6 for you
Irish Pete--2 for being right and 2 for being third with both questions--total of 4
I'd like to thank these three for making the scoring so easy.
John, Jamarcus, Stacy, Louis, Kim, MrsSarge, Judy--all get 2 and now for the big 100 points of EC:
Louis: 10 big EC points for the "Skye's the limit" line..nice turn of phrase--Your total 12
John: 10 for always digging a little deeper into the questions and for keeping me on my toes. Your total: 12
MrsSarge: 10 for encouraging Louis in his travelogue career--12 for you:
Irish Pete: 10 for the jokes, especially the Irish one 14 for you tonight. I will see you tomorrow night, and your room better be clean. and untie your grandmother...she needs to go walk her neurotic dog.
Suechi: 20 points for filling me in on all of the Bible translating knowledge and for your nice comments about Josephine Capelli. --brings your total to 26
Tricia: 20 points for the IRS pointers (don't even mention taxes this month to Dave McKeon--you think the "metrosexual" rant is long and loud) and for having to deal with any sort of vomit, ever..28 very large points
Kim: 20 EC points for you, too. I love your kindness and compassion. You are the epitome of all that is good and kind on this blog. thanks. and 22 points for you.

this race is heating up. And we are all heading into the home stretch.. I'm not quite sure when I will post up tomorrow--a travel day and I have to go get that suitcase early...Here are tonight's questions:
1. What word is used the most in the Bible?
2. Who founded Jimmy Choo?

These are both pretty simple questions and it may come down to speed on these--but for real scoring, go for the Extra Credit--there is another 100 points at stake. Good bloody luck.  See you back in the states.

HOLY AND LOWLY: LONDON, DAY TWO

We had a very action packed day here in London. Here are the takeaways:

1. I have no sense of direction. This morning on my run, (shocker alert) I got lost...Dave totally warned me, (sad to say, this is not the first time I've gotten disoriented on an out of town run) and our hotel is right along the Thames and directly across from the London Eye (our hotel--The Royal Horseguards--is truly beautiful and right along the lovely Whitehall park), but still, despite my best efforts, I got lost. I was totally sticking to one street, then got a little cocky, entered St. James Park, and it was all down hill from there. Good news: some British dude got me back on track, and totally didn't mock me when I asked where the park was and he pointed like a foot in front of me...(dumbass American..)
2. British people dress much nicer than Americans--sorry it's true. Deal with it or take off the dockers, reeboks and fanny packs.
3. British food kind of sucks--it just does. John's grilled nachos would be haute cuisine
4. There is a monument every five feet in London, and I need to stop and read all of them, much to Dave McKeon's chagrin,
5. I don't know shit about British history --kind of thought I did, but nope, I sure as hell don't and I am so disappointed in myself. My dad--a total Anglophile, always quoting the magna carta and such--is turning over in his grave. I actually asked the woman managing the crowds at Parliament to remind me once again, who Oliver Cromwell was and if he was a good guy or a bad guy...like the British dude who helped me find my way back to the hotel, she did not mock me to my face...(dumbass, American)
6. Actually, most of my historical British knowledge comes from American movies like "Mary Poppins" (saw the steps where that bag lady sang "Tuppence") "My Fair Lady", Harry Potter and "The King's Speech".
7. I could identify like one out of every twenty monuments that we came across. (When was the battle of Waterloo? Who is Traflagar? Who is Matthew Parker? That is the tip of the iceberg) Thank God for the Abraham Lincoln statue over by Westminister Abbey. score one for the Patriots.
8. For some reason, there are like fifty million people in London this week. I guess between the almost Easter Holidays, the impending Royal Wedding, and the near seventy degree weather today, every man woman and child was out on the streets and blocking the sidewalks today. Dave McKeon just loved that...he LOVES waiting line for a luke warm diet coke that costs 3 pounds and is the size of a thimble and he couldn't mention that more...
9. The architecture in London is so beautiful. The buildings are huge, ornate and jaw dropping. Here is the problem: there are so many of them, that you cannot actually use them as land marks, same with all the fancy marble arches--"turn right at the big marble arch" is not really as helpful as you would think.  
10. Spring for the hop on-hop off bus tour and then push all the Indian tourists aside (including the guy with only one arm) and sprint to get a seat on the top deck. (I am not proud of this, but it is a true story) Seriously, I learned a ton on this tour and was the tour guides favorite because I was literally hanging on his every word. (as opposed to the couple from Brazil sitting in front of us who kept talking on their cell phones in Portuguese--finally the guide told them to go find the multi-lingual bus tour...)
11. Finally, Annie's friends are all super nice including her British date boy Joe (he has some fancy English name but I can't remember it) who had the great good sense to talk mergers and acquisitions with Dave McKeon and dress like a young Hugh Grant for Laurie McKeon and thus make a great impression on us. Sorry, shids, he still can't dunk, but on the upside, he and five "mates" took an entire road trip across the "States" based on reliving the finer moments of the Man vs. Food show...so he gots that going for him.

I could go on for ever, but enough about me, let's move on to you all. Nice work answering last night's questions, especially the Golf Captain one. How the hell do you find these things? Dave McKeon did play golf with David Watt and with that Lady Captain too. He was in heaven because they knew the inside scoop on all things St. Andrews. And here are last night's scores:
John: 2 for being right, 3 for being first with the Golf Captain, and 2 for being second with the Monk=7
Jamarcus: 2 for being right, 3 for being first with the Monk question and 2 for being second with the David Watt answer..Your total, also 7--this is one close race
Tricia: 2 for being right, 2 for being third with both questions: total =4
Judy, MrsSarge, Suechi, Pete, Stacy, Kim, Louis, Amy: 2 for all of you. And thanks for the great comments.
Now, here is how the 50 EC points shake out:
Jamarcus: 10 big points--love the Monk trivia, and the Pete smack down--go out there and make Monk proud with another bookstore victory. that's 17 for you-not bad, not bad
Judy: --10 points for you, for managing out of town dinner guests AND the world's best blog..Your multitasking skills bring your night's total to 12.
Irish Pete--10 points for you for mocking Chris, (always makes me laugh) and this since we didn't get you a hat from St. Andrews, I hope these ten points help ease the sting...12 for you
Stacy--10 points for you--thanks for noting the 25,000 hits AND for sharing the "rest room" story. I had the same thing happen to me today. Good news for me, I'm not pregnant. 12 points for you.)
Kim/Brenna: 10 points for you for sharing the "swingers' story AND for the London pointers. All very useful to me. 12 for you as well.
Well, fellas, look like we have ourselves a contest--and Louis, we would love to have you for the Easter Holiday. Big, McKeon egg hunt--for money. It's a family tradition and makes the college kids work for their beer money...Just a warning: starting tomorrow night, I will be awarding 100 EC points...It's gonna get ugly in the H&L contest...Now, for tonight's questions:
1. Who was the first person to translate the Bible from Ancient Greek into English?
2. Who opened the first Hard Rock Cafe? Where was it and when was it opened?

Good luck with these questions as we head into the final week of the Holy and Lowly Challenge. It's getting better every day. And wish me luck as I singlehandedly attempt to bring back the British Empire's economic superiority one Burberry bag at a time. (actually, I am hoping to score an Orla Kiely wheelie bag--wish me luck) No top ten, this is long enough.

HOLY AND LOWLY: THE LONDON DAYS

Hello, all, we are now in London. I must say, we were very sad to leave Scotland behind. The people were amazing and St. Andrews was totally our kind of place--great hotel, great golf, super friendly people, a beautiful beach and a  lot of history. London seems very cool, but the people are no where near as friendly. Example: Bob, the car driver from Edinborough to St. Andrews is now Dave McKeon's best friend. They shared many right wing global political view points, golfing stories, and business insights.  Bob will probably be receiving a McKeon Christmas card, and is now on the short list for God father to our proverbial Ethiopian daughter. Bob came back to St. Andrews to drive us back to Edinborough and got a BIG FAT tip from Mr. McKeon (who was in a terrific mood because he not only played the Old Course, but also played the Duke's course, and met the Golf Captain --whatever that means--and got to talk golf history and trivia with him--Interesting side note to Dave McKeon's golf this morning: for those of you who recall, in celebration of his historic round of golf at the Old Course, Dave imbibed at the JIgger Inn--as he said "I only had 4 beers before Mass" and then proceeded to have a few Long Island Iced Teas in the Library at the hotel after mass, followed by a few more beers with dinner...Needless to say, someone slept through his tee time. However, in what appears to be gracious typical Scottish behavior, the pro shop acted like this was totally no big deal, sent a van for him, got him off as a single, and got him off the course in plenty of time to make our flight! Kim, this is why we did not go near a car...I can barely drive in the US, and Dave when not on the golf course, was really in no shape to get behind the wheel..).

In contrast to our bffs in St. Andrews, When we landed at Heathrow, we had to beg some sury cabbie to accept a credit card to drive us into London and let up us pay the upcharge. Then, the dude didn't even speak to us at all, and it was all he could do to open the door so Dave could grab our bags....He got NO tip from big Dave. Needless to say, he will not be our driver of choice for the next few days. But the city looks fabulous and tomorrow we hit the London Eye and all the palacey stuff. I can't wait. Dave McKeon can wait--he had his fun, he knows it, and now he just has to roll his eyes and pay the freight as we progress though London.

Great, great job with Friday night's tough questions. You guys are a riot. John, and Judy, excellent strategy naming every single girls name ever invented. John, you got it first--nice work. Maybe my kids should pay attention a little more when I tell them very interesting and educational stories about my youth. Chris, nice call remembering that Science Fair story--I actually did get some big award at the Illinois State Science Fair for some project that I totally stole from a book. I did build it all myself and truth be told, in 8th grade I looked like a 5th grader, so I think all the judges thought I was way younger and way smarter than I really was---I only wish that were the case today. And I was super tan the summer I met Dave McKeon--my boss used to call me Pocohantas as she made me go down stairs in our building to buy her cigarettes and lottery tickets (don't ask...anything that got me out of making copies was ok by me). I am pretty sure you cannot make those sorts of comments to co workers any more. but I took no offense. I was happy to be so tan.

John, sorry about the bike--aren't people just such shidiots???All day long--particularly in their jobs--if you tell the McKeon brothers cartel who this shid is and where he lives, they will take it from there. That is the way they roll...they look out for their friends.
 Here are the scores from Friday, and I hope that Stacy/John are still handling the big board:
John: 2 for  being correct, 3 for getting Alexandra first, 1 for getting Myrtle third=6
Chris: 2 for being right, 2 for being second with Alexandra=4 (Chris McKeon bookstore basketball update--Chris and team tighty whitey won another bookstore game today and are now in the group of 64. Nice job, Jimmer wannabee)=4
Tricia: 2 for correctness, 3 for being first with Myrtle BOOM=5
Louis: 2 for being right, 2 for being second with Myrtle=4
Mrs. Sarge: 2 for being right, 1 for being 3rd with Alexandra=3
Stacy, Amy, Judy, Suechi, Kim, Pete: 2 for all of you.

This just in--things are looking up in London--Dave McKeon just realized that he can watch tv in the shower in our overpriced hotel room. He is now watching golf high lights while he is showering. That may just ease the sting of being snubbed by our cab driver, the Nigerian concierge at our hotel, our German waitress and the Asian bartender.

Now, time for the extra credit: Tricia and John get to split 10 points to help them feel better for the shid at the bike shop and because both of them were cracking me up with their comments and John's golf trivia. So, John: you've got 11 for the night and Tricia you've got 10. Nice job, Heinzmanns. You guys are sweeping this contest.  I'm impressed.
Mrs. Sarge: 10 points for always being so nice and complimentary of everyone on the blog. Niceness counts and has earned you 12 points for the night.
Kim/Brenna: 10 big points for you. I didn't know any of that stuff about St. Alexandra, like I said, I picked the name out of love for my second grade teacher AND my sponsor was my Aunt Sandy, who's real name was Sandra, which my mom felt was close enough to Alexandra to be legit...I guess...a 12 point night for you. And again, hang in there. Every day will get a little better than the one before...trust me.
Finally, for the first time in blog history, I am awarding someone 20 EC points at once, and that someone is you, Amy: 20 points for the sick baby AND mostly for that whole Brownie thing. You are a saint/masochist-a Brownie camping overnight? what are you? crazy??? when I was a camp counselor, every single week the girls in my cabin would beg to sleep outside on the beach and camp out. Every single week I told them no, and talked them into making homemade icecream. good fun was had by all...22 big points for Amy. Way to get back into the hunt and I hope Luke is doing ok.

Now, time for today's questions: I don't think I can top Fridays questions, but I will try:
1. What is the name of the Catholic Grade School that Monk Malloy attended?
2. What is the name of the men's "Golf Captain" of the Duke's Course in St. Andrews?

That is as good as I can do tonight. I'm not sure how hard or easy this one's are. I think that second one may be a little tricky. Now, here is a Top Ten:

1. The original movie M*A*S*H-still a classic
2. Bob the driver for hire in Edinborough.
3. Victoria the spa manager at the Old Course Hotel
4. The chocolate and caramel tart at Rocca
5. Jack Wills--a cool British clothing store
6. The Old Course at St. Andrews--it totally lives up to the hype
7. The Jigger Inn--totally old school and a great outdoor patio (Stacy, your comment cracked me up no offense taken
8. The tartan plaid little golf bag Dave got from Malcolm the starter
9. Joules- another fun store in the UK
10. Annie McKeon--so great to see her, so great to see that she can navigate her international life style

Ok, go answer these questions. And I am going to bed. It's midnight here...Look for tomorrow's questions hopefully a little earlier . good night.

HOLY AND LOWLY: IN THE UK, BABY

Hello to my friends in the colonies, I am telling you, I LOVE Scotland. It is totally amazing. We are staying at the Old Course Hotel at St.Andrews (the one you see on TV when the British Open is at the Old Course) and it is sooo great. Really great. View of the 18th tee great, high tea in the conservatory great, reading books in the library great, strolling through the historic college great. I am living like Edith Rockefeller McCormick...And did you all know, that in Edith Rockefeller McCormick style, Herb Kohler owns all of this Old St. Andrews stuff now? It is true. I think I had read that somewhere, but kind of forgot about it. The Assistant Manager (Victoria--my new bff) of our hotel told me all about it, as she gave us a tour of the grounds. There is even a Kohler water spa in this hotel. Somehow I need to get to know Herb Kohler, very well, very soon. I think he could hook me up with some unbelievable amenities. I am not kidding when I say, I am overwhelmed by the beauty, history and graciousness of St. Andrews.

But the best thing of all is seeing Annie. She looks terrific, is so much fun and is ridiculously appreciative of the level of luxury she is immersed in right now, (she is sleeping on the pull out sofa in our suite--she says it is way nicer than her flat and way, way nicer than the hostels she's been frequenting on her European boondoggle--good to know) Even Dave McKeon is mesmerized by the place. He is teeing it up tomorrow and let's hope it is everything he has ever dreamed of .

As promised, I posted my questions yesterday and I thought they were really good ones. Thanks, Judy for noting that, but obviously they weren't good enough to stop you all from answering them so quickly. I really thought that the Lake Forest/Carol Beach one would stump you all for a while. I just want to get it out there that I totally knew that whole Rockefeller Lake Forest, Carol Beach connection already. For some reason, this is the sort of junk that fills my brain. Jane, was I the one who told you about it, or did you know this one too? Oh, and for the St. Patrick answer, anything outside Ireland is good enough for me--though my sources say he was born in Britain. Any how, nice job,  people. Here are the scores (and thanks again, John and Stacy, for keeping the tally board for me)
Judy:2 for being right, 3 for being first with the Holy and 1 for being third with the lowly and 10 for noting just how stellar those questions were and for all your kind wishes. Big Total: 16 for you
Jane: 2 for being right, 3 for being first with the Lowly. Welcome back to the blog. 5 points for you
John: 2 for being right, 2 for being second with the holy AND 10 for the best Edith Rockefeller McCormick answer and the hysterical monkey joke. your total: 14
Mrs.Sarge: 2 for being right, 2 for being second with the Holy and 1 for being third with the lowly. 5 big points for you.
Stacy: 2 for correctness, and 10 for the link, and all the Kenosha updates. thanks for keeping me current. 12 big points for you.
Irish Pete: 2 for being right. Where are the jokes, son? I hope you and your brothers do not have nana locked up in a closet somewhere.
Tricia: 2 for being right and 10 for saying I'm young. 12 points for you, too. and no, Big Dave did not go to LFHS. He went to Carmel in Indiana. Only his two younger siblings went to LF. Dave was already in college when his parents moved to Lake Forest-
Louis: 2 and congrats on the brilliant, beautiful future Mrs. Louis. If fabriclondon is as cool as you say, EC will be yours for the tip.
Sue Chi: 2 for being right and 10 for the recipe. Keep them coming. It will be a miracle if I can keep the no carb thing up for this week....I watched Annie eating a lemon tart tonight and kind of wanted to cry.
Jamarcus: 2 for being right and 10 EC for the full on biography of St. Patrick and for making it to the final 100--it's kind of like the final four, but about 25 times as easy.. Show PsychoB what you've got and  go beat some body. 12 for you tonight.
I know I gave away 60 EC points tonight, but I am so super tired I just couldn't narrow it down. I haven't slept in a very long time and I am pretty much seeing double. Here are tonight's questions:

1. What is my confirmation name? good luck with this one.  Don't go all Capone on me, John. It is a holy question. I'm sure my kids don't even know it, and I know you can't google it, so now let's see who can find these answers without the aid of technology
2. What is the name of the wife of the linguist (played by Jeffery Rush) in the King's Speech?             

Well, that's all I've got; I will post a big bunch of top tens tomorrow, I am going to bed, Good luck with that holy answer...seriously. 

H& L: ON THE FLY

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go...seriously, I am ready to go. Just waiting for Dave McKeon to come strolling in with my international cell phone. He is totally cursing my name. He told me to go get my phone switched out for some international one, and I blew it off yesterday...I was busy..He has an international phone and his laptop, Annie has hers, if my phone doesn't get switched over, it's not the end of the world, but he kept hassling me, so I said, "I'll drop it off at the phone place, you take it from there" Little did he know that this was like an all day affair...which is probably why I should have gotten it done yesterday (oops) .Well, big Dave has been waiting for a significant period of time, has called to chastise me twice already (I told him to just forget the phone...if someone needs me, they'll find me, or him) but I know this will come up in delicate conversation at some point during our nine hour transatlantic flight...Like hours 1 through 8...

Anyhow, very quick post, because we have got to run. Stacy, John and Jamarcus. I am leaving all scoring in your very capable hands. I got nothing, and you all lost me after google..Jamarcus, since you do not have to live under the reign on Nana for this next week, make this link thing happen, please.

Sorry about the cardis/capris confusion---it was kind of a quick flash up there and I was only partially paying attention. I really don't know how you all  find every single flipping answer so quickly...magic, voodoo, who knows? But, here are the scores in a very quick format: (remember, I've got 50 EC points to give away)
 John/Capone: 2 for being right, 6 for being first with both the holy and the lowly, and 10 EC points for figuring out that link thing...(and for making me laugh with the Capone---love the competitive spirit) your big ass total: 18  If you win this thing, you better be getting that bracelet for your lovely wife!
Jamarcus: 2 for being right, 4 for being second with both=6 . You figure out this link thing and big EC will come your way
Judy: 2 for being right and 1 for being third with the holy=3
Stacy: 2 for being right and 10 EC for being smart. Thanks for keeping score and doing the big sheet (you do realize that I cannot continue to give you and John points for this don't you? Take them while you can)=12
Sue: 2 for being right--C'mon work for that Extra credit--give me some recipes that don't involve carbs. I am desperate...Stacy, I hate this whole no carb thing, too. I fear that as soon as I get into Great Britian I will eat an entire shepherd's pie and some chips...it could happen
Kim: 2 points for correctness and a ton of love from me that is worth way more than extra credit. Hang in there. I'm thinking of you, and I will work on that whole scotsman in the kilt thing...hope he doesn't weigh over 50 pounds, Dave is already pretty pissed about the phone thing...
Louis: 2 for being right, and stop your pouting, I'm giving you 10 EC points because I forgot to post your score. Tell Jamarcus to get off of gilt.com and figure out this link and you can see where you stand, If I recall, it wasn't any great shakes...sorry, tonights points should help: your total: 12
Tricia: 2 for being right and 10 EC points your comments to Irish Pete--made me laugh: total 12
Mrs. Sarge: 2 for being right and congrats on getting some love from the physicians. Hope it was something great. You deserve it
Irish Pete: 2 for being right with the answers and 10 EC points for being right about so many other things...like the bed time and the swear words, and the haircuts, and the cranberry no carb vodka mixture, which I assume you only heard was mediocre and did not try it for yourself...Tell your brother Jamarcus to stop making up lengthy stories about random singers and get this link, spread sheet thing done for me, and he too can get some major EC...

Now, even with an international road trip and an irate husband looming, I am still posting up your questions for the day--that is how devoted I am to you all...***This just in: Dave McKeon gave up on the phone thing...you think the profanity is flying around the golf course, you should be in my kitchen right now..We aren't able to check in online for this flight and pick our seats (stupid American Airlines pretending to be British Airways) and Dave is freaking out because if we don't leave this second he may not get an aisle seat...yep, that's my fault too.

Here are tonight's questions:

1. Where in Ireland was St. Patrick born?
2. There is an old connection between the Carol Beach neighborhood in Pleasant Prairie where Dave McKeon lives now and the Villa Turicum neighborhood in Lake Forest where he lived when he was a young pup. What is that connection? (and it has nothing to do with the McKeons)  I hope this takes some of you a little time...

Ok, there you have it. I hope you are ready for these special brain benders. I will posting at random times, so just check in when you get the chance. chip, chip and cheerio! saving the top ten for the coolness of GB.

H & L: SCORES AND MORE

Here's the good news: Stacy--God Bless her and her big time engineering skills--put together a FABULOUS spread sheet recording all the scores and totalling them for me. This is beyond huge because I have no real skill or patience for this type of stuff. Let's just cut to the chase here--she will be awarded many, many EC points for this task. It's like some voodoo magic to me, so I have to reward it with BIG extra credit points. Here's the bad news: I don't know how to cut and paste it into this post (or any post for that matter).  So, I'm totally putting it out there, whoever can master that little insurmountable task will be awarded accordingly.  But, according to Stacy--who just took my calculations (that could be problematic) and put them in her spread sheet--here's the big grand total of the Holy and Lowly scores before todays' scoring. :
John: 115
Jamarcus: 99
Judy: 98
Stacy: 93
Suechi: 82
Tricia;79
Kim: 72
Mrs.Sarge: 68
Amy: 55
Irish Pete: 25

Frankly, John is way out in front, followed by Jamarc, Judy and Stacy (and we all know that Stacy is climbing the ranks after tonight's EC). Then we've got another group led by Suechi, Tricia, Kim and Mrs. Sarge. Amy is hanging in there, and Irish Pete will soon be making his move. I can feel it. Please remember that as we slide into Holy Week, the final week of this competition, the EC points will just keep getting higher and thus, everyone still has a shot at victory (and the Tiffany bead bracelet). I also want to remind you all to keep paying attention to the blog because the timing of the posts will be all over the place, depending on my schedule, and as we have seen, those speed points really add up. And be prepared, tomorrow's post and super special questions will be up around 2pm, because we have to leave for the airport around 3pm, so don't say I didn't warn you. BOOM! 

Tricia, of course I am going to the Hermes store...just try and stop me. Harrods, Harvey Nichol, Burberry, Asprey, ...it's like a trip to the Holy Land.. If there is time, I will probably go into a museum, but I'm not writing it in stone...Tricia, when to spirit moves you, feel free to stop by and kick some sense into the shidiots. My mom will be around as well (someone has to do the laundry), but she's getting kind of old and has kind of lost her ass kicking abilities. Also, feel free to drive by the house early and often. And if you see Posey wandering around the city, please pick her up and take her to Children's Services because her brothers either forgot her, or got arrested...(it could happen)

As you all know now, the correct answers are Bethsaida is where Andrew is from, and Justin was conceived during Homecoming and his dad owns a string of car washes.
Here are the scores from last night (which you will need to add to the scores above to get the very latest update---or just wait for Stacy to do it for you--that's my plan)
John: 2 for being right, 3 for being first with the holy=5
Pete: 2 for being right, 3 for being first with the lowly=5 (told you he was making his move)
Judy: 2 for correctness, 2 for being second with the holy=4
Stacy: 2 for correctness, 2 for being second with the lowly=4
SueChi: 2 for being right, 1 for Holy third place=3
Louis: 2 for being right, 1 for Lowly third place=3
Chris, Tricia, Kim, Mrs.Sarge, Amy (we missed you!) and Larry (we missed you, too, Mr. Sanchez)--you all earned your 2 points. Well done. Now, time for Extra, Extra Credit.
Stacy: I am giving you 15, yes, 15 Extra Credit points--You earned every one of them by putting together that super sweet spread sheet. (and for the Monk Malloy/Sara Pond joke--loved it) Plenty more where that came from if you promise to do all of  my spread sheets while I am in grad school, --19 GIANT points for you tonight. And you are now right on Johns heels. He is so hearing footsteps--remember, everyone is still in this thing.
Tricia: 10 EC Points for the Burberry nun joke, and for offering to knock around the shids...Feel free...12 points for you. (do you really want me to get that Hermes bracelet for you? the exchange rate kind of sucks. If I were you I would order it from the Michigan Ave. store and have it shipped--save a ton on sales tax)
MrsSarge: 5 points for saying such nice things about the power of the blog...Once again, Miss Congeniality--hey, BTW, did Jason give you a moving gift/reward yet? Let him know that I will be happy to pick up a little something for you in London...
that is a full 30 EC points and I think I will stop there. Keep those comments, jokes, niceties coming. Starting tomorrow, I will be awarding 50 EC points, all in 10 point increments...the fastest, best way to narrow the gap...Bring your A game and a fine sense of timing...It's on.

Here are today's questions:

1. In what way was Asa afflicted in his old age?
2. In the Old Navy commercial with that song "Shine On", how much do the cardis they advertise at the end of the commercial cost? 

I am seriously so trying to get a trivia question that cannot be googled in a nanosecond. Good luck with these questions and be ready early for tomorrows' set. Make me proud.

No top ten, we need to move on here.

H & L: THE ABREEVS

OK! TMSTCW (or whatever Tricia's abreev was). Again, a super informative night on the blog. I am loving the abreevs, but I'm not sure if some of them will ever really take off, except the always popular GC (Go, Cubs) and even more popular GI (Go, Irish) and possibly the one about the tacos that John said. In regard to new language, while Bingage is interesting, I'm backing "shidiot" and possibly "shandals", both are descriptive, applicable to many real life situations, and roll right off the tongue.

I have also been enjoying the jokes very much. However, many of  them hit a little too close to home--does someone have a nanny cam at my house? As everyone knows, I'm no Betty Crocker (hoping for some help from Suechi on that front), when Dave McKeon gave me $5K, I spent it all on Burberry clothes for me and Posey and Longchamp bags(kind of like wife to be number 1 in Tricia's joke--this is a huge lie. Dave McKeon would never give me $5k--I would have to earn it---And also, Dave McKeon wears the pants in our house...(or I let him think that...)

Total aside and a true life confession: You know how tons of women love the scene in an Officer and a Gentleman where Richard Gere sweeps Debra Winger off her feet? Or the scene in Pretty Woman where Richard Gere climbs that fire escape and sweeps Julia Roberts off her feet? Well, do you want to know the movie scene that would sweep me off my feet? I don't care whether you do or not, I'm going to tell you any way. It's the scene in the movie GoodFellas where Lorraine Bracco tells Ray Liotta that she needs some money, and he says "how much?" and she holds her finger and thumb like three inches apart and says: "About this much" (I'm paraphrasing here) and then he hands her a big stack of cash like three inches tall. Man I love that scene. I just really do. (I'd even settle for a stack of singles that tall...just for the experience)

Sorry, back to the blog. I truly do love the jokes, especially the ones that hit close to home. Now, I have a few questions and comments: What is "words for friends" and would I like it? I thought my blog was "words for friends". Judy, did your mother in law actually say the words or just the letters SSDD? (I would love it if it was the latter, because that is just cool for a mother in law.) Pete, what is up with all the Phoenician stuff? Heres all you need to know about the Phoenician--it's a really great hotel in Scottsdale and your dad needs to book us some rooms. Finally, my new favorite abreev is ELE. I think it should be the reoccurring theme on the H&L for the duration.

So, since ELE, let's do another quick score for the night. The correct answers were: Lebanon and Bounce U. Here are last night's results:
Louis: 2 for getting the answers right, and 6 for being first with BOTH questions: Way to go. It's been a long time since someone got both answers first. 8 big points, Louis. Now go study for your next stats test.
John: 2 for being right, 2 for being second with the lowly and 1 for being third with the holy=5 big points
Chris: 2 for being right, 2 for being second with the holy and 1 for being third with the lowly=5
I am stating the obvious, but the men have swept all the speed points for the night. ELE, and the abreev about the taco. So, everyone else who answered last night--Judy, Stacy, Tricia, Kim, Suechi, and Pete--gets their two points--I waited as long as possible, but have not yet heard from Mrs.Sarge and Amy--sorry, ladies, I tried. Don't worry, there is always the EC points. And speaking of extra credit, here we go:

Tonight's EC is somewhat subjective, (Shocker, there) as I am awarding some of the EC based on my personal agenda:
Tricia: 5 big points for the "choosing a wife" joke and for reminding of the "Goodfellas" fantasy= 7 for you
Stacy: 5 big points for the "who wears the pants" joke. So made me laugh.= 7 for you
A little aside to Louis: I loved the Betty Crocker joke and will probably steal it, but since you just slammed on the speed points, I can't in good conscious give you any more points. and John, any joke about anyone walking into a bar always makes me laugh...add a nun and I'm all over it. ELE

Breaking News: this just in--just checked the blog again and Mrs. Sarge posted her answers in the nick of time and gets her 2 very big points Whheeeww. Now if I could just hear from Amy, my night would be complete. Now, back to dishing out the EC--
Suechi: 5 big points for fhe best dental appointment ever. Extraordinarily clean teeth AND the very best conversation.
Chris/Jamarcus: 10 super big, well deserved, awesome EC points FOR MEETING MONK MALLOY AND GETTING OUR BOOK SIGNED. I am so very, very excited about this latest development. Please, Jamarcus, don't blow this...cultivate this relationship carefully so that some time in the next few years, after we gradually introduce him to the rest of the shidiots (one at a time, one at a time) we can some how invite Monk Malloy to dinner. I would learn how to cook, if Monk was coming to dinner, or for sure order out from Mangia...or Charlie Trotters...or something   15 big, big points for you. Extremely well played. You've earned each and every one of them.

Such nice work tonight, people and now, here are tonight's questions. They are pretty sweet:

1. What town does Andrew the disciple come from?
2. On the best new comedy on Fox,  that would be Raising Hope, when was Jimmy's almost friend Justin conceived? And what does Justin's dad do for a living?

Here are today's top ten:

1. Chris McKeon for meeting Monk Malloy
2. Parenthood--great show, love Amber and her craziness
3. London, England--I will be there very soon
4. Tina Turner--just downloaded more of her stuff, and it is all timeless--once she dumped that Ike fool, she became a legend
5. Pink tulips--so springy, so pretty
6. Friday Night Lights--I want to get the DVD of season five. I will miss this show.
7. The terry lined yellow bathrobes from the Carriage House spa at Kohler--Dave McKeon bought us two back in the day, and they are keepers
8. Kerry Wood--he will singlehandedly keep the Cubs in contention
9. baby carrots and hummus--I think it is kind of legit on my diet
10. ELE--words to live by

Time to put this blog to bed. Answer the questions...now

HOLY AND LOWLY: IT JUST KEEPS COMING

I am LMAO reading your comments. Big, huge thanks to John for introducing me to that little "abreev". (also the SYL) It took me a few minutes to figure it out (not the sharpest tool in the shed) but once I did, I was LMAO. I am going to insert that into as many sentences as I can. Be forewarned. Thank you all for the highly educational comments. I have increased my vocabulary tonight, what with Stacy's new word "shi theed" and young Peter's "shandals" LMAO at both...for a very long time. My dad also had a term of endearment for my sister Wendy's jocky high school boyfriend. And he was nowhere near as subtle about it as Stacy's co-worker. He called him "the mouth breather" ...to his face. As in "Wendy, the mouth breather is here." as this kid stood in our kitchen. Nice. When I think about the way my parents treated our dates it makes me LMAO. My mom was always making them take out the garbage and stuff. And Dave McKeon makes my parents look like an amatures. He hates all of Annie dates, even the ones that wear shandals.

Here are the scores for tonight, and once again, I apologize, but I haven't had the time to do a big cumulative run for the week because I am too busy LMAO. I would let SYL with his fancy finance and statistics education,  run the point totals for me, but I fear that he would skew the results and I would be too lazy to check his work and then some undeserving shidiot would walk away with the prizes and I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I promise you, you will have a grand total before I leave for England.

BTW, I leave for London/Scotland on Thursday, so please stay flexible as I post from abroad while I am LMAO. I will post questions, but cannot promise at what time of the day because I will be so busy with Annie LMAO at all the crazy Benny Hill/Monty Python humor (actually kind of hated Benny Hill) This international timing issue may be the great equalizer in this contest, and I'm just hoping you will all cut me some international slack as I LMAO. I am SO crazy excited to go, that I can hardly stand it. And because I have a ton to get done before we take off, I will post last night's answers and scores without further delay. The answers: cats and Twister. I did not know the cat one, but did know the Twister one--totally typical (no holy, all lowly for me). On to the score board:
John: 2 for being right with both questions, 2 for being second with the Holy, 2 fore being second with the lowly--your total=6
Louis: good for you buzzing in first with that cat answer. Did you already know that one? 2 for being right, 3 for being first with the Holy, 1 for being third with the lowly. Your night's total: 6 (tied with your mentor, JH)
Stacy: 2 for being right, 3 for being first with the Lowly (Twister) 1 for being third with Holy=6 big points for you as well. The race is on....
Judy, Chris, Tricia, Amy, SueChi, Mrs.Sarge, Kim, Pete (welcome back to be the blog, Irish Pete, always a pleasure) 2 points for each of you.
Now, on to the EC-As I said, I am always looking for new terminology, and we all know "it pays to increase your word power". Tonight's 25 points will be awarded as follows:
Stacy: 2 points for teaching me "shi theed". I know it will come in very handy. And for the Doug joke. It made me LMAO. And for being the first contestant to visit Mrs.Sarge's new, luxurious office. (sorry, Tricia, I cannot believe someone beat you to the Pediatric punch!! Your total: 8
John: 3 points for introducing me to my new favorite term: LMAO. I will wear this one out. Your total: 9
Judy: 5 points for teaching me how to speak LA. I already was well aware of the phrase "F*@& you" but was unaware of the West Coast meaning. Good to know.  Your total: 7. nice work.
Pete: 10 huge points for the "shandals"  and for your "joke". It was the best one of the night. Almost choked LMAO. Your big, big total for the night=12. And, Irish Pete, you totally earned it. I can't wait to go to London with Dave "the diet Spartan" McKeon and listen to him tell me how many carbs are in a scone...should be a blast. Actually, Dave will be playing golf in Scotland for two days while Annie and I just hammer the Visa buying high priced foreign fashions. I cannot wait and will be LMAO all the way home. I am seriously considering bringing an empty suitcase just to fill it with goods from across the pond...
Finally, the last 5 EC points go to young Jamarcus McKeon. Playing basketball with Ben Hansborough certainly warrants some Extra Credit. There is plenty more where that came from if you come through with the autographed goods.

Now, here are tonight's questions:

1. What Arab nation has the highest percentage of Christians?
2. On John and Kate plus 8, what was the name of the place Leah went for her special day?

As a little side note, John from that show is a total creeper. Once again, no time for a top ten, got to post the questions.

HOLY and LOWLY: TORNADO ALLEY

Hey, so nice to be back on the blog. I missed you guys. John, oh Lord, it was so awful watching poor Rory McElroy. The entire McKeon family was rooting him on and watching him implode. Thank God they finally took the cameras off the poor kid. It was like that year that Brady Quinn was sitting and waiting to NOT get drafted. As a mom, you just want to cry for these kids. But Rory was a total class act on camera after his devastating round. Mrs. Sarge--congrats on the move--talk about class act. Way to go. I'm sure one of my kids will get some nasty bug soon enough and I will see the new digs then. Louis, thanks for the wedding invite, get on that relationship now, young man.

Stacy, your play by play of 4pm Mass was dead on...OMG no offense, but that was one long Mass. It was physically painful to be there. Did you notice that the McKeons left a tad early at 5:10pm?? Sorry about that, we usually don't leave early (no, we just usually walk in late...) but we seriously couldn't take it any more. And Pete was laughing so hard at that screaming kid (and the SECOND screaming kid) that once again, our pew was shaking. Bottom line: if you are going to St. Mark, check the schedule. Fr. Stephen is dynamite and will change your spiritual life. Hit one of his masses to get the real feel.

All, thanks for the jokes. I love them. They will factor heavily into the EC awards for tonight.

I am going to speed post this bad boy, so that when this big tornado strikes and we all lose power, I will at least have the questions up and be all good on my end. And, I am only doing the scores from Friday's questions because doing the big weekly scoring takes me like two hours (don't ask--) and I really want to get this post up. So, here are Friday's results-Did you guys know that Brady Bunch question? I didn't know that OR that Martin Luther one...For some reason, this blog is making feel even dumber than usual.
Here are Friday's results:
Judy: 2 for being right, 3 for being first with the holy.  Total: 5
John: 2 for being right, 2 for being second with the holy, 3 for being first with the Brady Bunch one:=7 big points.
Tricia: 2 for being right, 2 for being were second with the Lowly, 1 for being third with the Holy=5
Amy: 2 for being right, 1 for being third with the Lowly--total: 3
Chris, Stacy, SueChi, Mrs.Sarge, Kim and Louis: 2 points for all of you.

Now for the EC before all weather hell breaks loose: (and I am adding five additional EC points just because it makes the EC work better for me...)
SueChi: 2 points for the promise of crab cakes AND explaining the finer details of the Brady Bunch episode--your total for the night: 4
Kim: 3 points for explaining the finer points of Martin Luther. (who knew??): 5 big points tonight and all of  our love, prayers and heartfelt thoughts. When life settles down and we both are off the wagon, we have a major date for Cheryl's cookies.
Stacy: 5 points for the summary of 4:00 Mass (excellent synopsis) and the jokes. Now you have 7 points for the night.
Judy: 5 points for the Pope joke--a Holy and a Lowly--hitting both ends. 10 points for you. Nice job!!
Tricia: 5 points for the nun/priest joke--loved it. 10 points for you as well. Way to stay in the hunt, way to keep the blog flowing.

I promise to tally the week's points tomorrow but with no further ado, here are tonight's questions:

1. What is the only domesticated animal not mentioned in the Bible?
2. What 1996 movie was hyped with the line: "It Will Blow Audiences Right Out of the Theater"

These are two pretty great questions. Do your best and feel free to cheat.

HOLY AND LOWLY: AGAIN AND AGAIN

Here it is Friday night and I still haven't gotten the questions posted yet. Sorry to be a little late, again...but I went to watch Jack play rugby, which he has taken up to fill the void that the end of the football season has left. I have never seen rugby before. It appears to be an interesting game, I guess, if you know what's going on. Lots of guys leaning on each other, falling on each other, and pushing each other over....basically, an afternoon with the McKeon brothers....So, I can now check "watching rugby" off my bucket list.

Last night's post was very long, so tonight, we are getting straight to it:
Here are the scores:
Judy: 2 for being right, 3 for being first with St. Claire, 1 for being third with "corporate Lawyer"=6
John: 2 for being right, 3 for being first with Mr. Baxter, 2 for being second with St. Claire=7
Stacy: 2 for being right, 2 for being second with Mr.Baxter, 1 for being third with St. Claire=5
Those three swept up all the speed points. Once again, nicely done. Judy, John and Stacy seem determined to stay at the top. I am impressed with their speed and accuracy and even more impressed by their jokes.
Chris, Tricia, Amy, SueChi, MrsSarge, Kim and Louis, all get your 2 points for being oh, so right.
Now, time for the Extra Credit:
Chris/Jamarcus: 2 EC points for not totally wasting our tuition dollars. Keep it up.=4 total points
Stacy: 3 EC points for answering some super hard questions--loved the 6 million dollar man. Farrah Fawcett blew that one big time. Leaving Lee Majors for that loser, son punching, druggie Ryan O'Neal.=8 total points
Judy: 5 big points for the Sr. Claire Mass watching glasses comments. I want me some of that action.=11 big, fat points for the night. I'm buying those glasses for Dave. Maybe it will keep him out from under the pews and off of his black berry during Mass.
Kim and Sue: I know this may be illegal, but since I invented this contest, I think I can do what ever I want. I am splitting the 10 EC points and giving each of you 5 EC points for announcing that you found the blog by googling that saint question. This was just amazing news for me. I swear, I will get that book deal yet.
So, that brings both of your point total's for tonight up to 7.
To all the rest of you, please keep the jokes coming, especially anything that has to do with a bar. And if you could throw in some more swearing, that would be great too.

Before it gets too late, here are tonight's questions:

1. What Catholic religious order did Martin Luther belong to before he broke from the church?
2. This is a three parter sent to me by that great Trivia Expert Brian Pond. You must have all three parts answered correctly to get full credit--and to get speed points. 1)What is the name of the Indian boy in the episode when Cindy and Bobby get lost in the Grand Canyon?2)What did Bobby and Cindy pack for food on their trip and 3)where did they store the food? Best Brady Bunch episode ever.

Have at these brain benders--good luck. thanks for all the jokes and keep them up.

Today's Top Ten:

1. Crab Cakes--love them
2. The original Sperry Top siders--the perfect summer shoe for guys
3. Levi's 501s shrink to fit jeans in sand color
4. Diane Keaton--she's so good and looks amazing, really amazing for her age.
5. pale pink tulips
6. Cheryl's frosted easter cookies
7. Stacy's mustard--I told her I'd put it in the top ten
8. Haagen Daz ice cream bars (tomorrow is the official cheat day on my diet, and I am having one of these for breakfast--can not wait)
9. Rugby
10. Rugby shirts--check out the ones from Canterbury of New Zealand. They are pretty sweet.

Enjoy the weekend. Next questions will be posted on Sunday. Rest up, people. We are heading into the home stretch.