Winning stuff in the school hall

On Friday the school hosted an inter-school chess tournament. Chess Kids do a really great job - they bring the whole circus with them except desks and chairs. I got there at 8 to set up for 100 kids and about 20 parents and teachers.The tables were out but they were pretty yucky so I swabbed 25 tables which was a good warm-up for putting out 120 chairs.

It all went very well. I took the opportunity of nominating about twice the usual number of kids, since we didn't have to worry about transport or supervision (well, I supervised all day so it wasn't putting anyone else out at least). This meant we had plenty of first-timers but they all seemed to have fun and find their level OK.

Marcus was in the mix towards the end. After winning, then losing, he won the next 5 straight and ended up equal first (although he admitted to me later he would have been 3rd if they had done a countback). He got another medal to add to his massive clanking collection which always reminds me of Idi Amin. The school finished 4th which was enough for us to earn 5 spots at the State championships in November. This caught me by surprise and I clapped and let out a little "Wooh!!" in an otherwise tiredly silent hall. Marcus was somewhat embarrassed, so that all went very well.

A bit over 24 hours later, back in the same hall with the same tables and chairs, Elf and I found ourselves at the annual fundraising Quiz Night. I have commented on this before, and once again we had been treated to our tickets by our friend The Fewst who wished to have our brains on her side.

Now - just to jettison false modesty once and for all, it was pretty much about having ME on her side. It is now considered proven fact that I am a Quiz Freak and you do no not want one of them outside the tent as they say. So I was in the tent and furthermore given the job of team scribe which was a relief. In other years I have had to plead with the scribe to write down what I know with 200% certainty is right, while they are looking at me sidelong and saying "Yeah well I'm PRETTY SURE there are 52 states". This year I wrote down whatever I liked, pretty much. And no, I wasn't always right (isn't it weird how Tiger Woods' voice sounds like Lance Armstrong's?) but I was right enough that we WON.

And took home one bottle of wine and a really ugly wine cooler thing each. Oh well. It was a good cause etc. I can't think of a particular "wow" answer that I knew that no-one else did, but I was solid.