When I was a really young kid, around 4 or 5, I was witness to a bizarre supernatural happening that I’ve rarely spoken about.
It just so happens that my bedroom was next to the bathroom and sometimes, very late at night, in those early morning hours when the whole house was asleep, I would wake to a strange, unearthly sound and the sight of what can only be described as – a ghost wheel. Yes, a ghost wheel. A tire, unattached to an axle or auto, spinning in place, there in the doorway of that bathroom. Amazingly, I would wake up and see this ghost tire spinning in place, never getting nearer, never moving forward or backward, just hanging there, an apparition suspended in air, rotating on an unseen axis. All the while, a familiar melody would waft eerily through the air: Blood, Sweat and Tears 1969 #2 hit, Spinning Wheel.
I swear I wasn’t asleep, yet I was never scared of the ghost tire. And to my knowledge no one else ever saw this otherworldly white wheel. It was an event that recurred with an odd regularity for several months when I was in kindergarten and yet it ceased as quickly as it began.
As an adult, I have no idea what the hell it all was – a waking dream or hallucination or – something else. Perhaps I never will. But I’d like to think that the truth is out there somewhere. That’s why I now work with the FBI’s X-Files.
A little dampness didn’t keep you Quizlings away from another wonderful week of trivia. No pooches on the patio but the Dog Days of Trivia continue. And if you don’t have a doggie to drag out to play then consider these options to enter our raffle:
August 1 – Bring a photo of your pet cat
August 8 – Bring a photo of your pet dog (invalid if dog is present)
August 15 – Bring a photo of your exotic pet
August 22 – Bring a photo of yourself dressed up as an animal
August 29 – Bring in a stuffed animal
You can get one ticket per week following the above scheme but it gets you a bite at the gift basket apple. We’ll raffle that bad boy off at the end of the summer (you must be present to win).
This week? We put our best foot forward (the left one), celebrated the Great White North and filled our target hole. Plus there was this candy commercial from the Golden Age of Television…
Now here are the team rankings for the week. See you next Wednesday, Quizlings!
Booberella: Anton’s Birthday Week
66
Trump Puts Tariffs on Trivia
64
Russia! Russia! Russia!
61
Putin Pays For His Hookers In Cash
61
Emoluments Are Hair Products, Right?
57
Subterranean Martian Lake Blues
55
Farmers Ex-Farmers For Trump
55
This Is Not the Lodge
55
Oh Lordy! There Are Tapes!
53
Live Laugh Trivia
53
Trivia Newton-John
52
Sex, Lies & Audiotapes ( The Fifty Shades Of Orange Edition)
Cats love chicken but does chicken love cats? KFC certainly put them to interesting use by means of a four-hour Facebook Live with Super Deluxe event involving a Colonel Sanders Cat Climber, a cool clowder and social internet interaction. The entire multi-hour catravaganza is available but this little promo shows you the tongue-in-chicken style the Colonel was going for.
By the way, all the cats in the event were adoptable through Los Angeles’ Heaven on Earth Society of Animals.
I love my Quizlings! Honestly, you lot need to understand that. Wednesday night trivia is the highlight of my week (sorry, family) and all of you kind folks who come out to play each week make that happen. Many thanks for that.
What happened this week? We learned how long it takes to get to the moon, who really invented the telephone and how quickly we forget losing running mates. And then there was this boxing moment…
Now, here are this week’s team rankings. See you next time, Quizlings, as the Dog Days of Trivia continue.
What is the most annoying thing on earth? My vote is for when you pose the innocent question, “What’s your name?” and someone snaps back, “Puddentame. Ask me again I’ll tell you the same.” Dead annoying when it happens on the playground at recess in second grade. A real good reason for an arse kicking when the new temp tries it at a departmental meeting in front of your boss.
Seriously, that slack-jawed son of a bitch better watch his back or I will make his life a living misery.
It was great to see folks out again for an evening of Tomato Jake’s Trivia after a week off for America’s birthday. We got some cool ice cream to offset the heat and some cool trivia to satiate our brains.
The Dog Days of Trivia continue all summer long so bring those pooches out to the patio to get entered in our gift basket raffle (date: TDB, at the end of the season – you must be present to win). I will offer opportunities next month for those who don’t have pets to proffer for prizes.
What did we learn this week? Dinosaurs are cool (except when they sing and dance). Sparky has a lot of Tay Tay on his MP3 player. And corn pone is not what you think. Plus there was this incredible Kentucky-fried guest appearance…
Now here are this week’s rankings. See you next Wednesday, Quizlings!
Rescue Diver Fan Club
66
More Pizza For Us, I Guess
65
The Pasty White Stay-at-Homes
64
How Many Navy Seals Does It Take To Secure Free Ice Cream?
61
Send In The Divers, America’s Sinking
61
Trivia Newton-John
61
Clooney In Sequel To Gravity
58
Trivia 1
56
Putin’s Pocket
54
2 Guys, No Girls, And A Pizza Place
54
Threat Level Midnight
53
The Only Thing Coming Home Is England’s Futbol Team
I was going through some storage boxes in the back closet earlier and I found my old retainer and headgear and a couple of pairs of those Coke-bottle-lens glasses I wore back in junior high school (hell, I thought they were novelty specs for a second) and I was suddenly transported back to teenage years so awkward the geeks in chess club who played D&D and ran their rock tumblers nonstop could hold their heads high, secure in the knowledge that at least they weren’t me.
Seriously, Puberty! You’re nothing more than the ultimate proof Mother Nature’s nothing but a sadist.
The world’s first Fourth of July celebration was held in 1653 in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Pilgrims, after a particularly hard Winter, had planted their crops for the coming year. Tending to their fields was of utmost importance to the colonists but the Governor of the settlement had decreed that one day should be set aside for a Display of Fealty to the Crown. The date chosen was July 4, 1653. The date is of importance because it fell upon a Thursday and it was heretofore unheard of to take a day of rest that did not fall upon the Sabbath. But July 4 was picked not because of any religious or political import but because the Governor had a mistress and he wanted an excuse to visit her. With the colony celebrating his newfound holiday, he could use this day to sneak off and visit his mistress – an act unthinkable on the Sabbath or any established Holy Day. But his scheme was not to pass as his journey to the prearranged tryst location was fraught with disaster. First, his wagon wheel was warped and his axle split, throwing him and hobbling his horse. Then, he ran afoul of Dracula. Once in the thrall of the dark vampire lord, the Pilgrim Governor was sent to assassinate Cardinal Richelieu of the Spanish Inquisition. Thankfully Prince Valiant and Mothra intervened and stopped the Governor. Then Richelieu sent the cast of Hamilton to Dracula’s stronghold to defeat him. The subsequent victory was celebrated on July 4 and every subsequent year. And, thus, Independence Day was born.
It’s all true – Nancy O’Dell said so on Entertainment Tonight. Or – or maybe I read it on Wikipedia. I’m not sure, really. I drank some bad milk and downed pretty much a whole bottle of ZzzQuil. Don’t judge me! It’s a holiday!
