What just happened?

That was me at the end of today’s episode. Hint: Today’s neg/right breakdown should be interesting. Read on…
But first, this entry publishes on my proofreadin’ mom’s birthday. See you soon, Mom, and happy birthday! 🙂 <3
Also, one season 25 Coryat, from the episode that originally aired 4-1-09: 24200 (26000 without negs). My Coryat should’ve been higher, but what a game. Crossword clues?! I only didn’t get “Gummo Marx.” And I cracked up at “gag reflex.” I swept the Stephen King and Hitmakers categories. And who could miss the “Mayan” clue, these days?
Mike Wallace was the returning champ today, defending for the first time. Here he is with his opponents:

Chrisanne Eastwood of Moorpark CA

Mike, of Sunnyside NY.
Now I think he looks a little like Davy Jones!

Jessica Young of Charleston WV

Like yesterday, the Daily Double was found before the first break. In this case it was at the bottom of Skyscraper City, and Chrisanne found it. She’d gotten 2 right and had . Jessica and Mike had each gotten one right and had 200 and 600 respectively. Chrisanne wagered all of her 1200 on this clue: “The Marriott Rivercenter at 101 Bowie St.” She got it right! I’m putting this one on the poll if I do one.

The Jeopardy! writers helped prove what I said yesterday, that “dog breeds” aren’t a wheelhouse. I didn’t know this dog’s breed name is supposed to be doubled:

In Double Talk: This breed was kept by fierce Asian tribes for hunting and guarding.

And I’d never heard of this, in the same category: “From Chinese, this piece of double talk can be a toast or casual, light chatter.” I got this triple-stumper though, in The LBJ Presidential Library:

Then these next two were lost on me, in the same category:

“The library has a replica of this, which LBJ was the first to use to contact Moscow.
As you can see, it wasn’t a red phone.”

This was the last clue before the first break. Mike had gotten 3 right and had 1800. During her interview, Chrisanne’s response of “Telex” was accepted for that last clue. So she’d gotten 3 right and one wrong and had 3600. Jessica had gotten 2 wrong and 3 right and was in the hole 400.
Speaking of interviews, would you ever say, like Jessica, you’d never had a second date? And even if you had had a good first date and started a relationship, wouldn’t you still have a second date?
Okay, I can’t resist: One more LBJ clue got me:

“LBJ reminded world leaders that we are one world, with copies of the photo taken by Apollo 8,
with this nine-letter name.”

It stumped the contestants too. Once again, I’m putting it on the poll if I do one. This one too, in March Madness: “It’s said to have been inspired by a ‘colonel’ who would whistle its distinctive 2-note phrase rather than shout ‘Fore!'” Mike got that one right, although Mr. Trebek said he shouldn’t have added an ‘s.’ Will it matter in the end…?
Mr. Trebek gave the less-than-a-minute warning with 5 clues left. I swept Sheep-pourri before all was said and done. I may have swept College Basketball, but one clue was left covered. Chrisanne had gotten 3 right since the break and had 6000. Mike had gotten 6 right and had 6000 too. Jessica had gotten 3 right and had just 600, but it seemed the first time I watched that she was doing better than that!
That Words Within Words category was wicked. I only got this last one right: “There’s no danger in reheating this soup — microwaves use nonionizing radiation.” I swept Signature Songs after that, though.
Chrisanne stepped away from “D” in Science. Jessica went back and the next clue was the Daily Double. She had gotten 6 right and had 8600! What a comeback! Chrisanne had gotten 4 right and had 9200, and Mike had only gotten one right even though it looked like he was trying to ring in, and had 6400. Jessica wagered 1000 on this clue: “The name of this part of a neuron comes from the Greek for ‘pertaining to a tree.'” She and I got it right. Such a shame she didn’t wager more.
Mike found the next Daily Double shortly, in War on Christmas. He’d gotten 2 right since Jessica’s Daily Double, and had 10000. Chrisanne had gotten one wrong and had 8400. Jessica had gotten one right and had 10400. Mike wagered 3000 on this clue: “Dec. 25, 1837: U.S. troops suffer heavy casualties fighting this Florida tribe at the Battle of Lake Okeechobee.” Mike got it. This was to mark a shift in the game. Chrisanne and Jessica both negged on the next clue, worth 1600, while Mike got it right. Talk about ouchie.
Mr. Trebek gave the less-than-a-minute warning with 8 clues left! Chrisanne and Jessica each got one right but 3 wrong before the end of the round, and had 4800 and 6800 respectively. So it looks like it doesn’t matter that Mike
wasn’t negged on the 1000 clue where he added an “s.” In that case he’d have had 15000 at the end of the round. If Jessica hadn’t gotten those 3 wrong though, she’d have had 11200. Mike had gotten 3 right and had 17000.
Okay, Final time. The category was World Capitals. This is the clue: “One of the 3 national capitals made up of 2 words that begin with the same letter.” I like this kind of Final, even if I hadn’t come up with a correct one instantly! I couldn’t for the life of me get either of the other 2 though. Mike and Chrisanne came up with the same one I did. Jessica didn’t have a response. She lost 1453. Chrisanne wagered nothing. Mike added 3000, and we will see him on Christmas eve! He’s got an impressive 2-day total of 48800. I still like him. As a matter of fact I liked all the contestants today. I hate to admit I can’t wait to read the boards on this one, but I can’t. 😛 My Coryat today was 23200, and here’s another reason I ask “What just happened?”: I had no negs?!? None?!?
Now excuse me while I finish Christmas wrapping!