I’ve always embraced change and love a good adventure, but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate certain routines.
Weekday evenings especially. After work, I like to settle onto my recliner, kick my feet up, and turn on the TV. There’s usually a cat or two on my lap. Around 9:00 I trade the living room for the bedroom, where I read until I begin nodding off. Sometimes I make it to 10:00; other times, 9:05. The point is: that’s my routine, and I’m perfectly happy with it.
So, when Tara suggested Thursday night trivia at Mr. Brew’s, I hesitated for a few seconds. But it had been months since we’d gone, and we always have a good time, so I was down. Besides, with the current awful state of the country, I needed an escape more than ever.
We went last night…and sure enough, it was a blast. How could it not be, with cheese curds and beer? I’m generally not a fan of pink foods, but the cranberry walnut salad with grilled chicken, bleu cheese crumbles, french fried onions, and a freshly prepared creamy cranberry aioli dressing was delicious. And my Third Space FROG Weiss (Fig, Raspberry, Orange, Ginger) kettled sour toad-ally hit the spot.
Our team (Booze Clues) finished in 5th place – outside of the prize brackets, but considering most of the other teams had 6-8 people, I’m proud of the two of us. Other than a disastrous first round, when Tara guessed “the domestic goddess who was convicted of a felony and served prison time for insider trading and obstruction of justice” was Roseanne Barr. Literally the moment she handed in the slip of paper with her answer, she realized it was actually Martha Stewart, but there are no take-backs in trivia. The host then turned Roseanne into a running joke the rest of the night, but Tara was a good sport about it.
(We made up for it in round two, earning 23 out of 23 possible points.)
What I’m saying is, as much as I enjoy my regular routine, stepping out of my comfort zone and mixing things up on occasion is always a positive experience. Which is apparently the theme this week: I shared a much more terrifying experience (public speaking!) in How Sweet the Landing, my latest guest post on The Heart of the Matter blog.
And for the companion podcast – Episode #101, Out of Our Comfort Zone – we threw out all the rules (including the script!) and just cut loose. It turned out to be my favorite appearance yet…and that’s saying a lot, because I’ve racked up quite a few now. I’ve always wanted to host a podcast, so being a regular guest is a great way to scratch that itch. It’s definitely less work on my part.
We recorded this on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, having no idea where our conversation would lead us. Maybe it’s coincidental that, on such a bitterly cold day – even for the non-Midwesterner – we spoke of slow-cooked meals and heated blankets, among other things. Kind of like a fireside chat minus the fire. Feel free to give it a listen if you’d like.
What’s your usual weeknight routine? Do you enjoy trivia?
Mark My Words 
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