Fun Facts on the Alex's Cards

[Patronaut]

This was brought up in another topic, and I was curious. What were the fun facts that were listed on the cards for Alex to choose from during the player interviews?

Mine were:

1) How I met my wife (I met her on a dating website)
2) What I really do for a living (Transmission Line Engineer)
3) I have a collection for my basement bar (different beer bottles of beers I have drank that have unique designs).

I wanted to talk about my experiences with Jeopardy! when I was in college. It was on twice a day and my friends would watch the first showing without me, then I'd watch the second with them. I'd still beat them handily.

Anyone else want to share?

[ElendilPickle]

1. I won a prize for setting my oven on fire - this is the story I told on the show.
2. I knit for seafarers around the world.
3. This one was a response to the "good Samaritan" question - Years ago, our car died. We couldn't afford a new one, and a friend, out of the blue, gave us enough money to buy a good used car. A few years later, one of the women in our church was starting college and needed transportation. We needed to move to a larger vehicle, so we gave her the car. She was able to use it for a number of years.

I told Robert my first choice was the oven story, figuring humor would be better than the other two.

[Patronaut]

1. I won a prize for setting my oven on fire - this is the story I told on the show.
2. I knit for seafarers around the world.
3. This one was a response to the "good Samaritan" question - Years ago, our car died. We couldn't afford a new one, and a friend, out of the blue, gave us enough money to buy a good used car. A few years later, one of the women in our church was starting college and needed transportation. We needed to move to a larger vehicle, so we gave her the car. She was able to use it for a number of years.

I told Robert my first choice was the oven story, figuring humor would be better than the other two.

I like your third one. That's a cool story.

[BaltimoreBoy]

1. A story about crabbing with my father
2. My favorite things: two old lacrosse sticks -- one was Dad's when he was an All-American defenseman, the other from the 1888 championship among Princeton, Yale, and The Druids Lacrosse Club (of course, I don't have a "collection" of sticks!)
3. My vintage baseball bat collection

I had selected the lacrosse sticks story as my preferred (highlighted) one. When Alex said during the chat, "Like a lot of our contestants, Tom collects things. Tell us what you collect." Of course, he meant the bat collection. But, I was so sure he'd go with the lacrosse sticks story, that I quickly answered "Lacrosse sticks!" You can't see it on the show, but Alex shot me such an evil eye/dirty look that I instantly added, "...and baseball bats! Phew... But, I then proceeded to make two more blunders. I mentioned a brand name (Hillerich & Bradsby), and I finished up by, astonishingly (to me especially), replying to his last question, "What are those old bats made out of?" Why, oh why, did I say "Oak"? Everyone knows they're almost always made of the hard woods: ash, hickory, sometimes maple.

Ps Pat, do you recall how I pissed you off back at the hotel when I said that many Jeopardy contestants are collectors because we're nerds -- or vice-versa? You assured me that your beer bottle collection didn't put you in that category! When you then told me how you had them displayed, I assured you that, yes, indeed, you did qualify! Sorry if I've pissed you off -- again!

[Patronaut]

Ps Pat, do you recall how I pissed you off back at the hotel when I said that many Jeopardy contestants are collectors because we're nerds -- or vice-versa? You assured me that your beer bottle collection didn't put you in that category! When you then told me how you had them displayed, I assured you that, yes, indeed, you did qualify! Sorry if I've pissed you off -- again!

Don't remember being pissed off, but of course, that was months ago and we were enjoying juice of the grain.

[Patronaut]

And yes, I am a NERD and proud of it.

[jfrumkin]

I think it was:
1. I watched the worst 100 hundred movies of 2000-09, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
2. I set myself on fire during a work event.
3. I got engaged because I missed a flight.

All three ended up getting used, though Robert wanted a better story than the third one for my third game and didn't like any of my others (the best being how a friend and I led an impromptu march of 200 people on the White House, which may have been potentially too edgy). Afterwards, I was pissed at myself because I have a great story about meeting Evander Holyfield that I forgot about at the time.

[pinkfreud]

1. I still own my first car, a 1968 Volkswagen.
2. I once received a fan letter from Isaac Asimov.
3. My husband and I used to have 53 pet mice.

Unfortunately, by the time I got on the show, the VW's roof had been crushed by a tree during an ice storm, and the 53 mice and Asimov were dead.

[ElendilPickle]

1. I won a prize for setting my oven on fire - this is the story I told on the show.
2. I knit for seafarers around the world.
3. This one was a response to the "good Samaritan" question - Years ago, our car died. We couldn't afford a new one, and a friend, out of the blue, gave us enough money to buy a good used car. A few years later, one of the women in our church was starting college and needed transportation. We needed to move to a larger vehicle, so we gave her the car. She was able to use it for a number of years.

I told Robert my first choice was the oven story, figuring humor would be better than the other two.

I like your third one. That's a cool story.

Thanks! It was a tremendous help to us at the time. I just thought I'd do better with funny instead of touching or "oh...knitting...okaaay..." My fellow members of Ravelry would have loved my knitting story, though - when Kristin Morgan mentioned it during her run, they went wild.

[kickerofelves]

2. I once received a fan letter from Isaac Asimov.

As in, he was a fan of yours? Or you were a fan of his?

Dear pinkfreud:

Big fan of your work!

Love and kisses,
Isaac

[pinkfreud]

2. I once received a fan letter from Isaac Asimov.

As in, he was a fan of yours? Or you were a fan of his?

Dear pinkfreud:

Big fan of your work!

Love and kisses,
Isaac

I was a fan of his, but he wrote to me first. Asimov liked a humor piece that I'd published, and he wrote to encourage me. We ended up corresponding for several years, which was great, since he was a wonderful letter-writer.

[kickerofelves]

2. I once received a fan letter from Isaac Asimov.

As in, he was a fan of yours? Or you were a fan of his?

Dear pinkfreud:

Big fan of your work!

Love and kisses,
Isaac

I was a fan of his, but he wrote to me first. Asimov liked a humor piece that I'd published, and he wrote to encourage me. We ended up corresponding for several years, which was great, since he was a wonderful letter-writer.

That's really awesome!

[BADuBois]

As an aside, I thought it was something else to see that Alex's cards were typewritten... probably the last typewriter in use in L.A.

Here are my top three, of which the first two were only used.

1. I've twice won the Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America for Best Short Story of the Year.

2. I met my wife on a canoeing blind date arranged by my brother and his wife... not that we were attempting to canoe blindfolded. And nearly 20 years later, we're still paddling together.

3. I often wear a lapel pin --- which I did in my two shows --- which shows an American flag and the word HONOR. It was given to me and my wife by an Air Force colonel in thanks for the numerous CARE packages we sent overseas, including at Christmas time, live Maine Christmas trees we sent to remote bases in Afghanistan.

[pinkfreud]

As an aside, I thought it was something else to see that Alex's cards were typewritten... probably the last typewriter in use in L.A.

Here are my top three, of which the first two were only used.

1. I've twice won the Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America for Best Short Story of the Year.

2. I met my wife on a canoeing blind date arranged by my brother and his wife... not that we were attempting to canoe blindfolded. And nearly 20 years later, we're still paddling together.

3. I often wear a lapel pin --- which I did in my two shows --- which shows an American flag and the word HONOR. It was given to me and my wife by an Air Force colonel in thanks for the numerous CARE packages we sent overseas, including at Christmas time, live Maine Christmas trees we sent to remote bases in Afghanistan.

These are three of the best "fun facts" I've ever heard (especially the last one).

[alietr]

I dug mine out. Those who saw (and remembered) my episode know that none of these were used.

1) I interviewed Jerry Garcia on the radio, which was great fun.
2) I have set foot in all 50 states (Alaska was last) and 23 countries.
3) My college trivia team was called the Suicidal Zippers and won the championship.
4) I mistook Paul Allen (then the third richest American) for a waiter at a meeting I attended.
5) I was called a "yo-yo" (repeatedly) by Ted Turner because I attended the school he got kicked out of.

[NYCScribbler]

I pushed *hard* for the description of my apartment. Alex seemed to be avoiding it like the plague- I basically told Glenn to make him do it. He did have a weird obsession with the stories about my husband...

Story that did not get told on the show, but did during the audition: I managed to scar myself for (what I thought at the time was) life with my Christmas tree. We waited entirely too long to take it out, and it was very dry when we took it down. It left a small mark just above my right thumb that has only faded in the last couple of months.

Everything else I can think of that I put on the questionnaire got used. The perils of having to do six interviews. Oh, the horror.

[dhkendall]

I dug mine out. Those who saw (and remembered) my episode know that none of these were used.

Unless your show (or repeat) aired today, I don't remember your card story. Not because it's boring, although, to be honest, a lot of them are, but I really odn't know what it is, and I actually enjoy watching them.

Andy, however, is the exception. His one episode aired 7 years ago, and I still remember his "story time" like it was today. I don't think there was another that used the same opportunity, but I'm glad you did. IMHO, all 5 of your stories should have been that.

I noticed that people are referencing answers to questionnaire questions for their card stories, but I'm wondering if you have to answer them, or you can use a "free space" to contribute stories that don't necessarily fit the mould? While some of my stories do (I'm sure they have a "how did you meet your spouse" and my "While dressed as Groucho Marx" story should fit there nicely), I think many of them don't fit into a set category.

[ComingUpMilhouse]

They give you the opportunity to list whatever five anecdotes/stories you want, then there are several pages of questions. The contestant coordinators pull 3-5 from everything you submit.

[econgator]

Andy, however, is the exception. His one episode aired 7 years ago, and I still remember his "story time" like it was today. I don't think there was another that used the same opportunity, but I'm glad you did. IMHO, all 5 of your stories should have been that.

*nod* They just don't get cooler than that!

[Dr. J]

Mine all got used EXCEPT for my #1 story, which appeared on card after card: I once fell through the stage during a play rehearsal, falling into the orchestra pit. It was a crazy story, and I have no idea why Alex kept skipping it. Maybe he's not a fan of physical mishap stories? Didn't want me to look more foolish than I already did? Just HAD to know about dryer rides right off the bat? The world will never know. I found TOC stories harder to cook up, but knew I had to work in the devil thing if I could. After all, I brought him a pitchfork