Book Group Meeting and Trivia Nite

Yesterday was busy. We had our first book group meeting of the new year yesterday afternoon at our local pub. The book was an exciting read for all of us. It was "Endurance" by Alfred Lansing, written in 1959, and about the Ernest Shackleton Antarctic expedition to the South Pole in 1914. The expedition never came close to the pole, but all 28 men survived over a year and a half! 

            We take turns "hosting" the meeting which includes developing and sending out questions and then leading the discussion at the meeting. The discussion ranges from specific things that were read in the book, good and bad, to similar books, and even maybe films that were made of the book or similar events. Being a catastrophe on the sea, there was no shortage of comparisons. It was a book I would never have read on my own, but am glad I did. But I still not think I will read another of this type on my own.

            Next month's selection is "1776" by David McCullough. I have just started it and as usual with McCullough's books, I am enjoying it. I'm confident that this book will be liked by most of us. David McCullough is a favorite author. This is the fourth book on the early American time period we've read as a group, but we seem to enjoy that period. March's selection will be my choice which is "Flatland" by Edwin Abbott Abbott, written in 1884, in England, but has never gone out of print. On the surface, it is a mathematical fantasy of a two-dimensional world where a man is shown the existence of a third dimension. It is also a social satire of the Victorian times in that period. I hope folks like it, but you never know.

            Yesterday evening at the same pub, we had trivia night; a regular event twice a month. Teams of up to six persons vie against each other over usually a series of 20-25 questions. Most evenings the theme is general, but sometimes it is specific, such as politics, sports, music, or Christmas, to name a few recent ones. Last night was general. It started out with only 7 teams but quickly grew to 11 with some late arrivals. Each team has its own name; ours is Deeds Alone, but more on that later. We've been doing well lately, winning the 3 of the last 4. We had a couple of subs, but that wasn't the reason we didn't win last night. There was some smart competition. We ended up tied for 4th, only three points of the lead, but two teams tied for the top spot. After several sudden death questions, it was still tied, and the emcee called it a draw. The next trivia night is next week, so we're looking forward to reclaiming our throne. 

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