October 31, 1991
Back Patty and I went for our second round of Wheel game-playing. The callback group was pretty good-sized, about 25 people.
They called up 3 people at a time to go to the front of the room and play 2 rounds of the game, the second round ending in a speed-up round. Patty and I, because we were sitting next to each other, ended up going at the same time, which was good, because we had more fun, talking to and looking at each other and laughing. Both puzzles were solved by the other person playing with us, but we were both very smiley and up and it went well.
After everybody had gone except for two people, they called up Patty to go again with the last two. That was cool, but she only played the first round. Then, they called me up to play the second round, even more cool. I didn't win, but again, it went well: smooth, up, fun, the works.
Then they had about 10 people come up to play a bonus round, one at a time. The first guy had a phrase: S_I_ IT, and didn't get it. I didn't know either, but I was next. They called me up and said, "Do you know it?" I said, "No&ldots;yes&ldots;well, should I know it? Would it be better if I did?" They laughed and asked what I thought it was. I looked at the puzzle and the board and as I started saying SPIC IT, as the S was leaving my mouth, I got it and said, SKIP IT. One down, one to go.
My puzzle was a nickname: L__N_E LI__RD. Again, I didn't know it, I sputtered out "lean lizard", "leapin' lizard", then was silent for a few seconds, took a look at the N_E, looked up and saw the G on the board, and it hit me. "Lounge Lizard" I blurted. And a big smile spread across my face. But was it enough? Was getting the puzzle enough, or should I have jumped and danced around?
Letters will be sent out in the next 2 weeks to those who made it.
November 9
* GOT IT!