We came back from a halftime deficit, but then botched the final question and finished third.

Gwyneth Paltrow's highest-grossing non-Marvel movie was what 1995 crime drama with the character Tracy Mills?

Multiple choice!  Used Wimbledon tennis balls are repurposed as A) tennis racket handles  B) reusable water bottles, or C) homes for wild mice ?

Chuck Mangione played what trumpetlike instrument that has a wider, more conical bore?

What comic strip, nationally syndicated in 1978, surpassed Peanuts to become the world's most widely syndicated comic strip​​​​​​​?

Don't feel bad if you miss most of these -- so did we and we still won the game.  We felt bad because the correct answers were sometimes in our conversation, perhaps after submitting a response.

What punk rock band started out with the members Jello Biafra, East Bay Ray, Klaus Flouride, Ted, and 6025?

What 14-letter word for a sequence of dream-like images was the title of a 1995 video game?

What is the last name of filmmaker brothers Josh and Benny, known for Good Time and Uncut Gems ?

What vegetable in the onion family is worn on St. David's Day in Wales?

What triply alliterative title is the only Shakespeare play taking place within the current territory of Spain?

J showed up as an alternate player today, charged with bringing knowledge of recent music.  So she studied the recent charts, and remembered just enough of them to help us answer the first challenging question.  I experienced an epiphany that revealed the final answer, even though I haven't seen the movie.  In the category of "Not Understanding the Assignment", my home seems to be suffering constant vibrations in the water pipes.  Hydraulic shock?  What do I do about it?  HWRNMNBSOL?

The music video for what gem of a song by Ed Sheeran shows the singer participating in Indian street culture?

What advertising mascot was retired in 1997 due to accusations of marketing to children?

What luxury brand, founded in Paris in 1847, has used a panther motif on its jewelry and watches?

What 1976 film, based on a 1974 non-fiction book, has a title that alludes to the penultimate line of a famous nursery rhyme?

My Favorite Team returned to their winning ways...

What country lost its Red Sea coastline when Eritrea gained independence in 1993?

What rhyming nickname refers to a 2004 brawl between NBA players and fans?

What steak dish with a woman's name was prepared tableside and flambéed?

What country hosted a Summer Olympics without winning any gold medals, and repeated the "feat" 12 years later at the Winter Olympics they also hosted?

At 37.5% of full strength, My Favorite Team slipped from 1st place at halftime to 1 point off the lead before the Final Question.  Sadly we blanked on that one, which would have been accurately answered by one of our absent members.

What baseball team's cap was worn by Pope Leo XIV ?

What Russian composer wrote The Firebird and The Rite of Spring ?

What brand name dating to 1903 is based on the French word for chalk plus a popular suffix?

What actress, mother of Sean Astin, won an Oscar at age 16 and later had a self-titled TV show?

One of the ways I bonded early with my stepson was joining a D&D game he was in. His friend's uncle was the DM and he ran it every Friday evening (but i only played every other Friday because, well, Kim and i were still dating and I'm not an idiot). This went on for around nine years, until David went to San Francisco for college. 

I last saw John at David's wedding in August 2022 and it was nice to catch up with him and the other regulars of the game. 

A month or two ago, he died suddenly (although apparently he taken a turn in March, but refused to do anything about it; we learned during the funeral that he hasn't seen a doctor for his entire adult life). David is going to run a one-shot game in his honor with all the usual suspects. I dug in my box of mementos and found all the old character sheets from those days.

After a rough start with the dreaded "Basketball" and "Modern Songs" categories, we made a strong comeback to win.

What is the name of the Cheers actor who voiced "Hamm" in the Toy Story franchise, the "Underminer" in the Incredibles franchise, and many other Pixar characters?

What 8-letter word starting with C means an "empty tomb" for someone whose remains are elsewhere?

What Folies Bergère star was the first black woman to be honored in the Panthéon?

What city surrendered following a 47-day siege the day after the end of the Battle of Gettysburg?

What symbol was formally added to International Morse Code in 2004?

I had the right answer for the first one listed, but my team didn't believe me :(
Oh well, we won anyway :)

What Native American was credited with saying "I will fight no more forever" after surrendering at the end of the Nez Perce War?

For what field of work is the Pritzker Prize awarded?

What rival of Mozart was portrayed by F. Murray Abraham in the movie Amadeus ?

What virtual assistant discontinued in 2023 was replaced by Microsoft Copilot?

For the last two weekends in a row, we have had stolen time on the island. Long, slow, meandering days, waking to the sun that hits our eastern-facing windows. The little girl and I have taken to walking the beach into town, which is three and a half miles. Each time we go, a different discovery. A broken boat, tangled in the roots of one of the trees that fell from the cliff. A chunk of black rock that fascinated us both and appears to be a meteorite stone. We end each walk with ice cream in town.

Sunday was the day I began my pivot.  I graduated, formerly, on May 10th from Emerson College. I now have an MFA in Writing for Film and Television. The week after the formal, final steps, I slept twelve to fifteen hours a day. I just barely finished my actual work, I just barely managed to throw things in lunch boxes and trudge to school. I am weary.

This weekend was the changeover. In my Hobonichi planner, I have all the things that must be done, and I am doing my best to get them done each day. I will keep a schedule. I will begin the job hunt. I will study for the GRE and the next step in my process.

I turn 50 on June 13th. Fittingly, on a Friday, I was born on a Friday. This summer unfolds, and it is extraordinary. I will be in France most of July with my friends Sonia and Juliette. This means working my two remote jobs at night, but who is to argue? It is the only time I could possibly do this, while I am at two jobs that are not quite full time enough for all the bills. I'd best enjoy the flexiblity. 

The summer has come. The little girl found a foundling bedraggled little crow in the winter and fed it peanuts and seeds all winter and named her Juliette. In the spring, our little Juliette*, disappeared. We mourned her. She returned with her own little daffy fledgling, a fluffy, bossy little thing we named Lolita. Joining them is Shiro, who is standoffish but very protective, and Stargazer, who is the lookout and shouts when we have out snacks. The birds are so very clever and when the dog grizzles that birds are being fed instead of dogs, they throw her bits of what they are eating so she can share.

I just delight. My little dog, the Lu, is a vintage 2011 and may not be around much longer. But her surly little ways, and her sassiness towards crows (and their response) just tickles me to death. The Little Girl flourishes. She is a born naturalist and ardant biologist. A beach walk with her is a continued examination of tide pools. I feel a great amount of stress and anxiety for the world at large and the pressures in my own life, but in these moments, with the crows, or on the beach, or my little dog, I find that I cannot help but be happy.

*Named after our French friend

Even knowing the song wouldn't have helped.

What skin care brand has a name derived from the Latin for "snow-white"?

What is the common name for the glenohumeral joint?

What Marvel character created by Len Wein is named for a short, hairy, and solitary animal known to attack creatures ten times its size?

A suit that allows Super Mario to fly is named for what "Japanese racoon dog"?

What quote from a 1999 movie (number 44 on AFI's Top 100 quotes) is spoken at the beginning of a 2024 song that won "Best Song" at the VMAs and the Grammy Awards?