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The Q.U.I.Z. Round Four: Delayed Gratification

I'm too tired and in-the-midst of other work to be witty or entertaining about this, so I'll be unusually plainspoken: Round Four questions just aren't ready.

The reason is simple: work has been overwhelming and home (kids, viruses, cooking, shopping, laundry, kids, leaking diswasher, kids -- particularly not-completely toilet-trained kids -- viruses again) has been even more so. The blocks of anticipated time during which I had planned to give you all a well-set-up round four turned out to be mirages, oases of self-directed activity, dissolving as this caravan approached.

And as I finally sat down this rainy Sunday evening to feed this beast its final meal, I checked my email and discovered that, in the midst of all my past forty-eight hours of wiping noses, mopping floors, and playing the three-year-old version of Candy Land ("Daddy, you can draw two red. You can go on the Rainbow with Mommy and Imogen. I will go two green and go to the Candy Store. Oh no the Candy Store is closed! I have to go one orange and then I will watch a movie."), I really should have fit in about twelve hours of work on the paying job.

So, I'm sorry to report that Round Four will begin, at the earliest, tomorrow night. Deadlines will be extended as necessary.

As you hurl your verbal tomatoes my way in the comments below, you should know that I'm entirely aware I've got no business trying to run this thing anymore.

Posted by BT on January 7, 2007 11:38 PM |

Comments

BT -- I've got patience to spare (I will wait!) and, though our reasons may differ, I also have empathy for your time-devouring predicaments. I couldn't face the amassing army of details in front of me without at least the promise of a quiz to divert my divided attention (and bust a few more blood vessels). Thanks for doing it despite its wear and tear on you. --art

Posted by: art [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 8, 2007 12:20 AM

Thank you, Bill. Your quiz has been a miracle of distraction while I was dealing with inlaws, a cranky pregnant friend and then knock-out bronchitis. But do not tax yourself. Enjoy the Candyland. Someday Helena will play by the rules and you will remember her kookiness fondly. My offer to babysit still stands if you and T want a night out.

Posted by: shananan [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 8, 2007 09:06 AM

No worries, Bill. I agree the promise of upcoming questions is sometimes better than the actual questions, esp. when it turns out that I can't answer any of them.

Posted by: james [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 8, 2007 09:36 AM

"The blocks of anticipated time during which I had planned to give you all a well-set-up round four turned out to be mirages, oases of self-directed activity, dissolving as this caravan approached."

wombat's "unusually plainspoken" is my would-need-ritalin-and-two-uninterrupted-hours -to-compose.

Cut yourself a break, wombat.

Oh, Candyland advie: Nip the corner of the 'sugar fairy princess' card so you can draw it whenever you need. Also, explain to the kids that the Plumpa trolls are only going extinct because of Bush' gutting of their habitat for oil.

Posted by: boxjam [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 8, 2007 10:36 AM

Damn, Bill, don't beat yourself up over having your priorities straight! We can wait for fun. I'm grateful you're still doing the quiz, at whatever speed.

Posted by: Scraps [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 9, 2007 09:46 AM

Just to add misery, last night cable service to the home office went out. Still nothing when I woke up this morning. Hopefully, it should be restored tonight and I can post a much-delayed final round.

Posted by: BT [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 9, 2007 10:27 AM

To show my solidarity with wombat, I have also not updated my web page.

Posted by: boxjam [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 9, 2007 10:46 AM

And I've chosen to barely have one.

Knowing how the wombat grows weary when all the voices sing in unison, I'm tempted to add a descant of dissent and point out that this is no way to run a railroad, whipsawing us between Lightning Round adrenaline and yawning time-biding.

But then a quick check at http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/trivia reveals trivia to be "unimportant matters." In other words, so what if it's late. The trains always run on time in this Grand Tour of the Obscure, and I've got a season pass.

Sidebar challenge:
what's the oldest site you read? I still check this one to see if the author remembers he put it there:
http://ymmv.com/

Posted by: Jonathan [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 9, 2007 08:14 PM

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