Exhausted

Every year I give a training in July on the vulnerable adult act. The topic can be dry so I liven it up by making it a "Jeopardy" style game. My fellow employees get into the game. They actually study hard before the game so they can win. In the first round of Jeopardy, they can win up to $500 per question. In the second round, they can win up to $5,000 per question. I'm talking big money! Purely hypothetical money, but big. We have teams. We have push buttons with lights that flash. I used to type the categories and answers on paper and use two large grease boards. Now I use power point. With the help of a coworker I introduce the game, go over the rules and the categories and get the game started. My coworker is the referee in any disputes. Any disputes! I mean all the disputes. This wild group of employees have many disputes. I think they're just working of the stress of our jobs by having fun poking fun at each other and accusing the other teams of cheating. When the insults get a little too uncomfortable, I usually say "Ouch!" and clutch my chest as if I've been stabbed. That usually lightens up the tension. Besides referee, my coworker decides which team lit their light first - no easy task. My job is to run the power point program and to read each slide. This afternoon was the fourth and final game of jeopardy. We had about 20 contestants. Everybody was talking at once. Before we got started, my supervisor game me a look that I read to say, "These people are getting on my nerves." I was tempted to return his look with one that said, "Who hired these yoohoo's? Not me!" but I stifled that by yelling, "Hey! Hey!" I started the game. One contestant decided to talk in a cartoon character voice during the entire game. I told her, "Your voice sounds different today," but that didn't stop her. Why she chose this game to sound like a Loony Tune I have no idea. She only added to the carnival atmosphere. Sometimes the quietest people get very competitive. I get startled when a person acts out of character, yells out the answer, pounds their fist on the table, leans over the table and taunts the opposing team. Freaks me out. I have never heard of any hard feelings. As a trainer, I am sweaty and exhausted after every game of Jeopardy and so is my referee. We're glad to be done with Jeopardy for 2009.