I Have Always Relied On The Kindness of Strangers

On Sunday night I had a late errand so I wanted to stay up later than usual. Offspring #2 was kind enough to help me out by organizing a team to play trivia at Surly Brewery on Sunday night.  Such a lucky Mom am I; not lucky enough to win but lucky to hang out and have a good time and actually know a few trivial things.  Surly Brewery has a nice room for drinking beer and eating and playing trivia.  I’m not a beer drinker but the food was good.  One category was television grandmothers.  How useful is it to know Jacquelyn Bouviant was Marge Simpson’s mother?  Or that Thelma Harper was the grandmother on Mama’s Family?  Not that useful unless you are playing trivia.  Actually Thelma Harper took me a long time.  One member of our group remembered a young woman, wearing a wig, acting like an old person.  I’ve watched a lot of television in my day but after pondering on it I first thought of Carol Burnet and eventually Mama’s Family.  The trivia fact that I am helped with and am most proud of is from what 1949 play did these words (say it out loud in a breathy Southern accent-I have always relied on the kindness of strangers) come from?  That line plus the yelling of the name Stella loudly and repeatedly could only come from A Streetcar Named Desire. Score another one for me! One of the questions was a photo.  We were supposed to name the movie.  I had inkling.  First I thought of shame.  Then I thought of bondage. Then I thought of 50 Shades of Grey but I knew that wasn’t right.  Then I thought of sadism.  “What is another, less commonly used word for sadism?” I asked my companions.  Yeah, I did that.  Awkward much?  Then I said no, it’s a name.  It’s a man’s name.  Offspring asked me if I was thinking of the Marquis de Sade.  Yes I answered exuberantly. And while it was true the movie was about him, the name of the movie is actually Quills so we didn’t get that point.  I learned trivia is a fun activity!  Too bad it’s not available earlier in the day like bingo.  I could do this more often if I didn’t have to stay up so late.