Patuxent!

So, I've spent a few days at a workshop at Patuxent Research Refuge in Maryland. I'm at a workshop for other interns from my program in my region. So far, it has been a great pleasure to meet the other interns, who come from all over the region (Maine to Virginia) and from various parts of the country. I also discovered how different my experience is from that of other interns. This really makes me excited for the future, because I really don't know where I could end up in a few years.

Otherwise, Patuxent was really cool. It's really unlike the other refuges I've been to (which isn't saying much) because its focus is on research. One of the coolest projects is a whooping crane breeding center, which has greatly strengthened the wild population to about 300 individuals from about 170 in 2000. We got to get a glimpse of an adult whooping crane, as well as a juvenile. Considering the improbability of seeing one in the wild, that was pretty cool.

Well, it's back to the grind for a few more days. I leave work in a couple weeks and just haven't quite realized how tremendous of an end this is. Oh well, I won't look at it that way. Until next time...

Fan mail...

So, I'm not actually going to read fan mail, because that would be creepy. However, I recently found out that the daughter of one of my 4th grade teachers (who has since retired and moved away) found my sister on facebook and messaged her saying that they saw me on TV. Now if that's not weird, I don't know what is.

I lost...

So it is now known to the world that I lost my second match of jeopardy. I'm too tired from today to provide the detail play-by-play that I did of my first episode, but I will mention a few details:

- They cut off part of my "Getting to Know You" segment. What everyone saw: Alex asking me about my Spanish vocabulary, and I told him that I had to learn various election-related phrases. He then said, "like 'Voto'" and I say "Exactly!"
What really happened: He was just joking and made up the phrase "Voto," so he was surprised that it actually meant "vote." Actually, it means "I vote," but I went with it anyway. He said something like "So, it really does mean vote?" because he was apparently astonished that he actually said something that made since. I kept saying that it did, and then we stared at each other awkwardly with the audience laughing in the background.

- I still only got one question wrong (and it was only worth $400). However, I got beaten really bad on the buzzer. Those of you who have competed in trivia competitions with me in the past know that I am really bad at buzzing in.

- Good thing I'm not going to be a doctor: I should have known where parietal bones are. I also got the measles question wrong because I misread the clue, which leads to my next point:

- In case you didn't notice, I don't pay attention when Alex reads the clue. I read the clue first because I usually finish doing so way before he finishes reading it aloud so I have enough time to think about it.

- I am a crazy better. Some people would not have bet that much in case they got the question wrong. However, I figured that 1) I'm crazy 2) I know a lot about Napoleon and 3) I already did what I came here to do (win), might as well do something risky.

I've been JEOPARDIZED!!

So it's official - I won $23,000 dollars on Jeopardy. For the next few weeks, I plan to turn my blog into a collections of stories and anecdotes related to this experience. For now, here's a general timeline of events from last Friday:
Friday, July 3
12:57 pm - I get the first congratulatory call from a friend in Minneapolis. I am caught completely off guard.

5:04 pm - The second congratulatory phone call, from a former kendo teammate in Chicago. I am apparently amazing.

6:20 pm - Dinner at the Hernandez household. My sister in law makes a plate of Rice CHRISpies, which are terribly ironic. I consume sugar, which is a mistake.

6:58 pm - I run downstairs to the living room to find that the show is not yet on. I commence jumping around the room and wonder why no one else is with me. I realize we only have enough room for 5 people and rush to pull by swivel chair into the room.

7:00 pm - The show comes on. Everyone starts laughing when I come on, because I couldn't stop smiling. My brother notes that one of the categories is "pubs and taverns," which he expects me to completely miss.

First few questions - I am nervous as hell. It's pretty darn obvious. Nina is killing everyone. First commercial break ends with me down by $2800. Mom is on the phone with a cousin who is a cop. Apparently his entire station is watching, and they can't believe they're watching me lose.

First commercial break - I tell America how to tell if a turtle is "pregnant", as shown below (thanks to Heather for this throwback).
I actually skip a lot of details, which makes the story even funnier because of how straightforward it seems. My family is laughing hysterically, because they had no I idea I had knew how to do this. Alex says "WHY DID I ASK?!?!?!?!" and makes this face:I am officially a hit.

By the end of the round, I somehow end up in first place, with $5600, to $5000 for Nina and $2500 for Najah. I don't really know how this happens, but I did get two of the $1000 questions. My brother notes that when Najah gets the Daily Double, I make a really angry face at her. I offer no comment.

Mom notes that we went to Quebec and EPCOT, two of my correct answers. This is a trend; many answers that I got right are associated with places I've been to.

It's time for DOUBLE JEOPARDY!!! - Najah picks "Do the right THING." I get the first clue right, and then go for BIG CITY MAYORS. I then proceed to get every single mayor in that category, include the hometown mayors of both of my opponents. Najah gets the next clue, but I proceed to finish the following category, get another question in another category, and thus TRIPLE my score in about 3 minutes' time. Note: I have been to every single city I named.

My family is stunned.

Najah gets a daily double again. My family breaks out in laughter when I apparently stare her down again.

I finally get a Daily Double. My brother, ever a mathematician, states that had I gotten it wrong, I could have risked my lead. Did I know that at the time? Absolutely not. I'm just lucky I got it right.

When all is said and done, I get only one question wrong (Persistence of Memory), answer two entire categories, and get $24,400.

7:22 pm - First text message of congratulations from a coworker at the swamp

7:28 pm - Final Jeopardy - I get it wrong, but it doesn't matters, because I win with $23,000. I then stand around awkwardly because no one wants to shake my hand and then go talk to Alex, who complains about how hungry he is.7:30 pm - Every single phone is the house is making noise. My sister is getting all these text messages from her excited friends. My aunt was having supper at a restaurant and apparently caused a scene while watching me. I get a random text message from a complete stranger and talk with several friends and relatives.

7:38 pm - Dessert and remarks from my brother about how funny I looked

7:54 pm - I get a call from friends in Boston. I pick up the phone and hear screaming. I get yelled at for getting Persistence of Memory wrong.

I look at facebook. I have 75 notifications and friend requests up the Yazoo. I get emails and facebook messages from people I have not spoken to in 5 years.

8:55 pm - I go to fireworks. Someone yells at me while I'm driving there; we find this out later.

10:20ish pm - I am spotted by my sister's friend. "It's Chris Hernandez, he's famous!"

That's all for now, more to come later.