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.