Cup XI: Springfield Ham(burger)

Tea: Rum Vanilla

Music: Johnny Rivers, "Secret Agent Man"

Time: Evening

Something very cool happened today. I found a new old hamburger joint.

It's Taylor's Old Fashion Steakburgers (yeah, I know the name's ungrammatical. It just adds to the attraction) in Springfield, Mo.

Taylor's has been around since 1947 and serves the old-school thin hamburgers -- sorry, steakburgers -- from meat ground fresh each day. Yes, there's a difference.

I got the double cheese with ham. It was worth the cholesterol.

Interesting note: The menu shows prices from 1955, listing a "Winstead's Steakburger" for, I think, 30 cents. So, being naturally nosy, I asked the waitress about the connection.

"Oh," she said, clearly used to answering the question. "Taylor married a Winstead."

Burger alliances by marriage. Who'd have guessed?

Oh, and I made the Jeopardy contestant pool. Whew.

Cup X: One Down, One to Go, Another Town and One Game Show

Tea: Vanilla Jasmine

Music: Threshold, "Mission Profile"

Time: Night, after a long day

So here I am, overnighting in Springfield, Mo., which means that yes, I passed the first round of the Jeopardy test. Next up, the 50-question test. That's at 9 a.m., which means I have precious little time to go on Wikipedia and change every answer in the known universe to "Latvia."

I got to the testing site two and a half hours early, anticipating a gigantic line. I was No. 33. So I read and listened to music. I worked on the novel and talked to a fellow word guy and met his girlfriend, both very cool people. (Matthew and Melissa, that's you. You have the contact info. Call me next time you're in Kansas City.)

Oh, and my socks were not only unmatched, but gloriously so. Left foot, orange and black with narrow stripes. Right foot, green and black with wide stripes.

I didn't ace the test (locked up on "Lean Cuisine"), but nine out of 10 turned out to be good enough.

None of the answers, by the way, was "Latvia."

Give me time, though ... just give me time.

Cup VI: With One Breath, With One Flow, You Will Know ...

Tea: Pu-er Dante/Mango

Music: Theme from "Jeopardy!"; The Police, "Synchronicity I"

Time: Afternoon

So maybe it's not a complete synchronicity. It's close, though.

Three days after I grumbled about making the Jeopardy! contestant pool and never getting a call to be on the show, I find out the Jeopardy! Brain Bus is going to be in Springfield, Mo., on Tuesday. It's actually going to be closer to here later in the week, in Grandview, Mo., but I have a writing gig that night.

Springfield's three hours away. Looks as though there's a drive in my future, maybe an overnight stay if I get through the first round of tests -- and, of course, more caffeine.

Wish me luck.

Cup III: Jeo-pu-er-dy, or is that Jeopar-tea?

Tea: Pu-er with ginger, hand mixed, heavy on the ginger

Music: Theme from "Jeopardy!"

Time: Late afternoon.

Some of the tea is being used to soak dried shiitake mushrooms. They'll go in the wok, drained and sliced, along with some tofu, eggplant, onions, peppers, carrots and, um ... whatever sauce I decide I want to mix up.

Yeah, I know ... yesterday, I said carnivores rock. They still do, and I still am one. I'm the tofu stir-fryer, not the tofu buyer.

All three people missed the Final Jeopardy answer (Question: What is "London Bridge"?) Boneheads, all around.

"But Steve," you say, "could you do better?"

Than this bunch today? Yeah. Better than Ken Jennings? Who knows? I took the Jeopardy test a couple of years ago, and qualified for the contestant pool, but that was the year he went on that long tear and they didn't need quite so many contestants.

(A lot of people were howling at the time: "Go back to the five-day limit for champions! It's not fair for one person to be on so long!")

This, to be polite, is a load. Someone reaches the top in a competition like that, he or she ought to be able to hold the crown as long as the challengers fail to take it.

I'll take the test again someday. At least, I'd like to. I'm not addicted to any show, game or otherwise ... but Jeopardy?

I'll take "Things That Would Kick Butt" for $2,000, Alex.