It is the perfect weather outside. I’m sitting here in my green sweater and my blue pajama bottoms. Eric is out looking for a new car to buy. Erykah Badu is blasting through my speakers. I got to sleep in this morning. Eric and I had breakfast together, that I made myself and actually turned out good… it’s just one of those good days.

Last night we all got together to play games, which hasn’t happened in a while because the new trend in our circle of friends is to play poker at night, and since I can’t (don’t, won’t, hate) poker I tend to not be there. Plus poker has brought even more people into our circle, so we haven’t had many evenings of just six of us sitting around playing a board game in a while.

So, it was nice to have our house be party central again.

We played Encore, which if you haven’t played, is made by the company Endless Games. I’m not kidding.

Here’s the description from the website:

How many times have you been together with some friends when all of a sudden you’re singing

at the top of your lungs … and half of you can’t even remember the words? Well that’s what Encore is all about. One team plays against the other so there’s no intimidation. The ability to sing isn’t required; because that would make the game really stink. It’s remembering lyrics that counts.

Suppose your team gets the word “red” … you now have to come up with at least 8 words of a song with
the word “red” in the lyrics. If you do … the other team is in the hotseat. Can the other team do the same? It
goes back and forth until one of you blows it. That’s it. No brainer. No stress. Just a great time with friends!

SAMPLE CLUE SET:

Christmas
Girl
Devil
Time
Bird
Beach Songs

Let’s break that down, so you know what a real night of playing Encore is like:

How many times have you been together with some friends when all of a sudden you’re singing at the top of your lungs … and half of you can’t even remember the words?

My friends know every song ever made when you put them all together. It’s frightening. When we do break into song and someone doesn’t know the words the others just make fun of them, as evidenced from last night:

(the word is “got”)

[scripty]
ERIC
“I got me a car, it seats about forty so come on! And bring your jukebox money!”

ALL ERIC
“The love shack is a little old place where–” “The love shack is a little old shack where–”

CHUY AND PAMIE
“Shack?”

ERIC
Whatever.

CHUY
I got me a shack, it has a little shack so come on! I’ve got a shack now, baby!

ERIC
Alright.
[/scripty]

Well that’s what Encore is all about. One team plays against the other so there’s no intimidation.

Oh, ha. “No intimidation.” Another look at last night:

[scripty]
CATHY
Okay, let’s play floor against couch.

ERIC
Us on the couch against you guys?

CATHY
Yeah.

CHUY
We’ll slaughter you.

BECCA
I’m not very good.

CHUY
I’m not very good.

MATT
I’m… okay… good.

CATHY
We’ll take Pam.

ERIC
So–

CATHY
Girls against boys.

ERIC
Oh, the girls are going DOWN!

(a male high-five)

(LATER… five minutes into the game…the word is “arms”)

PAMIE
Uh…

ERIC
Challenge them!

CHUY
Already?

ERIC
Challenge them!

BECCA
We give.

CATHY
Wait, there’s a song… hmfumfumfum…WHEN WE… hmfmummufummmah. Something about arms and a heart?

PAMIE
No idea.

ERIC
TIME! Our turn.

The ability to sing isn’t required; because that would make the game really stink.

(the category is songs about traveling)

PAMIE
“Traveling around sure gets me down and lonely. Nothing else to do but close my mind.”

ERIC
Oh, man. Pamie’s pulling out the Carole King. You can’t do anything about it.

It’s remembering lyrics that counts.

(the word is “since”)

MATT
“Since you left! Since you left! Since you left!”

CATHY
That’s three words.

MATT
Help me out here, guys.

ERIC
I don’t know.

CHUY
I have no idea what that song is.

ERIC
Wait I think I know. “Since you left!”

MATT
Yeah!

CATHY
That’s still three words.

CHUY
Okay! I got one! “I’m at WKRP and SINCE-in-at-tee!”

CATHY AND BECCA
No way.

PAMIE
Whatever. I’ll take it.

CATHY AND BECCA
What?

PAMIE
I don’t care.

CHUY
I think that’s good.

PAMIE
“In-SINCE, peppermints. duh, nuh, nuh nuh!”

CHUY
Okay. We’re even.
[/scripty]

What I wish I could remember was the song where Chuy couldn’t remember the lyrics and threw in the words “Eating the Klan” instead. After the peals of laughter, every song became about eating the Klan.

“Rolling down the street, eating Klan and sippin’ on gin and juice!”

“Cuz your friends eat Klan and if they eat Klan well they’re.. no friends of mine.”

“Blinded by the light! Banged up like a douche, eatin’ Klan all through the night.”

“Klanburger helper helps your klanburger, help her, make a great meal!”

Something hysterical about the image of having a Klan bake. I don’t know. I think it was Chuy talking about wiping your mouth with the sheet. That and it came out of smearing lyrics together.

Suppose your team gets the word “red” … you now have to come up with at least 8 words of a song with the word “red” in the lyrics.

We play with just six words.

(songs about traveling)

[scripty]
CATHY
“Ain’t got no cigarettes!”

ERIC
That’s not six.

CATHY
Traders for sale on it… two hours…

PAMIE
“King of the Road!”

ERIC
That’s not the order.

PAMIE
We got six words from the song. It’s about traveling.

CHUY
Is it our turn?

If you do … the other team is in the hotseat. Can the other team do the same?

CHUY
I hate this game.

MATT
“Well we’re movin’ on up! To the east side!”

PAMIE
Is there really an air guitar in the Jefferson’s song?

MATT
There is in mine.

CATHY
“I’m leavin’ on a jet plane!”

MATT
“Well if that’s movin up then I’m movin’ out.”

ERIC
That’s not really about traveling.

MATT
What are you talking about? Moving out! That’s going somewhere! “Well if that’s moving up then Iiiiiiiiiiim movin out!”

ERIC
I just think–

CHUY
Fine. “What’s the matter with the car I’m drivin? Can’t you tell that it’s out of style? Should I get a set of white wall tires? Are you gonna cruise the miracle mile?” Now, go.

PAMIE
It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me? That’s not a song about traveling.

CHUY
He’s talking about his car.

PAMIE
It’s about Rock and Roll!

BECCA
“On a dark desert highway. Cool wind in my hair!”

PAMIE
Isn’t that about a hotel?

CHUY
No, it’s about trying to make it into the record business.

MATT, BECCA, AND PAMIE
No, it’s about hell.

CHUY
Whatever.

PAMIE
I thought it was about the church of Satanism.

MATT
It is.

CHUY
It’s not.

BECCA
No, Chuy, it is. You’re wrong.

CHUY
This is just like American Pie. Everyone’s got a different opinion.

ERIC
It’s about cocaine addiction, that’s what it’s about.

It goes back and forth until one of you blows it.

CATHY
Who’s turn is it?

MATT
I don’t know.

PAMIE
I think it’s theirs.

CHUY
“Ain’t got no cigarettes!”

MATT
No, we sang that one before.

CHUY
Ohhhhhh. Did we? Oh, silly me. I guess we lose. I guess you guys get to go again. Since we’ve been playing for three hours and we are only a quarter of the way through the board!

That’s it. No brainer. No stress.

PAMIE
Everyone SHUTUP! I’m trying to think!

ERIC
(breaking into sportscaster mode)Pamie is trying to think. It looks like Becca may have something. Oh, no, she’s just whispering to Cathy.

CHUY
Perhaps they are stumped.

ERIC
I think we should challenge.

CATHY
Wait! No… shhh!

Just a great time with friends!

ALL
“We gonna rock down to Electric Avenue.And then we’ll take it higher.Oh, no!”
[/scripty]

I’m off to the park. Go out and play.