Earlier this year I listed playing trivia and word games as one of the sources of joy when things seem hard. I was definitely feeling it in February, but even more now when the other shoe dropped in my work life (see: grants from NSF being terminated).

Sean and I play several, mostly just us two. We starting playing the NPR Sunday Puzzle last spring. Once I realized that the kids could join in and get the on-air challenge, I started waiting to listen so the kids could join in, mostly on the way home from work/after-school programs. It’s a fun part of our week and now the kids are so used to the intro music and taglines they try to do it along with host Ayesha Rascoe¹.

The Sunday Puzzle includes a challenge question you do at home. Sometimes we get it and enter, sometimes we get it but forget to enter on time, and other times we’re left stumped. This week I got it and entered:

Name a famous singer past or present. Remove the first and last letter from the first name and the result will be a potential partner of the last name. What singer is this?

Odds were in my favor since only ~450 people entered.

On Thursday afternoon I got a call from an NPR producer telling me I’d been selected! Some people seem to have been playing decades before they get on-air. I felt lucky and excited to be chosen. It was hard for me to keep the news to myself for a few hours. When I told my family they were so excited. Sean high-fived me and Xavi said “let’s go!” like his team had won a game.

I did the recording on Friday. It was hard being on the spot with puzzle-master Will Shortz and I needed several hints and help from Rascoe, which I’ve seen often. I suddenly couldn’t name things I would know, like a language that begins with a N. You can take my Chicana card now for not using Nahuatl³. At least one of the categories was something I’d know well, colleges and universities.

While I told people I was going to be on the Sunday Puzzle, I also was hoping for a kind edit and media magic. The recording aired today on Weekend Edition and the first friend who listened told me I did awesome, especially with the colleges question. The kids on the other hand were glad I didn’t say their names. Archie also suddenly could name a number of dog breeds.

Nevertheless, it was fun! Since I was a kid, I always wanted to be on game shows like Jeopardy! or Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? As my brother Adrian said, this might be the closest I get to Jeopardy!.

Aside: it was really nice to chat with Rascoe pre-taping while we waited for Shortz to join the call. I told her how my kids were going to be so excited to hear I’d “met” her. Next NPR “bucket list” item I have is to get to a watch a Tiny Desk concert live.

1. Rascoe was so sweet. We had a few minutes pre-taping while we waited for Shortz to join the call. I told her how my kids were going to be so excited to hear I’d “met” her. Next NPR bucket list item I have is to get to a watch a Tiny Desk concert live. ↩︎
2. Gladys Knight! Take off the G and S and that becomes Lady who can be a partner of a Knight. This literally came to me in the shower. ↩︎
3. This came to me after Shortz suggested using Navajo. I don’t speak Nahuatl, but know numbers and some words. My email address contains the word for star, citlalli. ↩︎