The saddest part is that I was sober.

The Burp insists that I blog this before I blog anything else. To redress the balance.

Last night we went to a quiz night with The Burp, The Rooster and the Choppers. It was to raise money for The Burp's kids' school P&C. There were the usual rounds of questions where the teams wrote down their answers and these were interspersed with one-off questions where if you knew the answer you had to jump up and shout it out before anyone else. I'm never fast enough for those things. I always know the answer, of course.

Half-way through the quiz we had a break in proceedings for an auction and there was lots of chit chat at our table. I was all distracted - please see next blog entry for reasons why - when I noticed that the quiz master was asking a question. He'd obviously decided to get proceedings underway again with one of the jump up questions.

You know how things seem to happen in slow motion? I heard him ask the question - "What floor often gets deliberately omitted from being numbered in buildings?" I saw people huddled together, whispering. I couldn't believe no one else immediately knew the answer. Here was my chance. I leapt out of my seat, there was a great clattering as it fell to the floor, I waved my hand into the air (The Burp spent the rest of the night imitating my flourish) and screamed at the top of my lungs, "Thirteen!"

Then you know how you suddenly realise there's been a great mistake? The quiz master looked at me, the room went dead quiet and I was sort of aware of a collective "What the...?" from my team mates, and then just as abruptly everyone broke into hoots and applause and cries of, "Thanks!" Turned out I'd just answered the first question of the next round.

I immediately collapsed back into my chair and hid my face under Mrs Chopper's arm. The Burp was laughing so hard she was lying across the empty chair next to her.

The organisers clearly appreciated the impromptu entertainment. They got me up the front and let me pick a prize. The Burp reckons she's never going to let me live it down. Yeah, like I needed to be told.