Daily's

Sarah says:  These are similar to the Arbor Mist Frozen Drinks I previously wrote about, although I like these ones better.  They seemed to have a bit more flavor.  I had Strawberry Daiquiri and Jon had Pina Colada.  It was a tad challenging to get the right consistency, frozen, but liquidy enough to drink through a straw.  The secret is, freeze it, pour it into a cup, then add a little more alcohol to the mix which will give it that slushy texture.  Overall, it was delicious, and a great way to end a beautiful, sunny, warm day.

Since I'm handing out secrets, I'll like to share my weekend findings of this weekend with you.  Jon and I, along with my cousin and her husband, went to our second murder mystery dinner in less than 2 months.  Why we ended up at two of these things is a secret that I'll be keeping to myself, but both times were a lot of fun.

The first murder mystery dinner we went to was a 1940's gangster themed evening.  The second was a wedding theme.  Both nights go horribly wrong when someone is murdered!  The goal is for each table (10 or so people) to determine who the killer of the night was.  The fun thing is this:  they only award two tables - first place and last place.  We got to experience each of these.  Our first time, we got that lovely last place.  The significance of that is, there are a lot of wrong answers, but ours was the most wrong.  We took a path that wasn't even close.  The second time we went, we learned a few things, and guessed the correct killer.

So, to help you out if you ever go to one of these things, so you won't get the dreaded last place, here are my secrets of a murder mystery dinner.  I do recommend you go by the way, it's fun and something different to do.

Sarah's secrets of murder mystery success:

Read all the details of your character carefully - they wouldn't put it in there if it wasn't important!

Spend the money they give you - you are given money to bribe information out of people.  The accountant in me wanted to make money, but not pay any out.  The thing is, the amount of money each team has at the end has zero impact on the winner.  Spend every last dollar getting every bit of information you can get your hands on.  There is no risk involved in spending your money.  Unless, of course, you spend it on bad information.

Write down character names and clues about them - You'll never remember it all, and seeing it all in front of you will help you make the best decision at the end of the night.

Listen to the clues the "real" actors give you - There are many characters from the audience, but there are a few actors too, pay attention to what they are doing.  I originally thought they were going to try to trick us, and lead us astray.  Turns out, they are pointing you in the most obvious directions - do what they tell you to do.

Drink:  You have to get up and ask complete strangers questions - sometimes trying to be flirty, sometimes convincing, sometimes innocent, sometimes trying to get info - it helps to have a drink or two in the system.  I had a glass of wine in my hand most of the night, which was good for this.  Plus, taking a slow sip after being asked a question gives you a couple of seconds to think through your response, so you don't end up giving away important information.

Step out of your comfort zone - if you are assigned a character, embrace it.  There is nothing worse than trying to question a character that just doesn't care.  Don't bother going if you aren't willing to act a little silly.  Plus, maybe you'll get best actress award like a certain "wedding planner"!  :-)

Follow the rules - there are very few rules, but they make it pretty clear what their expectations are.  Don't ruin the fun by lying or reading ahead in the game book.

Have fun - it is, after all, just a game.