Welcome to the Circus Tent and Award Podium, Race #1 (Presented by Tina and Heather)

We’re still spiffing up to get ready for the big show, don’t mind us, but we hope you’ll come on in and take a look around. Check out the rules for the game, our forms for submitting winning phrases and signing your blog up for future games, and our feedback form. Please look over our "EVERYTHING ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW" page.

Next Wednesday, Heather, our Ring Master, will post the first clue at 1 p.m. eastern time (you can sign in 10 minutes early). Each subsequent clue will be posted in 10 minute increments. There are 5 clues in all. 


Come and play at the time of posting or come whenever you can during the next 24 hours. The game stays open for a whole day, and people can play at their leisure and try for that elusive Best Comment Award. If you play at posting time, you're more likely to win the coveted First Place Medal, for being the first to submit Jon's unscrambled phrase. We would love to hear your experience of how the game works both ways. After that winners will be determined and a recap will be published on Friday. Let the games begin!

In Ring Number One (or our race archives) you've got our first official race, and our three practice runs.

In Ring Number Two (which also can be found in our race archives) there are recaps and award ceremonies.

In Ring Number Three is the peanut gallery, and by the peanut gallery, we mean you. Make yourself known. Yes, we encourage comments from you! Heckle away. Without you, there would be no us.

So, how are you? You ready to play, Wednesday, March 24th at 1PM, Eastern time? (That's 10 AM on the West Coast :)) Give us a good heckle, let us know you're here!


But before you comment away, we have one order of business: The Award Podium from our last race! Our winners are here, to give their acceptance speeches!

WELCOME TO THE AWARD PODIUM!!

What a fantastic first WIBIJ race! Congrats to all of our players, and everyone who had honorable mention comments! But this stand is for winners only. You've got to be fleet of googling fingers and quick wit to win these awards.


Let me give a hand up to Dena. Dena, congrats on winning the First Place Award in our first game. Do you have anything you'd like to say?

(Dena): How awesome! Thanks for the award!

I'd like to start by thanking everyone who joined in W.I.B.I.J. and made it a great competition! I'd also like to thank the little people that call me mom for allowing me focus while they ran around aimlessly in the backyard for a good 40 minutes. Sincere thanks go out to Heather, Tina, and Jon for making all of this possible. Big thanks go out to Google. Without the help of Google I'd probably still be stuck on clue #1. I'd like to thank the blogosphere for all the wonderful websites I was able to discover, as well as my trusty old computer with it's three missing keys. I cannot even tell you how much this award means to me. I will hold it close to my heart and I will display it proudly on my blog. Truly, this is the proudest day of my virtual life.


Wow, Dena, great acceptance speech. Your award certainly looks spiffy on your blog! Everyone make sure to visit Dena's blog on the way out. But first, let me tap the mic and call for quiet. Here comes our winner of the Best Comment Award. Thanks for being here, Casey, from Literary Rambles. What would you like to say to the virtual crowd?


(Casey): Thank you to Tina, Heather, and Jon for inviting me to participate in the launch of W.I.B.I.J., which is brilliant if I do say so myself.

I'd also like to thank Google for offering a home for the Big Top and for my Google Reader which was already home to the featured blogs (that helped tremendously!).

I shall then thank the other participants who created a sparkly competitive edge, despite my late entrance.

And finally, a tear-filled moment of silence for my uncle, who helped win me the comment award. He passed away very unexpectedly just a few months ago. It was nice to remember his nerdy D&D and Iron Maiden days so fondly. I'm so glad you circus folk chose that comment.

Can't wait to see future games in motion. THANK YOU for the fun! : )

You're welcome, Casey! Thanks so much for playing! Everyone be sure to visit Casey's blog, Literary Rambles and leave her some love.


We had one more winner from our first race, a surprise award, for Best Comment at the Circus Tent, which was awarded to Paul, of Northwriter. Paul couldn't be here, today, so I'm going to read his poem. I think you'll agree that he sets the bar rather high!


(Paul's Poem):

I've figured out four of five

But can't play today

That's no Jive

I'm out the door

To soak in a Hot Spring.

But this looks like fun

Way better than Bling Bling!

Congrats in Advance

To all who have played.

If my schedule allowed

I sure would've stayed!

Everyone, give Paul a round of applause, and be sure to check out his blog on the way out of the Circus Tent.

And, if you want to win your own award, all you have to do is perform spectacularly at our next WIBIJ race, Wednesday, March 24th at 1 PM EST. The Circus Tent will be open ten minutes early for contestants to sign in. See you Wednesday!


Let the heckling begin (in the comment section)! What do you think about W.I.B.I.J.? Are you planning on playing? Can you imagine yourself at the Award Podium? What was your favorite part of the last game?