Determination and Story Telling

Professor Wortmann, if you're reading this, I'm owning up to falling short of the determination portion of the class with the bartering assignment.  I'm still sitting on the Beer Pong set and have only made three trades so far.  With a big final project due for my other class, unless I go on a mad tear, I'm not likely to do all 10 trades.

Am I giving up completely?  No!  My last-ditch effort is to see what kind of crazy story I can write up and see if I can dump the beer pong set on eBay for huge return and maybe use the cash to make a few quick last-minute trades.

Here's the story, off the top of my head.
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This Beer Pong set changed my friend's life, and now it can be yours!

Todd was always up for a game of Beer Pong, and all of his friends knew it.  When a weekend getaway to a cabin in northern Michigan was planned, Todd was assigned to bring the cups and ping pong balls.  In a rush to leave after work, Todd forgot to grab the grocery bag he had set aside, which contained his contribution to the food pantry in the cabin and (of course), the essentials for Beer Pong.

Exhausted after driving 6 hours from Chicago to the cabin, Todd was rightfully shamed by his friends when they all realized that due to Todd's botched exit, they were out both the Doritos and Beer Pong.  After much jibing, Todd was pressured to make the situation right, so he was sent back out on the road on a mission for chips, cups, and balls.  As fate would have it, there was only one local party store open.  Moping into the store, Todd grabbed a few bags of cheesey-powdery goodness, and set out looking for cups and ping-pong balls.  No luck.  Partially defeated, Todd got in line behind a young lady.  Todd noticed two things about her.  First, she was incredibly beautiful, with long dark hair, bright eyes, and a captivating smile.  Second, she was carrying this very Beer Pong set.

While waiting in line, Todd found out that her name was Meghan.  To is partial dismay, he also found out that Meghan carried in her hands the very last Beer Pong set in the store.  Ever the charmer, Todd gleaned that Meghan was also in town from Chicago, meeting some friends for the weekend at the same campsite he was stationed.  Now, I'm not sure if he had any ulterior motives other than the Beer Pong set, but he convinced Meghan to ask her friends if they wanted to merge groups at the campsite to kick the weekend off right.

The weekend resulted in proper amounts of debauchery for the combined group of 20-somethings, and while Meghan thought Todd was a nice enough guy, she brushed off his (numerous) attempts throughout the weekend to get to know her better.  Undeterred, Todd challenged Meghan to a one-on-one game of Beer Pong on the Sunday before packing up and heading home.  If he won, she had to go out with him back in Chicago.  If she won, she got his phone number but not visa versa.  Any courtship would be done on her terms.

Meghan beat Todd handily, and she stayed true to her word.  She got his phone number but not the other way around.  Todd didn't stay disappointed for too long, however.  3 hours into the drive back to Chicago, he got a call from an unknown number.  He talked to Meghan the remaining 3 hours back to the city and arranged for their first of many dates the following weekend.  This was three years ago.

Todd bequeathed me the Beer Pong set at his and Meghan's wedding earlier this summer, saying I needed some practice.  As a believer of fate (and already being married myself), I am now passing this set and its story onto a person needing its history and influence.
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Ebay listing here.

Trade Three - Care for a game of Beer Pong? Please? Pretty please?

What: Anchorman DVD (new - $5) for a Beer Pong game (used - $10)
When: Wednesday, 7/30 @ 10:30pm
Where: Via Facebook Messenger

With the help of a co-worker and Facebook, I was introduced to Marty, who was willing to trade me for the DVD.   Marty offered my choice of: DJ Hero for the Wii, a Frisbee  or a Beer Pong game.  I initially was going to go with DJ Hero, but apparently it's not a hotly traded game.  I thought about trading it in at Gamestop, but they stopped accepting it for trade ins.

I gladly accepted the used Beer Pong game (~$10) for the trade of the DVD ($5).  I may be at a bit of a disadvantage, as my younger cousins will be quick to tell me that the best way to get a beer pong game going is to just pick up a sleeve of Solo Cups and a container of ping-pong balls.  Grocery stores usually sell them together in the same aisle.

The next trade may be more challenging than the pen.  Someone in class said that the begging method has worked well.  I may have to resort to that.  I have 7 trades to make in the next 3 weeks... Way behind.