For the last 3 years we have been celebrating the month of October by testing just how many shrimp we can shove into our bodies. As with most all you can eat settings things quickly turn toward competition. This year, with the promise of house points, the battle for Lord Shrimp/most likely to vomit was more fierce than ever.
The rules are simple - eat as many shrimp as you can, without throwing up.
This year shrimp fest started out not unlike ones before. With the promise of copious amounts of shrimp on the way TheBigHouse was happy, calm, and defenses were down. It was within the first few rounds of shrimp that things started to heat up. Emily and Tyler had been given more shrimp than Shelby and I, leaving us to wonder how we could best make our comeback. It was then that Emily made a drastic error - she left the table. The waitress returned while Emily was gone and requests for more shrimp were taken. With Emily absent from the table her charge to "order me the garlic one while I'm gone" was somehow forgotten. It was in this moment that Shelby and I pulled ahead. Emily returned to that table in time to witness everyone being served their next rounds...but what of her order? When she realized the plot to overthrow her competition boiled hotter than the garlic shrimp scampi. Alas, all is fair in Love, War, and Shrimp Fest. The waitress was immediately flagged down and Emily's order was placed but she would remain a plate behind...or would she? Alliances were made and Emily hatched a plan with Tyler who, not competing for house points, until then was a neutral party. The plan unfolded when the waitress informed us the kitchen was closing and this would be our last order. When the last order was brought to the table all seemed well and good...until the waitress left. At this point I was in the lead with 81 shrimp, Shelby was in second with 80, and Emily third with 75ish. It was once the server left that shrimp hit the fan! Shelby dove for my shrimp managing to steal a precious hand breaded. At the same moment Emily lunged across the table plucking half of Shelby's new order right out of the boiling butter sauce! Rapid eating ensued as everyone guarded their remaining shrimp. When the shrimp cleared it looked like I was the victor with 91 but then the second half of Emily's plan unfurled. Tyler had ordered his last round of shrimp with the intent of giving it all to Emily so she could pull ahead at the last moment. With Emily unable to finish all of the extra order Tyler preformed an unspeakable evil. Of the remaining 3 shrimp he gave Shelby 2 and I 1 so we would tie for second place.
The final tally
Emily: 93 Shrimp
Shelby: 92 Shrimp
Jared: 92 Shrimp
And so the competition was over and Emily was the victor. The challenge itself, however, was not entirely finished. Throughout the meal we had been hiding the Red Lobster biscuits in various places (under napkins, behind signs advertising desserts, on our laps, etc.) so that the waitress would think we had eaten them and bring us more. Now the only thing that stood in our way of a food coma on the couch was collecting these biscuits while keeping the waitress none the wiser. There were a few close calls but in the end we managed to stuff them all from their hiding places into Shelby's purse and depart.
As this was a competition for house points I thought it would be fitting to update you on our current standings:
-Ravenclaw 12
-Slytherin 10
-Gryffindor 5
-Hufflepuff so negative it isn't even a number
