Boffin enters Athens 2004 Blog comp!

And so to the latest competition update. Remember, you're guessing how much it costs at an Olympic venue for 2 x beer, 2 x water, 2 x hot dog and 2 x creme caramel. Mark from Wales, our serial competition enterer, has guessed 19 Euros. Laurel from Tennessee says 28. And then there's the entry from Todd Barnell, Research Specialist at the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals in Arizona (yes, that's Tribal Environmental Professionals!). Todd - a new reader - has some very kind things to say about Athens 2004 Blog (as, incidentally does a very friendly chap called Rowan). And Todd has used his Research Specialist skills to compose an extremely considered and entertaining competition entry. Here are his thoughts in full...

"You always seemed to get ripped off on beer unless you are drinking at your neighborhood pub. You're also talking about less than a pint a piece (if I converted correctly). I'd say these are $5 each. A pint of water each? Let's say $6 for both. Hot dogs. Hmm. If you were buying them at a US baseball stadium you'd need a credit card. I'm assuming the Greeks are not as money-grubbing as US baseball owners so let's say you are dropping $8 for both. The creme caramel is hard. If my partner made it I'd charge someone a mint, but I will guess $4 each. That comes to $32 US, or, 26 Euros. Drats! Someone already guessed that one! Okay, maybe the creme caramel are really, really good. Let's round up to 29 Euros. That is a safe bet."

That almost deserves a prize just for the amount of thought put into it! And so, we have
- Vix 42 Euros (she doesn't want to win though -she won the last one)
- GM 38 Euros.
- KJ 36 Euros.
- Diegem 33 Euros.
- John Abatzoglou 32 Euros.
- Todd the boffin 29 Euros
- Laurel 28.
- Andria 26 Euros.
- Roberto 24 Euros.
- Dennis 20 Euros.
- Mark 19 Euros
- Simon Wonder Wally 14.5 Euros.

(Clue: No one's right yet. And The answer isn't a round Euro)

Competition closes on Saturday morning. At which point the closest wins a tacky Olympic souvenir like the one I bought Vix at the Games superstore yesterday, which will be winging it way to her very soon...

As for me. I'm off to the badminton to, hopefully, see the Brits win their first Gold of the games and their first ever gold at badminton. C'mon the Brits!