OT Jeopardy Winner 12/15/2022

If I wasn't before I am now. LOL.

Nah! I don't actually know all that many La Londes. Less than a hundred probably. We've been in country since the 1680s, but most are in the north country with a few in the deep south. Cajuns and Canuks. Mostly Canuks. Far less of us are Damn Yankees.

I don't have any immediate relationship I am aware of. No, I'm not directly related to that Canadian boxer either.

Now if you asked if I was related to that Bob La Londe who was a research mechanic at NASA's Lewis Research Center who retired in the early 1980s. Yes. That was my Grammpa. If you asked if I was related to the Paul La Londe who held several patents for R&D work with Donn Products (USG NOW) including the ceiling tile grid latch most of us have cursed at one time or another. Yes. He was my uncle. If you asked if I was related to the grocery and hardware store owner from Dateland. (2 miles north of Dateland actually.) Yep. That's my dad. If you asked if I am related to that kid named Rob La Londe who is a licensed pharmacy tech, crazy smart gamer (with paid creds as a gamer), and mad higher math skills. Yep. That's my son. If you asked if I am related to that hack shade tree button pushing wannabee not a real machinist. That's me.

Sorry. I do not know who Ray is.

LOL thanks for the Family Tree!!

Depending on how long this "Ray La Londe" can maintain his championship on Jeopardy it might be a good thought to check the DNA just to know.;-)

Last week the Champion walked out with more than $850,000.00

Les

It was probably more like $400,000 and many of the prizes wouldn't be claimable if he couldn't independently pay the taxes on them first.

I've day dreamed about winning the lottery so I only have to do jobs that really interest me. I've done the research. LOL.

On Jeopardy it is only ca$h. No prizes!! And yes, the actual take-home is always less than what is posted. It is the taxes! That will get you.

But, forgetting the taxes, the WHAT IS LEFT!! Is not to be cried about!!

I gave up on the Lottery before the Flood of 1972!! They always say "You gotta to play to win" What they don't say is, You gotta to play to lose!!

Hi Bob,

A quick update!!

Ray Lalonde is one of an Identical Twins from Toronto Canada

Note the way his name is spelled. Apparently his family is more efficient. :-)

And yes, he is still winning. Total to date is $84,800.00

A lot of La Londes have just allowed it to be shortened because large number of bureaucrats are to stupid to know how to manage a two word last name. Due to the current ID everybody for every little thing big brother environment it would require petitioning the court for a legal name change now to change it back.

Most of my cousins spell their names as one word, but I can assure you their dad's were born La Londe, not Lalonde even if they allowed bureaucrats to change it at the DMV or just decided it was easier. I know both of my La Londe uncles now mispell their name for public use. Its just easier. I'm a bit more of a rock. I'll refuse to do business with people who won't let me spell my name correctly and I took my birth certificate with me to make sure my name was correct at the DMV 40+ years ago.

One lady who runs an air gun parts store online said "I don't see why its a big deal for you to just take the space out."

I told her, "That would be fraud. That is not my name."

I totally get it Bob.

Some people want you to live their way. How would we remain independent if that were the case.

People have spelled my name as Less. I have to take issue since that is a negative term!!! I ask them, "Do I look Negative to you??"

Some look puzzled and some say Oh it was my phone!!

Have a good day!!

Les

So as it turns out Bob, we just may be distantly, indirectly related. Seems my uncle (Donald Nugent, mothers brother) Married a Carmen La Londe. They lived in a small little city in upstate NY called Ogdensburg, Right on the St Lawrence River. (Across from Canada) They had (I think) 3 kids ( 2 boys and a girl) Lived in Niagara Falls of all places right down the street from the Love Canal. Which, if you remember, was the subject of a huge media water pollution scandal back in the 70's. . My uncle, a prisoner of war during the WW II Battle of the Bulge, doing a hundreds of mile forced walk, survived that and died of cancer late 80's . (Hmmmm) My aunt Carmen ( if I remember the family history correctly) went on and got re-married to a catholic priest who gave up the ministry to marry her. . I haven't been in contact with those cousins since before my uncles death so I don't know anything about them. But I do have another cousin in Ohio who says she occasionally talks to my cousin Kenny the youngest boy. . By the way, my father was born in Canada, (1916) in a log cabin far up north in a logging camp in Winnipeg , My grandfather was a lumber jack. I think I've mentioned that here before. My father told me some really great stories about living in the lumber camp. So anyway, I'm half Canuk. Eh?

It is truly a small world!!!

BTW Ray's winnings are over $100k!!! I can't imagine the activity on his door bell when he gets home!!!

Also he said his twin brother is also trying out for a spot on Jeopardy!

I've already left him a voice mail reminding him there is compound interested to paid on that 20 bucks he owes me. LOL.

The story is in the late 1600s the oldest La Londe in our line was a French NCO who chose to stay in America (Canada I think) when his last enlistment was up. He was then a black smith and a constable after the service.

My aunt went down the genealogy rabbit hole 25ish years ago, and that is whet she said she discovered.

Cool!! Family History is always unique!!!