Monday, April 14, 2003
Today I drove home from Las Vegas in the snow. No, seriously. Really guys- I'm serious!The Baker to Vegas
(B2V) refers to the Challenge Cup Relay; A 120-mile, 20-stage, foot, relay race, which starts in Baker, California (gateway to Death Valley), through the California desert, over the mountains, to Las Vegas, Nevada. The teams are restricted to Law Enforcement teams (Police and Sheriff departments, judges, bailiffs, and other agencies and service teams). All of the teams are responsible for providing their own logistics and support efforts, including communications.
My family and I helped in this race for the fourth year this past weekend. We left at about 830 am saturday morning in two cars (as the van is no longer availible) and arrived in Parumph at about 300 pm. Then we slept/ate/watched tv in the hotel until 930 pm when we drove to where we were stationed, Stage 17. We set up antennas and such(we being the HAM radio personnel) and waited until runners began showing up (which was at around 1100 pm). From then on it was just logging times and trying not to fall asleep or freeze to death until 500 am when the last runner came through. We were back to the hotel by 600 am and asleep by about 700 am. Then it was sleep until 1100 am and then we lazed about and I saw Roman Holiday and wich I could style my hair like Audrey Hepburn's circlet/braid dealio before she cut her hair. We left for home monday at 9ooam and got here at about 600 pm. At which I checked on my cats and got ont he computer. Naturally.
Anyway that was my laundry list and here are some of the "Highlights":
me: It took her 27 years to get to america from the philipines...[Through immigration]
my sister:*puzzled look* ...Did she walk?
General Grant's long lost twin, carrying a biker helmet in one hand while the other was casually leather-bound to his jacket.
A dark golden moon, somewhere between round and eggshaped, that grew huge and dim as the night wore on to day at 430 am.
The irony of seeing our breath as we were stationed so that a giant iced-cream shaped stand dominated the view.
The conversations overheard, since at 400 am, everyone's a comedian.
(while we waited for the last runner so we could leave) white guy: Smoeone always has to be last... black guy: Yeah but they don't have to be so damn slow about it
(Later) white guy: You know what sucks? Second is the first loser. black guy: But we dont have to wait for them.
