As tempting as it is to launch into the monstrosity that was our horrible hotel accomodations, I am practicing on focusing on the positive for you.
Dustin's Lego League team met at the Middle School at 4 am Wednesday, and drove to Portland. It was Dustin's first time flying, and with a little plea to a flight attendant, we were allowed to leave an electronic device on (my video camera). Dustin taped the whole take off, narrating a play by play to his brothers! We haven't had time to watch it yet, I hope we will get to it today! When we caught air he says, "Sweet!"
We dropped our stuff at the lousy excuse for a hotel, and then I was permitted to go with the boys to the pit, along with their coach and other chaperone, to take pictures. Walking down the street you could see all sorts of reminders of the tornado that hit the area only two weeks before, broken glass everywhere, windows on the amazing high rise buildings were boarded up or had big x's of tape across them.
Our hotel on the left, Uncle Michael's, I would learn, on the right. He was on the 50th floor. His windows were in tact.
Posing for pictures in the lobby!
Nothing like seeing 6 middle school kids walk the streets of Atlanta in kilts! Behind the Georgia Dome is the Georgia World Conference Center, made up of 3 buildings (A, B, and C, fancy huh?).
The actual competition tables were in the playing field of the Georgia Dome (seats 60,000).
The pit area, where each team could display their project and work on their robot was in Building B. The kids entered the dome through the player entrance, going underground. Parents had to walk from the pit area back outside across the park to the end of the dome and then enter, and walk halfway back to the seats. Took about 10 minutes! Watch your 5 minutes of set up, compete, and take down, and walk back!
This team called themselves the "Fire Breathing Rubber Duckies"! I liked their pit display the best, and they walked everywhare with yellow duscks on yellow hats, and inflatable ducky toys around their waists!
It was amazing, the area where the teams all set up. There were 81 teams from 22 countries. They had a Lego C3PO in the pits!
He was all made out of Lego, just your regular little bricks!
Well, this took about 45 minutes, and clearly during school vacation week that is the limit, so, more later!
I expect these things were put in for the Olympic games a long time ago, they are like big balloons with air blowing up through them. The air and the wind around them cause them to dance around, sometimes bending down, it was really cool. There were red ones, too, four or six in all!
Top left, two girls from Iowa, top middle, two boys from Taiwan (they would tie the table top competition with a team from New Hampshire, THREE perfect scores!) two young men on right are from Peru. The bottom left is how Mexico got their robot to the competition! The bottom middle, if you couldn't guess, were from Hawaii! Their team taught kids at the ice cream social Friday night how to do the hula! Our kids on the team were so happy to have fresh air and daylight, they played frisbee instead.
