Saturday, May 29, 2010

Ski to Sea volunteer gig

I am really trying not to panic over getting behind on my favorite blogs and with writing my own posts. TechnoBabe honored me with one that I am getting to within the next day or two, and I also have a couple of ideas that are percolating in my head. Yesterday I spent the entire day volunteering for the Ski to Sea race that happens tomorrow, Sunday on Memorial Day weekend. For my time and energy, I was given a nice lunch, coffee all day long, and the great t-shirt you see above. But I had no internet access!

What is the Ski to Sea, you ask? Well, Bellingham has held, over the past 99 years, a relay race from Mt. Baker down to Marine Park in Bellingham Bay. It starts with a cross-country ski leg, then downhill skiing or snowboarding, then a 3-mile run down the paved road, a 38-mile bicycle leg, a canoe section down the Nooksack River, a mountain biking segment, and finally ending up with a sea kayaking finish. Eight different people are on each team, one for each segment except for the canoe, which has two. I signed up to help pass out packets to the team captains.
Each packet has competitors t-shirts and instructions for the start of each segment, along with a computerized chip that is handed off at the end of each part to the competitor of the next part. Once they have their packet and their chip is activated, they go off to distribute the goods to the rest of the team. I assisted with finding the correct number and/or name for each captain and yelling out the corresponding number to the runners who found the packet. There are almost 500 teams this year. When someone would walk up to me, I'd ask if they knew the number for their team (most didn't) or the name (most did). Some of the names were priceless: Well Hung Jury, Bitchin' Hot Babes, and some which would be whispered to me, they were so risque.
Here's some of the volunteers: the lady in front, in green, is Mandy, the volunteer coordinator (I sat where she is now), Sherry, my cohort, and Kevin, standing behind her. We were there until 6:00 pm, when I came home too tired to read any of my blogs, had my wine and some dinner and just sat down to relax. We were cold because the door was wide open, with the wind blowing in, and the temperature in the mid-fifties.

I feel much more connected to this event now that I've volunteered for it, and I'll be back next year. It was really fun, if a fair amount of work. Now I'm off to my Fairhaven walking group, which I'm going to attend, reluctantly, because it's still raining, and it's still cold. Hope your Memorial Day weekend is not that way!
:-)

10 comments:

  1. This event sounds wonderful. It bumps up the triathlon a couple of notches. Down hill snow boarding, kayaking, canoeing, thrown in. Wow! Sign me up.

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  2. Sounds like a cool event!

    Just a regular weekend over here (not Memorial day), except for the fact that my parents are off on a escapade for their 38th anniversary and I'm dog-sitting while enjoying some great tennis in Paris (via the TV) and wishing the Mediterranean would hurry up and get warm enough to swim in!!!

    Enjoy your weekend! :o)

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  3. Wow, talk about an athletic event. That sounds like fun, and the t-shirt is great! I'd have gotten a kick just out of the names:)

    Quit stressing-as you told me once, just read what you can when you can. Besides, they aren't going anywhere; you'll have a slow day at some point where you'll have plenty of time to catch up!

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  4. For awhile, I thought it sounded like a triathlon til I realized it is a RELAY. Whew! Will it be televised? You know me, I am an armchair athlete! LOL.

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  5. Omigosh, that looks like fun...! I hope the rain stops long enough for you to enjoy it. Can you believe this awful weather? Argh...!

    My friend in Iowa is enjoying weather in the high 80s today. *sigh*

    Have a good time! I have been to busy to visit my favorite blogs lately too...

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  6. It is too bad that your lost your IE connection or didn't ever have it, I guess. That would have made the day even more interesting.

    The last time I was in Bellingham, was in 1967, and I was put to sleep in some house where I was invited to eat lunch. A lady from Portland sent me to Heaven and Back to entertain the guests.

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  7. Oh, I'm so sorry it is so cold!!! But what a wonderful thing you did volunteering! You are such a generous person! I love you for it!!! And these are really a great bunch of shots...they tell such a wonderful narrative...Glad to see you've put my favorite header up again!!! :-) Hope that the rain stops and the sun comes out for the rest of your weekend!! Love you, Janine XO

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  8. You are so busy! Good for you.

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  9. Sounds like a cool race...!
    I am wayyyy behind in reading blogs too and thank goodness I prepublished some posts because when the newborn grandbaby is here, I haven't been on the computer for more than a few moments here and there..as it should be, right?
    Anyway, we will all get caught up with each other when we all go back to normal routine..if there is such a thing in the summer. h a

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  10. It's ok D-Jan. You are allowed to have a day off now and then. I'm glad you enjoyed the interaction and the day helping. Shame you were cold. I bet the wine warmed you up and made you sleepy afterwards?
    Take Care, Star

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