“Remoted – Hybrid” – Day 914 (Saturday) – race day

At 7:00 this morning, the weather thing on my phone said it was 46 degrees. The bedroom window was open a few inches, it was chilly in the room, and it was perfect for sleeping. It was tough to get up. Once up, the thermostat showed it was 65 chilly degrees in the house with no other windows open. It was time to chug some hot coffee.

There were plans to be out and about downtown at the Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race. Attire was chosen based on being cold inside the house – a long sleeve tee shirt and a baseball style jacket. There was a chance of roasting when the temperature warmed up in the afternoon, but it seemed better to wear a jacket and risk being too warm part of the day than to be cold all day.

Alice in Wonderland team.

My friends arrived to fetch me and off we went. On the drive downtown, a family walked down the Merrimack Street sidewalk with a young child skipping along in an Alice in Wonderland blue dress. Then there was a Mad Hatter costume spotted. 

A bit further along, a large group was gathered in front of the library, with most people dressed in Alice in Wonderland themed costumes. There were countless playing cards, chess pieces, Red Queens, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, Mad Hatter, White Rabbit, and of course Alice. We later learned it was an escape-room-style immersive experience. Downtown sure was busy. 

Awards!

We caught a bit of the pre-race celebration and then the rollout of the machines for the "Bone-Shaker Alley" race along the cobblestone streets downtown. The creativity in the people-powered machines is impressive. Gears, tires, chains, tank style treads, floatation systems. Some had one operator, while others had several. The creatively styled awards for a variety of other categories (including "Best Bribes")  were displayed in a dusty window.

From downtown, it was a short walk to the mud pit, where the people powered machines traveled through deep mud. Race spectators mixed with Alice in Wonderland characters on the walk to the Jeanne D’Arc mud pit. 

After the mud stage, we debated the options to get to the river for the water challenge. There was a long walk to the river, a long line for a shuttle bus to the river, or we could drive there and hope for parking. Driving won, and while walking back to the garage for the car, we talked about lunch options and debated visiting Mill No. 5 for the Oddities Marketplace, which we also wanted to do.

Grilled cheese with tomato soup.

An immediate lunch break won out, figuring we could plot our next move over food. Downtown dining with sidewalk tables and adult beverages won. At Fuse Bistro, we sat at a picnic table and enjoyed a leisurely lunch. The grilled cheese sandwich with tomato basil soup was delicious. The Maine Beer Company Lunch IPA reminded me of the taste of Mummu's long beloved Schaeffer beer. 

We finished eating at the time the water event was scheduled to begin, and wondered if we should try and get over to the river. Instead, Mill No. 5 won for proximity, just two-ish blocks away. After wandering around and browsing in the converted mill building, it was back to the race area for the return of the machines across the finish line. 

The day had action. Excitement. Many cute dogs to gush over. Competition. Lunch. Nice weather. What a great day. I almost forgot about the pointy, freshly broken molar that is threatening to shred my tongue to ribbons before I get in to see the dentist.