Sat, Nov 11 2006 - World Rock Paper Scissors Championship - TORONTO (View Original Event Details)
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I'm too old for this... I'm posting my write-up at 10:41 on Sunday morning, 31 hours after I got up (4AM on Saturday) to go to Toronto. Since then I slept about 2 hours on the plane to TO, about an hour at the TO airport this morning, and then 2 hours on the plane back from TO. I'm exhausted and bleary and I think I caught a virus, but... well, I have to say it was all worth it.
The RPS Championship was everything we hoped it would be. Fun, folly, excitement and absurdity to spare. The TOC folks showed me a great time, especially El Rey Del Fuego (Jason) who drew the short straw and got stuck babysitting me from airport pick-up to airport drop-off. You can send him a sympathy card through the TOC. After Jason picked me up at the airport, we grabbed a quick lunch, and then on our way downtown to the market, Jenn M called and asked if we wanted to come meet her hiking group at the pub (apres-hike), so we switched to "Plan B" and off we went where I FINALLY met Jenn, Jerry, and a few fairly new TOCers as well (Dave, Linda and Lydia). Then, off to dinner at Pho Xi Lau where Dobby (COC) and Chuck and Mel (TOC) caught up with us (plus Mel's friend Dave). As we were finishing up, Steph and Dom graced us for a few minutes and stayed around to have dinner while the rest of us headed on over to the RPS venue. In the line, we found Matt and Emma, and inside later on, the rest of the gang convened and I FINALLY met JennP and Hassan. I was amazed and thrilled that Bridget turned out to be in Toronto this weekend and came out, with her sister-in-law in tow!!
I went up against Ben from Iowa in the second wave of the first round and although it was really close (I won a heat, he won a heat), he knocked me out. So, we had to cheer on Geir from Norway, but he got knocked out right away too. Unfortunately all three members of "Team Runs with Scissors" (myself, Mel and Matt) all got knocked out in the first round, but Hassan and JennP entertained us the rest of the evening with their sweeping victories in Street RPS. The grand prize ($7G... dammit... I could have used that!) went to some guy from the UK.
After RPS a few of us went for pizza and then El Rey, taking his duties very seriously, returned me to the airport and yakked with me 'til I could check in at 4AM and go to the gate for a much-needed nap. Those sleep-deprived, 4AM, beer-and-caffeine fueled conversations can be some of the best! Thanks, El Rey, for taking such good care of me, and thanks for the swag (he gave me a TOC t-shirt AND an RPS t-shirt). :)
For anyone who is still wondering WHY I went, well, it partly had to do with the challenge that JennM put out there, partly because I wanted to meet some of my TOC friends who I've only known online, and partly because I feel privileged to live in a day and age when it is possible for a person to jaunt off to a far-off city for a day to do something outrageous. It is a memory I'll carry always (especially because of the great friends)!! I'm sure this isn't the craziest thing I've ever done, but it's gotta be close...
For more write-up and photos (from the TOC perspective), see http://www.torontooutdoorclub.com/events/archivedetails.asp?eventid=351.
Video of my Loss on YouTube.
-- Rhonda