Through the finish chute

So I crossed the line (according to the race photos, I was smiling-- I don't remember that at all), collected my medal, accepted the water bottle someone kindly shoved into my hand, and went along with the herd to collect my finisher t-shirt. (As soon as we wash them, we'll post a picture.) Then we made our way to the food (hallelujah!) booth. There was a crazy-long line at this table, and I decided whatever they were handing out, I didn't want it that badly, so I went around them... only to realise it was the food they were after. There were chips (yuck!) at the beginning, so I grabbed a banana and another water bottle somewhere around the middle, where there was no line at all. Yeah, I was a jerk who jumped the queue-- but I honestly didn't do it on purpose.

I shuffled out of the chute and started looking around for our gang (they had already headed back to the hotel, so all my looking was in vain). I wandered up a street, which was also uphill, and went quite a ways up it before I realised that I had NO REASON WHATSOEVER for going uphill! So, I turned and went back down again, then wandered back toward the finish line. I had to go around the medical tent barricade, but got to the line just in time to hear Chad's name. SO, I turned round and hurried back to the finish chute as quickly as possible, to meet him there.

We tried to go back to the hotel, but because we were a bit (!) disoriented, we went the wrong direction at first, so we had to ask directions from a race volunteer who got us going the correct way. And on the way back, we passed the highly recommended Amy's Ice Cream, but my stomach wasn't up to ice cream, or for that matter, anything at all, so we kept going. So, I still haven't had Amy's, even though my entire Bunko group raved about it. Guess I'll have to go back next year.

We made it back to the hotel, I sent a text message to our good pals Randy & Rebecca, who promptly texted back. During church! I called them an hour later to ask why they were texting during church! :) Turns out Randy was not wild about the idea, but Rebecca talked him into it. Hee! Good to know I am spreading my bad influence abroad.