The Really Rainy, Rambunctious, Retro Road Rally

So, what'd you do today? Sounds nice. Me? Oh, I participated in a fundraiser for the Never Give Uppers Relay for Life Team. I had thought it would be a blast when I first heard about it, but to be honest never thought much about it again after that first time. At our last Relay meeting this past Thursday, the NGUs were kind enough to donate a team of 2 for their 80s style Road Rally/Scavenger Hunt and my 5yo won it in the drawing! Well, how could I turn up this chance! A date with hubby trying something we've never done and it was benefiting a cause obviously near and dear to us. We figured if we were extremely lucky and won 1st, 2nd or 3rd prize, we'd just donate the winnings back to Relay. 

Saturday 11am (T-minus 2.5 hours til beginning of Road Rally) - Find babysitter for 3 youngest kids as my oldest went camping with a friend. They spent the day with Nana and Papa who spoiled them with pop, mac n cheese and kettle corn. Not to mention all the cartoons they could watch!

1:30pm - Arrived at start point. Signed in and waited until the official start time of 2:15pm. Took advantage of the onsite fundraiser of hot dogs, chips and pop. 

2:15pm - All are gathered and handed our 1st envelopes. Costume contest for best 80s costume is judged. It seemed to me that most of us who were 80s kids did not dress up. I know personally I had long ago rid myself of spandex and florescent colors. I've had 4 kids. I'm working on getting myself back into shape, but it is a long haul situation. As you will see in photos further down no one wants to see me in spandex and I most certainly don't need bright colors to have drawn even more attention to myself! LOL But the ones who chose to dress up looked AWESOME!!!

And we're OFF!

Now, it's June. The middle of June. One would think that the weather would be cooperative. It was a cloudless, sunny, warm day...yesterday! Today was not! At least it was a warm rain and we were doing so much running around we stayed warm albeit wet. Added to the fun!

Some of our tasks had us crazy with trying to figure out where to go. And me trying to figure out how to work hubby's smart phone. We stopped at one park and saw Vancouver's oldest apple tree. I've driven by this place many times and had no idea it was there! We did a tic tac toe round where we located plastic containers with numbers in them and had to keep going until we got a tic tac toe. We had to give a password to an employee in the mall (and by the way, he had WAY too much fun with that! LOL) We found a mural, parks I never knew existed, out of state license plate, name of train, and the list just keeps going! Along with finding places and answering questions, we also had to take pictures of us doing or finding certain things:

1. Hubby in a shop window pretending to be a mannequin. We hit up the Discovery Shop (click link to find a location near you!) because we figured the kind volunteers from the American Cancer Society would love to help us and be a part of this endeavor. :o)

2. Find a specific bottle of wine in a specific store and take a photo of label and price. 

3. Find an employee in any business whose name starts with the letter A. Well, seeing as how she was a cashier, we couldn't just waste her time so we bought a different bottle of wine to go through Alex's line and ask her if she'd be our A name. 

4. One of our tasks was to bowl a strike, 2 spares or 5 frames (whichever came first). I was voted designated bowler by virtue of hubby's potty stop. Can't waste time in a race! Bowling is hard enough normally for me, but add in the size 16 bowling shoes and a 14lb ball and you get some good comedy. My 1st 3 throws were gutter balls! I did manage to find my groove and rolled a strike on my 7th throw! Go me! 

5. Fit entire team into this phone booth with no body parts outside the booth. Have stranger take photo. I felt bad for the 4 people teams on this one! 

6. Have stranger take picture of entire team in the air at one time!

Stranger testing out how phone camera works: 

Jump, take one. Action! 

No good. Jump take 2. Action! 

7. Have team member pose with cannon. 

Navigator (AKA me) trying to work the smart phone. Maybe we should have brought the stranger with us! 

Holding hands, crossing in a crosswalk with street light visible. By this time it is a THICK mist. We were totally soaked after this! 

Hubby looking sad on the fire hydrant. 

Me and a stranger in a hula hoop together. Yes, she was also on a team doing the scavenger hunt, but we did not "know" each other and refrained from introductions until we were all done! :o) 

Hubby after the great road rally. It's exhausting work being the driver! We put about 50 miles on the car, getting in and out countless times.  

How'd we do? Well, we came in 7th. But, it was out of 13 teams. Not too bad for our first time out! So, even though we got in for free this time, should the NGUs host another one next year, I'll probably be one of the first to register. Rain or shine! :o)