2018 Week 17: Busy bees and bots

No Sunday afternoon rest for Michael;busy cutting out honey comb and cleaning the trays for new bees arriving the next day.

Monday we went our separate ways: Michael to Ohio to pick up a shipment of bees, and I to Winona Lake to visit with Ivan and Kim before their move to Las Vegas.

Ivan and Kim with landlady

 Always good to visit with Mother, tho' brief this time.

We spent Tuesday preparing for the big trip--PhyXTGears Headed To World Championship.

Mike and the drive team left very early.

Moriah dropped me off at Cracker Barrel before her 9:00 a.m. class. The rest of the team came up from Muncie to pick me up on their way. I posted this photo on Facebook while I waited,"Off to FIRST robotics WORLD championship in Detroit." A dear friend commented, "Where are you going to be? We live here you know?!?!?  Her snarky remark led to a wonderful three hour visit, the most concentrated conversation we've ever had.

Donna Banker

Donna bravely battled downtown traffic in an unfamiliar area to pick me up at the church where we were staying and we went to a mall. Fairlane Town Center, where the team met  later for dinner. 

Cass UMC

Our Wandering Wheels friends showed us last year how they'd been running their trips for many years saving money by staying in churches and managing breakfast and lunch meals to save time.

In this old historic building, there were two large rooms downstairs that served as dorms. 

In the main activity room/dining room, I blocked off a corner for our sleeping area with some rolling divider units. We were comfortable on our thick air mattress.

 Thursday through Saturday the routine was to send the drive team off first. Then after showers, breakfast, packed lunches, and clean-up, the rest of us found our way over to the Cobo Center where all the excitement was.
The more than 400 teams were divided into six divisions. The playing fields were all lined up. (Can you see the six screens?) TESLA was our subdivision.

Off to the matches

Enough misfortunes and mistakes ranked the team in the lower third most of the time.There are so many variables. Alliances of three are formed randomly of varying strengthed robots. Anything can happen. For example: one team in our first alliance did not show, so the game was played two against three. The big lesson throughout is that life is not fair, adjust and move on.

A huge highlight was when our alliance defeated the #1 team, their first loss!

When the sun was shining, the team enjoyed lunch outdoors by the river. . .

. . . looking across at Windsor, Canada.

 Evening entertainment:

Thursday, a Welcome Party  with live bands and many games in Ford Field.

Friday, a Broadway show, "The Illusionists" in the old, very ornate Fox Theatre.

Saturday morning early was alliance selection for the playoffs. Those of us still back at the church, paused the breakfast cleanup to watch eagerly hoping for our team to be picked by one of the top eight seeded alliances. At that level of competition a fourth team is added as backup. 

We were invited by the #3 alliance as an alternate! The captain of Team MARS had PhyXTGears on their list! It was a strong alliance. John, our Team 1720 coach, was in on strategy meetings and was the extra eyes at the alliance station during the matches. All worked well together and made it the finals, won the first match, lost the second, the tiebreaker was a close call!!!

Tesla Sub-divison Finalists in Detroit!

As soon as it was clear Pixel's time was over at this event, Mike and the driver team began packing up the pit. By the time he got in line it was already miles-long and it grew behind him unendingly. He waited more than three hours to finally reach the loading dock. (Probably the biggest complaint about this new venue.) 

As soon as the trailor was packed to the max (pit contents, Pixel, crate and all), we were on our way home, exhausted and pondering whether it had been worth it all. What do you think?