Well, I was a driver AGAIN this year. I've never gotten to experience competition from a "non-operator" standpoint. I do have to say that I dreaded walking out to Einstein because, even though I live a mere 3 hours away to the north of Disney, it was HOT. And I don't like hot. When finals came around and I was stuck standing in line to get on stage, I was about ready to fall over. No sleep for 4 days + 90 degrees = passed out. (Even though we lost in the first round of quarterfinals, I was more than happy with how we did in the competition)
Closing ceremony was RIDICULOUS. I love the competition, I love watching the awards being given out, but... I like short and simple. I was sweaty, tired, and sunburned. I really wanted to go to my hotel before the party because, like always, I forgot to bring a change of clothes and I just felt nasty. But seeing as closing ceremony ran about 50 minutes late, I didn't really have that option.
A few bad things, though: I fell down so many times this year that I have bruises up and down my back. When the crates were still in the pits, I was sitting on top of ours and... I jumped off and.. splatted on the ground.
When we got chosen for finals, I jumped out of my seat and did my screaming... but when I went to sit back down, I forgot the seats flip up. I landed in the remains of my salad on the floor. Nice.
On the bus ride back, I was sleeping on the floor and there was an exposed chunk of metal on the bottom of a seat. I lost a nice bit of my big toe to that piece of metal and succeeded in bleeding everywhere.
So it was good. Better than last year because the competition seemed more exciting and my team seemed a lot more spirited. Closing ceremony gets a bit of a thumbs-down from me, especially because of the whole Mandy Moore thing. That had me running out of the stands as fast as I could. Yuck.
Hald of my team didn't get food at the party, either. They were all first year kids, and I told them they had better run or they wouldn't be eating. They didn't listen to me. Heh.
I didn't collect any buttons this year, though

I was too busy doing other things and then the rest of the time I was just tired.
Some guy from Wisconsin told me I had a Southern accent. Scary.