Here's to the stragglers!

[Jessica Boucher]

Okay. If I have to send off one more FIRSTer onto a bus, train, plane, or whatever......

....you guessed it. Its the thread for all the people not going to Nationals!

Wednesday's always the worst, eh? You send everyone and their mother off to competition, and there's no webcast, not even practice rounds....and no one is posting on Delphi because no one has access while traveling....so you just have to assume that all is well.

You're worrying that they all get there allright, and you're jealous because you know that traveling with a bunch of FIRSTers is one of the best ways to travel...

Give a yell here if you're going to be around. Maybe we can get a chat room going or something later on.

[Ryan Albright]

Jessica i am here, well i am going to nationals we have already conquered half our trip we went from ft. Lauderdale to Gainsville which is about 5 hours out of about a 8-10 hour drive. We stayed at a teammates sister apartment that goes to UF, we are planning to head out in about a hour to atlanta. So i am still her on CD

CD is my home away from home.

[MikeDubreuil]

Yes it's very depressing. I'm at home on co-op. I wish I took a week off so I could go down to Atlanta, but unfortunately my team didn't qualify.
After getting more directly involved with checking into the hotel in Annapolis, I'm sort of glad we aren't going..... ehh, no I'm not.
I didn't get to go last year because the competition was right during finals at my school. Next year I really hope I can get down to Atlanta.
On the bright side, at least my familly has Direct TV and I can watch Saturdays events on NASA tv.

[Jessica Boucher]

What's even worse is that I really can't watch most of Nationals, either...because I'll have Sigma stuff to do starting at 10am on Saturday, of which I won't get back until the evening.

And unfortunately, it's stuff where I can't be called to be updated...so no multiple text messages from Brandon

"Brandon.....2 v (something) and 1 v 8? I dont care about pairings if I don't know the teams in them!" - Me

[Pamela]

I'm still here Sad as anything that I'm broke and can't afford nationals...

Oh the pains of being a broke college student!

[Peter Matteson]

I did notice a substantial lack of of people logged in this morning.

Some of us who are leaving are stuck in work a few more hours. At least you're in school still.

Our students are on the way to the airport already and the mentors are taking a later flight because we couldn't all get on one flight.

So those left behind please do what the mentors going to ATL won't for the next few days. Get some sleep!

[Ryan Albright]

Originally Posted by MikeDubreuil

Yes it's very depressing. I'm at home on co-op. I wish I took a week off so I could go down to Atlanta, but unfortunately my team didn't qualify.
After getting more directly involved with checking into the hotel in Annapolis, I'm sort of glad we aren't going..... ehh, no I'm not.
I didn't get to go last year because the competition was right during finals at my school. Next year I really hope I can get down to Atlanta.
On the bright side, at least my familly has Direct TV and I can watch Saturdays events on NASA tv.

Are you sure NASA tv is broadcasting. There has been rumors that they are not covering the Nationals this year. They are web broadcasting and i think thats it

[Jessica Boucher]

http://robotics.nasa.gov/first/2004/regionals.htm for the webcast/NASA-tv thingy.

And if you're going to Nationals at all, you're not a straggler......I just am jealous of you.....a lot

[Bill Gold]

I won't be in Atlanta, either. I just wished Steve Taylor of GRT (192) and Ken Leung safe trips a little earlier this morning. I'm going to try to watch the webcasts.

[MikeDubreuil]

Originally Posted by Ryan_team710

Are you sure NASA tv is broadcasting. There has been rumors that they are not covering the Nationals this year. They are web broadcasting and i think thats it

I'll be really mad if NASA tv doesn't broadcast Saturday. We do have cable internet access making the webcasts not horrible, but it's not the same.
I mean seriously, Saturdays competition will be the most exciting thing NASA showed on television since NASA broadcasted live from the moon. The Mars rovers, which make great science, and the photography is amazing; I just don't think it's fun to watch live (sorry, Spirit and Oppurtunity, I wouldn't expect your own mini-series on CBS anytime soon either).


PS: Same goes for the recent NASA X43-A jet. I just wasn't on the seat of my chair like when I watch 5 year old FIRST videos.

[Greg Needel]

i'll be in atlanta but i am flying out around 6:00 tonight so you still have a few hrs to embrace me before i get going

you know jessica i could always wear a sticker that says "Jessica Boucher says hi" to the web hug......assuming i make it this year

[Jessica Boucher]

Haha, if you want...but I still hate you for being able to go at all...AND that you get to ref!

[MikeDubreuil]

Originally Posted by MikeDubreuil

I'll be really mad if NASA tv doesn't broadcast Saturday.

Alright, after holding my breath and counting down from 10, I have found out the answer: NASA TV IS BROADCASTING LIVE FROM ATLANTA!!!

9 a.m. - 2:50 p.m. - "FIRST" Nationals Robotic Competition from Atlanta, Ga. - AMES (HQ) Schedule

Personal note: DirectTV channel 376

[Warren Boudreau]

Don't worry guys. NASA has announced that they will be broadcasting the Championship. They had said that they wouldn't, but I guess Dr. Bot did his usual fantastic job showing them the error of their ways.

I'll be leaving tonight with Team SPAM on an 8 o'clock overnight charter bus. Woohoo, 10 hours of no sleep and cramped seats. It's always worth it, though.

There is supposed be a Wi-Fi (what does that mean?) connection at the Dome, so I'm sure there will be CD posts during the competition.

Jessica, maybe you can find someone to record the NASA TV feed and watch it Saturday night. A big bowl of popcorn and FIRST. It doesn't get much better than that.

[Fireworks 234]

Originally Posted by MikeDubreuil

Personal note: DirectTV channel 376

Nasa TV is also on channel 213 on Dish.