Yes folks it’s true. Today myself and three fellow Miracle Workerz went to an awards conference for the Common Wealth awards at the Hotel duPont. Bob Dole and Sam Donaldson were two of the other award winners, and Dean Kamen was as well. We, along with team 316 The Lunatecs, were stationed outside of Dean Kamen’s press room, and after he was done, he came out to speak with us again (he had already chatted with us about the game and whatnot beforehand). I asked Dean, “How would you like to drive a championship winning robot?” and he says, “I would be honored” So he drives the robot for a few and one of our treads pops off, so we say to him “Dean how could you break our robot?” and he replies “I’ll just have to stick to my Segway.”
Just to let everyone know, the treads on Lil’ MOE have a reputation for popping off.
I have to say, today was the first time I got to have a conversation with Mr. Kamen, and he truly is a good guy. He spoke of things that I could relate to, and I appreciated his down to earth personality.
Dean Kamen got ink on the sholder of my shirt. The best thing was that it ended up being his signature! So I know have a Dean Kamen signed volenteer shirt!
I heard that there were mints in the room where he had hid press confrence… so after he left i went to get some… and after Jerome ran in to get the [pad of paper…] to i grabbed the pencil for the heck of it.
I hope we can get a picture of us up on C.D. especially with dean in the swanky suit he was wearing. hint hint Joe… (yes… i said no jeans… Joe lost his bet.)
It’s true, he was in a spiffy suit, but he explained to us later after the press left that they made him. I guess it had somethin to do with it being a black tie affair. Oh well.
Ducky, don’t forget the sign that we took with his picture and description on it… at least we got permission for that.
we ran into dean in the lobby of the hyatt in san jose, and we chatted for a while. i dunno what it is about that guy, but just talking to him gets me so fired up! (so now i’ve promised to raise about half a million dollars to get the regional started in CO - go us!)
then there was the other time that we met him in a conference room in denver, and he promised me a ride on the segway if there was nobody else in the room. so later that day, i saw him riding down the escalator (!) on the segway, and he let me ride it!!! Dean’s segway!!! and then i promply ran over his foot!
at least he remembered me at San Jose!
*Originally posted by DUCKY *
**thats because he was spinning in circles for the press people that were there… by the munchies tables **
So Dean’s Reunion with lil’ MOE did not go so smoothly. I am kinda glad he did not drive the robot at Science Day in Washington DC two years ago. Someone should have told him the same thing Action Joe told Jake (lil’ MOE’s National Champion Driver): “NO high-speed doughnuts!” As one half of lil’ MOE’s maintenance crew (Dave OB is the other alumni on the crew), I know we always seems to throw threads and blow compressor fuses. We got good at replacing each of them (I used to carry Allen wrenches and a 20A fuse everywhere). A thrown tread happens to the best of us (I threw one during a demo :D) .
Good Job Action Joe, Carlo, Jerome, & Andrea at the Common Wealth Awards! Wish I was there.
The pic of Dean in his suit on the Segway in front of our booth is here
Also, I would like to point out that I predicted this Dean in Tux appearance in this thread about Boxy. My Prediction
