Once Upon a Last Fix-It Window

FIRST General Forum
#1

Since all of the 2006 fix-it windows are nearing a close, I thought it would be fun to have everyone use their storytelling skills to share their team’s use of the last fix-it window. This is not just for Championship bound teams whose fix-it window expires today at 8:30 am; it is for those whose fix-it window expired at 8:30 am the morning of their last regional. So, if you always wanted to write a short, short story, please do a little storytelling by completing the following

"Once upon a last fix-it window, team #### …"

If you will, please stray away from the pros and cons of fix-it windows. There is already the Please read R17 thread discussing this.

Everyone, it’s story time!

#2

Once upon a last Fix-it Window
For team 469
Just a few minor tweaks are needed
To make the robot just fine

Twas the night before the fix-it window
And all through the machine shop
Not a tool was being used
Not even a mop

All the parts to be made
Were laid out with care
With hopes that anxious students
Would soon be there

The drawings were out
And the parts are all marked
And myself and the other mentors
Were ready for the orders that Art barked

At 12 noon
The machining began
And everyone started making parts
As fast as they can

When all of a sudden
There was some shouting
“You drilled the wrong holes!”
Alex says to Mel, who was pouting

“We can use that piece
On the other side” says Dan
A few mistakes were made
But they did the best that they can

At 5 pm that day
The window was done
The kids put down their tools
All smiling from the fun

We packed up the parts
And put them in a bin
And labeled it “Atlanta Bound”
With hopes that we would win

As we cleaned up the shop
We all laughed about the times we’ve already had
And we know the best is yet to come
There is no time to be sad

Soon we will board the bus
With two other teams
And we will start friendships
That will last lifetimes it seems

We hope to do our best in Atlanta
Yet wish good luck to all
And to our friends in OCCRA
We’ll see you in the fall…

Probably not what you were expecting…but I was feeling creative this morning. It doesn’t happen much…

#3

But, soft! what plight that roller mechanism breaks?
It is the fatigue, and Katawheel is the sun.
Arise, fair wheel spinner, and kill the problematic turret,
Who is already sick and pale with mechanical flaws,
That thou her design art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her ball transfer mechanism is but sick and green
And none but fools do use it; cast it off.
It is my robot, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She spins yet she tosses nothing: what of that?
Her flaw discourses; we will answer it.
We are too bold, 'tis not to me she spins:
Two of the fairest gearboxes in all of FIRST,
Having some business, do entreat her drivetrain
To mesh in their shifters till they return.
What if her vision system were there, they on her mast?
The brightness of her graphics would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a green cathode lamp; her eyes on the 3 point goal
Would during automode stream so accurately
That opponents would sing and think it were not night.
See, how she rests her base upon the platform peak!
O, that I were the polycarbonate below her secured wheels,
That I might touch those roughtop treads!

AB

(getting my storytelling ready for the division announcements)

(also… we definitely used all we could out of 6 fix-it-windows this season, with the last one ending yesterday. Thank goodness the kids were on spring break this week, or they would be working 'til 9-10 on the fixes we needed.)

#4

Fix-it window done?
Why didn’t someone tell me?
Thursday won’t be fun.

:rolleyes:

#5

dad: The fix-it window ended yesterday.
driver: don’t we need to make that new rear crash bar from aluminum angle?
team captain: we’ll use duct tape

#6

aha! use of duct tape on the robot is not allowed, lol. Once upon the fix-it window, Karoke night happened and the other teams learned the story of our team member, Josh, and the laser(our captain went up to sing a song and he didn’t know what to sing so he made up a song decribing Josh putting his hand in the laser and getting hand burned, don’t worry, it didn’t actually happen, every time he tool the engraved dog tags out he pretended his hand was being burnt off)

#7

[quote=Andy Baker]But, soft! what plight that roller mechanism breaks?
It is the fatigue, and Katawheel is the sun.
Arise, fair wheel spinner, and kill the problematic turret,
Who is already sick and pale with mechanical flaws…

I’ve rarely heard someone mangle Shakespeare so wonderfully! Brava![/quote]

#8

Aye, I wish someone would figure out how to respond to that with
‘what light through yonder window breaks’
Fix-It Window
Andy Baker-style - breaking a window, get it?

I’ve been waiting…
:D[/quote]

#9