Robotics Kick Off

Ugh! I am not happy to have to get up at the crack of dawn (OK, 7:30 am) on a Saturday when I could be sleeping in. Just because Drew has to be at the Theater on the Ridge by 8:30 is no reason I should have to drag myself out of bed into the cold winter gray. My eyes fly open at 6 (late for me) and I try to roll over and go back to sleep. It is impossible. I am excited for Drew.



I know what its like to be part of something grand, something I love doing. The excitement, the special places and people, the activities, the buzz. Drew, however, is not all that into it in the early morning. Still, I only have to call him twice. He does get up and get going. I walk Sugar and unbury the car, scraping the ice from the windows. I stomp back inside, and Drew is in the kitchen. "I was gonna brush the car off," he mumbles.



"Honey," I patiently explain. "We need to leave now. There isn't an extra 15 minutes to clear off the car." We navigate the Google directions, up 390, exit at Ridge Road 104, take a right, and head toward the Eastman Kodak processing plants. We try to read the street signs looking for Minder Street, but the street signs are white snow-covered blanks. We find the parking lot and pull in.



This year there are 31 teams and well over 700 people participating. How will Drew find his group in such a crowd? It was too big for RIT to host. Drew is not worried. He can text. One group has set up a tent in the parking lot. They kids mill about excitedly, drinking hot chocolate and goofing around. Doors are not quite open. Parents sit in their cars, trying to stay warm.



At last the crowds begin to move toward the building, and Drew asks me to drop him off at the crosswalk. He is so tall, so confident. I am proud of the man he is becoming. I pray he will have a great day, get the kit loaded and moved to the school, work well with his team, and have fun! As for me, I drive home, make a cup of tea, and start the laundry. Its a good day.