Molly had also volunteered to work registration with me. After picking up her car at the service department, we met at LP Field to catch the shuttle. We arrived at the expo, Molly listened to the instructions, and we chose our tables.
Today we chose the last two tables, those runners with numbers in the 31000-32999. The stories even got better at this end. Here the runners were in all shapes and sizes. Most had never run a race before, much less a half marathon. One admitted she was a heavy smoker. Many were mother/daughter teams or a group of women forming their own team. I registered people from Canada, Alaska, Montana, and California, to name a few faraway places. Many of the people who came to our table obviously wanted to change corrals - after all these were the last two corrals!!
We had fun listening to their stories and meeting them. Molly was going to have to leave at 2:30 to get a break before her shift at Sonic. Luckily, her replacement showed up a little after 2:00. At 3:00, I kept waiting for mine to show, but no luck. Around 3:30, a runner came to my table and said that there was no one at Table 24 and a long line of runners. Since my position was quiet, I told Nancy, Molly's replacement, to watch my table while I ran down to 24. I never returned.
Apparently Position#24 looked at her watch, said that she was supposed to leave at 3:00 and skated out the door. I took over 24 and then Position #23 said she had to go to work, so I told her to go. Now I was working two tables, and rush hour started. Kind Paid Marathon Worker Woman came over and inquired as to my status - namely that I was a morning worker working on no break or lunch, but I would stay on if needed. Around 4, she sent me to each the remains of the pizza (yum yum to me at this point). I returned and stayed until 5;15, when Replacement Lady and Her Son showed up and I was free to leave. Supposedly to my refreshment-giving-out position at the kids' marathon.
Now it really gets fun. I go outside to wait for the shuttle back to LP Field (where the kid's marathon is) and my car. I wait for awhile, but no shuttle. I pull out my instruction page where it says that the last shuttle leaves at 4;30, which was 50 minutes ago. So, I consider my options. #1 - hail a taxi, but is seemed silly since I could see the field and possibly walk if needed (I can also see the moon - but do I think I can walk there?), and #2 - call a family member, which would be difficult since Sam is in Georgia, Molly is at Sonic, Steve is on the golf course, Maribeth is probably watching Oprah, and Lynnette should be writing papers. Also, downtown Nashville traffic has come to a standstill, an occurrence with which Nashville cannot deal, so if any family member could pick me up, it would probably not happen until next week.
So, I decide to walk. In flip flops. Which are too stretched out to efficiently stay on my foot. Nevertheless, I start out. I have no idea of the exact mileage, but I can say that it was more than I would have chosen to do in overstretched flip flops on the eve of a half-marathon. I walk four blocks one way, turn and walk four more blocks to the river, where I can see the bridge I intend to cross. I head for the bridge, only to find that unless I want to scale up the truss holding up the bridge, I need to backtrack to another street over. I take off the offending flip flops and walk barefoot for awhile, only to re-flip-flop as I finally cross the bridge, with cars zooming past me in an attempt to either blow me off the bridge or get home in time for Oprah reruns.
Finally, I get within five feet of my car, when, guess what I see? You guessed it - a shuttle for the volunteer workers at the expo. I guess since I didn't have the instruction sheet for the second shift, I didn't know about the second shift shuttles. Whatever.
By this time, I was tired and decided to blow of the kiddies and their snacks. They'll be with their mommies and daddies - let them feed em'! Meanwhile, I shall be checking my feet for flip-flop burn and questioning my sanity. 13.1 - here I come!
