So we, like, ride our beater bikes from my house down the trail to watch the downtown criterium? because, so we wouldn't have to mess with rush hour traffic and parking a car? and it's like only five miles from my place to get there and we're bikers and all?So we get there? and we're having a beer and listening to this Irish band on the plaza when the thunder? and the lightning?!?!
And so we run under one of the tents but it's not really a tent but a tarp stretched over some tables? and then the hail?! and we're, like, wondering where hail comes from on an 87-degree day in Minnesota? and we're watching it plop into the pond that's on the plaza and we're all huddled together with these people we don't know under this tarp with, like, tables and chairs?
And then the marble-sized hail?! it starts pelting us? and stuff from the trees starts blowing around?! and we can see sheets of rain and hail and leaves blowing sideways and it piles up on the ground and the rain? it can't drain off the concrete plaza? and it was like over an inch of hail and leaves and water piled on the plaza and the pond was, like, alive and jumping with all the hail?! and now it's not so funny anymore?
But we didn't hear tornado sirens and the sky wasn't green, because I know that's what comes before a tornado so I knew it wasn't a tornado? but it was still really scary? and someone in Orchestra Hall saw all of us and finally opened up the lobby and we all, like, ran for the building!
Oh
my
God!
So, the women's race started all late and stuff and was shorter? then the men's race started and 15 minutes into it, the sky? it gets really dark and it's only, like, 8:00 and it's really dark and the thunder again? and then the lightning bolts light up the sky and it's so cool when you're downtown? and the rain just pelts us and the guys only get to race for 18 minutes before they call the race? and so they had to be really bummed because this was for points and stuff?
- so, like, OB
7 comments:
So, like, kool. I love storms. But, yeah, like, they are really scary... Great story...
this one? it was scary? but now we all have a story to tell and laugh about later?
Thanks OB. I love storms like this too. I have been out hiking/working/backpacking in a couple and even had scars on the back of one hand from the hail. The best part is surviving and the memories - as you say.
I was volunteering at the race. Setup was done by 5, course marshalling didn't start until 6, so my buddy and I sat in the Chipotle front window on stools and watched the show. We felt pretty smug about this, as the last thing I did before it began to rain was get free ice cream from the Caribou tent. Later, soaking wet when the mens race was called and unspeakably drenched tearing down the fencing in the Biblical downpour the smugness was washed off my face.
Ptelea -- and we're getting lots of airtime in the retelling!
Matt -- funny how that happens...but, you got free ice cream!
i was following these races because some teammates were in them and it was a lot of fun to read your 'at the scene' reports
were you able to ride your beaters home?!
I saw a couple Bellas and thought of you!
We hitched a ride home with a couple friends who drove -- the rain was relentless -- but we'd have sucked it up and taken the bikes if we'd had to.
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