Friday, August 22, 2008

Our Own Amazing Race

Yesterday my office held our own version of The Amazing Race. Did we have a good time?


Everyone meets in the office kitchen for the lo-down.


First task - take Fred, the free downtown Halifax bus to Citadel Hill.


Everyone piles onboard.












The CEO awaits with the official kick-off.
















One lucky member of each three-person team got to run up the stairs by the Town Clock carrying a water balloon and counting the steps.














My manager (at right) and her team wait for their photobooth pictures to develop.

I don't have any pictures yet of the other challenges, which included eating six suicide-hot chicken wings, finding six features at Public Gardens and finding several names at the Old, Old Cemetery at the corner of Barrington and Spring Garden Road.


During the meanwhilst, I hung out with the two rickshaw guys waiting to take each team to the grand finale site. Both university students, the guy at left is a future power engineer. The guy at right is a future urban planner.


First team to arrive - from investments.


My manager's team - close on their heels. Pink Powah! They ended up winning the race, due to a penalty given to investments.



After a brief wait, the other teams started running in.


This would have been my team - but my sweet little dog got overly joyful Monday when I got home from work. She ran full speed into my injured knee, the one I fell on, fifteen years ago, had surgery on and still had a torn ligament. Now it's completely shot.


First team that needed a beside-the-rickshaw runner.


Yellow team had another runner. It's scary when the rickshaw first tips back.


The royal blue team thinks it's scary, too.


The less-ruthlessly-competitive investment team.


Final rickshaw ride - before I got to ride in one all by myself!


There was a final fishing challenge before everyone did their own version of Irish step-dancing, as encouraged by real dancers.


Here's my Worker Bee team. That's me with my gram's cane - fits me perfectly.


The Worker Bees did a group Irish dance that they learned on the spot.


Those Bees are buzzin.


The one who adores dancing more than anything watched and clapped. I was totally impressed with how well everyone did.


Of course, the whole event was just an excuse to gather at the pub afterward. I sat at the investments table - and the CEO decided he'd sit next to me. Because that's just the kind of office I work in. We're fun, not stuffy.


I was awarded a fairy godmother prize for my rickshaw station. I granted everyone at my table their wishes - and today, the guy who'd sat across from me said his wish had come true. "I wished my kids would be asleep when I got home. And they were. It worked!"

21 comments:

Wylie Kinson said...

what fun!! You work in a very cool office, Julia :)

Akelamalu said...

Looks so much fun, such a shame about your knee Julia, I hope it's not too painful. :(

Julia Phillips Smith said...

Akelamalu - I know you can sympathize. It's more wobbly than painful. Not sure if that's good or bad.

Wylie - I was blown away by how creative our team was in figuring out the race course and challenges.

HeatherK said...

That's a fantastic team building idea for work place. Sorry about your Knee. Happy you were behind the camera, at times in the picture, to share experience. Great Fun!

Anonymous said...

What a totally fun day.

Take care of that knee.

Amy Ruttan said...

That looks like so much fun.

If my EDJ did that ... well doesn't mater anymore.

I can't organize an Amazing Race with only me as my boss. LOL!!

Anonymous said...

YAY!! Congratulations on your fairy godmother award. What an absolutely wonderful way to describe you!

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

TOTAL FUN.

Oddly enough, I was thinking about The Amazing Race this weekend as the Tour Manager and I were maneuvering that canoe...

Kelly Boyce said...

Looks like you had a lot of fun, Julia!

Karina said...

This is so cool Julia! I love the Amazing Race, it's my favorite reality competition! I think this would be a great thing to do with my office too...it's "just that kind of place". Hmm...maybe after I've been there a little longer I can try and finagle this!

Jill said...

You sure seem to have a lot of fun, even if you couldn't participate, Julia!

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