A Big Points Trip!

Megan and Caitlin began their most recent journey with the best of intentions.  They boarded a flight from Bozeman to Minneapolis full of anticipation!

The plan was to arrive in Minneapolis in time to catch a flight to Kansas City.  "What's in Kansas City?" you might be thinking.  Well, you'll just have to wait because we were DENIED at the gate due to a full flight.  We decided to try for a later Kansas City flight, and spend some time in Minneapolis fulfilling our tasks.  We took this photo of the two of us in the Minneapolis airport with a moose (Task #14, point value: 12, photo credit to Sharon the random Delta passenger).

Now, we really aren't sure this counts, because we think the assignment is with a "live" moose.  But since having your photo taken anywhere NEAR a live moose can be considered very dangerous and Delta Air Lines is ALL ABOUT safety, we decided to submit the photo and challenge anyone on the voting panel who questions us.

Megan and I caught the Light Rail from the Minneapolis airport into the downtown.  Megan only had a $20 bill for the ticket machine so it gave her $18 back in $1 coins.  Caitlin  told her she better do her best to spend all her "fake money" before heading home to Bozeman, because nobody in Bozeman is going to know what to do with this!

We hopped on the Light Rail to Nicolet Plaza, where we completed Task #54--Throw your hat up in the air with the Mary Tyler Moore statue in the background (point value:  14, photo credit to fellow tourist Laura)

We felt pretty certain that one of our Bonus Photo point opportunities was nearby.  One of the mystery photos is of a brick building that looks very similar to the architecture of downtown Minneapolis.  We decided to investigate further!

First, Megan asked a local law enforcement officer.  Officer Abdullahi couldn't be sure, but he thought he recognized the building's location as being a few blocks away, near the Hyatt Hotel.

We wandered down the street toward the Hyatt, but still couldn't locate the building.  Caitlin then asked DownTown City Ambassador Todd if he could shed any light on this mystery.

Todd, who knew Minneapolis like the back of his hand, said he felt fairly certain the building was not in Minneapolis.  Feeling somewhat dejected yet satisfied that we had exhausted every search option (after all, who better to know the answer than a city cop and a city ambassador?), Caitlin and Megan made their way to Caribou Coffee for refreshment and making a new plan.  Megan searched for flight options while Red Caboose and Golden Boy looked on.

We headed back to the Minneapolis airport and boarded our chosen flight to Kansas City.  Unfortunately, the wheels fell off the wagon at this point, and we arrived into Kansas City MUCH later than we anticipated. And because of this, we had to make a split decision:  Figure out how to get to our assigned task (which was 45 minutes away according to the locals) and be stuck in Kansas City for the night OR hop on a different flight for a different task and try to fulfill the Kansas City task at a future date when we have more daylight hours.  We opted for the second option, and loaded quickly onto a flight to Grand Rapids, Michigan.  In Grand Rapids, we earned lots of points for solving the location of this Bonus Mystery task--a Gerald Ford mural (Task #95, point value:  23)

And while we were saddened to leave the Kansas City task incomplete, believe me when I say that we WILL get back to it in a future post!

From Grand Rapids, Megan headed home to Bozeman.  Caitlin still had one task left in her before calling it quits.  She flew to Detroit, and completed ANOTHER Bonus Photo task--catching a glimpse of the Red Sky Train (Task #92, point value: 15, photo credit to Delta flight attendants Jackie and Liz)

Finally, it was time to head back to Bozeman for some sleep!

Caitlin, Megan, and Krissey have BIG travel plans this week.  If we don't post for a few days, rest assured we will be back soon!

Ragin' Cajun for the Day

While Candy and Peggy busied themselves staring into the sky in Houston, our teammate Krissey took a detour to the Big Easy.  She captured this photo of the New Orleans skyline before making her way to the French Quarter.

Once in the French Quarter, she took this photo of a horse-drawn carriage--she imagined they would have these all over the city but...alas...only saw a few.

She refused to "flash" for free beads, and instead purchased some Mardi Gras breast cancer beads.  As Delta is a huge supporter of Breast Cancer Awareness, she will be able to wear these to work the entire month of October for Delta's "Take Flight for the Fight" campaign.  With beads around her neck, she was able to complete Task #50--Wearing Mardi Gras beads on Bourbon Street (point value:  10).  Photo credit goes to Krissey's husband, Tom "Tom Terrific" Luhrsen.

After the exhausting photo shoot, Krissey and Tom enjoyed traditional Louisiana fare.  Krissey enjoyed the famous red beans and rice while Tom savored the seafood platter of friend shrimp, fried catfish and fried crawfish.  DELICIOUS! 

Meanwhile, Caitlin and Megan were on their own journey.  Tune in tomorrow to hear about their big adventure.

Deep in the Heart of Texas

All five of us Bozoners have returned safely from our past few days of travel.  Today we will concentrate on Candy and Peggy's trip to Houston, Texas!  Yeeee-hah!


Due to full flights out of Bozeman, Candy and Peggy began their journey by driving to Helena, Montana (about 80 miles away) to fly from Helena-Minneapolis-Houston.  They arrived with enough daylight left to drive to the Johnson Space Center.  They drove up to the gate and explained to the guards about the Delta Non-Rev Challenge.  The guards were ADAMANT that Candy and Peggy could not enter the grounds to take their photo.  The guards were SUPER ADAMANT that Candy could not take a photo of them DENYING Candy and Peggy entrance.  They were instructed to drive over to the main entrance sign on NASA Highway and take a photo from that spot.  So they did, and took this photo (compliments of Candy's self-timer on her camera) of the two of them looking into the sky at the Johnson Space Center (Task #49, point value: 14)

Candy and Peggy quickly piled back into their vehicle and made their way toward the Bunker Hill Village area of Houston to try to complete Task #42--At a Frank Lloyd Wright house.  Candy explained that she had done some research on this particular house and found that the house was slated for demolition, as the neighborhood felt it did not fit in with the current homes on the street, Tall Oaks.  They weren't even sure if the house was still there, but were up for the adventure of finding out.


They stopped at a gas station in the area, and stumbled upon many people who were interested in the Non-Rev Challenge and were really surprised to find out there was a Frank Lloyd Wright house in the area.  One woman who had just walked in from church was most helpful.  Meet Ms. Cynthia Dunhill!

Ms. Dunhill has lived in the area for over 20 years, was interested in FLW architecture, and was completely surprised to find out there was a house of his in her own backyard.  She invited Candy and Peggy to follow her to the nearest spot where Tall Oaks could be.  She had to be on her way, but wished Candy and Peggy a fond "Good Luck!" and was very excited to be part of the search.  Candy and Peggy wandered the neighborhoods for a while, but still couldn't locate the building.  They finally stopped at a Shell Gas Station.  The Shell employee, a young man named Walter Aquilar (aka Little Walter since there are four..count em' FOUR..Walters working at this same gas station) helped Candy and Peggy find the location on Mapquest.  Candy couldn't help noticing the sound of birds chirping, and mentioned this to Little Walter.  It turns out that he has over 20 parakeets and love birds that he takes care of at the shop!

By now, it's 10pm and DARK.  Candy and Peggy found the house located at the end of a street with about 10 mansions spaced out on 2-3 acres each.  At the end of the cul-de-sac, they found the gate open at 12020 Tall Oaks (the address they had located on the FLW Conservancy website).

Candy drove through the gate and saw the house set far back from the gate.  There were lights on in the house and a car in the driveway, which surprised them because they were under the impression the house was vacant and possibly destroyed.  In a move that was decidedly UN-Candy-like, she opted NOT to disturb the occupants and to only snap a quick photo of Peggy in front of the house. 

We aren't certain this photo (coupled with the prior photo of the address) will count in the official Non-Rev Challenge point total--it is simply too dark to be able to tell that this is what Peggy is standing in front of. The good news is that there are many FLW houses all across the country...even one in Hamilton, Montana (outside of Missoula).  Can you say "road trip" for the Big Sky Bozoners?  Could be a really hilarious adventure!


More later...

 

One full afternoon!

We left Livingston and returned to Bozeman for an exceptionally busy and action-packed day.  Our first stop was to The Great Rocky Mountain Toy Company for Task #8--On a Pogo Stick.  Unfortunately, the store only had one Pogo Stick so we only earned 5 points.  Krissey, who had never been on a Pogo Stick, volunteered to be the "jumper".  She was such a natural, it was almost like she was born with a Pogo Stick in her hands!  Clearly, you can see how excited we are to be part of the action!

After a brief break for lunch, we headed over to the Montana State University campus.  Today was a home game for the football team, so we KNEW we'd be able to fulfill our next task:  Task #13--With someone who has his/her face painted.  We skulked around the various tailgate parties, just looking for the perfect opportunity.  Bingo!  (points earned:  13)  Gooooooooo Bobcats!

Next, we found a great place to complete our next task--making the Delta "widget" symbol with our bodies (Task #2, points earned:  13).  Thank goodness Candy brought her foot stool "prop" so Gus could expertly capture this aerial view!

About a block away, we were able to complete our next task--In front of any building with "2010" in the address (Task #3, points earned:  13)

Again, all photo credit for the day belongs to our co-worker, Gus.  Here he is again, hard at work.

At this point, it was time for Candy to get to work and for Peggy to try to catch a flight.  Caitlin, Krissey, and Megan drove to Belgrade High School, where they completed Task #15--On the 50-yard line of a football field (points earned:  9)

It was time for Krissey to head home, but Megan and Caitlin still had one more task left in them.  The two of them completed Task #18--Attend a child's birthday party.  We'd like to wish a BIG Happy Birthday to Megan's niece, Gabby!  (She's the one in the hot pink) Points earned:  7

Such a great action-packed adventure!  This weekend we all have big travel plans, so if the Blog goes "dark" for a day or two, never fear!  We're probably just sleeping in an airport somewhere and will tell you all about it when we get home!

The props

As luck would have it, the five Bozoners were all in town and available for tasks this past chilly Saturday morning.  Krissey, Caitlin and Megan had the day off.  Candy didn't need to be to work until 1:30pm, and Peggy was trying to fly out in the afternoon for some Non-Rev Challenge action.  We all loaded up into Candy's giant Tahoe and headed to Livingston, Montana (the next town over).  But before we discuss the tasks, I'd like to discuss just exactly what Candy brought with us in the back of her car--props!  And lot's of 'em!

We're talking fur coats, cowboy hats, an American flag, books, fake flower arrangements, old school milk bottles, and a foot stool just to name a few.  It was HILARIOUS!  We completed our first task by pulling over on the side of the freeway, climbing the embankment (with props), and took our photo in front of wind turbines (Task #23, point value:  18).  It was a foggy morning, but you can definitely see them in the background.

Before I go ANY further, I have to tell you about our official photographer for the day:  our co-worker, Gus.  Gus is a Montana State University student who gave up his Saturday afternoon to hang out with the likes of us ding-dongs.  Some more things about Gus:

1.  He is awesome
2.  He was a total trooper about the whole thing
3.  He helped us identify the location of the Hank Aaron 715th Home Run sign (see Blog post "The Home of the Braves") but wasn't given proper credit for it.  Gus, here is your credit.
4. He took his day of photographing us very seriously

After getting honked at by truckers, we loaded back into Candy's car and made our way into downtown Livingston to Truex Furniture and Appliance.  With the blessing of Dan (the store manager) we were able to complete our next task.  Candy got the staging just right with all sorts of props and trinkets she picked up from all over the store ("I'll put 'em back!!" she said, when we mentioned to her that maybe she shouldn't mess with the store displays), as well as props we brought in from the car.

Finally, with the set design and lighting "just so", we were able to complete Task #11--In a Bunkbed.  Point value:  13

We loaded back into Candy's car and returned to Bozeman for more task completion.  Tune in tomorrow!

Q & A

We have received numerous questions from our loyal followers.  We thought we'd take some time to answer some of our mail.

1. Do you get time off from work for this?


No.  All task completion and travel are done on our days off.  Some of us happen to have similar or overlapping days off, and thus that is why you might see the same cluster of Bozoners in photos.

2.  Do you get paid for this?


No.  All costs are incurred by the team members.  Hence the sleeping on airplanes and in airports.

3.  You mentioned in your first introductory post that this is a fundraiser.  How do I donate money?

Please go to http://nonrevchallenge.com  At that site, you will find out all sorts of fascinating information about the 2010 Non Rev Challenge.  Plus, you will see how to donate to your favorite Big Sky Bozoner.

4.  You mentioned in your first introductory post that you are raising money.  For what?


We had a choice of three United Way charities to choose from.  Our donations could go to the United Way Disaster Fund, the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, or the Boys and Girls Club of America.  Our team chose the Boys and Girls Club of America.

5.  How many teams are participating?

There are 44 teams participating in the 2010 challenge.

6.  Does somebody actually win?  Are there prizes?

Yes, there actually are winners.  There is a 1st-5th place awarded for Total Points Earned.  There is also a 1st-5th place awarded for the most pledge dollars raised.  Some examples of the cool prizes are travel gift cards, hotel stays at Marriott Hotels, Sky Club memberships, and the granddaddy of all prizes--Two CONFIRMED round-trip Business Class seats to anywhere in the world Delta flies.  Personally, I think the bragging rights are pretty awesome in and of themselves.

7.  Why in the world are you doing this?

Purely for fun, for team building, for the crazy looks we get from people in airports, and for morale building.  This experience has turned out to be one of the most fun things I've done in a job--ever!  And I've had some pretty fun jobs!

So please keep following!  We had quite a thrilling adventure in our own hometown this past weekend, and ALL FIVE OF US were able to participate.  Stay tuned...

I'll leave you with the following photo.  Caitlin, Krissey, and Megan beg their boss, Rick, for an extra day off so they can travel to Stockholm, Copenhagen, AND Amsterdam on their days off.  Rick, a huge fan of the Blog and big supporter of the Big Sky Bozoners, listened to their proposal before kindly telling them to "get back to work."

Fun in your own backyard

After spending an inordinate amount of time trying to synchronize our Hula Hoop-ing, we completed two additional tasks at Caitlin's house.  We read a Sky Magazine while in a hammock (Task #9, Point value: 11, photo credit to Caitlin's boyfriend, Mike).  That Robert DeNiro says some shocking stuff!

Afterwards, we all loaded onto a tandem bicycle (Task #24, Point value: 11, photo credit to Mike).  It was a miracle we didn't injure ourselves!

Sorry this entry is so brief today.  It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon and yard work beckons (Not a task, no point value,  Anticipated Exhaustion Factor: 144)

Tomorrow, we answer some very pressing questions from our readers.  Yes, we have readers (plural!)

Hula Hoop-ing: Harder Than it Looks

On a beautiful Bozeman afternoon, Caitlin, Megan, Krissey, and Peggy (she's the final bozoner you will meet, and you'll see much more of her in the future) met at Caitlin's house to complete Task #4, Hula-Hooping.  Krissey came over with big stories of how she was now up to TWO..count 'em TWO!..hula hoops on her Wii Fit video game.  Somehow, her "mad skillz" in the virtual world didn't transfer so well to the real world!

Oddly enough, it was Peggy who had no problem with the Hula Hoop-ing.  Peggy, who weighs 100 pounds soaking wet and does not have any hips, could Hula Hoop like nobody's business.  She stood there, barely moving her torso as the Hula Hoop whipped around her, staring at us like "Why are you all finding this so difficult?"

Caitlin's boyfriend, Mike, was the official photographer for all Hula Hoop photos.  At one point, he wondered aloud whether he was supposed to take photos of us Hula Hoop-ing or Spazzing Out.

We kept at it, trying our hardest to get it right.  Ugh, so close!

And finally:  The Money Shot!

It was at this point that Krissey's training in the Wii virtual world FINALLY kicked in.  Long after our Hula-ing had failed and our Hoops had crashed to the ground, her natural ability and talent kept going.  We were all impressed!

Total points earned:  11, Hilarity Factor: 135.  Tomorrow you will learn what other fun things we did at Caitlin's house to earn points.

Meanwhile....

While Caitlin, Megan, and Krissey were on their adventure, another teammate of ours was on her own journey.  Introducing Candy!  She is a lovely, gracious woman from Florida who talks with a looooong southern draaaaawl.  Passengers love her, and she calls them all "darling" or "sugar" (pronounced "dahhhrlin" and "shuuuugah").  She is tons of fun and has a very adventurous spirit.  Plus, she always cooks or bakes something delicious to bring to her co-workers.  Oh, and you met her back in our first post when her trip to the dentist earned our team 10 points!

Candy flew from Bozeman to Jacksonville, Florida, where she did jumping jacks in Jacksonville (Task #39, points earned: 10, photo credit to a random Delta passenger).

She then flew to Atlanta with the INTENTION of catching a flight to Key West, Florida.  That particular Key West flight was full, so Candy did some quick thinking and changed her destination to Asheville, North Carolina.  In Asheville, she enlisted the help of Vince, an airline ramp agent.  In exchange for a ride to and from her task destination, she would give Vince gas money AND a lottery ticket!  Who could pass up this deal?  Vince took Candy to the Biltmore Estate (Task #56, point value: 10, photo credit to Vince).

From Asheville, Candy flew back to Atlanta and attempted to catch the LAST flight to Key West, Florida.  Victory!  She arrived in Key West, and took a taxi to the Southernmost Point marker in the continental US (Task #55, point value: 10, photo credit to Jeff the taxi driver).  Whew!  What a day!

The next morning, Candy began her journey home to Bozeman.  And while she could have just come straight home, she took the time to stop in Minneapolis to have her photo taken at a Wings Financial Branch (task #58, point value: 10, photo credit to random bank customer).

So what's next?  LOTS of good stuff!  Stay tuned...

Stuck!

When it comes to Non-Revving, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.  Often when you lose, you lose BIG!  With dreams of conquering many tasks in Minneapolis, Caitlin and Megan were very sad when their dreams were shattered by full flights out of Atlanta.

It was time to re-think our strategy and come up with a Plan B.  Our mission went from trying to complete another task to simply trying to get out of Atlanta.  We opted for a late flight from Atlanta to Phoenix for a few reasons:

1.  It was wide open
2.  It was a way out of the mayhem and madness of the Atlanta Airport
3.  It was a long flight, so we could get some decent sleep
4.  Flights out of Phoenix to Bozeman looked very good
5.  It didn't depart for a few hours, so we could go have a good dinner!

Once we made our decision, we got back on the MARTA (our Breeze Passes really earned their keep!) and went into downtown Atlanta for some outstanding Mexican food.  Then, back to the Atlanta airport where we were cleared for departure to Phoenix--IN FIRST CLASS!  We were quite happy with this development!

We slept the entire flight and arrived in Phoenix at 11pm.  Our flight to Salt Lake City departed in 7 hours (at 6am), so we found a very nice, quiet, semi-hidden spot in the Phoenix airport to call home for the for the next few hours.  I must say, if you are ever forced to overnight in an airport, Phoenix is where you want to be!

Our early morning flight from Phoenix to Salt Lake City was wide open and, again, we cleared into FIRST CLASS!  Our Detroit-based flight attendant, Marlene, was OUTSTANDING!  She was very enthusiastic about the Challenge and what we had been doing over the past few days.  She took excellent care of us.

The flight was uneventful, except for flying over the Grand Canyon.  Absolutely beautiful!  (Not a task, no point value, Awesome Factor: 117)

Megan and Caitlin made it home to Bozeman by lunchtime.  We were exhausted but absolutely energized by our first adventure.  But remember:  we do have other teammates!  Stay tuned to hear about THEIR adventures!

The Home of the Braves

From Las Vegas, Caitlin, Krissey and Megan booked themselves on a red-eye flight to Atlanta.  We reached this decision based on a couple of factors:

1.  It's now late in the evening.  Where can we sleep?  How about on a plane?!
2.  The flight showed over 60 open seats.  It seemed like a sure thing!

Sure enough, we were cleared to board.  And the best thing?  Both Krissey and Caitlin were seated in a completely empty row, which was PERFECT for lifting the armrests and sleeping a solid 4 hours.  Alas, poor Megan with her very low Delta seniority....she had to share a row with another person.  No stretching out for her.

Our arrival in Atlanta (at 6am) brought a bit of sadness to our group.  It was time for Krissey to head back to Bozeman, as she had to make sure she made it back to work.  Caitlin and Megan bid Krissey a fond farewell before getting down to business in Atlanta.

Now here is where the kindness of strangers kicks in.  Caitlin was in the restroom in the Atlanta airport, doing her best to freshen up to face the day.  A woman comes up to her and says "Oh! Are you doing that Non-Rev challenge thing?"  She then proceeds to ask if she can see our task list, as well as the Bonus Point photos to see if she can help.  She introduces herself as Joni, an Atlanta Delta employee, who wanted to do the Challenge last year but was unable to.

She was able to give us directions and information about the location of two of our tasks, and some "best guess" information about a possible third task.  This, unfortunately, didn't turn out as we had hoped, as you will soon see.

Wide awake yet wired from lack of sleep, Megan and Caitlin head out into the already-humid Atlanta morning.  We purchased a Day-Pass for the MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) since we knew we'd be spending quite a bit of time zipping all over Atlanta to our destinations.  Megan was very excited about her daily Breeze Pass!

Our first stop was at Turner Field, the home of the Atlanta Braves.  We took our photo (thanks to the timer on Megan's camera) at the place where Hank Aaron's 715th home run is memorialized (task #96, point value: 23).

About 1/2 mile away, we took a photo with a Delta billboard in the background (task #41, point value: 14, photo credit to Chamberlain, the young man waiting at a nearby bus stop).

This is where things turned sort of wild goose chase-ish.  Our girl, Joni, (from back in the Atlanta airport  bathroom) thought that one of our mystery Bonus Point photos was at one of the MARTA stops.  Megan and Caitlin hopped back on the MARTA and rode around for quite a while (thank goodness for our Breeze passes!), trying to identify the location.  After a while, we finally enlisted the help of MARTA employee Rhonda and Officer Stiles, who seemed as perplexed as we were about the precise location.

Rhonda finally said "I'm going to call TJ.  He'll know exactly where this is.  He knows everything about the trains."  She got on her handy walkie-talkie, and summoned TJ to solve the riddle.  TJ took one brief glance at the photo and declared, "This ain't here.  This is in Washington DC!" and walked away as mysteriously as he arrived.  With most of the day behind us, Megan and Caitlin hopped back on the MARTA to head to the airport and figure out our next destination.  Since we needed to start thinking about making our way back to Bozeman (remember, we actually have JOBS we have to show up for!), we didn't want to head any further east on this trip.  We decided to go to Minneapolis to try to knock off a few of our tasks before catching the late flight home to Bozeman.  But sometimes, the flights don't always work out like you hope they would, and a Plan B is needed......