Back in the Day Friday: RAGBRAI Annoucement Paaarttay

Last month Team Beaver made our first ever showing at the RAGBRAI Announcement Party. In years past, we all watch the internet feed and text one another furiously, but we decided to spring for a VIP table and round up 10 beavers and potential beavers so we could relive our night of Fairfield-Spazmatic-Magic.

Because we were VIPs (i.e. we bought ten tickets for an extra $5 each) we got to arrive at 7, rather than 8, and therefore eat more of the snacks and drink more of the free beer than the "regular people." But before we could leave, we had to pick out our outfits.

This was more tricky for some of us. For me, because I am fat as a tick right now and I have to worry about the dangers of the "skin belt" when I wear my sexy-beaver shirt. For the Tiger, well, he was one of those beavers who loves a muscle-shirt. He only has one beaver-shirt. For complicated reasons, he decided not to order a new one. Thankfully, he is good at innovative solutions.

He made me take this picture 3 times.

He just layered his muscle shirt over a gray polo shirt. Not only did he get sleeves, but he got a collar!

We rode in the Stew-Mobile, and picked up Pete and Masinga on the way and arrived just a bit after 7. 

They don't call him "Dick Stew" for nothing.

We found our table, and promptly fixed the name on the placard.

Tiffany and a new beaver, "Nasty Nate" were already there. Nate looks particularly hunky in his team beaver gear. He is also doing double duty with the blogs thanks to his fantastic stach!

Welcome Nate "Figjam"

We took some pictures for the Mayor. 

Greetings Mayor!

And the Becks arrived!

Still on a cleanse at this point, go Becks!

Team Party Beavers!

At 8 there was a quick announcement from TJ, the Ragby director, then the band came on. So we led the charge to the stage. It have to say, it look a lot longer for this crowd to warm up than a normal ragby crowd.

Though, this guy was very enthusiastic. 

We quickly made some friends.

Beavers and silver foxes

Ragbrai-ers who attend the RAP are a bit more subdued than when they are on the ragby, but I guess that is to be expected. They don't have the armor of spandex or the endorphin of a day on the bicycle.

They do have the same dance moves, though. 

So, we danced up a storm for I don't know how long, drank some light malt beverages and had a good time. 

Then, the band took a break and TJ came on stage, so we retreated back to the table. It was only like 9pm, so I figured they were going to do some prizes or something. Quickly, I realized, though, that they were announcing the actual route.

Wait a minute. I thought that didn't happen until like 11pm? Nope, it was happening.

There it is.

I am going to say that being at the party is probably like watching a professional football game in the stands. Yes, it's exciting to be there, but you can't really see what is going on or hear very well. It is much clearer when you are watching at home from the sofa. 

But, we got the route. And it was a short, flat, and northern route! 

Little did we know, more excitement would follow...dun, dun, dah.

Then the band came back on stage, and we proceeded to party.

Look at us with the band!

Wait kind of cleanse is this?

And, we were having a great time. The party started picking up. We were enjoying our new beavers, Jennie and Mo, who were dancing super stars. 

The Spazmatics sometimes invite people on stage, but they hadn't during this show. Some people were climbing or scampering up there anyway, though. Including one very  unfortunate girl. She was in her late twenties, wearing yoga pants (right?), an owl t-shirt, and a knitted beany with a flower on it. And she was swooping and sliding all over the stage like she was at a Phish concert. Her eyes kind of looked like she was at a Phish concert if you know what I mean. 

There is an etiquette to stage dancing, and she was not following it. I mean, lady, no one came here to see you dance. Sorry! At one point the lead singer was like, "you are annoying me." And finally her friend convinced her to abdicate the stage. The crowd started chanting the lyrics to the "nah, nah, nah, hey hey goodbye" song. 

Then, later, she came back. 

This was getting to be a bit silly. She was swooping and shimmying all over the place. Her friend tried to get her off the stage, but she just beconed him on the stage. Then a security guard came to talk to her. She just ignored him. Then he tried to guide her off the stage, but she swooped out of his grasp. Then, another security guard joined him.

Then, another.

Then, another.

Until there were six security guys, one friend, and a stoned dancing girl. The guards sort of walled off the stage and herded to her to the side and then something happened. The Tiger, who was back at the stage said, it looked like a stream of blood or a tooth or something flew through the air. But, she either pushed or kicked a security guard off the stage. Then, the other five grappled with her, but man, she was slippery because she kept evading their grasp.

Finally, they got her off stage. Apparently she had kicked the lead guitar wires out, so there was a momentary re-plugging. The band played one more song, and then left. No encores for bad ragbrai-ers. Let that be a lesson to you.

Masinga said she saw the girl getting carted off in a po-po car as she walked out with the Becks. Which is kind of sad. Later, Goldie did some research and found out she was from Illinois, so we all breathed a sigh of relief (except for me, who is technically also from Illinois. Shhh...don't tell anyone). 

But, a very good time was had by all. It wasn't the same as the actual ragby party, but it was a fun, fun night. I would probably only go again if the band was really awesome. 

Ragby makes us feel like this!

As for the actual route, there was some grumbling on the blogs and twitter and what-have-you. Apparently some folks, including Karras, don't think it is hard enough. 

The Mayor thinks ragby is still in shock from 2012, the year that scorched ragby. 

I have to say, this is the only year that I was secretly hoping for a southern, hilly, long route. Ragby will be my last "event" before the Triangle and I thought it would be good to get my butt kicked a bit. Any other year I would be super stocked. The north is flat, and cooler, and just really nice. 

No matter what, it is the ragby, the most magical week of the year, and just 162 short days away. 

If you'd like to watch a video of the event, to feel like you were there, too, here you go.