I'm still working up at The Character Shop in Simi Valley, and today we commemorated a merely drizzly break in the heavy rains with a couple of rounds of Pooh-Sticks. Based on A.A. Milne's beloved Winnie the Pooh's game, where Pooh and his friends would drop sticks off a bridge, and whoever's got to a certain point in the stream first won. I'm sure Eeyore lost.

In our version, first round was "stock," no mods allowed. We took one tongue depressor, wrote our names on them, and started at one end of the drainage gully that runs through the parking lot. We dropped sticks, and then hustled across the lot to the other end where it ends up in a big puddle. Everyone put in a dollar, and I ended up winning the first round.

Second round was mods with no official wagering. The rule was one tongue depressor, no glues, no add ons. You could modify it however you wanted. I cut it into rocket shape, and sanded the the edges. I had a side bet going with my co-worker Rich, and most everyone else joined in. My rocket stick shot ahead early, and was neck and neck with the other two best designs. Deb's was pointed at both ends, Chris kept his full, but sanded the edges. I still won by a foot, and most of the pack was WAY back. Pay up, boys! Winning the mod round was quite an accomplishment, as most of the guys working there right now have mechanical and engineering backgrounds. Rich commented that he doesn't engineer little wooden sticks, so it's really not the same. Nyah nyah!!!! : P