Skype sessions for days

So much crust (and long-distance non-crust) coming in via Skype! Take a peek at who we got to talk to this afternoon:

Lena!

Brandon, Lewie, and Puppet Pal Brooke!

Gabe, preparing to go abroad to Germany this semester! So worldly.

We were also graced by a phone call from KSarah Ostrach herself, and we're looking forward to a video chat from Leber soon. (Just to clarify, it'll be a video call from the Rock, where he's still working on his paper:)

I never get tired of this joke.

Just like Leber never gets tired of this paper.

Lunch update

Lunch is very disappointing today:

And blurry. I would take a better quality photo but...this is in my belly now.

SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE SHOWN UP SINCE OUR LAST POST

**EDIT** THIS IS THIS BLOG'S 69th POST! I'm debating never posting here again and just making a new blog.**

Holy crap, team. The Ratty is EXPLODING with Bandies right now. We now successfully control five tables, and no one seems to be judging us too hard yet (or maybe I just can't see the judge-y glares from underneath my fuzzy blanket). Check out who showed up this mid-morning!

Jesús!

Sarah and Lainie! Sarah doesn't feel good. :(

Amy and Abby! Or Abby and Amy, I'm not sure.

Francesca and Sammy!

Scott "I went home, dropped off my skates, chugged a beer, and I was still the fourth Bandie at Jo's" Underriner

Matt!

Carol!

Dana!

Shannon!

Daniel!

Kevin is REALLY excited about the snow. Oh, Californians.

Brooke!

FIVE. TABLES.

All the chairs that we sacrificed in order to put five tables together.

We also had a virtual visit from Former President Carrie Danielson '14!

Look how cute she is.

She owns a weird-crotched Beethoven action figure. Is that what ethnomusicology is?

Also, Derek brought Lord of the Rings-themed Risk. It took an hour to explain how to play, and they've been at it for about half an hour. Apparently Charlie is going down soon.

Alright, gotta post this before EVEN MORE PEOPLE SHOW UP!

The Breakfast Club

2 hours in and we've finished our first round of breakfast. I managed to get the first omelette of the day (no line!) and we've started hoarding tater tots to get us to dinner. But the real MVP of breakfast, and my greatest regret about not being on meal plan this year...

COFFEE MILK!!! (Feat. Haylstorm's arms)

When asked about her breakfast, Hayley merely said: "It was good."

Isabella has joined us:

Hi, Isabella!

We're already running out of things to do, so it's naptime for Zoeseph Gordon-Levitt:

Is that you, Sleepy Wonder?

Be sure to follow our new Twitter feed (https://twitter.com/RattyChallenge) for breaking Ratty Challenge news (I do not know what counts as breaking news in the Ratty. The scrambled eggs have been replenished? The SurgeMaster is protecting us from... surges? Our Challenge homebase has now grown to 3 tables?).

People should be waking up around now and we have our first Skype date soon, so more to come!

We're here! Come party with us!

A brave group of six entered the Ratty at 7:30 on the dot this morning, greeted by none other than GAIL HERSELF. (Hiiiii.) Big thanks to Charlie, Hayley, and Max for providing guest swipes for Elaine, Derek, and Zoe. And Jeanelle joined us soon afterwards, looking very bright-eyed and awake.

We actually completed an additional challenge this morning before we got here - The Walking Through Several Inches of Snow to the Ratty Challenge Challenge. It was tough, but we bested it. And it was nice to have a little outdoor time before...you know...this.

We really thought that by getting here right at 7:30, we'd be the first patrons here, but somehow Leber beat us, still working on that paper that's been plaguing him for 4+ years:

Maybe this will be the year he finally finishes it.

Photo essay below the jump (just kidding there's no jump because this isn't that kind of fancy webpage):

Look at all that fresh powder!

Thanks, swipe team, aka inadvertent Axelrod team! (Charlie Moder: "I used to be on baby meal plan, but now I'm back on big-boy meal plan.")

Gail doing what she does best - being the highlight of our morning.

Derek is here too! With a bag of goodies (it's drugs (it's not drugs)).

~*~We've got the power (strips)~*~

Jeanelle is so awake!

Can't wait to see you all here!!!! .5 hours down, 11.5 to go.

T-minus 7.5 hours.

It's almost the big day! Here's what Elaine and I are planning to pack for tomorrow's adventure.

Elaine:

-Settlers of Catan

-Every binder full of every science for her thesis

-Balls headband

-Power strip

-Laptop

-Headphones

-Ting Ting Tongs, for playing the Ting Tong Song

-A crippling, bone-deep sense of exhaustion

Zoe:

(Sorry the picture is so dark)

-Laptop, power cord

-Headphones

-Persuasion by Jane Austen

-(Not pictured: Persuasion by Calvin Klein)

-Water bottle because hydration is important and Ratty cups are too small

-The entire contents of my backpack

-LSAT prep books, because apparently I'm taking that in two weeks

-Also blankets and pillows

Pack your bags and we'll see you in the morning!!

The great menu reveal of 2015!

The day we've all been waiting for has finally arrived. The Ratty menu for Challenge Day is up! Apprehensive drumroll please..... [Disclaimer: the food opinions given here are just Zoe's, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Brown University or anyone else in the world.]


The worst
-Alfredo sauce and vegan marinara sauce
-Steak fries (coming it at ninth out of the 11 types of fries on Danny Gleave's frierarchy)

The mediumest:
-Blueberry muffins
-Honey mustard chicken sandwich
-Grilled cheese + tomato
-Krinkle cut fries (a strong 3 on the frierarchy! but are they really serving two different kinds of fries?)
-Basque cake with raspberries

The best:
-Tater tots
-Beef strips shish kabob (I'm optimistically putting this under "best" because beef is a resilient food than can sometimes withstand the Ratty's transformative powers.)
-CHICKEN PARMESAN!


Like most things in this world, the majority of food offerings on Saturday fall solidly in the "medium" category. And, tragically, there will be no frosted brownies offered on Challenge Day. But if we can lay in a supply of tater tots before lunch ends, the promise of chicken parmesan will see us through the day.

See you all in two days and nineteen hours!