Surfin' Chili 2009: The Bolden Files

For 2009, we decided to change our tactics. A number of people on the team decided that for once, let's just relax, eat some chili, and drink some beer (or tequila, or jello shots, or whatever their libation of choice). So we didn't win Showmanship - or chili, for that matter - but we had fun anyway, which is the main point of the cookoff. Our skit this year portrayed a slightly skewed version of the Congressional hearings for the new NASA Administrator, Charlie Bolden.

Part of it is that after nearly 20 years, we don't have as much energy as these young punks like the Co-Op team have, with their fancy electric guitars and their engineering know-how. But with their energy and spirit, they remind us of what we used to be like - back in the day when they were toddlers.

Friday before the cookoff: the booth setup

Then, the cut-up party

This was our first cookoff after Hurricane Ike, which damaged so much of the Clear Lake and NASA/JSC area.

From the space trivia game

Singing our songs to the judges

Jello shot dispenser (JDS) cooling system

Jello shot Twister!

Chillin' out, maxin', and relaxin'

Jello shots

Oh yeah, we do chili, too!

The team