More fair fun

Here are a few more highlights from our day at the fair.

We caught the tail end of the lumberjack show when we went to the fair last year so we wanted to make sure that we got to see the whole thing this year. It really is entertaining.

There is ax throwing.

Log cutting.

I don't remember what they called this, but he was standing on a board wedged into a cut on the tree, and then they chop the top off. One guy nearly fell off.

Don't remember what this is called either, but two guys race to the top of the poles and back down. They pretty much just free fall back down to the bottom. Scary.

Jousting.

And log rolling.
The whole show is scripted, and it happened to be the same show with the same jokes as last year even though the people were different. It reminds me of my rodeo days, listening to the clowns do the same routines and same jokes all season long. Sometimes even year after year.

Now we move on to animals.  Considering that their aren't that many farms out here, there really weren't that many animals. At least not compared to Michigan.

There were some awfully cute pygmy goats.

Baa, baa, black sheep.

Some beautifully feathered bird that unfortunately has the ugliest head God ever created.

You met this fellow earlier. He tried to get my camera, but I was too quick for him.

And finally some bunnies. Their red eyes always throw me off a bit. Cute but still kind of creepy.

And finally we came to see the show Cavallo. The guy here is juggling while he stands on the back of a horse that is running around a ring. It really is amazing. It is a wonderful show with vaulting and other tricks on horse back. Vaulting is basically gymnastics on horseback. I always figured gymnastics was hard enough on the ground, but someone, somewhere along the line decided to do it on the back of a horse. I guess they really needed a challenge.

Here he is standing on two horses. If you look closely you can see it.

Now there are two people up there.

And now, notice the guy flying through the air? He just did a back flip off the horse in front.

And he lands on the horse in the back. AMAZING! If I can ever figure out how to get a video off of my phone and on to the computer, I will post it.

Had to get some pictures of the kids at the fair.

It was bright...

The hula hoop queen had to show off her mad hula-ing skills.

Bumper cars.
I don't think that Princess Blondie quite understood the point of the bumper cars. When they got out after their ride she said "That STINKIN' car ran into us and now my stomach hurts!"  Then I had to explain that the whole point of bumper cars is to run into people. Perhaps I should have explained that to her before they got in.

Sonny Boy loved this little obstacle course.

And what trip to the fair would be complete without a ride on the Ferris wheel? I kind of wish we could see it at night. I bet it is beautiful all lit up.

DH and Princess Blondie are up there somewhere.

Ah, there they are.

And then on our way out, we saw a bike demonstration.

It was the highlight of the fair for Sonny Boy. Perhaps even the highlight of his life thus far.

The only thing I could think the whole time I watched it was how much it would hurt if they crashed. That is just asphalt below them. I'm not sure they would have any skin left if they fell. They did talk a lot about the importance of safety equipment after their demonstration though.
They do know how to make mothers happy.

Coming up in our final installment of fun at the fair, Produce: Alaskan Style. We grow 'em big up here!

Where were you?

Today is September 11. I'm almost afraid to turn on my tv because I know that I will be inundated with footage of the horrible things that happened that day 9 years ago. I'm just not sure that is something I want to watch. It may be good for me to remember, but I just don't feel like being sad today. 

I remember exactly what I was doing when I heard the news. I was driving back to my morning class after spending the night at my sister's apartment. I was a sophomore in college and I was so glad that she had moved back to town for a while so I could have some family around. I had a class at 9 or so that day so I was driving back to my dorm room in my brother's old Ford Probe. I'd finally mastered the art of driving a stick shift that summer. I was listening to the radio and heard the special news report interrupt the music. I remember the dread, and fear, and uncertainty sink into the pit of my stomach like a stone. I remember that it was a gorgeous sunny day, just like it is today. I got back to my dorm room and watched the footage on tv with my roommate. It felt good to be in the company of another person and not alone in my car, dealing with the news by myself. We wondered whether we should go to class or not. We waited for them to cancel it. They didn't. I went to class, but I don't know which one it was. It felt weird to be going to class as if things were normal. Things were not normal. I came back and sat in front of the tv for the rest of the day. The one thing that sticks out most in my mind from that day was seeing the footage of people jumping from the burning towers. Choosing one method of death over another, because death was certain. 

 

It seemed things would never go back to normal again, but somehow time marches on and life returns to some form of normalcy. The fear slowly subsides. Apathy begins to take root. Emotions and memories fade.  Maybe I should turn my tv on today.

I remember where I was, where were you?

State Fair

We spent last Friday at the Alaska State Fair. I think it may have been the only sunny day during the whole span of the fair. We definitely lucked out on the weather. The first thing we did when we got there was go buy some tickets so the kids could go on some rides. It felt so strange. The kids have never really been big enough to go on rides before, certainly not rides by themselves anyway.

Princess Blondie wanted to ride on the carousel. Sonny Boy surprised me when he said that he would go on with her. Instead of picking horses to ride on they chose this thing. They spun themselves around until they were dizzy and feeling quite silly.

I love carousels. I just had to get a picture of the inside of this one.

Such pretty little horses, but then I noticed the tails.

These tails look suspiciously real to me. If those tails are made out of real horse hair, I may just have to change my mind about carousels.

Next  up was the big slide. This is definitely a classic fair ride.

Halfway down. Pigtails flying.

So serious. She's at the bottom and has yet to crack a smile. Turns out she wasn't a big fan of the big slide. She thought she was going to fly off when she went over the bumps.

Sonny Boy loved the slide. Big smile.

Still smiling....

And still smiling all the way down to the bottom. Now that is what your face should look like when you go down the big slide.

The next ride is one that I did not go on, nor did anyone else in my family. I don't know what it is called, but I like to call it 'the one that would make me vomit in my purse if I had to ride it.'

Now I want you to think of the flip books with the progressive drawings that we looked at as kids. Flip through the books quickly and the pictures would appear to move as if it were a cartoon. Now scroll down quickly through the next series of pictures.

See it? This is basically a ride with two giant hammers full of people swinging in opposite directions. I almost want to vomit just looking at it. I get queasy just swinging on swings with my kids. No lie. I'm pretty sure that this ride would do me in, and it wouldn't be pretty. The only thing that could possibly be worse would be the spinning teacups. Funny thing is, I'm pretty sure I went on this ride when I was a kid. Now I'm just too old and queasy for such shenanigans.

Next up the kids picked a duck out of the water. The number on the bottom indicated that he won the small prize.

Princess Blondie also won the small prize.They never did say which number indicated the small, medium or large prize. Hmm.....I think I smell a scam.

More on the fair later. I think I've talked enough about scams and vomit for today.

Fowl weather friend

Well, hello there.

This is a fowl friend that we met at the state fair. We also saw the world's largest pumpkin, a ninety some odd pound cabbage, an elephant made out of produce, a lumberjack competition, and a man do a back flip from the back of one horse and land on the back of another. 

I thought I'd introduce you to this little fellow today. More about the fair to follow at a later date. Possibly tomorrow if I'm really on top of things. I'm on a roll this week.

First day: Round 3

Sonny Boy had his first day of school a few weeks ago. Princess Blondie started a week after that. Today it was finally my turn. I went to work for the first time in over 7 years today. 

The last job I had was as a waitress as at a mom and pop type restaurant that I had started when I was working my way through college. By the time it all came to an end I was pregnant with Sonny Boy. I quit a week before he was due. He ended up being ten days late. Perhaps I should have worked. Maybe I could have coaxed him out a little earlier.

So today I got to go back to school too, but this time I was the teacher. Last year I finished that college degree that I was using tip money to pay for so many years ago. I'm the lucky girl that has a pushy husband who tells her to do crazy things like finally finish college. I'm glad he did. He also keeps telling me that some day I'm going to get my masters degree and maybe more. I'm going to give that one a few years to sink in before I feel the need to work on it.

It was a wonderful first day. I have some fabulous little pipsqueaks in my class. As far as first days go it couldn't have gone better. Only one case of tears and that was because she got bubbles in her eye during a particularly rowdy bubble blowing session. All's well that ends well, I say. 

To top it all off, I work with the most wonderful people. I loved Princess Blondie's teachers last year and now I get to work with them. How much better can it be?

It's a mystery

Someone snuck off with my camera again.

I wonder who it could be?