Sunset
It’s one of those days (weeks… months… YEARS) when you wake up one day and realize that the year is more than half over and you have no idea where the time went (I will be quantifying THAT little piece of information in the next couple days for my boss… but… it loses some of its holy crap-ness if you actually put numbers to it.
Today, is a good day.
My favorite balloon of the night
Thursday night I hurried home from work to go 50 miles to a balloon festival. I need not have rushed. The only thing happening when we got there was mass confusion and entirely too many people not knowing what the heck was going on. Several of those people tried to help. They sent us to parking (we paid a boat load of money to park close. We parked five blocks away because no one knew what to do when it rained) in the local college, they told us that we could get our hand stamps at close 6 (it was 5:51)… wait 7… NO… maybe 8… oh wait, you just spent 45 minutes waiting in line for something to eat… can you go get everyone OUT of line (you’re only 4 back… you won’t mind waiting 45 minutes again, right) so we could get the 4 free Pepsis from any place selling Pepsi (as long as it was THAT red white and blue tent WAY the hell over there, because they are the only ones who will ACTUALLY honor the coupons you spent that boat load of money on)… we actually got a seat on the bleachers, which was good because it’s rained so much you squished to your ankles if you tried the field.
well worth it
All that said… the balloon glow was stunning. Next year I will save the 55 dollars, bring my own freaking Pepsi, stop at Burger King on the way and sit on MY chairs where I want to sit. It was worth the trip.
Yesterday, we went to Westmoreland County Heritage days at Twin Lakes park. I have always loved that craft show. Amandya got some awesome ideas on actually LISTENING to the people who encourage her and get a stand and try to sell some of her work. She is planning on Cleveland in October for her debut. I’m anxiously waiting to see how this turns out. I got the first picture that rolled off of her printer last night and, I don’t care what anyone says, she has a unique perspective on the world.
Didn’t buy any crafty stuff at the craft show. Got some ideas of what I want Adam to make me when he learns welding. There were whirly-gigs and fountains that are currently topping my list. The show changed a good bit in the 18 years since we were there last. It’s sad really how much things did change, but it was wonderful to see how much they didn’t, too. They added a place where authors can hawk their wares, too. Book signing, meet and greet, press the flesh… The first author on the right caught my eye immediately and we ended up going BACK to his booth to buy his book. Chris Rodell wrote a wonderful book entitled “Use All The Crayons”. Adam wanted it (it’s a book, go figure), I wanted it, Amandya wanted it. It wasn’t practical to buy 3 copies. I was hoping to read it before it disappeared into Adam’s vortex. It disappeared. I bought the Google reader version (I’m SO glad I still had some money from winning the gift cards in May at the Oracle User Group days) and have been devouring it. I highly recommend the book. It is an easy read. It makes me smile. It makes me remember that there are times when just being and using ALL of the crayons in my box are just as important as buying more crayons. I’m hoping to be able to justify buying another copy of the ‘real’ book (maybe complete with signature) eventually. In the mean time, I will read my digital version, gracefully not write in Adam’s copy and take the book to heart. I hope Adam actually gets off his duff and starts writing his.
We stopped on the way back north in Apollo to buy hogies at The Hogie Shop, stopped in Ford City to see their arts festival (that has very VERY much dwindled and then stopped for a couple hours at the Big Butler Fair. The picture is the Agricadabra show. THAT show always makes me smile.
This morning, tomatoes. I found that I already have ripe tomatoes in my garden. I moved my peppers, that my tomatoes were starving for light and picked a bunch of tomatoes to snack on later. I ate a couple, dirt and all. I guess that is one of the chances I still forget not to take… eating things that MIGHT not be best for my dumbed down immune system.
This morning… I don’t care so much. I am coloring with some of the other colors in my box of crayons… and saving a few spoons for tonight’s fireworks.
Author: April Wells
Updated July 4, 2015
A Figment Of Fitness 