Fair Season

You'll be excited to hear that it's Fair Time again! What can I say that I haven't said already (like here, here, here, here, here and here, for example)? Pretty much nothing, that's what.

Like every year, the parade was on Thursday night. Unlike every year, I took a grand total of one parade photo. Here it is:

Technically speaking, this isn't even a parade photo. It was taken before the parade even started. This is a photo of one of the pre-parade vendors who spent their time walking back and forth along the route, selling high quality merchandise - while I spent my time trying to ignore them (with limited success). Look at the crap this guy's selling. Really? We're now selling political flags at the Fair Parade? God help us all. Is there no escape???

As for the parade itself, this year the parade continued it's pattern of seemingly thinning-down compared to the already thinned-down parade from the previous year. For example, this year there were only a couple of oil delivery trucks in the lineup instead of the usual twenty or so. C'mon! We must be burning more oil than that!

And not that I missed having them (at all), but I don't think there was a single Coca Cola truck in the parade! Where were all the Coke trucks? Usually, you can count on a half dozen of these trucks to bring the parade to it's agonizingly slow finale. This year? None!

What's happening to America???

Return of the Flea Market

We made it to the flea market again this past weekend. This visit brings the summer's grand total to an astounding THREE visits! Yes, I know, unbelievable! Even more unbelievable is that this time, going to it was my idea.

It's not that I wanted to get anything at the flea market - I have way too much junk already. And it's not that I wanted to walk around the place. This is not the type of place to go simply to drink in the ambiance. My only motivation in going was to give Sam the chance to do something a little bit different.

In years past, you never knew what you might find here. Now, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Maybe I've become more discriminating over the years (unlikely) but it seems to me that the quality - and definitely the variety - of crap being sold here has been on a sharp downward trend over the last several years. Here are a few shots of some of the higher quality items that we somehow managed to let slip through our fingers...

You're looking one vendor's entire inventory of goods - a golf club carrying case (with possible golf clubs inside) - and four large buckets, each filled to the brim with used golf balls. That's it. Not even any tees (unless the case is full of them). What is the thinking here? I can't believe that this is anybody's idea of a worthwhile way to spend a day - to get up early, load up the very small car, drive to the flea market field, stake out your spot - and then sit out in the hot sun all day and hope (i.e. "desperately pray") for that one customer who's been itching to buy twenty gallons of used golf balls.

Here's a fairly typical display of some of the higher quality items offered for sale at the flea market - a box of miscellaneous rusty hardware - some of which is conveniently pre-greased (note the knob thrown into the rusty hardware box, apparently to sweeten the deal). Also note: a selection of random lengths of different size chain; some old, unidentifiable hand tools (in various stages of decay);  plus a generous selection of other unidentifiable items. Oh, and lets not forget the bicycle sprocket. Someone's gotta need one of these. At least this person, unlike Golf Ball Man, sees the wisdom of catering to a diverse clientele.

Another guy was selling an old steering wheel - and not just any old steering wheel. This old steering wheel is for a Chevy! I wonder what the story is behind this. Did it have some odd sentimental value? If not, why hang onto it? And anyway, who would buy this - maybe someone who has all of the parts to an old Chevy EXCEPT the steering wheel?

I'm not sure why I found this interesting. From a distance, I couldn't tell what I was looking at - a bad wig? Uneaten spaghetti? Obviously wrong, but both good guesses. Interestingly,  quite a few people were picking these up and examining them. No buyers though - yet.

One person was selling an old water pump. Do people still use these? Is forty dollars a good price for one of these? If it is broken, are there still water pump repair(men/women/people, etc.) around?
This is also the vendor who had a (potential) customer come up and ask, "Do you have any cannons?" Are you kidding me? Cannons?

Note that the figure in the center appears to be a bird with it's face smushed in. Not only is the face smushed in but the figure is larger than the "people" figures. Does all this mean something? I have a lot of questions about this.

Remember what I was saying up above about the "fairly typical" display of merchandise? Here's an entirely different guy selling a box of door knobs. How many times has this guy lugged these door knobs back and forth to the flea market?

I can only assume that the guy that caught this has finally died and his wife, after living with this thing for thirty years, is seizing the opportunity to try and make a couple of bucks off it (before it ultimately goes in the trash).

According to the woman checking this out, "That's one of them Barvarian coo-coo clocks." That woman knows her stuff. I took the closeup so you can appreciate the quality of that world-renowned "Barvarian" craftsmanship.

Something for everyone. I have nothing in particular to say about this other than, who in their right mind would buy an old, rotting out blow torch? Maybe it's only there to make the new one look good.

I have more photos but you get the idea.

Quote of the Day

See if you can unravel this mind bender...

"I don't give out my cell phone number because no one ever calls."

One More for the Drawer

I get weirdly attached to inanimate objects. Case in point...

On the left is my old key ring. On the right, the Shiny New Replacement.

I bought the original key ring about forty years ago. This was shortly after moving out here, to the western part of the state.

It's one of those things that's been with me everyday but I never really think about it - unless I'm looking for my keys and I can't find them.

Over the years, it's held up pretty well. Other than having to replace a spring about twenty years ago, it's been great. But a couple of months ago, I knocked the swivel part against a chair and it separated from the hook portion. This shouldn't have happened. It was a knock of the I-barely-touched-you variety (except, really). I fixed it as best I could but the same thing happened again a few days ago. I figured that rather than risk losing my keys, it was time to replace it.

The Shiny New Replacement showed up yesterday. Looking at this new one, it's easy to see how worn the old one really is - especially down by the piece that holds the loop portion to the hook portion. The little button or knob or whatever you call it, has gone from being an "outie" to an "innie". And while I generally prefer innies, this is one case where an outie would be preferable.

So I clipped off my keys from Old Reliable and hooked them onto Shiny New Replacement - and I felt bad about it! And to make it even worse, when I grabbed my keys this morning and left Old Reliable in the dust, I felt even worse about it.

This is one reason why I have a sock drawer filled with all sorts of things that mean nothing to anybody but me. (Well, except for maybe the few pairs of socks that I manage to squeeze in there.)

A Quick Vacation

A couple of weekends ago, we finally managed to squeeze in a family vacation. By most standards, this was really a long weekend (by a day or so) but it was a vacation, nonetheless. And anyway, I'll take what I can get- especially if it involves all of us being able to be together.

Short as it was, it was great - everyone was healthy, in good spirits and, well, what else matters? And it sure beats last year. Last year, we didn't manage to fit in a vacation at all. All I ended up doing was taking Sam on a few day trips - spending some time and doing things that one of us, at least, felt was a little special.

Our not getting together is not for lack of interest. It's due to the inevitability of people getting older and along with it, the thoughtless inconsideration of my kids actually developing lives of their own (!) - which apparently includes something called "responsibilities".

Really, in the last couple of years, it's been Sam's schedule that's been the most difficult to navigate. Before last year, his summer schedules were pretty much wide open - or at least they were flexible. But last summer was the first summer that Sam was working (thank god) - or more correctly, it was the first summer that he was employed. And though the job was part time, he was also continuing to work with a job coach on his "off" days- so his schedule was pretty full.

This summer, while there's been no more job coach, Sam's summer work schedule, like last summer,  was still every Monday, Wednesday and Friday - all the way through the end of August. I suppose I could have asked for some time off for him, but Sam and I (mostly me. maybe.) are so thankful that he has this job, the last thing I want to do is rock the boat.

But a few weeks ago, with a few more weeks of work still ahead of him, Sam called me per our usual early afternoon "check-in" and he causally tells me that his supervisor just told him that, "today would be my last day." After an immediate surge of panic, and what I'm pretty sure were several minor heart attacks on my part, he adds, "...until September."

After recovering (somewhat) from my mini-stroke, I realized that this meant the family may be able to get together, after all.

So, a fire drill of coordination with everybody and their schedules ensued over following week.  Simultaneously, this meant first finding, then frantically digging out and packing - sleeping bags and air mattresses and all the camping and life necessities required for living in the wild of Jake's backyard for three days. (Well actually more like a total of two and a half days - but there were still two entire nights shoved in there somewhere.)

Regardless, it was great. I wish it was longer, but I guess that's better than feeling like it was too long. Not that I can ever see that happening. I'm happy to take what I can get.

Today's Brief Comment

I was going to complain about yet another mailing from SSI, but I decided not to.

Carry on.

Mmmmm

Just when you thought the sweet, sweet taste of cotton candy couldn't get any better...

(FYI, I took this photo at the discontinued food store - so if you're thinking of getting yourself some, you better hurry. I'm pretty sure they won't be restocking it.)