Up, up and away

Took the kids to the fair last week, one of our last summer happenings before school starts again. I always love going to the fair because you never know what you're going to see. It's the only place you can watch someone chow down on a huge pile of chili fries like it's the most natural thing in the world, followed by a monster soda and then fried cheesecake on a stick. I'm fascinated by it. Of course, there's art and animals and all sorts of other awesome stuff—but isn't it really about the people? Or is that just me . . .

So after the fair I took the kids to the library, because it had air conditioning (and no manure). Well, Liam was holding a balloon when we walked in, which seemed a bad idea, but whatever, air conditioning. I momentarily leave the kids in the back section so I can use the bathroom, and upon my return I find that Liam's balloon has disappeared. I ask him, "Hey, kid, what happened to your balloon?" He won't say, and his face turns scarlet. "Did another kid take it?" He shakes his head. "Did it pop?" He nods, and carefully looks around. No one's talking. The balloon incident has come and gone and they're all pretending it didn't happen. Liam shows me the dead, limp latex that he hastily stuffed into his back pocket. "Oh, okay. Well, let's get out of here."

In some ways I'm sorry I missed the balloon incident. I live for stupid things like that. The loud BOOM in a perfectly serene library at eleven in the morning followed by someone's quick intake of breath. The whole room going quiet afterwards. Damn.

It did happen, right? A tree falls in a forest and all that.

Well, anyway, have a great weekend.

The Balloon Bandit

Your typical Midwestern fair. This picture was taken from a porta potty.

More pictures here.