We Had a Great Weekend, Thankyouverymuuuuch!

The corn festival this weekend was a huge success for our small community. Early estimates have attendance at 22,000 which, for a town with a population just over 5,000 is pretty incredible.

The day started off with a pancake breakfast in the parking lot of the local bank. The breakfast was provided by the local Kiwanis club and, when we got there, the line stretched the equivalent of six city blocks. I was certain that we would never get through it before the parade started but, those Kiwanis are quick like bunnies and the line moved super-fast; we were sitting on hay-bales enjoying pancakes and ham in no time at all.

The parade was fabulous, in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of way and, in typical small-town fashion; it was more about who you saw than what you saw although, of course; there were clowns because a parade just isn’t a parade without a gaggle of painted-face lunatics to frighten the children. Or, is that just my children?

After the parade, we headed for the fairgrounds. Since I am used to sweating my ass off in the broiling sun during this event, I was prepared; lawn chairs, bottled water, sunscreen, you name it. Surprisingly, the weather actually cooperated for once and we enjoyed an overcast sky and temperatures that somewhat behaved themselves; I’m certain it was due to the presence of my parents, that can be the only possible explanation.

Speaking of my parents, my mother gave each of my children more money than they had any business having and sent them off to enjoy the kids’ section of the festival. Every once in a while they returned to show off a new tattoo and to dump off one of the million-and-ten plastic treasures they won at the game booths. We took advantage of their frequent visits by sending them to fetch soda refills and boiled or roasted ears of corn and, in doing so, never had to leave the comfort of our lawn chairs. It was the best time I have ever had at the festival, hands down.

Obviously, it was good for the local farmers as well since, over 77,000 ears of corn were consumed before the supply was exhausted (much to The Girl’s chagrin). The crowd also went through over 200 lbs of salt and 800 lbs of butter before it, too, ran out and the volunteer firemen made a small fortune on Pepsi products.

(Rumor has it, the toilet paper also ran out and a certain hardware store owner came to the rescue with a pallet of Charmin. Not that I'm bragging or anything.)

The concert later in the evening was awesome. LeAnn Rimes is a tiny little bit of a thing but my god, does she have a set of pipes on her! Hugh worked the security detail and, while he wasn’t able to get The Girl in to meet Ms. Rimes, he did manage to get her an autographed backstage pass; she was thrilled. Hugh didn’t seem too unimpressed, either.

I do have to point out one slightly annoying thing, though. After every song, Ms. Rimes would say "thank you very much!" The lights would go down, she would walk to the back of the stage and take a swig of water, the lights would come back up and she would launch into the next song. Which, isn't terribly annoying in and of itself but...Thankyouverymuuuuch! After. Every. Single. Song. got a tad bit irritating.

The crowd, anticipating it, began to say it along with her and it has now become quite the inside joke in my household:

When I tuck The Girl in at night, thankyouverymuuuuch!
When the Man-Cub holds the door open for me, thankyouverymuuuuch!
When Hugh kisses me goodbye in the morning, thankyouverymuuuuch!

It just never gets old, people!

Thankyouverymuuuuuch!