I already know I'm NOT going to like it.

The title of this post is a play on an earlier post entitled, I already know I'm going to like it. In that post my niece, a few minutes into the Chinese acrobat's performance, whispered in awe to me, "I already know I'm going to like it."

While in Branson, at my mom's prompting, we saw the show (Cough. Cough. I can hardly type this with a straight face.) Noah, the Musical. It isn't the first time she has suggested this show. It always surprises me because she isn't a fan of music, or noise, or anything song-like. I've never read through Genesis and thought....now that would make a great musical--if only someone would produce that.

Everywhere you go in Branson there are advertisments for shows. The shows are their bread an butter. At one of the places we stopped there was a replica of the arc they use on stage, and I have to admit it was impressive looking. We grabbed a pamphlet and again, mom lobbied for the show saying that she'd read it was one of those "experiences" you don't want to miss. Later in the evening (at the last minute) we decided to head to the show--and I mean last minute. We were late. The parking people directed us towards the handicapped parking to save walking time. They put us way up in almost the last row, as to not interrupt the others enjoying the show who made it there on time. We joined the show already in progress and Noah, and family were singing their hearts out--musical style. A few minutes into the show mom leaned over to me and said....."I don't think I like this." The good news is that there was only 2 hours and 20 minutes left until it was over.

The first half (while they were building the arc) was a little draggy. The second half (while they were on the arc) was kind of cool. The stage, and both sides of the building were turned into 3 stories of the inside of the arc. The audience's view looked in the animal stalls. Most animals were fake, but they had a few real animals in the stalls and on the stage. Goats, and chickens and donkeys, and cows and such.

After Mom expressed her dissatisfaction I asked her what she thought it was going to be. She said, "I don't know--not so much singing". I realize when you have an image in your head of how something is going to be that you filter out the other clues that pop up. Here is the pamphlet advertising the show. Perhaps there were a couple clues....



The first clue of course is the title. Noah the MUSICAL. Not Noah, the play or Noah, the commentary or Noah, the dramatic reading.



The second clue is that the people in the ad seem to have their hands up, looking skyward, with their mouths open. A dead giveaway that there are some really long notes being held.

We survived the first half, and enjoyed the second half :-)

How do kids get adults to do stuff like this?

Mom and Dad and I have the kiddos for the weekend. We are giving their parents some much deserved peace and quiet. Last night was belated fireworks. They were pretty wimpy as far as fire works go, but the kids had fun.




The fireworks were "too bright". Colby needed his sun glasses.

Today was the fair. As a rule the fair cannot come to town without it being the hottest week of the summer. Today was blazing hot. I'd give us about a D+ for taking children to the fair in a responsible manner. We took barely enough cash to get in and had no water or snacks of any sort with us. It wasn't long before we were all melting in the heat. DQ isn't far from the fair, and it saved our lives. Well, that might be a little dramatic, but it was really hot. Very little shade. No drinking fountains and an entire afternoon planned for the fair.

I love this shot because of what Kate has on her head. This was a craft that she made with Gramma. A simple scrap of fabric with some glued on buttons. Kate bonded with it immediately. It has been a scarf, a sling to carry her baby, a shawl, a backpack, and a belt. It had to go to the fair today & it became a head dress. That is so Kate.



I love this one too. It is typical goofy Colby and Kate still has the head dress on.

Ahem. Perhaps I'm too stupid to own a car.

Every once in a while you run into a situation that if it hadn't happened to you it would be really funny. There is a debate in my head whether or not to actually put this out in cyber space, but in the end, I think it is laugh worthy and maybe someone else can comfort themselves with the phrase.....well, at least I've never done that.

My car troubles on the way to Indy were two-fold. One, a tire was vibrating. Two, the car didn't seem to be able to accelerate. Once I got the car to 55 or 60 it didn't have any trouble maintaining speed, just getting there. Stop lights were fun. I was keeping pace with semi's taking off from a dead stop.

The wonderful woman who owns the place I take my car (who reads my blog) very kindly responded to my last blog post, and through cyber space gave me some advice on fluids to check before heading home and set up an appointment for the day I'm back in town. My mom and dad and I set out from Branson early this AM and drove to Indy. Once there it was my dad's job to check fluid levels and give the car a test run to see if it should be driven to Warsaw. He returned a few minutes later and happily announced he solved the acceleration problem. My car mat was stuck up under the pedal.

This alone would be a good place to stop with feeling sheepish about a lot of fuss over a simple fix. But it gets worse. I've actually had the car in the shop before and was given that same diagnosis. As soon as my dad told me what he found I thought....."Oh yeah. I've heard that before." The mat was moved back and the car ran smoothly. Lesson learned. The mat now resides in my garbage can. Hopefully this is the last of the mystery of the lack of acceleration.

(Sharon, if you happen to be up late tonight and read this before the morning, I'm still bringing the car in for the vibration!)

Well now, how do you figure that, buddy?

I love being on vacation. However, I hate getting ready for them. There is always so much last minute stuff you can't do until....the last minute. All those little details to try not to forget. Like insulin. Walked out the door this time without my insulin. You'd think that would be the first thing that gets packed, wouldn't you?

On Friday I left for vacation. I had a 6:30 PM flight out of Indy to Kansas City, where my parents were going to meet me and then we'd drive a bit further before settling in for the night. I was tense during the day because there was very little buffer built into the day. If something went wrong it meant the carefully made plans would go out the window.

From the minute I woke up very little of my plans for the day happened as I planned them. Nothing major, just little things here and there that kept causing me to adjust my plans. I left work and headed to Jami's. I was to leave my car at her house and she was going to run me to the airport. It is a 2.75 hour drive. At about .25 hours my car starts giving me trouble. The kind of trouble where you ask yourself....do I keep going or turn around or stop or....? I decided to go. I had 2.5 hours to continue to let the tension build, and try to figure a plan B if I didn't make my flight.

My lunch plans never worked out so at this point it is going on 4:00 and I hadn't eaten since early morning. My car held out and I am two exits from turning off 465 and traveling the last few minutes to Jami's. I hit some minor construction traffic. I'm still somewhat OK on time. I'm all the way over in the right lane, so that when I get to my exit I'm ready. Traffic is trying to merge from the right onto 465 and I'm watching as the "every other car" thing is happening. There is a line trying to get onto 465 and a line already on 465. One car trying to merge gets let in, and then one car already on 465 pulls up a little, and is slowly repeated.

I get to the part where it is my turn to let a car in, which I do. Then a second one creeps in. Fine. I let him in. I begin to pick up speed to go with the flow of traffic, and I notice a THIRD car that is going to demand his way in. The guy is behind me at this point, and really having to work to catch up and pass me. It has become a game of chicken, because very soon his section of road is going to disappear and if he doesn't get ahead of me he is going over a small cliff.

This joker shows no sign of giving up, and I'm guessing that rather than go over the edge he's going to swerve left into my car at any second. As tense and as irritated as the day has left me, I have the presence of mind to do what it takes to get him safely into the flow of traffic on 465. I apply my brakes and slow down enough so that he can pass me and get in. I might have also applied my horn a bit as I was slowing down. And by "a bit" I mean, I held the horn down the entire time I was slowing down and he was pulling onto 465.

The gentleman in the car pulls ahead, scoots in and responds by...you guessed it. He flips me off. Not once, not twice, but three times. And not just with his hand. He gets his whole arm and upper part of his torso into the event. It is quite possible he tore or injured a muscle in his arm with the force he put into the gesture. Movement like that usually is safest when you warm up the body part first.

I thought to myself....well now, how do you figure that, buddy? You ignore the game traffic had been playing that says one car at a time gets on. You are so far behind me that I have to slow down to let you in. I kindly let you in rather than force you off the road, and when I communicate my slight frustration with a little tap on my horn, you flip me off. Really? You are irritated with me?

With the power of hindsight it probably would have been smarter not to use my horn. It really didn't help the situation and I didn't know the mental state of the person in the car ahead of me. It just never occurred to me as this guy was dangerously forcing his way on to 465 that I'd be the one flipped off. Lesson learned though. No need to honk my horn and add fuel to the fire.

In the end I made it to the airport with plenty of time. My flight got in a few minutes early and the rest of the night was smooth sailing.