You would think from this picture — Nefarious sitting on a couple of ripped out Fiero car seats in the driveway playing video games (and if you zoomed out you’d see my jacked up truck next to her) — that we are the epitome of white trash. In our defense, if it is needed, we were waiting for her friend to get home from school so we decided to take advantage of the last days of summer and go outside, her with her DS, and me with my netbook. When I had picked her up from school, we saw that the street just past her school was blocked off and there was a big ferris wheel and other rides set up — I’d totally forgotten, but this is the weekend of the Ukrainian Street Festival!
Of course this became the plan for the evening.
To our surprise, the day wasn’t just rides and food. You can read all that after the break, but I want to share just one more picture on the front page — here’s Nefarious right before being serenaded by an Indian crooner belting out Tom Jones and Elvis hits. Anyway, more inside…
That singer was great, if you’re into that sort of thing. I’m not, and neither was Cassie, but holy hell was Nefarious! She was totally glued to the performance and refused to leave, and he could tell she was struck by his show, so he came up to her and sung right to her, his face just a foot away from him — I think it completely made her evening, and because he was busking, she was sure to put a couple dollars in his basket before we headed on. I am sure this will only further solidify her current desire to be a singer.
Like I said, the first attraction that greeted us was the ferris wheel. I bought twenty tickets, so they could each go on ten rides, but the ferris wheel required an adult to go along if you’re under 48″ tall, so I had to join them. It was all fine until we made it to the top of the wheel and I took a closer look at the rickety structure, examining the thin and rusted metal frame that travels from fair to fair on the back of a truck, as my heart beat faster and faster… The reckless speed that it spun at didn’t help my worries, but obviously we survived and they had a great time. Caitlin claims this is the best kind of ferris wheel, but she was at work and didn’t have to feel the fear first hand.
They went on a pile of other rides as well — a pirate ship swing, a little roller coaster (and the carny running it let them go around a full ten times because we were there early and the lineups weren’t long yet), some spinning tea cups, lots of bouncy castles (oh how I wish I was small enough to go on them) and big slides, and finally, up a rock climbing wall.
Of course one of the other great things about the Ukranian festival is getting street perogies and sauerkraut (the sausage is not high on my list but it comes with the combo). Nefarious as well wolfed down a giant pile of perogies, one of her favorite treats. Then, on our way home, I gave them my last five dollars and they bought themselves some overpriced cotton candy (to the chagrin of Caitlin who found bits of it on her couch pillow), which they are still munching on as they play games and we watch a documentary on volcanoes in the South Pacific.
The Polish Street Festival is this weekend as well (which surprises me because I’d have thought they’d compete and overlap), so we’ll definitely hit that also, and tomorrow we’ll go hang out with a friend who just got back from their summer in Africa… So it should be a great weekend, and then, back to school on Monday of course. And to top it all off, my friend Dave just stopped by and dropped off a laser, on loan, that will turn our apartment into an animated star-filled night club. Woo woo. Days are flying by, and I hope I remember them. I really feel blessed. As “blessed” as a relative atheist can be. Let’s say “very lucky and completely caught up in the joy of living” instead.
And oh my, I can not begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow, after having gotten up at 7am every day this week for school. And I’m also excited because I got two “you have a package waiting” notices and am looking forward to going to the post office in the morning.
8 Comments
Funny that Nefarious was so into being serenaded. I can totally see her being some hugely famous singer. Kanye better not interrupt her award speech. :P
I was just like that at her age with perogi…I could never get enough! Sadly my kids have not learned to love them the way I do. I make them every year and I’m the only one who eats them.
The actual fear of death is all the fun. The fair rides here are ancient, have likely never been serviced and are operated by intoxicated dimwits of the highest order.
You should pick up the DS game Scribblenauts for her. It’s a puzzle game where you can use anything you can think of to solve the puzzle. It can make almost anything you can think of (evidenced by a friend of mine who typed in “Cthulu in a sombrero” and POOF there he was).
Seems right up her alley :)
Yeah, I second the Scribblenauts thing. It’s one of the best games I have ever played on the DS and it is really great at making you use your imagination.
Cool… I actually just got it but neither Caitlin or Nefarious have tried it yet. I’ll pass on the recommendation (I don’t have a DS myself).
Of course I had to take a look at this Polish Street Festival site – looks folk-ish enough although I do hope they’ll serve some good Polish food, too.
Oh, how I miss the days of bouncy castles. I’ve managed to sneak into a few here and there but usually I get kicked out. *frowns*
Old carnival rides have a certain amount of appeal – they’re kind of a lost generation of amusement, really, replaced by video games and 3D movies, things you can experienced from a couch without feeling the wind and sun and nausea and fear of rust and dying. That’s how I see it, at least.
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