My big, fat hippie weekend. Part One.
I was nervous all week about going to this festival. I wanted to get out of town with Erik and camping sounded like the kind of fun I haven’t had in a while, but have always enjoyed in the past.
He called me on Thursday and told me we were in, the tickets were paid and all we had to do was arrive.
Friday, I got to work extra early so I could get out early. He called me when he got off work and I went and took a break with him.
We made plans to meet up and go to my place so I could get my stuff together.
(He doesn’t come to my place much. Maybe four times now. I imagine it a lot. Him coming here and hanging out with me. Maybe laying on the bed with me. Maybe some kissing, who knows?)
He stood around looking at my stuff while I tossed clothes and sunscreen in my bag. He helped me get the sleeping bag down off the high shelf and I explained some of the photos and other random quirkiness lying about the room.
(You know, I do not know what I am going to do when the light in this place burns out. I cannot reach the light fixture on these darn San Francisco high ceilings!)
I was spazzing of course about what to bring, what would I need, etc and he said,
“Just grab some clothes and maybe some toys, socks are good. Sunscreen, yeah. We got blankets; we will sleep in the car. Once we get there it’s only going to be two days. We’ll have plenty to do and each other’s company, so what else do we need?
That was so sweet I had to stop and hug him real tight.
He says the nicest things to me. He doesn’t even think he is saying anything nice but he makes my heart sing all the time.
We drove across the bridge, (I said hello to it for you, Witty) and got Jr from school. He was in a surprisingly good mood and for once didn’t say, “oh, why did you have to pick HER up? I hate her!!”
He hates everyone when he’s tired. It isn’t just me.
So, we got to their place and we played video games for a bit, while E packed and got stuff ready to pack in the car.
Then we got in the Volvo and started driving. It didn’t take long and it wasn’t far. Beautiful scenery North up 101. The way home. Traffic was lovely. We moo’ed at the cows and gawked at the big earth moving machines. About an hour later, Jr was asleep in the back and we were there.
We had to wait for his Mama to show up so she could escort us in. She is a costume and stage show designer and the reason we were there was to help build a float and costume up a bunch of people for a parade. Whoa. How did I miss that little tidbit?
There was much waiting while the inefficient people did their inefficient jobs and then, finally, we were illegally camping at the Sonoma fairgrounds! The first people we parked by told us to move or die, so we moved a space over and all was cool.
We met everyone. An especially nice lady named Anna (who’s name I did not find out until I was two IPAs in on Saturday. Woo! She had gotten my name from Mama and assumed I knew hers) had three little girls aged about 9-12. All about the same size, nice little girls, very smart and fun. They could not get enough of Jr.
He woke up after the trip all grumpy and hid in the car for about an hour before he finally decided to get out and play. By this time it was after midnight but we weren’t tired yet. Erik, Anna, me and all the kids, Mama and the Moody Sicilian and Anna’s mom all walked the half mile to the fairgrounds where we could hear music playing. We had wristbands, but the girls did not. The gatekeeper didn’t want to let them in. There was talking and finally they let us drag the sleepy and over stimulated kids into the festival after 1am.
By that time the music was over but we stopped and had beer and pizza. E had stashed two bottles of beer in my backpack but Anna had to buy a six dollar one at the stand. $3.75 for a slice of frozen cheese pizza that had some ingredients tossed on top before cooking. Bleh.
Somehow we managed to get a seat for everyone at what seemed like the only table on the whole grounds and we guarded those seats with our very lives. Every time someone in our party would get up for something someone would try to slip in the space they left. I am surprised no blood was shed.
Suddenly, a man came up to the table and banged his fist on it!
“What are you doing here? Eating PIZZA? One of you stole my pizza! If I find you all eating my pizza when I get back, There will be words!”
He walked over to the beer booth and got in the line.
All the kids were speechless with mouths hanging open. The three grownups were sort of giggling nervously. He was kidding, right?
The pizza came and all dug in. Sure enough, he came back. “My name is Peter! Yeah, I’m your uncle Peter! I like pizza, but somebody took mine.” We had enough slices for us and it didn’t look like anyone was gonna give him a slice and, by golly, nobody did.
He stood there for a while talking drunkenly, and harmlessly to the kids. He was a nice uncle Peter the Pizza eater, but he had the girls giggling and a little shook up. He wanted to know all the names of the kids but only two would come across. The rest of the time we were at the fair we kept saying, “look out, I think that’s uncle Peter the Pizza eater!”
It made them shut up for a second once or twice.
After that we walked back to the campsite (which was conveniently located directly next to the restroom, Yay). Jr went with the girls back to their RV to play a game and theoretically sleep there. I didn’t believe it for a second.
Erik and I made the bed up in the back of the Volvo and then E went to go check on Jr.
As soon as he left I crawled into the back of the car and opened a beer. Then I spilled a beer. All over the bed, of course. I wouldn’t have been so bad if I had just straight spilled it, but me, I had to pick it up too fast (it was really dark, remember?) and fwing beer practically to the windshield. Luggage got wet. JoJo the stuffed dog got a beer bath. I could not find a towel. There was a Sylvester the Cat costume that got a little wet, but it wasn’t the cleanest thing in the world to start with. I finally found a roll of paper towels and started blotting the blankets, not really doing much good.
I slept in the wet spot.
Of course Jr wanted to come back with his dad and the girls were going to sleep, so E brought him back to the car, none to pleased. It was going to be the christening of the Volvo, after all.
Erik was apprehensive about sleeping three in the car, but surprisingly, it was almost more comfortable than when we sleep three in the bed at his place.
Not where I would like to sleep every night, but not so bad that I would dread doing it again.
How’s that for a review?
Ok, that’s all you get for tonight. Maybe tomorrow I’ll tell you about the work and the parade.
Wait for it…
I was nervous all week about going to this festival. I wanted to get out of town with Erik and camping sounded like the kind of fun I haven’t had in a while, but have always enjoyed in the past.
He called me on Thursday and told me we were in, the tickets were paid and all we had to do was arrive.
Friday, I got to work extra early so I could get out early. He called me when he got off work and I went and took a break with him.
We made plans to meet up and go to my place so I could get my stuff together.
(He doesn’t come to my place much. Maybe four times now. I imagine it a lot. Him coming here and hanging out with me. Maybe laying on the bed with me. Maybe some kissing, who knows?)
He stood around looking at my stuff while I tossed clothes and sunscreen in my bag. He helped me get the sleeping bag down off the high shelf and I explained some of the photos and other random quirkiness lying about the room.
(You know, I do not know what I am going to do when the light in this place burns out. I cannot reach the light fixture on these darn San Francisco high ceilings!)
I was spazzing of course about what to bring, what would I need, etc and he said,
“Just grab some clothes and maybe some toys, socks are good. Sunscreen, yeah. We got blankets; we will sleep in the car. Once we get there it’s only going to be two days. We’ll have plenty to do and each other’s company, so what else do we need?
That was so sweet I had to stop and hug him real tight.
He says the nicest things to me. He doesn’t even think he is saying anything nice but he makes my heart sing all the time.
We drove across the bridge, (I said hello to it for you, Witty) and got Jr from school. He was in a surprisingly good mood and for once didn’t say, “oh, why did you have to pick HER up? I hate her!!”
He hates everyone when he’s tired. It isn’t just me.
So, we got to their place and we played video games for a bit, while E packed and got stuff ready to pack in the car.
Then we got in the Volvo and started driving. It didn’t take long and it wasn’t far. Beautiful scenery North up 101. The way home. Traffic was lovely. We moo’ed at the cows and gawked at the big earth moving machines. About an hour later, Jr was asleep in the back and we were there.
We had to wait for his Mama to show up so she could escort us in. She is a costume and stage show designer and the reason we were there was to help build a float and costume up a bunch of people for a parade. Whoa. How did I miss that little tidbit?
There was much waiting while the inefficient people did their inefficient jobs and then, finally, we were illegally camping at the Sonoma fairgrounds! The first people we parked by told us to move or die, so we moved a space over and all was cool.
We met everyone. An especially nice lady named Anna (who’s name I did not find out until I was two IPAs in on Saturday. Woo! She had gotten my name from Mama and assumed I knew hers) had three little girls aged about 9-12. All about the same size, nice little girls, very smart and fun. They could not get enough of Jr.
He woke up after the trip all grumpy and hid in the car for about an hour before he finally decided to get out and play. By this time it was after midnight but we weren’t tired yet. Erik, Anna, me and all the kids, Mama and the Moody Sicilian and Anna’s mom all walked the half mile to the fairgrounds where we could hear music playing. We had wristbands, but the girls did not. The gatekeeper didn’t want to let them in. There was talking and finally they let us drag the sleepy and over stimulated kids into the festival after 1am.
By that time the music was over but we stopped and had beer and pizza. E had stashed two bottles of beer in my backpack but Anna had to buy a six dollar one at the stand. $3.75 for a slice of frozen cheese pizza that had some ingredients tossed on top before cooking. Bleh.
Somehow we managed to get a seat for everyone at what seemed like the only table on the whole grounds and we guarded those seats with our very lives. Every time someone in our party would get up for something someone would try to slip in the space they left. I am surprised no blood was shed.
Suddenly, a man came up to the table and banged his fist on it!
“What are you doing here? Eating PIZZA? One of you stole my pizza! If I find you all eating my pizza when I get back, There will be words!”
He walked over to the beer booth and got in the line.
All the kids were speechless with mouths hanging open. The three grownups were sort of giggling nervously. He was kidding, right?
The pizza came and all dug in. Sure enough, he came back. “My name is Peter! Yeah, I’m your uncle Peter! I like pizza, but somebody took mine.” We had enough slices for us and it didn’t look like anyone was gonna give him a slice and, by golly, nobody did.
He stood there for a while talking drunkenly, and harmlessly to the kids. He was a nice uncle Peter the Pizza eater, but he had the girls giggling and a little shook up. He wanted to know all the names of the kids but only two would come across. The rest of the time we were at the fair we kept saying, “look out, I think that’s uncle Peter the Pizza eater!”
It made them shut up for a second once or twice.
After that we walked back to the campsite (which was conveniently located directly next to the restroom, Yay). Jr went with the girls back to their RV to play a game and theoretically sleep there. I didn’t believe it for a second.
Erik and I made the bed up in the back of the Volvo and then E went to go check on Jr.
As soon as he left I crawled into the back of the car and opened a beer. Then I spilled a beer. All over the bed, of course. I wouldn’t have been so bad if I had just straight spilled it, but me, I had to pick it up too fast (it was really dark, remember?) and fwing beer practically to the windshield. Luggage got wet. JoJo the stuffed dog got a beer bath. I could not find a towel. There was a Sylvester the Cat costume that got a little wet, but it wasn’t the cleanest thing in the world to start with. I finally found a roll of paper towels and started blotting the blankets, not really doing much good.
I slept in the wet spot.
Of course Jr wanted to come back with his dad and the girls were going to sleep, so E brought him back to the car, none to pleased. It was going to be the christening of the Volvo, after all.
Erik was apprehensive about sleeping three in the car, but surprisingly, it was almost more comfortable than when we sleep three in the bed at his place.
Not where I would like to sleep every night, but not so bad that I would dread doing it again.
How’s that for a review?
Ok, that’s all you get for tonight. Maybe tomorrow I’ll tell you about the work and the parade.
Wait for it…
posted by onewetleg @ 7:53 PM
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