Car Show and Tell

I actually did have a lot of work to do at the car show this year so did not have the usual amount of opportunities to take "conversation piece" photos. But I managed to get a few...

 

Here's me, just hanging out with Ryan Evans from Count's Kustoms (Chasing Cars TV show).... because I'm cool like that. No, I don't watch the show, but you know me, I am a celebrity junkie!

The swap meet area doesn't just have car parts. Here I could get my initials for my office wall. Some 3 to 4 feet tall and only $25 per letter. I passed when I wondered if my little hybrid could haul them!

Loved Charlie's Angels! The only reason I did not buy this is because it had "Kris" (aka Cheryl Ladd) on there and not "Jill" (aka Farrah). Not really. The $95 price tag had something to do with it.

I think I warned you there is an abundance of tattoos. Apparently this "Cadillac" fan was more concerned about finding the perfect hat than, say, a shirt.

No shortage of political controversy. Though no one batted an eye at this display.

Or at the sight of a multitude of Confederate flags.

And then there was the shirtless man who was strutting his stuff in front of  our booth. He just kept strutting. I don't know if he was trying to get steps on a pedometer or just needed to show of his tanned muscles.

Meanwhile, the dancing cowboy was wearing not a mere 10-gallon hat, but a 20-gallon one!

When it's this hot, why bother carrying a water bottle when you can hoist the whole pump?

I rarely (make that NEVER) take photos in a bathroom, but when I do I've spotted the Wicked Witch of the West. #Elphaba #Wicked 

Modified shopping cart with plenty of shade.

Modified cart with plenty of horsepower and traction!

Going on a lion hunt!

And this huntress caught a leopard or cheetah, which is amazing since they are darn fast, aren't they?

 

I missed this groovy pair in their '70s clothes and large wig. Just couldn't get my phone out fast enough to focus. Still am not sure where the costume party was.

More colorful hair to match an outfit. I really should try this. (Not.)

The colors in this truck spoke to me. Could have something to do with being a child of the '70s  and '80s. At least I kept my wig and platform shoes at home!

Carter drove over to the show today to get some license plates. Only 6 states left! Afterward we stopped at Shivers in Iola, where this photo was taken in 2007 with our friend (and someone's crush) Tamara before she moved on to a new job and her wedding.

Look how much the merry-go-round has shrunk in 8 years!

Took an artistic farewell shot, showing the trademark tower that is at the heart of the car show grounds. Another car show... another tale of survival.

Summer Snapshots

Some Foto Fun from the past week or so...

Like father, like daughter...

Sylvester says: When I grow up, I want to be a couch potato!

In honor of Farrah's passing, Charlie's Angels reunited at my parents' anniversary party! From left, my sister Raylene, cousin Lonna and me. I know I'm "Sabrina" but I don't know which one of those two won the Jill battle!

In the category of my mother never throws anything out... My brother Ron shows off the swim trunks he wore as a 1-year-old who, at that time, would be shooting for an Olympic debut (in 1980) at age 19. Michael Phelps, eat your heart out!

Had to get one final family pic before Casey jets off to college this fall. You'll notice I have outgrown my mother in height, but I will never be close to catching Jim or the big boys. And Carter doesn't look too far behind!

Expanded News Briefs

HAIR: OK. Not big news. The only reason I mention my hair appointment from yesterday is that I was leafing though the latest copy of People there and I came across a picture of Michael Jackson and his oldest son Prince -- not wearing a mask for the first time in a photo -- and commented about it. Weird coincidence.

GOLF: We played 9 holes on the Iola course. Beautiful day. I did not have any pars -- which is not a good sign 2 days before a scramble. I tend not to golf well when we take Carter because I get hung up on helping him line up shots, etc, then do mine quickly -- and not well. But that is not Carter's fault. That's my issue. (I'm sure the pros overcome greater distractions than that!) And I think Carter had a good time despite his frustrations and the occasional "I suck" exclamations.

FARRAH: Was not surprised about Farrah's death but it's sad to see part of the "team" broken up. Now one of Charlie's Angels is in heaven. It's too bad -- but she wasn't my favorite anyway. I was always a fan of Sabrina. And maybe that's because when we were kids and my cousin Lonna, sister Raylene and I would play Charlie's Angels, we'd fight over who got to be Jill. I probably just gave up and opted for another one. But I do like Kate Jackson. And, like every other girl growing up in the '70s, I did my best to feather my hair.

JACKO: So Thriller was probably my first album (I can't remember if I bought that one first or Springsteen's Born in the USA). I admired Michael Jackson's talent for singing and dancing but knew as soon as the one glove thing started, he was going to be a different bird. Now, unfortunately, he will be remembered more for the Wacko Jacko stuff and not the ground-breaking Thriller video. I almost feel like a normal person compared to all that (and that's saying something!).

HEAT: One good thing is the heat wave has eased off just a teeny bit. My sister Rayna and husband Paul are heading up from Texas, where it's over 100 degrees this week. Nothing compares to my nephew Tony's situation in Iraq, though, where they had another 120 degree day yesterday. Can we really ever complain about the heat again?! (Bless you, Tony, and all our service men and women!)

SUMMER: We’ve got a busy week coming up. Tonight is a birthday party for our friends' son Nate, Saturday a golf tournament, Sunday over to Minnesota and back for 2 grad parties (a cousin and nephew). Carter will stay Up North with my family until hubby and the big boys and I head back up Thursday night so we can golf and celebrate my parents’ 60th anniversary on July 3rd. We'll head home on the 4th, then go to graduation party across the street on the 5th. Whew. What is relaxing about summer?

News Briefs

Apparently the fact that I got my hair done today AND we finally went golfing pale in comparison to other news going on, so I am skipping blogging tonight (it's late anyway) and will possibly reflect on these news items tomorrow.

But just to keep you coming back.... yes, my hair looks great; yes, golf was wonderful; yes, I was a huge Charlie's Angels fan; and yes, I know how to moon walk.

G'nite!

Play time

Carter is having a friend stay over tonight. He's been very, very, very excited about it all week! (Did I mention he's excited?)

For whatever reason, he's only had one other sleepover and it was with the same boy. He happens be in Carter's class, plus goes to Sunday School with him so this should work out well. He's a good kid so I have no worries.

They have a full schedule planned: Sledding (did that, may do it some more); homework (which, if you can believe, they are actually doing right now); movie (probably "Underdog"); playing PS2; pizza; and maybe playing PS2. Sounds like a fun time to me.

Can you believe I only had two "friends from school" sleepovers in my childhood and both were not until my senior year? One was New Year's Eve and the other "camping" in the yard Memorial Day weekend. And I wouldn't dare divulge details from those!

We did have one special guest sleep over many times when we were kids -- and that was my cousin Lonna. She was just a bit younger than us twins so the three of us found lots of interesting things to do. Many times we'd roll about in the yard, practically folded up inside those huge inflated tractor tire inner tubes. One time Lonna fell off a pile of those and broke her collar bone so that was the end of that.

Mostly we played what we might just call role-playing games. When we were younger, not knowing anything about being politically correct, we'd play Indians. In this photo taken in the summer of 1977, Lonna (at right) and I were posing in our vegetable garden. One of my older sisters took the picture and wrote the caption: The Great Warrior "Augusta" and Chief "Swanta" stalking the enemy! Pretty intimidating, eh?

When we got a little bit older, then there was no question, we were playing Charlie's Angels! You recall (if you are anything close to being hip) that the three original "angels" were Sabrina Duncan (Kate Jackson), Jill Munroe (Farrah Fawcett-Majors) and Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith). You'd think we'd all fight to be Jill, but I usually picked Sabrina. I think I thought of her as more of a tomboy like me. So naturally I was perfect for the part!

I don't know when we outgrew all that (or maybe I haven't), but it's a shame that we don't see a lot kids playing that way any more. We say "go out and play" and their response is "play what?" What happened to imagination?

I'm glad the boys are at least spending some time outside today. So far the TV hasn't come on but I'm sure it won't be long. I'm actually looking forward to telling them to "calm down" or "be quiet" tonight when they're supposed to be sleeping. Because that means they're talking and laughing ... not pressing buttons on controllers to fight monsters and save our planet.

I doubt they'll remember those PlayStation battles like I remember stalking the enemy in the cornfield or fighting bad guys with the other angels!