Girls Weekend

Just after the 4th of July, I set off after work for the Bay Area which is where BFF lives. While I love spending time with BFF, I abhor driving down there. It's about 4 hours from Redding, for starters and the traffic is terrible. Not to mention to get to her place, it feels like I have to change freeways a dozen times, when in reality it's only 3 or 4 times. The things you go through for your BFF.

She has been telling me for years that I should go to her fair as it's the "most awesome fair ever". This year she clenched it by telling me that the band that sings my all time favoritist song ever will be playing at her fair. My all time favoritist song is "Fishin' In The Dark" by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and has been since it came out in 1987.

I asked for a Saturday off and headed down on Friday afternoon. I made real good time, so BFF gave me directions to her office so I could see where she works now (she started working for a school district about a year or so ago now). I'm jealous - she has her own office.

That evening we decided to hit the fair since BFF said there was an exhibit she'd like to see. Well, the little brat, she never told a soul, but she entered a short story to the fair. What she found out earlier that week from a co-worker was that she had won FIRST PLACE. What she didn't know until we got there and I had a screaming fit is that she not only won first place, but she won BEST OF CLASS as well!!!  We spent about a half hour standing admiring her ribbons and taking pictures and hugging. I am so proud of her. She's a talented writer and would love to write a novel. I think this is a step in the right direction. Besides, now she is an "award winning author". hehe.

After the excitement, we grabbed a bite to eat - her from the Greek stand that she loves and me from anything that wasn't Greek or vegetarian. We rode a couple rides and then watched the nightly fireworks. What was extremely cool about this fair is that admission was $16 (which seems steep, but wait . . .) which includes your rides. Meaning, you don't have to buy tickets or wristbands to ride the rides. The drawback is that the lines are pretty long. Also? Any shows they put on that you want to see? Included in your admission. So all the concerts, shows, etc. you don't have to pay for. All you pay for is food and souvenirs. And they do fireworks every night at 9pm. So after our couple of rides, we each grabbed junk fair food and plopped down by the pond to watch the fireworks. It was so cute, there was a little boy (maybe 4 or 5 years old) sitting in his mom's lap, and as the fireworks started he yelled out, "Yaaaaay! July 5th!!" Everyone around him started laughing, and I told him, "Exactly right! I'm pretty sure something important happened on July 5th!"

Later that evening, back at BFF's apartment, we managed to stay up til 3am talking and catching up on everything. So we slept in til about 10am the next morning.We got up slowly, taking our time, grabbed a bite to eat and then went to the fair again. We were a few minutes late to the concert because we wound up having to park in BFE (literally). We got to the Nitty Gritty concert and it was standing room only. I found it hard to believe simply because they haven't released anything since the late 80s and I figured the Bay Area was anti-country music. Especially old country music. I was wrong. We stood in the back and enjoyed the show. They were funny and played all their old goodies and a few I hadn't heard. 

I about lost it when they finally did play "my" song. I was so happy. Also I couldn't believe it took me 26 years to hear "my" song live. I nearly cried I was so happy. I loved it. I absolutely freaking loved it.

We left the concert shortly after "my" song to go watch the Chinese Acrobats. BFF said it was a very popular show and that they constantly turn people away once they reach capacity, which is very quickly. We just made it in. (whew!) It was a very entertaining and cool show. I don't know how those people do such things, really, so amazing.

After the show we rode a few more rides and then met up with BFF's cousin and her cousin's partner so we could show them BFF's ribbons. It was so wonderful to finally meet them as BFF talks about them all the time. At BFF's story and ribbons more hugs and pictures ensued and as the two ladies are professional photographers/videographers they wouldn't stop until they got it just right. (lol) Once pictures were done, we all grabbed a bite to eat. BFF went to her Greek food stand again, and the cousin and partner went somewhere, and I went (again) to anything not Greek and not vegetarian. We rode some more rides and then grabbed some more junk fair food to plop down and watch the fireworks again.

All in all, it was an excellent girls weekend.