KathySmith

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Yesterday we celebrated the 4th of July by being in the Boy Scout parade in Prescott. The float was really cool. Scouts were in a tent with boys on either side fishing off the side using hot dogs as bait and a campfire where boys were "roasting hot dogs". In the back was blue plastic table covers wrinkled up to resemble water, with a boy in a kayak and a hole cut into the bottom so that Adam could be half-in the "water", looking like he was swimming. I'm hoping that someone got pics so that I can share it here. Miranda rode in the Jeep, pulling the float. I walked behind with a couple of other moms and handed out "coupons" telling people about $1 hot dogs that they could get at our hot dog booth. We hadn't officially begun the parade (though had walked quite a way already) when we stopped for a medical emergency up ahead. We stood there for about 15 minutes, so a guy from the Prescott Regulators (a wild west reenactment club) came over and said "so, I hear you don't want to be a Shady Lady!". I knew Randy had sent him over because the Prescott Regulators and their Shady Ladies is a group that our neighbors used to do and that Randy has wanted to join up with since we moved here. My hesitation: the heavy, hot outfits that the Shady Ladies wear! I voiced my concerns of being one of these "ladies of the night" to the man and he alleviated them saying that you don't have to wear something so heavy...apparently I could just wear lighter-weight old-time prostitute clothes! Well, sign me up then! lol. Actually, it would be kinda fun and there's something appealing to "being the proud owner of a house of ill-repute", but seriously, I don't know when we'd find the time or energy with Boy Scouts taking up so much of it. Here's a link to their site if you want to see what it's all about: Prescott Regulators

So, while standing there talking with this man in the middle of the street (who was also wearing a VFW hat), John McCain walks up to us and shakes our hands and gives the guy a hug, thanking him for his service. The man returns the thanks and we stand there chatting with John for a few minutes (me just standing there thinking that I'm gonna sound like a moron if I open my mouth, lol). Apparently, John's parade group had already finished up and they were doubling back to get back. I couldn't believe his stamina! I was already hot and tired of walking and here's this man who has finished the entire route and doubled back to almost the beginning, while walking at a hurried pace uphill! Wow! Sorry that this is the impression that I took away from the experience instead of something more meaningful, but his energy just really impressed me. So, after standing there with him for a couple of minutes, he shakes our hands and heads off. Then I find out that nobody from our group even saw or took our picture! Then the other mom asks "well, did you think to give him a hot dog coupon?", lol. Uh, nope. I completely spaced it! She ran after him and gave him one, but I don't remember seeing him at the booth the rest of the day, lol.

After the parade ends, we take down the float and head to the square to work in the hot dog booth. While there, we realize that directly behind us is all the presentation stuff going on. So I head over, having been told that John McCain would be giving a speech. Instead I end up standing in the back, but discover that I'm right next to all the people involved in this great presentation, giving me prime viewing of the military presence, including class-A dressed Marines carrying a flag-draped casket. I have to say that I was very moved by all of this, to the point of saluting the casket as it went by. Once everyone is front-and-center, they allow us to move in to the aisles so I go and sit on the ground between the rows of chairs, thinking "wow, I got a great spot for this and for McCain's speech!" At some point I realize that this is sounding pretty preachy, but rationalize it with the tie-in of the values that our country was built upon and our freedoms, including religion. I get a little more suspicious as they ask people who would like to surrender themselves to God to come up front and be prayed with. This just isn't quite jiving with a 4th of July celebration, and a family left who was sitting up front, so I decide to grab their seat and get an even better vantage point for the anticipated McCain speech. Wow, I can't believe my luck! I'm literally no more than 5 feet away from the speaker! Well, no sooner had this part wrapped up then I notice that next to me is John McCain's easy-up...but I wouldn't have noticed had he and his entourage not stood up and walked off at that brisk pace again! Huh? What was I missing?? I was here to see him speak (and get that snapshot this time!) but he's just left!! The next thing I know, the speaker up front says "and this skit has been put on for you by Potter's House church". ?!?!?!  GRRRRRRR!!! (FYI: We've been warned against Potter's House since moving here. They're billed as a Christian Fellowship, but apparently are not quite what they appear). So, there goes 45 minutes or so in the blazing hot sun, down the drain. So frustrating! I did get neat pics from it, but to find out that it was all a ruse and not what it seemed to be really upset me. I feel pretty strongly that a military funeral with honors should not be "acted out" as part of a church service.

Anyway, the rest of the day was spent making hot dogs and nachos for everybody in Prescott and the surrounding areas. It was amazing the amount of food we sold! I shouldn't post totals here, but let's just say that it was an enormously successful fundraiser! By the end of the day though, I was exhausted and sore and could think of doing nothing but soaking in a hot bath. Randy was just as tired, but was determined to take the kids to watch fireworks up close instead of from home this year, so luckily we'd driven separately. By the time I got home, I could hardly walk. The bath helped a little, but not enough. I talked Jenn into a massage, but even that didn't help. By the time I got to bed, I couldn't sleep through the pain, which seemed only to be getting worse. Randy must have passed out from sheer exhaustion since he's been going non-stop at that booth all week and I know his knee has been hurting him again too. I was exhausted too, but just as I would start to drift off, a pain would shoot through my hip and leg, making cry out in pain. I finally took an Aleve (on top of the Midol I'd taken earlier for it) and don't know if it was the meds or the exhaustion, but finally fell asleep. Feeling better this morning, but am not sure that I'm going to be able to endure that torture a second night in a row, so will see about volunteering again this afternoon or not.

Oh! I just remembered too...yesterday, while waiting to begin the parade, one of the moms was asking me if I'd seen the UFO's Thursday night. I hadn't (though have seen them on several occasions since moving here...they're almost a routine phenomenon around here). She went on to describe them as her mom had described them to her (she's missed it too). Just as she was finishing up by telling me that they were Thursday evening, Randy walked up. She turned and told him that we were talking about UFOs, to which he said "oh, you mean Thursday night, toward our house?", then went on to describe exactly what she had just described. Yep, sure enough, he and Adam had seen them on their way home after setting up the hot dog booth. I can't believe they didn't call me to go out and look! Like I said though, it's become so "normal" to see them here that people just don't get as riled up anymore.

So, that's about it around here. Randy and Adam got back from Emerald Bay (Catalina Island) Camp safe and sound (though apparently quite a few boys ended up with food poisoning while there). Adam got the opportunity to scuba dive for the first time. He did have trouble with it considering that his gear was almost bigger than him and weighed more, but he enjoyed the experience. Next up: Camping next weekend. Not sure where yet, but it's about time that we get some camping done. We did backyard camp last week...set up the big tent, a campfire, etc. and roasted hot dogs. It was fun! Some of the pics can be found in my Facebook photo albums (and eventually in my Picasa albums, which I need to update).