Down the road, BH hooks up the unit and starts reading directions. I'm driving. The readout is in Arabic; he can't figure out how to change it to English. It's giving us roads in Saudi Arabia. Can't get the US. Ah, finally got US, but can't get out of Illinois - in Arabic. Pick a different language. There all foreign - can't find English.
We decided to stop and grab breakfast on the way down. It was a gorgeous sunny day with expected temps in the 60's.
Ah, but the powers that be had different plans. And so it starts..........
I ask BH "do you want to stop at McD's or can we hit BK down the road from the gas station (we need gas), right next to the thruway entrance?" (McD's is past the entrance, which means going backtrack to said entrance).
BH: "doesn't matter to me; whatever you want to do". (Really? I want to blink twice and be at the festival).
Me: "well, I don't know what they have for breakfast menu. I don't know if they have sweet rolls or danish."
BH: " I just want the hashbrowns and coffee". Okey dokey. BK it is.
To make this incident short, the little girl at the counter was a bit -let's just say-not with it. Had to explain the order to her 3 times. Still, I didn't get my hashbrowns with the "meal deal", and I believe we were overcharged.
So we're on our way. Eating our breakfast as we go. I mess with the GPS while he pumps the gas. Got English!! Can't get out of Illinois. Turn the damn thing off. We got the atlas with us; we know where we're going. Onward.......
Somehow, took the route planned, but ended up a bit south of the destination, so we had to backtrack anyway. No biggie. Made it there. Excellent parking spot. Grabbed the tote bag and off we go.
Just as we get to the first building, I ask BH "did you bring the brochure from the back seat?" No. He forgot it. (He was looking through it as we drove, and HE put it in the back seat, not back in the tote where I had it -- just saying). "They'll have other ones there; if they don't, I'll go back to the car and get it" he says. Okey dokey then.
About the third vendor booth, in the first building, an older gentleman comes up to us and says "I think the wheel for your bag is laying outside in the gravel". My brain is trying to register this info as my eyes are blinking and I pick up the bag and look. Yep. One wheel is missing. BH says he'll go out and look for it. Finds it! My hero! But as we attempt to re-attach the wheel, we discover it fell off because the lock nut came off! BH dutifully went back out and looked through the gravel - no luck. So, take the camera and purse out of the tote; he takes it back to the car. Now I have to walk around with a camera slung around my neck (which I transferred to BH's neck in short order), and a purse that weighs 30#s -- as all my purses do. Onward and upward........
The plan is to go through all the buildings, then go back to the one's satisfactory to making my purchases. In one of the buildings, we come across the rabbits. Giant, fluffy, beautiful Angora rabbits! One is on the table, the owner showing her off to the crowd. This bunny is huge! It must have 2#s of fiber on its body! "Take a picture", says BH. "Ok! Let me get the camera". I quickly walked over to the table/bunny, only to discover the owner is now putting it back in the cage. Oh well, I'll start taking pictures of the whole festival. Turn the camera on. Batteries are dead. Okey dokey then. We continue on our journey.........
To be specific, I'm looking to buy knitting needles of a certain size and length; some straight, one set DP. And white wool. I need white wool, some to spin, mostly to dye. Many choices on the wool. Only 2 vendors do I see that are selling needles.
Now we have not been to this particular festival for 2 maybe 3 years. I was kind of disappointed because I don't think there were as many vendors as in years past, nor was there a lot of variety in what they were selling. There was an awful lot of Alpaca dealers. An awful lot. Alpaca must be the new "in" thing. I am not fond of Alpaca. I do not wish to purchase any more of it.
And it seems that prices for other wool have gone through the roof! Merino - holy crap! BFL - what's up with that? Good grief! I did find a couple of vendors who were reasonable, but not quite what I was looking for. Moving on......
And wheels??!!!! Oh my god. If I was a beginning spinner, this might be one craft that I would have to pass up. Good thing this was not on my list.
Seriously, how are those of us who have
So I purchased a set of DP Brittany needles and 2 sets of cassein straights. 2 different vendors. Never had cassein before; they look interesting; can't wait to try them. Then I found the wool vendor. BFL. Batts. White. Priced at about $1.20 a #. Perfect! Bought 2 1/2 #s from her. I am a very happy spinner!
BH says he'll carry the bags of wool. Off we go. But as we're going through the aisles, I see what's happening. "Let me carry one of the bags." He shakes his head "no"; "you're hitting people coming in the other direction", I say; and take a bag from him.
Shopping done. Off we go..... well, time to head home. Walking down the road to the car, explaining to BH why the different needles, when it occurs to me that I'm holding the little brown bag with the DP's sideways. "Holy crap, I hope none of them fell out" says I. Looks in the bag. Yep. "There's one on the ground" says BH. Run, pick it up. "Wow. That would've been bad" says I, putting errant needle back in the sleeve.
"Wait a minute. I think there's supposed to be 5 needles. There's only 4 here". (Looking at the packaging, yes, 5 needles). Looking back down the road - there's the other needle! "Whew! Can you imagine getting home to find a needle is still missing?!" So I'm putting the needles back in their sleeve, talking to BH, when all of a sudden..........
I stepped into a hole or on a small rock; my ankle goes out and I feel myself falling forward. Trying to catch myself, I keep tripping and falling.....falling.....down on my knee......rolling over......face hitting the pavement.....sliding.....and I'm down. "Ass-over-tea kettle", as my father would say. (We never knew what that meant!) All I remember is BH yelling "Oh no. No". He goes to help me up. I need to sit here for a minute, I say. Then he helps me up. I feel a bit shakey. My hand is all gouged up, bleeding. I know my knee is scraped; I think there's a scrape on my face. I need to go back to the grounds to wash my hand off; there's sand in the wounds. We do that. A very nice lady pumps the water for me at the spigot and then gives me a bandage from her purse, apologizing that she doesn't have any antibiotic ointment with her. I thank her profusely! She was an angel!
Home, at last. Change; wash hands; get the soaker bowl and peroxide ready. Look at my prized wool. Wait a minute.......(holding it under a brighter light)....oh, crap. 2 different shades of white! "Well, you're going to dye some anyway" says BH. Yeah. You're right. It's ok.
Soaking my hand; reading the mail. There's something cool and wet on my leg. Look down on the chair. The bowl is tipped and there's water dripping on the seat and my leg. Oh for god's sake!! As the evening wears on, my hips ache, my back aches, my neck aches. I must be getting old......
I know this post is very, very long, but it's been a very, very long day! Looking forward to tomorrow. Doing nothing. Tending to my wounded body, but keeping my spirits high! Shopping list completed!
1 comment:
Oh I'm sorry :( I'm glad you can still tell the story with a smile in your writing. But I can imagine that fall, especially at that fairgrounds! I was watching for someone wheeling a bag and never saw it, but we probably passed each other. I was the one with the camera slung around my neck being followed by a guy with a tote bag.. I do agree with the vendors this year, and the lack of used wheels. When I first started going, it was a farmer show, now, it's more suburban. I want to go to WI Sheep and Wool this year, if I can afford it. I always go overboard.
Feel better! And enjoy your quiet day!
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