Carnival Days

I was out and about with a friend today and it was just tooooooooo hot outside. I really thought I might melt. It reminded me of the time when I was living in Rolla, MO, circa 1990, and I was attending the annual fourth of July carnival! Now, the carnival was the big event of the year; 4 days of riding small, crappy rides, playing really bad games at booths that your neighbors and orthodontist are working at, and basically running into everyone you know, over and over and over again.

For me, this was day two of the carnival (you had to go at least 3 out of the 4 days if you were cool, duh!) and I had conveniently "lost" my little sister and her annoying friend. I wanted to get a coke because I was feeling reeeeeally hot and it was over 100 degrees out with the sun just blaring down. I didn't have any more money so I was in search of my dad, but the more I walked around, the hotter I became. Soon I was feeling just so tired. (Boy, sounds like I'm back in the ole' van of doom!) Finally, absolutely overcome with the heat, I stopped walking, looked down at the blinding white gravel path and these exact words came to my mind: I think I'm gonna lay down riiiiiiiiight here.

And so I did. I just slowly 1/2 collapsed right in the middle of all these people walking, right on the gravel and I just shut my eyes, quite happy with the decision I had just made. Luckily! Luckily, about 10 feet away from my make shift bed were my two neighbors (one a doctor, the other a nurse) who had witnessed the whole thing. The next thing I knew, I was being lifted up and carried over to the soda booth they were volunteering at. She gave me some soda to drink until they could get their hands on some water for me. Then someone went to go find my dad (no cell phones back then, remember), and he took me home with the specific instructions to have me drink plenty of water and to eat a table spoon of salt. Yes, salt.

Which I did, and it was the grossest thing ever.

So, whenever I'm reeeeeeeeeeally hot, I think of that time and tell myself, Katy! At least you're not laying on a gravel path at the stupid carnival with a big tablespoon of salt waiting at home for you. That usually makes me feel better.

(sometimes)