Hubby, DS2, and I went to our county fair this afternoon. Stepping through the gate, I closed my eyes and savored the sensory overload. Screams from the midway mingled with the bands playing in the pavilion. Smells from the food vendors made my mouth water. The afternoon breeze cooled my face from the heat of the sun.

We searched for food as soon as we got there. Hubby always gets the sausage and pepper sub from the Zem Zem booth. DS2 and I wanted taco in a bag, which is a really simple recipe that can be made at home, but tastes so much better at the fair. When we arrived, I told hubby I wanted four things–taco in a bag, ice cream, taffy, and popcorn. Imagine my disappointment when the vendor was out of ground beef for the taco in a bag. I settled for a steak and cheese sandwich.

Once the food was gone, we headed for the midway where DS2 promptly took off in the other direction. So not cool for a 14-year-old to be hanging with his parents. As hubby and I walked hand in hand, I was amazed at the colorful array of people. I say colorful because some people had more ink than visible skin on their body parts. A side thought here–inking yourself is fine if you’re into that sort of thing, but I can’t help but wonder how those works of art are going to look when the people are in their later years and living in nursing homes.

I checked the weather before we left and read that there was a 20-30% chance of rain. No problem. I stuffed a small umbrella in my purse just in case. I’m glad I did. Hubby and I were walking through the pavilions when it started to rain. The storm clouds passed and left not one, but two beautiful rainbows in the sky.

We headed back to the midway and stood in line for the ferris wheel. I don’t mind the ride as it’s moving, but the stopping and starting leaves me a little unsettled. We finished that ride and found our son.

He asked hubby to ride the Fireball with him. Hubby agreed so we made our way through the crowds and stood in line about fifteen minutes. Hubby asked if I was going to hold his camera while he rode with our son. Our son made a smart mouth comment about me being too chicken to ride. Being the only female in my testosterone-charged household, I’m constantly reminded that I’m shorter, weaker, and more afraid than my manly family members. I told our son that I was riding. My common sense must’ve gotten left behind at the pavilions.

The Fireball is a circular in shape. A line of cars house unsuspecting vict…er, riders. A harness comes down and locks us into place. First off, hubby and I aren’t as small as some of the usual thrill seekers, so we had a snug fit in the section of the car we shared. I hate having my arms pinned and I felt a sense of panic when I couldn’t move my arms as freely as I would have liked. Once all the riders were locked in, the ride began. We went back and forth, higher each time, until finally we were hanging upside down. Yes, upside down. What possesses a usually-sensible woman to get on a crazy ride as this??? I kept my eyes closed the entire time and prayed, “Dear Lord, please don’t let this harness malfunction. Please get me down safely.” After what seemed an eternity, the ride ended. I left the car on legs made of rubber bands. My hands shook as I gathered my purse from the steps. Hubby and DS2 descended and did their manly “that was so cool” thing while I tried to stay upright. Hubby was proud that I did it. He hugged me and said I did great. I didn’t scream, but I cried out, “Oh, God!” a few times.

DS2 lost his change on the ride when we went upside down. We listened as metal clanked against metal to the ground. The ride operator is going to be a little richer in the morning when he tears down the ride.

I told hubby I deserved ice cream for surviving the Fireball, so I went in search of a twist cone. I savored every bite of the vanilla and chocolate twist.

Our DS1 was working and couldn’t go with us, but he had gone a couple of days before with a group of friends. Once we got home, hubby went to DS1’s place of work and told him that Mom went on the Fireball. His response was, “And I missed it?” Yes, he did, and believe me, that is one ride I will never go on again.