Pix 'n Prose: Last day of Summer 06

The plan: I was to leave work at 2 pm. SHARP.
The reality: I was still in a meeting at 2:30 pm. A meeting that was making it very clear I still had some work to do before I left. A meeting that was also indicating that I would not be taking the last day of summer off as booked. I would be back in the office dealing with stuff and things.

The sad reality was by the time I left work, I was behind schedule, tense and stressed.

My kids picked up on that the second I walked in the door issuing orders and expecting immediate action.

By the time we got to the border my spine was ready to snap.
Maxine got in the right lane.
I was beside her in the left one.

She went through 40 minutes before me. FORTY friggin minutes I sat in that line-up after she had cruised through.

We hit a few construction delays on the way.

And then.
Then.
Seattle rush hour traffic.

Oh my oh my oh my.
It was endless.
Painful.
Hours and hours of sitting on a freeway going south slowly.

Finally at 7:15 pm, 4 hours after I left my house, we pulled into a grassy field next to the fair grounds. We ran to the entrance gate and bought our fair tickets ($10 for adults, $8 for youth) while Sandra went to purchase our show tickets.

"Sold out," she said. "There are no tickets left for tonight's show."
I was sorely disappointed. On the verge of tears.
All the tension, the rushing, the driving and the driving.
All for naught.

"God? Should we not have come? Did you have something else in mind for me to be doing tonight? Why are we here?"

We did try to pre-buy our show seats.
On Sunday night we decided that I would buy all 13 tickets on my credit card the next day, so that our reserved seats would all be close together.
But on Monday night when I tried to book online, I observed a 10 ticket per person limit.
So I called Sandra, who sounded very sleepy at 11 pm.
"Were you sleeping?" I asked.
"Yeah," she whispers.
"Oh, sorry. I can't order our tickets, there's a limit. We'll have to order simutaneously - you on your computer and me on mine."
"NOW?"
"Is this not a good time?"
"I can't. I'm sleeping. I'll call you tomorrow morning before you go to work. We'll do it then."

But Tuesday's morning was not good for anyone living in my neighbourhood. The power was out. For a l o n g time.
She called at 8:30 am.
"OK. Are you at your computer?" she asked.
"It's not working, no power..."
We decided to try again after supper.
I went to work with wet hair, armed with a blow dryer and curling iron.

Tuesday night she called me from Abbotsford.
"I'm at Dane's volleyball game, I'll try and get in touch later when I'm in front of my computer.
She called much later.
"We're not going. The weather forecast doesn't sound good, one of Maxine's girls is sick and I'm not sure I want to go."
"OK. We're going anyways," I replied. "The kids are looking forward to it, and rain isn't a problem for them."

On Wednesday evening she called at 7:00 pm.
"Looks like we're going. They've changed their minds.. Let's order the tickets."
"I've got one more guy hoping to join us," I said. "He'll know by 9:00 pm if it'll work out, I'll call you then."

At 9 pm all the stars were in alignment, she was at her computer, I was at mine, we were on the phone to each other and ticket master cut off pre-show tickets sales because it was 24 hours before show time. We could not buy tickets.
We could not buy tickets.

And by the time we finally got there in person, it was sold out.

"God? Hello? Were we pushing on a door that You had closed? I had interpretted our difficulties in getting here as typical hurdles and roadblocks set up by Satan to discourage us from an evening worshipping You. But maybe this was You saying, "No, this is not where I want you tonight..."
I said to Sandra, "Have we been trying too hard to do something that we shouldn't have? Maybe we shouldn't have come tonight?"
"I was thinking the same thing."

My boys took off like boys stuck in a truck for 4 hours would. And we walked over to the gate to see if someone dropped a dozen tickets on the ground.
Maxine explained our plight to an elderly ticket collector, and he graciously allowed us to enter.

We listened to 3 songs in David Crowders set.
And then they left the stage.

I drove 4 hours for 3 songs.
They were good... but still.

And then Third Day came on - the headlining act.
They were OK I guess.
I was standing there, unmoved and maybe a little bit bitter until they did an acoustic set, starting with Love Song.

Love Song has a special place in my heart. My cousin recommended that I give it a listen during that season in my life when I was first on my own and feeling dumped and unloved:

I've heard it said that a man would climb a mountain
Just to be with the one he loves
How many times has he broken that promise?
It has never been done.
I've never climbed the highest mountain
But I walked the hill of calvary

Just to be with you, I'd do anything
There's no price I would not pay
Just to be with you, I'd give everything
I would give my life away.

I've heard it said that a man would swim the ocean
Just to be with the one he loves
But all of those dreams are an empty emotion
It can never be done
I've never swam the deepest ocean
But I walked upon the raging sea

I know that you don't understandthe fullness of My love
How I died upon the cross for your sins
And I know that you don't realize
how much that I gave you
But I promise, I would do it all again.
Just to be with you, I've done everything
There's no price I did not pay
Just to be with you, I gave everything
Yes, I gave my life away.

My disappointment melted away, the tension in my back slipped out of sight, and I basked in the knowlege that He loves me.

The concert ended at 10:00, so we figgered we wander around the fair and look at the booths for an hour or so.
The fair closed at 10:00. There was nothing open. Nothing.

Except the scone place.
Ah yes, the scone place.
They bake them fresh right there.

They add butter and jam to them and sell them for $12 for a dozen.

We stood in line to buy our dozen.

It took an HOUR.

60 minutes.

They were good, although I'm sure if they were worth the wait.

By 11:15 we were back on the freeway heading north. Maxine and I both drove vehicles full of sleeping passengers and by 1:17 we were too tired to continue. So we pulled into a rest stop and slept til 2:00, then resumed driving, making it home by 3:00 am.

I slept a few hours and then went to work.

My kids spent the afternoon hanging out with my dad at this new house.

After work, I picked up Pizza and joined them.

The view from my dad and mom's back yard:

(The boys coming up from the river, where they have been playing on the tracks, looking for trains to jump.)

My mom and the boys enjoying the view from their deck.