One Night At The Carnival Not Too Long Ago
Family, Just Good Stuff | Posted by Jannie on 21 April 2012 @ 12:30 AM 35 Comments
the good man
carried the unicorn
while the wife and
child cavorted on
the rides and such.
Well… the child was
doing the cavorting,
while the wife was
experiencing sheer
terror on that boat
pendulum torture
thing she’d forgotten
how much she HATES.
The wife was
mostly okay on
the Tilt-a-whirl
and ferris wheel
but quite done-in
by the Scorcher* the
second time ’round.
You’ve just read a “Saturday Flash Fiction 64.”
G-Man’s on a bit of a hiatus, god bless his sweet bloggin’ soul.
xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxox
*The Scorcher I’ve also seen called The Sizzler and The Scrambler.
Toodle-ooo, you beautiful peeps!
On 21 April 2012 at 12:42 am
ed pilolla said,
i love carnivals. i love the colors, the lights, the prizes. this is so nice and whimsical. extra cool motion shot.
On 21 April 2012 at 1:17 am
Jeanne said,
Jannie,
Awesome… Check out Blue Bunny in a beret.
Looks like you had fun at the carnival despite the boat/pendulum ride.
Jeanne
On 21 April 2012 at 3:15 am
Ravenblack said,
The viking boat ride is not something I enjoy either. “Pendulum torture” lol! I used to just follow my friends on such rides, but now, no amount of peer pressure can get me on that.
Fun times.
On 21 April 2012 at 5:54 am
Caity said,
Ooh looks like such a great time!
The mirror shot makes me laugh so much! I love those funny mirrors. I want to get one for my house and put it right next to my front door to make people smile.
On 21 April 2012 at 6:36 am
Lydia said,
Your poem and photos are as lively as any fair fair! I must say that the top photo should be entered into competition at the State Fair. It is a real winner, Jannie.
(nice of you to mention G-Man. I hope he is doing better, too.)
On 21 April 2012 at 8:50 am
brian miller said,
haha how much fun…i love going to the fair….i def do not like pirate ship though…i like the ferris wheel though…so much to see…looks like a fun times…..
On 21 April 2012 at 9:19 am
Jannie said,
ED! I love everything about carnivals too (except the rides less and less with time)
The candy apples are my fave!
JEANNE! Yes, BB is going through a new art phase. He figures the “stache” helps him paint more salvador dali -ish. I thought I could handle the boat, but was NOT happy on it, and I swear the guy kept us on extra long just to mess with me.
RAVENBLACK! I used to be able to stay on The Zipper for an hour when I was a teen. One time a carnie let me and Ruthie do just that. Can’t even look at the thing these days.
CAITY! I want a mirror that makes me look tall and extra-skinny!
LYDIA, yeah, G-Man’s been through a lot lately, with his good friend dying. And him not feeling well. YES — that first photo is a real winner, eh? Hubby was chatting up the balloon guy, I asked Kelly to go over and pose, and VOILA — a nice colorful pic!
BRIAN! Yes, the ferris wheel I can handle, and you do get a great view of town. I throught for SURE I’d go a-sailing out of my seat on that boat, but I’m here to tell the tale. Phew. And do NOT plan on going on that thing EVER again!!
xoxoxooxoxxoxo
On 21 April 2012 at 9:43 am
Hilary said,
Hi Jannie .. looks like there’s some personality traits hitting out there .. I hate those rides, but I don’t have kids that ‘make me’ go .. and Kelly looks decidedly irritated hanging around .. I love your stuffed pants pic .. those mirrors are just terrible .. but fun all the same. Kids love carnivals and just watching everyone have fun is worth while being there ..
and here Dad hugging the unicorn .. good for him!!
Cheers Hilary
On 21 April 2012 at 12:47 pm
MaryD said,
When follies wax extreme. Actually, you just make it seem extreme…& terrific fun.
On 21 April 2012 at 1:06 pm
Jannie Funster said,
Dearest Hilary Of The Hills Of Hither & Yon. I hear Yon has an excellent bakery. And brewery! So… you mean Kelly’s personality traits are coming out? Yeah, “Made” to go is it. Funny, she got a little queasy on the Tilt-A-Whirl, but I guess may years and years and hours and HOURS of training at The Chatham Exhibition have made me a lifer on that ride. But back to your comment….. Kelly was actually very patient as Jim talked to that guy. I think she and I broke off and went back to the funhouse while they were chin-wagging. Yes, funny photo of me.
Cheers to YOU!!! And Kelly and I are FREE for the rest of the day, whoooohooooo. We were already out at 7:00 for her gym. All I have to do is cook and clean. Oh, and plantt impatiens. Got a bunch yesterday at 50% off.
MARYD!!!!! You are my one lurker — and I LOVE it!! Actually I think there are another 2 I know of, but… it all could be in my overactive imagination!
It was fun! So glad I brought my good camera. Which reminds me….. I have about 50 pix I took from the tiltawhirl on my iPhone. I remembered those after I posted this. A future extravaganza to look forward to here in the next 1 to… how old am I? 48… So next 1 to 52 years!
xooxoxoxooxox
On 21 April 2012 at 1:26 pm
ed pilolla said,
i agree about the rides. i can’t do anything that jostles my head too much. it’s like that:) candy apples are definitely fun. i love how your girl is the only one keyed into the first photo. fab post. what a super fun shot.
On 21 April 2012 at 2:13 pm
Jennifer Susannah Devore said,
Funny enough, my brother-in-law apparently ran off with a carnival at the age of seventeen; he is now a professional pirate, Captain Maurice Bloodstone. I don’t trust carnys.
It’s Disneyland or nothing for this chick
Cheers, Miss Jannie
On 21 April 2012 at 2:40 pm
Pat Hatt said,
Looks like a fun time was had. I remember that boat, I was always afriad someone would throw up while I was on there and it get on me, ewww..haha
On 21 April 2012 at 9:31 pm
Lynn said,
Well that sure looks like a fun time. Good for you for going on rides!
On 21 April 2012 at 10:41 pm
joanny said,
Hi there dear blogger friend, our big state fair isn’t till labor day week end… but the rides always make me dizzy…. among other things,
Your poem is great, do I hear a song coming from the poetic lyrics, I think I have been gone a little too long — need to get back in the saddle…
Now it is flash Saturday wow …. love the photos, a couple of them from a great angle looking down.
joanny
On 22 April 2012 at 7:21 am
G. B. Miller said,
And is our favorite song at these times Karn Evil 9?
On 22 April 2012 at 9:15 am
Daisy said,
Oh I hate those rides that spin you all around and flip you upside down like you’re in some kind of milkshake mixing machine. Give me something slow and easy.
Great pictures, Jannie. Looks like great fun. I love Kelly’s pose in that first picture, like she’s tough with an attitude. Haha!
On 22 April 2012 at 10:18 am
susan said,
Hi Jannie! I can’t remember the last carnival I’ve been to, it’s been that long! Although I did go on the giant ferris wheel at Navy Pier in downtown Chicago recently. Thanks for sharing your photos – cute as always!
Hugs
SuZen
On 22 April 2012 at 12:26 pm
Jannie said,
ED! I was feeling most of the jostling in my gut. Yes, I like how Jim and the other dude are caught in a regular life moment with Kelly the only poser.
JSD! Yes, and Disney is so clean, unlike this abandoned parking lot. Thought of photoshopping the cruddy stains off the ashphalt, but reconsidered. Seriously — Captain Maurice Bloodstone. I shall have to Google that name.
PAT! I was afraid the someone throwing up would be ME.
LYNN! I was a ride trooper, but happier to be back on terra firma.
JOANNY! Well, an okay poem, not quite as good as my previous one on Klimt’s gold. I was looking through my Friends page yesterday and wondering what you are up to. Flash Saturday was my little joke.
G! Okay, gonna have to Google that too. I think most any song sounds great on a carny ride.
DAISY! I used to LOVE all rides, couldn’t get enough of them. These days writing a song is like a ride, a bit. Can be a roller coaster until all the pieces fall into place. However, I’ve got a new “Jackson Pollock” art philosophy — let the songs in always via the subconscious, and the lyrics will unfold naturally.
SUSAN!!! I guess with no young kids around you don’t get out to carnivals much. I want to go to the chiocago giant ferris wheel. And on the one in London too, they didn’t have it when we were there, I don’t think they did, anyway.
xooxoxoxo
On 22 April 2012 at 1:49 pm
Jeanne said,
Jannie,
Your comment about the guy messing with you reminded me of a story.
My mom has never been a ride person and is notorious for having motion sickness in all sorts of places (boats, planes, rides, etc.) In high school, she went to a carnival. She didn’t want to go on any rides. She just went there to hang out with her friends. However, her friends really wanted her to go on rides.
She finally agreed to go on the tamest ride there… the Ferris wheel. Anyway, the ride operator kept it going a very, very long time – and when they passed him at the bottom, she politely told him she felt sick and then asked him to stop the ride (which had truly been going a long time).
Rather than stop the ride, this guy thought it would be HILARIOUS to keep it going much longer. (He may have even sped it up from what she said. I’m not sure what the speed options are).
In any event, he wouldn’t let them off the ride even though she and her friend were reduced to begging him to stop it each time they passed the bottom.
Finally, she could no longer hold off the inevitable. When they reached the top of the Ferris wheel, she leaned over and… well… you can use your imagination as to what happened next.
Any guesses for who it landed on? LOL. True story. I swear.
Jeanne
On 22 April 2012 at 2:13 pm
Jannie said,
JEANNE!! If it landed on the operator — serves him right!! I was scared on the ferris wheel my first time, I guess I was Kelly’s age. Jim sounds like your mother — gets motion sickness really easily. He can’t even do ONE twirl while dancing, he will feel queasy and remain so for a long while. I’m not too sure about the speed on the ferris wheel, how fast it can go. Oh, Jim once screamed so hard on a ride they did stop it and let him off. I forget which ride. Poor Jimmy.
Anyhoo, I think I’m going for a nap now. After I finish this coffee.
oxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxooxoxoxooxoxoxoxo
On 22 April 2012 at 4:35 pm
Alice Audrey said,
You actually got on the boat pendulum thing? I did it once, and that was it. Now I don’t feel even the least guilty when I refuse to join the rest of my family on one.
On 22 April 2012 at 5:32 pm
Jannie said,
ALICE AUDREY! I won’t next time. Go on that. Or feel guilty. OR… maybe I will suddenly LIKE the boat! Nah, not likely. Usually we go to those fairs with one of Kelly’s friends which gives her an automatic ride partner. I think I’ll go back to that plan next time. This was a nice night, tho, as Jim took us there as a surprise. He tried the Fun House but turned back at the entrance when he couldn’t find his way through the glass maze. And just as well, because the only way off the top floor was the twisty slide, and with his motion sickness he would NOT have fared well on that.
Now… my “78704″ lyrics are telling me they want to be sung and added to, so here I go….
xooxoxoxoxoxoxo
On 23 April 2012 at 10:48 am
Dr. J said,
Love the photos! The mirror shot is a classic
I had dreams of being an astronaut, and good credentials also, until I took a ride on the tilt-a-whirl
On 23 April 2012 at 9:21 pm
Jannie said,
Dear Dr. J. That NASA training is really out of this world, literally. We were quite impressed with all the rigorous testing and forces the body has to withstand. I’m glad you became a doctor, you help many peeps!
xoxooxo
On 24 April 2012 at 1:30 pm
ayala said,
I can handle the Ferris Wheel but not the ship. Looks like you had an awesome time anyhow…and husband looks good holding the unicorn for his sweet baby girl
xo
On 24 April 2012 at 6:17 pm
Jannie said,
AYALA!! Sounds like you are about the same with rides as I. yes, how could I resist that shot of this big manly man holding a plush girly stuffed toy?
That backdrop is festive-awesome. And so are YOU!!!!!
xooxoxoxoxoxo
On 25 April 2012 at 10:51 pm
Katherine said,
I used to be a wild woman as far as rides were concerned, but nowadays I get dizzy watching spinny rides fly by. You are a stronger woman than I am Jannie! Looks like a fun evening though.
On 26 April 2012 at 6:26 pm
Jannie said,
Katherine, my lovely beautiful Katherine who art in my home and native land…..well , I think I can really only handle the tiltawhirl and Ferris wheel ever again, and with time I suppose I shall be like you — dizzy watching. Something happens to the female inner ear with time, we lose that whateveryoucallit. Hope you’re having a great spring!
Xxoo
On 26 April 2012 at 9:23 pm
Daydreamertoo said,
You’re a darn sight braver than I am these days. In my younger days I would have gone on any rides going but, now, bumper cars is about my limit… LOL
Looks like you all had fun. Great pics
On 27 April 2012 at 9:30 am
aprille said,
Your daughter? That cheeky young female parotting the stallholder?
Priceless.
On 27 April 2012 at 12:45 pm
De Jackson said,
Absolutely hate carnival rides. Therefore, LOVE this.
On 1 May 2012 at 9:58 pm
SnaggleTooth said,
Another trip thru the fun house with Jannie & family! Looks like fun-
I have no luck with round-about rides anymore. But like roller coasters n flumes, n definately love winning unicorns!
Great pic story for flash 55!
Sorry here so late- wouldn’t load at home!
On 2 May 2012 at 7:45 am
Jannie said,
You are all AWESOME!!!! Thanks for popping by, I enjoyed your words, all.
xooxoxoxo
On 4 May 2012 at 3:22 am
LL Cool Joe said,
These are just the best photos ever! That top one is a classic!!:D