Pappy Play Dates and People Parties

My Kirby and I had a wonderful weekend! We were invited to go to a papillon play date on Saturday in Wolverine Lake, MI. The event was to include barbecue, boat rides, and general socializing with other pappy owners. Kisses got to go, too, so she was an honorary papillon for the day. It was a very, very hot day so most of our time there was spent inside the house, where it was air-conditioned! Kirby got to meet about 10 other dogs (and their owners). She also got evaluated by a pet psychic! LOL! I know what some of you are thinking, but I'm pretty much trying anything to get control over her little barking problem. (She nipped at my aunt KoAnn's ankles and actually left little toothmarks on the skin! Not good, little doggie. Not good.) We took a short ride on a pontoon boat around the lake before leaving. Kirbles was nervous about the boat at first, but then she relaxed and loved it! She hung her head over the side (while I carefully held on to her collar) and let her ears flap in the breeze. She loved the smell of fresh water and air. As we were walking back across the pier, she actually tried to jump off the side into the water, but I caught her. (That might have been interesting to see, though.)

We had to be back in BG that evening for Ni's party, so we didn't stay as long as we'd have liked. Nicki was taking the bar exam over her birthday so she decided to throw a huge birthday/law school graduation/bar exam bash. She and her boyfriend, Nick, are moving to Dayton in a couple weeks so the festivities also dubbed as a going away party, I guess. It was a Hawaiian theme so I wore my luau dress and grass skirt (the authentic one I got at the Paradise Cove luau in Hawaii). By the time we got there, everyone had been drinking all day and most of the food had been picked over, but it was still tons o' fun. I had a bunch of red wine and took a nice dip in the pool (I even used a little intertube so I could hold my drink and float around lazily). They had gotten a cotton candy machine, a chocolate fondue fountain, a keg...oh, and a couple "Ohio flamingoes." What the hell are those, you ask? Why, they're regular old chickens dyed pink to look like flamingoes. (Nicki is pretty much obsessed with flamingos and flamingo paraphenelia, so it was apropos.) It was also quite amusing! I think one of Nicki's law school classmates had gotten them for her and ended up taking them back to the original farmer, so nobody got to keep them. Sadly.

Sunday was the Lucas Co. Fair demolition derby, which Toby and I went to. I always enjoyed those things and I'm not sure why. I guess it just brings back childhood memories since I've been going to them since I was a baby. Plus, it's fun to be white trash for a day. I get to put on my tank top and cutoffs and mingle with the working class of society. :) Yep, it was a grandstand full of guys with mullets and farmer tans and women carrying 5 kids, not one of whom are wearing more than a diaper and all of whom have a cigarette dangling out of their mouths! (J/k!) Speaking of cigarettes, I woke up feeling pretty ill the next day. I think it was because of the guy sitting in front of me. (Chain smoke much, Dude?) Besides the perpetual public smoking and screaming child, a thunderstorm blew through right as the derby was starting and dumped rain all over us. A bunch of people tried hiding under the bleachers, but I took shelter underneath a huge tractor trailer parked just behind them. There was about 4 feet of clearance so I crouched down and watched the first heat through the metal stands. In between the first and second heats, I ran to my car to grab my umbrella, but by the time I came back, the rain had completely stopped! Figures, don't it? I actually was kind of disappointed at this derby. I figured, since it's Lucas County, it would be that much bigger and more exciting than Wood Co'.s. But, it wasn't. In fact, I think ours is much better. Afterwards, we went back to Tom and KoAnn's house to help them finish off some of the party food leftovers. I think we made a dent in them.

Oh, and on Friday afternoon, the circus rolled into town and set up in the mall parking lot. I was cashing my check at the bank by the mall and saw the tent. So, I drove around the mall parking lot and saw so many neat animals, I decided to come back with Kirby so she could see them, too. She got to see horses and Shetland ponies, llamas, goats, elephants, a zebra, and even other dogs. I asked one of the carnies if the dogs were in the show and he said yes, they ride the ponies and do all sorts of tricks. The carnies were actually creeping me out a bit (go figure!) and shouting at me in Spanish, so we didn't stay long. I didn't care to see the show, I just liked looking at the animals.

So, that was our fun-filled weekend: Circus animals, papillons, a party at "Tiki Tom's," and a demolition derby in a nice rainstorm. Got pictures, working on the T-shirt. I'll send you a postcard from the next one.