Orem Summerfest

Last weekend we went to the Orem Summerfest. After Mother Nature dumped what must have been two inches of rain, we sloshed through mud to appease the squeals and expectations of our children. Why oh why did I wear my white flip-flops? After about 5 minutes in lines for outrageously overpriced rides, I decided I'm not a huge carnival kind of person, yet somehow we keep going year after year.
As I watched the many carnival workers, which my sis said were ex-cons (really?!), it made me wonder why people would choose to travel through city after city the majority of the year to do the same monotonous task of pushing a button to start and stop a ride. In fact, my mind goes so many bizarre places sometimes it's scary and unfortunately I allowed it wander. I watched one raspy-man-voiced, leather-skinned ride worker down her greasy burger and fries and I got to wondering just how the average carnival worker dies. Skin cancer from all those hot days? Lung cancer from all those cigarette breaks? Heart disease from all the greasy foods? Then I caught myself. Who am I to judge how this woman lives her life? Most likely she is a loving, hard-working, dedicated-to-her-job woman--maybe even a mother to someone and maybe I'd find myself in her same shoes if I had lived her life. Not likely, but still, as you know I haven't always had the most glorious jobs in my life, but that's for another post.
So I put all the negativity out of my mind and decided to focus on the smiles of my kids, because they were abundant. We ended up having a great time together and even went to the parade afterward. The sugar-high from all the candy thrown made for a long night but it was worth it. (I'd also like to note the highlight of the Oremfest for me was the Kelly Clarkson concert. Poo to all the critics who enjoy bashing on her weight--this ex-waitress knows how to rock!)