A Fair Affair

As it turned out, my customers were right about the weekend weather. When I got up this morning, it was still windy, but sunny with the occasional fat, white cloud in the sky. I grabbed some bags and rode over to Collingswood for their annual May Fair, held the Saturday before Memorial Day weekend. This is basically an extension of the Farm Market (which is blended into it for this Saturday), with tons of food booths, crafts, games, rides, bands, and a classic car show in addition to the usual fruit, vegetables, and flowers.

By the time I arrived around quarter of 11, there were also tons of people. I could barely walk around, much less check out the booths. I first made my way over to the Friends In Deed thrift shop to say "hi" to my friend Erica, who returned there after her job at a museum in Philadelphia ended. She looked and sounded great in her cute new bobbed hair-do. The thrift shop was hopping, but there was nothing there I could carry home on the bike, so I moved on.

My next stop were the Farm Market booths, which were on Leeds Avenue for the fair day. Unfortunately, by the time I got there, the farm market was a half-hour from closing (they still close at noon, though the rest of the fair continues until 4PM). Many of the things I needed were gone, but I was still able to pick up sweet potatoes, fresh basil, baby spinach, leeks, and honey.

I still had a little time before work, so I continued on. The fair thinned out a bit as I got further down Haddon Avenue and the booths were fewer in number. I found the kids' area towards the end of the Haddon Avenue Historic District. Most of the attractions in the kids' area was stuff I could have done in Wildwood - water gun games, cute kid-sized midway rides (there was a mini tilt-a-whirl, a mini spinning tea cups, and a mini Ferris Wheel, along with numerous inflatable bounce houses), but one of the booths was selling WebKinz. In fact, they had several WebKinz I'd never seen before, including the Lil'Kinz Poodle and one I've been wanting, the Lil'Kinz tiger.

I'm going to set up a Monkees display with four WebKinz in the music area of my living room. The Lil'Kinz Tiger is Davy Jones. The Pinto horse will be Mike Nesmith, and Cheeky Monkey will be Micky Dolenz. Haven't decided whether to make Peter Tork the American Cocker Spaniel or regular Cocker Spaniel yet. (They and the Halloween and Christmas WebKinz will be the only ones I buy clothes for.)

Finding Davy reminded me of another WebKinz I really wanted but hadn't found yet. On my way back, I stopped really quick at the Collingswood Variety Store. Yes, they had Whimsy Dragons. I grabbed one, payed for it, and headed right back out again. As cool as the fair was, it was just too crazy for me! Next year, I'll try to get out earlier.

After all that, work was steady-to-busy, with no major problems other than more people calling out and not showing for work. Jade tried to get me to stay tonight, but I hadn't brought enough money for dinner and would be having a late dinner as it was. Besides, I've gotten plenty of extra hours this week. It's not like I'm going to have a bad paycheck.

Oh yes, and meet Athena the Whimsy Dragon and Davy the Lil'Kinz Tiger! Athena is as noble and adventurous as the Greek Goddess of War and Wisdom for whom she's named; Davy is a charmer who's libido is bigger than his tiny frame. Athena will guard her roommate Amalthea the Lil'Kinz Unicorn from her Treasure Throne.