Walking in a Winter Wonderland...

... unless you were in Atascadero last night for "Winter Wonderland"!!  Now let me try to be positive about this one.  Eva and I have sort of been proud of ourselves for having good attitudes about these things even when they didn't work out the way we wanted- even when EVERYone around was... complaining, to say the least.  But last night.  Was.  A waste of time. A complete waste of time and money. 

It could have been because the day just started off wrong for me and I was a little stressed about finding and preparing for the babysitter and making sure everything was ready for Todd when he got off work. I wanted everything to be ready for him so he could just pile them in the car and go. But then. The phone. It rings on our way. Do you know where the car keys are? he asks. The keys?  I say.  Doom in the pit of my stomach as a fumble through my purse. (and the keys are already a sensitive issue with us because of a previous... let's just call it an adventure) I have the keys! I say. The keys. In my purse, an hour away.  So no car for the babysitter, who has to pick up Bella.  No car for Todd who was supposed to bring the girls up later with Eva's husband and son.  I was totally bummed because I thought that I had prepared everything SO well, so no one would be stressed.  But alas, I forgot to give her the keys.  So, that pretty much put a damper on the night for me... and therefore for poor Eva.  And then Eva says.  It would be worth having a spare set.  I stare at her.  She says.  Oh.  Nevermind. (That is another story.  For another day.)

So, trying to figure out the key thing, unload our car... and the fact that there was NO ONE there when we got there except some nasty old ladies across the street who were swearing every five seconds as they set up their booth, and because it didn't start till 5 and we were told to set up at 1.  Good thing we didn't get there till 2.  And the spaces were cramped... and the parking was far.. and down we go into the pit of the complaining vendor.  It just makes me realize that we have to go into a show with no expectations.  We have to think that it may or may not be the right venue for us.  And if it's not, it's not.  We won't make the same mistake next year.  And this one WAS NOT.  And I don't even think I would go next year.  Unless I lived in Atascadero & went for the community.

So they advertised piles of snow.  I am thinking PILES of snow!!  Like piles, you know- like a lot. But, instead, it was like one bulldozer-shovel-full of snow.  Seriously?  One shovel full?  OK, so there were like 3 piles... but wouldn't it have been better to just combine them?? And the man driving, who we affectionately named "The Snow Man" (tee hee) was SO grouchy that even when we tried to wave and smile he just looked away.  "He doesn't even know he's the snowman!!!" said Eva. (And, as a side note.  When we got there we totally mocked this little tiny pile of snow we saw on one of the side streets.  There is the pile of snow, we said, laughing.  Little did we know, that actually WAS the pile of snow.  Although, I could just think it is ridiculous because of having grown up where it does actually snow.  But I am pretty sure it was just ridiculous.)

And when it finally started the place was PACKED.  Packed in the way the fair is packed.  Full of people eating cotton candy who crowd the street so no one can move.  Except in our little booth where it was empty, but at least warm because of the Costco space heater that I made Todd buy me last year for our garage.  Yes, we were the booth where no one was.  It was sad. But we did end up giving away a lot of cards.  It was "Do you guys have a store?" and "Are you guys online?".  No one was there to shop. Good thing we got business cards.

Eric and Todd and the kids did manage to borrow someone's van and make their way up.  Emma was scared of Santa and wouldn't talk to him.  They sledded down the hill, but the lines were crazy for everything. And the "piles" of snow where just big melted puddles of water.  So they stayed for maybe an hour and then went back home.

On the way back we stopped at Wienerschnitzel for some chili cheese fries and hot dogs.  And to get warm since we were FREEZING. We were discussing how usually, even if it is a flop for us, there is SOMEthing redemptive about the time.  But this time, I could see nothing.  Eva pointed out the one silver lining: seeing our sweet friends Jesse and Shannon and baby Jude.  The last time I saw them was SO long ago.  And they finally got to pick out a blankie from the amen booth.  That was the one really great thing about the night.  

But at least now we have a break.  No shows on the calendar.  And we are learning!  Learning which shows are for us and which are not.  I am excited for the break, and it felt so good to get home last night.  I like that feeling.