Yesterday R. and I took Grant to the Orange County Fair, which Grant refers to as "the pear," despite our clarifications. :-) It was a good thing we started out early, as the temperature rose minutes after we arrived, and soon we were sweating profusely. (Luckily we'd brought some water.) That didn't keep us from going on all sorts of rides with the kid, though! We'd taken him to the fair last year, but then he'd been nowhere near big enough to take on any rides. Since this is our only child, and may well be the only child for either of us ever, we're both always itching to do those kid things that we've dreamed about, like taking Grant to fairs, riding merry-go-rounds, going to storytime at the library — that kind of stuff.

Anyway, Grant was more than up for riding on attractions. First R. took him on a bumblebee ride that basically goes in a circle and then raises all the bee cars into the air for a spell. Then I took him on a fast roller coaster-type thing. I took him on a giant slide — the kind where you slide down atop a burlap sack. Grant loved that one almost as much as I did. ;-) R. and I took turns riding a monster truck ride with the boy. I think Grant would've been happy to ride that one all day — he loves trucks (and anything else with wheels) so much! R. took him on a haunted house ride that Grant was dying to go on — I'd thought he'd be scared, but he emerged only mildly so. I think he was mostly intrigued by the ride in the motorized cars that carry you through the thing.

Grant would've loved to stay longer and ride more, but we could tell he was getting tired and hungry (read: a tad cranky), so we headed off in search of food. R. and I joke a bit about eating all foods on a stick at the fair, as it seems so many things are presented that way — even cheesecake!

We've never tried that, although I'm a tiny bit curious about it. R. thinks they must deep-fry it, so he won't touch it, but I think I might give it a shot sometime. Anyway, we settled for the requisite corn dogs with tons of mustard. Grant still hasn't developed a taste for these, so of course he ate his usual fries.

We visited the visual arts building to gaze with amazement on the artistic offerings of my fellow Orange Countians. Really, there's so much talent out there — it boggles my mind. I particularly wanted to see two works by one of my mom's friends, Mary Failla. (I tried to pull up some images of her works, but they're not coming up right now.) She won a blue ribbon for a photograph of a violinist in which the bow appears at several angles all at once. Also, she won second prize for a beautiful collage she did, called "Waiting for the Wives," which depicts a coupla guys slouching on a bench outside a boutique — all done with little bits of colored paper. This is the kind of work I know her for, but I'm pleased to see she's taken on photography. She's intensely creative, and I admire her a lot.

Around 12:30 we decided we'd take off and give Grant a chance for a nap in the car. R. dropped me off at home and left with a sleeping Grant for the two-hour drive back to San Diego. He'll bring the boy back tomorrow, so I can have time to pack and get a few things done. My sister came over later in the afternoon and had a visit with me and my folks. I was exhausted from the hot morning outdoors, though, so when Sis and Mom proposed a late lunch out, I declined. Instead, I climbed into bed and read further in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Yes, I've been a bit slow to get on that bandwagon. :-)

Naturally I fell asleep — for about three hours! When I awoke, Sis was back. We chatted a bit, then decided to head out for a bite with my brother. I'd been wanting to go for Mediterranean food, so they humored me and we wound up at one of my favorite places — Coach's on Main Street in Huntington Beach, right near the pier.

It's a family-type place that they've been redecorating for some time now. When I first discovered the place, they had resin chairs inside and the walls were plastered with photos of prior patrons, as well as photos of Mediterranean locales. Since that time, the walls have been scraped and repainted, and hung with proper framed posters of food and Mediterranean resorts. They've upgraded the ceiling fans and light fixtures, and gotten wooden tables and chairs and a fancy railing for the front patio, as well as proper booths inside. When I first started coming there, it wasn't unusual to be waited on by a teenage girl in track pants and a t-shirt -- that's changed, too. What hasn't changed is the family feel, despite the aesthetic upscaling. For instance, during our meal, each of the restaurant's adult male employees took turns holding a baby girl about 10 months old, and walking her up and down the sidewalk in front of the place. A couple of the women there took turns replacing the baby's little pink sock, which she seemed to always be removing. Later, they put the baby to sleep in a wind-up swing at the back of the restaurant, in front of the wine rack. :-) That charms me for some reason.

Despite my earlier nap, I was still pretty tired, and sniffly besides. I don't think my lack of weekly sleep and the air-conditioned environment at home are agreeing with me, to say the least. I finally took a Benadryl, which knocked me out for good around midnight. I feel a lot better today after 11 hours of sleep, but a cup of coffee hasn't quite restored me to my normal energy, and I've got packing to do! Best be going...

- Beth