This post is all carny.
What's carny?
This my friends is carny.
So is this.
The most carny thing of all!
Today David and I took the girls to Salisbury Beach, MA where we met my mother and Jack at Joe's Playland Arcade to play skeeball, poker keno, quarter-push games, shoot-the-clown, racing car, racing motorcycle and oh, did I mention the skeeball! By dumping quarters into these beautiful flashing beacons of hypnotic joy we won armloads of tickets which could be redeemed for valuable prizes.
I am not ashamed to admit that once the six of us had added up our tickets we had 1,318.
We kind of kicked butt.
The kids and I love this stuff. The bells, the lights, the chance to have tickets spew at our feet is just thrilling!
You can just imagine the deliberations that occurred when it came time for Rebecca and Lily to chose their prizes. It was agonizing and painstaking. Finally selections were made.
Rebecca chose a blue care bear, a back scratcher and a squeaking rubber alligator.
Lily chose a Patriots themed teddy bear, a back scratcher and a gigantic pencil.
The girls also got some sunglasses.
We then enjoyed a lunch of fried foods followed by cotton candy.
This is summer.
Afterwards we went to the hotel where my mom and Jack are staying to swim in the pool.
It was there that the man I married, the man I that I thought I knew, said something that nearly brought me to my knees.
"Well, now that I've been to Joe's Playland I never have to go back. That's one thing off the list."
I had no idea what to say.
To reject such splendor is just so odd.
David is the most carny guy I know! His humor is profane, his laugh is a guffaw. He is neither subtle, nor shy. If he were in a carnival he would be the ring master, hat in hand delighting the audience.
I now know that when the girls and I want to indulge in our dark carny desires it will be alone, our quarters in hand, our hearts bereft, our joy tempered by the absence of our ticket holder.
10 comments:
Hmmm. How can he not want to go back???
It's cheesy and small and the beach is awesome. I have a stash of Joe's tickets in a jar - we're saving all our extras for the big stuff one day.... Last time Maya got "ruby" earrings.
Skeeball...wow what a blast from the past.
I certainly didn't realize it still existed.
As a teenager we would all pile in the car and go to Riverside Park. I remember playing skeeball until I had enough tickets to get a set of lemonade glasses. They were the very first items in my "hope" chest. And guess what...it's now like 40 years later and I still have those glasses. Have bought and cleaned out so many things throughout the years but just cannot part with those 4 glasses.
Thanks for the memory.
Where I grew up in Long Beach, California, we had the Pike. It was a strand of beach with carnival rides and all the goodies you mentioned. I will never forget the largest roller coaster in the world (at that time) and riding it over and over. And when the Navy ships would come in, the sailors would be everywhere. My mom warned me about not talking to sailors. Who knew years later, my son would be one of those "sailors". lol.
Sara Sara Sara. Ya gotta give a little to get a little. Could this be payback for BVM?
I think he's just kidding. No ringmaster? Can't be happening.
Two of your children got themselves backscratchers. Kids by my own heart!!
I hope David was just kidding. It sounds like a lot of fun! -Ms Twinkletoes
WOW! Sorry to hear he is not who you thought he was. Well maybe you can trade him in. hehehe! My nephews asked for a new dad this week so hey it might work!
Hugs, Lisa
Omg, I am totally with D on that one. Carny stuff is something for my spouse to do with the children while I stay home and read or do pleasant things. Not as bad as eye surgery, but definitely a great pleasure to know I don't have to join in.
Just have to say your daughters look like Italian movie stars in their sunglasses. All they lack are chiffon scarves tied over their hair to keep the wind from mussing it as they drive off in their Fiats ...
frances
Skeeball! The only game I was truly good at. Good old Riverside Park in Agawam, MA ...before it became a Six Flags. I'd give anything for a big, hot slab of fried dough...with sauce!
thanks for the info it will help me
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