Scarowinds!

Today I took Miss Cassie to Scarowinds, the Haloween version of our local theme park which is called Carowinds. When I was a kid it was pretty much the biggest deal around. Now that I'm a "grownup" (shudder-gasp!) I'd almost rather take a beating than go there amongst all the unwashed masses, but as an Aunt it is my honor, duty and privilege to take my nieces (and nephew when he gets bigger) there.
Cassie was naturally excited to go see it all for herself, having heard all about it from other kids. They have the entire park decked out for Halloween, scary stuff everywhere.
Carowinds straddles the state line between North & South Carolina and it's a time honored tradition to stand with one foot on each state while you're there; kind of like a way gyppier version of Four Corners out West!
We took 81 pictures today! But look at how cute we are, can you blame us?
Cassie is a bit hesitant to ride the roller coasters but she jumped right in to all that game/gambling/money wasting fun stuff. I was tempted to explain to her what a colossal waste of money those things are, how you always wind up with something totally gyppy and way overpriced; that's a job for Mom or Dad but not for an Aunt so I didn't say a word.
You simply must get cotton candy whenever you have the chance; it's not something you can get from the 7-11. We enjoyed the fiberglass looking stuff with awful sticky gusto!
First she "dipped her toe in" by agreeing to the "Boo Blast", a ride that takes you into a dark building with scary things all over that you shoot with a little plastic gun. Fun!
I love all the tacky tacky useless crap they hock at places like this. Were else are you going to find a baseball hat with hair extensions?
Look at all the delightful confections! No joke here, I really love the sight of all the colorful gummy chemical-y candy.
Seriously, look at all that...
When I was a kid me & Brandon would always buy the candy cigarettes at Carowinds. Nothing makes me feel "older" than remembering back in the day when kids were actually marketed candy cigarettes. By God if you grew up in North Carolina any time during or before the 1980's you were damn well gonna have you some candy cigarettes at some point.
Now, sadly they've been replaced by harmless crickets. Yes, I said crickets and not the fake kind. Here Cassie holds a box of actual crusty crumbly dead crickets. Now that my friends is what you call a novelty item.
The carousel is another way to get geared up for an actual roller coaster.
Did you know American carousels always go counterclockwise and European ones go clockwise? We just like to do everything the opposite way from them I guess.
Here we are on a little Snoopy airplane ride. My plan here was to work her up to at least the Gold Rush, a kiddie roller coaster.
The ride consisted of 10 little two-seater airplanes that spin around by two cables. You have a front rudder you can control allowing you to go as high as you want. Cassie was at the helm and she held it in the road, it was still more scary than I'd expected!
There were cool props & scary little features all over the place. I really would have freaked out to go there when I was little. Halloween AND roller coasters? Come on!
Cassie wanted to take a picture of me too...
Here is a cool old steam engine thing outside of the entrance to the Gold Rush!
Here we are on it getting ready to scream our heads off.
View from atop the roller coaster...
We rode five rides; the Boo Blaster, the carousel, Snoopy airplane thing, the ride formerly known as the Scooby-Doo roller coaster (I refuse to call it by it's new name, something to do with Charlie Brown) and the Gold Rush.
And at the end of the day when they kicked us out we found the car!
Then we found dinner at Lupie's with Mom.
We had a fantastic day. What a delight it is to be an aunt and get to spend time with the kids as much as would have wanted to with my aunts when I was little. It is every bit as good as being a kid again. We're so lucky we only live 20 miles apart! It's much better than the 600 miles that separated me from my extended family growing up.
I find my mind turning to gratefulness very often lately. I am rich with all the things money can not buy; big wonderful loving family, close friends, talent, skill, my ability to take pleasure in little things, health and so much love coming from every direction.
(Just for the record, Scarowinds was expensive; it should be "$carowinds"! Thanks to Brandi & Mom for whipping enough bread on us to make today possible! We really got our $$$ worth!)

October!

It's October what? Slow down, time!

It seems like I just said goodbye to the pond & the pool. Next thing you know, Halloween is drawing neigh & neigher.
Even though things have been crazy, the good kind of crazy, it's no excuse for slack writing. I stand before you ready to redouble my writing efforts.
I just got four long awaited yoga DVDs; after doing the same one for two years I am pretty excited. Two of them are in some weird UK format that I can't play, I'll just have to deal with that later this week. I have been doing the other two 6 out of the last seven days and I am in love! I'm also sore; you know that good "I've been working out real hard" kind of sore? It's delightful. If not for writing, natural remedy and yoga I would have long ago lost my marbles.
I'm helping Bran again this week, which is both fun & taxing. I call it doing my indentured sister servitude but I really enjoy it. Brandi can really light a fire under your ass but in a good way! Tomorrow is the last day I'll be helping her with this upcoming show with STJ. We have so much left to do, but rest assured, our will be done.
So, just stopping by for a quick visit. I'm off to get a shower and "go to ground" for a night!