Sunburned

This Weekend was Dairy Festival, the weekend where Central Wisconsin goes nuts to celebrate their beloved agricultural product. A true dairy lover myself, I can get into it right with the natives. (Those who know me know I drink gallons of skim milk every week, and I’ve recently developed an obsession with extra sharp cheddar cheese, and who can pass up ice cream, I ask you?)

On Friday night after my last student piano recital I zipped to a nearby park on my bicycle (OK, so maybe zip isn’t an appropriate word for a large pregnant lady on a small bicycle, but I got there just the same). Ms. Crazy Preschooler was excited to show me her two prize winning goldfish who had raced down a pink gutter and beat other goldfish. By the time I got to see them, the first goldfish was dead and the second one looked very stressed, but it’s actually still alive in the aquarium upstairs, so I guess we have a new pet. (I gave the first goldfish a nice fish funeral . . . taps on the flute and a dignified toilet flush when we got home).

At the park we listened to the Civic Band play and enjoyed toe-tapping renditions of “On Wisconsin” (there had to have been at least three versions played during the short time I was there). Wisconsinites get VERY into “On Wisconsin,” dancing and clapping their hands and twirling on the green grass. People tap their toes, their lawn chairs, and their heads bobble back and forth.

On Saturday morning my dear husband scoped out the parade route three hours early and left with lawn chairs a half an hour after that to ensure that we would have a comfortable place to watch the entertainment. The kidlets and I walked downtown a half hour before the parade, clad in multiple layers of sunscreen SPF 45, sun hats and other summer attire. Unfortunately, I switched shirts at the last minute and missed a large swath of skin on my neck, which got completely fried. The sun was BRIGHT! And now I’m bright red. At least it isn’t my face. The parade was great. Some businesses handed out string cheese instead of candy. And that’s why I like Wisconsin.