Part Two

Well we worked out way through the show...both babies were wonderful...Ran into a guy mom and dad went to school with...Floss was his last name...Homer in 60-64. He is living in Anchorage now and sells his fishing tackle at local fairs...no competition dad, as he is a dip netter...but he did make a real cool fish stringer. We stopped for lunch and headed out at around 2:30...upon leaving the building we discovered it was around 45 degrees and the ice we had parked on was now a lake...all them boats and no one offered "charters" back to our cars!!! As I waded the babies through 10 inches of ice water I reflected on what I had just seen... Thirty some odd years ago...a little girl was riding in the back of a very hot car....listening to her dad and grandpa talk about guns. I did not take in much of what they were saying...but the soothing tone of their voices lulled me into a wonderful cozy frame of mind...arriving at the destination I learned I was spending my day looking at guns...I remember several of these trips...can not tell you what they did at these shows as I was busy getting candy from strangers, and collecting all kinds of spent gun shells and clay plates for mud pies. Walking through this gun show...I saw ghosts...lots of them...many old men who are probably no longer alive...laughing and talking "Big Game"...could not begin to tell you any faces of the men who were actually there...my mind was in another time...another place. After getting the kids bucked in and their wet shoes and socks off...cant carry 80 pounds on ice...Buddy went swimming so he needed stripped...time to start carrying extra clothes again...anyway...Donny caught up...jumped in and I began the trip though Worthington Lake...hope no one let their fish loose...this is when Donny pointed out Cal was still in town till 6...of course I had to stop. Once upon a time a very small girl...probably Melissa's age...was watching TV...not sure what show as back then parents ruled the remote...but a commercial came on...a nice looking man with a Monkey....it was mesmerizing...a few days later the man was on again...this time he had a Tiger...I was in love...I had found the man I was going to marry....a man who owned lots of cool pets...maybe even a whole zoo....as the next couple of years went by he became famous...he was shown on TV all the time...goats, tigers, elephants and bears, orragutangs, monkeys, leopards and bulls...this man was amazing...and he even stood on his head. I was around eight when my father took me to a car lot...we were shopping for a truck to haul a camper on. We shopped long and hard but on one of the lots...I saw my dream man...well not him...but pictures of him...with his zoo. My father broke my heart that day...I found out my dream man was just a loley car sales man. I cried my eyes out that night...see dad explained that he rented those animals for those shows...ouch...oh the pain of knowing I had not fallen in love with my prince charming but a car sales man!!! ewww!!! We did buy a ford that day...not sure if it was from Cal or not....a beautiful blue and white pickup...with cute little seats in the back....one on each side...daddy used to put a piece of ply wood between the two to form a bench so we all would fit in the truck... anyway back to the story...walking into Worthington Ford once again I noticed no sales men jumping to sell me a car...oh ya...had to get both babies redressed for this...We did not see Cal so we went to the petting zoo...i did not let the kids pet the animals...first time ever...but they love fingers in their mouths and well....we did not stand in line for the pony rides...it was so long Lou did not even see the horses...but returned to the show room for pop corn...and hopefully a glimpse of the man I wanted to marry.... standing on the Balcony over looking his kingdom....prince charming himself...every commercial I ever saw came into my mind...he was my heart throb....the next thing I noticed was he is VERY TALL at 87 he stands at least 6'7". Then I noticed...this man reminded me of my grandfather....I could not help myself...I climbed those stairs and asked him if I could give him a hug...then I informed him he was my first true love...until he sorely disappointed me by being "just a car sales man". He does not even own a dog!!! So anyway...at 37...the age he was when he filmed his first commercial with a "wild animal" I have finally met kissed and had my picture taken with my first heart throb...bet no one else can say that...see I go for dumb ole car salesmen!!!