....Think BBQ means cookout, and there is something there wrong about"
We spent our Friday and Saturday at a BBQ competition and fund raiser. It was fun, and definitely interesting. I got my first taste of a gypsy lifestyle, and, well, I smelled like BBQ smoke when I got home.
I brought my camera along, because, frankly, I go nowhere without Camryn. Especially if it is over night. Think of it, someone might break into my house and steal her! So, Friday night, I was all over the place, snapping photos like the crazed photographer I am. And I was extremely happy when one of the other contestants walked over to our cooking tent the next morning, asking, "Where is the photographer girl?". They needed me to take pictures of the teams, and, well, they saw me running everywhere with a semi-professional camera, and sought me out. I tell you, it was a small matter, but it felt wonderful. My heart was going, "FINALLY! acknowledgement!"
Our cooking tent looked really cool. It was just a normal festival canopy, but, thanks to having a brother who desires to be a electrician, ours was the most well (And safely) lit. And it looked positively magically gypsy. Except it used electricity.
I experienced with night Bokah Friday evening. The Competition location was right next to a extremely active road, and there were cars going by all night long. And the drivers kept yelling at us. From cat calls, to compliments on the smell, to garblish we couldn't understand.
Evan sat up here for a good thirty minutes, claiming it to be his 'Hawkeye' perch. Ok, Katniss boy.
Friday night wasn't all that eventful, we set up our tents, unpacked our equipment, and ate a extremely late dinner (Who has ever tried to make a soup on a smoker? Me!). And then we had to work out where everyone was going to sleep. There wasn't room for a real camping tent, so the boys and Daddy (And a Firefighter friend, Mr. Mike) all stayed out in camp chairs and hammocks. The little girls laid blankets out in our equipment trailer, and me, Mama and Shiloh bunkered down in our van. We laid all the seats down, and thus started a pretty long night. Vehicle chairs were made for over night sleep. At least, not ours. I'm still bruised. But, it was fun. I've never really gone to a sleep over, and this, between my Mom and I, was the closest thing. We talked and giggled for a bit before we finally started falling asleep while the other one was talking. Morning came early, and after 5AM, I just couldn't sleep anymore due to my side being so sore, I thought I was going to die.
A rare moment of Shiloh actually playing nicely with her baby doll, instead of tormenting it. I swear, this kid could be the female incarnation of Sid from Toy Story sometimes...
When a bunch of Firefighters get together and compete for anything, its bound to be 1) Fun. Most firefighters are so funny, and light hearted. I guess you have to be, if you run into burning buildings, and your job requires the possibly threat of death. I'm proud to be a FireFighter's daughter. And 2) Very competitive. They might joke around, and congratulate each other, but you don't dance around a competition between Firefighter's.
And, in case you were wondering, the fund raiser was for a Children's burn camp called 'Camp Amigos'. Its motto is, "Healing burns from the inside out". It is a really cool camp, it helps children who have been burned, and is run by firefighters.
And of course, there were Firetrucks. Titus was clearly enthralled.
And a paramedic helicopter made a guest appearance.
Titus waving to the 'copter as it came down. He kept trying to unpuzzle how something so big could fly. No, really. I asked what he thought about it, and his reply, "I like it, I just don't un'erstand how it flys"
And a horse. Wait, let me rephrase that, *clears throat*...
AND A HORSE.
Ok, much better. I went to pet him, and had to chide myself. As I approached him, my stomach got all in knots, I started getting strangely excited, and yet nervous, and realized, "I'm acting like a girl approaching her crush". Yep, that's me. The Horse girl.
And horse lashes, aren't they beautiful?
We had to do something much different this time, we had to use garnish. Now, that might seem to be a very small thing, but my family has had no practice on this, and it took all 5 of us (Me, Mama, Daddy, Evan, and Mr. Mike) to arrange these. But, it was a requirement to use garnish, and so we did. I don't think we did half bad. What do you guys think? ;)
Titus did not like Sparky the Dalmatian, and this was the closest thing I could get him to do close to a hug. And when Sparky 'asked' for a high five, Titus told him, under no uncertain tone, "No". And laughed cruelly when Sparky 'cried'. But, I might be scared of a huge dog too...And then again, I always loved Santa pictures....
Singers. They also had dancers, but I wasn't sure if the dance Mom's would like if I snapped pictures of their daughters, most who were under 13.
I've heard some pretty terrible singers at festivals and cook offs, but these guys weren't half bad.
Titus might have held Sparky in great disdain, but he loved the giant bear in a hat, AKA, Smokey bear. As soon as he saw him, he started yelling, "Mr. Bear-man! Mr. Bear-man!" in which I gave him the correct name of 'Mr. Bear-Man' and then Titus proceded to laugh and call his name while running towards him with his arms wide open. Ok then.
And he requested I get his picture with 'mokey, I had a hard time keeping Titus from following him all around the park.
And even shy Bitsy got a picture.
(I'm sorry, Smokey's face reminds me of the pedo-bear meme....).
And then, we won 1rst place in the pulled pork, 4th in Chicken, and 12th in ribs (I still don't know what to say, the ribs were GOOD). And, me and my brothers won tshirts, mugs, a $20 gift card to Winn-dixie, and a mini shop vac in the raffle (We are somehow good at raffles) and then packed up, and went to our Grandparent's, where I photographed that lovely tom cat.
I had fun, it was busy, and we were all exhausted afterwards. And, it was pretty cool when in the middle of all these country songs, they started blasting PSI's Gangam Style. The desire to dance was pretty overpowering. Very overpowering. But, they must've decided that having a sudden, impulsive dancing crowd wasn't a good idea, and they stopped playing it. Dang. I was getting excited. XD
So, yeah.
And has anybody looked at the calander? October 28th people! The days till NaNoWriMo are quickly becoming shorter. I want to do a vlog before I start, but, lets see how that works. Also, I think I'm going to try to do weekly vlog updates during November, but lets see how that works out, hmm?
So how was your Weekends, guys?
Oh, and in case you were wondering what I was quoting in the Title, and first line of this post, Here ya be:
Ok. I'm done. Goodnight.
The girl who rambles,
The girl who sings songs that hold no symbolism to her life,
The girl who takes pictures of every thing that crosses her path,
Ashley.
For four years you guys have put up with my Adoxography (Look up the meaning. Please do)
When I started Cheery-O (then under the name of 'Notes of the Field') I hardly knew what I was doing. I only read two other blogs; my Mom's and friend's. I didn't even know what 'following' was. When I discovered this lovely thing called 'following' and 'followers' I was simply blown away, and promptly followed the two blogs I read. A few other friends got blogs, and then, I followed my first blog of someone I didn't know IRL. I thought I was being a stalker, and was to timid to even comment.
And then, when I got my first follower, I was sure they would try hunting me down, and kidnapping me. Ok...so..I was a little dramatic (I still am a dramatic person, but the said drama has shifted to other things. Fictional people, life, and songs). I didn't think my life could actually be that interesting that some random person would actually follow me. And, 170 random people later, I still don't know what makes me so special to have all of you lovely people. Really, blogging isn't about how many followers you have, or how many comments you get, but I'd be lying to say it isn't a pretty amazing part. And, I will never turn down more followers/comments.
As I grew in my daily life, I began to change, or, fit into the mold I was always meant for. I began blogging more inspirational/random/interesting posts instead of just daily life. And, I felt 'Notes From the Field' was a part of my life that needed to be let go of. So, NFTF changed to 'Cheery-O'. And, you guys have stuck by as I experimented, toyed, and changed. My life has changed so much these last 4 years. You could say these 4 years have been the pivotal years in my life. But you guys were always there. My blog was always there. I could always depend on you, even if not all of you comment, I still see the pageviews. And, 100+ pageviews a week is rockin'.
Anyway, here I am, rambling on and on, and I'm sure you all want to see what sort of giveaway this absent minded professor has put together.
Is from Hip And Crafty. the lovely Benson Sisters have graciously dontated these darling cookie sleeves:
(Random: Does it annoy you when people spell 'Cookie' like 'Cooky' you shall never know the depth of my wrath when I see it spelled that way. I have no idea why it bothers me so bad..must be the same tick that always corrects people when they say 'Sammich'. IT'S SAND.WHICH. SANDWHICH. not SAMMICH!!!.
Ok ok. you want to see the lovely donated item.....)
Cookies NOT included. sorry.
Perfect for gifting other people with, or for picniks. Or, for hiding your own preciouses in, and storing away in your room....no. forget I said that. Perfect for gifting people with. Lets just leave it at that....
Julie from 'Jewel of the Lion' which could very possibly be THE BEST fudge shop in the whole ness of Etsy, has cheerfully offered to donate a One Pound Fudge sampler:
It comes with 3 peices of 4 different flavors (You'll get a total of 12 whole yummy nummy pieces).
A few of the choices (You get to pick which flavors!) are:
Its all very simple really. Just enter through the little Rafflecopter! I'm pretty sure you all know *how* the enter a rafflecopter, and if not, use your God given brains, and have a go at it. It's really not that hard to unpuzzle.
I just want to thank you girls/guys again. You have really made blogging a breeze. And, I hope you are all still around to celebrate the next 4 years with me.
