Exploring at the Uxbridge Fair

I spent the good part of my afternoon at the Uxbridge fair yesterday. I was actually there to support my good friend in his first ever demolition derby. If you've read my previous post, you will now know that yesterday's derby was my second in the span of two weeks and subsequently my entire life.

Now, you need to know that the Demolition Derby in uxbridge is serious stuff. People show up hours in advance to save spots by attaching their blankets to the benches and bleachers with duct tape. Therefore, wanting good seats, my friends and I showed up several hours early, which gave us some time to spare.

I ended up walking around the fair grounds with my friend Nina and 2 adorable 4 year old twin brothers (the sons of another couple we knew at the fair). And so we explored together, hand in hand. We walked over to the dunk tank and threw some hard balls at that little red dot that, when pushed, gets a shivering man wet all over again. :) We strolled past the carnival rides and Aden explained to me how one of the rides (which looked exactly like a spider) scared him because it went too high. Our adventure continued by staring longingly at the multi-coloured lollipops at the concession stand and poking our noses into the cages at the petting zoo.

The hour or so that we spent together was so enjoyable simply because it helped me see the fair through the eyes of a little child again. To remember what its like to be little. To forget about life for a while and just enjoy the sights and sounds around us.





All pictures taken by my brother Jared, who followed us around in our wonderful adventure. Check out his photos on flickr!

Demolition Derby

I spent my Sunday afternoon with some good friends painting a derby car for an upcoming demolition car derby this Saturday evening. Don't worry, it is not me that will be participating in this so called 'car fight', but rather a good friend of mine. (I'm slightly concerned for his health and safety) ;)

I say this in the best possible way, but I don't think we could have been more 'hick' if we tried to be. There I am, out in the middle of Uxbridge, dressed in an old t-shirt, shorts, and leggings slopping paint onto a transformed derby car. That evening, after the car had been turned into an art masterpiece, my friends and I made our way to my first demolition derby at the nearby fair in Parry Sound. Of course. We settled in on the bleachers; junkfood in hand and ferris wheel turning behind us, to watch dozens of men (young and old) climb into souped-up cars ready to smash the guts out of eachother. Wheels torn off, billows of smoke rose from broken radiators, the back-end of vehicles smashed up like a pop cans ready to be thrown out, mud flying everywhere, and a full audience watching in anticipation of the winner.

And in fact, I found the entire experience incredibly educational. I really know absolutely nothing about cars, but just from going to that derby and hearing the words I feel a whole lot smarter. Piston, 6 cylinder, radiator, front wheel drive. Look how much I know now! I learned a whole lot more about cars last Sunday that I have ever before, that's for sure (Which really doesn't say a lot.. but still)

I fully enjoyed myself. It was peaceful out in the country, painting a friend's car. The companionship, the laughs, the steady work, the "hick"-ness of it all made for a really rewarding day. We all need a little bit of that in our lives. It reminded me a bit of my summer in Quebec. A lot of things remind me of my summer in Québec. But that of course is another story.

I'm really looking forward to Saturday.

Photo Credit: Jared Krause - Check out his sweet photo blog!!

I'm back.

I've been gone for quite some time. But I'm back from Québec, and more bilingual than I was when I left.

One of the things I love about leaving home is that being away gives you a sense of freedom and independence you'd never find from your hometown backyard. When you leave home for a period of time, you learn how to trust God with even the smallest of situations. You feel adventurous, and crazy, and beautiful. You feel courageous, and carefree. And at times, you feel homesick, and unsure, and frustrated. But in the end, the positive always outweighs the negative. I never knew feelings could be so tangible. I don't think it's possible to leave and come back the same person. But I think that that's a good thing.

I learned a lot about myself this summer. Or we could say that God taught me a lot of stuff about myself this summer.

So, I'm back. I don't know how often I'll be writing - that will sort itself out as I begin my second year and begin to understand how heavy the workload will be.

But just thought I'd let you know that I'm definitely still alive. Probably quite different from 2 months ago, but still ready to take on the world just the same.

K