Nye's Polonaise Room

Okay, remember back in February when I went to Minneapolis and I chronicled my whole weekend of fun and entertainment? Also, remember the guy I affectionately named "Rodge Podge Concoction" who taught me how to dance the polka and waltz? Well......ok, just watch the video and see why this is exciting.
http://www.wcco.com/video/?id=17925@wcco.dayport.com

Another fun thing about the parade...

Another fun thing about the parade is that two of my cousins were in it...(Beth's daughters). Here is Emily as a flag girl and Lindsey wit her saxaphone (obviously not nearly as excited about the parade as her mother). Here's also a picture of the "truck of fun" as I dubbed it. I thought it might have been too much fun for one float. See for yourself.

"They Love a PARADE!!!!"

Since Beth and I arrived at the parade 2 hours early, we had plenty of time to "people watch" And that's when I saw her. I woman that might love a parade more than my aunt, Beth. She was wearing a Dr. Seuss hat that was American flag themed and a shirt that actually says "I love a parade". She lived on the parade route and was passing out doughnuts and coffee from her house (for free) to the anxious parade-goers). Beth was too embarassed to talk to her, so I went up to her and said "Where did you get your t-shirt?" She told me she has an industrial printing press at her house and she made them for herself and the rest of her family. She took down Beth's number and told her she would make her a tshirt of her very own, but as of today, has not called. So, parade lady, if you're reading this...Beth would really love one of those t-shirts. I also asked her to take a picture with my aunt Beth, stating that she's the only person I've ever seen that loves a parade more than she.

"76 trombones led the big parade..."

I'm going to tell you a little story, but before I do, I'm going to give you a little background. This picture is of my aunt Beth. Beth is a fun gal. She has two tattoos, can cuss like a sailor, and is most usually adorned in various Harley Davidson attire. She is definately a product of the 80's. Though her hair and jeans have recently taken a giant step towards the year 2000, she still enjoys the vocal stylings of ACDC, Jon Bon Jovi and the like. Heck, her daughter named her first 4-H calf "Aerosmith". The reason I'm telling you this, is not to poke fun at Beth. In fact, I wouldn't want her any other way. She is my aunt by marriage, but she couldn't be more of a Petersen if she tried (sorry, Beth). But maybe by understanding more about her, you can imagine my surprise when I learned that her favorite thing in this entire world is the annual "North Iowa Band Festival". She has told me of her love for the parade numerous times, but to tell you the truth, I thought it was somewhat of an act. I decided to go this year to find out what the excitement is all about. We got there early (2 hours, in fact) so we could be assured a good spot (Beth's idea). We sat about a block away from the very end of the parade route. This parade was very much like any other parade, only this is where the movie "The Music Man" was based out of, so the first band to come through is the Mason City High School Band playing "76 Trombones". This is when I knew for sure that Beth's love for the parade was not an act. The Mason City band stopped right in front of us and played the famous song. I looked over at Beth and she had goosebumps running up and down her arms and legs. She looked over at me and said "It's like they're playing it just for me!!" I tried to get a picture, but I was using Beth's camera, so I didn't really know how to work it properly. Plus, I was laughing so it's a little blurry. But, nonetheless, here is a little window into my world that day.

Fishing Fun!

Tayler and Emmy have been over at our house since Wednesday evening. We've been busy, too! On Friday, we went fishing with Adam, Amanda, Abby, Lissy and Dew. Here are a few pictures from our day.