Oops I did it again

Happy Canada Day.  

Our home and native land is 148 years old today.

Each year our little corner of the county throws a massive party called the Salmon Festival.  

A large part of the festival, bigger than the Salmon part, is the parade.

I have hardly missed one in 16 years.

And by this time on every one of those Canada Days I am vowing and declaring that that IS IT. 

I am not going ever again.

Then as the months pass, the annoyances and sunburns fade and the nostalgia returns.

I forget that:

• I get up at dawn on a rare day off and head into the village to secure prime real estate from which to view the parade.
• the traffic is nuts - like off the chart crazy -  and people forget how to drive and be civil and park.
• despite having little children seated trying to watch the parade and despite the parade security and police asking people to get back ...idiots like this one persist.  

• that, for me, once I have seen these two groups go by I pretty much could live without the rest of the parade, especially the politicians and Shafik

• that despite the howling gale the sun is still beating down
• that one accumulates more pieces of paper with information and activities on groups one will never hear of again... until the next parade... on the upside one gets lots of crappy candy.
• I shouldn't have had that early cup of coffee..because 50,000 people+ 2 bathrooms = like I said...shouldn't have had the coffee.
• there are no sidewalks left by the time we walk home (thanks to the aforementioned parking idiocy) in a rock concert size crowd except everyone is carrying chairs over their shoulders that become weapons of mass destruction ...and its midday sun (the only thing worse would be trying to drive through that...which thousands do but we live only 5 blocks from the parade)

And so it's easy to make "never again" declarations...until you have new friends who are experiencing their first ever Canada Day like these two beauties

And you think "Aww the kids bike parade is so sweet, such a community event...the music, the diversity, the veterans and seniors and hockey kids and every.single.community.group.and.business.ever, and fire engines...and Sammy the Salmon...

And you make plans to go again. And again. And again.

Happy Canada Day and Goodnight!