Chile Festival

This is New Mexico, so of course we have a chile festival.  Our state question is: red or green?  Do other states even have a state question?  Weird.  Anyway, there are actually a few chile festivals here, but the biggest is hours away and we have yet to get down there for it.  So we opted to attend the free chile festival locally in Albuquerque, which occurs annually to raise money for Habitat for Humanity.

We actually headed over there Saturday afternoon after enjoying a terrific sandwich down by UNM at C's favorite sandwich place: Which Wich?  It was lovely sitting outside and enjoying the sunshine and light breeze and having a good sandwich and a cold drink.  C has been there several times on business lunches, but it was my first time and he was very excited to share his find with me.  J and O were with us also and they particularly loved that they got to fill out their own order on their Kids Wich bag.

Anyway, back to the Chile Festival.  The kids loved the bouncy houses and looking at all the interesting arts and crafts.  I enjoyed the smell of roasting chiles.  It was just a nice and relaxing afternoon. 

We'd forgotten to grab cash and there was a book sale and some other neat things we wanted to possibly purchase, but the ATM machine at the event was out of cash.  So we decided to go back today.

After church, our same group of four, plus Z, headed back to the festival with cash in hand. 

By the time we got there, the book sale had been picked over pretty ravenously, so there wasn't much selection left.  It was hotter today -- or lacking the breeze.  The kids each had their two dollars, so instead of looking around casually, we were on a hunt to locate every $2.00 and under option that might appease them before the money literally burned a hole through their pockets.  My camera started taking pictures with a blue tint (which is a random thing it likes to do sometimes lately) and that didn't make me happy at all.

And the worst part of the whole thing was when I was standing at the Habitat for Humanity booth getting volunteer information for S, who'd asked me to get it for her (she had too much homework to go with us) and a woman working the booth next door began vomiting in a projectile fashion on her run towards the bathrooms.  As it exited her face, it splattered on the HfH table and then, it splashed up on my arm.

Granted, I feel terrible for the woman and hope she is feeling better.  However, I don't like it when our own children vomit on me.  I certainly am not much happier about feeling the dampness of a stranger's vomit on my arm.  I stood their frozen while the man at the HfH booth ran to grab napkins and he began wiping up the vomit from the mailing list sign-up clipboards on his table.

Several things ran through my mind at this moment.  Is he still planning to use those sign-up sheets once he wipes away the vomit?  Did he grab an extra napkin for my arm?  Do I want to go use the bathroom to wash my arm since the sick woman is in there?  Was she actually sick or was that food poisoning?  Am I going to be sick?

C had seen the whole event and he literally got the kids and went to the complete opposite side of the area.  He saw vomit and saved the rest of the family from contamination while I stood there in shock.  I'm not sure if I should think him a hero for protecting the children or be annoyed that he didn't really help me process what was going through my mind. 

When I caught up with my family, C asked, "Um, do you need hand sanitizer or anything?"

I said, "It didn't go on my hands."

On the bright side, I was relieved that I'd grabbed the brochure for S before the table was covered in germs and it had been safely stowed in my pocket.

Anyhow, it'll be a story to remember!  Here are a few pictures from our two days at the festival ... nothing to celebrate in these, but still, I think we managed to fit in some joyful moments in spite of the various challenges.

What is it about these giant inflatables that just calls to children the way music of an ice cream truck can?  Man, they go crazy for these things.  And I just let out a heavy sigh ... someone always gets hurt.  But surprisingly, not this time!

Please note that the logo on the top has the correct spelling for chile (i.e. red or green), but then the text below spells it like a bowl of chili.  What's up with that?  I know ... I'm picky.

So blue.  So many of my photos look like this.

These were some of the little crafts the kids were able to purchase for 25-cents each.  They did their part to support Habitat for Humanity!  Yay!

I thought these were crazy.  Regular bottles melted down into flat cheese plates and spoon rests.  What an interesting and ingenuous way to reuse something!

And Ma'am, if you who were sick, happens upon this blog and realizes it's you I'm talking about, please know I mean no disrespect ... the moment could have happened to anyone.  I'll survive.  It was all just a shock!  I'm sure it was to you, also.  I truly hope you are feeling better soon.