How my summer vacation spent me
Posted on September 7th, 2009 –
That’s it, it’s officially the last day of summer.
The sun’s hanging lower in the sky, the CNE is shuttering up for another year, and the kids are going back to school tomorrow. That’s the end of the summer, no matter what the calendar says.
As part of that last effort to get kids to forget their miseries, the Ex has the annual closing-weekend air show.
The announcers always go into excruciating technical detail like maybe we’re looking to pick up a couple of the aircraft after the show. Fires a hundred rounds a second, you say? I may be interested, keep talking.
Then, while waiting for the planes to fly into the show, the announcers go into all the crazy certifications and programs you’d have to go through before you’re even allowed to approach one of these things. For who’s benefit is that? The three-year-old standing next to me who should realistically start thinking about university now if he wants to be a pilot?
Then, the Top Gun music kicks in:
The show’s not entirely ironic. There were plenty of jet fighters on hand going down the real danger zone highway:
This happened to be the air show’s 60th anniversary, so the Blue Angels flew up from the US and with a salute:
This is the second time I’ve attended the show and I’ve really enjoyed it both times. The planes fly close enough to knock toupees off and the little prop ones do some really crazy stuff. Like climbing up into the sky, then cutting the engine, starting a crazy wobbly spin around every possible axis of rotation while plummeting back toward the water, and mere moments before impact, straightening out, re-starting the engine, and pulling up. Just insane.
I didn’t get to chill with the horses in the horse pavilion this year. That’s a regret. But the holiday weekend tradition I like to call “the flu” probably needed a bit of sunshine, so it was good to get out. And, all in all, it’s been a pretty happening summer. Maybe too happening; next year I’d like to see some of those things I missed this time around. I figure it’ll probably take four to five years to properly see most of the concurrent festivals, parades, and events that happen around the city every year. And with all the random news, changes, and just interesting stuff around … good frickin’ luck with that timeline!
I’m going to have to learn to pace myself.
... with pictures
... with sounds
... with videos
... with opinions
... that's shorter
... that's longer
September 9th, 2009 3:49 pm
Hey… where are the pics of Destroyer playing on the Budweiser Midway stage Sunday night? lol .. I was there!! Haven't been to the CNE in years, nor have I seen any part of the airshow in that long too! Though, I was stuck in traffic for an hour and a half on Lakeshore lol!
September 10th, 2009 8:34 am
There were two problems with attending that concert, Dianne. First was the fact that on Sunday I was still out of commission. Lifting the remote was a challenge. Second … Destroyer? Who's that?
But about the CNE, I hadn't been in years either, and I didn't get to see everything anyway. If I was stuck on the Lakeshore with a camera and some cotton candy, my experience at the Ex this year would have been about the same. No bumper cars :(
September 14th, 2009 5:58 pm
Destroyer = Canada's Premier Tribute To Kiss ;) (you do recall that I'm a major KISS fanatic right? lol).
Funny.. the bumper cars were always my favourite too.. they don't have them anymore? That's like.. tradition!!
September 15th, 2009 6:00 am
Apologies, Dianne. I didn't realize Destroyer was a KISS cover band. I learned something new today :)
The CNE does still have bumper cars but it's be really weird for a thirty-five year old guy to be riding one by himself, bashing into little kids, etc. Lamenting the loss of youth, I guess :(