as we all know, October begins to see the slow season for hotels in the Southeast, thus giving me a little break from the rigors of shower curtain and bathroom maintenance. With a little free time and the knowledge of our kids being back in school so they could not go, the wife and i looked diligently for a weekend get away.
Loggin onto our favorite website WWW.TRIPSMARTER.COM(notice cheap plug in hopes of winning merchandise that otherwise could be purchased) we checked out all the special events that were occuring at the beach. Germany in the heart of the panhandle...surely you jest!
That's right Oktoberfest in PCB, we packed up the Volkswagon and headed out immediately. As we called all the relatives to inform them of the beer swilling plan of the weekend, we found out that cousin Skitty was already in the beachside paradise due to the County Fair falling upon the same weekend! (He is the guy that walks on the inner rail of the Gravitron! Quite an acrobat from a guy who grew up thinking somersault was a fight that started in June!)
Wahoo, a county fair and Oktoberfest....I have not been that excited since the introduction of the four-roll toilet paper dispenser! The plan was set....Friday night among the masses at the fair, and a Saturday evening full of Brat and beer!!! Ompah!
Friday night rolled around and we found ourselves walking through the varied exhibitions. I did not know cucumbers grew that big...apparentyl my wife did not either...her mouth was nearly salivating at the prospect of it! Women?
When did these fairs get so weird? I mean I saw bearded ladies, kids with piercings all over their body, a tatooed freak, even a guy with webbed hands and feet....and all that was just in line for cotton candy.
After riding tons of rides and feelign alittle green, we headed fo the games. Now being a bit of a sentimentalist, I knew I had to win the ultimate prize for my little lady. No, two little fair fish were not going to do it this year, I thought to myself as I walked by the ping pong ball fishbowl game. Next I saw the rat in a hole game. Yup a childhood favorite, I love to see the rat get thrown to a spinning wheel. Used to be called rat roulette, but PETA stepped in and said that had negative conotations, can you believe that? Well the rat paid off big time in the form of a heart and bear, but i knew it was not enough. There it was, taunting me, calling for me try, so i stepped up to the basketball rims to win my ladies heart.
First shot rimmed around like the flushing of so many toilets i have seen in my life. Swirl and swirl and slowly it fell through the hoop! The carny started to sweat, he knew i knew the rims were too small, he knew one more and he had to pay out large....the shot went up, it floated through the air and my life was flashing through my eyes. How i met her so many years ago, across the bathroom, it was my first solo job, fix the dispenser in the ladies room. I remember the startled look as she saw me in there, wondering who I was, all the while I knew her from my dreams...the ball began its decent towards the rim, I was as nervous as I was on Prom night, but this evening I was not waiting on my sister, rather a small orange ball to fall through the rim...SWISH! The 11 x 14 framed print of N'Synch was mine and with it I won her heart all over again!
Gosh I love the fair!
Oktoberfest was the niext night, and all I can say is OmPah!!! Nothing brings me back to the good old days like a plumbers Polka! We danced and sang and even did the funky chicken! No that is not a dance by MC Hammer, it really is an old German dance! We drank dark beer, and ate some bratwurst and grew excited as we head there was soon to be a wet T-short contest. Now my wife has benefited from the lucrative business of bathroom business in a way that should make her a shoe in for this style contest...at 56 she is certain to win!
Foiled we were when we found out it was a canine wet t-shirt contest! Dogs a plenty ran up and down this course and slapped on wet shirts all in an attempt to win a delicious biscuit. All the same it was a fun time in the heart of the activities. You folks in Panama know how to party!!!!
After the dogs cames the foxes, the Panama City Beach Thundergirls! They are a local dance troupe that perform at special events, quite entertaining, and not too bad to lok at either. ;-) Man O' Man, the did not dance in a german style but the sure made my weinersnitzel!
Overall, we danced and drank and walked around with the people of Panama City! We love this place, and we look forward to next weekends Seafood Festival! Can't wait to get there, we hear they might even be unvieling the new porta-john 3001, complete with ventilation and in-house entertainment...
I love this town....