This weekend, we headed out to Capital Ex, one of Edmonton's biggest summer festivals.

It was hot, crowded and there were people who needed to lose about 50 more pounds before they should really be wearing that tube top and daisy dukes. It was just like being at a public event in the states! We had fun just walking around and taking it all in - the lines of adrenaline junkies waiting their turn to feel the g-forces pulling their body on all the rickety, quasi-regulation rides, the pulsating music, the mixture of aromas - corn dogs, mini donuts and corn on a stick. Who doesn't love a good 'ol deep fried dough ball, lightly dusted in cinnamon sugar, washed down with a lemon shake-up? We cruised through the aisles of games, like Wac-a-mole and Bottle Toss, to shouts of "winna, winna, chicken dinna!" and "Everyone's a winner!" But we don't fall for those tricks. I know the odds. I spent hours as a kid playing skee ball, saving up a stack of tickets as thick as a phone book, only to realize when I went to cash them in that I almost had enough for a pencil eraser.

Being there really took me back to the days of my youth. I used to visit my cousins in Peoria in the summertime and one of the highlights was always the Heart of Illinois Fair. We'd get dressed up in our finest (cut-off jean shorts with footless tights under them and stacks of bangle bracelets) and we'd head out to see what excitement awaited us. We'd beg my older cousin to drive us since that was much less embarassing than being seen with your parents. She'd agree as long as we promised not to try to hang out with her and her friends once we arrived. As soon as we arrived, we'd head off in search of adventure and cute boys. The MC Hammer was pounding as you zoomed, flipped and spun your cares away on the Tilt-a-Whirl, the Inclinator or the Ring-o-Fire. We even saw Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in concert. I hear she's still doing the fair circuit actually... "Singin' I love rock n' roll, put another dime in the juke box baby!" Ah...good times.

The fair really hasn't changed much. The cut-off jean shorts are still there, MC Hammer has been replaced by Britney Spears, but it's still the same vibe. Surprisingly, Capital Ex had a nice amount of things for Wyatt's age to do. There were pony rides, sand castle stations and a miniature farm, where the kids got to milk the cows, pick up chicken eggs, pick apples, drive the tractor, then take all their goods to the farmer's market. Of course, we couldn't pass on riding the train with our little train fanatic. He laughed and squealed in joy the whole time. Ok,so Dayven and I enjoyed ourselves too.