the trap(p)s at wolftrap

Every year Wolftrap hosts an International Children’s Festival during the fall – a weekend of fun, arts, dances and the like. For the past 3 years the kids have performed to showcase Indian dances amongst the rest. This year, we decided to take a break and the daughter volunteered to be part of the FLL team that also plants booths in the Arts and Technology side of the festival.

So we joined a few others in her team to spread the word on Robotics and the joy it brings to the ones who build the robot, and then program it to do a set of activities. Since the boys in her team are quite tongue-tied, she and the only other girl on the team were roped in to be the spokespersons.

As by now it’s a given that nothing goes smooth when I embark on a “project”, here’s what happened..

You’d think having spent my whole US life in the area and the fact that Wolftrap is really just around the corner and that I go there every year quite like a pilgrimage, I could drive there with my eyes closed. That’s where I have the curse of the ramp on me.

As is always the case, there are a few different ways to reach a point, and I choose one way, and invariably I lose an exit or VDOT decides to change highways around or am just so focused on my music that I land in a completely different part of town. Every (4) time! It’s funny innit?

Well, the 1st time was when I conveniently watch it go past coz the husband said 2 miles, and who knew 2 miles lands within a minute(?!) did a detour and landed on the other side only to discover that exit 15 only comes northbound! It was exasperating and I landed 5 minutes short of the performance.

The 2nd time, I kept staring at the sign and shot past it. Nope, can’t blame the husband but I did yell at the kids in the backseat. They took it good-naturedly and we had to drive through million dollar homes, and lush winding slopey roads to arrive at the back of the Barns.  Huffed and puffed our way up with the help of the guy at the post.

The 3rd year, it was raining cats and dogs and since I knew I was going to mess up anyway, I was extremely alert and yet managed to do a daredevil stunt and cross medians and took the exit. Very bad of me, but I didn’t get lost!

This morning I was animatedly discussing something with the daughter  and yes, shot past the exit. I didn’t realize it till she started laughing. This is the toll road, so everytime I lose an exit, I pay heavily, with quarters. Quite amusing I tell you!

There’s another story with toll. I hate throwing the change into that little bin they have from the car. I always always lose some part of the change, and then there’s some bozo behind me who’s in an extreme hurry and would start honking at the flustered lady who can’t toss a coin in straight! I tend to take the SUV and usually gravity helps there, but the car is really annoying to me. The height just doesn’t cut it and I quite feel like I am on the floor. Anyways, so yes, lost a  quarter to the angle at which my left arm could fling, and annoyed the daughter since she was saving the Nebraska quarter and had to part with it.

Today I had some time to run around all by myself [ah the joy!] and managed to catch a few nice dances and activities, met a few dozen folks I knew and hobnobbed an hour. Ended it with the cha-cha slide, [click here for some really cute kids doing the cha cha] before I returned home.

Apart from the occasional gray sky and humid weather, which truly made me feel sorry for some of the performers, there was lots of laughter, kids, strollers, some serious techy kids along with some equally serious dancing ones! Those Flamenco dancers from Spain were hot! As in perspiring yet managing to look cool and very sexy!

Enjoy!

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11 replies on “the trap(p)s at wolftrap”
  1. says: rads

    BPSK – Smart-tag’s for frequent travel, the need isn’t on me yet 🙂

    Typos are my bane I tell ya. I meant ‘Cooped’ 😀

  2. says: SK

    Wow! Interesting Rads. I think I found your kiddo in one of the pics, am I right ? :–)

    Btw, once again, how do you find time to do soooo many things? You sure are a Super mom!

  3. says: rads

    SK – o no, there are quite a few moms like me running around on a high. Driven 🙂

    You know, folks have asked me this and I usually just toss the q aside, but seriously though, if someone chucks you into the ocean and you don’t want to sink, you have got to start swimming! It’s just like that, it’s not like I have a choice.

    With regards to ones I add on consciously, well, I believe that there are so many things out there that we ought to at least try before we give up. You want something bad enough, you will find the time to squeeze it in and enjoy it.
    My life’s philosophy 😉

  4. says: Cydonian

    If it’s any consolation, I made an absolute mess of my post-work travelling tonight. Made a complete mess of the trip; ended up taking a quick trek through one of the seedier parts of the town. This, in a town where I’ve lived for _seven straight years_, and in an area that I regularly haunt for lunches on Fridays, and (Indian) shopping on weekends.

    In fact, so simple was the route that I just had to take a straight road down. Yeah.

    Wow, SUV? Taking kids out for extra-curricular activities? You sure are a robotics-mom (as opposed to ‘soccer-mom’) aren’t you?

  5. says: rads

    cyd – Straight road and you got lost? Hmm.. what was on your mind? :p
    Yep, SUV totally rocks. Hate cars. They just can’t accomodate all that we moms are expected to carry. 😐

    Dushti – anytime 🙂

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