Alcohol, Fire, Hippies AND Dancing!

Saturday night was when my adventure began. My friend Jackie and her brother Danny decided to have a BBQ. They couldn't have picked a better night in my opinion, the weather was perfect! We were able to sit outside for most of the night and the misquitos were kept to a minimum making it very enjoyable. Although I myself didn't partake in any consumption of alcohol, all of the people around me did! Usually, this would piss me off and I would be counting down the minutes before I could leave. However, there were only a select few that became so inebriated they started to annoy me. For the most part people kept their alcohol consumption at a relatively reasonable level (Although I’m sure all if not the vast majority woke up the next day with killer hangovers).

For me, highlight of the evening wasn't at the party. It was after I returned home with my very good, and very drunk friend Carling. We were about to hit the hay when she announced that she wanted to see Henry (My 8 month old toy poodle) whom she hadn't seen for some time as I have moved back to Calgary for the summer and she's still in Lethbridge. After waking him up and pointing him in the direction of Carling, he freaked out and got so excited that he peed ALL over Carling's hand! If you know my dog, I think you'll understand.


Despite all the fun, Sunday had to be the best day of the weekend. I attended Folk Festival. FREAKING AWSOME!~!~!

And now a scene from...

Miko At Folk Festival

Note: Inciting Incident - C convincing M to buy a ticket to Folk Fest

Act I - Rising Action

Dramatis Personae:
M- Cute 21 year with secret desire to become a Hippy
C- Cute 20 yr old who has no desire to become a Hippy
HC- Cool 20yr old who loves folk music and is currently learning to play the banjo, other talents include mastery of Harmonica, guitar and proper grammar.

At rise: M and C are in line for curry when M gets out her phone to call H, until recently the weather has been beautiful. However, a sudden wind storm created havoc! Especially amongst the "folkers" as a branch fell in the beer gardens and injured a mother and a baby. (This is real stuff kids, I'm not making it up) It is still sunny but angry clouds can be seen rolling in from the North. M and C haven't brought much in the way of extra clothing. C actually was forced to borrow a poncho from M's house just to ensure she had something if a storm hit. Music is playing in the background as it is a folk festival and there are many stages on set with a different performer on each. An electric guitar should also be featured throughout the musical selection at some point. C&M continue to discuss the curry situation.

C: Ok so I'm going to get the special
M: And I'm going to get the beef curry and two Samosa's
M&C: Done! (Naan bread will also be purchased but no reference is needed.)

M Gets cell phone out and begins dialing, H will be heard but not seen onstage

H: A-hoi-hoi?
M: H? What up homie? Where you at? (Or something to that extent)
H: I'm at the mainstage where are you?
M: I'm in line for curry
H: Do you have a place to sit yet?
M: No
H: Do you want to sit with us?
M: Yeah that'd be awesome! Where are you?
H: On the stage right side where the orange fence and the metal fence meet.
M: Sweet I'll see ya in a bit!

Curry is purchased, C&M walk over to the mainstage with REAL PLATES full of delicious curry. The girls begin looking for H but are unsuccessful. H will be the one to find C & M as she is on her way to return her REAL PLATE so she can get her $2 deposit back. C&M follow, and finish their curry, also returning their plates for the $2 deposit, both C&M stop off and buy fruit in a bowl and a bottle of water before heading to the mainstage with H. When all three return to the mainstage C&M discover that H is at the front of the stage.

M: H, how did you get so close?
H: I slept here last night!
C&M: What? Seriously? ad lib
H: Well I was 50th in line! And we had a sleeping bag. It was sweet and they let us in at 7:30, but the mainstage was fenced off and we weren't allowed to put our tarps down until 9:30 when it actually opens, and they were yelling at us and telling us not to run, so everyone's speed walking to the front and then we see some guy start skipping so we start skipping and yeah. (H will be reenacting the events as she explains them)
M: That's effing sweet!

Act II - Climax

Scene: Thousands of people will be sitting on tarps listening to Dar Williams will sing The Christians and the Pagans, by now the clouds have rolled in the dreaded rain will begin slowly, and soon burst forth. The rain should be steady but not extremely heavy. The rain should be just enough to make the atmosphere damp, cold and somewhat miserable. Daby Tourewill come onstage and "wow" the crowd with their amazing talent and catchy bass lines. They will ask the crowd to stand and participate. The crowd begins to stand and dance in the rain. M gets up and does just that and as she is dancing M looks around. Seeing all the expressive dancing going on around her and realizes that this is her one and only chance to live out her secret dream of being a hippy. M decides that for tonight, she will be a hippy! M&C join in along will all of H's friends who are sitting on the tarp as well. After Daby Toure the audience does not sit down as their tarps are wet and they realize that they can keep warmer by continuously moving. Matt Good will however, "dampen" the mood to dance as he does not play any Caribbean tunes and is very politically active. Ani DiFranco will come out onstage following a group that won a song writing competition and a spot on the mainstage at folk fest (The winners should be three men that are very good-looking and will sing a song about oil.). Once Ani's name is announced the crowd will cheer!

Ani will later announce that she "sprayed some ballad-be-gone from tonight’s set list." In the hopes to keep the audience moving in the chilly weather. As Ani's set continues the clouds begin to part and the sky can be seen again. By the end of the night the sky is clear, everyone is wet but very happy! M will get pictures but will be slightly disappointed with them when she returns home because most are somewhat blurry.

Act III - Denumount

Dramatis Personae:
C- Still cute, but wearing a poncho now and wet
M- Still cute but very wet

Scene: C&M are walking back to the car after the show, C notices that the home-made chai tea is still open and buys two mediums as M has never had one.
M: MMMM chai tea is good!
C: I know and it smells like Christmas trees!

C&M will walk back to car ad lib about how amazing the show was and how good the curry was.

C: Do you want to go do something?
M: Sure! Like what?
C: Let's go see what's open in Kensington
M: OK

C&M won't end up in Kensington as M cannot turn at the right time, somehow the two end up at McDonalds where they both get Big Mac's. M discover's that chai tea and Big Mac's don't go together. And despite popular theorie, it is not "just gross enough to work." Afterwards M will drive C home, drive herself home, take all the wet clothing out of her bag lay it out to dry and go to bed. The next morning she will wake up late as there was a power outage the night before and her alarm did not go off, she will have enough time to get her stuff in order but not enough time to shower, she will feel greasy the next day at work.