May 10: Wichita River Festival

The beginning of the week was pretty normal. Get up each morning and check the internet for jobs. I mailed off 4 last Monday and will have done 3 by tomorrow. No one has even called yet for an interview. I keep thinking it's the economic situation and not my age that's keeping me from getting calls. I also know that there are several thousand other people out there looking for some of the same jobs I'm looking for. I'll just keep plugging along - surely something will come along. The end of the week marked the beginning of the Wichita River Festival - a week long celebration of Wichita becoming a city. It's our 36th year and I actually attended the very first one - even before I knew Larry.


Friday night is the Sundowner Parade. I walked with the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) group that I've trained with in the past. I'm back and trying to get active again. CERT is a Homeland Security organization.







Today, Mother's Day, Rebecca and family and Larry and I went to the Botanical Gardens. They are free on Mother's Day and as part of a River Festival event. Took some family setting pictures there and then headed for downtown where the bulk of the activities are being held.



Austin hopes to someday become an Army Ranger so he's been looking forward to going to the Army display all week. However, we found out that you had to be 16 to participate in most of the stuff. He could do the push ups and pull ups but nothing else. Nathen was allowed to register eventhough he's only 15. He got to do the rock climb and go thru a trailer where a Hum Vee drove thru the streets of Bagdad.












The boys wanted me to do the Guitar Hero gig that was part of the "Army Strong" program, so I joined them for Michael Jackson's "Beat It". It sure was long. Nathen played lead, Austin on the drums and I was the bass part. I'm pretty sure I was the oldest one playing in the hour or so that we were in the area. There was even a smattering of applause when we finished.


I'm volunteered with CERT to help keep the paddle boats in the correct area of the Arkansas River this next week from a boat, so Larry (on the nights he doesn't work) and I will still be River Festivaling thru the week. Hopefully, between job interviews.