First Thursday Fun Fest

There were big things going on in Cannon Falls tonight. First of all, our bank had free brats (the edible type, not the undisciplined children type) and "fixings", so yay, I didn't have to make dinner! Who can pass up that opportunity? Then, the downtown merchants had some sidewalk sales; plus there were bands, artists selling their goods, and a whole plethora of local people. Good times.

As we headed back home, John looked at me and said, "How many votes did you get tonight?" I looked at him quizzically. He tells me I work the crowd like a politician. He's sure I could win if I'd just run for something. Well maybe, until they all figure out I know nothing about politics, and that, in fact, my brain starts to misfire when the subject comes up.

The local police had a booth at this shindig. They passed out a list of things that I should have packed in a backpack in case of emergency. They call it the grab and go bag. It should include, in addition to the normal emergency items, a set of comfortable clothes, a lightweight blanket, an extra pair of shoes and a minimum of a gallon of drinking water. Oh, and a good book, playing cards and crossword puzzles. What I want to know, first of all, is where do I buy a back pack large enough for all of these items (the list is quite extensive), and secondly, who is going to carry it for me in the said emergency? I mean seriously, it's going to weigh over 50 pounds by the time I get it packed. And, what if by the time the emergency comes the clothes are too big, or worse yet, too small? Everyone in the family is supposed to have one and we are supposed to keep it by our beds. Are you kidding me? I'm supposed to keep a 50 pound back pack next to my bed where I can trip on it in the middle of the night? And then, I'm supposed to remember to grab said back pack should I need to evacuate quickly in the event of a fire? Wouldn't it make more sense to just put a wallet next to my bed and stick a couple hundred dollars in it to buy this stuff with once the emergency happens? In the event of a global emergency, I can't really imagine that my one gallon of water is going to make a difference between life and death. Who comes up with this stuff?