School Fair fic, Exhaustion and Muffins

Late Spring Fair

Under the red and white tent, cover bands in three-day succession. Smell of spilled beer and pierogies. Babies sway on the chests of young mothers wearing the eyeliner of their teens. Couples in their forties show off their Arthur Miller dance moves, the men's hair glossy and black; grease is in the air, beneath their shoes. Thin and straight, in ties, gray-haired men forget the dance school moves and box-step their wives gently to Cracker, "Low." Listening to a different era. Listening to thready purple veins in beloved hands. A million miles below their feet, a million miles.

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Yesterday, after Horrible Garage Sale day, we went up to St. Sebastian's for the first night of the annual school fair. Sent rubber frogs flying, plunking into water. Or onto asphalt, mostly, in my case. Walked the grounds, watched the little ones come flying down the Big Big Slide. Took note of the way the 80s are back in full swing. I laughed at mohawks and neon green shoelaces and acid-washed jeans. Acid wash! Some of them faked the mohawk, which isn't right. If you aren't going to shave the sides, you aren't punk, you little punk. Just brushing up the middle doesn't count. You're fourteen, and you're going to be a business college student soon if you don't shave that head.

Well, looks aren't everything. I look as normal as anyone. I look middle-class. I look boring. I look like a dog groomer.

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Now that this stuff is out of my basement and garage, I feel pretty good. But exhausted. Physically exhausted. The last two nights, I've fallen asleep instantly and slept until at least 5 am, which is a miracle for me. But my back hurts, and I am soooo tired today. Did I mention how tired I am? So I'm going to make some lemon-sour cream muffins now (Not So Humble Pie's blog, god, how I love it) and have my tea and get some dog food later, and maybe rent a movie. If we get enough energy by then, we might see Ironman 2. I'm in for seeing How To Train Your Dragon for a second time, but he'd like something new.

Muffins. Right. I'm on it.