Dear All~

Today finds me enjoying a weekend off from my job at the hospital: it surely has been a very long time since I've been able to accomplish that!  Today also finds me (as well as my family) enjoying the festivities at the annual Tennessee State Fair here in Nashville.

We are all having a wonderful time: me, my wife, Sarah, and our children.  The kids are off riding the rides (well, most of them are, anyway); it's just me, wifey, and our brand new baby boy, who is the apple of her (and my) eye.  The fair, even with all the noise and excitement, doesn't faze our son any: he's sleeping like a champ!  He was up just about all of last night, with a raging case of colic, but it's seemed to have resolved itself.  We gave him some medication the pediatrician ordered for us, and it's been smooth sailing ever since.

Don't know how long baby will sleep, but hey: we'll take any peace we can get! Better than having him screaming and squalling all the time!

We came the first day of the fair: they had Loretta Lynn as the main attraction; the day after they had Gladys Knight and the Pips.  Yesterday they had Ray Benson and "Asleep At The Wheel".  Today it is "Beausoleil" avec Michael Doucet (and also Belton Richard).  Belton was here the other day but he had such a positive response from the crowd they asked him to appear today as well.  So we have a double bill of Cajun music to listen to.

Now we are back; this is our second time here. 

My co-worker Louisiana Sandusky and her family were here the first day and last night; they are back today as well.  While Bill watches the younger (or more disabled) children, she and the remaining kids (still left at home) zip from ride to ride.  I can hear her yelling on some of the rides: I recognize her laugh as well as her screams.  LOL  She really sounds like she is having the time of the life on those rides, but one question remains:  why does she even think of getting ON some of those thrill rides??  They scare me just by looking at them!!

Roberto Sormiento and his family are here as well: Roberto, his wife, M'Buti, and their ten children; they are all wearing kelly green 4-H shirts, so it's easy to spot them in any crowd.  Same way with Louie and her family: they are all wearing red Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival shirts, plus it's easy to spot the family in the crowd, since they ARE so large!  :)

The weather for the fair is fantastic right now: fair (get it?? Sorry! LOL Couldn't resist!) with high, thin wispy clouds, with temps in the 90's.  Rather warm and humid, but relief will come tomorrow in the guise of a cold front that's blowing in from the north; from what I hear, it's a rather potent system for this time of year; it's barely past August.  There is a nice breeze from the south, but it really doesn't do much to cool us off: staying in the shade, wearing light-colored clothing, sunglasses, and a hat are the order of the day, as is drinking plenty of fluids (water or Gator-aid).    We may have some rain later tonight or sometime tomorrow morning, according to the weather forecasters.

You can't ask for better weather for the Tennessee State Fair!

I just hope the kids don't end up getting lost or having any unforseen incidents, like earlier today, as an example, when Brooklyn pinched her finger while getting on the Scrambler.  She shut the door on her finger and got a nasty pinch.  Oh, how she cried!  I know it had to have hurt!  She has a bruise and a small cut on it, but I think she'll live ...

We will probably let the kids ride for another hour before they meet us at 3:00 for snack time; then they can ride more rides until 5:30, where we will have them meet us at the Food Court next to the midway, where we will probably have our supper before heading to the Main Grandstand to see BeauSoleil and Belton Richard perform their Cajun music.  There are gonna be a lot of people dancing in the aisles; I can just see it now ... somehow Cajun music drives the people to the dance floor.  I can see why; it is so infectious; it is hard to keep still!

Makes me wish I could move my feet and my legs instead of sitting in this darn chair all of the time!  Oh, I can dance in my chair, but I would love to be able to walk or dance or do anything like sports (baseball, football, etc.)!  Oh, well, can't help it: was born with spina bifida and am paralyzed as a result, but even despite that, I am a very blessed man!

There are so many other people out there who have it far worse than I ever will: some of them are bedridden or are quadriplegics and can't move their arms OR legs.  I'm just grateful I AM able to move my arms and walk (for short trips) on crutches.  Some people can't even do that.

Well, I hate to run, but baby just woke up; he's fussing; he must be hungry.  I will write in here again soon another time; until then, this is Wayne Wright saying so long from the Tennessee State Fair!  Take care and God bless!

~Wayne.