The bad news - my camera will not turn on at all, even with the new/old batteries Scott tried to give me. The good news - Lindsay brought a disposable camera!
Hannah, Lindsay and I had a GREAT time at the park. We started with two roller coasters (I went on a roller coaster!), then rode the flying swings a few times and did bumper cars. We made sure to get seats in the Splash Zone for the killer whale show at 1 and very much enjoyed getting soaked. After the show, we basically spent all our time looking for a place to eat that wasn't super expensive (which was difficult) - clear up until we had to meet back at the front gate to get back on the bus. We got lost a lot.
There's one story that I have to share because it was so funny: After wandering the park for a good half hour or so on our hunt for food, Hannah finally bought a giant pretzel with cheese on the side, which she graciously shared as we sat at one of the shady tables by a very expensive hamburger place.
We'd just polished off the last of the pretzel when I saw Hannah's face light up at something behind me. Before I knew it, she was reaching into the trash can right next to me and lifting out a cardboard platter full of French fries and a single untouched chicken strip from the hamburger place we were sitting by.
"Did you just get that out of the trash?" I asked in disbelief as Hannah immediately picked up a fry and chowed down. Lindsay looked shocked for a moment, but then she dug in too. I looked the plate over suspiciously. "What's wrong with it?"
"Nothing," Hannah responded with her mouth full. "A lady just barely threw it away. You just didn't see because your back is to the garbage can."
That was all the reassurance I needed. I gave the food a last, quick once-over before accepting a piece of the chicken strip (which Hannah had divided in three).
"She didn't really even throw it away," Lindsay said. "She just set it in there. Some people are so wasteful."
"This food isn't wasted," I pointed out. "We're eating it."
"Will you go see if they'll give us some ketchup?" Hannah asked, referring to the hamburger place. I jumped up from the table and brought back a couple ketchup packets and a little tub of really yummy barbecue sauce in response. We devoured everything on the plate in about three minutes, and walked around the park very giggly and satisfied for a while after that.
Lindsay couldn't wait to tell Shannon and Scott what we did, but we convinced her to let Hannah tell the story at dinner when the whole family was there. Hannah is a master storyteller. She told it exactly as it happened while dramatizing it a little bit for effect.
(Shannon and Scott - thanks for letting us take Lindsay, and for making it possible for Hannah and I to go!)
