Baron's first giant Christmas bazaar

Nana Debbie was awesome enough to take the Mentzer Unit to the Nations Largest Christmas Bazaar at the expo center yesterday. I believe it's been a bit of a tradition with Christina and her mom and aunt Sue that they go to this every year and it was after my first time at the bazaar with Christina that I kissed her for the first time (story for another time), so it's our tradition now too, and we wanted His Baronishness to dive into the sensory overload experience with us!
The four of us met up with Aunt Sue, Angel, Tyler and mighty Josie Jo Jo-Jo and we stormed the front with the enthusiasm of blood thirsty Walmart shoppers on Black Friday! Ohh, too soon? Anyway, as soon as we passed the threshold and I saw the blinding light of mindless , decadent, holiday consumerism reflect off of his innocent, angelic face I new there was no going back. Do I really need to say that he enjoyed the hell out of it? Well, he did. In spades. And his enjoyment radiated out to us and a majority of the general public around us. He was nicely contained for a while in mommies fantastic front baby carrier as we slowly made our way through the maddeningly disorientating labyrinth of vendor cubicles. Trying to navigate through the crowds was like stop and go morning traffic, but when we found a break it was more like a downhill ski race through heavy forest with the motivation of an avalanche bearing down from behind. I would like take this moment to say thank you to my wife and to tell her she was right in not bringing the stroller. There, happy?
We did get to see some really beautiful artwork and craft dispersed throughout the rows. I was particularly drawn to the amazing wood work I saw at a few different vendors. Baron loved it all. From the various glasswork artists that looked familiar to me to the Super Soaking Chamois that we later dubbed the 'Scam-wow', he didn't see anything that he didn't want to put in his mouth. And he got pretty close a couple of times, too. But the best part of the whole experience was the public interacting with him and he with the public. He is a magnet for good people with stories to tell and love to share. It's absolutely amazing. I really love it when a gruff biker type sees him and does the baby talk thing. It's happened more than twice, I kid you not. And he smiles and smiles and smiles at all of them. The little girls who're just learning to walk and talk at the same time exclaim "Mama! Baby, Mama! Baby!", and the octogenarians who have seen it all more than a few times and yet still seem surprised when they share a look with him. That's really amazing to me, to see the spark that appears in old eyes when the fall on a fresh life. There's a deep remembrance and a hope in that glow, and I find it very reaffirming and humbling. And I used to be scared of old people!!! And then the recognition in the faces of other Mothers and especially fathers when they see me with my boy in my arms, like we're all part of the same club now, some sub order of the Freemasons or something.
I had no interest in time while we were there, I was having that much fun. And before I knew it FOUR hours had passed!! He did spend a bit of the third hour asleep on mommies chest while in the front carrier, and that is the most heart meltingly beautiful thing ever!!! GAH!! But, he stayed in a good mood the whole time. Which shouldn't be surprising to me because his most favorite thing in the world is to be picked up and carried around and shown new things. I dare say it was his Disney Land. For now.
The bait worked, we fell victim to the trap and bought some stuff. We did get some stuff for Baron!! Nana got him a little guitar! He's going to love it!! Whenever he get's a glimpse of one of my many guitars he makes a bee line to it and attacks it with manic fervor, which was okay until he puked in the sound hole of my $500 Ibanez acoustic/electric. Now I'd like for him to have his own to puke into, maybe I can heave something in there for him sometime as a payback. Just sayin'.
We also got a jar of pickled, smoked garlic cloves (today I stink!), a small container of peppermint schnapps fudge and a few little freebies, some the result of it being the last day of the bazaar, others because Baron looks like a kid who could use some more stuff, apparently.
I did get to hold some amazing Tibetan singing bowls that were just gorgeous. The vendor showed me one tha was huge, over $700 bucks and it's tone was breathtaking. It was a deep, soul rubbing pitch and I could feel the intense vibrations from over a half a foot away. I was in love. Some would ask 'what would you do with a $700 dollar Tibetan singing bowl?'. I ask 'what wouldn't you do with a $700 dollar Tibetan singing bowl?'.
Most vendors were in high spirits, if not completely spent from the six day event, but we did pass one little old lady whose disappointed visage was framed by a full stock of chocolate roses. Ya really gotta have a feel for the market based on variables such as, oh, I don't know, a tanked economy. Poor thing.
All in all, we had a great time and look forward to attending from here on. Maybe someday I'll have a job and have the means to purchase something. Who knows. Always in motion is the future.
And that first kiss? Well, after courting her for three months, I went to this thing with her and her family and when I dropped her off at home, I walked her to the front steps, said thank you, and walked away. Then I turned around, walked up to her with determination, purpose and conviction and planted a kiss on her that made the goddess Aphrodite weep with jealousy. That's how I remember it, anyway.