Rhinebeck

Rhinebeck has been at the top of my list of things to do ever since I started spinning. I had dreams of coming home with 100 lbs of fiber, 50 skeins of fabulous yarns barely seen or touched by anyone. I was going to come home and start spinning until I got spin (I mean shin)splints or my hands were spun sore. Oh, I had dreams!

Here's what really happened on Rhinebeck day.

The bus driver got lost finding us, and showed up without a clue about how to get to Dutchess County Fairgrounds. So I raced home to get the mapquest directions (which I should have brought with my anyway. (duh!) Anyway, I get home, get the directions, and race back to my friend's car when I see my neighbors running out of their house towards me and pointing at my car. The drivers window was smashed! Oh my oh no!

What to do? Call the police? Send the bus load of people on and stay home and miss Rhinebeck?

No, I can't let my class down. So I went back to the bus, said a little prayer for a safe journey and off we went.

I had a rock in my stomach, and a stress headache, but I called my brother and he fixed the window by the time I got home. But I didn't know that until I got home. Meanwhile, walking into the main gate, guess who I saw?

Right there in the middle of the picture ... recognize her? That's Stephanie Pearl McPhee (aka The Yarn Harlot)!! In the flesh! I, in true idiot fan mode, YELLED out her name like any CRAZY fan. I am going to put myself in the GEEK hall of fame.

Anyway, I also saw sheep, goats and crowds of people.

And I didn't get the 100 lbs. of fiber I dreamed of, nor the fabulous yarn I wanted. In fact, I came home empty handed. It was so crowded, I couldn't even get to the yarn. OK, to be honest, I didn't try real hard - my car had a busted out window.

By the time my brother called to say the window was fixed, it was time to go. All I had time for was a celebration:

You can't say I didn't get anything at Rhinebeck!