Adventures of dealing with the public.

Hubs decided that for his upcoming birthday, he wanted to go to the Carnegie Science Center.  Tornado Alley was playing for one last day and he wanted to see it again.  We got up and out early, made the hour and 45 minute trek east and were at the science center not long after opening.  We were able to go up, enjoy Roboworld and all was well.  K- wanted to go to the Buhl Digital Dome to watch the Mr. Roger's Neighborhood star show.  (The other thing coming up was some Lady Gaga thing, so I was glad that she chose Mr. Rogers.) 

People had a baby that was crying in there and didn't take them out. 

We went out of there and after having been nearly run over by these boys who were, no doubt, taking their energy out by running up and down the ramps as fast as they could, we decided to get a bite to eat. 

The boys and their big person showed up behind us. 

K- opted to get their grilled cheese sandwich with milk and a mixed fruit cup.  The dad yelled to the one boy that, "They don't have grilled cheese."  I don't know if he was thinking that the kid wouldn't eat the sandwich, fruit or want the milk.  He listed off all of the crappy kid foods that were available and the kid landed on chicken nuggets.  They sat across the room and ate.  I realized as I sat there that the other kids had giant platters of a variety of fried foods, giant cups of Icees in front of them and ice cream cones.

Are we the only parents who don't feed our kid fried food?

I mean, sure, she'll have the occasional (rare) pack o' fries, but that is definitely an exception and not a rule.  Grant you, a grilled cheese sandwich isn't the best thing in the world (they had white bread), but I was thinking it was better than nuggets made from a variety of leftover materials that you don't want to intake.

After that, we decided to go up to their science kitchen.  They had a program on Fruit Flambe.  We were the second people in line, everyone went in orderly and were kind.  In the kitchen, they have 2 rows of little stools set up front for the kids, and larger stools in the back for the adults.   There were parents who parked themselves on the tiny stools and there were kids who didn't have a place up front to sit.  It certainly didn't occur to them that they should probably give their seats to the kids because, well, THEY ARE LITTLE STOOLS.  After the show, the science staff gives out samples of what they made.  Now, we don't stand in line because we think that it is important for the kids to get it.  It's that poor kid in me.  Make sure that those who should have enough, yes?  You would be stunned by how many parents edged their way in and were standing in front of other kids.  The kids in the kitchen were well behaved and great.  The program was for the kids, yet the parents were clamoring.  I don't get it.

Of course, K- had the experience of being edged out of using something a few times.  It happens.  Parents are fine with it.  We just chose something else do to. 

We were building a Lincoln Log house on the earthquake table and there was a kid bound and determined to work with it right then.  Mom grabbed him up, explained that we were doing it as a family that we would be done in a minute.  Bless her.  We quickly finished up and away we went. 

We went to see the movie, I tripped up the steps that I had warned K- about, 2" of popcorn flew through the air and I wore a bunch of it in my hair.  That's a real nice look.  But, the 6 minute preview that they had was violent and showing someone repeatedly hanging someones covered head out of the airplane door and shooting them.  There were little kids in there.  It greatly disturbed K-.  All through the movie, Hubs reported (on the way home), that a kid kicked the back of his seat the entire time.  Kid was sitting in the parent's lap.  You'd think that the parent would quiet the legs. 

What the funniest thing at the science center was that K- and Hubs went down below to shoot foam rockets from the air tables.  There was a family that had been down there doing that for quite some time before they got there.  K- patiently stood behind and waited for about 10 minutes.  There was a little girl and a mom who stood behind her.  The boys were running around, holding onto these foamy rockets and not actually doing anything with them, but they wouldn't share.  The parents, looking a bit whipped, were sitting behind and just letting them run.  Okay, I get that.  "Work together," Hubs said that the mom yelled.  So the one kid yells up to me (I was up above trying to get a photo of Hubs and K-), ""I lost the top to my rocket.  It's up there.  Can you give it to me."  "You know, I'd be happy to.  My daughter has been standing and waiting to use the rockets for about 10 minutes.  It would be grand if someone share a rocket with her for just a minute.  Share a rocket with her and I'll toss this part down to you."  They did and K- shot it once and passed it on to the girl behind her.  I didn't get my photo, but I shouldn't have to withhold toy parts just to get kids to share. 

We went to IKEA, got a little displaced, but stopped by the record store for Hubs.  I took out a bank loan, went to Coldstone Creamery (where the guy decided to twirl and flip the ice cream into a cup, did K-'s successfully but mine landed partially on his hand, he plunked it into the cup and still served it to me-ewwww, but I didn't say anything because I didn't want to make a scene) we decided to sit in the car to eat it.  A guy comes out of the record store, walks past my car, nails my side mirror with his elbow and keeps on walking.  Now, if that was me (I'm too short), someone would have gotten out and probably beat me to a pulp.  Accidents happen but, "Hey, I'm sorry."  Rrrr.

The PA turnpike is rather dark.  We're talking black.  I get it that it is dark.  I get it that it may make people uncomfortable with how dark it is, but that is absolutely no reason to ride your bright lights all the way.  I couldn't ditch the people and there was no place to pull over, so I ended up having to drive home with my mirrors fanned out.  I wasn't doing it to be obnoxious, I just couldn't see otherwise. 

Oh, and yield means that you need to yield to the people on the e-way.  They don't yield to you.  Just sayin'.

Despite my list of complaints, we really did have a lovely time.  K- was chosen as a volunteer during the kitchen show.  She tried the rock climbing wall, but it wasn't very easy and she had to bail.  We were able to enjoy many lovely things.  We got a good parking space, albeit tiny because Pittsburgh has the tiniest parking spots known to man, and despite that, people are respectful and don't wonk your car with their doors.  The ice cream was good, and my germaphobia hopes that I don't contract some major illness from eating it.  We were all so tired from the day that we slept like rocks. 

That is a good thing.

Speaking of the public, today is a bank day and it brings out the most interesting people to the gallery.  More stories to share later, I'm sure.

Have a great day!