Groundhog Day, by Mike

Every year I swear I won't go anywhere near the South Gaylord Street Festival on Memorial Day. Street festivals make me very grumpy. Burning sun, $12 turkey legs and last century's tie-dye clothing. This year was going to be so different. I roused the family and ordered them into the car for a trip to the mountains and a family hike. Quinn screamed for the first 10 miles of driving. For the last 10 miles, his whimpering was eventually silenced by the greater terror of pouring rain, approaching hail and impenetrable fog on the highway. During the climb up the mountains, Pam and I noticed a sharp "thunk" on the windshield, but saw no damage at the time. But we couldn't overcome the weather, and at the exit to our hiking trail, the rain increased to a deluge. So we drove back over the highway and onto the entrance ramp back to Denver, without leaving the car. Where to go, with Quinn bored and Madeline with a friend in the back seat? To the South Gaylord Street Fair, of course. We pulled into our parking spot, and looked once more at the windshield, now sporting a 6-inch crack across the bottom where the flying rock hit it. By the time we returned to the car from the street fair, the rain and sunshine had combined to widen the crack another 12 inches. Total price for the turkey leg had now reached $217. Happy summer!