Book Fair Preparations

Now, I haven't done anything like this in a couple years. Walking, until I got my RA meds stabilized, was a problem. I still have to watch how much I do and make sure I locate, at festivals, where there is a place to sit if I need it. It was to be in the upper 80's, low 90's at the book fair this weekend. I refuse to pay $2.50 for a bottle of water so I needed to be prepared.

Step 1 - after showering, a liberal application of sunscreen.

I even remembered the back of my neck and what skin was visible above my tee shirt collar.

Step 2 - Pick a canvas bag to carry all your stuff in. You don't need to be taking their plastic bags. If they had a canvas bag, I had to either buy it or it was too small for my needs. I pulled this one out of my grocery stash.

Step 3 - Hydration. I brought my own water, water that was chilled in the fridge for 18 hours. The one thing I was worried about was the water sweating as it warmed up. I had my wallet, my camera and my cell phone in this bag. I didn't want them getting wet from condensation. I remembered an old trick we used to do when you'd send thermos jugs of water into the field for the men mowing hay. Wrap the bottles in something to provide a bit of insulation. Viola.

Two dishtowels wrapped around the two water bottles and secured with a rubber band each. The water was still cold when I opened the top of one about half-way through my wanderings.

Step 4 - Comfortable walking shoes and cotton socks that wick the sweat off the feet and into the socks. If I'm going to be on my feet for a couple of hours, I want to enjoy it.

Step 5 - A hat.

I grabbed my Blue Angels visor which is always on the stick shift of the Jeep, and tossed it into the bag. I wound up not wearing it because I was inside tents most of the time. I probably should have worn it as I felt a bit fried on the way home, but I had it with me in case it was something I wanted.

I also had band-aids in my wallet in case I developed a blister and I had cash on me instead of just traveling with debit card. Every place I wandered into took credit/debit cards but it's too easy to overspend. I had x number of dollars and, when that was gone, it was time to go home.

I was rather proud of myself for my preparation. It worked perfectly. Although I felt flushed on the drive back home after the fair, it was just heat and the cooling down after being out in the sunshine and warm temperatures. Once I cooled down, my face wasn't red and I didn't come back with a sunburn. This is certainly the route I will take for future summer events.

Beverage:  Huckleberry tea

Deb