stampede scrooge

i wasn't excited about the stampede coming to town this year until i turned on a little country 105 and saw those flags up on the light poles.

i went to the parade and had some serious pride happening with the rcmp, the canadian olympic medalists, the natives in their traditional dress, and even a touch of my pacificist spirit was proud of the military servicemen and women who were driving their enormous tanks through downtown. and i like all the horses and our western heritage that we all pretend not to have.

but then the whole thing started up and i am even less excited about it. it seems as though the calgarians have left the stampeding to the tourists now. and i can absolutely understand why. too many line-ups, too many people, too crowded, too expensive. i am such a stampede scrooge, but i am just up for the battles with people for beer, corn dogs, or bathrooms.

and $50 to get into cowboys, are you kidding?! apparently not. because that old cowboy vickers is just a sleazy profit-driven man at the end of the day. i can't say i blame him but i am just not interested like i used to be.

maybe a trip to the rodeo or the chuckwagons might change my attitude, as long as no horses get hurt while i am watching.