Deep breath before the plunge!

Life, as we normally experience it, is about to change. We are days away from thousands, tens of thousands, sometimes even hundreds of thousands, of people converging upon our small town - population 12,000. The tulips are in bloom - some of them anyway. The grandstand bleachers are being installed on our main street as I type. Final touches are being put on various buildings and attractions around town. Food stands are cleaned, prepped, ready to be put in place. The dutch costumes are pulled out of closets, cleaned, pressed, ready for their debut in the parade. Tonight after church I could actually smell hot oil (deep fat friers). And all of this is not the clearest sign of the fabulous food lying just at the end of the week. No, the most obvious indicator of approaching deep-fat-fried goodness is the incredible annoyance that is the tulip time driver. Rules for such a driver include not exceeding their personally-imposed speed limit of 4 miles per hour for optimal parking spot selection, sightseeing by car, and general orientation with the small town I live in. Years ago I was questioned by a tulip time guest who really developed my understanding of these out-of-towners.

Guest: Do you live here?
J: Yes.
G: People actually live here?
J: Mm hmm.
G: Do you wear a dutch costume everyday??!
J: (not wearing a dutch costume when asked this question) No.
G: So what do you do here?
J: I work for a lawyer.
G: Oh. But everyday you have a parade?
J: No. Only during tulip time.
G: What are these big tubs of water for? The dogs?
J: No, they are for the street scrubbers.
G: Oh. I thought they were for the dogs. I bet they are here for the dogs.

The odd questions/statements kept coming. The worst part was they were asked in all seriousness. Hubby sat next to me, dumbfounded at the incredible ignorance of the person giving the inquisition.

Tulip time lasts 3 days, officially. Generally speaking, the week of is full of visitors and guests and people who have no idea where they are going. However, 12,000 people actually do call Pella "home". We live here, we work here, we worship here, we raise children here. We do not walk around in wooden shoes and dutch outfits every day. Shocking, I know. For some of us, and I would guess by "some of us" I am mostly referring to those of us who have been imported (not original Pella-born people), we love tulip time for the food booths, we don't own a dutch costume, and by day 3 we are totally sick of the dutch music blaring over the speakers downtown.

Also, we are extremely annoyed that these food booths are only open for 3 days. Cheesecake on a stick is good year-round.