Anyone want to beat a Carnie?

It is good to have friends that have no problem pointing out that your ideas are a bit ridiculous, and they are very happy to sit ringside and watch you carry them out.  Kind of like a train wreck about to happen, it most likely won’t be pretty but it is going to be super to cool to see those cars stack up. 

Later this summer we are going on vacation.  We will be attending a festival with a carnival and midway.  I have purchased bracelets for all of my kids that give them unlimited carnival rides (ya I know, totally cool dad).  Because I purchased them in advance I got a $5.00 discount and we get 5 midway games for free with each bracelet.  I like discounts and free stuff even more.  So if you knew you had 30 free chances to win a giant stuffed animal what would you do?  You would go online find videos of how to win these games and start practicing in your kitchen.  This is what any normal person would do.  I consider myself a normal person.  

I went on to youtube and found the videos listed below that teach the required skills necessary to beat the games.  We had to go to several locations to get all of the necessary items.   The hardware store had metal rings, string and sticks.  I took my two youngest kids with me and pulled up to the local tavern to get empty longneck bottles.  As we pulled up Nolahn said “I have never been here before, can I come in?”  I told him no he should stay in the car.  I was able to get 3 empty Budweiser and 1 empty Corona bottles.  With all of my supplies in hand we went home and assembled them. I explained to my kids that they all needed to master this skill.  Watched the video and got them practicing.  I went to bed early that night to lots of clanking and bottles falling over on the kitchen floor.

Fast forward to the next evening.  My kids go to church for their weekly activities and a couple of ward members come over to visit while we wait for our kids.  The first things they do is come in the house and see the empty beer bottles on the counter.  I look at them and they look at me and simply say “not being Bishop any more hit me pretty hard.  I have a couple of cold ones in the fridge would you like one?”  My wife jumps in and says something to the affect that I am trying to cheat a carnie out of a stuffed animal and not really a new found alcoholic and I have to explain what I am doing.  I explained how cool it is going to be when my kids can go to any carnival in the country with their friends and always come home with a toy.  Yes in high school on a date my girls will be winning a stuffed animal for the boys.  Now that will put him in his place, I already don’t like him now he can’t even win a simple toy for my daughter how is he going to be able to support her…maybe I am getting a little bit ahead of myself.

To quote one of my training videos the real prize is not winning a cheap toy it is taking money from a Carnie.