Calgary Stampede: Day... can't remember.

Ok so yesterday was a long one. It started bright and early and ended... well... today! That's right my friends, I had a day yesterday.

Let's bring you up to speed:

• I saw my very first rodeo. You may laugh, heck, the people I work with laughed but wow - have you ever seen a rodeo? It is incredible. In fact, it might be my new favourite thing. However, my first time was a little traumatic: I saw a horse break it's leg. And my friend, when a horse / cow is injured - they head off to the "G Barn". "G" for goodbye...
• Bull riding. Who the crap decided that was a good idea? I swear - the guys who ride these bulls are superheroes.
• Drinks on the grounds are hella expensive. When a cooler is $6.50 each, drinking 7 of them becomes pricey. And you may be thinking, "if she works there, why is she paying for drinks?" Well... the Stampede has been very generous to their staff. Each full time staff has received $30 'Range Bucks' to use at The Range (bottom of the Big 4) and $30 in 'Staff Bucks' to be used at the other venues. Now, we don't get free drink tickets. If we care to have a wobbly-pop or three, we have to get those on our own time and on our own dime.
• Best iced-coffee? Cheyenne...
• Worst part of the day? Having to get back up after sitting down. Goddamn my feet hurt.
• Most uncool thing someone did? Let the mini-donkeys out of their cage.

And...

• You can't actually ever really appreciate the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes to put this thing on. The staff that work the grounds over the 10 days are incredible. I have a brand new appreciation for this little fair of ours.