GRIMAAAAACE!

Every year for my birthday, we go to the winter carnival with one mission: stalk the shit out of Grimace and get our photo taken with him. It's become a tradition, starting from the first year K took me and surprised me with the news that we were going to see Grimace. I was like whaaa? Okay...

There he IS! Grimace, my favorite purple dude

But when I actually SAW Grimace for the first time that year, I out-excited the small children taking their photos with Mickey and Eeyore, elbowed my way through the crowd and stood wide-eyed next to the purple guy until he turned to take a photo with K and I.

This year, I spotted him early, and urgently demanded the K get the camera out. No way was I risking missing a photo op with my favorite purple dude. He took his sweet ass time getting it out and I got impatient, so I snapped this photo with my camera.

When we got up to him, I tried to play it cool. Oh, hay Grimace, what's up? Do you mind if we take a pic with you? Sweeeet. Then I turned and grinned at the camera with the fervor of a child who just met Santa Claus, and my entire year was made.

The rest of the carnival was awesome as usual, but Grimace was definitely the highlight:
 

The awesome ice castle. The theme this year was "Alien Invasion."

Mulder?? Are you in there?!

Theeere's Elvis! Right up top like he should be.

Downtown, where the parade comes through.

Me in my giraffe hat, trying to high five the wildcat. He stiffed me.