A Chili Cook-Off

At the beginning of June, firefighters from twenty-one fire departments across San Diego cooked up a whole lot of chili for the 29th annual Tailgate Party and Chili Cook-Off to raise funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties, which helps cutie patooties like this guy:

Prim, as you can see, was there.  And did I mention that firefighters from twenty-one departments were also there?!  That's a lot of firefighters. 

The bad news is that all those firefighters weren't in uniform.  The good news is that they wore costumes instead.   

 

Those ladies in the background totally crashed Prim's photo op.  But those men in the front are firefighters.  Hopefully off-duty ones.  Imagine if this guy showed up to save you from a burning building:    

See, the thing about the chili cook-off is that the firefighters try to win your vote with their winning personalities.  And their winning bodies. 

There were rockstars, cowboys, men in kilts, Baywatch babes, and the cast of Jersey Shore, who tried to give Prim a spray tan:   

  

There were also pirates. 

And hillbillies, who made some pretty good chili.  Or chilly, as they call it. 

Each booth was also decorated.  Like this one from the "scater" firefighters. 

And this one, from "the most interesting firefighters in the world."

Needless to say, everyone had a pretty good time, including this group of attendees.  They took quite a liking to Prim.

Prim, however, preferred to hang out with the firefighters. 

Prim the Scientist

A while ago now, before Prim got wrapped up in wedding and graduation celebrations, she spent a lovely day at the California Science Center in Pasadena. 

You know it's going to be a fun place when even the gift shop has live animals on display.     

I'm not sure if this lizard-thing has ever seen an elf before. I do know, however, that Prim has never seen a lizard-thing before. 

The Cal Science Center had a little bit of everything.  Here, Prim's learning about condensation.  I think.  

She also learned about how televisions work. 

This won't be the last time you see this pretty face on TV. 

Prim learned quite a bit about the space program, too. 

Random thought:  Prim and Buzz Lightyear would make a pretty cute couple. 
 

The Science Center even had some preserved human organs.  Educational, but grody to the max.     
  

The highlight of Prim's day was the NORTH POLE exhibit! 

It's been about seven months since Prim's seen her mother land, so her nostalgic reverie was expected. 

The snowmobile ride, however, was not expected. 

Prim also learned about fish.  She learned that they are attracted to her.  Wherever she moved around the tank, they followed. 

Perhaps she found her calling as the Fish Whisperer. 

Random thought:  Can fish hear?     

And finally, Prim got to pretend to be a news reporter. 

See, I told you that you'd see her pretty face on TV again. 

Random thought:  I don't know who that person is on the left of the TV screen, but I like her purse. 

Pomp & Circumstance

Despite having all sorts of adventures during the elf off-season, Prim's been working on an advanced degree in computational linguistics with an emphasis in graphemics and the comparative theories of orthography 

She's not just a pretty face, you know.

Well, Prim's finally done with her schoolwork and is all dressed up to celebrate the occasion.  She sends her congratulations to educated elves everywhere!

P.S. I'm thinking whoever wrote this sign realized that they misspelled "congratulations" and hastily added the R....

Prim Knows How to Party

A couple of weeks ago, my big brother got married.  It was a rockabilly lollapalooza of a wedding.  See:

Not pictured: Prim

Prim, of course, couldn't wait to party hardy at the rockstar reception.

She met a number of characters, including a mustachioed bridesmaid and a goateed gentleman:

Then, after hanging out at the bar for a bit, she cheered on some arm wrestlers:

And she even did a keg stand:

 
 Oh Prim. You are no longer proper, my friend.

  

Take Your Elf to Work Day, Part 3

Since Take Your Elf to Work Day was an official holiday, Prim got a look at the rarely seen staff areas of the Learning Center. 

Prim is officially in the building:

First stop.  Meeting up with Queen Elizabeth in the Principal Librarian's office.  Notice their matching white gloves.     

Second stop.  Playing around with the copier. 

Third stop.  Hanging out with Hammy, the dancing birthday hamster in the Literacy Coordinator's office. 

Fourth stop.  Break time in the staff lounge. 

Last stop. Admiring the magnets collected by staff members during their world travels. 

Whew!  What a day, Prim.  You must be exhausted.  But maybe the outgoing mail box isn't the best place to rest... 

Take Your Elf to Work Day, Part 2

Whew!  Glad that elevator worked.  It's been working for a while now, but all it took was for the elevator to get stuck twice (about three and a half years ago), and the trusting relationship between elevator and staff has forever been broken. 

Once Prim saw all that there was to see in Literacy Services, she headed downstairs to check out (library pun intended) Bilingual Services.

First, I made her study the library's Rules of Conduct.  She found the one that prohibits patrons from having "bodily hygiene that is offensive and disturbing to others" to be especially entertaining.   

 

Since none of the rules prohibited Prim from hanging on signs, playing in the book drop, and getting cuddly with some of the displays, that's exactly what she did:

(I spy, with my little eye, something red...)

Obviously there aren't any staff members in the building, and the rules don't say anything about staff areas being off limit to elves, so I wonder where Prim will go next...

Take Your Elf to Work Day, Part 1

Did you know that Wednesday, May 2 was national Take Your Elf to Work day? 

You might want to get yourself an elf so that you can participate in such holidays.


While I was busy working, here's what happened when Prim visited the Carlsbad City Library Learning Center Literacy Services (or CCLLCLS for short, or not so short).

She browsed the books in our collection,

hung out in the computer lab,

rearranged some file cabinets,

learned about her homeland, the North Pole,

and helped herself to some coffee (thank goodness it was decaf!).

Next stop (assuming that the elevator doesn't get stuck), Bilingual Services and the staff offices...