Running to the Road-e-o!

The family took a trip to the Road-e-o this past weekend.  Now, notice the spelling - this wasn't the "rodeo" you are so familiar with, this was a "Road-e-o"!  And yes, there was a round-up, but not cows and horses...it was a round-up of...wait for it...garbage trucks!  Or, as those in the biz say...refuse and recycling trucks!

 

Why, you ask yourself, would we go to such a gathering?  Well, it's all about Baby Boy.  Since the time Baby Boy was 2, he has been fascinated by garbage trucks.  He would wait with breathless anticipation for garbage day each week, and then position himself by the window and wave to the garbage men!  They would give him a "honk" each time they saw him.  Fast forward, 10 years later, and still at age 12, Baby Boy will get up at 5:00 a.m. on garbage day and wait by the window to see the garbage trucks.  He has even made up names for the 3 different drivers - there's Paul, Santiago, and Bill.  (Don't ask.)

We even created Halloween costumes to go with his love of all things garbage!

First Place winner - 1st grade!

First Place winner - 3rd grade!

Baby Boy has even turned this fascination into a money making operation.  Two of our neighbors pay him each month to bring in their garbage cans every week!

Everyone knows about Baby Boy and his interest in garbage cans and trucks.  Whenever Auntie goes out of town, she will bring back a picture of the local garbage trucks.  When the Wine Guru's went to Europe, they brought back pictures of European garbage cans and trucks.  When another good friend went to Russia, yep, she took pictures of Russian garbage cans for my son!  So, when one of Hubby's co-workers heard about this "Road-e-o" she immediately sent the info our way - and so, we were off to the Garbage Truck Round-up!

It was actually lots of fun to be there.  There are several companies who compete for first place in the truck obstacle course.  They have to back into very tight spaces, navigate through narrow "alleyways", and finally make a sharp turn and make it through the last narrow obstacle without hitting anything! 

The winning company gets the bragging rights for a whole championship year!  There's no money involved, but every participant wins some sort of specially made garbage can, dumpster, hat, or sweatshirt.  It was pretty fun watching all these garbage men - and women - driving around with their families and friends cheering them on.  And probably, just like Baby Boy, they've all loved garbage trucks since they were 2!