* Time to hop up on my soapbox ...

The last of the county fairs is wrapping up and once again, the carnivals have left a particular impression on me.

When it comes to community-run, home-grown carnivals versus outside-run carnivals, McCook may be at a disadvantage: We're too big to have our own carnival.

While McCook regularly shows tremendous community support for a variety of events, we just may be "too big" to have a home-grown carnival. These carnivals require a tremendous number of volunteer hours to maintain and staff the rides and games. With so many obligations pulling on a person, operating a merry-go-round may not top the list.

Year after year, my kids watch with anticipation as the carnival ascends onto the Red Willow County fairgrounds. Year after year, I have to tell the kids that we cannot afford for each of them to go on every ride they want.

With each ride costing several dollars, I would have to dip into their college funds to satisfy each child's riding desires.

I appreciate all the work the Red Willow County fair board and its' staff put into the fair each year. I realize it takes a great deal of work and funds up-front to draw a sizable carnival to our area, but the price for these rides are simply out of our reach.

On the other hand, the area offers several well-run, affordable community-run carnivals, perfect for an affordable family outing.

At the Decatur County Fair in Oberlin, little kid rides are a quarter ... each ... for a long ride. The most expensive ride costs a dollar. My family of seven has been handed tickets by other families who just can't use up all their tickets.

My family is not alone is finding the cheaper fairs appealing. A cruise through the parking lot just west of Oberlin revealing a great number of Nebraska plates -- about every third car.

So, each year, we will attend the Red Willow Fair, for a few rides and to eat dinner. Then a few weeks later, we'll join the caravan of Nebraska cars making the trip to Kansas for a few cheap rides and to eat dinner.

* Staying on my soapbox...

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman has gotten on board in support of a petition to repeal LB126, the bill to consolidate Class I schools -- finally.

Whether you support or are against the consolidation of Class I school, I say "finally" because Heineman has had a stance in the Omaha vs. small school debate since it began earlier this summer -- for the smaller schools within Omaha which would be absorbed by the Omaha School District.

I just find it funny that no one takes a stance on behalf of the smaller schools out west, that is until the smaller schools in the east are being threatened. Only then, does the issue become a state-wide issue.

* Getting off the soapbox now...

While school has started for many area students, others are still fighting off the doldrums of summer for one or two more weeks. Now is the time to get creative.

The swimming pool is still open. Break out the bicycle which is gathering dust in the garage. Or for the more adventuresome, head to Barnett Park with a giant bag of stale bread. There are few things more entertaining than trying to avoid being bitten by a hungry goose ... and avoiding all the goose droppings.

* If that's not entertaining enough, take some time to stare at McCook's east water tower. In the midst of being repainted this summer and fall, you can view it close up or from afar for a different vantage point.

Like laying on your back, imagining shapes in the clouds, you can get creative with the appearance of the water tower.

So far, my family has come up with a "garbage can" when the painting drapes are down; a circus tent; a giant with a hat on when the drapes are up; a space ship with a hat on; a ball with a hat on.

O.K. Maybe we're not that creative.

* Finally, I admit that I watched the first hour of "Tommy Lee Goes to College" this past Tuesday. Filmed last fall at UNL, the show follows the Motley Crue drummer during his six weeks on campus.

I'll likely watch the remaining five episodes just because it's mildly entertaining to see the Nebraska logo splashed all over the screen. Whether it makes Nebraskans look like a bunch of country bumpkins or laid-back Midwesterners is up for debate.

As I watched the opening episode with a UNL grad, I'll admit that I found the show funnier, probably because I didn't attend UNL.

-- Ronda Graff will stay off her soap box for a while. It's too stressful trying to be thought-provoking.