The Festival That Wasn't.

Today was the start of the Scott Joplin Festival! How exciting! I was stoked to go, since this was the first year in a long time that Ma wasn't working the Tea Room, so it was exciting to know that I wasn't going to work, but rather to be a spectator. So I grabbed my sister and we hopped in the car to head downtown.

Our first indicator that something was wrong was the parking lot I pulled into.

Pictured: Goji the car, huddled against the others in the lot for protection.

Now, I knew that the people who'd bought the tearoom from us had closed up shop, but this was a good parking lot! Where were all of the people?

Out at the community college, a brochure informed us. Today everything is out there, they move downtown tomorrow. So we'll have to come back!

But while we were here, neither of us could resist taking a peek into the empty storefront, which is where today's entry is:

Pictured: Some weirdo taking pictures.

...Yeah, turns out it's not empty at all. In a creepy twist, everything is still up.

Look at all those tables, and the still-lit exit sign.

It just looks like they've taken their tablecloths home to wash or something, not closed up forever. Is a little creepy, to be honest.

We made that sign, don'tcha know. I love that divider, is a shame I can't steal it back.

They say they're going to sell the place, furnishings and all, but who knows. Right now it's just another empty building in a downtown full of empty buildings.