I did not get lost
at the MN State Fair.
In fact I was so NOT lost. I was the opposite of lost. A less lost person you could not find at the fair today. I say this because there are people out there who equate me at the state fair with getting lost. I shall not deny that once upon a time, I did get separated, unintentionally, from the people I came to the fair with, which caused consternation and concern, especially on my part. Several times. BUT no more! I can navigate up and down Dan Patch Ave, through the horticulture/agriculture building, and in and out of the creative arts building. I can tell the arena from the cattle building and the sheep building, I can pick out the two end points of the sky ride. I know where several of the less disgusting bathrooms are, and I can steer through the crowds in the food building without becoming panicky, and I know which end to exit to get to certain roads.
Jim did his annual stint volunteering at the Little Farm Hands booth with his company, and Matt and I took advantage of Jim's driving up to the fair, hitching a ride. (One fair experience I refuse to do is to drive anywhere near the fair)
Matt used to be an eager and enthusiastic experiencer of the variety of life and the state fair would have been the wind-up key in his talk box, but since he has achieved beard-growing capability, suddenly he's all WHATEVER about stuff. He kept saying he didn't care what we did, so I stopped asking him for input, and I did what I wanted to do.
Number one on the list was eat a twisted sister (a porchetta sausage on a stick with breadstick dough twirled around it and dipped in marinara).
Number two was see a demo on removing honey from honeycombs. I also bought some delicious smelling soaps and samples of honey made from different nectars--cool color differentials!
Number three was watch Matt milk a cow. Thankfully his WHATEVER attitude doesn't make him ill-disposed to doing what I tell him to do and taking a picture of it.
Number four was a video demo on growing a giant pumpkin. 840 pounds! The grower had all kinds of tents and rigs to care for the behemoth.
Number five was drink a non-alcoholic pina colada IN A HOLLOWED OUT PINEAPPLE. It was a little chunky for a drink (but I have come a long way since my younger days ruled by my mantra regarding juice: NO PULP no matter how microscopic) but it was very fruity and refreshing. Plus a HOLLOWED OUT PINEAPPLE! As a teetotaler, I never get to experience drinks all dressed up in funky containers garnished with half a paper rainforest, so this was fun! Matt drank most of it, but as his mother, I let him and didn't complain.
Number six was cream puffs! I managed to get whipped filling all over my face.
Number seven was ride the sky ride, especially since I needed to get to the other side of the fair but I didn't want to walk anymore. Matt spent the whole ride listing various ways to make the ride "adventurous" by threatening to 1) make the gondola bounce, 2) open the door, 3) lean out the window, and 4) cut a hole in the floor, etc. He couldn't let me just enjoy the ride.
My fair fun was enhanced by having a smart phone app that listed all the food vendors and all the events, and provided locations for each. I made a list of vendors I wanted to visit and events I wanted to attend in the app and so there was less aimless wandering around, wondering what we should do or see next.
The fair was busy, and we only stayed for 4 1/2 hours--when Jim finished up his volunteering stint. By then my legs were cramping up and Matt discovered he's pretty much allergic to being outside. He kept sneezing. For HOURS. Once we got in the air conditioned shuttle back to the van, he stopped sneezing. Then on the walk from the shuttle to the van, he sneezed constantly. Once we got in the van and started up the AC, he stopped sneezing. Remind me next time I go to the fair to medicate Matt up with antihistamines, nose sprays, eye drops etc so he doesn't end up varnishing every square inch of the fair with his nasal ejecta.
In fact I was so NOT lost. I was the opposite of lost. A less lost person you could not find at the fair today. I say this because there are people out there who equate me at the state fair with getting lost. I shall not deny that once upon a time, I did get separated, unintentionally, from the people I came to the fair with, which caused consternation and concern, especially on my part. Several times. BUT no more! I can navigate up and down Dan Patch Ave, through the horticulture/agriculture building, and in and out of the creative arts building. I can tell the arena from the cattle building and the sheep building, I can pick out the two end points of the sky ride. I know where several of the less disgusting bathrooms are, and I can steer through the crowds in the food building without becoming panicky, and I know which end to exit to get to certain roads.
Jim did his annual stint volunteering at the Little Farm Hands booth with his company, and Matt and I took advantage of Jim's driving up to the fair, hitching a ride. (One fair experience I refuse to do is to drive anywhere near the fair)
Matt used to be an eager and enthusiastic experiencer of the variety of life and the state fair would have been the wind-up key in his talk box, but since he has achieved beard-growing capability, suddenly he's all WHATEVER about stuff. He kept saying he didn't care what we did, so I stopped asking him for input, and I did what I wanted to do.
Number one on the list was eat a twisted sister (a porchetta sausage on a stick with breadstick dough twirled around it and dipped in marinara).
Number two was see a demo on removing honey from honeycombs. I also bought some delicious smelling soaps and samples of honey made from different nectars--cool color differentials!
Number three was watch Matt milk a cow. Thankfully his WHATEVER attitude doesn't make him ill-disposed to doing what I tell him to do and taking a picture of it.
 |
| That cow was EXTREMELY patient. Kids lined up to have a go at the cow's udder and she didn't even move, except for the occasional flick of her tail. Jenni, there was a local celebrity who started off the cow milking--JOHN HINES! |
Number five was drink a non-alcoholic pina colada IN A HOLLOWED OUT PINEAPPLE. It was a little chunky for a drink (but I have come a long way since my younger days ruled by my mantra regarding juice: NO PULP no matter how microscopic) but it was very fruity and refreshing. Plus a HOLLOWED OUT PINEAPPLE! As a teetotaler, I never get to experience drinks all dressed up in funky containers garnished with half a paper rainforest, so this was fun! Matt drank most of it, but as his mother, I let him and didn't complain.
Number six was cream puffs! I managed to get whipped filling all over my face.
Number seven was ride the sky ride, especially since I needed to get to the other side of the fair but I didn't want to walk anymore. Matt spent the whole ride listing various ways to make the ride "adventurous" by threatening to 1) make the gondola bounce, 2) open the door, 3) lean out the window, and 4) cut a hole in the floor, etc. He couldn't let me just enjoy the ride.
My fair fun was enhanced by having a smart phone app that listed all the food vendors and all the events, and provided locations for each. I made a list of vendors I wanted to visit and events I wanted to attend in the app and so there was less aimless wandering around, wondering what we should do or see next.
The fair was busy, and we only stayed for 4 1/2 hours--when Jim finished up his volunteering stint. By then my legs were cramping up and Matt discovered he's pretty much allergic to being outside. He kept sneezing. For HOURS. Once we got in the air conditioned shuttle back to the van, he stopped sneezing. Then on the walk from the shuttle to the van, he sneezed constantly. Once we got in the van and started up the AC, he stopped sneezing. Remind me next time I go to the fair to medicate Matt up with antihistamines, nose sprays, eye drops etc so he doesn't end up varnishing every square inch of the fair with his nasal ejecta.
Comments
Remember how we used to get there at 6:30 am and stay until dark? It all seemed so confusing and random back then.