It's been a while since I have posted, I figured you might be weary of my ramblings after 12 uninterrupted days of state fair musings. :-)
Life continues as usual, with a few bumps in the road. The much-anticipated trip to Tijuana in December has been cancelled, due to happenings in San Diego. The church there, Ocean View Church, is in the midst of a massive expansion project. After being in one of their services, I can understand why they need to grow. The church stands at about 1,400 members, with 3 services, one of them being in Spanish. It is an incredible church with a powerful outreach to the people of San Diego. Due to this, they are constantly growing, and they need to make room. The pastors of that church are very involved with this project, and are unable to break away for a trip to Tijuana. However, I have been assured that there will be a trip next Summer with my name on it. I am dampened at not being able to go love on those kids in December, but God has a plan. I have to trust it. It will make next Summer's trip even more special. Yet, I don't know if I can wait that long! I could always just go on my own, but I really don't have peace about doing that. To venture alone into an unknown country with only one previous trip under my belt is madness. Maybe one day, but today is not that day.
I have also become wrapped up in the latest Jan Karon novel. Jan Karon is a noted author, mainly of the Mitford series. The Mitford series is comprised of about 12 books following the life of a minister and his family in a small community called Mitford. In Mitford, everyone knows everyone else, and people care about each other. There is a very colorful cast of characters in this series, and Jan Karon's pen causes the characters to jump off the page and endear themselves to you. If you love to read, and enjoy novels about life in a small town, The Mitford series might be a good fit. You WILL want to read them in order, as the books sequence as time goes by. The first book is called "At Home in Mitford." Jan Karon releases a new Mitford book every few years, and people jump on them quickly. Those of us who are fans will read them at high speed, finish, and want more. I hope that Jan Karon does not plan to retire anytime soon. I am almost done with the current one, "Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good." That is one main reason why the blog has been neglected. I've had my nose in a book.
As September draws to a close, and October draws near, I start think about Fall activities. In the Fall, I will celebrate a double number birthday at 44. October 26 is about the greatest day of the year. I love to celebrate my birthday. I don't bemoan growing older, or the few strands of gray that are slowly creeping in. It's a reason to celebrate another year of life that God has so graciously given us. I also look forward to Thanksgiving. The day before Thanksgiving is a major holiday for me, as it's my annual "day of baking." I go into the kitchen and whip up a colossal amount of all kinds of goodies that I take along to Thanksgiving get-togethers. In the next few weeks, I will make up an ingredient list, scour the cupboards to see what I have, and begin collecting what I need. In the past few years, I have added an extra bonus to this day of baking, and invite the people who read my blog to stop by the house for a sample of what I have. More info to come on that soon.
Speaking of giving things away, does anyone need some red home-grown tomatoes? We are nearing the end of the season, and the tomatoes will not last much longer. Every year at the end of the growing season, I declare a garden winner. What veggie in Rob's garden gets the gold medal for being productive? This year it goes to the tomatoes, with sunflowers 2nd and corn 3rd. I have several cantaloupes, but they are small and wither before they are big enough to benefit from. That pathetic honeydew melon has never gotten bigger than an acorn in the 2 months since it's appearance. The same goes to my pumpkin vine that had a few tiny pumpkins on it that finally died out. I never saw a trace of anything from my watermelon or cucumber plants. It was a first-year garden, so I have a better idea of how I'm going to go about it next Spring.
I've rambled long enough. I have much to accomplish today, and it won't get done by staring at a computer screen. I wish you a blessed weekend! Until next time.......
***Rob***
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Monday, September 15, 2014
Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Final Thoughts
That's a wrap, so they say in the movie business. I drove by the fairgrounds this afternoon, and the people of the fair have obviously pulled an all-nighter. All of the portable horse barns are gone, the skyride has been dismantled, and only one ride remains on the fairgrounds, and they are almost done disassembling it. It's the Crazy Mouse, and I can understand how complex it must be to take it apart and put it back together again. It would take a much smarter man than me to do that. Large trucks were pulling out of the grounds, some pulling concession stands, and some large trucks were there for display or for sale. It's all over, except for the clean-up.
When I got off work at Boys & Girls Club, it felt weird to not head directly for the fair. Supper tonight will not be something fried. It will be something normal (not sure what I'm making yet). I will be taking a night of rest and relaxation. This past fair has been the most exhausting that I can remember. I guess at 43, it becomes more tiring to do so much walking. I'll need to get myself in better shape for next year. I'm also attributing my weariness to that darn foot-stimulator thing I tried on the first Friday. That made my calves cramp and sore for a few days. And, of course, I rode rides this year. I have never ridden so many rides in my life! We're not talking idyllic Ferris wheel rides, we're taking rides that go fast, and spin a lot! I had a blast with the kid I went with, but not sure I'll be able to do too much riding next year.
I was pondering what my favorite foods this year were. This year I did not do the Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger, the fried alligator on a stick, or fried pickles. Those were good, but I was on a smaller budget this year, and some of that had to be pared out. In no particular order: I really liked the mini-donuts that my friend Tammi told me about. They were $1.50 for a half dozen, and $3.00 for a dozen. $.50 extra if you wanted a dipping sauce. I thought they were good plain! Those would definitely go in one of my top three. I'm also going to nominate the bierock (yes, it's a word, spellcheck!) from the Pride of Kansas building. They were $6.75 and came with chips. They were hot and good. Hmmmm....I think number 3 would have to be the deep-fried cookie dough. Honorable mentions go to the cinnamon crunchers, the BBQ parfait, and the Pronto Pup. These are different from last year, which were BBQ parfait, fried veggies, and....can't remember #3.
In a normal 10-day period, my total steps average about 170,000. During the fair's run, I took 193,000 steps. That's 23,000 steps above average. That's a lot of walking. A lot of you have been wondering, "Did Rob gain weight from this?" Actually, the answer is....yes, I did. I weighed myself before the fair began, and after the fair was over, and I gained...drumroll please..... 1/5 of a pound. One-fifth of a pound! Imagine if I had not forced myself to do so much walking after I ate. I was sure that if I walked a lot after I ate, I could burn it off. I'm not even sure if we can qualify that as a weight gain, but there it is. During the 10-day run, my blood sugar levels stayed safe. People were fearful that my sugar levels would go through the roof, and I'd end up in serious shape, but the only lasting side effect of the fair is tiredness. I think that's a pretty good way to end up my first fair as a diabetic.
As much as I love the fair, and wish it could last longer, I know that people would eventually tire of it, and it would lose it's charm. Even I would grow weary of it after a while, and stop attending. With the fair coming to town only 10 days out of the year, it makes it more special. It's more unique. I will miss the fair. I will miss the excitement, the fun, the seeing of people I see often, and the ones I haven't seen in ages. I love the smiles of parents as they either ride the rides with their little ones, or take pictures of their older ones getting their insides scrambled by some crazy ride, LOL. I enjoyed seeing my church and school kiddos out there.
Now that the fair has come to a close, life returns to normal. In the meantime, I'll begin again saving some money here and there for next year's big celebration. I'll check the news to see if any interesting acts will be coming (Weird Al?). Funny story: While I was riding the spider on one of the many times we rode it, a couple of guys were singing Weird Al songs the entire ride. I joined in, and we had a great time. That's the fun part of the fair. The randomness. The fair will arrive again in 2015 Lord willing, and I'll make plans to be there to document as much as I can for you.
I hope you have enjoyed the blog this year as much as I have enjoyed bringing it to you. I hope that you'll leave a like or a comment to give me a good idea of how many of you have been reading. Thanks for your reading, kind words, and encouragement. I pray God will bless you greatly in the days to come.
***Rob***
When I got off work at Boys & Girls Club, it felt weird to not head directly for the fair. Supper tonight will not be something fried. It will be something normal (not sure what I'm making yet). I will be taking a night of rest and relaxation. This past fair has been the most exhausting that I can remember. I guess at 43, it becomes more tiring to do so much walking. I'll need to get myself in better shape for next year. I'm also attributing my weariness to that darn foot-stimulator thing I tried on the first Friday. That made my calves cramp and sore for a few days. And, of course, I rode rides this year. I have never ridden so many rides in my life! We're not talking idyllic Ferris wheel rides, we're taking rides that go fast, and spin a lot! I had a blast with the kid I went with, but not sure I'll be able to do too much riding next year.
I was pondering what my favorite foods this year were. This year I did not do the Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger, the fried alligator on a stick, or fried pickles. Those were good, but I was on a smaller budget this year, and some of that had to be pared out. In no particular order: I really liked the mini-donuts that my friend Tammi told me about. They were $1.50 for a half dozen, and $3.00 for a dozen. $.50 extra if you wanted a dipping sauce. I thought they were good plain! Those would definitely go in one of my top three. I'm also going to nominate the bierock (yes, it's a word, spellcheck!) from the Pride of Kansas building. They were $6.75 and came with chips. They were hot and good. Hmmmm....I think number 3 would have to be the deep-fried cookie dough. Honorable mentions go to the cinnamon crunchers, the BBQ parfait, and the Pronto Pup. These are different from last year, which were BBQ parfait, fried veggies, and....can't remember #3.
In a normal 10-day period, my total steps average about 170,000. During the fair's run, I took 193,000 steps. That's 23,000 steps above average. That's a lot of walking. A lot of you have been wondering, "Did Rob gain weight from this?" Actually, the answer is....yes, I did. I weighed myself before the fair began, and after the fair was over, and I gained...drumroll please..... 1/5 of a pound. One-fifth of a pound! Imagine if I had not forced myself to do so much walking after I ate. I was sure that if I walked a lot after I ate, I could burn it off. I'm not even sure if we can qualify that as a weight gain, but there it is. During the 10-day run, my blood sugar levels stayed safe. People were fearful that my sugar levels would go through the roof, and I'd end up in serious shape, but the only lasting side effect of the fair is tiredness. I think that's a pretty good way to end up my first fair as a diabetic.
As much as I love the fair, and wish it could last longer, I know that people would eventually tire of it, and it would lose it's charm. Even I would grow weary of it after a while, and stop attending. With the fair coming to town only 10 days out of the year, it makes it more special. It's more unique. I will miss the fair. I will miss the excitement, the fun, the seeing of people I see often, and the ones I haven't seen in ages. I love the smiles of parents as they either ride the rides with their little ones, or take pictures of their older ones getting their insides scrambled by some crazy ride, LOL. I enjoyed seeing my church and school kiddos out there.
Now that the fair has come to a close, life returns to normal. In the meantime, I'll begin again saving some money here and there for next year's big celebration. I'll check the news to see if any interesting acts will be coming (Weird Al?). Funny story: While I was riding the spider on one of the many times we rode it, a couple of guys were singing Weird Al songs the entire ride. I joined in, and we had a great time. That's the fun part of the fair. The randomness. The fair will arrive again in 2015 Lord willing, and I'll make plans to be there to document as much as I can for you.
I hope you have enjoyed the blog this year as much as I have enjoyed bringing it to you. I hope that you'll leave a like or a comment to give me a good idea of how many of you have been reading. Thanks for your reading, kind words, and encouragement. I pray God will bless you greatly in the days to come.
***Rob***
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Rob's State Fair Rambling, Day 10
Today, the final day was "Last Chance Day." That's original. My mom and I hit the fairgrounds today, in keeping with our annual tradition of doing the fair every year. I'm just thankful that she was able to do it, considering she's still only 2 and 1/2 weeks out from hernia surgery. We had a great time! One of the first things we did was watch the high-dive show. We had a while to wait, so I ran to the Pride of Kansas building's little café, and ordered 2 bierocks with an apple dumpling on the side. Bierocks are $6.75, and are served with a bag of chips. I believe the dumplings were $3.50. When I got back to the bleachers where the high-divers were going to perform, we opened the boxes to discover that there were no chips in the box! I was pretty steamed, thinking about the low grade I was going to give the service part of our experience. I went back to get them. They told me at the window that they had run out of chips the day before, and that they had discounted me $1.00. OK. It's not their fault that they ran out of chips. I'm an understanding guy. Mom and I gave the bierock and the apple dumpling an A. And there goes my spell-check again, telling me that bierock is not a word. Sheesh! (But it lets "sheesh" get by?)
We walked through a couple of buildings then we headed to Ron Diamond for his final show. He announced that he will be back next year! Smart move on the fair's part. Ron Diamond is wildly popular, and every one of his shows is packed out. People would mutiny the fair if they ever ended Ron Diamond's contract. He put on a good show, and I got some good video. I'm not sure if we were allowed to take video, but didn't say we couldn't for this show, so I took it. My mom and I have made Ron Diamond a tradition for many years.
Following Ron Diamond, we walked through a few more buildings. It was nearing 6pm, and by then many booths were closing down. As we were passing from the Sunflower North to the Pride of Kansas building, I stopped for a plate of BBQ nachos, the same place that makes the BBQ parfait. This big plate of nachos is covered with melted cheese, BBQ sauce, BBQ beef, and jalapenos upon request. (I requested no jalapenos) This dish is $8.00, and I give it all an A. They were so good! This was the last food I ate at the Kansas State Fair this year. My stomach told me that this was it. I listened. Once inside the Pride building, we admired the large pumpkins, as well as the butter sculpture.
I walked over to pick up my cookie info, and checked the notes they had made. They noted that the cookies were good, but that they were dry. DRY! Really?? I can't imagine them being dry, unless they opened the bag, checked the other cookies before mine, and by the time they got to mine, they were dry. That's all I can figure. To top it all off, I didn't even get a measly participation ribbon! I'll try again next year. It's a quest now. I'm bound and determined to enter something and win a ribbon. Just wait till next year. It's ON!
We stopped to get my mom a roasted corn, ($4.00) and she gave it a B. It wasn't very hot, she said, and maybe it's because they were getting ready to close. While she was eating her corn, we stopped at the Guadalupe Express, where I got my cinnamon crunchies earlier this week. I gave them an A. They thanked me, because one of my readers visited their booth because they heard about it on my blog! They also told me that their booth was voted number #1! However, the fair could not give them the award....you know why?....here it comes....because their food wasn't on a stick! Can you believe that? I can't believe it myself! The food at Guadalupe Express is not made to be served on a stick. Bad move, state fair. After visiting for a while, my mom got a Pronto Pup. ($3.50) She said that the Pronto Pup isn't the same as it used to be, and she gave it a B. However, at both the Roasted Corn and Pronto Pup booth, service was an A. On the way out, she stopped for an ice cream at the Grandstand. (Cost unknown) She gave the service and taste an A as well. At that point, we had to leave due to a family situation. Not an emergency, everything is fine.
My friends, I have some final thoughts, numbers, and other stats to give you, but the hour is late, and I do not want to be tired for school tomorrow morning. I'm going to make one final post tomorrow night. What was my favorite food? Did I lose or gain weight this week? How many total steps did I take during the 10 days of the fair? It's all coming tomorrow night.
Thanks for reading this past 10 days, and I hope you have enjoyed it. Stay tuned Monday night for a bonus posting!! God bless you!!
We walked through a couple of buildings then we headed to Ron Diamond for his final show. He announced that he will be back next year! Smart move on the fair's part. Ron Diamond is wildly popular, and every one of his shows is packed out. People would mutiny the fair if they ever ended Ron Diamond's contract. He put on a good show, and I got some good video. I'm not sure if we were allowed to take video, but didn't say we couldn't for this show, so I took it. My mom and I have made Ron Diamond a tradition for many years.
Following Ron Diamond, we walked through a few more buildings. It was nearing 6pm, and by then many booths were closing down. As we were passing from the Sunflower North to the Pride of Kansas building, I stopped for a plate of BBQ nachos, the same place that makes the BBQ parfait. This big plate of nachos is covered with melted cheese, BBQ sauce, BBQ beef, and jalapenos upon request. (I requested no jalapenos) This dish is $8.00, and I give it all an A. They were so good! This was the last food I ate at the Kansas State Fair this year. My stomach told me that this was it. I listened. Once inside the Pride building, we admired the large pumpkins, as well as the butter sculpture.
I walked over to pick up my cookie info, and checked the notes they had made. They noted that the cookies were good, but that they were dry. DRY! Really?? I can't imagine them being dry, unless they opened the bag, checked the other cookies before mine, and by the time they got to mine, they were dry. That's all I can figure. To top it all off, I didn't even get a measly participation ribbon! I'll try again next year. It's a quest now. I'm bound and determined to enter something and win a ribbon. Just wait till next year. It's ON!
We stopped to get my mom a roasted corn, ($4.00) and she gave it a B. It wasn't very hot, she said, and maybe it's because they were getting ready to close. While she was eating her corn, we stopped at the Guadalupe Express, where I got my cinnamon crunchies earlier this week. I gave them an A. They thanked me, because one of my readers visited their booth because they heard about it on my blog! They also told me that their booth was voted number #1! However, the fair could not give them the award....you know why?....here it comes....because their food wasn't on a stick! Can you believe that? I can't believe it myself! The food at Guadalupe Express is not made to be served on a stick. Bad move, state fair. After visiting for a while, my mom got a Pronto Pup. ($3.50) She said that the Pronto Pup isn't the same as it used to be, and she gave it a B. However, at both the Roasted Corn and Pronto Pup booth, service was an A. On the way out, she stopped for an ice cream at the Grandstand. (Cost unknown) She gave the service and taste an A as well. At that point, we had to leave due to a family situation. Not an emergency, everything is fine.
My friends, I have some final thoughts, numbers, and other stats to give you, but the hour is late, and I do not want to be tired for school tomorrow morning. I'm going to make one final post tomorrow night. What was my favorite food? Did I lose or gain weight this week? How many total steps did I take during the 10 days of the fair? It's all coming tomorrow night.
Thanks for reading this past 10 days, and I hope you have enjoyed it. Stay tuned Monday night for a bonus posting!! God bless you!!
Friday, September 12, 2014
Rob's State Fair Scramblings, Day 8
That's not a typo, it says "scramblings." That's how I'm feeling after a wonderful day at the fair. I was glad that the predicted rain did not fall, but it was quite chilly today. Heavy jacket weather, to be exact. My friend Matt and I went to the fair today to ride rides. Let me tell you that I have not ridden on rides in many, many years, except for the big Ferris Wheel. I ride that every year because it's pretty tame, and you get a spectacular view of the Hutchinson skyline. But it did not stop there. We got onto rides that I had never thought I would get on again. The Sizzler, Crazy Mouse, The Spider (don't get me started on that ride), Pharoah's Fury, Avalanche, Rainbow Starship 3000, and assorted funhouses. We rode many of these rides multiple times. My inner child was released full-force today! You would be proud of the way I manned up and boarded those rides. I pretty much screamed the entire time (again, the spider ride, LOL) and Matt was having fun watching me freak out. By the way, we did NOT ride the Freak Out, but I freaked out on many of the other rides. By about 4:30 pm, I had learned two things: 1) I am not in my teens or early twenties anymore, and 2) I shouldn't be riding these rides in my forties. Matt noticed my shakiness and queasy stomach, and we agreed that this would be a good time to take a break. We went to watch the hypnotist and then the high-dive show. On the way there, we stopped to get an elephant ear. They had none left! We were disappointed, but we settled for a funnel cake instead. I could only eat small bites, for fear of upsetting my stomach. Rob didn't want to eat at the fair! There's a new one! Matt and I gave the funnel cake an A, and he also rated the caramel apple he had earlier as an A.
Following the high-dive show, Matt was ready to ride more rides. We headed back to the midway for more rides, but this time I took on a different role: That of a mere observer. My body had told me "That's enough," and I obeyed. I enjoyed watching Matt enjoy himself on the rides. I did ride the Ferris Wheel again, but I don't count that, because it doesn't involve spinning at high rates of speed, it's just a leisurely ride around.
All in all it was a great day. It was fun to have Matt with me to buddy around with, and ride rides with. I am so exhausted right now, so please forgive any typos I might have missed. I'm going to head for bed. Tomorrow's fair trip is still up in the air. We are traveling to Salina to see some family from the east coast. Should be a fun day! If we get back at a fairly decent hour, I might make a trip out there. If not, it's all OK. Family is most important.
Real quickly: Yesterday I was at the Granny's Mustard booth, and they were telling me that they supply Granny's Mustard at all 5 of the State Fair Pronto Pup booths. "There are 5 of them?" I asked. "Yep," the man said. So, the correct answer is 5! I had only 2 people attempt to guess, and both of them are named Laura! LOL. I'm giving both of you a prize for playing! For the record, Laura S. was closest with her guess of 6. Here's the trivia for today: What ride formerly occupied Crazy Mouse's current location? I'll let you know tomorrow. Good luck!
Thanks for reading and supporting me! I pray God's blessings upon you!! Good night, all!
Following the high-dive show, Matt was ready to ride more rides. We headed back to the midway for more rides, but this time I took on a different role: That of a mere observer. My body had told me "That's enough," and I obeyed. I enjoyed watching Matt enjoy himself on the rides. I did ride the Ferris Wheel again, but I don't count that, because it doesn't involve spinning at high rates of speed, it's just a leisurely ride around.
All in all it was a great day. It was fun to have Matt with me to buddy around with, and ride rides with. I am so exhausted right now, so please forgive any typos I might have missed. I'm going to head for bed. Tomorrow's fair trip is still up in the air. We are traveling to Salina to see some family from the east coast. Should be a fun day! If we get back at a fairly decent hour, I might make a trip out there. If not, it's all OK. Family is most important.
Real quickly: Yesterday I was at the Granny's Mustard booth, and they were telling me that they supply Granny's Mustard at all 5 of the State Fair Pronto Pup booths. "There are 5 of them?" I asked. "Yep," the man said. So, the correct answer is 5! I had only 2 people attempt to guess, and both of them are named Laura! LOL. I'm giving both of you a prize for playing! For the record, Laura S. was closest with her guess of 6. Here's the trivia for today: What ride formerly occupied Crazy Mouse's current location? I'll let you know tomorrow. Good luck!
Thanks for reading and supporting me! I pray God's blessings upon you!! Good night, all!
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Rob's State Fair Ramblings Day 7
My age is starting to catch up to me. This is my 43rd state fair, and this one has been more exhausting than any I can remember. Oh, I still have a blast, but it's getting more tiring at the same time. My pedometer this evening is at about 30,000 steps. About 10,000 of them were taken at school, about 5,000 at Boys & Girls Club, and the remaining 15,000 took place this evening at the fair. On average, 10,000 steps in a day is considered healthy. That means that at the fair alone today, I walked a day-and-a-half's worth of steps in a couple of hours. I kind of had to, as I didn't behave myself very well. Yeah, I'll come out and admit it. I started out with one of last year's favorites, the BBQ parfait. Served in a tall plastic sundae cup, it's layered with BBQ beef, mashed potatoes, BBQ sauce, and baked beans. It's barely spicy. I don't handle spicy at all, and it didn't bother me any. The cost is $7.00, and everything gets an A. If I had waited any longer to be waited on, it would have gone down to a B for service. When I went over to explore Camperland, there were people standing there handing out ice cream sandwiches. Judge not lest ye be judged, people. LOL. I enjoy looking around Camperland, checking out different campers and RV's, imagining life in one of them. Some of them are huge, as are the prices, 6 figures for some. I think I could endure it for a while, but cabin fever might set in after a time. I took a couple of laps around the grounds to work off what I ate, and then did further damage by ordering deep-fried cookie dough. The cookie dough was $5.00. I gave it an A. (These vendors must know I have a blog, LOL). It took several minutes to get mine, but they were busy, and they were making mine up fresh and hot. They are wonderfully gooey and quite rich. They also sell fried Nutella, and fried fruit. These guys are in a big yellow tent just to the right of the Channel 12 booth. After the fried cookie dough, I knew I had to do some serious walking!
I started my walking by going through the buildings, where I ran into my friends Eric and Lorraine. We stopped for photo ops. They gave me a good idea for next year. I'll call it "Rob sightings." If you see me, you get a prize, kind of like a "Where's Waldo?" type of thing. Just come up to me and tell me you read my blog, and I'll have something for you. If you'd like to see the pic Lorraine took of me, check my homepage. I'm sure she'll post it soon. :-) After walking the buildings, I decided to take to the midway. I love the lights and sounds of the midway, and I also get to see a lot of my church and school kids there. I also wanted to get a look at some of the rides. You see, tomorrow I'll be heading out with my buddy Matt to so some serious ride riding. (As long as it doesn't rain, I hope not!!) I noticed a lot of them involve spinning in various ways. I have not ridden rides in many years, so I hope I hold out. I definitely will not be partaking in any insane crazy rides, aka Ring Of Fire, Freak-Out, Speed, etc. I'll venture the Crazy Mouse, Avalanche, Phaorah's Fury, Rainbow, etc. Hopefully tomorrow's Rob's Ramblings will not be coming from the hospital! LOL. Anyway, back to the subject at hand. I took quite a few laps around the grounds, trying to burn off the sugar. Ironically, as I was walking, I saw a diabetic glucose test strip lying on the ground. Some soul at the fair was testing their blood sugar levels, maybe seeing if what they ate was harming them, or seeing if they could afford to allow a sweet treat. It will be interesting to check my weight after the fair is over. I weighed myself before the fair started, so I will check afterwards to see if I gained or lost. I will see if the amount of walking I did at the fair was enough to counteract the food I ate at the fair.
Before I close for the night, I have trivia for you. All the Pronto Pup stands stock Granny's mustard at their stands for your condiment convenience. How many Pronto Pup stands are there at the fair? The Granny's people told me the answer. I'll post the answer tomorrow. I'll have a small prize for all correct answers. Good luck!
Thanks for taking time out of your evening (or day) to stop and read. I pray that you will have a blessed day. See you tomorrow for Day 8's report. It's almost over! :-(
I started my walking by going through the buildings, where I ran into my friends Eric and Lorraine. We stopped for photo ops. They gave me a good idea for next year. I'll call it "Rob sightings." If you see me, you get a prize, kind of like a "Where's Waldo?" type of thing. Just come up to me and tell me you read my blog, and I'll have something for you. If you'd like to see the pic Lorraine took of me, check my homepage. I'm sure she'll post it soon. :-) After walking the buildings, I decided to take to the midway. I love the lights and sounds of the midway, and I also get to see a lot of my church and school kids there. I also wanted to get a look at some of the rides. You see, tomorrow I'll be heading out with my buddy Matt to so some serious ride riding. (As long as it doesn't rain, I hope not!!) I noticed a lot of them involve spinning in various ways. I have not ridden rides in many years, so I hope I hold out. I definitely will not be partaking in any insane crazy rides, aka Ring Of Fire, Freak-Out, Speed, etc. I'll venture the Crazy Mouse, Avalanche, Phaorah's Fury, Rainbow, etc. Hopefully tomorrow's Rob's Ramblings will not be coming from the hospital! LOL. Anyway, back to the subject at hand. I took quite a few laps around the grounds, trying to burn off the sugar. Ironically, as I was walking, I saw a diabetic glucose test strip lying on the ground. Some soul at the fair was testing their blood sugar levels, maybe seeing if what they ate was harming them, or seeing if they could afford to allow a sweet treat. It will be interesting to check my weight after the fair is over. I weighed myself before the fair started, so I will check afterwards to see if I gained or lost. I will see if the amount of walking I did at the fair was enough to counteract the food I ate at the fair.
Before I close for the night, I have trivia for you. All the Pronto Pup stands stock Granny's mustard at their stands for your condiment convenience. How many Pronto Pup stands are there at the fair? The Granny's people told me the answer. I'll post the answer tomorrow. I'll have a small prize for all correct answers. Good luck!
Thanks for taking time out of your evening (or day) to stop and read. I pray that you will have a blessed day. See you tomorrow for Day 8's report. It's almost over! :-(
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 6
After a busy day of school, Boys & Girls Club, and then AWANA, I still had enough steam in me to make a quick dash out to the fair. I already have a season pass, so I might as well take full advantage of it, anyway! To be honest, I was torn this evening. Matthew West was playing at the fairgrounds this evening, and I was hoping to attend that concert, However, my first priority is to my kiddos at the church. I feel I made the right choice. Keep reading to see what solidified that for me.....Anyway, my first destination was to the Pride of Kansas building for one of their big bierocks! A bierock is basically a roll filled with fried onion, cabbage ground beef, seasonings, and sometimes cheese. This is a relatively healthy food, so back off!! LOL. I give everything an A! The cashier was friendly and conversational, and the bierock was served quickly and hot. The cost is $6.75, but they are big bierocks, and you get a bag of chips with it as well. It was very good! By the way, my spell-check is highlighting the word "bierock." There IS such a word! :-)
From there, I had a few minutes to make a mad dash through the buildings. I grabbed a few pencils, and as I came to one booth to grab a pencil, the lady said, "Take as many as you want." I was tempted, very tempted, but didn't want to appear to be a hog, so I left them be. I then quickly sprinted to where they have samples of different breads. I was going to buy some of those mixes, when she told me to mix the package with one can of beer. Hmm. I told her I didn't buy beer. She looked up and saw my AWANA shirt and knew why. I told her that I was a children's ministry worker in my church, and that purchasing beer went against what I believed. Besides, what if one of my church kiddos saw me buying beer? Since the beer cooks out during the baking process, I'll just have to enjoy the samples at the fair. The garlic & herb bread is the best!!
As I left the building and headed onto the midway, I heard music. Familiar music, like someone had just turned on K-Love. It was Matthew West! The concert was still going on! I hurried toward the south side of the grandstand, and from a distance, I could see him on the big screen singing "Hello, My Name is." As I came closer to the gate, I noticed one of the boards in the fence was missing, and no one was at that spot. I walked up to that gap in that fence, and I had a clear view of Matthew West on stage! I stood there until the concert was over, about half an hour. He didn't simply sing, he's also a talented speaker. He can preach! I stood there and was ministered to in an amazing way. I think this was God's little way of showing me I made the right choice by not skipping out on AWANA to attend the concert. God allowed me to experience the last part of the Matthew West concert, and I walked away blessed!
As I left the fairgrounds, I met up with one of my former AWANA kids from years past. We chatted for a while, and he recalled fond memories of his days with us, and how it made him feel good inside. As we chatted, a girl walked by, saw my shirt, and said "Yay, AWANA!" with her thumbs way up. "My folks do AWANA, it's a great program!" I called back, "Glad to hear it!" I shared with my young friend, Jessy, that it was my 26th year in the program. He was glad that I was still involved. I invited him to come visit us sometime.
I have rambled late, and I need to get myself to bed so that I won't be a sleepy mess at school tomorrow. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you back here tomorrow night! God bless!!
From there, I had a few minutes to make a mad dash through the buildings. I grabbed a few pencils, and as I came to one booth to grab a pencil, the lady said, "Take as many as you want." I was tempted, very tempted, but didn't want to appear to be a hog, so I left them be. I then quickly sprinted to where they have samples of different breads. I was going to buy some of those mixes, when she told me to mix the package with one can of beer. Hmm. I told her I didn't buy beer. She looked up and saw my AWANA shirt and knew why. I told her that I was a children's ministry worker in my church, and that purchasing beer went against what I believed. Besides, what if one of my church kiddos saw me buying beer? Since the beer cooks out during the baking process, I'll just have to enjoy the samples at the fair. The garlic & herb bread is the best!!
As I left the building and headed onto the midway, I heard music. Familiar music, like someone had just turned on K-Love. It was Matthew West! The concert was still going on! I hurried toward the south side of the grandstand, and from a distance, I could see him on the big screen singing "Hello, My Name is." As I came closer to the gate, I noticed one of the boards in the fence was missing, and no one was at that spot. I walked up to that gap in that fence, and I had a clear view of Matthew West on stage! I stood there until the concert was over, about half an hour. He didn't simply sing, he's also a talented speaker. He can preach! I stood there and was ministered to in an amazing way. I think this was God's little way of showing me I made the right choice by not skipping out on AWANA to attend the concert. God allowed me to experience the last part of the Matthew West concert, and I walked away blessed!
As I left the fairgrounds, I met up with one of my former AWANA kids from years past. We chatted for a while, and he recalled fond memories of his days with us, and how it made him feel good inside. As we chatted, a girl walked by, saw my shirt, and said "Yay, AWANA!" with her thumbs way up. "My folks do AWANA, it's a great program!" I called back, "Glad to hear it!" I shared with my young friend, Jessy, that it was my 26th year in the program. He was glad that I was still involved. I invited him to come visit us sometime.
I have rambled late, and I need to get myself to bed so that I won't be a sleepy mess at school tomorrow. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you back here tomorrow night! God bless!!
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Rob's State Fair Ramblings Day 5
Well, we've reached the half-way mark of the 2014 Kansas State Fair, and boy, was it a windy day in Kansas! I had to hold my hat onto my head quite a bit while I traversed the fairgrounds. I was also deathly afraid that the wind might rip the food items I had bought right out of my hands! I began the adventure with an order of cheese curds. I give the taste an A. Many years ago, I bought an order of them, and they were disgusting! It was the only cheese curds I had ever tried, and, being a true Garrison Keillor fan, I gave them a shot. Ick! I was under the impression that cheese curds were disgusting. However, several years ago, I saw a friend from our church at the fair, and he offered me one. I didn't want to be rude, so I took one. It was great! I told him about my bad experience with them, and he told me that maybe I had just gotten a bad batch. Now I order them every year! However, the portion size this year was pitiful. The chunks were smaller, too. I give value a C. The cost of the cheese curds is $6.00, and an extra $1.00 of you want a side of ranch dressing for dipping. I give cost a B. I had originally planned to eat just cheese curds and be done, but the serving size had me craving more. So, I headed to the Elephant Ear stand. There are 2 elephant ear stands there. One is located across from the Swine building (Thanks for the heads-up on that, Lorraine!), and the other one is on the midway by the Freak-Out ride. Since I was closer to the Freak-Out, I picked that one. There is a reason they call it an elephant ear! They are huge! An elephant ear is a large slab of flat bread dough that is deep-fried, and then topped with butter, cinnamon, and sugar. They gave it to me on 2 paper plates, it was that big! They are $6.00, and an extra $1.00 if you want a fruit topping on it. I give everything an A. They were really nice, and they made it up hot and fresh right there. For the record, I have been checking my blood sugar levels every night, and they are coming up normal. I make it point to eat early on in my visit, and walk it all off during the remainder of my time there. So far, so good!
I decided the visit the animal birthing center and check out what was going on there. There were a few baby calves and lambs, but not much else. They had an interactive display, a type of calf-pulling simulator. Calf-pulling is where the person reaches into the...er....and pulls the calf out. They asked me if I'd like to try. One of the vets even volunteered to hold the camera while I did this. I had the option of a simple procedure, or on that was more complicated. I figured I'd better stick with simple. This isn't something I do every day. It's not something I've done ever! I slipped my big glove on, and went to work. The calf came out easily. "It's a boy," I declared to the listening audience. It was certainly a different experience!
I had an interesting chat with a gentleman who was wearing a KU shirt. Not entirely out of the ordinary, except that he was standing at the KSU booth (which was giving away notepads....yes, I took one). I told him he was asking for trouble, wearing KU at the KSU booth. He looked a bit awkward, and said, "I know." It turns out that their home is a divided one. His wife was chatting with the KSU people and picking up literature. She had done the same for him, standing in her KSU while he frequented the KU booth. I thought it was a sweet gesture on both of their parts.
If you are in the mood for a small snack, but don't want to shell out the cash, here are some helpful tips: In the Meadowlark Building (the big commercial one), there is a stand that offers free samples of flavored dips. Just grab a pretzel and sample a crab dip, onion, jalapeno, or a dozen other options. It's really pretty good! If you have time for a sales pitch, some of the cookware demonstrators will offer a small snack cooked right there in their pots and pans. In the 2 smaller buildings next to it, there are samplings of chili, Granny's Mustard, flavored coffees (wonderful), and breads (even better!).
Tomorrow is Wednesday, and the jury is still out on whether or not I will make a fair visit. Since I will be going from job...to job....to AWANA....I don't know if I'll have to energy to visit. A lot of it will depend on how I feel, and the weather. If I don't visit, I hope you'll understand and won't feel cheated. Another iffy day is Saturday. We have family coming into Salina, and we'll be enjoying family time on Salina that day. I may be able to squeeze an evening fair visit in that day, but we'll have to see.
Thanks for reading this evening, and I'll talk to you soon!
I decided the visit the animal birthing center and check out what was going on there. There were a few baby calves and lambs, but not much else. They had an interactive display, a type of calf-pulling simulator. Calf-pulling is where the person reaches into the...er....and pulls the calf out. They asked me if I'd like to try. One of the vets even volunteered to hold the camera while I did this. I had the option of a simple procedure, or on that was more complicated. I figured I'd better stick with simple. This isn't something I do every day. It's not something I've done ever! I slipped my big glove on, and went to work. The calf came out easily. "It's a boy," I declared to the listening audience. It was certainly a different experience!
I had an interesting chat with a gentleman who was wearing a KU shirt. Not entirely out of the ordinary, except that he was standing at the KSU booth (which was giving away notepads....yes, I took one). I told him he was asking for trouble, wearing KU at the KSU booth. He looked a bit awkward, and said, "I know." It turns out that their home is a divided one. His wife was chatting with the KSU people and picking up literature. She had done the same for him, standing in her KSU while he frequented the KU booth. I thought it was a sweet gesture on both of their parts.
If you are in the mood for a small snack, but don't want to shell out the cash, here are some helpful tips: In the Meadowlark Building (the big commercial one), there is a stand that offers free samples of flavored dips. Just grab a pretzel and sample a crab dip, onion, jalapeno, or a dozen other options. It's really pretty good! If you have time for a sales pitch, some of the cookware demonstrators will offer a small snack cooked right there in their pots and pans. In the 2 smaller buildings next to it, there are samplings of chili, Granny's Mustard, flavored coffees (wonderful), and breads (even better!).
Tomorrow is Wednesday, and the jury is still out on whether or not I will make a fair visit. Since I will be going from job...to job....to AWANA....I don't know if I'll have to energy to visit. A lot of it will depend on how I feel, and the weather. If I don't visit, I hope you'll understand and won't feel cheated. Another iffy day is Saturday. We have family coming into Salina, and we'll be enjoying family time on Salina that day. I may be able to squeeze an evening fair visit in that day, but we'll have to see.
Thanks for reading this evening, and I'll talk to you soon!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Rob's State Fair Ramblings Day 4
I had a good time at the fair this evening. After I got off of work at Boys & Girls Club, I met my friend Christy and we hung out for a while. When you plan to meet someone at the fair, where is your meeting spot? I always like to meet at the Channel 12 booth. It seems that everyone knows where that booth is, and there's a park area full of benches right next to it. However, before hitting that booth, I had some time, so I went to the Meadowlark Building and got some mini-donuts. The booth is called Grandma J's, and they sell a variety of things, but the mini-donuts were all I was thinking about. Grandma J's is right at the very front of the building. A half-dozen donuts is $1.50, and a dozen is $3.00. I give everything an A. I opted for the half-dozen. I feel like $1.50 is a great bargain. The cook makes the donuts fresh right in front of you, and they give them to you piping hot! They were so good, and the people were friendly. Thanks, Tammi, for the heads-up!
My friend and I went through the buildings looking for the best free stuff. I noticed that the knows a LOT of people. We had a good time chatting and browsing through the different booths. Afterwards, we were hungry, so we headed for the state fair's most famous food: The Pronto Pup! I've already had one this week, but one more is even better! Pronto Pups are $3.50, and as always, I give them an A. As usual, I slathered it up with ketchup and mustard. The local people that work the booth are always so friendly, and the Pronto Pups are hot! One disappointing thing I have noticed missing this year is the "No Taste Like Home" booth. They are the ones that sell the "Picnic On A Stick" that I enjoyed last year. I was hoping to get one of those this year. Christy and I enjoyed our Pronto Pups while watching the Ron Diamond hypnotist show. A good one as always!
It was a short trip to the fair, only a couple of hours, but we had a really great time! Christy and I have been good friends for several years, and just walking around was a lot of fun! It's so much more fun when you have someone to walk around with.
This was a short report tonight, but we kept it low-key tonight. I am planning on going back tomorrow night again. I have an inkling of what I may be enjoying tomorrow, but I'll keep you on edge until then. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you tomorrow night!
My friend and I went through the buildings looking for the best free stuff. I noticed that the knows a LOT of people. We had a good time chatting and browsing through the different booths. Afterwards, we were hungry, so we headed for the state fair's most famous food: The Pronto Pup! I've already had one this week, but one more is even better! Pronto Pups are $3.50, and as always, I give them an A. As usual, I slathered it up with ketchup and mustard. The local people that work the booth are always so friendly, and the Pronto Pups are hot! One disappointing thing I have noticed missing this year is the "No Taste Like Home" booth. They are the ones that sell the "Picnic On A Stick" that I enjoyed last year. I was hoping to get one of those this year. Christy and I enjoyed our Pronto Pups while watching the Ron Diamond hypnotist show. A good one as always!
It was a short trip to the fair, only a couple of hours, but we had a really great time! Christy and I have been good friends for several years, and just walking around was a lot of fun! It's so much more fun when you have someone to walk around with.
This was a short report tonight, but we kept it low-key tonight. I am planning on going back tomorrow night again. I have an inkling of what I may be enjoying tomorrow, but I'll keep you on edge until then. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you tomorrow night!
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Rob's State Fair Ranblings Day 3
After church this morning, I headed for Day 3 at the Kansas State Fair! The first thing I did was grab a Tacone from a stand called "Rotten Rodney's." Tacones are anything but rotten. It's a flour tortilla shell fried into a cone shape, and filled with all the good stuff that comes in a taco. They are $6.00. I give it an A for taste, service, and price. For $6.00, they really loaded it. Maybe they know by now that I blog, and wanted a really good shout out. You got it!!
I really wanted to see the pig races today, and similar to Ron Diamond and the high-dive show, you need to get there 30 minutes early to get a good seat. 45 minutes for a shady spot on the bleachers. However, I wanted to get some gater taters to snack on while I waited. I found them just east of the Old Mill in a big red trailer. They also sell fried alligator on a stick. Gater taters are deep-fried potatoes that are sliced up into a flower-like blossom. They were $7.00 I gave it an A for taste. They were good, but I couldn't eat all of them because you can only handle so much grease. I give it a B for cost. $7.00 for a potato? I give it a C for service. They were pretty nice, but it took 15 minutes for me to get it! I think they had to grow the potato right there! Needless to say, it put me behind getting to the pig races, and I had to sit in the sun. I'm glad it wasn't too hot today. The pig races were a blast! The emcee was hilarious, as was her assistant in the pig pen. The pig races are sponsored by Hedrick's Exotic Animal Farm in Nickerson. The pigs had funny names like Lindsey Loham and Oprah Swinefrey. I got some good video. Check my facebook page. It's a must-see!!
I stopped and chatted with my friend Tammi and her little boy, and she shared with me that the Barney Fife impersonator from last year died not too long ago. I remember that he was as one of the food booths last year, and I thought he was a security officer. I remember thinking, "He looks like Barney Fife." Turns out, he was a Barney Fife impersonator. He was kind of goofy, and ready to pose for a photo op, as you can see in one of last year's pictures I posted. I'm not sure what his real name is, but I know him as Barney Fife. RIP, Barney.
I'll bet you're all waiting with bated breath to hear how my cookies fared in the judging. The results are in. I went in to check them out, and guess what!!!!! Yep. Nothing. In fact, you can't even tell which cookie is mine, because there is another plate covering the slip with my name on it. I know which one it is. I thought I had some pretty good cookies, too. I'm not sure what I need to do to get a ribbon. It's pretty discouraging to lose 6 years in a row. When I pick up my paperwork next Sunday, they'll have comments about my cookies. We'll just see what they have to say....
During the day, I took a break in the park next to the Channel 12 building, and watched Merrill Teller and Cindy Klose sign autographs. I was also staking out a man named Bandaloni, the one-man band! I knew he had a gig at 4:30, and I wanted to see it and get some video. This guy was great! He sure knows how to work an audience! At one point during the song I recorded, he came right up and put his face into my camera while he was singing. Bandaloni has performed on NBC's morning show with Al Roker, and has also appeared on America's Got Talent. If you see him performing, treat yourself to some of his act. He is very talented and very funny. Another talented man is Steve Trash. (It's a nick name, he uses trash and other recyclables in his act.) He is a street magician, and he's pretty neat. One of his tricks is causing a hard metal key to bend in someone's hand. Pretty amazing! I might add that while I was waiting, a large man in a big hurry came barreling through, and nearly knocked me to the ground. "My bad," he called, as I tried to get my balance back. Several people asked if I was OK, and seemed bothered by the fact that the guy didn't even stop.
During my building walk-through, I noticed a commotion and activity at the KU booth. Sitting there were Bob and Elizabeth Dole! Also there, were several armed security officers. I'm curious about the security. Our governor, Sam Brownback, was at the fair yesterday, and he didn't have security like the Doles. I managed to get a semi-blurry picture in, the best I could do in all of the madness. Bob Dole is a hero in our home. A number of years ago, the Bob Dole foundation sponsored a trailer/clinic on the fairgrounds offering free mammograms. My mom took advantage of this opportunity, and the scan showed lumps. They turned out to be breast cancer. Fortunately, they caught it early, mom was treated, and she's been cancer-free ever since. Had it not been for Bob Dole's mammogram booth, my mom's breast cancer may have gone undetected to the point where it would have been too late.
I'll make my trek out to the fair tomorrow, and tomorrow is Dollar Day. Admission is only $1.00 all day, but if you have a Dillons Plus Card, you get in free! All midway rides are one ticket only, and those tickets are $1.25 (based on last year's prices, not sure if they'll be the same price again this year). I have an inkling as to what I might try this time around, and it's something I've never tried before. Tammi, you know what it is, you told me about it! :-)
Thanks for reading this evening, and to one couple I talked to, thanks for reading it aloud to your hubby every evening. Yeah, you know who you are, and you made it into the blog. Now you're a celebrity! :-) See you all tomorrow for Day 4's report!!
I really wanted to see the pig races today, and similar to Ron Diamond and the high-dive show, you need to get there 30 minutes early to get a good seat. 45 minutes for a shady spot on the bleachers. However, I wanted to get some gater taters to snack on while I waited. I found them just east of the Old Mill in a big red trailer. They also sell fried alligator on a stick. Gater taters are deep-fried potatoes that are sliced up into a flower-like blossom. They were $7.00 I gave it an A for taste. They were good, but I couldn't eat all of them because you can only handle so much grease. I give it a B for cost. $7.00 for a potato? I give it a C for service. They were pretty nice, but it took 15 minutes for me to get it! I think they had to grow the potato right there! Needless to say, it put me behind getting to the pig races, and I had to sit in the sun. I'm glad it wasn't too hot today. The pig races were a blast! The emcee was hilarious, as was her assistant in the pig pen. The pig races are sponsored by Hedrick's Exotic Animal Farm in Nickerson. The pigs had funny names like Lindsey Loham and Oprah Swinefrey. I got some good video. Check my facebook page. It's a must-see!!
I stopped and chatted with my friend Tammi and her little boy, and she shared with me that the Barney Fife impersonator from last year died not too long ago. I remember that he was as one of the food booths last year, and I thought he was a security officer. I remember thinking, "He looks like Barney Fife." Turns out, he was a Barney Fife impersonator. He was kind of goofy, and ready to pose for a photo op, as you can see in one of last year's pictures I posted. I'm not sure what his real name is, but I know him as Barney Fife. RIP, Barney.
I'll bet you're all waiting with bated breath to hear how my cookies fared in the judging. The results are in. I went in to check them out, and guess what!!!!! Yep. Nothing. In fact, you can't even tell which cookie is mine, because there is another plate covering the slip with my name on it. I know which one it is. I thought I had some pretty good cookies, too. I'm not sure what I need to do to get a ribbon. It's pretty discouraging to lose 6 years in a row. When I pick up my paperwork next Sunday, they'll have comments about my cookies. We'll just see what they have to say....
During the day, I took a break in the park next to the Channel 12 building, and watched Merrill Teller and Cindy Klose sign autographs. I was also staking out a man named Bandaloni, the one-man band! I knew he had a gig at 4:30, and I wanted to see it and get some video. This guy was great! He sure knows how to work an audience! At one point during the song I recorded, he came right up and put his face into my camera while he was singing. Bandaloni has performed on NBC's morning show with Al Roker, and has also appeared on America's Got Talent. If you see him performing, treat yourself to some of his act. He is very talented and very funny. Another talented man is Steve Trash. (It's a nick name, he uses trash and other recyclables in his act.) He is a street magician, and he's pretty neat. One of his tricks is causing a hard metal key to bend in someone's hand. Pretty amazing! I might add that while I was waiting, a large man in a big hurry came barreling through, and nearly knocked me to the ground. "My bad," he called, as I tried to get my balance back. Several people asked if I was OK, and seemed bothered by the fact that the guy didn't even stop.
During my building walk-through, I noticed a commotion and activity at the KU booth. Sitting there were Bob and Elizabeth Dole! Also there, were several armed security officers. I'm curious about the security. Our governor, Sam Brownback, was at the fair yesterday, and he didn't have security like the Doles. I managed to get a semi-blurry picture in, the best I could do in all of the madness. Bob Dole is a hero in our home. A number of years ago, the Bob Dole foundation sponsored a trailer/clinic on the fairgrounds offering free mammograms. My mom took advantage of this opportunity, and the scan showed lumps. They turned out to be breast cancer. Fortunately, they caught it early, mom was treated, and she's been cancer-free ever since. Had it not been for Bob Dole's mammogram booth, my mom's breast cancer may have gone undetected to the point where it would have been too late.
I'll make my trek out to the fair tomorrow, and tomorrow is Dollar Day. Admission is only $1.00 all day, but if you have a Dillons Plus Card, you get in free! All midway rides are one ticket only, and those tickets are $1.25 (based on last year's prices, not sure if they'll be the same price again this year). I have an inkling as to what I might try this time around, and it's something I've never tried before. Tammi, you know what it is, you told me about it! :-)
Thanks for reading this evening, and to one couple I talked to, thanks for reading it aloud to your hubby every evening. Yeah, you know who you are, and you made it into the blog. Now you're a celebrity! :-) See you all tomorrow for Day 4's report!!
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Rob's State Fair Ramblings Day 2!
Today was Father's Day at the fair, the day that I take my dad to see whatever his heart desires. He enjoys this day out, even though he tires easily. This was also the day that I spent and ate too much! More about that in a sec.... My dad loves to look at livestock, particularly the horses. Maybe it's because his mom loved horses SO much. There were some beautiful breeds of horses there to see. We walked through the barns and walked the rows of stalls just enjoying them. I have a pic of my dad looking at the horses. It's on my Facebook homepage. When dad needed a breather, we stopped and watched a cattle judging...I have question for those of you who may be farmers: The people showing the cattle were using long sticks to pat the flab of skin that hung down between the cows' front 2 legs. Why do they do that? Does it calm them? My dad and I both wondered about that. I'm no farmhand, so I'm a bit in the dark about that. Following the livestock tour, we took a ride on the Sky Ride, a ski-lift type ride that gives you a great view of the fairgrounds. I posted a few pics of the view on my homepage. By then, my dad was hungry, so we enjoyed the most famous food at the fair. The Pronto Pup! We both slathered it with ketchup and mustard. How do you like YOUR Pronto Pup? I'd be interested to know. Pronto Pups are $3.50 this year, and I've never given them any less that an A for service and quality. Then dad wanted to see Ron Diamond, comic hypnotist, who is celebrating 10 years at the KSF. After 10 years, his shows are still wildly popular. His contract is actually up for renewal this year, and I don't think there will be any problem getting renewed for several more years. The people would revolt if the fair chose to not renew him! Ron put on a great show, it was hilarious. The funniest part was when he made a guy forget the number 5. Then Ron had the guy count his fingers. 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,11....11 fingers? The guy was sooo confused. LOL!! By show's end, my dad was hungry again! :-) So this time we went to Cottonwood Court (the indoor food court) and selected an establishment called "Porky's." They sell pork burgers. (Hence the name, LOL) I give the place a B for taste because the burgers were pretty bland. I give it a C for price, because it was $16 for 2 burgers, 2 drinks, and a dish of fries. However, I give it an A for service. All that I had left was $16, and the cost was $16.50. I told her to take the fries off. The lady at the counter waived that extra 50 cents and sent me on my way with the fries. Nice! :-) That pretty much caused me to give it an overall B+. There are still nice people out there. By this time, my dad was spent. I took him home so he could rest, but was that the end of the fair for me? By no means! :-)
On my second trip, I parked on 17th Street. I hate parking in the main lots, they are a nightmare. It's a bit longer of a walk to park on 17th, but it's worth it to escape the traffic headaches on Plum Street. On the way, I passed a lady who had fallen and scraped her knee up pretty bad. 2 men were attending to her. I asked if I could offer assistance or call someone. The man attending her told me he was a doctor. He had just happened to be near when she had fallen, and he jumped in to help. They had it all under control. I felt good about that. As I was entering the gate, a friend of mine pulled up and asked me to deliver some cookies to the Adrian's booth. I did just that, and then hit the buildings looking for free stuff. The best place to get the most unique stuff is the Union booth in Sunflower North. Check them out. The items change daily. Today I got a cup and a pencil. I've also gotten Frisbees and a nice coffee cup that I use every day for my hot cocoa. (Sugar-free, OK? :-) ) I also went to some of the political booths and voiced my support for them. I'll omit the names of the people I endorse, because I don't want this blog to be a political forum. After capturing the images at the diving show, (see my homepage) I visited a little booth called "Guadalupe Express." This building is just next-door east of the Beer Garden. My niece had family operating this booth, and she encouraged me to go try the Cinnamon Crunchers. It's a dough-ball with cheese, deep-fried, and coated in cinnamon and sugar. There were 4 decent-sized chunks on the plate. These cost $6.00. I give it an A for everything. They were very good! They also offer other kinds of Mexican goodies, including Queso Crunchers, which is a little spicier and cheesier, with a side of ranch for dipping. I did not order this, but wanted to let you know about it. I liked that they even had a shaded eating area right there, so you could eat without the sun beating on your head. After that, it was time to walk! I love running into people I know, but my favorite meetings are when I see my kiddos from church and school out there. I enjoy chatting with them and their parents. I don't know a lot of parents from school, so it's a nice chance to get to know them. I know pretty much all the parents from church. Seeing them reminds me that I am out in public, and I have to make sure that what I say and do are not dishonoring or disrespectful to God. By 7:30, it was time to head home. I have church tomorrow, and I did not want to stay out too late and be a tired mess at church. I'll head back out to the fair after church services tomorrow.
Are you enjoying the blog? Anything you want me to try or look at? Post your suggestions and I'll see what I can do! I'll see you tomorrow night for night 3!! God bless!!
On my second trip, I parked on 17th Street. I hate parking in the main lots, they are a nightmare. It's a bit longer of a walk to park on 17th, but it's worth it to escape the traffic headaches on Plum Street. On the way, I passed a lady who had fallen and scraped her knee up pretty bad. 2 men were attending to her. I asked if I could offer assistance or call someone. The man attending her told me he was a doctor. He had just happened to be near when she had fallen, and he jumped in to help. They had it all under control. I felt good about that. As I was entering the gate, a friend of mine pulled up and asked me to deliver some cookies to the Adrian's booth. I did just that, and then hit the buildings looking for free stuff. The best place to get the most unique stuff is the Union booth in Sunflower North. Check them out. The items change daily. Today I got a cup and a pencil. I've also gotten Frisbees and a nice coffee cup that I use every day for my hot cocoa. (Sugar-free, OK? :-) ) I also went to some of the political booths and voiced my support for them. I'll omit the names of the people I endorse, because I don't want this blog to be a political forum. After capturing the images at the diving show, (see my homepage) I visited a little booth called "Guadalupe Express." This building is just next-door east of the Beer Garden. My niece had family operating this booth, and she encouraged me to go try the Cinnamon Crunchers. It's a dough-ball with cheese, deep-fried, and coated in cinnamon and sugar. There were 4 decent-sized chunks on the plate. These cost $6.00. I give it an A for everything. They were very good! They also offer other kinds of Mexican goodies, including Queso Crunchers, which is a little spicier and cheesier, with a side of ranch for dipping. I did not order this, but wanted to let you know about it. I liked that they even had a shaded eating area right there, so you could eat without the sun beating on your head. After that, it was time to walk! I love running into people I know, but my favorite meetings are when I see my kiddos from church and school out there. I enjoy chatting with them and their parents. I don't know a lot of parents from school, so it's a nice chance to get to know them. I know pretty much all the parents from church. Seeing them reminds me that I am out in public, and I have to make sure that what I say and do are not dishonoring or disrespectful to God. By 7:30, it was time to head home. I have church tomorrow, and I did not want to stay out too late and be a tired mess at church. I'll head back out to the fair after church services tomorrow.
Are you enjoying the blog? Anything you want me to try or look at? Post your suggestions and I'll see what I can do! I'll see you tomorrow night for night 3!! God bless!!
Friday, September 5, 2014
Rob's State Fair Ramblings Day 1!
Today moved slowly, as it always does when you are anticipating an upcoming exciting event. However, the shifts at my 2 jobs came to a close today, and I made my first visit to the fully-functioning 2014 Kansas State Fair!!
I found a parking spot on 17th Street, about 1/4 block from my old place. That's the drawback to living on Avenue A, I'm no longer within walking distance from the fairgrounds. I began my adventure by walking through the buildings, picking up what free stuff was laying on the tables to give away. I found lanyards, Frisbees, chip clips, and of course, plenty of pens and pencils. It took me about an hour and a half to go through all of the buildings. After that, it was time to eat. I decided to start with the fried veggies I had last year. Tip: You want to eat fried food early in the fair week, while the grease is still fairly fresh. Some vendors do not change their grease, or do not change it as often as they should, so if you choose to eat fried foods, earlier in the week is better. The fried veggies were wonderful! They were hot, and the staff was friendly. You can get a variety of fried veggies there, but I chose the combo platter that included fried zucchini, mushrooms, cucumbers, cauliflower, and broccoli. You also get a dish of ranch dressing. This special is $7.00. I give the whole experience an A. If you are so inclined to get this, you might want to split it with a friend. I was not able to finish mine, and the booth did not have covered take-home boxes. I had to toss what was left, and that broke my heart. :-( Note to self: Take along my own take-home container next time.
As I was traversing the grandstand, a sign caught my eye that advertised a device that stimulates muscles. I guess I looked at it too long, because the seller roped me into a demo. He asked if I had any sore muscles. Then he saw my medical I.D. necklace, and asked what it was for. I told him it was for diabetes, and he immediately said "neuropathy," which is severe pain and soreness in the feet. He offered to hook me up with a free session of foot therapy, so I agreed. He hooked up some electrodes up to wet sandals, and I immediately had nightmarish visions of being fried alive from the feet up. He told me that the electrodes emit impulses to the feet. He let me control the intensity of the impulses. I immediately felt a pins-and-needles sensation in my feet, followed by what felt like someone was grabbing the back of my ankle and squeezing it. It didn't hurt, it just felt weird. He explained that this amazing device could prevent future neuropathy if used properly. When he asked what I did for a living, which is working with special education kids, he shared with me that he suffered from asbergers, which is a form of autism. It made even more sense a few minutes into the session, after he realized that he had put the sandals on the wrong feet. But, he said, it didn't make any difference. After a few minutes, he took the sandals off, and I had sore calf muscles. Great. I need sore calves with 10 days of walking ahead of me. He then shared that I could have this whole package for ONLY $200!! That's all!! I asked for some info, aHend said I would look into it. Not. It just is not a product that will work for me. I was not impressed.
I was able to catch the last part of the high-dive act, which you might have seen a clip of on my Facebook homepage. I caught the climactic dive from the highest diving board. I will add that there is another really cool act following that, but I won't give it away. It's pretty cool! (Maybe not for the diver: that's a clue).
I had the pleasure of seeing people I have not seen for a while. I saw some friends of mine who were celebrating their wedding anniversary at the fair! How cool is that? There was a man walking around the Old Mill with a life-size human puppet wrapped around him, and the head of the puppet looked like the Cryptkeeper. On the midway, one of the rides was blaring "YMCA," and a whole crowd of people were standing there in a group, looking like the Village People, doing all the dance moves. I just wish that sometimes I could be invisible with my phone. :-)
Tomorrow is Father's Day. Before you check your calendars, that's just my fun way of sharing that I will be taking my dad to the fair tomorrow. He likes to watch Ron Diamond, the comic hypnotist, ride the ski-lift ride, and look at livestock, particularly the horses. Every. Last. Horse. He enjoys going out to the fair with me, and we have a good time. I'll be sure to share all the details with you tomorrow night.
Thanks for tuning in for Day 1 of the Kansas State Fair! See you tomorrow!
I found a parking spot on 17th Street, about 1/4 block from my old place. That's the drawback to living on Avenue A, I'm no longer within walking distance from the fairgrounds. I began my adventure by walking through the buildings, picking up what free stuff was laying on the tables to give away. I found lanyards, Frisbees, chip clips, and of course, plenty of pens and pencils. It took me about an hour and a half to go through all of the buildings. After that, it was time to eat. I decided to start with the fried veggies I had last year. Tip: You want to eat fried food early in the fair week, while the grease is still fairly fresh. Some vendors do not change their grease, or do not change it as often as they should, so if you choose to eat fried foods, earlier in the week is better. The fried veggies were wonderful! They were hot, and the staff was friendly. You can get a variety of fried veggies there, but I chose the combo platter that included fried zucchini, mushrooms, cucumbers, cauliflower, and broccoli. You also get a dish of ranch dressing. This special is $7.00. I give the whole experience an A. If you are so inclined to get this, you might want to split it with a friend. I was not able to finish mine, and the booth did not have covered take-home boxes. I had to toss what was left, and that broke my heart. :-( Note to self: Take along my own take-home container next time.
As I was traversing the grandstand, a sign caught my eye that advertised a device that stimulates muscles. I guess I looked at it too long, because the seller roped me into a demo. He asked if I had any sore muscles. Then he saw my medical I.D. necklace, and asked what it was for. I told him it was for diabetes, and he immediately said "neuropathy," which is severe pain and soreness in the feet. He offered to hook me up with a free session of foot therapy, so I agreed. He hooked up some electrodes up to wet sandals, and I immediately had nightmarish visions of being fried alive from the feet up. He told me that the electrodes emit impulses to the feet. He let me control the intensity of the impulses. I immediately felt a pins-and-needles sensation in my feet, followed by what felt like someone was grabbing the back of my ankle and squeezing it. It didn't hurt, it just felt weird. He explained that this amazing device could prevent future neuropathy if used properly. When he asked what I did for a living, which is working with special education kids, he shared with me that he suffered from asbergers, which is a form of autism. It made even more sense a few minutes into the session, after he realized that he had put the sandals on the wrong feet. But, he said, it didn't make any difference. After a few minutes, he took the sandals off, and I had sore calf muscles. Great. I need sore calves with 10 days of walking ahead of me. He then shared that I could have this whole package for ONLY $200!! That's all!! I asked for some info, aHend said I would look into it. Not. It just is not a product that will work for me. I was not impressed.
I was able to catch the last part of the high-dive act, which you might have seen a clip of on my Facebook homepage. I caught the climactic dive from the highest diving board. I will add that there is another really cool act following that, but I won't give it away. It's pretty cool! (Maybe not for the diver: that's a clue).
I had the pleasure of seeing people I have not seen for a while. I saw some friends of mine who were celebrating their wedding anniversary at the fair! How cool is that? There was a man walking around the Old Mill with a life-size human puppet wrapped around him, and the head of the puppet looked like the Cryptkeeper. On the midway, one of the rides was blaring "YMCA," and a whole crowd of people were standing there in a group, looking like the Village People, doing all the dance moves. I just wish that sometimes I could be invisible with my phone. :-)
Tomorrow is Father's Day. Before you check your calendars, that's just my fun way of sharing that I will be taking my dad to the fair tomorrow. He likes to watch Ron Diamond, the comic hypnotist, ride the ski-lift ride, and look at livestock, particularly the horses. Every. Last. Horse. He enjoys going out to the fair with me, and we have a good time. I'll be sure to share all the details with you tomorrow night.
Thanks for tuning in for Day 1 of the Kansas State Fair! See you tomorrow!
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Rob's Ramblings, Fair Eve....
I might compare it to Christmas Eve. Twas the night before the Fair, and all through the town, people were busy, preparing the grounds....Tomorrow will be a long day as I await my first official trip to the Kansas State Fair. I've already been there several times, but it's not been open yet. I took quite a few pictures, and they're currently on my Facebook homepage. The only picture missing from the batch is the Whitewater, strangely missing this year. I'm surprised, as Whitewater has always been a popular ride. In it's place is the long-missing Crazy Mouse. Crazy Mouse had it's heyday many years ago, and then vanished. It came back briefly a few years ago, and then faded out again.
I have received food suggestions from friends and family, so I tracked those food booths down today, and also made sure that my top 3 favorites from last year were there. They are! :-) I also checked out some other booths that look like they might provide a good snack. I do need to make one clarification. The P-Nut booth is still the cheapest drink station at the fair, but the prices have gone up from $1.75 to $2.00 this year. The Dollar Days $1 burger and hot dog stand is also on-site. Those booths are just north of the OZ Gallery. I might also add that if there are any state fair food vendors reading, suggest your booth to me. You'll receive a shout-out on a very well-read blog, especially if your product is wonderful!
I took my cookies in to the Domestic Arts building to be entered this evening. I spent several hours painstakingly rolling those dough balls into perfect circles, so that they would bake out perfectly round, which is an important factor in the judging. I counted out the 6 best cookies and set them aside for the fair. I took the remainder to the school with me, to rave reviews. Sadly, there will be no tomato entries. I could not manage to find 6 decent-looking red tomatoes with no blemishes. Also, one of my 4 cantaloupes died, and another one was stolen right out of my garden! Seriously! So, do not look for my tomato entry in the Pride Of Kansas building. However, if you go to the cookie section of the Domestic Arts building, look for the cookies with a beautiful ribbon hanging on it (I hope). The judging is tomorrow, with ribbons and placings being displayed on Saturday.
Tonight I plan on turning in a bit early so that I will be well-rested for my first adventure at the Kansas State Fair. If you see me, please say hi, and if you're looking for something, I might be able to help you out. Also, I need your likes and comments. If you read it, like it up! :-) And be looking for my first official State Fair entry from Day #1!
I have received food suggestions from friends and family, so I tracked those food booths down today, and also made sure that my top 3 favorites from last year were there. They are! :-) I also checked out some other booths that look like they might provide a good snack. I do need to make one clarification. The P-Nut booth is still the cheapest drink station at the fair, but the prices have gone up from $1.75 to $2.00 this year. The Dollar Days $1 burger and hot dog stand is also on-site. Those booths are just north of the OZ Gallery. I might also add that if there are any state fair food vendors reading, suggest your booth to me. You'll receive a shout-out on a very well-read blog, especially if your product is wonderful!
I took my cookies in to the Domestic Arts building to be entered this evening. I spent several hours painstakingly rolling those dough balls into perfect circles, so that they would bake out perfectly round, which is an important factor in the judging. I counted out the 6 best cookies and set them aside for the fair. I took the remainder to the school with me, to rave reviews. Sadly, there will be no tomato entries. I could not manage to find 6 decent-looking red tomatoes with no blemishes. Also, one of my 4 cantaloupes died, and another one was stolen right out of my garden! Seriously! So, do not look for my tomato entry in the Pride Of Kansas building. However, if you go to the cookie section of the Domestic Arts building, look for the cookies with a beautiful ribbon hanging on it (I hope). The judging is tomorrow, with ribbons and placings being displayed on Saturday.
Tonight I plan on turning in a bit early so that I will be well-rested for my first adventure at the Kansas State Fair. If you see me, please say hi, and if you're looking for something, I might be able to help you out. Also, I need your likes and comments. If you read it, like it up! :-) And be looking for my first official State Fair entry from Day #1!
Monday, September 1, 2014
Rob's Ramblings; A Pre-State Fair Ramble!!
OK, here goes....
I've been using "Facebook notes" to publish my blogs for quite some time now, and I feel like it's time to establish my presence in an actual blog site. After looking at different sites, I landed on "Blogger," and found it fairly easy to maneuver and it's free! Those who enjoy reading my blogs, especially during the state fair, will not miss anything. I'll still post my entries to Facebook, but instead of being directed to "notes," you'll be guided to "Blogger," and read my posts there. There will still be a place for you to like and comment. No big changes, just a different way of reading my blog. If you have any problems reading my blog, please let me know, and I'll see what I can do to help you out.
Blogger also allows me to type in colors! :-) I'm going to have fun with this.... LOL
I'll be posting my posts here during the fair, and uploading my pics via Facebook, as I'm not entirely clear as to how to post pics on Blogger yet. I'll get there eventually, but until I get the hang of this, it will have to be that way. Just feel free to "stalk" my Facebook homepage to check if there's anything new. My posts and pics will most likely come in the evening, after I come home from my adventures. I'll let you know what I did and what I ate. I'll rate the foods according to taste, service, and value. If I run into you there, you might even make the blog. I ran into a friend last year who was afraid to talk to me, lest he end up being in the blog. He ended up there, anyway, LOL. Nameless, I might say.
Why do I like the fair so much? Every year, I hear people say that they wouldn't want to even go near the fair, and that they hate the fair! I don't get it. I love the atmosphere, the people, the free stuff, the food. I run into people I haven't seen in ages. It's good exercise. I just like to be around lots of people, and I enjoy community events. I just have FUN at the fair!
Last Year's Highlights: I had 3 favorite foods last year. Number #1, the BBQ Parfait, which was in an ice cream cup, layered with BBQ sauce, BBQ beef, mashed potatoes, and baked beans. Yummo! Number #2, the Tacone, which was everything you get in a taco, but inside a cone-shaped fried flour tortilla shell. Wow! Number #3, fried veggies, which included broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and other etc. Yeah! This year, I plan to eat first, and then walk it off the rest of the time. To make it a bit more interesting, I'll weigh myself before the fair starts, and then weigh myself after, to see if I gained/lost any weight. In entertainment, I got a kick out of the huge new robot who spoke in a sing-song voice, and had kids either screaming or entranced. That didn't affect the popularity of Oscar the small robot, who roved around under the control of a guy in the crowd who blended in with the rest of the people. It's always my goal to spot the guy who's running him. He has a big black bag over his shoulder (Oscar's controls), and has a soda can up to his mouth (Oscar's voice). I posted a video of him with my boys earlier this week. It's a flashback from quite a few years ago, where they got to interact and visit with him. I love that clip. I also ran into Mr. Renner last year, but you wouldn't know him by that name. You might know him as Uncle Sam on high stilts, or as a goofy fisherman, also on stilts. There was a lady who was very strong last year, and I'll post a video of her later this week. In the video, she blew up a hot water bottle until it exploded. She was pretty cool! I had the opportunity to attend the Jars Of Clay concert as a host, and was able to enjoy that concert. Wonderful! I brought home a load of free goodies, which included pens, pencils, cups, toothpicks, mouse pads, flyswatters, ice cream scoops.......I think you get the point. I sure hope to make a lot more memories this year that I can share with you! I can't wait!
Helpful hints: If you get hungry, but aren't particular, there is a stand that sells $1 hot dogs and hamburgers. They are kind of thin, so you might need 2, but for a buck, it's not too bad. This stand is north of the OZ gallery. Also north of the OZ Gallery is the cheapest watering hole on the fairgrounds. They sell bottled water and soda for $1.75. It's the P-Nut stand. (Disclaimer: I'm basing the prices on last year's numbers). Also scattered around the faigrounds are some Root Beer stands which sell inexpensive Root Beer, and also have it in sugar-free.
In conclusion, I am counting on you! I need you to read and enjoy. I really enjoy blogging my fair adventures for you. That's why this blog came about! If you read it, please like it. Leave a comment if you wish. You may not be able to comment in the blogger page, but there is a place underneath the link, in the Facebook section, where you can like and comment. I like to gauge how many people are reading. I use that data to determine if there will be a state fair blog the following year. Is there something you'd like me to look at and critique? A food item you'd like me to try and rate? I'm open to your suggestions and ideas. I'm hoping to make a few more trips out to the fair this week and give you an update in photos, if security doesn't run me off. I'll also post a few more flashback pics and videos this week. 5 days until the fair!! Hope to see you there!
I've been using "Facebook notes" to publish my blogs for quite some time now, and I feel like it's time to establish my presence in an actual blog site. After looking at different sites, I landed on "Blogger," and found it fairly easy to maneuver and it's free! Those who enjoy reading my blogs, especially during the state fair, will not miss anything. I'll still post my entries to Facebook, but instead of being directed to "notes," you'll be guided to "Blogger," and read my posts there. There will still be a place for you to like and comment. No big changes, just a different way of reading my blog. If you have any problems reading my blog, please let me know, and I'll see what I can do to help you out.
Blogger also allows me to type in colors! :-) I'm going to have fun with this.... LOL
I'll be posting my posts here during the fair, and uploading my pics via Facebook, as I'm not entirely clear as to how to post pics on Blogger yet. I'll get there eventually, but until I get the hang of this, it will have to be that way. Just feel free to "stalk" my Facebook homepage to check if there's anything new. My posts and pics will most likely come in the evening, after I come home from my adventures. I'll let you know what I did and what I ate. I'll rate the foods according to taste, service, and value. If I run into you there, you might even make the blog. I ran into a friend last year who was afraid to talk to me, lest he end up being in the blog. He ended up there, anyway, LOL. Nameless, I might say.
Why do I like the fair so much? Every year, I hear people say that they wouldn't want to even go near the fair, and that they hate the fair! I don't get it. I love the atmosphere, the people, the free stuff, the food. I run into people I haven't seen in ages. It's good exercise. I just like to be around lots of people, and I enjoy community events. I just have FUN at the fair!
Last Year's Highlights: I had 3 favorite foods last year. Number #1, the BBQ Parfait, which was in an ice cream cup, layered with BBQ sauce, BBQ beef, mashed potatoes, and baked beans. Yummo! Number #2, the Tacone, which was everything you get in a taco, but inside a cone-shaped fried flour tortilla shell. Wow! Number #3, fried veggies, which included broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, and other etc. Yeah! This year, I plan to eat first, and then walk it off the rest of the time. To make it a bit more interesting, I'll weigh myself before the fair starts, and then weigh myself after, to see if I gained/lost any weight. In entertainment, I got a kick out of the huge new robot who spoke in a sing-song voice, and had kids either screaming or entranced. That didn't affect the popularity of Oscar the small robot, who roved around under the control of a guy in the crowd who blended in with the rest of the people. It's always my goal to spot the guy who's running him. He has a big black bag over his shoulder (Oscar's controls), and has a soda can up to his mouth (Oscar's voice). I posted a video of him with my boys earlier this week. It's a flashback from quite a few years ago, where they got to interact and visit with him. I love that clip. I also ran into Mr. Renner last year, but you wouldn't know him by that name. You might know him as Uncle Sam on high stilts, or as a goofy fisherman, also on stilts. There was a lady who was very strong last year, and I'll post a video of her later this week. In the video, she blew up a hot water bottle until it exploded. She was pretty cool! I had the opportunity to attend the Jars Of Clay concert as a host, and was able to enjoy that concert. Wonderful! I brought home a load of free goodies, which included pens, pencils, cups, toothpicks, mouse pads, flyswatters, ice cream scoops.......I think you get the point. I sure hope to make a lot more memories this year that I can share with you! I can't wait!
Helpful hints: If you get hungry, but aren't particular, there is a stand that sells $1 hot dogs and hamburgers. They are kind of thin, so you might need 2, but for a buck, it's not too bad. This stand is north of the OZ gallery. Also north of the OZ Gallery is the cheapest watering hole on the fairgrounds. They sell bottled water and soda for $1.75. It's the P-Nut stand. (Disclaimer: I'm basing the prices on last year's numbers). Also scattered around the faigrounds are some Root Beer stands which sell inexpensive Root Beer, and also have it in sugar-free.
In conclusion, I am counting on you! I need you to read and enjoy. I really enjoy blogging my fair adventures for you. That's why this blog came about! If you read it, please like it. Leave a comment if you wish. You may not be able to comment in the blogger page, but there is a place underneath the link, in the Facebook section, where you can like and comment. I like to gauge how many people are reading. I use that data to determine if there will be a state fair blog the following year. Is there something you'd like me to look at and critique? A food item you'd like me to try and rate? I'm open to your suggestions and ideas. I'm hoping to make a few more trips out to the fair this week and give you an update in photos, if security doesn't run me off. I'll also post a few more flashback pics and videos this week. 5 days until the fair!! Hope to see you there!
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