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***
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