The state fair ramblings will post roughly about this time nightly, give or take. Also, for a more full effect, stalk my Facebook page for pics, videos, and other tidbits that might not be in the blog post. Please excuse any typos, as these posts are being posted rather late in the evening. Thanks. :-)
Some stats for you. Again, like the other day, I amassed 21,000 steps today. At the final weigh-in, I have lost 1/2 pound since the fair started, and I attribute that to all of the walking I did. Yay!!
I had not been there long when I found a massage chair for a rival company to the one I tried yesterday. The model he had me test-drive was about $10,000. He was fine with me using it and not being able to afford one. I had been there about 10 minutes, when I heard, "Hi, Rob!" It was my friend Rhonda, who had suggested earlier this week that I try out the massage chairs, and there she was, getting ready to try one out for herself. Kind of ironic, LOL. This one didn't kill my feet like the one I tried yesterday. However, the back massager was kind of uncomfortable, even on the lowest setting. It reminded me of the "kneading fingers" massagers, and I don't like those. But all in all, I liked this chair more than the other one. I wouldn't mind having one of these in my home. Anyone want to loan me $10,000? LOL.
I stopped by the coffee and bread samplings, and I inquired about how to buy this coffee in the off-season. Did they have a card? The lady said that they didn't have a card with the info, the info was attached to the packages that were for sale. She suggested that I could use my phone to take a picture of the label. Urgh! The breads available for sampling were very good, but it's beer bread, and I have to buy beer to bake it. I am not comfortable buying beer. Every time I go to the store, I run into someone I know, and usually it's someone from church. Imagine the awkwardness: "Oh, hello, Pastor! I'm just buying this beer to bake bread." Hmmmm, no.
I stopped by the Granny's Mustard booth to sample some of her amazing flavored mustards. You can grab a pretzel stick and try a few. When I asked about Granny, they informed me that she had passed away a couple of years ago. I did not know this. She will be missed, she left behind an amazing legacy with her homemade mustard.
I got myself an order of fried veggies today. I buy them from the place that sells stuffed cucumbers. I stole a glance at their oil, and decided on it. They were pretty friendly, and the fried veggies now come in a plastic tub instead of the paper tray that gets soggy and saggy. You also get a small cup of ranch dressing for dipping. The order is $10, and I'm giving them a B, because there definitely wasn't $10 worth of fried veggies. As I was eating, I noticed a lady eating some roasted corn on the cob. She had a mouthful of corn, and she sneezed. Corn went flying everywhere! There was hysterical laughter from her and her friends and others who happened to witness the incident. It was pretty funny. It reminded me of an incident a few weeks ago, when I was sitting and chatting with a kid at BGC while he was eating Doritos. He suddenly sneezed, and my arm got coated with the Doritos that flew out of his mouth. Ick!!
Did anyone see Oscar the Robot this week? I usually see him around. I saw the operator of Oscar out there, and he was operating a little blue trashcan. All it did was roll around and talk. Nothing really spectacular. I hope Oscar is OK. I also didn't see the big robot guy either.
I ran into my youngest son, who was out with his family. I actually ran into them several times. We had a chance to talk and reminisce about the fairs we had attended when he and his brother were younger. Good times. I was passing by the lake and I saw my friends Nancy and Terry taking their girls out on the boats. When I saw them later, I asked them about their boat ride. They had made the mistake of letting the girls take the controls, and the girls drove them under the fountain in the middle of the lake, and they got soaked! Maybe I shouldn't have laughed so hard, but it seemed pretty funny. They said that next year, they won't be letting the girls drive. They will drive, and try to maneuver the boat to drench to girls without getting wet themselves.
I went by to pick up my paperwork and ribbon for my cookies, and I made a whopping $4.00! I know, I shouldn't broadcast that, and I'll have a lot of people coming out of the woodwork needing money. I plan to put the money into the bank, retire, and live off of the interest. LOL. My critiques sheets noted that most of my cookies were under-baked. I really don't get it. Do they not understand the difference between soft/moist and under-baked? If I were to keep them in the oven any longer, they would have burned or gotten flaky or overdone, and they deduct points for that as well. I will keep on trying, and I will try some new things for next year.
Tomorrow, it's back to reality. I resume my evening duties at the Alley, and I will try to return to normal, but it will be a few days before I get to that point. My body is tired, and an early bedtime is in order for tonight. I want to thank you for sharing in this adventure of the State Fair with me. Even those of you who said they don't like the fair have told me they like the blog, and enjoy hearing of all my doings out there. A big thanks to my mom who has let me her use my computer since mine was stolen a few months ago. It has been one wild ride, and the wild ride of 2018 is now in the books. I love the likes and comments, keep them coming. Thanks so much for reading, and may God bless you!
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 9
The state fair ramblings will post roughly about this time nightly, give or take. Also, for a more full effect, stalk my Facebook page for pics, videos, and other tidbits that might not be in the blog post. Please excuse any typos, as these posts are being posted rather late in the evening. Thanks. :-)
Today was a very strange day at the State Fair. First of all, I was able to get in without any problems. My friend who works at the gate, and who I spoke with last night, saw me coming and waved me on in. My mom was in the Oz Gallery at the woodcarving table (she does this a couple of times at the fair every year), and talking with people about woodcarving and the woodcarving group she is a part of at the senior center. After her shift was over, we decided to go and see what we could see. I was just a tad hungry, but felt like I could see a few buildings before eating. We went into the Grandstand, and had the chance to test-drive a massage chair. Oh, my. It was absolute heaven. The chair will compress your arms and legs, little nodules will massage your back. It's not like the kneading fingers machine...I hate those. It was a gentle rubbing on my back. The chair will occasionally tip back or forward to stretch your back just a tad, and little nodules rub the bottoms of your feet. The only drawback is that at several points during the session, the areas that held my feet in place would compress, and some larger nodules would dig into the bottoms of my feet in a painful way. I don't know if that could be adjusted. The salesman hardly spoke to us. He just set the chair into action, didn't try to sell it to us, didn't even ask if we liked it. I think he was done. Many of the people who were sitting at their booths had been there every day all day, and I could tell that they were sooo ready for this fait to be over. Their faces told the story. They are just plain done. There were a few who still had some fire in them, and were busy selling and interacting with the people, but they were few. In the Pride building, they had a booth dedicated to bees and honey, and I bought about 12 straws of flavored honey. Love that stuff! If you ever see straws of honey for sale somewhere, let me know. The only place I ever see it is at the fair. I have one contact already, and but would like to have more. When we got to the next building, the floor dropped out. The walls and floors got wobbly, and I got dizzy. I have had this happen to me before, and I knew what was happening. My blood sugar levels were bottoming out. I only have myself to blame. I didn't eat anything at home before coming out to the fair, I had been working hard mowing that morning, I had done a lot of walking, and now I had hit a wall. I felt like I was going to pass out, so we had to get somewhere to eat, and fast. I didn't think I was going to make it. Suddenly, I remembered that I had honey sticks! I downed a couple of those, and was able to make it to the food court building, where we got some Chinese from ChinaGo. I give them an A for being so quick in getting the food to me, and they were friendly. The food was very good. I felt much better after eating. However, the drop and then the sudden boost in my blood sugar levels had left me physically depleted. I had no energy left in me. By 4pm, I was ready to go home. Yeah, 4pm. Mom was pretty tired as well, and there wasn't anymore she wanted to see, so we headed for the gate. On the way, she stopped to get a Monkeytail, which is a banana dipped in chocolate, and rolled in either nuts or crushed Oreo. She enjoyed it. However, you should know that they can be very messy. Grab some napkins if you happen to buy a Monkeytail.
Tomorrow is the last hurrah. After tomorrow is over, the rides will come down, the vendors will pack up their buildings and trailers. Some vendors will travel to the next fair, some will be done for the year. And I will be lost. I hate to see the fair come to an end, but the year-long wait between fairs makes it all the more fun. At this point, I need your feedback. I need your likes and comments. Have you found these postings informative, entertaining, etc? Is there something the posts didn't include that you felt should have been in there? Or maybe you were bored with the whole thing (I hope not) and scrolled right through. If you enjoyed these fair ramblings, I need to know, and that will determine if I will blog next year. I enjoy blogging about the fair, but if there's not enough interest, I won't bother people with it. Let me know in the comments or in Facebook messenger what your thoughts are. Tomorrow I will post my final blog post of the 2018 State fair. I have had a blast! What will I do tomorrow? I have no clue. I do know that about 6-8pm, the fair begins to wind down. Buildings close at around 6pm, and the midway closes at 8pm. I'll pick up my ribbon during that time frame. Then I'll come home, blog, and put my feet up. In tomorrow's blog, I'll let you know if I lost or gained weight. By the way, today's steps: 13,000. Today's post was a little shorter than the rest, but I didn't even do all that much today. Thanks for reading today, and may God bless you.
Today was a very strange day at the State Fair. First of all, I was able to get in without any problems. My friend who works at the gate, and who I spoke with last night, saw me coming and waved me on in. My mom was in the Oz Gallery at the woodcarving table (she does this a couple of times at the fair every year), and talking with people about woodcarving and the woodcarving group she is a part of at the senior center. After her shift was over, we decided to go and see what we could see. I was just a tad hungry, but felt like I could see a few buildings before eating. We went into the Grandstand, and had the chance to test-drive a massage chair. Oh, my. It was absolute heaven. The chair will compress your arms and legs, little nodules will massage your back. It's not like the kneading fingers machine...I hate those. It was a gentle rubbing on my back. The chair will occasionally tip back or forward to stretch your back just a tad, and little nodules rub the bottoms of your feet. The only drawback is that at several points during the session, the areas that held my feet in place would compress, and some larger nodules would dig into the bottoms of my feet in a painful way. I don't know if that could be adjusted. The salesman hardly spoke to us. He just set the chair into action, didn't try to sell it to us, didn't even ask if we liked it. I think he was done. Many of the people who were sitting at their booths had been there every day all day, and I could tell that they were sooo ready for this fait to be over. Their faces told the story. They are just plain done. There were a few who still had some fire in them, and were busy selling and interacting with the people, but they were few. In the Pride building, they had a booth dedicated to bees and honey, and I bought about 12 straws of flavored honey. Love that stuff! If you ever see straws of honey for sale somewhere, let me know. The only place I ever see it is at the fair. I have one contact already, and but would like to have more. When we got to the next building, the floor dropped out. The walls and floors got wobbly, and I got dizzy. I have had this happen to me before, and I knew what was happening. My blood sugar levels were bottoming out. I only have myself to blame. I didn't eat anything at home before coming out to the fair, I had been working hard mowing that morning, I had done a lot of walking, and now I had hit a wall. I felt like I was going to pass out, so we had to get somewhere to eat, and fast. I didn't think I was going to make it. Suddenly, I remembered that I had honey sticks! I downed a couple of those, and was able to make it to the food court building, where we got some Chinese from ChinaGo. I give them an A for being so quick in getting the food to me, and they were friendly. The food was very good. I felt much better after eating. However, the drop and then the sudden boost in my blood sugar levels had left me physically depleted. I had no energy left in me. By 4pm, I was ready to go home. Yeah, 4pm. Mom was pretty tired as well, and there wasn't anymore she wanted to see, so we headed for the gate. On the way, she stopped to get a Monkeytail, which is a banana dipped in chocolate, and rolled in either nuts or crushed Oreo. She enjoyed it. However, you should know that they can be very messy. Grab some napkins if you happen to buy a Monkeytail.
Tomorrow is the last hurrah. After tomorrow is over, the rides will come down, the vendors will pack up their buildings and trailers. Some vendors will travel to the next fair, some will be done for the year. And I will be lost. I hate to see the fair come to an end, but the year-long wait between fairs makes it all the more fun. At this point, I need your feedback. I need your likes and comments. Have you found these postings informative, entertaining, etc? Is there something the posts didn't include that you felt should have been in there? Or maybe you were bored with the whole thing (I hope not) and scrolled right through. If you enjoyed these fair ramblings, I need to know, and that will determine if I will blog next year. I enjoy blogging about the fair, but if there's not enough interest, I won't bother people with it. Let me know in the comments or in Facebook messenger what your thoughts are. Tomorrow I will post my final blog post of the 2018 State fair. I have had a blast! What will I do tomorrow? I have no clue. I do know that about 6-8pm, the fair begins to wind down. Buildings close at around 6pm, and the midway closes at 8pm. I'll pick up my ribbon during that time frame. Then I'll come home, blog, and put my feet up. In tomorrow's blog, I'll let you know if I lost or gained weight. By the way, today's steps: 13,000. Today's post was a little shorter than the rest, but I didn't even do all that much today. Thanks for reading today, and may God bless you.
Friday, September 14, 2018
Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 8
The state fair ramblings will post roughly about this time nightly, give or take. Also, for a more full effect, stalk my Facebook page for pics, videos, and other tidbits that might not be in the blog post. Please excuse any typos, as these posts are being posted rather late in the evening. Thanks. :-)
Right off the bat, I'll share with you: 21,000 steps! Pretty proud of that....
Today's trip started with a bad omen. The guy scanned my pass and it beeped twice. That's 2 admissions on a scan card that is only allotted 10 scans during the fair. 10 days, 10 scans. When I said something about it, he said he'd remember it for the next time and let me on in. I told him OK, but it still bothered me. If there was a problem, I wouldn't be able to get in on Sunday, the last day. I decided I would check back in with him again before I left.
I decided to start the evening off with a "cow patty." Yep, it's a real food item. You start with a bed of french fries, then top it with smoked pulled pork, BBQ sauce, and sour cream. Very good. A regular order is $8. Or, you can do like I did and order a "calf patty," which is a half order, and it runs for $5. It's a funny name for a food item, but it's a big seller. I give them an A. As I ate, I stopped in to see the llamas. I love llamas, they are a remarkable animal. Years ago, I met a llama that liked to give kisses. Someone dared me to, and then snapped a picture of me kissing one. I'd like to know where that picture is. It'll probably turn up in some blackmail scheme. Anyway, most of the llamas were standing in front of fans that were set up in their pens. They seemed pretty docile and chill, and one of them actually let me pet her. Next, I headed over to see the Watusi and Longhorn cattle. Watusi are known for big thick horns that stick out kind of like a "V" on the tops of their heads, and Longhorns are just that: long-horned. Their horns are skinnier and longer, many times curving around in the front. I enjoy seeing these animals that you don't get to see very often. Before I went in to the Watusi/Longhorn barn, I met my friends, the Browns. I used to work with Mrs. Brown in her classroom. She works in a different building now, so I was able to catch up with her, her husband, and their son. her son was a bit intimidated by the long horns of the cattle and Watusi, so he stayed outside. The Longhorn and Watusi moo kind of like cattle, but it's a much deeper-throated gruff moo, and it almost sounds like a warning. They were eyeing me as I went by. Some of them had calves with them, with mere nubs on the tops of their heads where horns will be one day.
As I headed toward the commercial buildings, I met the Transformers. These guys are neat. Their costumes are elaborate. They roll along the sidewalks, looking like regular cars, then they suddenly stand up, transforming into the robots, and begin interacting with the people. The kiddos were wide-eyed as they had the chance to speak to and have their pictures taken with real-live Transformers! Again, drat my iPhone for not allowing me to take pics or videos. That would have been some good footage for you to see. Anyway, I got through some of the buildings before I needed to take a pause. I have some good friends who live and work in China, and I have known their kids for years. They have a son who I've been able to work with for some time, and he also shares a birthday with me. We're buddies. I video-chatted with him, and let him see the sights and lights of the fair. I get to chat with him every once in a while, and I thoroughly enjoy those times. I also enjoyed the chance to rest for a while. 21,000 steps, people!
Following our chat, I wanted to walk the Midway for a while. The Midway is where all the rides are at. It was a wristband night, where if you bought the wristband, you got unlimited rides for the entire night. It was a madhouse, and long lines for almost every ride! I was able to see lots of kids from school and BGC, and visit with their parents. I enjoyed my chat with Brandon and Keta. I also ran into my friends Rhonda and Melanie again. They were the ones who let me know about the deep fried deviled eggs. This evening, they told me that I needed to try the massage chairs. I decided to do just that. However, the guy selling the chairs was busy with people who could actually afford to shovel out $5,000 for one of these chairs, so I'll try again tomorrow or Sunday.
Just had an OMG moment. Screen went completely blank, then came back on a few seconds later. Twice! My heart can't handle this. If I lose this post, I will not have the strength or patience to retype it. Again, 21,000 steps. Anyway, I accomplished my goal of seeing everything I wanted to see. The KDOC building, east of the 4-H building, is quite interesting and sobering. KDOC stands for Kansas Department of Corrections, and has a vast amount of information geared toward keeping our youth out of prisons and jails, and preventing released inmates from ending up back there. Further down the way is the 4-H building. I know a few kids who are in 4-H, and I wanted to see their work. These kids are talented. I saw many photos, rock collections, bug collections, and projects they were working on. My final building was the Lair White House. Their exhibits change every year, and this year's them was "Youth at the Fair." It centered on 4-H, Girl & Boy Scouts, schools, and bands at the fair. They had high school band uniforms from yesteryear, including one from my alma mater, Buhler High. The rest of the time was spent walking and talking with people I met along the way.
As I left, I was planning on checking back with the guy who had double-scanned my pass. He was already gone for the night. I recognized one of the guys there, and he told me that he would be working tomorrow, and just call for him if there was a problem, that he would vouch for me and wave me on through. I'm glad that worked out OK.
It is past midnight, and my body needs to rest. 21,000 steps. I plan to head out again tomorrow after I mow the lawn. I'm so glad I didn't lose this post and that the program stuck with me to the end. Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
Right off the bat, I'll share with you: 21,000 steps! Pretty proud of that....
Today's trip started with a bad omen. The guy scanned my pass and it beeped twice. That's 2 admissions on a scan card that is only allotted 10 scans during the fair. 10 days, 10 scans. When I said something about it, he said he'd remember it for the next time and let me on in. I told him OK, but it still bothered me. If there was a problem, I wouldn't be able to get in on Sunday, the last day. I decided I would check back in with him again before I left.
I decided to start the evening off with a "cow patty." Yep, it's a real food item. You start with a bed of french fries, then top it with smoked pulled pork, BBQ sauce, and sour cream. Very good. A regular order is $8. Or, you can do like I did and order a "calf patty," which is a half order, and it runs for $5. It's a funny name for a food item, but it's a big seller. I give them an A. As I ate, I stopped in to see the llamas. I love llamas, they are a remarkable animal. Years ago, I met a llama that liked to give kisses. Someone dared me to, and then snapped a picture of me kissing one. I'd like to know where that picture is. It'll probably turn up in some blackmail scheme. Anyway, most of the llamas were standing in front of fans that were set up in their pens. They seemed pretty docile and chill, and one of them actually let me pet her. Next, I headed over to see the Watusi and Longhorn cattle. Watusi are known for big thick horns that stick out kind of like a "V" on the tops of their heads, and Longhorns are just that: long-horned. Their horns are skinnier and longer, many times curving around in the front. I enjoy seeing these animals that you don't get to see very often. Before I went in to the Watusi/Longhorn barn, I met my friends, the Browns. I used to work with Mrs. Brown in her classroom. She works in a different building now, so I was able to catch up with her, her husband, and their son. her son was a bit intimidated by the long horns of the cattle and Watusi, so he stayed outside. The Longhorn and Watusi moo kind of like cattle, but it's a much deeper-throated gruff moo, and it almost sounds like a warning. They were eyeing me as I went by. Some of them had calves with them, with mere nubs on the tops of their heads where horns will be one day.
As I headed toward the commercial buildings, I met the Transformers. These guys are neat. Their costumes are elaborate. They roll along the sidewalks, looking like regular cars, then they suddenly stand up, transforming into the robots, and begin interacting with the people. The kiddos were wide-eyed as they had the chance to speak to and have their pictures taken with real-live Transformers! Again, drat my iPhone for not allowing me to take pics or videos. That would have been some good footage for you to see. Anyway, I got through some of the buildings before I needed to take a pause. I have some good friends who live and work in China, and I have known their kids for years. They have a son who I've been able to work with for some time, and he also shares a birthday with me. We're buddies. I video-chatted with him, and let him see the sights and lights of the fair. I get to chat with him every once in a while, and I thoroughly enjoy those times. I also enjoyed the chance to rest for a while. 21,000 steps, people!
Following our chat, I wanted to walk the Midway for a while. The Midway is where all the rides are at. It was a wristband night, where if you bought the wristband, you got unlimited rides for the entire night. It was a madhouse, and long lines for almost every ride! I was able to see lots of kids from school and BGC, and visit with their parents. I enjoyed my chat with Brandon and Keta. I also ran into my friends Rhonda and Melanie again. They were the ones who let me know about the deep fried deviled eggs. This evening, they told me that I needed to try the massage chairs. I decided to do just that. However, the guy selling the chairs was busy with people who could actually afford to shovel out $5,000 for one of these chairs, so I'll try again tomorrow or Sunday.
Just had an OMG moment. Screen went completely blank, then came back on a few seconds later. Twice! My heart can't handle this. If I lose this post, I will not have the strength or patience to retype it. Again, 21,000 steps. Anyway, I accomplished my goal of seeing everything I wanted to see. The KDOC building, east of the 4-H building, is quite interesting and sobering. KDOC stands for Kansas Department of Corrections, and has a vast amount of information geared toward keeping our youth out of prisons and jails, and preventing released inmates from ending up back there. Further down the way is the 4-H building. I know a few kids who are in 4-H, and I wanted to see their work. These kids are talented. I saw many photos, rock collections, bug collections, and projects they were working on. My final building was the Lair White House. Their exhibits change every year, and this year's them was "Youth at the Fair." It centered on 4-H, Girl & Boy Scouts, schools, and bands at the fair. They had high school band uniforms from yesteryear, including one from my alma mater, Buhler High. The rest of the time was spent walking and talking with people I met along the way.
As I left, I was planning on checking back with the guy who had double-scanned my pass. He was already gone for the night. I recognized one of the guys there, and he told me that he would be working tomorrow, and just call for him if there was a problem, that he would vouch for me and wave me on through. I'm glad that worked out OK.
It is past midnight, and my body needs to rest. 21,000 steps. I plan to head out again tomorrow after I mow the lawn. I'm so glad I didn't lose this post and that the program stuck with me to the end. Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 7
The state fair ramblings will post roughly about this time nightly, give or take. Also, for a more full effect, stalk my Facebook page for pics, videos, and other tidbits that might not be in the blog post. Please excuse any typos, as these posts are being posted rather late in the evening. Thanks. :-)
I'm tired, folks. If you paid any attention to my heading yesterday, it read "Rob's Stata Fair Ramlbings." Please excuse any typos that might pop up and credit them to late nights. Thanks! :-)
Today was a rain check day. My friend wasn't feeling well Monday, and I asked you if you'd be willing to say a prayer for her. Thanks for doing that, even though you may not have even known who she was. She was feeling getter today, so we made tonight our annual traditional fair night. We immediately noticed how less crowded the fair was this evening. The lines for the food were very short, and the aisles in the buildings were clear. We decided that from here on out. our fair day would be Thursday, as it was very easy going. We started out in the Domestic Arts building. She is a quilter, and loves to look at the quilts on display. She will explain how they were pieced together and what kind of design it is. I just stand there and take it all in, I just like to admire them. At each section, we picked our favorite design to see if we both liked the same one, and we were about 50/50. I showed her my cookie, and she agreed that mine looked better than 2nd place, and she even ventured to say that it looked better than 1st!
From there, we walked through the buildings looking for free stuff. The walkways in the buildings were very clear, and getting through was a breeze! Of course, we fared well at the Union Booth. We got some pretty good stuff. At one booth, they gave us some inflatable tubes that make a cool sound when you hit them together. Thundersticks, I think they called them. I showed my friend where all of the free samples were. We got to try dips, honey, coffee, bread, etc. After touring the buildings, we were ready to eat, so we went with the epic Pronto Pup! I've had 3 of them so far at the fair this year, and you just can't go wrong with these "banquets on a stick," as the Pronto Pup people call them. To their credit. they offer Granny's Mustard as a topping! As we were walking and eating our Pronto Pups, we were searching for a large metal elephant. You will find it north of the Bison Arena, and it's on the left. It is pretty good-sized, and I was surprised that I hadn't seen it or heard of it. My friend simply loves elephants, and she said that finding this elephant was her big find of the fair week for her. We also noticed that this large metal elephant had a $3000 price tag on it! There were other metal sculptured displayed for sale, but this elephant was the largest.
We decided to tale a walk down the Midway, and that's where we started seeing all kinds of kids that we knew from school and Boys & Girls Club. We got and gave lots of hugs and high-fives, and got to say "hello" to a lot of parents. There was one kid in particular that was there with his family, and it seems that everywhere we went, they were there, too. We later had a candid conversation about who was stalking who.. LOL.
We spent about 3 hours at the fair walking and looking and enjoying the fun atmosphere. On our way toward the exit gates, we stopped at the petting zoo to pet the baby goats. One of them tried to eat my shirt! And I'll be doggoned if another goat didn't reach his head into my bag and pull out one of my thundersticks! I reached through the gate to grab it, and my friend had a really good chuckle at the whole scene! My friend and I always have a lot of fun and a lot of laughs at the State fair. Tomorrow begins the 2nd and final weekend of the fair. :-( Tomorrow is Ag Innovation day, and will spotlight agriculture in our community. If that's something that interests you, you'll find it at the fair! The past few nights have been school nights, and I haven't been able to stay out late. Tomorrow is Friday, so I'll be able to spend some extra time out there, and hopefully finish seeing everything I am hoping to see. Today's steps: 13,500. I'll beat it tomorrow! Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
I'm tired, folks. If you paid any attention to my heading yesterday, it read "Rob's Stata Fair Ramlbings." Please excuse any typos that might pop up and credit them to late nights. Thanks! :-)
Today was a rain check day. My friend wasn't feeling well Monday, and I asked you if you'd be willing to say a prayer for her. Thanks for doing that, even though you may not have even known who she was. She was feeling getter today, so we made tonight our annual traditional fair night. We immediately noticed how less crowded the fair was this evening. The lines for the food were very short, and the aisles in the buildings were clear. We decided that from here on out. our fair day would be Thursday, as it was very easy going. We started out in the Domestic Arts building. She is a quilter, and loves to look at the quilts on display. She will explain how they were pieced together and what kind of design it is. I just stand there and take it all in, I just like to admire them. At each section, we picked our favorite design to see if we both liked the same one, and we were about 50/50. I showed her my cookie, and she agreed that mine looked better than 2nd place, and she even ventured to say that it looked better than 1st!
From there, we walked through the buildings looking for free stuff. The walkways in the buildings were very clear, and getting through was a breeze! Of course, we fared well at the Union Booth. We got some pretty good stuff. At one booth, they gave us some inflatable tubes that make a cool sound when you hit them together. Thundersticks, I think they called them. I showed my friend where all of the free samples were. We got to try dips, honey, coffee, bread, etc. After touring the buildings, we were ready to eat, so we went with the epic Pronto Pup! I've had 3 of them so far at the fair this year, and you just can't go wrong with these "banquets on a stick," as the Pronto Pup people call them. To their credit. they offer Granny's Mustard as a topping! As we were walking and eating our Pronto Pups, we were searching for a large metal elephant. You will find it north of the Bison Arena, and it's on the left. It is pretty good-sized, and I was surprised that I hadn't seen it or heard of it. My friend simply loves elephants, and she said that finding this elephant was her big find of the fair week for her. We also noticed that this large metal elephant had a $3000 price tag on it! There were other metal sculptured displayed for sale, but this elephant was the largest.
We decided to tale a walk down the Midway, and that's where we started seeing all kinds of kids that we knew from school and Boys & Girls Club. We got and gave lots of hugs and high-fives, and got to say "hello" to a lot of parents. There was one kid in particular that was there with his family, and it seems that everywhere we went, they were there, too. We later had a candid conversation about who was stalking who.. LOL.
We spent about 3 hours at the fair walking and looking and enjoying the fun atmosphere. On our way toward the exit gates, we stopped at the petting zoo to pet the baby goats. One of them tried to eat my shirt! And I'll be doggoned if another goat didn't reach his head into my bag and pull out one of my thundersticks! I reached through the gate to grab it, and my friend had a really good chuckle at the whole scene! My friend and I always have a lot of fun and a lot of laughs at the State fair. Tomorrow begins the 2nd and final weekend of the fair. :-( Tomorrow is Ag Innovation day, and will spotlight agriculture in our community. If that's something that interests you, you'll find it at the fair! The past few nights have been school nights, and I haven't been able to stay out late. Tomorrow is Friday, so I'll be able to spend some extra time out there, and hopefully finish seeing everything I am hoping to see. Today's steps: 13,500. I'll beat it tomorrow! Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Rob's Stata Fair Ramlbings, Day 6
The state fair ramblings will post roughly about this time nightly, give or take. Also, for a more full effect, stalk my Facebook page for pics, videos, and other tidbits that might not be in the blog post. Please excuse any typos, as these posts are being posted rather late in the evening. Thanks. :-)
To start off this evening, I'll let you know that my phone is at full capacity and will not allow me to take any more photos. Should've known it'd do this to me during fair week.... :-( So, no new pics for right now.
It was a a very busy day at the fair, beginning this morning, when we took our school kiddos out for the day. We started out at the Butterfly Experience, a tent that allows you to interact with hundreds of butterflies. We can't actually touch the butterflies, but we use a special stick to let them perch on and observe up close. Before leaving the tent, I had to take my hat off to carefully remove any butterflies trying to hitch a ride to the outside world. From there, we visited the Pride of Kansas building, and enjoyed the interactive exhibits that taught us about agriculture. At lunchtime, we set up our camp at the Lumberjack show and ate while the guys did their thing on stage. The kids seemed to like the show.
The kids had some artwork that had been entered into the fair, so we headed to the Oz Gallery to see their pictures being displayed on large bulletin boards. They were very proud of those pictures and seeing their names displayed with them. Through the breezeway and into the next building was another agriculture display that the kids enjoyed. They got to see a virtual farm using VR goggles, there was a photo booth, and a presentation on power lines and safety.
Our next destination was the birthing center, where the kids got to see some brand new lambs, and one of the vets brought over a baby pig for the kids to pet. Oh, how that piglet squealed! The kids got to play with some of the interactive vet displays, and they really got into it. The kids were playing pretty intently until we mentioned that we were getting ice cream next. They jumped on that one! We had won some free ice cream at the agriculture exhibit, and we cashed them in. After enjoying our ice cream, the kids were thrilled to learn that our next activity was the big slide! It was so much fun watching them come down the slide, shrieking with excitement. That was the point where my camera told me I was full. :-( . Following the slide, we has a session in the Do Art building making pennants. If you get a chance, pop into the Do Art building and see my friend Ruby. She loves kids and loves what she does. Your kids will enjoy this free art activity. Our final activity of our trip was a visit to Dr. Goddard's Lab, where the kids learn about rockets and the presenter blows things up on stage. The kids were really into the blowing things up part. At this point in the day, our trip to the fair was over. We walked back to the school with new adventures to share and great memories of the fun we had. It was neat for me to see the fair through the eyes of these great kiddos.
After Boys & Girls Club, and kids activities at church, I headed back out to the fairgrounds. My mom came with me. We got the iconic Pronto Pups, and we could hear the strains of "For King & Country" ringing out over the grounds. I would have loved to see this concert, but as long as they have the Christian concerts on Wednesdays, I won't have the chance to see any of the Christian acts. After my mom and I shared an order of fried pickles, we decided to call it a night. This evening trip was very brief, maybe an hour at best. Tomorrow is Makers Day, where vendors from across the state will showcase the people and companies that make our state work. It is now 11:00, and time for me to turn in. Are you enjoying the blogs? Please let me know. I enjoy posting for you. Thanks for reading, and God bless!
To start off this evening, I'll let you know that my phone is at full capacity and will not allow me to take any more photos. Should've known it'd do this to me during fair week.... :-( So, no new pics for right now.
It was a a very busy day at the fair, beginning this morning, when we took our school kiddos out for the day. We started out at the Butterfly Experience, a tent that allows you to interact with hundreds of butterflies. We can't actually touch the butterflies, but we use a special stick to let them perch on and observe up close. Before leaving the tent, I had to take my hat off to carefully remove any butterflies trying to hitch a ride to the outside world. From there, we visited the Pride of Kansas building, and enjoyed the interactive exhibits that taught us about agriculture. At lunchtime, we set up our camp at the Lumberjack show and ate while the guys did their thing on stage. The kids seemed to like the show.
The kids had some artwork that had been entered into the fair, so we headed to the Oz Gallery to see their pictures being displayed on large bulletin boards. They were very proud of those pictures and seeing their names displayed with them. Through the breezeway and into the next building was another agriculture display that the kids enjoyed. They got to see a virtual farm using VR goggles, there was a photo booth, and a presentation on power lines and safety.
Our next destination was the birthing center, where the kids got to see some brand new lambs, and one of the vets brought over a baby pig for the kids to pet. Oh, how that piglet squealed! The kids got to play with some of the interactive vet displays, and they really got into it. The kids were playing pretty intently until we mentioned that we were getting ice cream next. They jumped on that one! We had won some free ice cream at the agriculture exhibit, and we cashed them in. After enjoying our ice cream, the kids were thrilled to learn that our next activity was the big slide! It was so much fun watching them come down the slide, shrieking with excitement. That was the point where my camera told me I was full. :-( . Following the slide, we has a session in the Do Art building making pennants. If you get a chance, pop into the Do Art building and see my friend Ruby. She loves kids and loves what she does. Your kids will enjoy this free art activity. Our final activity of our trip was a visit to Dr. Goddard's Lab, where the kids learn about rockets and the presenter blows things up on stage. The kids were really into the blowing things up part. At this point in the day, our trip to the fair was over. We walked back to the school with new adventures to share and great memories of the fun we had. It was neat for me to see the fair through the eyes of these great kiddos.
After Boys & Girls Club, and kids activities at church, I headed back out to the fairgrounds. My mom came with me. We got the iconic Pronto Pups, and we could hear the strains of "For King & Country" ringing out over the grounds. I would have loved to see this concert, but as long as they have the Christian concerts on Wednesdays, I won't have the chance to see any of the Christian acts. After my mom and I shared an order of fried pickles, we decided to call it a night. This evening trip was very brief, maybe an hour at best. Tomorrow is Makers Day, where vendors from across the state will showcase the people and companies that make our state work. It is now 11:00, and time for me to turn in. Are you enjoying the blogs? Please let me know. I enjoy posting for you. Thanks for reading, and God bless!
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 5
The state fair ramblings will post roughly about this time nightly, give or take. Also, for a more full effect, stalk my Facebook page for pics, videos, and other tidbits that might not be in the blog post. Please excuse any typos, as these posts are being posted rather late in the evening. Thanks. :-)
The fair is officially half-over! Typically by now, I've seen everything I've wanted to see, but that's not the case this year. I was planning on seeing the rest of everything tonight, but I ran into my former neighbor, Pat (from Friday's post), and decided that it would be more fun to bum around with her for awhile. Our first activity was to watch a trio of drummers that have been roving the fairgrounds this week. During the set that I was filming, a little girl, maybe 2 years old, wandered in front of the drummers. They made her a part of the show! They set a little drum and drumstick in front of her, and she went to town beating that drum right along with the drummers. It was so cute, and I'm glad that I was filming it. After watching the drummers, Pat said that she was hungry and was headed to the food court for a taco and beans. I decided to tag along with her, and ordered a taco with rice. The taco was $4, and the rice was $2. Sour cream was .25. It was very good. The booth was called Our Lady of Guadalupe. I'm giving them an A for good food, and they got us through the line fairly quickly. They were very nice. After eating, Pat wanted to go play the Sweeper game. This is a game where you try to maneuver a mechanical arm to knock cylinders off of a rotating plate to win prizes. I used to play this game many years ago, and I was quite good at it. I played a few bucks this evening, and realized that I am not the expert I used to be. I got a few cylinders knocked in, and gave the tickets to Pat, as she was the avid player who was really wanting to win. As I played, I realized how addicting this game is, and why I stopped playing so many years ago. That's why I stopped tonight after playing $3 on this game.
After watching Pat win so many tickets, she asked me what I wanted to do next. I remembered that it was Foodie Fest, and many of the foods were $2. I also remembered that my friends Rhonda and Melanie had told me about the deep-fried deviled egg. This is a new item this year, and I was very intrigued. They sell these at Kathy B's, a green building just north of the Channel 12 KWCH building. These eggs were $2, and according to the lady selling them, they were a hot item. They have them in a few flavors like chicken & cheese (my pick), and spicy (Pat's pick). I'll give them an A-. They were OK, but not like they were hyped up to be. the breading was good, but I would have preferred a simple hard-boiled egg by itself. Pat's wasn't spicy. But for $2, and the courtesy of the cashier, I've managed to give it the grade I did. Pat and I then walked over to the Oz building, as she wanted to see my nephew's red ribbon-winning wood burning project. She was impressed. By shortly after 9, we were pretty tired, and ready to call it a day. My feet were kind of sore, and I hadn't even walked all that much. 16,000 steps today.
Tomorrow I will be at the fair all day long. We're taking our school kiddos to spend the day and learn about all kinds of things. I'm pretty excited, as I've never been able to go to the fair with the school kids. I'm looking forward to it. Tomorrow is Kansas Cares Day, which will showcase the different non-profit organizations around the state, and what they do to help others in need. It's also when "For King and Country" featuring Zach Williams takes the Grandstand stage. I would LOVE to attend one of these Christian concerts, but they seem to always land on Wednesday nights, when I am busy with children's ministries at our church. Is it possible to take the night off and let my crew handle the kids? Sure. Would I feel right about it? Not at all. As much as I would like to go to this concert, I know that I need to be where I am supposed to be. Thanks so much for taking the time to read today, sorry it's so short, but I'm so tired. Thanks for understanding. God bless you, and God Bless America.
The fair is officially half-over! Typically by now, I've seen everything I've wanted to see, but that's not the case this year. I was planning on seeing the rest of everything tonight, but I ran into my former neighbor, Pat (from Friday's post), and decided that it would be more fun to bum around with her for awhile. Our first activity was to watch a trio of drummers that have been roving the fairgrounds this week. During the set that I was filming, a little girl, maybe 2 years old, wandered in front of the drummers. They made her a part of the show! They set a little drum and drumstick in front of her, and she went to town beating that drum right along with the drummers. It was so cute, and I'm glad that I was filming it. After watching the drummers, Pat said that she was hungry and was headed to the food court for a taco and beans. I decided to tag along with her, and ordered a taco with rice. The taco was $4, and the rice was $2. Sour cream was .25. It was very good. The booth was called Our Lady of Guadalupe. I'm giving them an A for good food, and they got us through the line fairly quickly. They were very nice. After eating, Pat wanted to go play the Sweeper game. This is a game where you try to maneuver a mechanical arm to knock cylinders off of a rotating plate to win prizes. I used to play this game many years ago, and I was quite good at it. I played a few bucks this evening, and realized that I am not the expert I used to be. I got a few cylinders knocked in, and gave the tickets to Pat, as she was the avid player who was really wanting to win. As I played, I realized how addicting this game is, and why I stopped playing so many years ago. That's why I stopped tonight after playing $3 on this game.
After watching Pat win so many tickets, she asked me what I wanted to do next. I remembered that it was Foodie Fest, and many of the foods were $2. I also remembered that my friends Rhonda and Melanie had told me about the deep-fried deviled egg. This is a new item this year, and I was very intrigued. They sell these at Kathy B's, a green building just north of the Channel 12 KWCH building. These eggs were $2, and according to the lady selling them, they were a hot item. They have them in a few flavors like chicken & cheese (my pick), and spicy (Pat's pick). I'll give them an A-. They were OK, but not like they were hyped up to be. the breading was good, but I would have preferred a simple hard-boiled egg by itself. Pat's wasn't spicy. But for $2, and the courtesy of the cashier, I've managed to give it the grade I did. Pat and I then walked over to the Oz building, as she wanted to see my nephew's red ribbon-winning wood burning project. She was impressed. By shortly after 9, we were pretty tired, and ready to call it a day. My feet were kind of sore, and I hadn't even walked all that much. 16,000 steps today.
Tomorrow I will be at the fair all day long. We're taking our school kiddos to spend the day and learn about all kinds of things. I'm pretty excited, as I've never been able to go to the fair with the school kids. I'm looking forward to it. Tomorrow is Kansas Cares Day, which will showcase the different non-profit organizations around the state, and what they do to help others in need. It's also when "For King and Country" featuring Zach Williams takes the Grandstand stage. I would LOVE to attend one of these Christian concerts, but they seem to always land on Wednesday nights, when I am busy with children's ministries at our church. Is it possible to take the night off and let my crew handle the kids? Sure. Would I feel right about it? Not at all. As much as I would like to go to this concert, I know that I need to be where I am supposed to be. Thanks so much for taking the time to read today, sorry it's so short, but I'm so tired. Thanks for understanding. God bless you, and God Bless America.
Monday, September 10, 2018
Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 4
The state fair ramblings will post roughly about this time nightly, give or take. Also, for a more full effect, stalk my Facebook page for pics, videos, and other tidbits that might not be in the blog post. Please excuse any typos, as these posts are being posted rather late in the evening. Thanks. :-)
Today was Dillon's Dollar Day; $1 admission, or free with your Dillon's card. All rides were 1 ticket, and tickets are $1.25 apiece. My friend Christy was not feeling well this evening, so we're going to try to come out on another night. If you could say a prayer for my friend, I know she would appreciate it. My first order of business, and a tradition for me on Dollar Day, was to ride the giant Ferris wheel. However, I noticed that the Ferris wheel is not a giant one this year. It is much smaller. I was kind of bummed about that, because I always got fabulous pictures from the top. I chose to ride it anyway. The pics were not from the height I would like, but they would have to do. In front of us in line, there was a sibling group of 2 sisters and a smaller brother. The 2 sisters got into a Ferris wheel basket, but the little brother didn't meet the height requirement, and couldn't ride without a responsible adult. His mom was in the crowd, watching, and the little boy went and stood next to his mom, with big tears in his eyes. I was standing with 2 other ladies whom I vaguely knew, and when we saw this boy, we looked at each other, sadly. This image was a knife to our hearts. Was there something I could do? before I could react, one of the ladies ran over to the mom. "You don't know us, but we'd be happy to ride with your son!" Mom was genuinely grateful for this, for us giving her son the chance to take a ride on the Ferris wheel. His face lit up, and during the entire ride, he smiled from ear to ear, waving at mom each time he came back around. I was glad that we could be a part of making this kid's day.
After riding, I was getting hungry, so I decided that I would try the Chipstix that I had seen before the fair opened. I was curious. This booth is located across the street from the Kansas Lottery building. After checking the oil, I ordered the Chipstix for $5.00. The process involves cutting a potato into a spiral, skewering it, and frying it in hot oil. Here is what the Chipstix has going for it: The lady was friendly, the product is 100% potato, and they offer some seasonings, such as salt, pepper, parmesan garlic, cour cream onion, and etc. However, there is not much there for the money. It was a very small potato, but stretching it out across the skewer makes it look like much more. She also didn't fry it enough. I'm giving the Chipstix a B grade. I spent some time looking at the campers, and exploring the cabin on the grounds, one that can be rented for $70-75 dollars per night. It's a pretty cozy place. Next to the cabin is an area where Dillon's employees are constantly setting out small cups of ice cream in various flavors. I typically visit there 2-3 times a day. Maybe I'm not supposed to, but I do, anyway, LOL. I also like to look at storage sheds and barns, and imagine if I could actually live inside one. I could seriously do the tiny house thing. With some modifications, I could make one of those barns move-in ready. Anyone else do that, or am I just a little nuts? Or both? :-)
After exploring and making my daily trek through the buildings in search of free stuff, I was hungry again. Those Chipstix just didn't do the trick. So, I opted to go for a the legendary Tacone! The Tacone is the creation of Rotten Rodneys. When you take a flour tortilla shell, and fry it into the shape of a cone, and fill it with taco fixins, you have a Tacone! You can get optional sour cream (yes!) and jalapenos (no!) LOL. The tacone will set you back $6.50. Rotten Rodneys always get an A+ rating from me. They are friendly, the food is good, and it's fresh! The Tacone is one of my faves! My computer is telling me that "Tacone" and "faves" are not real words. They are now. Deal with it, Qwerty! As I was walking around with my Tacone, I heard some guy yell, "Yo, Panama Jack!" This is not the first time I have been called this. I wear a Hawaiian shirt with a Panama Jack hat, and I always chuckle when I get addressed this way. I just smile and wave, like I did on Luke's behalf on Saturday.
Shortly after 9, I knew it was time to leave and get home. I have to teach tomorrow. As I was leaving, I witnessed a hilarious crisis. A couple of teenage farm boys had locked one of their buddies in a small horse corral in a nearby display. The owner had already left for the night (with the keys), and the people around him couldn't get him out. The kid inside was laughing himself silly, as were the people who were trying to rescue him. The slits in the corral were too small for him to squeeze through. The adults were trying to contact the owner to come and unlock the corral. I just hope the guy was local.
Steps today: 17,500. I'm slacking, LOL. My goal is 20,000 during the fair. I want to give a shout-out to the Carsons, who were looking for me tonight, as I was for them. Our paths did not cross, but I wanted to give you some recognition for your efforts. :-) I enjoyed visiting with Steve and Jo Ann, Jason, and my dear friends the Hoffmans. No one stopped me for a photo op, and no one asked me for a special treat. I'm telling you, it's worth the asking! It's time for me to drag myself to bed and get some rest. I thank you for reading, and God bless you!
Today was Dillon's Dollar Day; $1 admission, or free with your Dillon's card. All rides were 1 ticket, and tickets are $1.25 apiece. My friend Christy was not feeling well this evening, so we're going to try to come out on another night. If you could say a prayer for my friend, I know she would appreciate it. My first order of business, and a tradition for me on Dollar Day, was to ride the giant Ferris wheel. However, I noticed that the Ferris wheel is not a giant one this year. It is much smaller. I was kind of bummed about that, because I always got fabulous pictures from the top. I chose to ride it anyway. The pics were not from the height I would like, but they would have to do. In front of us in line, there was a sibling group of 2 sisters and a smaller brother. The 2 sisters got into a Ferris wheel basket, but the little brother didn't meet the height requirement, and couldn't ride without a responsible adult. His mom was in the crowd, watching, and the little boy went and stood next to his mom, with big tears in his eyes. I was standing with 2 other ladies whom I vaguely knew, and when we saw this boy, we looked at each other, sadly. This image was a knife to our hearts. Was there something I could do? before I could react, one of the ladies ran over to the mom. "You don't know us, but we'd be happy to ride with your son!" Mom was genuinely grateful for this, for us giving her son the chance to take a ride on the Ferris wheel. His face lit up, and during the entire ride, he smiled from ear to ear, waving at mom each time he came back around. I was glad that we could be a part of making this kid's day.
After riding, I was getting hungry, so I decided that I would try the Chipstix that I had seen before the fair opened. I was curious. This booth is located across the street from the Kansas Lottery building. After checking the oil, I ordered the Chipstix for $5.00. The process involves cutting a potato into a spiral, skewering it, and frying it in hot oil. Here is what the Chipstix has going for it: The lady was friendly, the product is 100% potato, and they offer some seasonings, such as salt, pepper, parmesan garlic, cour cream onion, and etc. However, there is not much there for the money. It was a very small potato, but stretching it out across the skewer makes it look like much more. She also didn't fry it enough. I'm giving the Chipstix a B grade. I spent some time looking at the campers, and exploring the cabin on the grounds, one that can be rented for $70-75 dollars per night. It's a pretty cozy place. Next to the cabin is an area where Dillon's employees are constantly setting out small cups of ice cream in various flavors. I typically visit there 2-3 times a day. Maybe I'm not supposed to, but I do, anyway, LOL. I also like to look at storage sheds and barns, and imagine if I could actually live inside one. I could seriously do the tiny house thing. With some modifications, I could make one of those barns move-in ready. Anyone else do that, or am I just a little nuts? Or both? :-)
After exploring and making my daily trek through the buildings in search of free stuff, I was hungry again. Those Chipstix just didn't do the trick. So, I opted to go for a the legendary Tacone! The Tacone is the creation of Rotten Rodneys. When you take a flour tortilla shell, and fry it into the shape of a cone, and fill it with taco fixins, you have a Tacone! You can get optional sour cream (yes!) and jalapenos (no!) LOL. The tacone will set you back $6.50. Rotten Rodneys always get an A+ rating from me. They are friendly, the food is good, and it's fresh! The Tacone is one of my faves! My computer is telling me that "Tacone" and "faves" are not real words. They are now. Deal with it, Qwerty! As I was walking around with my Tacone, I heard some guy yell, "Yo, Panama Jack!" This is not the first time I have been called this. I wear a Hawaiian shirt with a Panama Jack hat, and I always chuckle when I get addressed this way. I just smile and wave, like I did on Luke's behalf on Saturday.
Shortly after 9, I knew it was time to leave and get home. I have to teach tomorrow. As I was leaving, I witnessed a hilarious crisis. A couple of teenage farm boys had locked one of their buddies in a small horse corral in a nearby display. The owner had already left for the night (with the keys), and the people around him couldn't get him out. The kid inside was laughing himself silly, as were the people who were trying to rescue him. The slits in the corral were too small for him to squeeze through. The adults were trying to contact the owner to come and unlock the corral. I just hope the guy was local.
Steps today: 17,500. I'm slacking, LOL. My goal is 20,000 during the fair. I want to give a shout-out to the Carsons, who were looking for me tonight, as I was for them. Our paths did not cross, but I wanted to give you some recognition for your efforts. :-) I enjoyed visiting with Steve and Jo Ann, Jason, and my dear friends the Hoffmans. No one stopped me for a photo op, and no one asked me for a special treat. I'm telling you, it's worth the asking! It's time for me to drag myself to bed and get some rest. I thank you for reading, and God bless you!
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 3
The state fair ramblings will post roughly about this time nightly, give or take. Also, for a more full effect, stalk my Facebook page for pics, videos, and other tidbits that might not be in the blog post. Please excuse any typos, as these posts are being posted rather late in the evening. Thanks. :-)
Father's Day
Today, Day 3, was the day I took my dad to the fair. My dad is pretty unstable on his feet, so our trips are less involved and shorter. I have a planned route that I chart for him that involves the least amount of walking. My dad uses a cane, and he has certain things he likes to see, and then he calls it a day. Oddly, we only spent a few moments looking at the animals. No trips though the animal barns looking at cows and horses. We walked through the arena to see what was going on with the horses, and that was it. My dad also likes to look for free stuff in the commercial buildings. His "holy grail" finds are the magnetic clips that you can put on the fridge. He loves those. I have to watch him like a hawk, though, because sometimes he'll grab for stuff that's for sale, not for taking. "Dad, that's not free, put it back," I say, as the saleslady about has a heart attack. He also likes the pencils, and he was able to score a few of those, but again, some of the pens and pencils were solely for the purpose of filling out a drawing slip or etc, so I had to make sure he didn't make off with one of them.
He really enjoyed the lumberjack show. I found myself trying to doze off, especially during the chainsaw sculpting segment. It seemed to drag on and on and on. But my dad got some good chuckles out of it. While were waiting for the show to start (get there early, seats fill up fast), my dad was hungry, so I went and grabbed us some food. I got him some fries. and I was craving some cheese curds. Maybe I'm slipping, but I didn't think to look at the name of the place where I bought the food, nor do I remember how much I paid for it. It was down by the smaller ferris wheel. The gentleman that sold me the fries was very friendly. The oil looked clean, and he made those fries up fresh, so they were nice and hot. I was very disappointed in the cheese curds. They weren't hot, and they didn't taste all that great. The fries get an A+, and the cheese curds get a C-. Next time I am at the fair, I'll try to catch the names of those places, and the prices. After the lumberjack show, my dad was ready to ride the sky ride, which is like a ski lift. He and I do this every year, he looks forward to it. I got some great pictures from there. After the sky ride, we were ready for some real food. My dad really likes Bernard's Pit Stop & BBQ in the Cottonwood Building, the food court. Bernards is in the corner, and they have great burgers & BBQ beef and pork. They always get an A+ from me. The food is hot and fresh, and the service is outstanding. Look for my friend Desiree. She'll treat you right. There was a slight mix-up when we got fries instead of onion rings, and they had it corrected in minutes. The people at Bernards are top class. Thanks, Des, for being so awesome!
After lunch, it was time to hit some more buildings for free stuff. I tell you, my dad is like a kid in a candy store, LOL. He especially loved the Union booth in Sunflower North. he filled up his bag with pencils, cups, and plastic coin purses. As we left Sunflower North, it was getting close to Ron Diamond time, so I stopped in the restroom, and he waited outside on a bench. Here's the scenario in the restroom: Nine empty urinals, I go to the one on the end. Another guy comes in and comes to the one right next to me. Seriously? It was a bit uncomfortable and awkward. Honor my space bubble, dude. Anyway, I get outside, and discovered that my dad had fallen as he was walking toward the bench. There was a lady next to him that filled me in. I tried to ask my dad some questions about what had happened, and she answered for him. I appreciated her help, but I wanted to press my finger to her lips and say, "Shhh." My dad said that he wasn't hurt except for his pride, but I think he was pretty sore. We arranged for a golf cart to get us closer to the area where Ron Diamond would be performing, and the rest of the day was without incident. He didn't seem to enjoy Ron Diamond as much. He usually laughs out loud and claps during the show, but he was pretty subdued tonight. After the show, he was ready to go. I think the fall scared him, and I'm sure he was pretty sore, as he moved slower after that. I had him wait for me at the Poplar gate while I went and got the car from the Plum parking lot, and I came around to get him.
Except for the fall, I think he had a pretty good time. He was talking about coming out next weekend, but I doubt he will now. I think my dad is fair'ed out for this year. During the in between times, I saw a lot of my kiddos from school and BGC. They yell my name and come running to me to give me a hug, and I have to explain to the parents who I am. It always ends well after I get a chance to chat with those parents. In my state fair wanderings, I ran into my good friend Charlotte. She was with her daughter Jessica and son-in-law Chase. I have worked with Charlotte in our church's children's ministries for over 20 years, and I think we're a pretty good team. She wanted a photo op with the "fair guy," so I obliged. She's the first one for this 2018 fair to ask for a photo op. I've had several people ask me for locations of things. As I was walking by some people today, they were talking amongst themselves about where the Krispy Kreme Burger was. I nonchalantly mentioned, "It's that way," and went on my way. I heard a "Thanks," behind me as I went on. I've done that several times, and my directions are pretty much appreciated, but maybe I need to be more careful about butting in like that. I'm trying to use discretion, but I love being the guy that can help steer people in the right direction.
Yesterday's step count (I forgot to post that yesterday) was 16,708. Today was 13,023. A normal day at the fair usually puts me over 20,000 steps, but when I'm with my folks, we walk less to minimize aches and pains in their legs. Tomorrow is Dillon's Dollar Day. Admission is just $1, or free with your Dillon's card. The plan is to hang out with my friend Christy, and we'll explore the fair. Looking ahead, and thanks to my friend John and my other friend Lorraine for this info, Tuesday is "Foodie Fest," where many vendors across the fairgrounds will have $2 portions of their food available. It might not be a very big portion, but if you're craving fair food, and don't want all of the greasiness, a $2 portion may be just what you're looking for.
I'm going to gracefully bow out and take an early bedtime. I may love the fair, but I don't want to be totally exhausted tomorrow and try to teach kids. Thanks for reading my day 3 adventures, and may God bless you!
Father's Day
Today, Day 3, was the day I took my dad to the fair. My dad is pretty unstable on his feet, so our trips are less involved and shorter. I have a planned route that I chart for him that involves the least amount of walking. My dad uses a cane, and he has certain things he likes to see, and then he calls it a day. Oddly, we only spent a few moments looking at the animals. No trips though the animal barns looking at cows and horses. We walked through the arena to see what was going on with the horses, and that was it. My dad also likes to look for free stuff in the commercial buildings. His "holy grail" finds are the magnetic clips that you can put on the fridge. He loves those. I have to watch him like a hawk, though, because sometimes he'll grab for stuff that's for sale, not for taking. "Dad, that's not free, put it back," I say, as the saleslady about has a heart attack. He also likes the pencils, and he was able to score a few of those, but again, some of the pens and pencils were solely for the purpose of filling out a drawing slip or etc, so I had to make sure he didn't make off with one of them.
He really enjoyed the lumberjack show. I found myself trying to doze off, especially during the chainsaw sculpting segment. It seemed to drag on and on and on. But my dad got some good chuckles out of it. While were waiting for the show to start (get there early, seats fill up fast), my dad was hungry, so I went and grabbed us some food. I got him some fries. and I was craving some cheese curds. Maybe I'm slipping, but I didn't think to look at the name of the place where I bought the food, nor do I remember how much I paid for it. It was down by the smaller ferris wheel. The gentleman that sold me the fries was very friendly. The oil looked clean, and he made those fries up fresh, so they were nice and hot. I was very disappointed in the cheese curds. They weren't hot, and they didn't taste all that great. The fries get an A+, and the cheese curds get a C-. Next time I am at the fair, I'll try to catch the names of those places, and the prices. After the lumberjack show, my dad was ready to ride the sky ride, which is like a ski lift. He and I do this every year, he looks forward to it. I got some great pictures from there. After the sky ride, we were ready for some real food. My dad really likes Bernard's Pit Stop & BBQ in the Cottonwood Building, the food court. Bernards is in the corner, and they have great burgers & BBQ beef and pork. They always get an A+ from me. The food is hot and fresh, and the service is outstanding. Look for my friend Desiree. She'll treat you right. There was a slight mix-up when we got fries instead of onion rings, and they had it corrected in minutes. The people at Bernards are top class. Thanks, Des, for being so awesome!
After lunch, it was time to hit some more buildings for free stuff. I tell you, my dad is like a kid in a candy store, LOL. He especially loved the Union booth in Sunflower North. he filled up his bag with pencils, cups, and plastic coin purses. As we left Sunflower North, it was getting close to Ron Diamond time, so I stopped in the restroom, and he waited outside on a bench. Here's the scenario in the restroom: Nine empty urinals, I go to the one on the end. Another guy comes in and comes to the one right next to me. Seriously? It was a bit uncomfortable and awkward. Honor my space bubble, dude. Anyway, I get outside, and discovered that my dad had fallen as he was walking toward the bench. There was a lady next to him that filled me in. I tried to ask my dad some questions about what had happened, and she answered for him. I appreciated her help, but I wanted to press my finger to her lips and say, "Shhh." My dad said that he wasn't hurt except for his pride, but I think he was pretty sore. We arranged for a golf cart to get us closer to the area where Ron Diamond would be performing, and the rest of the day was without incident. He didn't seem to enjoy Ron Diamond as much. He usually laughs out loud and claps during the show, but he was pretty subdued tonight. After the show, he was ready to go. I think the fall scared him, and I'm sure he was pretty sore, as he moved slower after that. I had him wait for me at the Poplar gate while I went and got the car from the Plum parking lot, and I came around to get him.
Except for the fall, I think he had a pretty good time. He was talking about coming out next weekend, but I doubt he will now. I think my dad is fair'ed out for this year. During the in between times, I saw a lot of my kiddos from school and BGC. They yell my name and come running to me to give me a hug, and I have to explain to the parents who I am. It always ends well after I get a chance to chat with those parents. In my state fair wanderings, I ran into my good friend Charlotte. She was with her daughter Jessica and son-in-law Chase. I have worked with Charlotte in our church's children's ministries for over 20 years, and I think we're a pretty good team. She wanted a photo op with the "fair guy," so I obliged. She's the first one for this 2018 fair to ask for a photo op. I've had several people ask me for locations of things. As I was walking by some people today, they were talking amongst themselves about where the Krispy Kreme Burger was. I nonchalantly mentioned, "It's that way," and went on my way. I heard a "Thanks," behind me as I went on. I've done that several times, and my directions are pretty much appreciated, but maybe I need to be more careful about butting in like that. I'm trying to use discretion, but I love being the guy that can help steer people in the right direction.
Yesterday's step count (I forgot to post that yesterday) was 16,708. Today was 13,023. A normal day at the fair usually puts me over 20,000 steps, but when I'm with my folks, we walk less to minimize aches and pains in their legs. Tomorrow is Dillon's Dollar Day. Admission is just $1, or free with your Dillon's card. The plan is to hang out with my friend Christy, and we'll explore the fair. Looking ahead, and thanks to my friend John and my other friend Lorraine for this info, Tuesday is "Foodie Fest," where many vendors across the fairgrounds will have $2 portions of their food available. It might not be a very big portion, but if you're craving fair food, and don't want all of the greasiness, a $2 portion may be just what you're looking for.
I'm going to gracefully bow out and take an early bedtime. I may love the fair, but I don't want to be totally exhausted tomorrow and try to teach kids. Thanks for reading my day 3 adventures, and may God bless you!
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 2
The state fair ramblings will post roughly about this time nightly, give or take. Also, for a more full effect, stalk my Facebook page for pics, videos, and other tidbits that might not be in the blog post. Please excuse any typos, as these posts are being posted rather late in the evening. Thanks. :-)
Mother's Day
I wasn't sure if mom was going to be able to make the fair this year. She has not been feeling all that great the past few days, but this morning she was up and ready. She loves the fair too, and we really enjoy going together, so she grabbed her walker (with seat) and we headed out to the Kansas State Fair. When we arrived, our first objective was to find her artwork in the Oz building. She had carved on a walking stick and took 3rd place on it! We found my nephew's wood-burning project, and it had a red (2nd place) ribbon on it! Our family did well! As we headed to another building, we were approached by the Dish Network people. They're pretty aggressive. We have been on the fence with our current cable company, as the rates go higher and higher. The Dish guy was very nice and gave us a great offer with some fine services that will save us almost $100 monthly. We are officially Dish customers effective next Friday, when they come to switch us over. It has become such a headache to see our cable bill skyrocket, and the Dish guy gave us a rate-lock guarantee. We're going to give this a chance, and see what we think.
We got to see the Lumberjack show, which was pretty entertaining. The show is actually a competition between 2 lumberjacks as they race against each other in events such as sawing logs with a manual saw and a chainsaw, sculpting, climbing poles, and log-rolling. I'd recommend seeing it! Before the show started, a cold breeze started to blow. We had not brought jackets, and we were cold, so I bought us matching vibrant-yellow hoodies. They were warm and very comfortable. However, throughout the day we received numerous comments on how bright they were, how good we looked, and most of the comments were from total strangers. If I had a dollar for each time a comment was made, I could treat all of you to a Pronto Pup! Mom and I just smiled to ourselves when we heard these remarks. None of them were negative at all, the comments were compliments. Afterwards, we were hungry, and mom was craving a BBQ parfait. I thought that sounded pretty good myself. On our way there, some guy looked at me and shouted, "Hey, Luke!" I just smiled and waved. Some guy just saw his friend Luke today, or so he thinks. :-) There are several places that sell BBQ parfaits, but the stand we used was just to the east of the fountain. The food truck is bright red. They also sell BBQ nachos and Moink balls (meatballs wrapped in bacon). The BBQ parfaits are $9. A bit over-priced I think, but pretty much all food at the fair as pretty expensive. Unless you count Allen's P-Nut stand, just north of the Oz building. His bottled beverages (Coke & Pepsi products) are $1.50 a bottle, the cheapest you'll find on the fairgrounds. Anyway, the parfaits were hot, the meat was tender, and the service was great. An A+ to these good folks.
From there, we began walking through the commercial buildings. I directed her to as much free stuff as I could find. She was impressed with the Union booth. We got full-sized frisbees, chip clips, and cups. They always have such good stuff. Mom also liked the booth in the Meadowlark building that offers free samples of dips. Grab some pretzel sticks with the tongs, don't double dip, and try them out. they're good! We also found the coffee and bread samples. At this point, I got ratted out! My friend Jenise came by and said, "You've already tried these, I read your blog last night!" Not sure if the attendant heard this. If she did, she didn't acknowledge it. So, Jenise, your plan to thwart my second day of these samples was foiled! I indulged and enjoyed it! LOL, :-)
After our building tour, mom wanted to see my prize-winning cookies. On the way there, we met my friends Karla and Karen, sisters. They are educators, and I have worked with them in the past. We enjoyed chatting and catching up. If you are reading this, gals, I have learned a lot about teaching from you. As we continued toward the Domestic Arts building, we were met by a gentleman who asked us if we'd like a free personalized horseshoe. We were about to pass by until he mentioned that it had John 3:16 engraved into it, along with our name. During the 15 minutes it took to prepare the horseshoe, we were taken to a circle of chairs, where another gentleman shared the Gospel of Christ using a Gospel cube that folded and created new pictures. We felt very blessed by this ministry, and we thanked them for being at the fair this year. We made it to the Domestic Arts building, looked at my cookies, and then headed to the Bretz & Young Arena for one of our annual fair traditions. The Ron Diamond hypnotist show. It was a great show as usual, but was cut short by about 10 minutes, due to a steady drizzle that had begun. As soon as the show ended, so did the drizzle. From the arena, we headed to the Pride of Kansas building for bierocks and apple dumplings ala mode. Again, A+! We enjoyed the rest and nourishment. Our next destination was the Birthing barn, where we saw newborn piglets and cows. They were adorable. Then we hit the grandstand. A trip to the grandstand is not complete without a trip to the Dairy Bar. I will admit, I'm still upset that they nixed the Caramel Cow Crunch this year, but I'm slowly healing. In my opinion, this is the best ice cream on the fairgrounds. Mom got the chocolate, and I got the cookie dough. Then, mom wanted to see the Midway, where all of the rides are. We watched the thrill ride, Speed, which is a device of pure torture that spins you around and upside-down at a high rate of speed, hence the name, Speed. Definitely not the ride for me!
By this time, it was 9:00. Mom and I couldn't believe that we'd been there almost 9 hours! We were pretty worn out, and decided to call it a night. I'm so glad that God gave my mom the stamina to spend the day with me. I had to stop every so often and ask if she was doing OK. She said she was doing great. She had to stop and rest every once in a while, and I enjoyed resting as well. Tomorrow is Father's Day, when I take my dad out for his day at the fair. I once tried taking both of my parents out on the same day, but their interests are so diverse, it was better to take them out individually. To be honest, I enjoy the one-on-one time with both of my parents. It is after midnight, and I have to get up and teach Sunday School tomorrow, so this would be a time to say good night...rather good morning. Thanks so much for reading, excuse any typos (I'm so tired), and God bless!
Mother's Day
I wasn't sure if mom was going to be able to make the fair this year. She has not been feeling all that great the past few days, but this morning she was up and ready. She loves the fair too, and we really enjoy going together, so she grabbed her walker (with seat) and we headed out to the Kansas State Fair. When we arrived, our first objective was to find her artwork in the Oz building. She had carved on a walking stick and took 3rd place on it! We found my nephew's wood-burning project, and it had a red (2nd place) ribbon on it! Our family did well! As we headed to another building, we were approached by the Dish Network people. They're pretty aggressive. We have been on the fence with our current cable company, as the rates go higher and higher. The Dish guy was very nice and gave us a great offer with some fine services that will save us almost $100 monthly. We are officially Dish customers effective next Friday, when they come to switch us over. It has become such a headache to see our cable bill skyrocket, and the Dish guy gave us a rate-lock guarantee. We're going to give this a chance, and see what we think.
We got to see the Lumberjack show, which was pretty entertaining. The show is actually a competition between 2 lumberjacks as they race against each other in events such as sawing logs with a manual saw and a chainsaw, sculpting, climbing poles, and log-rolling. I'd recommend seeing it! Before the show started, a cold breeze started to blow. We had not brought jackets, and we were cold, so I bought us matching vibrant-yellow hoodies. They were warm and very comfortable. However, throughout the day we received numerous comments on how bright they were, how good we looked, and most of the comments were from total strangers. If I had a dollar for each time a comment was made, I could treat all of you to a Pronto Pup! Mom and I just smiled to ourselves when we heard these remarks. None of them were negative at all, the comments were compliments. Afterwards, we were hungry, and mom was craving a BBQ parfait. I thought that sounded pretty good myself. On our way there, some guy looked at me and shouted, "Hey, Luke!" I just smiled and waved. Some guy just saw his friend Luke today, or so he thinks. :-) There are several places that sell BBQ parfaits, but the stand we used was just to the east of the fountain. The food truck is bright red. They also sell BBQ nachos and Moink balls (meatballs wrapped in bacon). The BBQ parfaits are $9. A bit over-priced I think, but pretty much all food at the fair as pretty expensive. Unless you count Allen's P-Nut stand, just north of the Oz building. His bottled beverages (Coke & Pepsi products) are $1.50 a bottle, the cheapest you'll find on the fairgrounds. Anyway, the parfaits were hot, the meat was tender, and the service was great. An A+ to these good folks.
From there, we began walking through the commercial buildings. I directed her to as much free stuff as I could find. She was impressed with the Union booth. We got full-sized frisbees, chip clips, and cups. They always have such good stuff. Mom also liked the booth in the Meadowlark building that offers free samples of dips. Grab some pretzel sticks with the tongs, don't double dip, and try them out. they're good! We also found the coffee and bread samples. At this point, I got ratted out! My friend Jenise came by and said, "You've already tried these, I read your blog last night!" Not sure if the attendant heard this. If she did, she didn't acknowledge it. So, Jenise, your plan to thwart my second day of these samples was foiled! I indulged and enjoyed it! LOL, :-)
After our building tour, mom wanted to see my prize-winning cookies. On the way there, we met my friends Karla and Karen, sisters. They are educators, and I have worked with them in the past. We enjoyed chatting and catching up. If you are reading this, gals, I have learned a lot about teaching from you. As we continued toward the Domestic Arts building, we were met by a gentleman who asked us if we'd like a free personalized horseshoe. We were about to pass by until he mentioned that it had John 3:16 engraved into it, along with our name. During the 15 minutes it took to prepare the horseshoe, we were taken to a circle of chairs, where another gentleman shared the Gospel of Christ using a Gospel cube that folded and created new pictures. We felt very blessed by this ministry, and we thanked them for being at the fair this year. We made it to the Domestic Arts building, looked at my cookies, and then headed to the Bretz & Young Arena for one of our annual fair traditions. The Ron Diamond hypnotist show. It was a great show as usual, but was cut short by about 10 minutes, due to a steady drizzle that had begun. As soon as the show ended, so did the drizzle. From the arena, we headed to the Pride of Kansas building for bierocks and apple dumplings ala mode. Again, A+! We enjoyed the rest and nourishment. Our next destination was the Birthing barn, where we saw newborn piglets and cows. They were adorable. Then we hit the grandstand. A trip to the grandstand is not complete without a trip to the Dairy Bar. I will admit, I'm still upset that they nixed the Caramel Cow Crunch this year, but I'm slowly healing. In my opinion, this is the best ice cream on the fairgrounds. Mom got the chocolate, and I got the cookie dough. Then, mom wanted to see the Midway, where all of the rides are. We watched the thrill ride, Speed, which is a device of pure torture that spins you around and upside-down at a high rate of speed, hence the name, Speed. Definitely not the ride for me!
By this time, it was 9:00. Mom and I couldn't believe that we'd been there almost 9 hours! We were pretty worn out, and decided to call it a night. I'm so glad that God gave my mom the stamina to spend the day with me. I had to stop every so often and ask if she was doing OK. She said she was doing great. She had to stop and rest every once in a while, and I enjoyed resting as well. Tomorrow is Father's Day, when I take my dad out for his day at the fair. I once tried taking both of my parents out on the same day, but their interests are so diverse, it was better to take them out individually. To be honest, I enjoy the one-on-one time with both of my parents. It is after midnight, and I have to get up and teach Sunday School tomorrow, so this would be a time to say good night...rather good morning. Thanks so much for reading, excuse any typos (I'm so tired), and God bless!
Friday, September 7, 2018
Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 1
The state fair ramblings will post roughly about this time nightly, give or take. Also, for a more full effect, stalk my Facebook page for pics, videos, and other tidbits that might not be in the blog post. Please excuse any typos, as these posts are being posted rather late in the evening. Thanks. :-)
It was so great to be returning to the fairgrounds for the 2018 Kansas State Fair! I have missed the fun and the atmosphere of this yearly event! My first order of business was to head to the Domestic Arts building to check out how my cookies fared. On the way, I met my granddaughter. She is 2 1/2, and she was enthralled with the State Fair train that had just passed by. She had her face painted, and she was dancing to the music of a Christian Praise & Worship band playing on a nearby stage. What kind of grandpa would I be if I didn't whip out my phone and document these moments of cuteness! We chatted for a while, I got a hug and some love from her, and then went on into the building to see my cookies. As you may remember, my chocolate chip took 1st in 2015, my oatmeal raisin took 3rd in 2016, last year was a total bust with no placing, and this year, my chocolate chip cookies took 3rd! I'm happy with that. I was telling some friends that even if I only got one ribbon, I'd be happy. As I was looking for my cookies this evening, I met my good friend and former neighbor, Pat. She and I combed the racks of cookies and we found my 3rd place together. She rejoiced with me. We did have one concern, though. My 3rd place cookie looked much better than the 2nd place cookie. It looked overbaked. Appearance is a big part of the judging, and that cookie didn't look too good. However, I'm not the judge, nor would I want to be, and it is what it is. It's funny, because last year, after being sorely disappointed at not winning anything, I met Pat there in that building, and she told me to try again next year. I told her, "That's a whole year away!" Well, here we are again, a year later, with better news. Pat was getting ready to go to see the K.C. and the Sunshine Band concert, and was searching for something to eat before going in. She decided on the legendary Pronto Pup. Unbeknownst to me, she bought one for me as well. When they handed her two Pups, she then handed one to me. How nice! There are several Pronto Pup stands around the fairgrounds, and they offer Granny's Mustard as one of their sauces. Yum! They are just as good as ever! We then walked to the grandstand, enjoying our Pronto Pups. From there, we said good-bye, and I headed to the dairy bar to get the Caramel Cow Crunch. That's the name of the treat that I couldn't recall in my last blog post, and the treat that sold out before I could get to it last year, and also the treat I have been waiting all year for. I saw it on the menu...underneath white tape. You guessed it. It's not on the menu!!Argh! I was dampened a bit, but there are a lot of other good foods out there, and maybe they'll be so good that I'll forget about the Caramel Cow Crunch. Who am I kidding, I want a Caramel Cow Crunch!
From that point, it was time to start walking through the buildings. I stopped into the Oz Building to see the walking stick my mom entered. She took 3rd place! Way to go, mom! My nephew also had a project entered, but I wasn't able to find it. I'll try looking again tomorrow. I was able to collect some pencils, cups, and other good stuff tonight. In the Meadowlark building, there is a booth that sells some really amazing dips, and they offer free samples! You just grab a pretzel stick (use the tongs! the attendant commands us), and there are about 10+ dips you can try. In the Sunflower North building, there is the Union booth. They always have the best assortment of free stuff on their tables. They love to give it away. Also in the Sunflower North building, there is a both that offers free samples of flavored instant coffees, such as almond, snickerdoodle, and turtle. As I was trying them, the attendant asked me if I'd like a full-sized cup of their coffee. They were closing, and would have to dump it out, anyway. I politely declined, based on my diabetes. This booth also had samples of beer bread. I'd love to buy some of their mixes, but I'd feel awkward buying beer at the store. I just know that as soon as it was in my basket, I'd run into one of my Sunday School kids, or my minister. That's usually how it works in my world, LOL. The beer bakes out in the process, but still.....
As always, I enjoyed running into people I know and catching up with them. I enjoyed chatting with Tiffany, and I appreciate how she watches over our special kids. I also got to chat with my long-time friend Brandon. He's in the Meadowlark building towards the middle back, surrounded by hot tubs. He owns Jim's Water & Woods and in his 2nd year of owning it. He'll do you right if you're in the market for a hot tub. Our family has done business with him before, and he was there before, during and after we bought our hot tub from him. If there ever was an issue with our hot tub, which there rarely was, he was on top of it. If we ever find ourselves in the market to buy another hot tub, it'll be through Brandon. I got to visit with my friends John and Lynette and their girls. John reminded me that last year on Tuesday, some of the food vendors sold $2 portions of their food items. He was thinking that maybe they might do that again this year. I'll do some checking. I had totally forgotten about that.
I never get the chance on the first Friday to see everything I was hoping to see, due to only being there for a few hours. Tomorrow, I hope to see the rest. Tomorrow is "Poll & Stroll Day," and there will be a gubernatorial debate tomorrow. Many people running for a public office will be in the crowd, mingling with Kansans and hearing what people have to say. I know that if I meet one of these candidates and have a chance to speak with them, I'm going to ask them if they have a solid plan to keep education fully funded. People can also cast their votes for favorite food, ride, etc.
I racked up a total of 20,500 steps today, and I weighed myself this morning to see if I lose any weight during the course of the fair. I do a lot of walking, and I'm going to see if it drops my weight down a bit. I hope to see many more of you tomorrow, and please say hi. If you're afraid of showing up in the blog, you can request to not be mentioned. It's late, I'm tired, and I need to rest up if I want to be ready for day #2! Thanks for reading, and God bless!
It was so great to be returning to the fairgrounds for the 2018 Kansas State Fair! I have missed the fun and the atmosphere of this yearly event! My first order of business was to head to the Domestic Arts building to check out how my cookies fared. On the way, I met my granddaughter. She is 2 1/2, and she was enthralled with the State Fair train that had just passed by. She had her face painted, and she was dancing to the music of a Christian Praise & Worship band playing on a nearby stage. What kind of grandpa would I be if I didn't whip out my phone and document these moments of cuteness! We chatted for a while, I got a hug and some love from her, and then went on into the building to see my cookies. As you may remember, my chocolate chip took 1st in 2015, my oatmeal raisin took 3rd in 2016, last year was a total bust with no placing, and this year, my chocolate chip cookies took 3rd! I'm happy with that. I was telling some friends that even if I only got one ribbon, I'd be happy. As I was looking for my cookies this evening, I met my good friend and former neighbor, Pat. She and I combed the racks of cookies and we found my 3rd place together. She rejoiced with me. We did have one concern, though. My 3rd place cookie looked much better than the 2nd place cookie. It looked overbaked. Appearance is a big part of the judging, and that cookie didn't look too good. However, I'm not the judge, nor would I want to be, and it is what it is. It's funny, because last year, after being sorely disappointed at not winning anything, I met Pat there in that building, and she told me to try again next year. I told her, "That's a whole year away!" Well, here we are again, a year later, with better news. Pat was getting ready to go to see the K.C. and the Sunshine Band concert, and was searching for something to eat before going in. She decided on the legendary Pronto Pup. Unbeknownst to me, she bought one for me as well. When they handed her two Pups, she then handed one to me. How nice! There are several Pronto Pup stands around the fairgrounds, and they offer Granny's Mustard as one of their sauces. Yum! They are just as good as ever! We then walked to the grandstand, enjoying our Pronto Pups. From there, we said good-bye, and I headed to the dairy bar to get the Caramel Cow Crunch. That's the name of the treat that I couldn't recall in my last blog post, and the treat that sold out before I could get to it last year, and also the treat I have been waiting all year for. I saw it on the menu...underneath white tape. You guessed it. It's not on the menu!!Argh! I was dampened a bit, but there are a lot of other good foods out there, and maybe they'll be so good that I'll forget about the Caramel Cow Crunch. Who am I kidding, I want a Caramel Cow Crunch!
From that point, it was time to start walking through the buildings. I stopped into the Oz Building to see the walking stick my mom entered. She took 3rd place! Way to go, mom! My nephew also had a project entered, but I wasn't able to find it. I'll try looking again tomorrow. I was able to collect some pencils, cups, and other good stuff tonight. In the Meadowlark building, there is a booth that sells some really amazing dips, and they offer free samples! You just grab a pretzel stick (use the tongs! the attendant commands us), and there are about 10+ dips you can try. In the Sunflower North building, there is the Union booth. They always have the best assortment of free stuff on their tables. They love to give it away. Also in the Sunflower North building, there is a both that offers free samples of flavored instant coffees, such as almond, snickerdoodle, and turtle. As I was trying them, the attendant asked me if I'd like a full-sized cup of their coffee. They were closing, and would have to dump it out, anyway. I politely declined, based on my diabetes. This booth also had samples of beer bread. I'd love to buy some of their mixes, but I'd feel awkward buying beer at the store. I just know that as soon as it was in my basket, I'd run into one of my Sunday School kids, or my minister. That's usually how it works in my world, LOL. The beer bakes out in the process, but still.....
As always, I enjoyed running into people I know and catching up with them. I enjoyed chatting with Tiffany, and I appreciate how she watches over our special kids. I also got to chat with my long-time friend Brandon. He's in the Meadowlark building towards the middle back, surrounded by hot tubs. He owns Jim's Water & Woods and in his 2nd year of owning it. He'll do you right if you're in the market for a hot tub. Our family has done business with him before, and he was there before, during and after we bought our hot tub from him. If there ever was an issue with our hot tub, which there rarely was, he was on top of it. If we ever find ourselves in the market to buy another hot tub, it'll be through Brandon. I got to visit with my friends John and Lynette and their girls. John reminded me that last year on Tuesday, some of the food vendors sold $2 portions of their food items. He was thinking that maybe they might do that again this year. I'll do some checking. I had totally forgotten about that.
I never get the chance on the first Friday to see everything I was hoping to see, due to only being there for a few hours. Tomorrow, I hope to see the rest. Tomorrow is "Poll & Stroll Day," and there will be a gubernatorial debate tomorrow. Many people running for a public office will be in the crowd, mingling with Kansans and hearing what people have to say. I know that if I meet one of these candidates and have a chance to speak with them, I'm going to ask them if they have a solid plan to keep education fully funded. People can also cast their votes for favorite food, ride, etc.
I racked up a total of 20,500 steps today, and I weighed myself this morning to see if I lose any weight during the course of the fair. I do a lot of walking, and I'm going to see if it drops my weight down a bit. I hope to see many more of you tomorrow, and please say hi. If you're afraid of showing up in the blog, you can request to not be mentioned. It's late, I'm tired, and I need to rest up if I want to be ready for day #2! Thanks for reading, and God bless!
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Almost time!
Since today is almost over, I can safely say that there is only one day until the fair begins! I took my cookies over today and submitted them for judging, which took place this afternoon. That means that the judges have made their decisions, and they know the results, and I won't know those results until Friday evening! Arghh! Checking in my cookies was quite an ordeal. First, I was behind a lady who had a whole boxful of fruit preserves for judging. Each jar had to be processed individually, and it was quite a wait. Then, when I brought out my cookies, they told me that my cookies would be disqualified because the plates had a colored design on them. I don't remember reading that in the regulations, but she told me it was in there. To make a long story short (and make the process longer), I ended up running to Dillons down the road to buy some plain white paper plates, praying, "Dear Lord, let these be the right kind of white paper plates," and then ran them back to the Domestic Arts building on the fairgrounds to switch out the plates. After all of that, I had better end up with a ribbon or two.
If you see me at the fairgrounds, come by and say hello, even snap a selfie if you wish. If you ask me, I'll have a special treat for you. In the past, I've had gum, but it won't be gum this year. I have something even better than that. What is it? Can't tell you! Ha!
I've given a lot of thought about what my first official food item will be. I've opted for a special treat from the dairy bar in the Grandstand. For the life of me, I cannot recall the name of it, but when I tried to get it last year, they were sold out! I was bummed. This year, it will be my first thing. I'm also planning on trying Chipstix. My friend Lorraine said that they have tried this and really liked it, so I'm going to give it a whirl sometime during the fair. Monday will be Dollar day at the fair, and that's my ride-a-ride day. All rides are one ticket, and my friend Christy and I are planning on riding the giant Ferris Wheel. They used to have a big hang-glider ride that I loved, but they haven't had it in several years. I'm hoping it makes a re-appearance one day. That ride made me feel like I was really flying. Before all of that, I'm hoping this can be my parent's weekend to come on out with me. I do this yearly, bringing them out and treating them to a day at the fair. Both my parents have been feeling not well over the past few days, and I'm hoping that they will be able to come out with me this year. I really enjoy bringing them out for the day.
I'm going to end this here, as it's getting late, and I'm really tired. My next post is going to come on Friday night, and it will be the first official post of the Kansas State Fair. I am really excited, and the next two days of work are going to crawl by, I just know it. Thanks for reading, and God bless!
If you see me at the fairgrounds, come by and say hello, even snap a selfie if you wish. If you ask me, I'll have a special treat for you. In the past, I've had gum, but it won't be gum this year. I have something even better than that. What is it? Can't tell you! Ha!
I've given a lot of thought about what my first official food item will be. I've opted for a special treat from the dairy bar in the Grandstand. For the life of me, I cannot recall the name of it, but when I tried to get it last year, they were sold out! I was bummed. This year, it will be my first thing. I'm also planning on trying Chipstix. My friend Lorraine said that they have tried this and really liked it, so I'm going to give it a whirl sometime during the fair. Monday will be Dollar day at the fair, and that's my ride-a-ride day. All rides are one ticket, and my friend Christy and I are planning on riding the giant Ferris Wheel. They used to have a big hang-glider ride that I loved, but they haven't had it in several years. I'm hoping it makes a re-appearance one day. That ride made me feel like I was really flying. Before all of that, I'm hoping this can be my parent's weekend to come on out with me. I do this yearly, bringing them out and treating them to a day at the fair. Both my parents have been feeling not well over the past few days, and I'm hoping that they will be able to come out with me this year. I really enjoy bringing them out for the day.
I'm going to end this here, as it's getting late, and I'm really tired. My next post is going to come on Friday night, and it will be the first official post of the Kansas State Fair. I am really excited, and the next two days of work are going to crawl by, I just know it. Thanks for reading, and God bless!
Sunday, September 2, 2018
Rob's Ramblings, Pre-State Fair Edition
This past week, someone told me , "I'm not going anywhere near that blasted fair." I was flabbergasted! I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinions and likes/dislikes, but I can't imagine how someone could dislike the fair! If you count today, we are 5 days away. If you're not counting today, there are only 4 days. Let's not count today, OK? That makes it only 4 days!
I made a trek out to the ground today to see what was happening, and it was still pretty quiet. The Bullet Train is completely set up, but they're typically always set up first. There are some other rides there, but the Bullet Train is the only ride that's ready to roll. The Bullet Train is a look-alike to the Crazy Mouse with a few changes. Allen's P-Nut stand was getting set up. Allen's P-Nut stand is on the north side of the Oz building. They always have the cheapest bottled soda at the fair. If you like Root Beer, there are a few stands around the fairgrounds that sell cheap Root Beer, and they have it in diet, too! From Allen's, across the street and to the east, they have the cheapest hot dogs and burgers, at $1.50 apiece. When I'm hungry, I usually grab a couple, and that helps. The Fair is the mecca of all things fried! When ordering something fried, I first always try to catch a look at the oil in the fryers. If the oil is dark, I pass it by. Dark oil will affect the taste of the food in an adverse way. Dark oil signifies extended use, and needs to be changed. Some vendors change out their oil regularly, and when the oil is light in color, or tan, that's good oil. Something to think about when you're deciding on something good to eat. Keep in mind that I know where most food booths are at, and if you're looking for something in particular, shoot your questions my way, and I'll try to hook you up.
I'll be out and about during the fair, and if you come to me and tell me hello, I'll have a special treat for you. The last few years, I've had people come and take selfies with "the fair guy." It's pretty funny. If I see you, you just might show up in the blog post for the evening. I've had folks be silly and goofy, and their antics make the nightly post. My posts will also include what I ate that day. I'll give the food a letter grade based on service, quality of food, value, etc. I've given exceptionally good reviews to vendors based on their great customer service and wonderful food. I've also given equally negative reviews. Some of them know who I am and what I do, so they're pretty nice to me. One of them gave me a discount last year. I feel that you should know who's going to respect you and treat you right.
One of the first places I'm going to hit this year is the Domestic Arts building. That's where the cookies live. I'm entering 4 cookies this year. Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Snickerdoodle, and Monster. Last year was a washout, with no ribbons, so I'm hoping to redeem myself with a few ribbons. Getting nothing last year was a bitter disappointment. A friend of mine told me, "Just try again next year." Well, here we are, next year, and I'm crossing my fingers and toes. Maybe if you cross yours fingers and toes for me as well, I might win. :-) Cookies have to be at the Domestic Arts building this Wednesday, as judging takes place Wednesday afternoon. I made the mistake last year of taking them in 2 days before judging, so they sat there getting older, and I'm guessing that's why I didn't do well last year.
I think my next (and final) pre-fair visit will take place on Tuesday. Things should be in full swing by then. Many of the rides will rumble into town on Monday (tomorrow!) and Tuesday, and assembly will begin. I'll try to take some pics, and let you see how things are progressing. Do you love the fair? Do you enjoy these updates and daily ramblings? Let me know. Also, feel free to ask your questions, and I'll do my best to answer them in my next post. I've got to get ready for work, so this would be a good place to pop out. Thanks so much for reading, and may God bless you! (4 days!)
I made a trek out to the ground today to see what was happening, and it was still pretty quiet. The Bullet Train is completely set up, but they're typically always set up first. There are some other rides there, but the Bullet Train is the only ride that's ready to roll. The Bullet Train is a look-alike to the Crazy Mouse with a few changes. Allen's P-Nut stand was getting set up. Allen's P-Nut stand is on the north side of the Oz building. They always have the cheapest bottled soda at the fair. If you like Root Beer, there are a few stands around the fairgrounds that sell cheap Root Beer, and they have it in diet, too! From Allen's, across the street and to the east, they have the cheapest hot dogs and burgers, at $1.50 apiece. When I'm hungry, I usually grab a couple, and that helps. The Fair is the mecca of all things fried! When ordering something fried, I first always try to catch a look at the oil in the fryers. If the oil is dark, I pass it by. Dark oil will affect the taste of the food in an adverse way. Dark oil signifies extended use, and needs to be changed. Some vendors change out their oil regularly, and when the oil is light in color, or tan, that's good oil. Something to think about when you're deciding on something good to eat. Keep in mind that I know where most food booths are at, and if you're looking for something in particular, shoot your questions my way, and I'll try to hook you up.
I'll be out and about during the fair, and if you come to me and tell me hello, I'll have a special treat for you. The last few years, I've had people come and take selfies with "the fair guy." It's pretty funny. If I see you, you just might show up in the blog post for the evening. I've had folks be silly and goofy, and their antics make the nightly post. My posts will also include what I ate that day. I'll give the food a letter grade based on service, quality of food, value, etc. I've given exceptionally good reviews to vendors based on their great customer service and wonderful food. I've also given equally negative reviews. Some of them know who I am and what I do, so they're pretty nice to me. One of them gave me a discount last year. I feel that you should know who's going to respect you and treat you right.
One of the first places I'm going to hit this year is the Domestic Arts building. That's where the cookies live. I'm entering 4 cookies this year. Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Snickerdoodle, and Monster. Last year was a washout, with no ribbons, so I'm hoping to redeem myself with a few ribbons. Getting nothing last year was a bitter disappointment. A friend of mine told me, "Just try again next year." Well, here we are, next year, and I'm crossing my fingers and toes. Maybe if you cross yours fingers and toes for me as well, I might win. :-) Cookies have to be at the Domestic Arts building this Wednesday, as judging takes place Wednesday afternoon. I made the mistake last year of taking them in 2 days before judging, so they sat there getting older, and I'm guessing that's why I didn't do well last year.
I think my next (and final) pre-fair visit will take place on Tuesday. Things should be in full swing by then. Many of the rides will rumble into town on Monday (tomorrow!) and Tuesday, and assembly will begin. I'll try to take some pics, and let you see how things are progressing. Do you love the fair? Do you enjoy these updates and daily ramblings? Let me know. Also, feel free to ask your questions, and I'll do my best to answer them in my next post. I've got to get ready for work, so this would be a good place to pop out. Thanks so much for reading, and may God bless you! (4 days!)
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Rob's Ramblings, Pre-State Fair Edition
In a little less than 2 weeks, an exciting attraction will be arriving in our town. It's the State Fair! If you are connected to me on Facebook, you'll see pictures of how things are progressing out at the fairgrounds. There are a few rides, and they are unassembled, which makes it difficult to guess which rides they are. My initial inkling is that the Crazy Mouse is making a return, which means the WhiteWater is out. I saw a lot of track near the area where these rides are usually set. It's never both rides in the same year, it's either Crazy Mouse or WhiteWater. It's a space issue. They are both large rides, and the Midway doesn't have the room to accommodate both. Many individual food trailers are currently on the grounds, and my Facebook has pictures. More than likely, they are empty of food products, and are full of paper product. I will not be able to tell you where they will be set up, as they will be moved to their more permanent locations in the next week. For now, they are pretty much set up wherever. It was fairly quiet out there this afternoon, but I'm sure next week's trip will be a different story. There were a few people getting their booths ready, and some grounds crew doing some touch-up. There was a small horse show going on today.
Are you an exhibitor at the fair? Would you like a FREE plug? My blog reaches about 300+ people every day, and when I tag the Kansas State Fair in my blog, it's seen by many, many more. Let me know if you'd like me to come by your booth, take a few pics, and I'll post what you want the fairgoers to know about what you are promoting. I'll promote on this blog and on my Facebook page as well. This is something I am doing for free. I already have a few people on board, so if this is something you are interested in, get with me before all the days are gone. The best way to set this up is to contact me via Facebook Messenger.
Why do I love the fair so much? I love the atmosphere. I enjoy seeing people, some of whom I haven't seen in years! I like going through the buildings and seeing how much free stuff I can accumulate. I get a kick out my friends coming up to me and asking where they can find a certain booth. Sometimes, I'm pretty sure they don't want to find it, they just want to test me, and that's fine. I enjoy the fair food. I don't buy it a whole lot anymore, because I know how to make it, but I'll indulge in those things I only get once a year. I will also get something based on a reader's request, and then report on it. It's fun to walk through the storage sheds and campers, and if I'm lucky, I'll see a ribbon on my cookies! All of these things are a fun part of the fair! I simply can't understand why some people don't like it. That's OK, I'll enjoy it on your behalf!
In my next blog post, I'll answer any questions you submit via message and messenger, I'll have a better idea of where food booths will be located, I'll let you know where you can get the cheapest food and soda, and what booths you need to hit up. Some booths in the buildings on the west side of the grounds have free samples of coffee and dips, and one booth in particular has some of the best free stuff on their table. Keep reading as the days go by, and when the fair arrives, I'll have a daily report on what I did, what I ate, who I saw, etc.
2 weeks, people! Can't wait! Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
Are you an exhibitor at the fair? Would you like a FREE plug? My blog reaches about 300+ people every day, and when I tag the Kansas State Fair in my blog, it's seen by many, many more. Let me know if you'd like me to come by your booth, take a few pics, and I'll post what you want the fairgoers to know about what you are promoting. I'll promote on this blog and on my Facebook page as well. This is something I am doing for free. I already have a few people on board, so if this is something you are interested in, get with me before all the days are gone. The best way to set this up is to contact me via Facebook Messenger.
Why do I love the fair so much? I love the atmosphere. I enjoy seeing people, some of whom I haven't seen in years! I like going through the buildings and seeing how much free stuff I can accumulate. I get a kick out my friends coming up to me and asking where they can find a certain booth. Sometimes, I'm pretty sure they don't want to find it, they just want to test me, and that's fine. I enjoy the fair food. I don't buy it a whole lot anymore, because I know how to make it, but I'll indulge in those things I only get once a year. I will also get something based on a reader's request, and then report on it. It's fun to walk through the storage sheds and campers, and if I'm lucky, I'll see a ribbon on my cookies! All of these things are a fun part of the fair! I simply can't understand why some people don't like it. That's OK, I'll enjoy it on your behalf!
In my next blog post, I'll answer any questions you submit via message and messenger, I'll have a better idea of where food booths will be located, I'll let you know where you can get the cheapest food and soda, and what booths you need to hit up. Some booths in the buildings on the west side of the grounds have free samples of coffee and dips, and one booth in particular has some of the best free stuff on their table. Keep reading as the days go by, and when the fair arrives, I'll have a daily report on what I did, what I ate, who I saw, etc.
2 weeks, people! Can't wait! Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Vacation week
Ok, it's not really a vacation, but I only have one job to work this week, and that seems like a vacation to me. The summer session of Boys & Girls club ended last Friday, and I was only scheduled to work Saturday through Monday at The Alley, and I don't work again until this Saturday! That leaves me a good chunk of time to relax and unwind from my busy Summer activities. Weeks like this only come along once in a blue moon. I'm using this time to do a lot of baking. I opened myself up to do baking services, and I have a good amount of baking to do. I don't look at baking as a job or chore. It's therapy to me. It also funds my mission trip projects. Every item ordered gets your name entered to win one free item from the menu. The special runs through Friday, if you're just hearing about this, and would like to jump on board. Check out my Facebook page to see what's on the menu! The newcomer to the menu is the candy bar cookie. Your favorite candy bar in cookie form! Yum!
The last few days have been very wet, which is welcome around here. It saves money on watering the lawn and garden! I have a couple of tomato plants that are dying, and I attribute that to the bunnies that seem to like my yard. I have had to turn into "Mr. McGregor," running them out. I have noticed half-eaten tomatoes on the ground, and I'm pretty sure that they've eaten the stem and roots. Grrr… On a happier note, I've got a honeydew growing! (Provided the rabbits don't get it). It's about softball size, and looks very healthy. I've tried unsuccessfully for years to grow honeydew in my garden, and it looks like this could be the year! I'm praying that this little melon will flourish. I love honeydew, especially home-grown.
I am officially geared up for the fair, which is in about 5 weeks! I have my season pass, and picked up my paperwork for the cookies I'm entering. I've decided on Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, Oatmeal Raisin, and Monster. Wish me luck! Are you entering anything in the fair? I'd love to know about it! Good luck to you as well!
I'm also implementing something new this year in my State Fair blog. I'll be spotlighting a business that has a display out there. I'll snap some pics and post what you'd like the fairgoers to know. This will be a free service. My state fair blog is read daily by approximately 250-300 people, and this is a good way to get yourself recognized. I'll pick one business/cause per day to spotlight. I'm ready to start booking days, so if you are interested in this, be sure to get in touch with me ASAP. Facebook message is probably the best way to touch base. First come, first served.
The summer is definitely slipping away quickly. Enrollment begins this week, and in 2 weeks, school begins! I'm ready to get back into a schedule. I'm certainly NOT looking forward to early mornings again, but I'm thankful for my job. I love those kiddos. Sometimes they can be a challenge, like any kid can be, but we're there to redirect, teach, and guide them in the right path. An added perk this school year is that we were all given substantial raises. I did the math and estimated how much of my own money I could put into the missions fund. In 2020, I'd really like to take a trip to the Philippines. It seems to be calling to me. In the same year, there is a trip slated for Israel. I'm going to squeeze every penny I can so that I can attend both trips. Yes, that's a lofty goal! However, if God sees fit for me to go on both of these trips, He'll provide the finances. What if I fall short? Which trip will I go on? Definitely the Philippines. I'm still raising support for these trips, and praying that God might move the hearts of His people to support me, either prayerfully or financially.
While next week is still summer vacation, I'll be hanging out with the Jr. Highers of our church for their summer retreat. This is always a fun week. I'm praying that God will speak to these kids at this very vulnerable time in their lives, where they are looking for direction. Will you pray with me as well in this regard?
Hope this brings you up to speed for now. I have a few more things I need to bake, so I'll jump off for now. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to read my sometimes aimless ramblings. Guess that's why I call it "Rob's Ramblings!" You never know what direction I'll go. Thanks for joining me in this journey. God bless!
The last few days have been very wet, which is welcome around here. It saves money on watering the lawn and garden! I have a couple of tomato plants that are dying, and I attribute that to the bunnies that seem to like my yard. I have had to turn into "Mr. McGregor," running them out. I have noticed half-eaten tomatoes on the ground, and I'm pretty sure that they've eaten the stem and roots. Grrr… On a happier note, I've got a honeydew growing! (Provided the rabbits don't get it). It's about softball size, and looks very healthy. I've tried unsuccessfully for years to grow honeydew in my garden, and it looks like this could be the year! I'm praying that this little melon will flourish. I love honeydew, especially home-grown.
I am officially geared up for the fair, which is in about 5 weeks! I have my season pass, and picked up my paperwork for the cookies I'm entering. I've decided on Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, Oatmeal Raisin, and Monster. Wish me luck! Are you entering anything in the fair? I'd love to know about it! Good luck to you as well!
I'm also implementing something new this year in my State Fair blog. I'll be spotlighting a business that has a display out there. I'll snap some pics and post what you'd like the fairgoers to know. This will be a free service. My state fair blog is read daily by approximately 250-300 people, and this is a good way to get yourself recognized. I'll pick one business/cause per day to spotlight. I'm ready to start booking days, so if you are interested in this, be sure to get in touch with me ASAP. Facebook message is probably the best way to touch base. First come, first served.
The summer is definitely slipping away quickly. Enrollment begins this week, and in 2 weeks, school begins! I'm ready to get back into a schedule. I'm certainly NOT looking forward to early mornings again, but I'm thankful for my job. I love those kiddos. Sometimes they can be a challenge, like any kid can be, but we're there to redirect, teach, and guide them in the right path. An added perk this school year is that we were all given substantial raises. I did the math and estimated how much of my own money I could put into the missions fund. In 2020, I'd really like to take a trip to the Philippines. It seems to be calling to me. In the same year, there is a trip slated for Israel. I'm going to squeeze every penny I can so that I can attend both trips. Yes, that's a lofty goal! However, if God sees fit for me to go on both of these trips, He'll provide the finances. What if I fall short? Which trip will I go on? Definitely the Philippines. I'm still raising support for these trips, and praying that God might move the hearts of His people to support me, either prayerfully or financially.
While next week is still summer vacation, I'll be hanging out with the Jr. Highers of our church for their summer retreat. This is always a fun week. I'm praying that God will speak to these kids at this very vulnerable time in their lives, where they are looking for direction. Will you pray with me as well in this regard?
Hope this brings you up to speed for now. I have a few more things I need to bake, so I'll jump off for now. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to read my sometimes aimless ramblings. Guess that's why I call it "Rob's Ramblings!" You never know what direction I'll go. Thanks for joining me in this journey. God bless!
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Decompressing
This past week has been strange, to say the least. Life resumed for me, as it always does when I come home from a trip. The kids from BGC were glad to see me, and I was able to share with them what I did. I really missed them. I went back to the Alley and resumed my duties there. I really did miss my co-workers there. I didn't miss the work so much, Lol. I had the chance to present my trip to my Sunday School kiddos, as I do every year. The strange part is the fact that part of me is still in St. Maarten. Parts of my heart are in the church that we worked in, the school that we got to visit, the orphanage there.....and many other places on that island. I have woken in the night thinking that I am supposed to be somewhere with the missions team. One night I was in the airport, scared that I was going to miss my flight. I have gotten on my shoes, begun to get dressed, then I look at the clock...turn on the light...I wake up a bit more...and it hits me that I am in my bedroom in Hutchinson. This type of thing happens to me all too often. After a major trip (it's happened after all 4 of my Mexico trips), a job change, a move...does this happen to you as well? To take it a step farther, a couple of nights I have found myself thinking that I need to get to the Philippines. That's a new one. To be decompressing concerning past or current events is my normal. But I have not done this concerning a possible future event. I know that sometimes God speaks to us in the form of dreams, and I keep getting that nagging sense that God wants me to take a mission trip to the Philippines. Does that mean that's where God is eventually going to take me? I cannot answer that, but must leave it to The God who knows, and will direct me when HE sees fit. For now, and I'm saying it again, God has me in a waiting mode. Evidently, there are things here that God needs me to be a part of. I don't know that those things will be, but I know better than to try to rush God. Besides, I still need to raise the support I need to actually go. So, to those of you who are wondering why I'm still here, and why I'm not yet on the field, I hope that answers some of your questions (because I have been asked quite a few times, Lol).
I came home to some beautifully flourishing crops. My tomato plants look great, with green tomatoes popping out all over the place. I picked my first red tomato yesterday, with great rejoicing! Until I saw that the underside of the tomato looks like someone's rear-end. Yikes! I guess I could cut that part off, huh? My green beans are getting ready to sprout some green beans, and, as an afterthought, I planted some birdhouse gourd seeds, seeing that people like to use those gourds for different projects. That really took off! I don't have any signs of any gourds yet, but the vine is very strong. I also have honeydew planted. The honeydew has eluded me for years, and we'll have to see if this is the year that I can get honeydew to grow in my garden.
I also came home to 2 baby birds in the nest on the back porch. They were just 2 eggs when I left. By looking at them, I assume that they had been born just a day or two before I returned. This is the second batch of eggs for this nest. Three birds out of four survived the first batch, and now 4 and 5 will soon be flying away as well. It will be interesting to see if any more eggs show up. We will be watching. I plan to leave the nest up there, and see if the robins return to it one day. It's been a privilege to be a witness to this miracle.
That's just a little bit about what's been going on in my life. I have some errands to run before I take off for the Alley, but I wanted to give you a quick update. Thanks to those of you who read this faithfully. Some people "like" it on Facebook, and I get comments and inbox messages. I appreciate you all. I pray that God will bless you in a special way today!
…………………………………...............'til next time!................................................………............
I came home to some beautifully flourishing crops. My tomato plants look great, with green tomatoes popping out all over the place. I picked my first red tomato yesterday, with great rejoicing! Until I saw that the underside of the tomato looks like someone's rear-end. Yikes! I guess I could cut that part off, huh? My green beans are getting ready to sprout some green beans, and, as an afterthought, I planted some birdhouse gourd seeds, seeing that people like to use those gourds for different projects. That really took off! I don't have any signs of any gourds yet, but the vine is very strong. I also have honeydew planted. The honeydew has eluded me for years, and we'll have to see if this is the year that I can get honeydew to grow in my garden.
I also came home to 2 baby birds in the nest on the back porch. They were just 2 eggs when I left. By looking at them, I assume that they had been born just a day or two before I returned. This is the second batch of eggs for this nest. Three birds out of four survived the first batch, and now 4 and 5 will soon be flying away as well. It will be interesting to see if any more eggs show up. We will be watching. I plan to leave the nest up there, and see if the robins return to it one day. It's been a privilege to be a witness to this miracle.
That's just a little bit about what's been going on in my life. I have some errands to run before I take off for the Alley, but I wanted to give you a quick update. Thanks to those of you who read this faithfully. Some people "like" it on Facebook, and I get comments and inbox messages. I appreciate you all. I pray that God will bless you in a special way today!
…………………………………...............'til next time!................................................………............
Thursday, June 21, 2018
Rob's Ramblings: Mission trip 2018
Where to start, where to start...? I'll begin with a huge THANK YOU to those who supported us prayerfully and financially. This trip could not have happened without you. This was a life-changing trip. I posted as often as I could, and when the wifi happened to be working. This was at the request of people who wanted to know how we were doing, and how they could pray for us. Some posts contained only a brief summary, and hopefully this post (book, lol) will tie up some of the loose ends. I know I won't be able to include every detail, but I'll do my best, and try to make it interesting.
We drove to KC on the afternoon of the 12th. A church in KC allowed us to sleep there so that we could make our 6am flight. We had to be up at 2am in order to get to the airport and get checked in. The flight was uneventful except for the mad dash we had to make in Atlanta. Atlanta is a very busy airport, and we had mere minutes to make our connection to St. Maarten. Thankfully, that connecting flight was delayed, so we were able to get there with a few minutes to spare. Arriving in St. Maarten, we were aware that the airport was actually a tent. The permanent structure had been so badly damaged during September's Hurricane Irma, that they are going to have to tear the building down and rebuild a new airport building. We passed through customs easily, and met with our team leaders, Rick and Tom (great guys!). We all piled (21 of us plus luggage) into 2 vans. We were literally sitting on top of each other! As we made our way to the hotel, we were aware of much devastation around us. Large boats were smashed and lying on the shoreline of the bay near the airport. Buildings with sections missing, houses that were battered and damaged. 10 months after the hurricane, people are still struggling to pick up the pieces. Our hotel was on the beach. Literally, going out of the back door of the hotel, the beach was right there. Many of the hotels in St. Maarten are right on the coast, and this hotel was one of the safer ones in the area. We were able to utilize this quiet beach for swimming during our down times, and we had morning and evening devotion times here. It's a neat thing to sit out there, spending time with God, while you hear the waves nearby.
Each morning we had an activity to take part in. On Thursday and Friday morning, were able to go into a local elementary school to love on the kids and help the teachers out. I was able to spend both days in a Grade 4 classroom. I instantly became attached to the kids and enjoyed helping them with their schoolwork. They loved my hat and sunglasses, so the boys wanted to model them for my camera. At recess time, the whole courtyard exploded with soccer games, tossing the football, and their school has a recess-time snack bar with all kinds of goodies. The time we spent with them simply flew by, and we hated to leave. On Monday morning, we went into the neighborhoods to share to Gospel with people we met. Many of them were very open to the message we were sharing, and only a few told us to keep moving. On Tuesday morning, we took a break and went snorkeling in the ocean. I was able to go for a while, but I quickly tired out, and kept swallowing the ocean. By the time I got out, I was ready to puke. Several others became ill as well. I guess us Kansas folks aren't built for deep-sea diving! Lol.
Thursday through Sunday we hosted youth rallies. Our rallies consisted of music, games, snacks, and the Gospel presentation. Our biggest night was Friday, when over 200 people packed the church building, and nearly 1/3 of them came forward at the end for prayer and salvation. That was simply awesome to see. My teammate Dakota and I were able to pray with 2 boys, Brandon and Jeremy, who gave their lives to Christ. Neat kids!
We were able to enjoy a nice variety of local cuisine, prepared for us by a great group of ladies from our partner church, Bible Baptist Church (woot, woot!). We enjoyed patties, which is a pocket of seasoned ground hamburger or chicken baked into a flaky crust. So good! There was a lot of chicken and rice, and some days we ate right on the boardwalk outside the hotel, eating the catch of the day. I ate conch (a type of fish) for the first time, and loved it! St. Maarten also has a KFC, Burger King, Domino's, Quiznos, and of course, an international icon, McDonalds.
People in St. Maarten are very friendly. People say hello to you as you pass them on the sidewalk, and some want to make conversation. They call St. Maarten 'The Friendly Island," and they live up to their name. Just be careful about talking to the vendors, though. They'll talk you to death trying to sell you something! Lol. Many of them have a Jamaican accent, and it's neat to hear them talk.
On our final night, Tuesday, we had a meal with the good people of Bible Baptist Church. Many of them gave testimonies about their experiences with the hurricane, and how God had worked in their lives. We had to say goodbye to these people who had become like family to us, and we exchanged emails, and whipped out our phones to friend each other on Facebook.
Other than some sunburn, some heat exhaustion, and fatigue, everyone stayed pretty healthy. No major injuries or sickness to report. Our trip home went very well, and there were no problems. All in all, God has been very good to us. For those of you who were on the trip and are reading this, you well know that there is a lot of info that didn't make the cut, due to the fact that there just isn't time or space to fit it all in. I'd encourage you to comment on the Facebook link about just what this mission trip meant to you. I'm sure the readers would like to get your input as well.
What's next for me? I really have a strong desire to visit the Philippines. Many of our church members who have gone there on mission trips now serve there as missionaries. I feel God's pull to explore this possibility. Right now, God has not pointed me in any particular direction. As I have shared with you before, God has me waiting on Him. In His time, He will direct me in the way that I should go. In the meantime, I will jump back into the workforce tomorrow, and start saving my money for the next mission trip, wherever that will be.
I apologize if this post has seemed long, has typos, or doesn't make sense. I am so tired, and a long rest is calling me. Thanks for understanding, thanks for reading, and God bless you.
We drove to KC on the afternoon of the 12th. A church in KC allowed us to sleep there so that we could make our 6am flight. We had to be up at 2am in order to get to the airport and get checked in. The flight was uneventful except for the mad dash we had to make in Atlanta. Atlanta is a very busy airport, and we had mere minutes to make our connection to St. Maarten. Thankfully, that connecting flight was delayed, so we were able to get there with a few minutes to spare. Arriving in St. Maarten, we were aware that the airport was actually a tent. The permanent structure had been so badly damaged during September's Hurricane Irma, that they are going to have to tear the building down and rebuild a new airport building. We passed through customs easily, and met with our team leaders, Rick and Tom (great guys!). We all piled (21 of us plus luggage) into 2 vans. We were literally sitting on top of each other! As we made our way to the hotel, we were aware of much devastation around us. Large boats were smashed and lying on the shoreline of the bay near the airport. Buildings with sections missing, houses that were battered and damaged. 10 months after the hurricane, people are still struggling to pick up the pieces. Our hotel was on the beach. Literally, going out of the back door of the hotel, the beach was right there. Many of the hotels in St. Maarten are right on the coast, and this hotel was one of the safer ones in the area. We were able to utilize this quiet beach for swimming during our down times, and we had morning and evening devotion times here. It's a neat thing to sit out there, spending time with God, while you hear the waves nearby.
Each morning we had an activity to take part in. On Thursday and Friday morning, were able to go into a local elementary school to love on the kids and help the teachers out. I was able to spend both days in a Grade 4 classroom. I instantly became attached to the kids and enjoyed helping them with their schoolwork. They loved my hat and sunglasses, so the boys wanted to model them for my camera. At recess time, the whole courtyard exploded with soccer games, tossing the football, and their school has a recess-time snack bar with all kinds of goodies. The time we spent with them simply flew by, and we hated to leave. On Monday morning, we went into the neighborhoods to share to Gospel with people we met. Many of them were very open to the message we were sharing, and only a few told us to keep moving. On Tuesday morning, we took a break and went snorkeling in the ocean. I was able to go for a while, but I quickly tired out, and kept swallowing the ocean. By the time I got out, I was ready to puke. Several others became ill as well. I guess us Kansas folks aren't built for deep-sea diving! Lol.
Thursday through Sunday we hosted youth rallies. Our rallies consisted of music, games, snacks, and the Gospel presentation. Our biggest night was Friday, when over 200 people packed the church building, and nearly 1/3 of them came forward at the end for prayer and salvation. That was simply awesome to see. My teammate Dakota and I were able to pray with 2 boys, Brandon and Jeremy, who gave their lives to Christ. Neat kids!
We were able to enjoy a nice variety of local cuisine, prepared for us by a great group of ladies from our partner church, Bible Baptist Church (woot, woot!). We enjoyed patties, which is a pocket of seasoned ground hamburger or chicken baked into a flaky crust. So good! There was a lot of chicken and rice, and some days we ate right on the boardwalk outside the hotel, eating the catch of the day. I ate conch (a type of fish) for the first time, and loved it! St. Maarten also has a KFC, Burger King, Domino's, Quiznos, and of course, an international icon, McDonalds.
People in St. Maarten are very friendly. People say hello to you as you pass them on the sidewalk, and some want to make conversation. They call St. Maarten 'The Friendly Island," and they live up to their name. Just be careful about talking to the vendors, though. They'll talk you to death trying to sell you something! Lol. Many of them have a Jamaican accent, and it's neat to hear them talk.
On our final night, Tuesday, we had a meal with the good people of Bible Baptist Church. Many of them gave testimonies about their experiences with the hurricane, and how God had worked in their lives. We had to say goodbye to these people who had become like family to us, and we exchanged emails, and whipped out our phones to friend each other on Facebook.
Other than some sunburn, some heat exhaustion, and fatigue, everyone stayed pretty healthy. No major injuries or sickness to report. Our trip home went very well, and there were no problems. All in all, God has been very good to us. For those of you who were on the trip and are reading this, you well know that there is a lot of info that didn't make the cut, due to the fact that there just isn't time or space to fit it all in. I'd encourage you to comment on the Facebook link about just what this mission trip meant to you. I'm sure the readers would like to get your input as well.
What's next for me? I really have a strong desire to visit the Philippines. Many of our church members who have gone there on mission trips now serve there as missionaries. I feel God's pull to explore this possibility. Right now, God has not pointed me in any particular direction. As I have shared with you before, God has me waiting on Him. In His time, He will direct me in the way that I should go. In the meantime, I will jump back into the workforce tomorrow, and start saving my money for the next mission trip, wherever that will be.
I apologize if this post has seemed long, has typos, or doesn't make sense. I am so tired, and a long rest is calling me. Thanks for understanding, thanks for reading, and God bless you.
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Mission Trip 2018: The adventure begins today!
I am a bundle of nerves and excitement. More excitement than nerves. I was fearful that I would not get to sleep last night. but there was a good movie on that relaxed me and gave me some good comic relief (UHF, one of my favorite movies of all time), and by movie's end, I was sleepy, and God gave me a good night's rest. Kinda silly, I know, but don't judge. Lol.
Today is the day I have been preparing for, for many months. I have been scrimping, saving, planning, and more, to get to this place. I have to give God the praise for landing me the job with the Alley. Without that extra job, this trip would not have been possible. I have been trying to sink every penny from that job into my missions account, and by God's grace, and through the financial gifts of people who believe in missions, every one of our team members is fully funded! This trip has been more involved, is longer, and farther away than any mission trip I have taken so far, and I'm pumped about this next week. It will be my first trip off the of continent of North America, going overseas. We'll be flying into a foreign country, which is new for me as well. I will dearly miss my Mexico/San Diego friends, but God has led me in this direction, and where He leads me, I must follow. I dare not stray from His leading. Jonah did that, and look where it got him.
Today, we will drive to Kansas City and stay the night at a local church. We will wake up bright and early at 3am to load up and head to the airport to catch a 6am flight to Atlanta, where we will change planes. Big prayer request here: We only have a small, small window of time to make our connecting flight (about 30 minutes or so), so we're going to have to book it big time through the Atlanta airport to make our connection. We are praying for a good tailwind from KC to ATL, and that we get to our plane on time. We're hoping that the airport people will work with us, and hold the plane until we get there. Please pray about that. From Atlanta, we will fly into St. Martin (Sint Maarten) in the Bahamas. We'll get settled into our lodgings, and decompress before our evening meetings.
Throughout the week, we will be working in a local elementary school (I'll be totally out of my element there, Lol), and helping in a local church with a missionary there. The neat thing about this church is our church was able to bless them with a substantial financial gift when their church was damaged by the hurricanes last year. We get to meet these people and be a blessing to them. We'll also be doing some youth nights for the church, and also be evangelizing in area neighborhoods. We'll be doing skits, playing games with them, and then giving them the opportunity to invite Christ into our lives. We will also take some time to sightsee and do some souvenir shopping while we are there. There is much more we will do, and we'll be filled in on the rest when we meet with the missionary tomorrow. Tomorrow!!
A few info-bits for you: I will post pics and info as wifi will allow. I am not sure how that's going to work. Feel free to stalk my Facebook for these things. If you see nothing from me, you can assume that I was not able to catch a wifi signal in order to post. In a foreign country, you just never know. If I'm not able to post, I'll be sure to do that when I get home.
We need you to pray for us. Would you be willing to do that? We are praying for several things. First of all, safety, as we travel through the different areas of the Bahamas. Second, our stamina, as we will be quite busy with many projects and activities. Third, our testimony. That we would portray a positive picture of Christ in all circumstances. Fourth, and most importantly, that the hearts of the people we minister to will be softened toward the things of Christ, and that many will give their lives to Him.
I need to jump off and finish packing. I hope I don't forget anything! You know that feeling, I'm sure. Lol. Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
Today is the day I have been preparing for, for many months. I have been scrimping, saving, planning, and more, to get to this place. I have to give God the praise for landing me the job with the Alley. Without that extra job, this trip would not have been possible. I have been trying to sink every penny from that job into my missions account, and by God's grace, and through the financial gifts of people who believe in missions, every one of our team members is fully funded! This trip has been more involved, is longer, and farther away than any mission trip I have taken so far, and I'm pumped about this next week. It will be my first trip off the of continent of North America, going overseas. We'll be flying into a foreign country, which is new for me as well. I will dearly miss my Mexico/San Diego friends, but God has led me in this direction, and where He leads me, I must follow. I dare not stray from His leading. Jonah did that, and look where it got him.
Today, we will drive to Kansas City and stay the night at a local church. We will wake up bright and early at 3am to load up and head to the airport to catch a 6am flight to Atlanta, where we will change planes. Big prayer request here: We only have a small, small window of time to make our connecting flight (about 30 minutes or so), so we're going to have to book it big time through the Atlanta airport to make our connection. We are praying for a good tailwind from KC to ATL, and that we get to our plane on time. We're hoping that the airport people will work with us, and hold the plane until we get there. Please pray about that. From Atlanta, we will fly into St. Martin (Sint Maarten) in the Bahamas. We'll get settled into our lodgings, and decompress before our evening meetings.
Throughout the week, we will be working in a local elementary school (I'll be totally out of my element there, Lol), and helping in a local church with a missionary there. The neat thing about this church is our church was able to bless them with a substantial financial gift when their church was damaged by the hurricanes last year. We get to meet these people and be a blessing to them. We'll also be doing some youth nights for the church, and also be evangelizing in area neighborhoods. We'll be doing skits, playing games with them, and then giving them the opportunity to invite Christ into our lives. We will also take some time to sightsee and do some souvenir shopping while we are there. There is much more we will do, and we'll be filled in on the rest when we meet with the missionary tomorrow. Tomorrow!!
A few info-bits for you: I will post pics and info as wifi will allow. I am not sure how that's going to work. Feel free to stalk my Facebook for these things. If you see nothing from me, you can assume that I was not able to catch a wifi signal in order to post. In a foreign country, you just never know. If I'm not able to post, I'll be sure to do that when I get home.
We need you to pray for us. Would you be willing to do that? We are praying for several things. First of all, safety, as we travel through the different areas of the Bahamas. Second, our stamina, as we will be quite busy with many projects and activities. Third, our testimony. That we would portray a positive picture of Christ in all circumstances. Fourth, and most importantly, that the hearts of the people we minister to will be softened toward the things of Christ, and that many will give their lives to Him.
I need to jump off and finish packing. I hope I don't forget anything! You know that feeling, I'm sure. Lol. Thanks for reading, and God bless you!
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