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!
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