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!
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