What an excitement it was to enter the fairgrounds after a 2-year wait! I typically share with you the first acquaintance I meet when I enter the grounds, and I saw one of my Sunday School kiddos as I was walking through the gates. He shouted my name (I'm used to it by now, LOL), and we chatted for a bit. His folks have a big yard for parking cars just a block away, so if you're looking for a shorter commute from your car to the gate, they can fix you up! A few years ago, the first acquaintance was my granddaughter, who was eager for me to film her dancing. That video clip was the most-viewed for my state fair photo collection for that year.
Once I get inside, I'm on a mission. The first thing I always do is go check to see how my cookies fared in the judging. I entered chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and snickerdoodle. While my chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin didn't place at all (they have both been 1st and 3rd in years past), my snickerdoodle took 2nd! This is my first win with my snickerdoodle, and also my first red ribbon (2nd)! I was very excited to place. Now I have ribbons in all three colors. I decided to celebrate with a Tacone! A tacone is a flour tortilla shell fried into the shape of a waffle cone. It is then stuffed with all the goodness that comes in a taco. They top it with sour cream if you wish, and jalapenos are an extra .50. The Tacone always gets an A+ rating from me. At $7.00, you get a pretty full cone. They are always so polite to their customers as well. The Tacone is in my top 3 favorites. You'll find out about the other 2 in the days to come. I was disappointed that the Caramel Cow Crunch was unavailable. I'm hoping that it's just a temporary thing for a couple of days, and then they'll get it in.
One thing that really stuck out to me was how few people there were. I personally know quite a few people who are avoiding the fair altogether due to the rise in the Covid-19 variant. There are also fewer vendors in the buildings. Quite a few empty spaces. Pride of Kansas is set up differently. Also, traffic in the buildings is supposed to be one way. No one was enforcing this, and I saw a lot of people "going against the grain." Masks are also being encouraged, but no one was at the door enforcing it. Rest assured, the cable, internet, and phone companies are out in full force, ready to jump in front of you and ask if you're happy with your current provider. I simply made a wide berth around them, and for Pete's sake, don't make eye contact! That's their invitation to jump in on you. Their were some other booths I stopped at intentionally, specifically people that claim to help you with sore feet. I was pitched a wristband with a magnet that supposedly helps you for $60, and a pair of orthotics for $100 (lifetime warranty for around $400). Those products get a solid "no" from me. I did stop by Lori the Dip Lady's booth in the Meadowlark building. She will give you a small portion cup with pretzel sticks and let you sample the dips she has displayed. Don't double dip your pretzel stick! I ended up buying 5 packets of dip mix from her for $20. There are other dip businesses out there, but I like Lori's the best. Lori is also very friendly and personable. As I passed through the buildings, there was free stuff available, but not nearly as much. The cool find of the day was at the Oneok booth in the Pride of Kansas building. They were giving away keychains with whistles on them that people can blow in the event of an emergency. I could hear kids around me testing the whistles. Those parents might have a horrible trip home. How many whistles will we find by the side of the road, tossed out by a mom or dad who couldn't take it anymore? Hmmm.... As always, the coolest stuff is at the Union Booth in Sunflower North. They always have the neatest stuff...flyswatters, cups, frisbees, etc. Some of those guys can look pretty rough, but they're pretty friendly.
I was glad to run into some people I knew, some I hadn't see for a while. I saw Nolen and Patty with their family. It was great seeing you! Larry and Angie, I enjoyed chatting with you! I stopped by LDI to visit with my friend Joe and his great family. He offered to sell me a HUGE tractor that I don't think would even fit in my yard! I asked him what I would do with a tractor that big, and his son said, "Drive it!" Hmmm, would it be street legal to drive that monster to and from work every day? Maybe not legal, but I might be pretty popular with all the kids I work with. LOL. I also saw my friend Becky. Stop by her boutique "Grand Staff" in Sunflower North and check her out. A majority of her earnings go to Swaziland to support orphans there. I also saw scads of school and BGC kiddos there. Some of them look for me as though it was "Where's Waldo." I love running into my kiddos. If you see me, I hope you'll come and say "hi." Some people even want to get their photo taken with the "State Fair guy." Fun times.
The clock on the wall is reading 10:30ish, and like the old man I am, it's time for me to turn in. I'm beat. Tomorrow is another full day, and I'm hoping to explore everything that I didn't get to see today. As always, drop comments, questions, and likes. This helps me gauge how many people are reading.
I'll bring you the full report tomorrow night. Thanks for reading, and God bless!
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