Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 9

 Today was Mother's day at the fair, or at least it was for us. I like to treat my mom to a day at the fair and let her do what she wants to do. It didn't start off the greatest, as all of the handicapped spots were filled. So, I dropped her off at the gate and went to find a parking spot. The only spot I could find (that wasn't a mud pit) was about 25 miles away. OK, I'm exaggerating by about 10 miles. The point is, it was quite a distance away. When we went in to get the scooter I had reserved and paid for, they didn't have my info on file. Thankfully, the guy who had helped  me in the reservation was close by, and vouched that I had made the reservation and paid. However, he hadn't followed protocol, so he might be in a wee bit o' trouble. We got the scooter and we were on our way. My mom has issues with her legs, and can't walk long distances. She also needs to stop and rest often. I want her to be able to see all that she wants to see, so I rent her the scooter. The first people we saw who we knew were Jeff and his daughter Sierra. Jeff made it a point to come over to say hi, so that he might make the blog. You did it, guys!

My mom likes to woodcarve, so we visited the Oz Gallery to see the woodcarvings and to visit with the woodcarvers who were working there. From there, it was a trip through the Pride of Kansas building. I became aware of how rude people can be when an electric scooter comes along. I know that the scooters don't own the place, but I saw people not even step out of the way so mom could get through. I saw people look right at her and step right in front of her and stop. I told mom to run them down. The people were aware that she was there, so if they got run over, that was on them. Lol. Mom didn't take my advise, she was pretty polite as she tried to maneuver around.  

Mom is a pretty big Ron Diamond fan, so we headed that direction to take in his show. He did not disappoint. This is Ron's 20th year at the fair, and he still draws big crowds every show. Afterwards, mom was ready for one of her fair favorites: The Pulled Pork Parfait. That is something she looks forward to every year. They are so good. And somewhat healthy. Layers of BBQ pulled pork, mashed potatoes, baked beans...wow! 

Navigating through the crowded buildings was an adventure. Many stoppers and narrow passages to try to get through. We ran into our friends Brandon, Keta, and Levi and had to get some selfies. We also had the opportinity to see Shawn and Brandi. It's so much fun to run into friends. The people that kept stepping in front of my mom were getting ridiculous. At one point, my mom had to back up to get out of their way...and she backed up on top of my foot. Now let me tell you, those scooters are not light. Oh, that hurt like heck! I was able to summon an unhuman inner strength and lift the scooter off of my foot and push it forward. I can't tell you how much that hurt. My mom felt really bad, but as I told her, it was not her fault, it was people being rude. For a few minutes, I was worried that I might have a few broken bones on the top of my foot, but as time went by, the pain subsided, and it's merely a dull ache at this point. 

Off to the Skyride! I used to ride this all the time with my dad. But since he's not been able to come out to the fair anymore, mom and I ride it in his honor. I kept a death grip on the bar except for the selfie I took. I think the reason it freaks me out is because I can't feel anything under my feet. I have no stability. That's why I am perfectly comfortable on the ferris wheel. I'm in a big bucket that has a floor, and I feel secure in that. Mom told me to kick my feet. That only caused vibrations that freaked me out even worse. To make a long story short, I survived, and I'll continue to ride the Skyride every year, because it's for my dad! 

We really enjoyed the iFlip acrobat show, We sat down on the bleachers next to some kiddos that attend my school. The 2nd grader asked if he could sit next to me, and that boy never.stopped.talking. Then during the show, he screamed in delight and excitement. After the show, his folks apologized for his talking my ear off and then making me deaf from his screaming, Lol. I was able to laugh it off. They are nice kids, and it's fun to see the kids outside of the school. I thoroughly enjoyed our chat and his excitement was fun to watch. Oh, to be a kid and see things like this for the first time. 

From there we went to the animal birthing center and saw some baby piggies and a calf that was 4 hours old. He looked worn out, Lol. The pigs were cute. They are cute as babies, then grow up and get ugly, Lol.  (As I'm typing this, there's a Dr. Pol episode playing, featuring a sow having pigs, Lol). Then, it was off to the Grandstand. Our main purpose was to test-drive the massage chairs. I'm telling you, it would be so nice to have one! In the past, those chairs have really hurt the bottoms of my feet, as they grind pretty intensely. The gal giving the demos put extra padding in the foot sections of my chair, and that helped immensely. If I could use that in my house every morning and every night, I would be a more pleasant person to be around, Lol. I felt like a new person! 

Our final event of the evening was a Pronto Pup. You just can't leave the fairgrounds without having a Pronto Pup. It's an iconic fair staple! People fix their Pronto Pup in many different ways. I like a stripe of ketchup and a stripe of ketchup on mine. Mom only likes mustard, and 4 stripes of it. Do you have a special way to doctor up your Pup? On our way out, we stopped by the Highway Patrol booth to see our friend Roy. We taught him as a preschooler, and now he's grown up to be on the Police force. We're quite proud of him.   

All in all it was a great day. With my knowledge of how the fair works, I was able to help mom navigate through the buildings in the most efficient way, as well as travel streets that were less populated. She was able to do all that she wanted to do.  I don't worry too much about the budget when I take mom out, because I want her to have fun. My mom is worth splurging on. Thanks again for reading, and please remember my disclaimer: I'm tired and I don't look for typos. Thanks for understanding if you see a spelling error or read a sentence that doesn't make sense, Lol. Good night and God bless!