Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Days 9 and 10. That's a wrap!

 I apologize that there was no post last night, it was a day. I was tired. I took mom to the fair yesterday for our day out. We went through the buildings and caught a Ron Diamond hypnotist show, which did not disappoint. Her food of choice was an apple dumpling ala mode from the Pride of Kansas building. She visited her woodcarving friends and had a good time catching up with them. We watched a bit of the motorcycle stunt act, and went to the birthing center. The birthing center had a boom since the day before. The sow was giving birth to piglets (6 total), the momma sheep had 4 lambs, and while were there, one of the cows delivered a bull-calf. We were too far back to see anything, but then they brought the baby calf back to the pen where we were standing, and we got a front-row view of the calf. Mom enjoyed her time at the fair. 

Today was closing day. We went up for a bit in the afternoon after church. It was a little rainy, but doable.  We walked the Midway and then decided to take some food home to snack on. Besides, the Chiefs were playing, and we wanted to be home in time for that! We took home some toasted ravioli and fried cookie dough. I was prepared to use my body as a human shield to protect the fair food from getting rained on, but it stopped raining as we started walking toward home. 

We came back later for one final time, and I decided to opt for a Korean Corn Dog. Big mistake. It didn't even taste good. I ended up throwing most of it away, which is a rare occurrence for me. I won't make that mistake again next year. We also picked up some tater tots and fried cookie dough as a final treat. Yeah, we splurged a little. I was able to pick up my ribbons, 7 of them to be exact, and that was pretty exciting. I have them at home, and soon I'm going to work at putting all of my ribbons into frames for displaying.  

Why do I love the fair so much? It's the fun atmosphere, the food, the lights, and laughter. I love seeing people I know, some who  haven't seen in a long time. I can't remember how many times a kid would come up to me and say, "Hey, Mr Rue, do you remember me?" they grew up! Most of all, I enjoyed sharing the fair with Julie, and seeing the fair through her eyes, and vice versa. May of our interests are the same, but we also have different interests as well, and it was fun for us to see each other have fun with the fair. As fun as the fair is, and while I'm sad to see it go, I think I've had my fill of fair for the year. I will miss it, and in the coming seasons of the next year, Julie and I will take walks to the quiet and empty fairgrounds, and I'm sure we'll reminisce about the fun times we had. I hope you enjoyed the ramblings. Please leave a like or a comment if you enjoyed it. 

I often ramble at other parts of the year, and I'd like to do it more often. I'll try to blog more often. If you'd like to see ramblings from earlier fairs or posts about anything at random, you can use the menu on the right hand side of the page and click the links to take you to other posts. I do that often. Thanks for reading, excuse the typographical and grammatical errors, and God bless you!

Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 8

 I'll just come right out and say it...still no animal babies (Sigh). The closest to giving birth is the sow. They induced her this morning, but she is still not in active labor. We'll just keep going every day, and hopefully we'll see something this week. The vets came out bottle-fed the baby bull calf while we were there, so that was cute to see. 

We took a walk down the Midway, and it was packed! We saw a lot of people (mostly kiddos) who came and told us hello. Some of the kids we knew, and others we did not. Evidently we made an impression on them, because they remembered us by name. When I do not know them, I simply fake it, and put on a big smile and engage them in conversation. If a kid asks me if I remember them, I simply tell them I know exactly who they are, but they just need to remind me of their name. Sometimes it rings a bell, and if it doesn't...I still act like I know them. I'd hate to make a kid sad that I don't know them. 

We stopped into the Domestic Arts building to look at my ribbons again, and to look at other entries. We had a nice conversation with some of the people who oversee the building. I had always assumed that one of the awards, The Governor's Cookie Jar, was judged by the governor. I learned that cookie judges from the fair are the ones who determine the winners. The winner of the Governor's Cookie Jar then gets to present the cookie jar to the governor when he/she visits the fair. I was also ooohing and aaahing over the kitchen area where contestants prepare and present their products in the special event contests. Double oven, lots of counter space. My dream area. Then they let me look backstage, behind the scenes where a lot of other baking takes place. I was practically drooling now. Multiple ovens, tons of counter space, and huge long tables perfect for rolling out dough, setting pans out to cool, etc. That might seem a bit geeky to some of you that I got excited by that, but a true baker knows how truly exciting that is. The couple that we spoke to are retired, and they do this every year. That got Julie and I thinking about maybe us doing that when we retire. That's still quite a few years off, but it's something to ponder. 

We ate a good supper before we went out (always a good idea), so we weren't hungry when we went out, but that didn't prevent us from drooling over some good-smelling food. That's one thing about the state fair...the smells. Fried foods smells galore, all mixing together and filling the fairgrounds. Julie and are cutting costs this year by eating before we come, because fair food is so expensive. We've had bits and bites here and there, but we are not eating there every night. However, I do know how to make much of the fair food, so I plan on doing that more often. 

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. For many years, I have been bringing my mom out to spend a day at the fair. I let her pick where she wants to go. She's in charge. We always enjoy this day. She has been using a wheelchair the past few years, and her legs aren't as strong as they used to be. But that doesn't stop her from enjoying the fair. If you see us out and about, please come over and say hi! 

The hour is growing late, and it's time for this old man to go to bed. If you've been reading every night, thanks for hanging with me. I hope that you're finding them entertaining and informative. Thanks for reading, and God bless you!    

Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 7

Today was "sibling day," something my sister and I started a few years ago. It's fun to have Julie with us as well, we make a fun trio. My sister had been doing some work at the fair, so she was glad to have a free night to just get out and actually enjoy the fair. 

First stop: You guessed it, the animal birthing center. And, yes, you guessed again, no new babies. This has been a very slow year for farm animal births. One of the pigs looked very uncomfortable, and was grunting quite a bit. She is not in labor, but we're thinking it should be soon. I hope that we at least see something before the fair is over. From there, we headed to see the Watusi, which is a type of African cow. They have some very impressive horns. The pics I got of them were from a distance, as they were not too fond of people coming too close to the fence. I think they wanted to kill me, LOL. I got close enough to briefly touch one of the horns, and he started thrashing his head and horns at me. Don't make these guys mad. They have power, and they know it.  

Since Julie and I have already been out here several times, we let my sister call the shots on what we did.  She wanted to walk through the buildings. All 3 of us liked different things, so we stopped often to look at at various stuff and pick up free stuff. She picked up some freeze-dried Bit O' Honey and let us try some, and it was da' bomb!  We didn't get to walk through all of the buildings, as they began closing. Closing time for the buildings is 9:00pm. However, the last building we wanted to check out was closed and locked at 8:45. We were kind of bummed about that. On a side note, the Fair was open back to their regular hours this evening, despite the parking lots still being closed today. On Friday, the Plum street lot will remain closed, while 2 lots on State Fair Road will be open. I'm not sure what will happen beyond that, we're just taking it one day at a time. 

In food news, my sister wanted to get a traditional Pronto Pup. She prefers ketchup only, in a dipping cup. Julie and I passed on that, as we've already had one. Later when we were in the Pride of Kansas building, she mentioned that she'd like to get a bierock. The cafe in the Pride of Kansas building is known for their wonderful bierocks. When you order a bierock, you get a bag of chips with it. I was feeling pretty hungry, so I grabbed one as well. Yum!  She dipped her bierock in queso, which I've never heard of before, but it was pretty good! Later, Julie got an order of fried cookie dough, just north of the KWCH booth. It is sooo good, and very addictive. 

As always, it's fun to see people we know, and sometimes you haven't see them in quite some time. That was the case for me, running into club kids that I had years ago, and they still remember me! The most memorable meeting of the night took place when I ran into my oldest son, whom I haven't seen in a few years. It was great to see him! I asked my sister to get a picture of us together, and he decided to be a goofball in the pic, LOL. I gave him my number and asked him to keep in touch with me. 

After a walk around the Midway, we decided to call it a night.  We have to work in the morning, and can't be out too late. Tomorrow is Friday, and we may meet up with my sister, we'll just have to see how things go. Then on Saturday is Mother's Day when I bring my mom out to enjoy the fair. From there, it's Sunday, the last day! It goes by too quickly! I want to thank you for reading, and for leaving likes and/or comments. It certainly helps me to know how many people are reading. If you leave a comment on the blog post itself, please leave your name with your message, as it shows up as "anonymous." I like to know who's commenting! 😀 Thanks so much for reading my post, and God bless you!

Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 6

 It was a chill kind of night for us at the fair. Not very populated, which is typical on a weeknight. I'm not sure if the parking situation had anything to do with it or not. The fair again closed early this evening, 9:00pm. Tomorrow we should know if the parking lot is open to use again, or if they need to extend the waiting period for another day or so. Maybe then, the fair regular later hours will go back into effect. The people at the gate did not know as of this evening what decisions will be made. In the meantime, there have been shuttles going back and forth between area businesses and establishments where there is plenty of space for people to park their cars and ride to and from the fair.  

We went to check on the baby animals, and ....nothing yet. No change. Every day the vets tell us 24 hours. We will check again tomorrow. It's a daily thing for us. 

We walked the midway and saw quite a few of our school/club/church kiddos. That's always fun. We pretty much wandered the grounds and looked through a few buildings. As we walked by Ye Olde Mill, we realized we hadn't ridden it yet. Ye Olde Mill isn't super-scary, but more cheesy scary. There were some jump-scares, and some new props. It's a very nostalgic ride, as it's been a part of the fair for over 100 years. 

As I was getting off of the ride, my glucose monitor told me I was running low, so we went into the food court and I grabbed an Indian Fry Bread. You can have toppings added to it, but I like it plain. That helped me keep my blood sugar levels a bit higher. If those levels go low, I could pass out. 

Other than that we didn't do too much else. I guess were kind of boring people, LOL. But we were there together, and that is what counts. Remember to hit me up with any questions or comments. We'll be going back tomorrow night do do it all over again. Until then, Good night and God bless!

Robs State Fair Ramblings, Day 5

 $2 Tasty Tuesday! Tonight was Julie and I's day to enjoy and even indulge in fair food for a discounted price. Many vendors were offering $2 food items. Unhealthy as it is, it's fun to just enjoy some junk fair food! We took pics of some of the items, and some items we dug in and enjoyed before we remembered to take a pic. 

We started off in the Grandstand, where they were selling $2 mini cups of ice cream in a color-changing cup. I chose peach, while Julie opted for chocolate. We saw our friends, the Warners, there and we chatted for a bit. Our next item was outlaw fries, which are really good! They gave us a decent-sized cup of fresh, hot fries for 2 bucks! By this time, Julie was ready for some deep-fried cookie dough. Julie knows the family that works at this booth, and instead of the one cookie dough bite for $2, they gave her a full order of 3! Julie shared one with me, and they were amazing! We had a few encounters with Tiffany and Mariah from church, and we had the chance to chat. We also encountered Julie's daughter and family a couple of times, too. By this time, Julie was full, but I still wanted to grab an Indian Taco. It was OK, but not what I was expecting. It was a soft bread with taco seasonings covering it. I was done eating after that, I was full as well. 

Of course, we saw a lot of our kiddos out there coming up and saying hi to us, so that was fun. Julie also made some educational connections with a wildlife expert who visits schools with snakes and etc.  She has made a lot of good connections this year. As always, we visited the birthing center, which closes at 7:30, contrary to the sign that states 8:00. Nothing new to report. One pig is very ready to have her piglets, and the other one is not expected to deliver before the end of the fair. It's been a very slow year where animal births are concerned. We're hoping to see some baby piggies very soon! 

The fair again closed at 9:00 this evening. When we asked why, no one had an answer. They assumed it was because of the flooding. Since the parking lots are closed for at least another day, there are multiple shuttle sites across the city.  After tomorrow, the fair board will make a decision on what to do with the parking lot situation. I truly hope they are doing something beneficial to make the parking lot more accessible and user-friendly. One suggestion is to pave the entire thing. That would eliminate flooding issues. I am positive that has been brought up before. I'd like to be a fly on the wall during those meetings. 

So, we didn't walk through any buildings or pick up free stuff. It was simply a night for us to enjoy food and be together. We enjoy our trips to the fair, and our feet are tired, but it's good exercise! And just like that, the fair is already half-over! Tomorrow is Wednesday, and we'll just go where the wind takes us! We just like being together and seeing people. Some people have noted that there are typos in these posts. Let me just say that I'm writing this in the late evenings, and I'm tired. If you see a typo, just credit it to my tired brain and be thankful I'm blogging at all, LOL. Thanks for being loyal readers. Be sure to drop a like or comment for me! Good night, and God bless!  

Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 4

 It was a very wet start to the State Fair today. Thunderstorms opened upon the area most of the day. I love the state fair, but I'm not willing to walk in the rain and get soaked. That happened a number of years ago, and it was not a fun experience. Today, the parking lots were flooded, cars were stuck in deep puddles, and many fairgoers had to be towed out. Julie and I did not venture out until about 5:45, when we were sure that the rain had stopped for sure. 

Our first stop, as always, was the animal birthing building. We saw nothing new, as the same cow that was born on Saturday was still there, but some of the pregnant cows were gone. We were puzzled about this. The vet told us that if the baby calf is female, it goes back to the farm with its mother. The male calves (Da bulls) stay at the fair with mom. We thought that was interesting. We were also told that the sow could deliver at any time, so we'll be definitely be checking that every day. We'll post pics when that happens. We were also told that in the next year or so, the animal birthing center will be relocated to the Bison Arena.  

We thought it would be fun to check out some bunnies this evening, and as we were looking, one of the rabbit owners gave us the rundown on the breed of bunnies he raises, called a Rex. The Rex has the softest fur you could imagine! He used to be a Special Ed teacher to kids with behavior issues, and he used the bunnies as therapy for these kiddos. He said that petting and cuddling the bunnies calmed the kiddos down. We also checked out the birds, and some of them are pretty funny, and even have some attitude! 

We got to see some of our school kiddos, some whom I haven't seen in quite a few years. One of them shook my hand, and as he did, his freshly-applied henna tattoo (on his hand) came off on my fingers. I felt bad for him, so I paid for him to get it touched up. I have said it before, we love seeing our current and past kiddos.   

We went into the Lair White House this evening, which is also the state fair museum. This year's display featured events that take place year-round, when the fair is not is session. I never knew so much happened at the fairground while the fair is not going on. This is a free exhibit. This exhibit is another that will be eventually moved into the Bison Arena in the next year or so. The Bison Arena will not be so much as a show barn for livestock, but more of an educational building. It will be interesting to see how it all looks when it comes together. 

We didn't get to spend as much time out there as we had planned, because the weather had other ideas.  As we were leaving, a very rare thing happened, when a voice came over the PA system, saying that the fair was closing at 9pm, and the gates would close at 10pm. A fair employee explained that is was due to the weather, and the amount of cars having to be pulled out of mud and water. In a related note, the fair has announced that the parking lots will be closed for the next 48 hours. We'll see how that goes. 

Tomorrow is Tasty Tuesday, when many of the vendors offer $2 samplings of their food items.  Julie and I love this night, and we can enjoy many of our favorite foods at a discount. I an not sure what vendors will offer this special, but most of them will post a special sign on their window specifying what you can get for $2. We'll be sure to report on what we enjoyed! Until then, I again want to thank you for reading, and God bless you!

Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 3

 Our day at the fair started in the early evening. We traveled out of town to see a good friend of ours get baptized, then headed to Goddard to visit Tanganyika Wildlife Park. Our bank provided us with full access to the park for $5 per person.  This was my first time to visit Tanganyika, and I was very impressed. I was able to feed lemurs and giraffes, and was able to get up close and personal with some very unique animals. After getting home and resting for a while, we headed out to the fair. 

Our first stop was the birthing center, to see if any new baby animals had arrived. Nothing yet, but we saw some very uncomfortable animal moms-to-be, and I have a feeling that we will see some action tomorrow.  From there, we hit the buildings in search of free stuff. Julie is a teacher, and she has found some really good resources out there in the way of coloring pages, books, and even people who would come and talk to her class about different topics. I'm just in it for the free stuff, Lol. The buildings were not very busy, so we were able to get through them in short order. 

From there, we hit the midway to check out the rides and night lights. The moon was a cool-looking shade of red amidst the bright lights of the Midway. We stopped to look at the big Ferris Wheel. Sadly, we're going to have to nix the Ferris Wheel ride this year. It will cost $15 to ride, and that's just plain ridiculous. We're cutting expenses this year, and that is too expensive. I'll simply post a picture of last year's selfie from the Ferris Wheel, and call it good. Of course, in the midst of walking around, we saw a lot of people we knew, mostly students and former students of ours. That is the best part. It is fun to catch up with people, some who we haven't seen in quite some time. It's cool to see them growing up and making good choices. 

We decided to splurge on a Pronto Pup, the famous "banquet on a stick." Not your typical Corn Dog. It's pretty much a state fair staple around here.  I like to slather mine in ketchup and mustard, while Julie likes ketchup only. How do you do your Pup? We noticed that they weren't as hot as they have been in the past, which tells me they were sitting there for probably a good 5-10 minutes. Aside from that, they were really good!  

That's about all we did. Walking around and eating Pronto Pups. Nothing too exciting, except for the fact that a teenager pulled the fire alarm in the food court building, causing quite a bit of confusion. We were walking in to see what was there, when all of a sudden, lights flashed, alarms chirped, and a robot voice told us to evacuate. Personnel did not make anybody evacuate, and I don't know what happened to the kid who pulled the alarm, but I hope he's learned a lesson. 

Tomorrow is Dollar Day. Admission is $1, or free with your Dillons card. Looking forward to Tuesday, many vendors will have $2 portions of their food available. Julie and I enjoy Tasty $2 Tuesday. Those are just a few things you can expect in the next couple of days. It's getting late in the evening, so I'm going to close this out. Is there anything you need us to check out or review for you? Questions or comments? I can help you out! Remember to like or comment if you took the time to read. Thanks for reading, and God bless you!!   

Rob's State Fair Ramblings Day 2

 Day 2 came in 2 parts today. We had some things to do in the middle of the day, so we went out for a few hours after lunch, and then we came back in the evening. 

The crowds today were a sharp contrast to yesterday evening's crowd. We attempted to walk through the buildings, which were wall-to-wall filled with people. The amount of motorized scooters, large wagons, and big strollers made it even worse. Add to that, many of these large vehicles were going down the center of the aisles, making frequent stops. I understand that all people have the same right to be there, but it's extra frustrating when a big stroller stops suddenly in front of you, and causes a bottleneck of people behind you, plus people coming from the opposite direction blocking you from getting around. We got halfway through a building when I called it quits. We had so much anxiety from the crowds. A few years back, the powers that be had toyed with the idea of single-streaming all of the aisles in the buildings so that all aisles ran in the same direction. Might not be a bad idea to re-visit that concept.

We stopped into the animal birthing center to see what was going on. They have a wide assortment of cows, pigs and lambs that are on the edge of giving birth. We were able to see a live cow birth last year, and it's pretty cool to see. All was quiet in there, nothing happening, but it looks like from Monday on, it could get interesting. They close at 8pm, so if you're planning on visiting this place, which is nestled among the barns, catty-corner from the petting zoo, be sure it's before 8pm. 

I was excited to see that the Cliff Hanger, which has been absent for quite a few years, has returned. This ride is similar to a hang-glider, except that it's connected to the chassis, and you won't fly away. This was one of my favorite rides, as it gave me the sensation of flying. However, as I looked at it this evening, it actually kind of scared me. It looked wilder than it used to, and I also thought about the fact that it was on a truck in pieces on the highway a few days ago. I'm debating. I still plan on a trip on the big Ferris Wheel for our annual selfie from the top.  

We had a good time meeting people. Julie and I both love seeing people, and it's fun to see our kiddos from church and school out there. We saw former students that were glad to see us, plus many of our adult friends. We got to stop and take a selfie with the Gastineau family, who thought it was fun to look for.... and find us at the fair.  We visited with my friend Vinnie, who is manning a Christian Motorcyclist booth in the Grandstand. Stop by and see them for a cup of cold water and they'll even pray with you. We ran into Lourie, one of our co-workers, and had the chance to chat with her for a while. We even had a nice conversation with one of the carnival workers running a game. It's the game where you have to stand the bottle up with a loop on the end of a string. Julie is bound and determined to win this game, and she has been studying the arm motions of the vendor as he demonstrates how to win. He was a very friendly and cordial guy, unlike some of the other vendors who scream at you to come and play their game. Will Julie win a giant stuffed animal? I'll keep you posted, as you keep your fingers crossed. 

Other highlights included seeing the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, the scale-busting largest pumpkin ever to the state fair, weighing in at just over 1,300 pounds, and the butter sculpture, which is still in progress. Looks like it will be a cow this year.  Fun fact: The first-ever butter sculpture was a cow. 

What adventures await us tomorrow? What will we do? What will we see? You'll have to tune in to tomorrow evening's blog post to find out. Remember to comment or like when you read my post.  It helps me to gauge how many people are reading, and helps me to determine if there's enough interest to keep it going. If you have a question, feel free to drop it in the comments, send it via FB Messenger, or ask me if you see me at the fair. Chances are, I'm probably there somewhere. It's my happy place, and I'm so glad to be sharing it with Julie again this year. Many of the things I blog about come from her point of view as well. Thanks for reading, and God bless you!!  

 

Rob's State Fair Ramblings, Day 1

 This first day of the fair was definitely unprecedented! At first, I thought that the rain was going to put a damper on our escapades, as it's been raining all day. However, the rain had subsided when we walked out the door to head for the fair. The grounds were sparsely populated, I'm sure because of the rain we had had, and there was a chill in the air. Of course, as we all know, it wouldn't be the State Fair without some rain. The temps are predicted to be mild for the rest of the stretch, so for those people who love Fall weather,  you'll enjoy being outdoors!

First things first: All 6 of my cookies took ribbons! Monster cookie took third, Snickerdoodle and Sugar took second, and my Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, and Peanut Butter took first! However, I'm not finished....The Peanut Butter also took Champion, the Purple Ribbon! I was thrilled beyond words, and I'll admit that I had tears in my eyes. Not only did I get a full sweep, but also purple! 2 goals that I've had for years! This definitely made my whole day if not my whole week! (Maybe even month, Lol). 

Following our visit to the Domestic Arts building, we just kind of walked around. In the midst of our walking, I ran into one of my junior campers from 20 years ago! It was so good to see Kurtis! Our last names are very similar, so we always joked that we were long lost cousins. I'm so glad that he recognized me and said something. Kids grow up and change, while we as adults...not so much. We have to rely on those former kiddos to recognize us and say something. Kurtis and I had a good chat, and that was another highlight of my evening. We also had a chance to see and talk to Lily and Landry, 2 of my church kids from many years back. We also found out that they had a connection to my wife, Julie. That was another highlight. Our first fair as a married couple. It's exciting for me to introduce her as my wife.  The best part of the fair for me is seeing people, especially those I haven't seen in a while.  

The smells of the fair were tantalizing. We walked past booths selling fried cookie dough, Pronto Pups, and all manner of fried foods. When purchasing fried foods, I always try to get a gander at the vendor's fryer oil. If it's dark, I know that it hasn't been changed recently, and I will pass on that. However, if it's light in color, I know that I'll get a fresher product. Considering how much fair foods cost, I want the best bang for my buck. We are trying to watch expenses this year, so we will not be indulging like we would like to. Hence, we're going to be picky about what we choose to eat. 

I have to promo Allen's P-Nut stand, who sells the cheapest bottled water and soda on the grounds. It just to the east of Ye Olde Mill. Of course, they also sell bags of roasted peanuts, and they are pretty good, and at a good price as well. 

The fairgrounds had it's share of daredevils. We watched several kids jumping across wide rivers of rainwater that had accumulated nearby. They were not succeeding in making it across. We stopped to cheer them on and encourage them, and they made the distance after that. They were pretty excited. 

We did not have the chance to make it into any buildings, but we have quite a stretch of days ahead of us to make several passes through. I'll be sure to post what we see in the buildings, and we'll offer reviews of any food items that we try. If you enjoy these reports, please drop a like and/or comment, so I can gauge how many people are reading. Thank you for taking the time to read, and I'll talk at you later! God bless!

Rob's Pre-State Fair Ramblings

 It's been a while since I posted, so I need to get my rambling fingers ready! Yes, we are just a few days out from the best time of the year...The State Fair! Am I excited? Maybe...just a little...or maybe a lot! Normally, I bring you a preview of where everything will be, prices, etc. However, I have not been able to set foot on the fairgrounds. There is 24-hour security posted at all gates, keeping anybody out who does not work there. Due to vandalism and damage in the past, no one except fair workers are permitted on the grounds. I guess being a state fair blogger doesn't qualify as a fair employee. I see the reasoning behind it, but it's irritating to me, as I love to walk the grounds and see the fair come together. I guess that I'm just going to have to let you know as the week goes on.

I am preparing for my big state fair cookie baking day this week. I am entering 6 cookies this year: Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Snickerdoodle, Peanut Butter, Monster, and a newcomer this year, the Sugar cookie. Wish me luck!!

Here are some tips for you this week: Money: Use cash for your purchases if you can. WiFi is available on the grounds, but with so many people using it at any given time, vendors have had issues with people using cards for their purchases. I've actually had vendors thank me for using cash. I remember one incident where I had to wait almost 10 minutes for a customer ahead of me to get his card to process.  Deals: Monday of the fair is Dollar Day. Admission to the fair is $1, or free with a Dillon's Card. If you're a big fair food fan, Tuesday might be your day. Tasty Tuesday! Many vendors will be offering $2 portions of their product. The vendors participating in this will have it posted on their place of business. Julie and I will not be eating too much this fair, as we are watching our pocketbooks, so the Tuesday food special is something we're looking forward to. Free stuff: If you're a fan of quaint trinkets, take a stroll through the commercial buildings, where many booths are handing out pencils, pens, keychains, and other cool stuff. If you're looking for a day when the buildings are less crowded, Mondays thru Thursdays are pretty chill. White House: The Lair White House is the State Fair museum, and is to the west of the Domestic Arts building. The exhibits change every year, and it's a very interesting place to visit. Gottschalk Park: Every year, the fair brings in some sort of thrill show, and they perform at different times during the day. Get there early, as seats fill up quickly. This year's feature is motorcycles that ride around inside a large metal spherical ball. There are also entertainers that rove, and do special shows in different areas around the grounds. Most of those acts use audience members, as I found out last year, as I was picked to assist the performer. A situation that I wish I could forget, lol.  

There is so much more that I could spend a few more hours rambling! Here is the long and short of it: First of all, there is a Kansas State Fair app. It is a valuable tool that can help you find schedules for different stages, food vendors, maps, and so much more. I love it and use it often. Also, you can message me via FB messenger with any questions. Don't forget, watch the daily blog. It will go up sometime in the evenings with info about what we did, and more info about other interesting things going on at the fair.  And if I see you, you just might end up in the blog post! 

The fair blog is a lot of work, so... I am counting on you to let me know you are reading by way of likes, comments, etc. If you take a read, drop me a like or comment. That will help me know how many people are reading, and if this blog should continue. That's about all I have too say at this point, I'm sorry that there's not more info. I guess I'll have to wait until Friday!  I hope that I have the opportunity to see you at the fair. Thanks for reading, and have a fabulous week!