Summer 2014 - Day 9

I began my last full day in the Midwest by slowly preparing the last bit of pizza and texting people, confirming my State Fair date with EH and J, but also confirming that I would not be able to see KPS and J along with their babies.

Then I called the vet and learned great news - Bruno had pooped! This is a dramatic reenactment of the poop from the guys at Kids in the Hall. I assembled my technology, copied my photos, and began to blog. I guess Bunny, not wanting to feel outdone in the cat elimination arena, decided to puke on the computer desk and part of a keyboard from the top of the cat tree - not my desk or keyboard. I saw J getting up in the bedroom and told him the bad news. As he cleaned up, I told the epic tale of my stomach flu experience back in June.

Eventually, K and J got up and did things and I showered and got dressed for the day. K2 said he was getting off work at 4, and I decided to go over at 4:30 for a visit before my State Fair date. Blogging took a long time, but I was glad to get it done. I also packed all my stuff, ensuring that there was some space left for my pajamas and the clothes I was wearing. K took a nap about 20 minutes before I was about to leave. When I went into the kitchen, Cricket was on top of the fridge, looking very regal, so I took some photos.

I left via the front door and began walking across the lawns, but then doubled back to put my umbrella in my purse since it could possibly rain. I began the drive up 77, which turned into Cedar, and recognized the streets from our drive to Tiny Diner the week before.

No one was home when I got to K2's house, so I sent him a text and sat on the porch. After a few moments, I saw an SUV pull in and K2 and D in it. They drove to the back and eventually, K2 came to the door, asking if I was enjoying being on the rocker. I replied with a few granny lines, and came on inside. K2 pulled out the bag of churds and cheese nibbles that I had left there, but I told him that I was going to the fair and couldn't take the cheese with me, so he might as well keep it. There was some deliberation about whether I should take a bag for EH and J, or if he could eat them. Because they were going to some family function, he kept the cheese for that event. I did tell him that he should put them in the microwave for about 10 or 15 seconds - churds that aren't refrigerated only need 8 seconds, so refrigerated churds will need more to be slightly melty and perfect.

But I wasn't there to get the cheese - which K2 had not realized - I was there for a little visit before my State Fair Date. K2 and D werre actually dressed to go to the gym, but they put that off for a little while so I could visit. The day before, I had only been able to see D for about two minutes before going off for my Pizza Farm Date, so it was nice to have a little more time to talk. I also got some photos of their puppies, Galahad, my buddy from the day before, and Percival, who is a little more smug.

K2 shared that they had found a potential renter for their old house, and then discovered that the potential renter lived about two blocks away, so K2 and I were off to check out their current home. The goal was to see the status of their yard - were they normal or did they have rusted out ovens and old cars on their lawn? Since we weren't in Central Wisconsin, I think the odds against the latter were really good. We went the wrong way at first, then found the house, which was nice. Then he took me to their old house, which was also nearby. K2 told me about a recent race riot at a local High School between Somolian and African American (and maybe other African) kids. He said that he would not want his potential kids going to that school, and that his current house was just across the border from that school district. I disagreed and said that it could teach the kid about racial relations, but I, of course, only say that from a hypothetical standpoint.

When we arrived back to the house, we went to the living room and I did some more bonding with Galahad. K2 mentioned that he didn't like Galahad, right in front of him! So I gave Galahad a few more rubs and more reassurance that I liked him a lot. D also shared a couple videos from his iPhone: a post-wisdom-teeth-removal Ice Bucket Challenge video and another one about another English Bulldog. Then I hugged K2 and had a distance awkward hug (aka no hug at all, followed by an explanation of "the awkward hug" as performed as a prize for a trivia show on some radio station) from D, then took off for the fair. My instructions from the day before came in handy, since I also went to the fair from K2's house then.

I paid $10 to park at the Hubert H. Humphrey Job Corps and walked to the fair. On the way, I bought a fair ticket from a person with a pin indicating her official status. Given my normal paranoia, I was nervous that I had been ripped off since the ticket said "do not sell after August 20". I also theorized that she and others had bought up a bunch of tickets earlier, for $10, and were just selling them at the normal price ($13) to make some money. Buying the ticket outside did get me in the fair and helped me avoid a line, so it was all good.

EH and J were taking the bus from the U, but it was taking more time than they anticipated and they wouldn't be able to meet me at the Snelling entrance. Instead, they wanted to go to the miracle birthing center. My goal was to see the livestock, and when I went to the Information Booth, I found out that their destination and mine were really close to each other. Score!

When I passed this place that makes hands - real hands, or maybe it was "the original hand making place" - without wax, I got a photo of it because it was weird. However later, when I tried to edit the photo on my phone, my photo editing software ate it, so I got this.

Allegedly called 'Hands Unlimited'

So I began walking, looking for a place to get some [better] deep fried churds. I sent EH an update on my location, and then found a place selling churds. They were better than the ones from the day before, but not as good as the ones I remember having at the Central Wisconsin State Fair. I suppose that I'm not that surprised - it is Minnesota, after all.

My churds were consumed, except for possibly the best one, which fell on the ground and I had to throw away. Then I took a photo of a Rock Tub - a bath tub made out of a massive, solid rock - and emailed it to my mom, telling her that she should get one. I got a photo of another entrance to the Minnesota State Fair and posted it to Facebook with the announcement that I would be seeing the livestock today.

I texted EH and told him that I would be in the Sheep Barn and went in. Most of the sheep were elusive, and the huge sheep was inaccessible, but I did bond with some sheep with dread-lock bangs, as did a few very, um, excited young adults.

I could not get close to the massive sheep.

I bonded with the sheep on the left, mostly. I think her friend was jealous.

This sheep really enjoyed chin scratches.

A text from EH confirmed that he was outside the barn, with churds of his own, so I left the barn, washing my hands first. But before I could dry them, I saw EH and who I assumed was J outside, so I ran out to see them with wet - but clean - hands. Hugs and introductions were shared, as well as amazement at the time that had passed. They had consumed their churds, so we went to the Horse Barn.

Prince was actually very excited when we first approached, if you know what I mean.

Donkeys

There were other horses, including this beautiful Appaloosa. There were a lot of people around, so getting a good photograph was difficult.

The horse says, "stop touching me."

We decided to leave the Horse Barn and go off to the Cow Barn, or maybe it was the Cattle Barn, which would have been more accurate. There was an ice cream place outside the barn, but EH mentioned that he wanted the ice cream in the Dairy Barn. I recalled that place from the day before and was worried about the line, but figured that, since I was with people, it would be okay. We looked at the cattle, and EH wondered why different cattle had different looks - like why the dairy cattle had more prominent spines than the beef cattle. I couldn't give him a definitive answer, but did mention that dairy cattle were bred for certain qualities that made them different from beef cattle. Sex differences could also be a possibility. I remarked on the hip bones on one cow we were near, and EH declared that the cow needed to consult a "chirotractor".

The steer says, "yeah, whatever, man."

One of the winning farms was actually in Wisconsin, which just seems wrong for the Minnesota State Fair, but New Richmond is right across the border. As we went through the barn, people passed by us with their cattle.

After the Cattle Barn, we were in the Swine and Poultry Barn. There was some judging going on, and I believe that EH mentioned that pigs were smarter than goats, who were also in the barn. Then we went to a building where it sounded like they were doing something like the Market Animal Sale. We went in and people were in the ring with their sheep. There was no auction, and they all walked off. We left the building too, and I think we went back through the Horse Barn to get back to the rest of the fair. Food was our next goal, and first, we had Aussie Fries.

As we sat and ate, we heard a rumbling, and it turned out to be a cart with a lot of boxes on it, which I dubbed "the cargo parade". We were done with our fries and kept on a walking, and decided to get some meat on sticks. EH and J got a Pork Chop, while I had the Chicken. I nearly forgot to get a photo of this food until I was nearly done with the chicken.

I gave the rest of the chicken to EH as we went into the Dairy Barn. J told me about the butter sculptures. There is a "Princess Kay of the Milky Way" ( I believe that the Wisconsin analog is Alice in Dairyland) and other princesses, all of whom are carved in butter. At certain points, the princess and the sculptor are in the refrigerated booth to create the sculptures. There was an additional sculpture in there today.

To my delight, the line for ice cream was incredibly short! I got a twist cone served to me by a very friendly dairy person, who mentioned that many people photograph her when receiving their ice cream.

Some dairy people wear red shirts, but all of these were in blue.

We ate our ice cream, and then went into the building with the vegetables. I told the story about how my sister always got best in show for her cauliflower at that point.

These pumpkins are in a different category, I guess.

Then we went off to see the seed sculptures. Earlier that day, another friend posted photos of the second place winners, wondering why they were only in second place. I have to agree with her on that.

These were in the same category and I disagree on the judges' decision.

We went out and looked around more, then went into an arts and crafts building. EH's cousin (I think), or maybe friend or friend's kid had something in the fair, but we didn't know where, so we looked around. We were then in a building where organizations and schools had booths. We looked around for one from SCSU, but they were not there - we assumed they were being represented by the MnSCU booth.

Then we found more artwork, and were looking for EH's 13 year old's artwork, but didn't find it. I took a photograph of a photograph. In this category, the blue ribbon went to a drawing of wolves.

Meow

We were unable to find the artwork, so I followed J as he followed EH to another location. EH still wanted to play some carnival games at the midway, but it was 8:30, and I needed to go home. We hugged goodbye and I left the fair, without a hand stamp because they weren't offering them. While waiting to cross the street, I got a photo of the marquee for the Grandstand Act for that evening.

On the way back, I saw a bag with a Hmong Story Cloth on it and asked how much it was. It was only $20, which was shockingly low, so I bought the bag. I got back in my car and drove back for what felt like an eternity on Snelling, I think, and was then near K's house, but parked on 98th. I used my phone as a light to guide my way across the lawns from 98th, even though it turned out that I could have parked on 14th. I chatted with K and J, then watched the first episode of a British show called Happy Valley, I think. This episode turned out to basically be Fargo, but set in Yorkshire, and before anyone could go in the wood-chipper, I decided to go to bed, saying goodbye to my gracious hosts for much of the vacation.