Are you ready for the Fair?!

#WearingMyFairT-Shirt  #AtTheFirstParkAndRideITried  #OnTheSecondBus!  #AStateFairMiracle  #OnThisDayOfSweatIUsedStuffInMyHairToKeepItOffMyFace  #WithMiddlingSuccess

There are things I miss when I am not at my Minnesota home.  My shower's water pressure.  My dark, cool cave of a bedroom.  Blues and greens and blue-greens everywhere.  My hammock on the deck.  My friends.  Summer cicadas.  The sound of crickets.

#IDoNotMissThis  #FieUponThis  #IBiteMyThumbAtThis  #UnlessICanBeAnUnmovingObjectOnMyHammockInTheShade

Day 1 at the MN State Fair was warm and moist.  Not nearly as warm and moist as the day after it, but more on the wacky weather treats Minnesota gave me on this home leave later.

#BreakfastOfChampions  #NoLine  #ThisWasASeriesOfStateFairMiracles  #PBWhippedCreamPancakeCoveredBacon

I worked a shift at the outside window, and it was rough.  The ipad, cash drawer, and I were locked in mortal combat for 5 hours.  I lost.  Afterward thought of many ways I could have done that better.  But here is a picture of me being SO CAREFUL not to roll my ankle while taking my knee brace off due to sweat soaking through while I just stood there and thought mean things about touchscreens and smiled at lots of strangers and encouraged them to try our new espresso-based beverage that did NOT taste much like licking a tree at all!

#NoMarginForError  #OneFalseMoveAndIWouldHaveRolledEverythingSideways

The reward for volunteering is actual food.  I have now ingested my yearly quantity of hamloaf.  

#ItIsAGoodThingIDon'tHaveAccessToCornRegularly  #OrTheSweetCornbreadTheyServe

Fine art dump:

    

#SelectedArtDump  #SoManyPictures

I stopped by the donut booth (near the Fine Art Building) that had lines a mile long (literally) last year.  The line was totally reasonable at 4 in the afternoon.  Grabbed a donut to lug around with me and take home.  Then . . .

#Whee  #IfIPlanItRightICanSeeMoreOfTheFairWithoutOverdoingIt

This stuff was totally worth the blister.  Paella.  In Minnesota.  At the State Fair.  That was Excellent.  

#EvenIfITookIssueWithTheirSlogan  #NOTTheHotDishOfSpain  #ISavoredThisWhileTryingToGetPainLevelsDown

I checked out a couple of the vendors selling exercise equipment, as I am in love with the recumbent bike in the basement of my building here and decided that I would spend an adult amount of money on one that is sturdy and meets all my needs instead of getting the second cheapest kind like I did with my treadmill 9 years ago.  Then I found out that they started at 3X the adult amount of money I was considering, which was 9X as much as I had spent on my treadmill (so overall recumbent bike would be 27X as much as I had spent on my treadmill).  The second place I checked it was double that amount.  #Disappointing

I always get a re-entry stamp just in case, and it's kind of fun trying to figure out what it is.

#MaybeACornDog?

#Yeah  #SorryAboutThatBody  

My original plan called for a complete day of rest after this.  Instead, I worked a 10 hour day.  Which was even hotter and more humid than the one I volunteered at the fair during.  There were HUGE storms and some eerie-cool lighting.

 

#ICouldNotSeeOutOfMyHouseDueToCondensation

Then I worked an 11 hour day.  And then saw my church small group folks in person for a short time.  Grabbed some things to try to treat the blister that I was pretty excited about.  It was novel to get home and NOT have just holes in my skin from the braces.  I had a single, proper blister!  And it hadn't burst, and I was determined to keep it that way, so I was prepared.

Then MOAR FAIR!  Second Park & Ride was the charm.  Second bus again.  The State Fair Miracles continued.

#NotABreakfastOfChampions  #ActuallyMightHaveBeenAGoodLunchBurgerWaffleThing  #NotTerrible  #JustPreMadeAndSoggyAndHalfUndercookedHalfOvercooked  #TastyEnoughToGetMoving

I would like to take this time to thank my wrist brace, ring splints, and the hilarious little bag my mom gave me decades ago when her company had an ill-advised ad campaign called "PrintMyThing" that exactly fit my rain coat, hat, and all the braces.

 

#GladItWasNotAsHotAndHumidThisDay  #NeverWouldHaveBeenAbleToGetTheSplintsOnOrOff #AtTheDiningHall  #WaitingToHelpMeNotBendMyFingersBackwards

I tried the wild rice cranberry Swedish meatball sliders.  I would like to publicly apologize to the wild rice cranberry Swedish meatballs at the dining hall.  I looked forward every year to getting the regular Swedish meatballs (you have no idea how much, especially when I was living under the poverty line), and then one year, all of a sudden they were gone and were replaced by fancy, new meatballs, and I never gave them a chance.  At least on these sliders, they were dynamite.  Please accept my apologies for being a jerk to you all these years, new meatballs.  I also tried the espresso-based beverage, and it was genuinely not objectionable.  Seriously cool and refreshing, gluten free, dairy free, full of cinnamon and cardamom and other delightful spices to cover up the licking-a-tree flavor of espresso!  Victory!

#NoStuffInHairBecauseNotAsHotAndHumid  

#RegrettableDecision  

#HAIR-TOUCHING-FACE-ALL-DAY-UGHHHHH

I was out of gas and knew it (and wanted to protect my blister), but I made sure to stop by this place during an off-peak time, and there was, again, no line!!!!  Also note that I was being very good about not adding the stress of a ton of foods my body reacts badly to, and it was all still delicious.  Well done, State Fair.

#SoGood  #SweetPotatoesAreAmazing  #StateFairMiracle

My body was quite done then, so I packed it in and headed back to the sky ride.  There were lots of other people there, so I think the Fair did okay even though I left early.

#HiPeopleWithEnergy  #AndHopefullyLessPain

One more for the road.

#YouCanTellSheIsNotGoingToLikeWhatHerActivityTrackerSays

 

#Yikes  #Sorry  #AFairDayAllAround  #Snicker

Managed to work another long day (that I should have spent mostly unconscious) and then part of another and then got a few errands run.  Saw my MN chiropractor, and he said I seemed stronger, and I take that as a good sign.  Especially after several weeks of overdoing it with work and trying to compensate outside of it.

#TheseAreCupHoldersAtREI  #You'reWelcome

Then, finally, a couple more hours on the hammock.  It was cooler that day, so I had to use my lightest blanket.  Some nice dramatic sunlight.  

#Cozy  #Ahhhhh

In Fair conclusion:

• Cicada Chorus = 11 out of 10
• Holes worn into my feet by my ankle braces = <1
• Food eaten: Too much (mostly amazingly delicious)
• Steps: Too many
• Cool Art Seen: Correct amount

As the season turns, I hope you enjoy the fuubutsushi!  Now that I'm leaving MN, the weather is scheduled to become totally reasonable.  Enjoy!