Family Fun Day

We were not sure Randy would even make it to the Fair this year.  He is having back surgery on September 12th that will get him mobile once again!

He was bound and determined to make it, so he reserved the scooter online for the day and we got him to the gate and he was able to walk to the rental place!  Stella got the day off and I was slated to volunteer one last time for the late shift from 6-8 later in the evening.

We were off on a family labor Day adventure!  Randy started the day with his usual foot long hot dog and Stella got pizza.  Once they had some food we headed over to get Stella a sweater!  She chose the one my Mom figured she would like best.  I would have been wrong...so wrong!

We went to check out the hot tub that we had coming to the house on Wednesday and Randy connected with his salesman!  It looked inviting!  Randy was hoping he would get a couple turns in it prior to his surgery.

We had no special agenda other than sampling some fair favorite foods, checking out the Midway and finding some shirts for Randy in the Grandstand.  Turns out Randy forgot his sunglasses back in the car, so finding new ones made the agenda too.

We stopped for a quick snack of Tom thumb donuts,

and Stella got a Fudge Puppy.

Next stop cheese curds,

and then to the top of the Grandstand for clothing shopping!

We stopped at the Spectacle Shoppe and found glasses for the whole family!

 I got "over glasses sunglasses" that actually fit my frames so I no longer look like Harry Caray!

As we scooted down the ramp, I took pictures of all the Tribune T shirts that were offered this year!  I do not buy t shirts but I like pictures of them!

We headed to the Midway....bypassing animals.  Yes this would be the first year that I did NOT go see cows, pigs, sheep or horses. Strange, very strange.

Stella did not want to go on rides this year.

She is really too tall to sit comfortably in the seats!  We also decided that whiplash would not be good way to start this school year (like last year!)  She did however use her mad skillz at games of chance!  

She did very well for herself.  I tried, but it took Stella to win me my mini sprinkled donut!    The elusive prizes were the Adventure Time guys.

But she won a whale in the shooting gallery

A minion playing basketball!

A mini donut for me shooting water to fill a balloon and I won a sad little monkey playing whack-a-mole!

Randy....the ticket machine :)

And there was sad little guy.  Not sure I want to win this. 

My Ferris wheel selfie attempt.

We went to look for Grandma, but she was not volunteering in the plaza as we thought.  She was up in the Bailey House.  Randy wanted to check out the West End and the new History Center.  He liked it.  If anyone wants to know about the role Randy's family played in the early years of the fair, just ask!

We found the Johnny Pop guys and Stella enjoyed a frozen yogurt smoothie on a stick.

 I enjoyed another waffle ice cream sandwich...I did share.  a little.

My friend Kathy comes to the fair almost as much as I do.  I had not run into her any day...until today!

As we walked to find a seat to watch the parade to see if we could catch a glimpse of Roy marching, Stella finished her Johnny Pop and read the stick!  

 We dragged a bench over into a shady spot and got randy and his scooter up on the curb.  It was a lovely spot for parade watching!

This may be the first time in a few years Randy had made it at the fair long enough to enjoy a parade!  Scooters are GOOD!

Parade shots:

After the parade Randy was debating a corn dog or pronto pup when he spotted the Foot long Corn dog place!  THAT was it!

Stella purchased a bubble gun along the way!  Hours of fun for the children around her as she walked!

After that, Randy had had enough and was ready to head home and rest.  Stella was going to join a friend later and I had to return to volunteer one last shift.  We knew we had rented the scooter for the whole day, so we returned it to get Randy home, but kept the contract so we could pick it up again later.  Not sure why, but thought it might be fun.  My legs were doing well, but a scooter ride at the end sounded OK!

At my last shift, I arrived to find a note that some of my kids stopped by to see me.

 This was bittersweet, since their last day at my center had come and gone.  A wonderful family!

A few more fiends stopped by to say Hello!  Janice K, found herself ironically standing in JUST the right spot for a picture  (on her Birthday no less!)

Mandy & Andrea stopped up to see me!

And then Jeannie came by!

 I have to say, having a "Home Base" where people can find me at the fair was awesome this year!

Dan, my fearless co-worker had asked me early on during the fair if I had a chance to walk through the giant colon at the U of MN research booth this year.  I had not and we thought I had missed my opportunity.

Oh boy, were we wrong!  Lucky for us....there it was!  I scooted right through it on my ride checking out the superhuman sized cancer cells and polyps.  Oh what wonders to behold at the Fair!

Dan, Tom, Debra and I were headed to have a final beverage before we all took our leave of one another for a year...  Stella & Juliet connected with me and then took the scooter down to the West End amphitheater to find Mom, who was watching a Johnny Cash cover group.

My crew enjoyed a beverage at O'Garas as we discussed the best cleaning products for icky, sticky, post state fair goo removal from all the surfaces in the Alphabet Forest.  Sadly, I would not be able to help on the clean up crew, as I was back to work tomorrow.

We finished our beer and went our separate ways, and I headed down to meet Mom & the girls. I was thinking about all the wonderful people I met and had the opportunity to work with.  The stories I learned and the experiences I had by choosing to take on the volunteer gig.  I would do it again next year in a heart beat.  It will depend on my Stella and her College schedule...YIKES..


 Journey was playing in the Grandstand and you could hear them form anywhere.  I knew my peeps were making their way up Dan Patch toward the East end of the Fair.  As I headed their way I saw Mom ........

She dared not make the scooter go too fast, lest she lose control.  It was TOO FUNNY

We returned the scooter and made our way, one last time, home from the fair. It was almost 11:30! Stella showed me her last loot, a blue sock monkey, a chamois and some more hand sanitizer.

 When I saw it,  I realized we forgot to get our flu shots.  Oops.

I made Stella try on the Sweater when we got home

and then get to bed so she would be ready for school the next morning at 6:30 am!

Another State Fair season come and gone.  It was wonderful, full of new, fun adventures and I let some old adventures go along the way.

Next year..I am totally getting a pedicure with red toes and yellow polka dots!  Alphabet Forest, I shall return!

Stormy Sunday

I realize I have trouble finishing the blog.  Two years ago, I left the last two day unfinished.  This year life got ~very~ busy right after the fair, with work, Randy having back surgery and Stella back to school for senior year!  Since I cracked my iPad screen, I need to get all the photos off before I take it in for repair....I am forced to finally get this done.  Don't let the blog date fool you.  It is actually September 26th as I finish day eleven,  The last day may not get done until October!

Severe weather was predicted for the day.  Hopefully holding off until after the Talent Show Finals in the grandstand.

I did not go to the fair until close to my shift. The fair was drawing to a close and I was honestly getting tired!  This was supposed to be my last day volunteering, taking Labor Day off to spend it with the family.  I decided to add my name to the last (late) shift on Monday since I wanted to see it through!

One of my goals was to fill up my State fair Alphabet game card with all food items found at the fair.  I cheated a little and did some online research using the State Fair "food finder"  and I found the last few I was looking for.  Yaki Soba noodles for "Y" and Mexican Horchata for "X"  I may have cheated using "Ultimate Confections" which is technically a vendor that sells candy...not candy itself.  I will do better next year.  But I did earn my Blue Ribbon!

A few friends topped to say hello,

And family!  

Once I was done volunteering I raced down to the Grandstand to find my family and friends who already had seats in the Grandstand for the Big Show!

Well I guess I did not...race...

I checked out the VAPOR special OPS supercar that was parked on Judson today.

I got in line ( again) for toothpaste, and this time, I got a toothbrush too and was able to brush my teeth ...at the fair!  They felt so good :)

 (This was my something new for the day)

The Nutella truck was giving away free samples

and as I walked, I texted the gang in the seats to see if they needed  anything.  They were all set, so I told them I was going to stop for something for dinner....or CORN..

 I was thirsty for a beer, so I found a spot in the Grandstand Beer vendors that has Budweiser....my beer of (not) choice ...due to allergies.  As I walked past the "Stroller Parking" lot, I noticed that in one of the strollers there was a baby!   

Neither fo the kids working the lot looked old enough to be a parent....so I snapped a picture from the back and then on my way back, I asked if this was allowed????  They looked at me funny and then it dawned on the young man what I was asking...and he said...Oh this belongs to a coworker...  Seriously, if it were to get out that you can park your baby along with the stroller in the grandstand....

When I arrived at my seat, Fairchild was slinging t-shirts with the cannon.  David got one and kindly gave it to the kid sitting near us! :)  He was thrilled!  Pam & Cindy in the background :)

The whole gang was in attendance, Carol B. and Jim O.

David L and his brother & nephew...I seriously can never remember ther names!

Mom, David & I.  David was off getting food!  He has a list that amazes me!  He is an accountant so it should not be surprising, but it is a spread sheet of beauty with his food & beverage purchase plan and prices comparing year to year including budget and actual costs. 

Michael & Kathleen were joining us in a bit.

I made a french fry run, using my awesome plate with cup holder from the Taste this year.  

I forgot that I joined the group later this year so I was unaware of the time slipping away for actual food.  I was told the show would start in 10 minutes.  I needed something besides carbs.  I knew that I really wanted to to eat Axel's Bull bites...I also knew they were now being sold under the name of Lulu's in the West End Market.  I knew, too  that the lines might be long, but I ran anyway!  I ducked out of the west end of the Grandstand, ran through the woods behind Sweet Martha's, snuck through the patio and stage of Famous Dave's cut through the building across the empty dance floor..and ran down the street to the far end of the West End.  The lines were long heading straight out, but I walked up to the side corner and was third in line!.  I wanted the the beef and chicken cajun bites, but I saw a tray of them sitting...and sitting...and sitting as I waited for my turn.  When I ordered, I asked if I could please have fresh ones since I had to run them back to the Grandstand.  They did as I asked and I winded my way back the same path to return.  I walked up the stairs into the grandstand and realized I needed a beer.  This end of the Grandstand did NOT sell Budweiser and as I tried to make my way across to the other side I was stopped by security asking people to please stay put as the show was starting. (YES!  I made it back before the first act!)   They were asking people to wait until between the acts to move to their seats.  This was a nice change....but I was thirsty!  LOL   As I waited I was eyeing the cajun bites, but I knew I had better wait until I had a beverage to actually eat them!   I was right.  Michael, Kathleen & I shared them.  

As we watched the show and ate our bites, I got a text from Randy letting us know that some severe weather was in fact moving in.  I brought some little plastic bag type ponchos along, just in case,  I offered the extras up to Michael and Kathleen and they gladly accepted.  They wanted to see a little bit of the fair before the rains came...which they almost did.

There were a couple acts remaining, but Mom & I bailed shortly after my brother did. I wanted to check on Stella, since it was almost the end of her shift.  As we made our way down the stairs, the clouds opened up, lightening stared striking and the thunder rolled!  We were shortly joined in our under grandstand shelter by Michael & Kathleen.  

Kathleen told me, just before the rain started she was wearing her poncho and people were looking at her funny, not convinced that it was actually going to rain....until it did...and then they offered her big money for it!  It was lucky she did put it on prematurely, as she tested the liquid- proof nature of the poncho with half a glass of red wine shorty after donning it!  (It worked!)

Leaving Mom & Michael under the shelter of the Grandstand, Kathleen and I ran down to check on Stella.  Once again the ramp leading up toward the plaza was a rushing river and the entire plaza was under 4-6 inches of water!  There were random, single, abandoned, flip flops left by people running for buses, floating on the surface of the West End Lake...Minnesota land of 10,001 lakes.  

Stella was soaked, but relieved from duty, so she gathered her belongings one last time, donned dry socks and a fresh un-ripped poncho and we rejoined Mom & Micheal.

They had opened the lower portion of the Grandstand as a storm shelter, but as we approached on return, they were closing it down again, so we were thwarted in our attempts to find a restroom!  We found out the next day that people actually looted the Grandstand when they were allowed in.  Not sure who did not think that through.

We stopped in the rain at Spaghetti Eddies for a couple slices of pizza.  

Seeking a dry place to eat we entered the awning of the Merchandise mart...only to find the rest of the Grandstand crew!  

We were all a bit wet, but since we saw the announcement on the grandstand signs that the Talent Show was continuing on the Leinie Lodge stage, we made our way there (after a bathroom stop) to catch the final two acts!

The ponchos helped some, but I was still quite soaked.  I was wearing my sandals again.and I don't even want to think of what was swimming under my feet inside those shoes... I walked most of th way home barefoot, risking broken glass and rocks, but hoping the torrential rains would have washed the sidewalks mostly clean.

Once back at Mom's we peeled off the wet stuff and headed home.  We needed to get some rest to prep for family fun day with Dad on Monday!