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!