Hump Day

Today I let Stella sleep as long as she could. I went to meet Nancy for coffee!  Since she is in town for such a short time, getting youngest daughter settled at college and is on deadline for her next bestseller...coming to the fair was not in her schedule, so I went to meet her!  I am terrible at selfies!

Nancy & I are lifelong friends; kindergarten to college roommates and beyond.  It was wonderful to catch up over brunch and I am excited for her to move back "home" to St. Paul!

We found a great way for Stella to get to work.  With her State Fair ID badge she can ride any bus free.  I can drop her off at the local Park & Ride and the shuttle bus takes her right to her gate. At this point, less walking is better for my hard working kid!

I headed straight up to the Forest to start my shift.  I have become the afternoon photo booth staff!  Not many people enjoy doing it, we are short staffed at that time of day and I love it!  The time goes by and I can "people watch" from my vantage point!

These people stopped in to say "Hi"  on their way into the fair! They took advantage of some of the activities and then started off on their adventure!

As I was working I saw this group of adorable kids dancing in the field where the Coke Booth had been.  I thought maybe it was part of the "Art's a Fair" program, where different artists pop up in different areas of the fair offering an art installation of some sort.  (drama, dance, puppets etc.)  It turns out they were rehearsing for the County Talent show and the little girl in red and her family lived next door to Mom & Dad, and Dad works at Boston Scientific!  (My place of employment)  

This is rehearsal: 

This is the show (later)

After my shift, I wanted to check in on Stella so I walked down toward the West End when I got a call from her and she told me all was well and the people that caused her trouble the day before had been moved to a different gate.  She did not need dinner and was all set, so I went to find my own food.  My friend Estella told me that El Sol had good food, so I stopped at the south west corner of the food building and realized I had a coupon for a burrito.  It was ~huge~! I did not want to eat until i had a place to sit so I checked in with Mom, who was watching talent show @ Leinie Lodge and headed her way.  By the time I got close, she was already on her way up to Baldwin fo the county show.  I stopped at O'Gara's to try and buy a beer and the system there is a mess.  If I wasn't so thirsty for a cold beer, I would have walked away.  After trying three lines, and waiting about ten minutes, I got one and tried to catch up with Mom.  She had already found a bench, so we sat and I ate.  I was quite hungry and thirsty so I broke my own rule, and I ate my food before I got a picture!  Just know it was really big and stuffed full of beef, beans, lettuce and cheese.  Yum!

We watched the talent show, but I was too tried to do more than head home with Mom.  She had the TV on in the other room and I sat trying to blog in the kitchen and I caught sight of Ian Leonard from channel 9 news.  Of course the ONE night I am not at the Ball Park, he broadcasts from there, live, sitting up on the roof in the old Midway Stadium seats.

I met Stella after 10 by the Asbury Street rain garden and she told me about her day. It was a better day!  PHEW!

Distance: 11,421 steps
Freebies: Zero
Food: Taco, Beer
Something New:  Tried an El Sol Burrito!

Roller coaster!

Today was a roller coaster of events.

We woke up to jack hammers pounding the pavement in the street as our neighbors were having their sewer lines replaced. It was a beautiful morning, no humidity and a lovely breeze so I opened all the windows and I sat down to start the blog.   All of a sudden all the pounding noises stopped and I heard a terrible hissing sound.  The I heard a man swear and say "that's gas".  I smelled it and began closing all the windows.  I threw on some clothing and headed outside to find out what was happening and I heard another man say "here they come"  as I heard all the sirens approaching.

Three fire trucks, fire chief, police and excel all eventually showed up.  I told the chief that we needed to shower and get going to the fair, and asked if we should leave.  "no need to evacuate Ma'am, it smells and sounds worse than it is."  well OK.  We got ready for the fair and before we left I checked in with my neighbor, ensuring he knew how to get into our house and get the pets out in case of an emergency.  The Excel guy standing nearby said " if there is that kind of emergency...we won't need a key"  ....great!

 How many guys does it take?

The mailman came and delivered some great news, Stella received notification that she is an AP Scholar with Honors!  So proud of this kid!

Stella and I went over so she could meet her friend Raelyn and I was going to see some stuff with Mom.

These two goofy girls met up and had  their own adventure.

As we walked past the DFL booth we earned it was Women's Equality Day at the fair!  I have to believe that in the early 1900's women were at the State Fair fighting for the right to Vote!

One of my favorite things to to do is find people who are holding maps and looking befuddled and help them out!  The State Fair maps have not changed much in the past 20 years, and as dad says, "unless you know where you are on the map, you can't figure where you want to go!"  On my way to meet Mom & Dad, I helped a mom & daughter find the building across the street.

They were eating at the Hamline Church Dining Hall.  One of the last ( The last??) dining halls on the grounds.  A dear friend Elaine Christensen (sp) was there and we had a lovely chat.

I noticed one of the new foods is here this year.  Izzy's made "Jello Salad Ice Cream"  it is a white ice cream with lime flavoring, cranberries and marshmallows!  I will pass, but if you try it, let me know how it is!

Before Dad headed home with his new soft sided cooler from the Grandstand ( they cracked their old one with dry ice this summer!) he helped me smash some pennies for Stella's penny passport!  This one is in front of Love From Minnesota stand.  (51 cents per penny!)

Mom & I walked over to the Bailey House to find their brick and on the way we picked up the " Omni-Freeze Zero" cooling arm bands they are giving away.  Apparently they are also giving away flash frozen (dry ice) popsicles, but we did not wait in line.

 The International Bazaar was our next stop.  We systematically perused all the booths and soon focused my search to finding a Norwegian sweater for Stella. We found a booth with some beautiful ones, I just needed Stella to weigh in on color and I tried some on for size.

This one has sleeves that might belong enough!

After the Bazaar, we walked through the Dairy Building.  I wanted to see butterheads and Mom needed some sustenance!

There was a daily deal $1 off a sundae, so Mom got a strawberry rhubarb one.  I was in luck, I actually got to see the butter carver in action!

Note the winter coats in the booth kept at a steady 45 degrees!

We looked at some prize winning meats, I asked Mom to sit in the egg chair, but I did not make her stick her head in the turkey sign! (all things I used to make Stella do!)

The parade was starting so we needed to get out of this area, and Mom decided to go home and rest and I moved on see some things before I had to get up north.

I stopped by MPR and if you are a member you can get a present!  There is no wheel to spin this year, just a photo booth (similar to mine, but less interactive and less fun!)

I walked by Kare11 and remembered there was a penny smasher there too!  This one was FREE and they give you the pennies!  I got four more for Stella :)

You can also get a voucher for free milkweed seeds.  I picked one up for my neighbor who is single-handedly trying to save the monarchs in her back yard!

Here you can also find all sorts of new-casters on a stick!

On my walk today I found some new venues for people with kids who like to "sit on stuff"  There is an Arcticat set up near the DNR with ATV's and snowmobiles by the Minnesota Trails association.

 There are also some ATV type vehicles, including a Vikings dune buggy type thing next to west side of the Home Improvement Building.

I walked past Monty's Reptiles with a sigh, remembering the days when Stella could not wait to see them...until she realized the cruelty in it all.

I got word that my friend Sara and family had a seat for the parade.  I needed lunch and grabbed my first Gyro ( found out they are not from Philadelphia...they are from Baltimore...but still.  so good)  I needed to get to the opposite side of the Ag/Hort building and I entered through the pine tree forest.  It was strangely cool amongst the trees!

Then there was this tree!  If only I had a 15 foot ceiling!

I joined the Lietzke/Quinn gang for the parade

ate my Gyro, made plans to hook up later and grabbed my free bag of goodies from the Hormel stand behind us and made my way back through Ag/Hort.

I had not really noticed the floral displays in here and today I checked them all out!  The theme is "Endangered Species"  The building was busy, but not too crowded, so I got some good pictures

I stopped to get my Apple Cider Icee for a buck.....twenty five.

Everything has gone up this year!

I did notice they have a new Apple Rollover which I might need to try another day!

I got to my post in the Forest and had lots of visitors today!  Some Cousins Bruce & Marilyn Thompson stopped by.  I took a picture, but it was not good, so when I saw them later at the talent show with Mom, I snapped this picture!

Amy Hanson stopped by and told me I needed to get my Bouncing Auggie at the Augsburg booth in the Education Building.

And her son Noah won this little guy!

Raelyn stopped up and stepped into my photo booth

and another one of my kids from work came by with his family!

Matthew & Dad.

This is the 5th Anniversary of the Alphabet Forest and sculptor (who made the fairy mountain) made a birthday cake!

After my work was done, I went to the education building to get my bouncing Auggie.  Apparently you have to fill out a card, spin a wheel and hope to win....I did it on the first try!

I caught the tail end of the Leinie Lodge talent show (in time to hear the winner)  and part of the county show.  I have been waiting for the Frozen songs every night, and I was not disappointed!  this young lady did a medley!

We decided to stop and pick up our silicone baking mats since we measured all our pans!

Mom & I went to meet the Quinn family at the Ball Park cafe and we relaxed and ate and drank while we waited for Stella to get off work.  We consumed; garlic fries, cookies, Mom got a hot dog, Mike went to get a porkchop, and kindly got me Manny's  Hawaiian torta.

Hawaiian Torta

Even Bouncing Auggie had fun!

Stella arrived with an ear of corn and regaled us with tales of her very bad day.  She ate something which gave her a stomach ache, she got a paper cut from a ticket, and some girls she works with were using derogatory words for people at the gates and the day before Stella stood up and told them it was not OK. Today they returned and dumped a pop all over her feet. :(  It turns out someone reported them (it was NOT Stella, but they must have assumed it was) She was sticky and surrounded by bees all afternoon.   The evening got better at work, and we had fun with friends, and shared some cheese curds.  Stella's new favorite food!  It stared to rain, so we made our way out to Snelling Gate 5.  We had to wait a while for the green light and we think while waiting Stella was pick-pocketed from her backpack.  When we got home her iPod touch (from NYC) was gone and she remembered someone bumping into her while we were at the gate.  (NOTE**  the next day Stella talked to a police officer and apparently there is a pick pocket working Gate 5, so be careful and watch your stuff if you are waiting to cross the street!)

We stayed up late changing passwords and trying to use the "find my iPod" app, but it was already turned off and probably being sold as we cried.

Distance: 14,263  ( I might have made it to 15K, but Mike kindly got my Torta!)
Freebies: Bouncing Auggie, Sweet potato chips at the gate, Hormel chip dip,  onmi freeze bands, pennies and milk weed seeds.
Food: cookies, Hawaiian torta, gyro, beer, pork chop, cheese curds, corn, sweet potato chips, apple icee, sundae
Something new: Checked out the Christmas tree exhibit in AG/Hort and saw the butter sculptor at work!