welcome to germ city

Fantastic time at the state fair today. The doggies of the wild west continue to be my favorite thing there. Before the show started I saw them walking the doggies, a wise precaution I'm sure. They had the biggest pooper scooper I've ever seen. They did the exact same magic trick as last year, and I was highly amused that she even used the same patter on her audience assistant as she had used on me last time. They added new dog tricks to keep it fun, including a dog who climbs up a tall metal ladder and then jumps off into his handler's arms. Pretty amazing.

We had great fair food: the ever fabulous mini doughnuts, butterfly potato chips (a pile of potato chips, thinly sliced and still connected to each other on one end, right out of the fryer), fresh ice cream from the John Deere ice cream machine and fresh apple cider from the apple people right near there. The only food disappointment was the pork chop biscuit from the farmer's market restaurant. It tasted good, but was nearly impossible to eat. Because it was a whole pork chop, bone in, deep fried and then stuck inside a biscuit. How in the heck are you supposed to eat that? I ended up removing the pork chop from the biscuit, pulling off bits of meat with my fingers, and then eating the biscuit separately. Good biscuit, and good pork chop. Just not good together, without a fork.

We did not try the deep fried Coke because we heard it was lame. Also did not try the deep fried cheeseburger, although I wanted to, but it was from the same place that sells deep fried Coke and had a huge line at all times. Was intrigued by a place selling "barbecue sundae," but it turned out to be merely a barbecue sandwich with no bread, in a cup, so we passed.

They had a new thing in the agriculture building: "Germ City," an exhibit to show you how disgustingly unclean you are. They give you lotion with glow in the dark pigment to rub into your hands. Then you go into a black light booth and see your hands all glowy. Next you wash your hands, then back into the booth to see how much glow residue remains. "Wherever your hands are glowing," the woman in the booth told us, "that's where you have germs." I washed my hands extra good but still my fingernails were covered with glow. As were my two rings and a spot on the heel of one hand. Of course I did this after walking around eating a pork chop with my hands. Figures!

We always go to the Village of Yesteryear and this year I bought a small vase from Turn and Burn pottery. They press horse hair into the glaze before firing, and the hair burns off leaving beautiful, intricate black patterns. I maybe could have gotten it cheaper from the big Seagrove pottery sale in November, but that's a long drive and I'm not really in the mood to spend a whole day next month shopping for pottery.

Normally we avoid the midway but this time we took a stroll around it before we left. It was getting dark and the rides looked beautiful all lit up. Beautiful and nauseating. I have never understood the appeal of midway rides. One in particular, I forget what it was called, but it was a long metal arm that swung around, with a small cage on each end. The cages also spun around on their own axis as the big arm was swinging. When we first saw it Georg said, "oh my god, that would be like riding on the end of a catapult." I replied, "I think it's more like a trebuchet." Whether catapult or trebuchet, I don't get why anyone would experience that on purpose, much less line up for the privilege.

We stayed for over 5 hours, and even though I wore comfy shoes my feet were sore. Still, I'm glad we stayed so long. I think it was one of our best years at the fair in a long time.