MN State Fair on a stick

I attended the fair this past Tuesday and did enjoy several things! I did have some fantastic foods along the way:
- nice vanilla shake from the U of M dairy barn
- fried cheese curds
- Tornado Potato... and yes, it was delightful. I had some spicy seasoning on it as well.
- corn on the cob dipped in butter (I'm in the mid-west)
- Sweet Martha's Cookies... mmmmm.

... I'm sure there is something I'm missing. I did see some rather interesting things on a stick. You'll have to see to believe. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera.

The fair is not all food, rides and shows however. If grease and Garrison Keillor are not your thing, there are several things other things that can keep you busy. For instance, we visited the 'Miracle of Life Birthing Center.' Here you can see animals, you guessed it, being born. I'm not talking about TVs just broadcasting births. I'm talking, if there is a cow about to have a calf, into the birthing center they go. This place has bleachers and monitors for all to enjoy. When we strolled through, we saw a 3 hour old calf in the middle pin and piglets nursing in another. Pretty cool actually.

We also walked through the cow, swine and horse barns. I don't get to see these things in the middle of a metropolis too often. So, when I can, I jump on the chance.

If you are a media junkie, or fancy a certain weatherman (Sven), then the fair is good for that as well. See, all major TV news and radio stations are present at the fair. You can again, sit in bleachers, and be an active participant in the broadcast, see the anchors and camera operators at work and the interns running about.

There is also an art exhibit and a 'green' expo. I now see why people can spend days attending the fair. It's rather difficult to absorb everything in one visit, especially if you are seeing a show or want to be on a live Newscast.

I didn't get to visit the beer garden or attend a show this year, but I'm looking forward to the 2010 fair and this one's not even over yet.

The Great MN Get Together!

Well summer is really winding down in the land of 10,000 lakes. You can feel the crisp air in the morning. I've been watching more people reach for sweaters and close-toed shoes. I must say that I'm excited.

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. Changing leaves, football, students heading back to the books, and people here begin devising 'winter projects'.

With more months of below freezing than above, many people pick up their 'inside' hobbies once again. For instance, I have learned to knit in the winter months, along with getting back into American Sign Language, French, (a little) German and baking is even attempted.

But I'm not quite prepared to dwell on Old Man Winter just yet...

For now, I'm going to focus on what is currently holding the attention of every Minnesotan. The State Fair! I breathe the fair every day. Seriously, I live across the street from heart attack on a stick. While I was tempted to pass this year, I'm looking forward to the adventure this week. See, last year I worked everyday of the fair. I had just moved up to Minnesota and was looking for work and was placed in the two week position of soda spiller, bee killer, hot dog fetcher and beer tapper. I'm not sure if it was the 13 hour days in the heat, the thousands of people I served or the lack of funds to enjoy my breaks, but I didn't have a great first experience. Fortunately, from the help of locals, they have turned my pessimism for the fair into an event that I now look forward to.

My plans are to head there during the work week in hopes to hit a less massive crowd.

And yes, there are a few things I'm looking forward to trying out. Like, the Tornado Potato! That is the picture that I have in this post. I mean, who wouldn't look forward to eating this?!