Fair Weather

Yesterday, I went to the Alaska State Fair. I love the State Fair and I try to go every year, although I think I might have missed it one year. This year and last, our work has had a booth at the fair. If we man the booth, we get in the fair and park for free, and we get comp time for however many hours we worked, plus drive time. So it's a real boondoggle for me, because I love the fair, I get to go for free, and I get comp time for it! Yay! Plus, yesterday was the first day in, I don't know, a CENTURY that it wasn't cloudy and/or raining. Bonus!

Highlights of the fair:

• Fried food. This year I just got the fried zucchini, although I usually like the fried mushrooms as well. I also shared a funnel cake, and ate 1 1/2 kabobs (not fried) and a bratwurst and giant cookie for lunch (also not fried). Funnel cake....mmmmmm.
• Giant veggies. I missed the giant veggie exhibit this year, for which I'm kicking myself. They have a giant cabbage weigh off every year. The cabbages are usually 70 lbs or so, and last year they had a few 90 lb pumpkins. Always cool to look at.
• Animals. My favorite are the small animals, like the guinea pigs and rabbits, but they didn't have any guinea pigs out this year. The fair guy said that it was because it was too cold, so the competitors took their animals home after the competition. We did get to see some piglets, who were one week old. They were so little and cute! Hard to believe they grow up to be a huge ugly pig. There were some older piglets there too, and they were also pretty cute. Also, lots of goats, and some unfriendly alpacas, and a donkey.
• Art. I always like the art exhibits. Some of the people are just so talented! What I don't like about the State Fair, though, is that they mix the age classes. So you might have a portrait painted by a very talented 22 year old next to a crayon drawing by a 10 year old. It's just hard to compare, because those are very different skill sets.
  
• White trash. Now, I don't think this is just at the Alaska State Fair, but maybe other states have higher class fairs, I don't know. Regardless, there was no end to mullets, and large people wearing clothing that was way too small for them.

I did not get to see any cool shows this year. Last year, E and I got to see the dog and pony show (really, a dog and pony show!), and the year before I saw some Irish dancers. I wanted to see the Lumberjack show (beefy guys sawing things and climbing poles), but I missed it. Oh well.

We did go to the bar, which was new. I usually avoid the bar, because I perceived it as expensive. But actually, the beers were only $.50 than you get downtown. So that wasn't too bad. More importantly, the band playing at the bar was lots of fun. They were a blues/cajun band, with a crazy lead singer who played the fiddle. He looked like a cross between Clint Eastwood and Tom Petty, and he when he really got into the fiddling and his hair would fly every where. The music was good, and we danced a little.

The best part though, was the clientele at the Fair bar. There were lots of drunk people -- at least two individuals had to be escorted out. One was a girl who obviously hadn't gotten any in a looooonnnng time. She kept flipping her hair back and forth, and bending over to show off her rather large ass, and running her hands over her also rather large chest. Then, a really drunk old guy started dancing with her and kept dancing after she got thrown out. He had whitish/blondish hair and a wore blue tank top, which exhibited his flabby arms and giant beer belly very well. He kept doing these butt waggles like a bee showing the way to the honey. The crowning moment though, was when he leaned back against the bar and started doing pelvic thrusts toward another (very drunk and slightly trashy) dance partner. It was disgusting, and yet hilarious. Finally he got thrown out too, and our main source of entertainment was gone.

Anyway, it was a good time, and a good closer for the season.