2014 Fair! ~ Day 2

Today was dominated by one amazing event, an event that was birthed back in February that I hoped and hoped for five months would really, truly come true.

Because I am something of a Clark County Fair Court Stalker, I convinced Rob back in February that we needed to attend the official coronation of the Fair Court. It was basically a kick-off party for all the PR and such that the three young women and their horses do to promote the Fair each year.

Through pure coincidence...or divine intervention, your pick...Rob and I happened to sit last-minute at a table in the back. Next to me was a wonderful woman I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with. She was one of those people I just liked right away, and it didn't only have to do with the fact that she seemed to be a Fair Fan, too. But that didn't hurt.

We talked Fair and Fair Court and milkshakes. Then, outta nowhere, totally unexpected, this nice lady asked if I would be interested in working in the Dairy Women Milkshake Barn during the Fair. That's THE place that everyone knows to go during the Fair for the very best milkshakes. The peach ones are the universal favorite but, bucking the trend yet again, I much prefer the chocolate cherry.

Back to the Barn, the milkshake crew is always staffed with a bunch of fast-moving women wearing adorable cow aprons. Because, of course, they are Dairy Women.

I had no idea if the nice woman next to me at the coronation was asking hypothetically about my desire to sling milkshakes, or if she had some connection to the Powers That Be Milkshake Mavens. Either way, my answer was a stunned and giddy and immediate YES! All of a sudden, she was asking for my contact information and I started dreaming of wearing a cow apron come August.

And so, that brings us to today and to this:

Nope, not excited in the least

Yes!! It's true!!! I got to work in the Milkshake Barn!!!!!

I only signed up for 2 hours since I wasn't sure how my back would do. So far, it seems unaffected by the shift, although I am medicated and currently attached to a TENS unit. But I don't care!! I got to work in the Milkshake Barn!!!! And wear a cow apron!!!

COW APRON!!!

The crew was a fun bunch of women and one young guy (he was fun, too). They were all there to support the Vancouver Rodeo Queen. I had no idea, but the Dairy Women have different crews of females rotate through as volunteer employees in the barn. In return for their service, the Dairy Women make a donation to crew's organization. How cool is that? Even cooler? The Queen herself was working the register today.

I started off learning how to scoop fruit and listen for orders. I also got to hand out some milkshakes which was super fun.

Very serious about my fruit scooping

"Here's your peach milkshake!  Enjoy the Fair!!"

Once I got the hang of the fruit, they asked if I wanted to learn how to use the mixer. You know, that machine that dispenses the soft-serve ice cream and then has an attachment that has the capacity to fling fruit and dairy product all over a barn. The Rodeo Crew obviously did not know my history in my kitchen. Nevertheless, I boldly said YES, took a deep breath, and ended up whirring up a storm the rest of my shift without any uncommonly embarrassing flinging.

Some things I learned "on the job" in The Barn:

• Peach is indeed a crowd favorite. However, we ran out of the smashed cookie bits for Cookies n Cream by 1:30pm

• Cookies n Cream is the messiest milkshake to whirl because it takes some extra effort to mix in those cookie bits. Pretty much all of my flinging was due to cookie bits.

• A boy is a good thing to have in a milkshake barn. He did all the heavy stuff like scooping hard-serve ice cream and restocking the soft-serve machines and lugging stuff out of the fridge. He was very handy.  My back liked him very much.

• Although not on the menu, raspberry peach was a somewhat popular...and wildly intriguing...combination. I will be trying it soon.

• According to my pedometer, a 2 hour shift in the Dairy Women Milkshake Barn requires 0.32 mile of walking. It's a small barn.

• Health inspectors come by daily to check on how properly things are running. It was surprisingly nerve-wracking to have the two women there for a spell. Their clipboards and thermometers were quite intimidating. Nevertheless, all seemed to go well and they eventually left with milkshakes in hand.

• During a rush, I was so focused on my whirring, I managed to overheat my whir-thingy and my machine stopped mid-whir for a peach milkshake. Luckily, a cold towel placed on the hot machine part cooled it down in just a few minutes and I was back in business.

• You learn fast or you don't last.  The young woman who was training me was a pro so I asked her how many years she had been working in the Milkshake Barn.  With a confused look she answered, "This is my second day."  

• I got to wear a cow apron! I so revere it, I found myself not wanting to wipe my gloved hands on it. Aside from my flung cookie bits, it was probably the cleanest used apron of the day. Nevertheless, I managed to end my shift with my watch covered in chocolate and my arms and legs sprinkled with vanilla.  Heaven!

I had such a blast and a half, I signed up for two more shifts later in the Fair, one of which Rob has agreed to join me as the Boy in the Barn. Yes, I can be very persuasive. Stay tuned!

From milkshakes to corn
There were a few other things to my day other than wearing a cow apron. Let me check my notes.

Oh, right, we caught the "Pirates of the Caribbean Fire Dive Show." It replaced the Dock Dogs this year (dogs running on a ramp and jumping into a pool of water to see who can jump the furthest).

The piratey diving show was sort of hokey. Although great for kids, the keystone cops in pirate gear shtick was pretty corny. There was a loose plot line, music that sounded like the theme song from the TV show "Survivor," and goofy dives and pratfalls off the diving boards. Several groups of adults left after just a few minutes.

Oh, and the fire part? It was one guy at the very beginning who did one fiery dive to start the show. I honestly can't remember how he fit into the plot line.

I miss the jumping dogs.

Never too old to play air guitar
Tonight's free concert in the grandstands was Creedence Clearwater Revisited -- a tribute band to CCR. I went with few expectations, other than I might recognize a song or two. Much to my surprise, I knew about 85% of the songs they played. I even liked most of them! And the cool thing about a tribute band is, they only play the hits. They don't insist on playing stuff from their new album that you've never heard and really don't want to buy.

The concert was much better attended than last night's Night Ranger rock-out. Lots more people, lots more dancing, lots less hair. The band also had quite a bit of help throughout the grandstands, what with all the air drums and air guitars being played. It was great fun!

Although the band wasn't as entertaining as Night Ranger, I'd say CCR's fans more than made up for it. I had a ton of fun watching a lot of people have a great time.

A lot less hair all around

Diggin' the fringe!
One of the many reasons I love to stalk the Fair Court is their wardrobe.  Everyday at the Fair, they wear a different matchy matchy outfit, usually all sparkly and blingy.  Today's outfit was my most favorite ever.  Perhaps to match the grooviness of the 1970s for CCR, their blouses were orange and fringey.  If I had been doing a better job stalking, I would have seen them well before the concert and would have gotten my picture with them.  Instead, I just have this one from way across the grandstands.  Darn it!

Groovy Fair Court

Celebrity sitting.  I mean siting.  Sited sitting?
As we were leaving the grandstands after the concert, I spotted a local and reality TV celebrity.  Notable from his two-time win...including the "All-Star Edition"...on Lifetime's "Project Runway" is Vancouver homeboy Seth Aaron Henderson.  I almost went up to him to say hi, since we met when he designed outfits for Rojo the Llama and Napoleon the Alpaca for some charity events.  But I feared without the camelids as memory joggers, I would just seem sort of creepy.  So instead I took a picture of him with my awesome zoom as Rob and our friend Bonnie pretended to pose for a picture in the general vicinity.  Because that's not creepy at all.

Stats
My pedometer says I walked 2.80 miles today. Even with my milkshake barn stint (did I mention I got to wear a cow apron?), that seems low. Checking pedometer placement late in the day, I determined my shorts were floppy. I mean the waistband. The waistband was floppy.  So my pedometer reading is probably underestimated.

Today's re-entry hand-stamp was a sheep.

And now, today's Fair Food Feast Parade!

Pre-Barn lunch of the Soft Taco Supreme WITH sour cream.  I love it because the meat tastes like Taco Bell.  And in real life, I never eat at Taco Bell.

Pre-Barn Tylenol.  This scene was repeated several times.  Still managing to avoid the big guns.

My FREE post-Barn chocolate cherry milkshake...made with chocolate ice cream.  It. Was. Delicious.

Snapped a photo just in time to catch the last bits of my frozen strawberry lemonade.  Hit the spot.

Corn dog from the Lions Booth.  I ran into a neighbor who recommended the foot-long corn dog from a vendor south of the Food Court.  Hmmm.

This photo was NOT staged or posed!  That's really our reaction to the delicious garlic-strewn fries from the Greek Cusina vendor at the end of the food court.  I shared the fries with Bonnie and Rob.  They were strong and packed a little heat.  We're thinking horseradish?  And maybe some feta?  Truly, if you like garlic, get these!!  And be sure to share them with anyone you plan to breathe near. 

Looking a bit sinister over my honey-filled candy from the Bee Barn

Bonnie questioning my choice of CCR Red Rope

Deep fried Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  Oh, a year is just too long!  Oooey gooey dreaminess.