Airport Anecdotes - and Other Good News

After a several-months’ hiatus due to the excitement of escaping extensive home remodeling, Rob and I are back at it helping travelers at PDX. Which means, it’s time for another edition of Airport Anecdotes!

I have very much settled into hanging out post-security. I sit or stand as my back needs behind my little mobile cart. Both it and I are plastered with demands to “ASK ME” The signage is very effective.

All of my lanyard pins are carefully
chosen to reflect different aspects of
the PNW. I'm bummed nobody ever 
asks about them.

Last night, one guy wandered up and sort of incredulously asked, “Do people really ask you questions??” Just as I was about to answer him, a woman appeared on his left. I floated my hand in her direction much like Holly on The Price is Right would invite you to admire a brand-new dinette set. “Yes, they do!” I smiled at him. He sheepishly drifted away as I directed the thirsty woman to the nearest water bottle filling station.

Other notable questions I’ve been asked recently include:

Where can I watch the football game? I pointed behind me to a bar showing the game on 2 screens. I later wandered down Concourse C to verify a tavern down there is also a sportsy option. It always delights me to be able to directly point to the solution.

Where can I find a brownie? I’ve been asked about chocolate chip cookies before (Stumptown Coffee and Pot Belly Deli are my go-tos), but a brownie craving is different. It’s deeper, more primitive, more soulful. It’s important to get it right. Sadly, I didn’t have a confident answer for the woman in desperate need of dense chocolate (oh, have I been there, ma’am!). But I assigned myself the task of finding a satisfying answer for next time. Pot Belly has a “brownie cookie” and Portland Coffee Roasters promised a brownie will be added to their offerings very soon. They suggested I try Smith Teamaker for a vegan brownie. That sounded like a whole bag of disappointment, so I didn’t try one. But it’s good to know that option exists.

How do I leave? I get this question surprisingly often, always with some embarrassment. It’s a very valid question, though, as “EXIT” is nowhere to be found. You have to sleuth out that “Baggage Claim” and “Ground Transportation” would both aim you towards the airport’s exit. I love that my directions to the nearest exit include the phrase “walk through those trees on the left.” Yes, real, live trees. Inside the airport. PDX is amazing.

Do you love your job? Absolutely 10000%. I recently figured out how my introverty self can so thoroughly enjoy talking to so many people over the course of 4 hours at a time. It’s because most of the conversations I have are less than 1 minute long, they are targeted, and they feel productive and complete. Small talk for 4 hours would kill me. Helpful tidbits and the occasional soothing of frantic emotions? That’s why I keep showing up.

Where can I mail a letter? There are two locations pre-security to drop off a “gotta mail it before I forget” postcard or birthday card. But past the TSA checkpoints? Nothing. So, my answer is always, “If you feel comfortable, I am happy to drop it in the mailbox down in Baggage Claim on my way out.” I am humbled and grateful that my offer has always been accepted, including the guy that declined, walked away, apparently sized me up from a distance, and came back to say, “I’ll take you up on that offer.” I’d like to think he was surprised, pleased, and thought even a little kindlier about PDX when the card arrived safely at its destination.

Have you heard the Good News? Oh, Donald. You were something. I didn’t immediately catch on that your good news was Good News. When I did, I shared that I have already embraced this News, naively thinking this would end his well-rehearsed sales pitch. Nope. Donald just kept going, with much enthusiasm and passion. Somewhere in there, he explained how his wife is very smart but, of course, she could never be a preacher since she’s a woman. It was at this point I started earnestly developing an exit strategy while soothing myself that eventually Donald would need to catch his flight. Finally bringing his presentation to a close, he proudly told me how much he loves to fly since it gives him seatmates to share his Good News with. As Donald sauntered down Concourse C with the satisfaction of a job well done, I prayed for him…and even more so for his seatmates.

The Yet Wah Story

My 40^th high school reunion is mere days away. I’m not going. For any number of reasons.

I’m not quite sure how 40 years (40!? YEARS!?!) have passed since I wore an inflatable penguin on my head while accepting my diploma (my high school had a tradition of allowing rather festive decorations on the required and highly disposable cap and gown). While it does not seem like just yesterday, it does not seem like last century either. Time is weird.

See? Festive!
I wore the little slug on my shoulder
at my college graduation, too.

Nevertheless, 40 years feels like sufficient time to safely and publicly tell one of my favorite stories from my final days of high school.

It was June 1986. I was a senior in Mr. Goldman’s 2^nd period Calculus class in a suburb of San Francisco. There were only about 15 of us in the class, mostly guys, all oozing with college prep intensity despite it being a public school.

Instead of desks, we sat at round tables of four. This fostered collaboration, friendship, and the bonding that survival trauma stokes. It was a tough class, geared entirely towards the Advanced Placement test administered at the end of the year. There were two AP test options –  the easier AB and the harder BC – and a score range of 1-5. Mr. Goldman taught with the clear expectation that we would all take the BC test and would score 4s and 5s as a direct reflection of his teaching prowess.

In addition to the standard tests and quizzes (large boards sat in an X on our tables on test days to prevent cheating), we had periodic Homework Quizzes. The purpose of these quizzes was to encourage us to do all the assigned homework, not just cram before the tests.

As a lifelong rule follower, the Homework Quizzes were the easiest tests of my entire education. All that was required was to simply copy our answers – showing all of our work – from our homework notebooks onto the test paper.  “February 18, Question 14.” Flip, flip, flip, find the date and question, copy it down, easy peasy. No studying or anxiety required.

Unless, like my friend Jon L., you didn’t do your homework.

As the end of the school year approached, Mr. Goldman threw a huge curveball. There would be a Homework Quiz covering the entire semester, and it would be worth a significant number of points. I was elated! Easy points!

Jon was terrified.

As class that morning was ending, Jon asked me in a quiet panic if he could borrow my Homework Notebook to make a copy. I was stunned by the bold request. I mean, I had done all the work and he thought I’d just hand it over?! I told him I would think about it.

The next morning, I had a counteroffer.

“I’ll give you my notebook for one night. In return, you have to pay for my dinner of pot stickers at Yet Wah.”

To be clear, I had zero interest in Jon romantically. This offer was entirely food motivated (some things never change…). I absolutely LOVED the pan-fried dumplings at my favorite Chinese restaurant. I still consider them the Gold Standard of Pot Stickers. The idea of eating as many as I wanted at Jon’s expense was quite tantalizing.

PERFECTION!
Photo taken at Yet Wah in 2017 when I 
convinced my aunt to experience pot sticker heaven 
while on a shared trip to the Bay Area.

Jon quickly agreed to the deal. Because I’m me, I decided we needed to make sure this agreement was clearly understood and put in writing. I was not about to be conned out of my pot stickers!

Of course I saved it.

Apparently I was one of the few students who faithfully completed the Calculus homework every night. Word quietly but quickly spread that Jon had my notebook. Others desperately wanted copies, too.

Jon, being a savvy deal maker himself, told the other guys (they were all guys…) that he had to pay for my dinner at Yet Wah in return for borrowing my notebook. So if they got copies, they would have to chip in to pay for my pot stickers.

In just a matter of days, it appeared most of Mr. Goldman’s 2^nd Period Calculus class was treating me to dinner. As long as I got my free pot stickers…and the safe return of my extremely valuable homework notebook…I was quite pleased.

Then Mr. Goldman got word of it.

Not the notebook transaction, the Yet Wah dinner.

I don’t know exactly what he overheard, but he got super excited. He was so touched that his students had bonded so deeply that we wanted to have a dinner together! He enthusiastically invited himself along, and then sweetened the deal by offering to treat the entire class to fancy desserts in San Francisco afterwards.

Before Jon and I knew what was happening, the plan exploded into the entirety of 2^nd Period Calculus – including Mr. Goldman – having dinner together at Yet Wah, followed by fancy treats at Just Desserts. All in San Francisco instead of our quiet suburb. It would be a celebration to remember!

And it was! At least for me. I was quite the princess.

I didn’t have to drive or pay a bridge toll or find parking. I was chauffeured around like royalty.

The dinner was fun, if not a bit awkward. Ever have a group dinner with your math teacher? Weird!

By far, though, the very best part was when the bill came.

Everyone – except me! – had to pay for their own dinner. Plus a number of them divvied up the cost of mine. Lots of fast math, muttered numbers, and dollar bills were passed to Jon literally under the table. Mr. Goldman was at the far end of the table, totally oblivious to the shenanigans that prompted the meal and to the chaotic money exchange happening under his nose.

All the while, me and my Chesire grin sat back and relaxed, totally satisfied and satiated.

And yes, I got my notebook back. And yes, all of 2^nd Period Calculus rocked the Homework Quiz.

I have SO many photos of my friend Grant
giving me that look Senior year! He was so
tired of my camera. I'm grateful I didn't care!

Tim has left the building

According to my calendar, Tim marched purposefully into our lives on March 5, 2026. We had been talking about him for about 15 years. We started making solid plans for him last November after our beloved kitty died and we had more freedom to escape Tim if need be (and need definitely beed). Although we invited him in, Tim nevertheless totally disrupted our lives and sanity for almost 6 months. Man, it’s been a long ride.

Just so we’re on the same page, Tim is not a person. Tim is a sizeable Woodhaven remodeling project involving lots of flooring and a new kitchen and raised floors and ceilings and a roof repair and engineers and inspectors and permits. Lots of moving parts, complete with a spreadsheet and a 10-page document of specs and details and decisions. You can read more about Tim if you scroll back to March.

The Before 
Woodhaven's Breakfast Nook
Pretty much all original from when
we bought Woodhaven 22 years ago.

The Before
Woodhaven's Kitchen
We changed out the counters and the wall oven
and switched to a gas stove shortly after we
moved in. Otherwise, all circa 1993.

In the midst of Tim
Kitchen is to the left, breakfast nook
is in the back corner. The room
with the glass doors is officially
called The Sun Room but it was more
the Water Leaks in Storms Room.
Now it's just called The Kitchen.

In the Midst of Tim
Standing in the breakfast nook
looking into the kitchen.

In the Midst of Tim
Hopefully repaired the roof once and for all.
That plus storm doors will hopefully eliminate
panic with every windy rainstorm. Cuz those
happen occasionally in the PNW.

In the Midst of Tim
Florescent lighting gone!
Wall framing the kitchen gone!
Ceiling raised!
Cabinetry being installed!

During these disruptive 6 months, we at times lived out of our bedroom and master bath, using a backdoor to access the rest of the world. Laundry Day required checking the weather and trotting through our backyard to access our laundry room from the garage. Our bedroom was peppered with suitcases, snacks, a printer and shredder, files and checkbooks. Our bedroom was the closest thing we had to a sanctuary, but it was often noisy and distracting on the other side of the dust-barrier-sealed door. So, we left. Sometimes to hotels within driving distance (I just counted - we stayed in over 20 different places during Tim's visit, including a cruise ship for 33 days). Sometimes much farther away.

Enjoying a snack in Poland!
Tim who??

Leaving the country for nearly 2 months while our house was under reconstruction was absolutely one of the smartest things we have done in a long time. We have worked with our contractors for over 20 years, so Mel and Randy know us well and we trust them implicitly (clearly). Although we still came home to about 3 weeks of noise and decisions and dust and disruption, it helped tremendously that we were in the “putting it back together” phase and had missed most of the demolition and re-engineering.

Randy and Mel
We don't trust Woodhaven to anyone else

I’m deeply relieved and grateful to say Tim did not go significantly sideways at any point in the process. Sure, a few things worked out differently than anticipated and had to be redone or rethought, but nothing that’s worth mentioning or remembering. Overall, the entire adventure went substantially according to plan. WOW!

We have been moved back into our new kitchen and dining room for a few days now. It’s been both instantly familiar and surprisingly jarring.

We had our first home-cooked meal at home a couple of nights ago. I actually had to go grocery shopping for the first time since February. Good Lord, have you seen the prices of food these days?!  Of course you have. But I hadn’t. I was shocked when I saw the total price of my handbasket of items. I stood at the register and scrutinized the receipt, convinced several items had been double or triple scanned. Nope. Yowza!

Post-Fair and Post-Tim restock

Eating an old family favorite recipe (Hobo Stew, not politically correctly named but I wouldn’t dream of changing it) while sitting in our living room watching an episode of “The Love Boat” was a familiarity and routine and recharge I had been craving since March. But making the meal – trying to remember where I put the pan and the skillet and the bowls and the Tabasco sauce. That was unexpectedly perplexing. I was not expecting to not feel at home in my own house.

Rob brought Hobo Stew to our marriage.
I can make it, too, but it tastes better
when he makes it.

Ground turkey, macaroni, and Manwich Sauce
Paired with a nice Zinfandel and Captain
Stubing and Doc = perfection

That’s been the weirdest part. Some rooms in Woodhaven are gloriously comfortable and haveny and where I've retreated for over 20 years. Others are brand new and unfamiliar and feel like someone else's house altogether.

The new laminate floors that replaced the old tile feel and sound different when I walk on them. The kitchen smells different – more “new appliance” and less “the smoke detector went off again.” The refrigerator motor is higher pitched than our old one. I will get used to these things in time. It’s just strange and disorienting at the moment.

For the most part, everything with Tim turned out as envisioned. The kitchen is gorgeous, and I love the countertops – I was worried the small sample piece was too swirly. The little cubby (named Sammy after Sammy Sosa, a Chicago Cub) for our keys and wallets is fantastic. The extra cabinet for all my small appliances is better than hoped, freeing up much space in a pantry and on the now-copious counters. The overall storage space in Woodhaven's new kitchen is incredible. I currently have two completely empty cabinets. What?!

Our selections for countertops,
cabinetry, flooring, and paint.
I can only envision to a point. SO
GRATEFUL this all turned out to look
better than I was hoping!

Sammy!
It took over some of the closet
behind it but totally worth the
lost space. Randy named it. 
He gets us.

Small appliance cabinet in the nook.
There was a large, awkwardly shaped
cabinet there before, with glass doors.
This is MUCH more functional.
Super happy with this!

One of my empty cabinets. I'm sure
I'll find things to put there eventually!

There have been a few disappointing surprises, though.

The fancy utensil drawer in our new dishwasher prevents our wine glasses from fitting, even though it’s simply an updated version of the model we had before. The grates on our new downdraft cooktop are heavy cast iron instead of the more Toni-friendly porcelain-coated metal featured in the 2006 version. None of the drawers in the kitchen are big enough for our now-donated favorite cutting board. The downward-facing sconces to provide task lighting for the breakfast bar don’t face down despite web descriptions to the contrary. And the new smoke detectors required in the bedrooms feature extraordinarily bright green ”I’m working!” lights that are waaaay more nightlighty than promised.

The appliance guy said the cast iron grates are 
considered an upgrade. The manufacturer switched
to them based on customer desires to be more
fancypants. Clearly those fancy customers don't
have weight limits due to titanium in their backs.

Aren't those sconces pretty? They were going to be
upside down per the description online. But, no way
to keep the globes in place. So now they are pretty 
mood lighting. Sigh.

All decidedly first-world problems, all already solved, all just small, momentary barriers to me feeling at home in my new kitchen.

The only regret I have about not being here for the full Experience of Tim is the paint. The kitchen is very yellow. And the breakfast nook is very blue. If I had been onsite, I might have asked for some white to be mixed in to turn down the volume a bit.

We spent hours with little paint chips, moving them around Woodhaven on different walls at different times of the day in different weather conditions and with different lighting sources. Short of painting the walls ourselves, we could not have been more thorough.

Even if we HAD painted walls to test out the colors, I don’t know if that would have changed the decision. Because the lighting in Woodhaven is super duper wonky. It’s different on practically every wall. I absolutely love the happy, cozy yellow of “La Luna Amarilla” on 90% of the walls coated in it. But those other 10%? The ones that are mostly in the shadows? The ones that make the breezy yellow look more like Big Bird? Yeah, that’s a lot of yellow.

So Big Bird! And yet, two feet to
the left, the lighting is brighter and
the yellow is much more calming.
It's the same yellow in the photo 
with the sconces. And Sammy.
Paint and lighting is maddening!

I’m more at peace about the very blue of “Vast Sky” in the breakfast nook. It’s just a lot brighter than the 2-inch sample square promised. I also know, based on over 22 years of Life at Woodhaven, that the blue…and the yellow…will fade over time. The south-facing windows that provide such a peaceful view also provide bleaching sunlight. Often this is vexing. Today it is reassuring.

So blue! But it's the same blue as in
the photo with the small appliances 
cabinet. It's a different shade on 
every wall. Not by design.

We have a couple tiny minor tasks until we are completely Done with Tim. Tasks involving spices and Crockpots and anti-slip drawer liners and storm doors. But we are done enough that Woodhaven’s windows are being cleaned as I type. The Porta Potty was picked up moments ago (much to the collective disappointment of all our delivery drivers). And Woodhaven’s air ducts will be blown clean of all construction dust in a couple of weeks. And then we will be done done. Thank God God.

We've had the potty next to our driveway since
February. I only used it once. Rob, however,
was sad to see it go.

Am I happy with Tim? Absolutely. 1000%.

Am I glad we undertook such a large, disruptive project? Now that it’s over, absolutely. 1000%.

Are kittens in our future now that The Chaos of Tim has settled? Absolutely. 1000%. But we don’t have a timeline since we need to catch our breath first.

Am I ready to settle into the quiet peacefulness of my new old house and remember where I put the strainer?

Absolutely. 1000000%

The After
The Breakfast Nook with this 
moment's version of Vast Sky. 
Super happy!

The After
Woodhaven's New Kitchen
It's so much bigger and brighter!
And now that it's over, absolutely worth the effort.
Thanks, Tim!
And HUGE THANKS to Mel and Randy!!

 

2026 Clark County Fair – Final Recap

It’s been a full week since my beloved Clark County Fair came to a close. Yes, it took a bit to recover this year, but that recovery didn’t really start until last Thursday.

Less than 12 hours after we walked through the Green Gate for the last fairing time in 2026, Paul and his crew were setting up to paint a bunch of walls inside Woodhaven. Yes, we absolutely could have waited. But in the interest of just ripping off the Band-Aid and getting it over with, we continued with the last bits of Tim. Because I knew once I let myself stop, I’d be unenthused to start up again.

Painting is surprisingly noisy. And
so much more relaxing when someone
else does it!

Tim is 99% done – separate blog coming soon! But wow, did he impact my Fair experience.

Rob and I arrived on Day 1 with less energy and more aches (physically and emotionally) than ever before. And on Days 4-6, we greeted Paul’s crew as we whisked off to the Fairgrounds bright and early. It wasn’t until after the Fair was over that we had the time and daylight to take a discerning look at Woodhaven’s new exterior paint job. It looks great!

Despite starting off a bit depleted, I am astounded and relieved to say that after a few days of getting adjusted to Fair Life, we had a blast! Although there were definitely some bumps (hello, Day 9), there were a couple days that were absolutely perfect – friends, food, animals, no rush, no tasks, pure escape. Desperately needed, and deeply appreciated.

Being in charge of the Gazebo again was a bit more work than I expected. I really thought all our lessons and improvements last year would make this year run smoother. And I suppose they did, for the things I could control. But for those things I couldn’t control – like easy access to sufficient supplies – it was a lot of stress and frustration. Especially since solutions that were out of my control seemed so easy.

At the end of Day 9, this was all
the Passports that we had left.
Very stressful! And eventually
thankful more were found overnight.

I loved interacting with all the kiddos who visited the Gazebo. The added stairs so the littles could easily see their prize options were a huge and immediate success. It was also satisfying to intuitively partner with parents on some important life lessons. Like carelessly losing a Beanie Baby prize somewhere on the Fairgrounds and not being given another one out of sympathy. And being gently called out when trying to cheat the system by turning in another kid’s lost Passport for an unearned prize (three cheers for the "Congratulations" stamp!). As someone who doesn’t have kids, it was pretty cool to team up with mom and dad a few times.

LOVE THE STAIRS!
Also kudos to the kiddos who
realized they could peek into our
Beanie Baby stash from the top step
if they knew where to look! Sneaky!

As happens every year, I had some mid-Fair panic purchases. So thankful for Amazon Prime! This year’s last-minute must-haves included: hydration packets to help my copious water consumption be a bit tastier and more Fair-like; a bottle of Tums because we ran through our stash mysteriously fast; a bottle of ink to refill our Congratulations stamp; and comfy Bombas-dupe socks because it turns out some cushioning really does make a difference, but not at $14 per pair.

Top Sock: My daily sock because it
has a smiley face. But also zero
cushioning, as I painfully realized at
the end of Day 1.

Middle Sock: The one pair of Bombas I
bought several months ago to see if a $14
sock was really worth it. I wore them on
Day 2. Verdict: Definitely much more
comfy, but $14?!? For a pair of socks?!? Nope.

Bottom Sock: My Amazon version of the 
pricey Bombas. Not as much cushion but really
comfy and my feet didn't scream. At $14 for
SIX pairs, neither did I.

I really missed not having Demolition Derby this year. While I understand it’s increasingly challenging to find suitable cars, drivers, and liability insurance, the Fair just seemed a little less exciting without watching cars smash into each other. I’ve been scouting out other proximate fairs that might get me my Demo Derby fix. I found one that would require an overnight stay. We’ll see.

In the absence of the Demolition Derby,
Tuff Trucks is now my favorite dirt sport.
My friend Shelley took this photo right after
Rob and I had to leave to tend to the Gazebo.
BOOOOOOO!!!!!

If Rob and I are invited to oversee the Gazebo during next year’s Fair, we will very likely say yes. But we will need to make a few adjustments. Primarily, we don’t want to close the Gazebo at 8:00pm each evening. We offered to do that this year. But once the dirt events arrived and we wanted to spend evenings in the Grandstands, we quickly realized it wasn’t working for us. I started to resent the Gazebo for hijacking my Fair Fun in the evenings. Nobody wants that!

Taken on Day 7. Enough said.

So while there were a few bumps, I had a Great Fair this year. I got the escape I needed. I reconnected with some friends, and I forged stronger bonds with other friends. I ate some delicious food, and only lost sleep one night due to poor culinary choices. Although I know we technically have a month to go, my beloved Fair was a wonderful finale to one heck of a summer. Thank you for riding the roller coaster with me!

Fairwell, 2026 Clark County Fair!
You exhausted me and rejuvenated me! 

2026 Clark County Fair – Day 10 aka THE LAST DAY

I was going to write about The Last Day of my beloved Fair when we got home last night, but we stayed a bit late. I also wanted the luxury of just taking a shower and going to bed. I still had to set an alarm this morning – the interior painters arrived at 8:00am and are currently making lots of masking tape noises in our bedroom.

Yesterday was a MUCH better fairing day.

We got to the Fairgrounds to open up the Gazebo and greet the 3 volunteers. Then we were off to church. I’m pleased we kept that priority while fairing!

I was greeted with such love and friendship by my church family! A number of them read my blog and follow my fairing on social media. I got hugs and commiseration and encouragement. They were just the boost I needed to fair well on the last day and not let Day 9 be the definition of this year’s Fair. Thank you, church family!! You ROCK!

Nothing says love quite like
a Church Cookie

The fairgrounds were busy for the last day – and got more so over the course of the day – but they weren’t nearly as whackadoodle crowded as Saturday. The consensus of all the Fair peeps I talked to was that Saturday was ridiculous. I wasn’t the only one – by far – who had a rough day. Just part of the roller coaster of 10 Days of Fair.

Rob and I caught most of the 2:00pm Tuff Trucks show. With the disappearance of my favorite Demolition Derby, the Tuff Trucks is now my favorite dirt sport. I love that the participants are mostly local testosterone running their dirty rigs around an obstacle course. Pickups and Jeeps of various sorts are most common. But there’s also the occasional Subaru, minivan, and Saturn.

One of our painters just identified this
for me as a Saturn Ion. Click here to 
see a video of the floppy hood racing
around the track! And click here
to see a minivan blow its rear tire.
SO MUCH FUN!

By design, Rob and I had the very last shift in the Gazebo. Hanging out together in the Gazebo is a wonderful way to end 10 days of fairing. We quietly watched the last excitement walk by. We helped kids get their “last chance” Beanie Babies. We watched the llamas and alpacas trot out of the Llama Greenway to head home. We said goodbye to Mina, our favorite Clark County Fire District 6 employee who checked in with us each day, commiserated about Fair Food Finds, and never did complete a Passport.

I never get tired of watching llamas trot!
Click here to see the short parade!

Marketing Maven Jenny stopped by towards the end of the shift to gather supplies and share hugs and deep sighs of relief. After being in the Fair Trenches with each other for two years now, I am pretty sure we are friends for life.

We laughed, we cried, we waved,
we hugged, we texted. We had
a blast together! Love you, Jenny!

After we closed up the Gazebo for the last time in 2026, Rob and I grabbed dinner (wow, what an awful corn dog!), stopped by to say goodbye to our Smashers friends (even got a hug from one of the kids!), gave a high-five to Tosha in the Potato Smashers booth with promises to visit her at her restaurant in La Center (Podunk Pizza), and hung out with our friends Ali and Terri in the Sewing & Clothing Department. 

Ali and Terri had a LONG night ahead of them, tearing down the displays and organizing all the entries and ribbons for easy retrieval by the participants. As tired as I am this morning, I cannot begin to imagine how exhausted all the exhibitors are. Just as the Fairgoers leave, the hard work of Tear Down begins.

Us with Ali in the adorable and
super fun board SHE PAINTED!!
Yes, she is starting to pursue a
career in artistry. YAY!
Click here to see her
website-in-progress.

There weren’t any tears on the way home last night. There were a few wistful moments throughout the day, though. I took a moment in the Grandstands to remember how desperately I missed the crowd and the excitement during those confusing, isolated, strange days of Covid when my beloved Fair was cancelled.

Afternoon Tuff Trucks crowd. Pretty
sure the only reason it wasn't at capacity
was some of the seats were in the sun.

I listened mindfully as Rob and I strolled the Midway holding hands, taking in the murmur of fair voices and carnival screams and booth music. I stared at the ramshackle Gazebo that was my home-away-from-home and laser focus for 10 days, thanking it for the escape from heavier stresses of life…even on Day 9 when I resented it for stealing my Fair Joy. I watched families exit the Green Gate as I waited for my Fair Finale Elephant Ear, wondering what it would be like to merely attend my beloved Fair…and being deeply grateful I get to be a part of it instead.

I will post one final Fair 2026 blog later this week, once I’ve rested a bit, done some laundry, and the paint fumes are gone.

FAIR FOOD FEAST PARADE!

Pastrami Sandwich from the Church
Ladies Pie Stand. Perfection.

Pineapple Strawberry Smasher.
Oddly, the Strawberry made the coconut
in the Pineapple more pronounced. I 
decided I didn't need that much coconut.
It was fine, but I'll remember not to
blend the Pineapple next year.

Tuff Trucks Red Vines. I had some 
for breakfast this morning since
I need to go grocery shopping.

Raspberry Caramel milkshake! A
delicious combination I learned
about last year from a Fair Queen.
Royalty knows stuff!

Horrible corn dog from the Smokehouse
Booth. To be fair, it was the last hours
on the last day. But...ick. Burned
corn dog is not appetizing.

Fair Finale Elephant Ear from the 
Chuck Wagon near the Green Gate.
Buttery and douse with sugar and
cinnamon. Perfect ending to The Fair.

2026 Clark County Fair – Day 9

Today was a tough day. I didn’t have fun, and I’m sad.

I spent most of the day trying to manage low supplies for the Gazebo. I wasn’t able to do the Fair things I planned to do today. I feel like the Gazebo stole my Fair Joy, and I’m grumpy.

I wasn’t able to settle into the bleachers at the Junior Livestock Auction and wave my paddle around to support random kids and their animals. Or go to the opening round of the 2-day Tuff Truck competition. Or sit next to Rob in our favorite spot and watch the evening round. Or just breathe in the Fair.

Instead, I was sending and replying to status update texts, walking with purpose around the Fairgrounds looking for people who could help me track down supplies, and trying to manage impressively enthusiastic volunteers without snuffing out their fun, too.

A friend sent me a photo from the 
Iowa State Fair. I sent this one back to him.
Five people in the Gazebo, and we were
all busy. Usually two is enough.

It didn’t help that today was the busiest day of the Fair this year, at least from what I saw.

There were people and kids and strollers all over the Fairgrounds. There were so many people, Rob and I both had problems connecting to the internet with our phones. This made the whole texting-about-supplies thing extra challenging.

The only other time we have experienced our cell service being throttled at a fair due to soooo many people trying to ride on the same towers was last year at the Minnesota State Fair. Yeah, it was pretty crowded today. 

I often forget there are gorgeous trees
on our Fairgrounds. I was grateful for
this view today from a bench I rarely
sit on. It helped me regroup and not cry.

I got to do a few Fair-ish things, but they were shoehorned in, rushed, disjointed. While most nights I end up with about 70-90 photos from the day (after deleting the bad ones), tonight I have a whopping 28 photos to capture a day that had me on the verge of disappointed, annoyed, sad tears a few times. Perhaps fewer photos is better?

I am REALLY bummed I didn’t get to stay in the bleachers and cheer on Taylor’s brother in the auction ring when he brought his piggy to market. Instead, I had to do a boring “add on” which just means I gave the auction office some money to pass along to him after the auction was over. I got to watch about 4 steers being auctioned before I had to dash back to the Gazebo to deal with a Beanie Baby crisis. I'm mad just typing that. These are not the priorities I want to Fair with.

I liked his eyebrows.

I had great plans for this paddle.
DANG IT. And I'm sure the livestock
folks agree.

Rob and I watched about half of the evening Tuff Trucks show before he left to close the Gazebo at 8:00pm. Because the rednecks-and-their-rigs show was so popular, the Grandstands were at capacity. This meant anyone who left wasn’t allowed back in. 

I sat and watched about 30 minutes of the show without Rob. It wasn’t nearly as fun without him. As I sat by myself in a crowd of people, I was sad that my Fair Buddy was stuck outside of the Grandstands because he had to leave to help out the Fair. That's not right, and that's not Fair.

Most of the early entries got stuck in
the mud bog and had to be lifted out.

I desperately hope tomorrow is better. I want my Fair Joy back. I don’t want to leave the Green Gate for the last time tomorrow night filled with disappointment and regret about how I Faired this year. I love my Fair and I love volunteering. But I can't have more days like today.

 

FAIR FOOD FEAST PARADE!

Chicken Quesadilla from the Noodle
Palace. I need to remember to ask
for extra Fiesta Sauce on the side for dipping.
Fantastic breakfast. I couldn't finish it so
I shared it with my Smashers friends.
They might be fans now, too. 

Almost done with my Strawberry Orange
Smasher before I got a photo in the auction
barn. Definitely a new favorite combo.

Free auction popcorn! So buttery
and salty! And much appreciated.

Rhubarb pie from the Church Ladies
Pie Stand. My face says all you need
to know.

I needed some chocolate. This peanut
butter fudge from the fudge stand inside
the Big Air Conditioned Building hit 
the spot. I asked for a "bite sized" piece.
Bigger than I needed but I ate it all.

Chicken Yakisoba Bowl from the 
Noodle Palace, with added Sriracha.
My second time having this, just
as happy with it.