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.
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| 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.
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| 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 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.
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| I liked his eyebrows. |
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| 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. |
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| Almost done with my Strawberry Orange Smasher before I got a photo in the auction barn. Definitely a new favorite combo. |
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| Free auction popcorn! So buttery and salty! And much appreciated. |
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| Rhubarb pie from the Church Ladies Pie Stand. My face says all you need to know. |
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| 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. |
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| Chicken Yakisoba Bowl from the Noodle Palace, with added Sriracha. My second time having this, just as happy with it. |
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