Scenes from The Fair

1) As we walked from the car past the portapotties to the gate into the Fair, I decided to do a quick pit stop to deal with the diuretic issues of drinking 4 doubleshots of espresso before 8am. Isaac saw me veer off and asked Papa where I was headed. Papa said "Your daddo is off to see a man about a horse". "I WANT TO SEE THE HORSE!!!!" was his instant, tearful reply, amazed and saddened that I'd be off seeing animals without bringing him. We finally got him calmed down, having explained about 'euphemisms" and "archaic turns of phrase", and fortunately the wonders of life birth building was mere steps away and we were able to distract Isaac with baby chickens.

5 hours later, as we were walking back to the car, Isaac pulled my hand and started toward the porta-potties: "Now I want to see that horse." He made me open 3 separate (unoccupied) rooms to prove that they were indeed just toilets, no magic horse stables within. We have made Papa swear an oath to watch his language with the kiddos. ;->

2) Yep - it was 5 hours at the fair with Isaac, Jenny, Bella, Pamela, and PapaBam. Great food, an hour at the KidWay with the kids, an epic visit to the Butterfly House, and delight with the small animals building - always my favorite. Isaac was having a grand time, and was literally DANCING through the fair, with a little sashay-skip move with occasional spins. Bella and Jenny were a good pair as well, though when it came to the rides at the Kidway, Bella was the cautious one as always, with Isaac and Jenny going for the thrills.

On the Merry-go-Round, Bella got up on a tall horse, but after a few minutes (and before the ride actually STARTED), she climbed off the horse and went for one of the benches. The round-and-round was enough excitement without needing any up-and-down-maybe-falling-off action. She had a pretty satisfied look, though with occasional moments of worry. That Bella is no thrill seeker... Though all three kids (and Daddo) went down the giant slide TWICE!

3) We all got home around 2:30, and Jenny and Bella settled in for a movie, and everyone else went to sleep. It was a wonderful break in the day, because at 6 we were back in the car and back off to the fair - no kids this time. We got tickets to see A Prairie Home Companion at the Grandstand. The show was definitely fun, though I was a bit vexed by the camera work - between the cameramen and the director picking which camera to show, it was horribly clear that nobody on the visual side had any idea who was doing what on stage: You'd have a violin solo happening, and the camera would hang on the guitarist. There was a quartet singing, and the cameraman framed 3 of the four, left the 4th guy entirely off screen, and let that shot sit for the whole 3 minute song. I know, it's radio - we shouldn't care - but the big screens help a big place like the Grandstand feel a bit more intimate, so it did make a difference.

As to the show itself, it was a typical show with some funny state-fair live interludes. It's interesting to remember that Garrison really is a somewhat shy person, and he started the show singing with his back to the audience... but as it progressed he unfurled and by the end he was very out there. And the fireworks at the end were dazzling.

4) I destroyed my brain and taste buds with a jerk chicken roti from Harry Singh's: It was delicious, but so hot I was almost hallucinating. Somehow I've grown so used to things being advertised as "hot" not really being that hot. To have their tag line "Oh God It's HOT" actually be completely accurate was unexpected... and delightful.