Carnies, Hypnosis, and Heads on a Stick

I bet that got EVERYONE's attention...Let me explain.

Last week I went to the Fair. Apparently now the PC name is the County Fair. But, as a former DMF employee (high school), I can't handle that kind of paradigm shift. No I was not a carnie, contrary to popular belief.

Several years ago I swore off the Fair. Something about it just wasn't a good time anymore. Maybe it was the whole fam trying to figure out the logistics of who wants to go where and when (someone wanted to see animals, someone wanted ride roller coasters, etc). Maybe it was always having to coerce my little sister into doing what I wanted to do because for some odd reason the parents wouldn't let us run off alone. Something about the caliber of people, going to get kidnapped, yadda yadda yadda. I don't know. Everybody at the fair looked pretty upstanding to me. Except the one year when a gang shooting shut it down early.

I decided to try the Fair again this year, thinking maybe the nostalgia of a childhood spent there would make it worth a trip. I was shocked to discover that the Fair, with just adults, is SO MUCH FUN!!! Just eating, hanging out, watching the hypnotist. Only once did I miss the good old days when I saw a lady trying to fit her twins in a double stroller through a narrow doorway. Not that I don't love kids, but it was so much less hectic! And we only stayed for 5 hours, instead of the 10 I would routinely pull off as a child in the ride zone. I feel like I owe my parents an apology for all the times I made them stay until the Fair closed so I could get in "one more ride." Funny how being an adult gives me a different persective. (Yes, I did just call myself an adult.)

All in all, a surprisingly relaxing little afternoon. We saw lots of fun livestock, including piglets in an enclosure modeled after The Three Little Pigs. We even saw Kenny Loggins in concert to end a perfect day. Everyone sang along to the Pooh Corner song (much to my dismay since that song creeps me out), and I realized I kind of like Kenny. I think we were the only people under 45 in the whole grandstand (with the exception of Hayley+entourage), but we LOVED it! "Even though we ain't got money..." C'mon I know you are all singing along in your heads.

I guess you are probably all wondering about the head on a stick. It really just made a good opening line, but we did see a man who bought some sort of souvenir that looked like a long walking stick with a shriveled head on the end. Who knows.

See pictures for me with my favorite food (churro), Bryan with his favorite animal (pigs), and Kenny on stage...