observations on the fair

By fair standards, the Thurston County Fair really isn't much of a fair. Oh, they have all the big fair events - livestock auctions, horse riding competitions, vendors, agriculture, art, concerts, food and the carnival - but on the scale of county fairs... it's peanuts.

Nonetheless, Wesley looks forward to going every year, and we made our annual trek last night with Cathy and Cody. This year I got smart and planned ahead.

• Dinner at Cathy's - FREE
• Parking - $2.50 (Cathy paid the other half)
• Entrance - $2.00 (plus two donations for the Thurston County Food Bank)
• Unlimited carnival ride wristband - $15.00 (purchased before the fair started saving an additional $5)

Besides the people we ran into from school, summer camp, or wherever else we know people from, I have to say there are some really weird people that hang out at the fair. Some of my favorites were:

• The couple who wanted to know where the stage was (there's 3) and then argued with me when I told them where each and every one of them were.
• The kid that kept going in the exit and out the entrance of the haunted house after being told by the carnie at least 6 times to go the other way. (Where the hell were the parents?)
• The mother who argued with one of the carnies about 'why would she be allowed to buy tickets for her daughter to ride the rides and then have her daughter not be allowed to ride them'. (The girl had a full cast on her right arm.)
• The man who dropped his cell phone while riding the Zipper and somehow got it stuck inside the fiberglass seat he was riding in causing the ride to be shut down for 15 minutes while they tried to retrieve it for him. (Didn't happen... maybe when they tear things down in the middle of the night on Sunday.)
• And my most favorite... the old fat lady who wanted me to watch her purse and bag while she rode the rides so she wouldn't have to take them on with her.

Of course there were many other skanky, poorly (or barely) dressed people floating about, but it's rare when you can say the carnies looked more normal and approachable than many of the fairgoers. The carnies are on their way to you next week, Stacie. Wish I could send the rest of the underworld with them!