MN State Fair Sonnet - Day 10

Animals.

I’ve heard stories of city kids who had no idea where their food comes from. Pat told me about being in a vet class at U of M and a teacher told a story of a student raising her hand and asking, “Why do we have to kill animals when you can go to store and just buy meat?” I do know that all the cute animals at the fair might end up in my mouth.



I don’t get many chances to pet a sleepy Brown Swiss...



...or hear a barn full of lycra dressed sheep



...or see a bunch of chickens and roosters – some with crazy Tina Turner hair and some with hairy feet.





I don’t get how you get used to the smell of a pig barn. We liked that there were a bunch of pigs from one farm that had Vikings players and cheerleaders for their names. Is it payback for them signing on Brett Favre?



I've never seen a rat in a barn before - but one bored kid put a rubber one on a string and rigged it so he could drop it on unsuspecting victims. It was funny to watch.



Animals more on my level are at the Pet Center. We wanted to watch a dog do agility training but the trainer wanted to bore both the audience and the patient dog with explanations not demonstration. I hope that poor dog isn’t still sitting there waiting for the ball to be thrown.

Tomorrow I have a story about a comedy act that involved a horse and a guy and the horse was funnier than the human.

MN State Fair Sonnet - Day 9

Signs and graphic elements
Everyone knows how much I dig nearly any kind of sign or roadside attraction. I already posted two photos that are a compilations of my favorite neon fair signs. There are other graphic elements and signs around the fair that you might not notice.

In 1966, Fairchild the gopher became the official mascot of the State. Fairchild (a play on the institution’s title) got his name after a state-wide naming contest. It is also a tribute to Henry S. Fairchild, the man who suggested the Ramsey County Poor Farm become the permanent site of the State Fair



There's this hidden gem. Steichen's. It’s a cute little store hidden off the main drag and just covered in signs.



One of the world’s greatest fair signs promotes itself. I can’t speak for the product, but the sign rocks day and night. And spins.



Those Pronto Pup arrows (but not the stands) are sadly long gone and also some recording that used to tell you to "Get yourself a Pronto Pup"



Some of the buildings have some interesting elements inside and out – like the chickens on the poultry building:



the L’etoile du Nord the MN State seal:



And a wheat motif on the Horticulture building:



I am a big fan of the big wooden, art deco letters in the Horticulture building. The sign for crop art is art in itself.



These garbage cans are getting more and more scarce. I found these in the parking lot across from the fair.







I don’t know why but the arrows in the Creative Arts building remind me of Grandma’s basement shuffle board game. This way to the egress.

MN State Fair Sonnet - Day 8

Architecture.

One wouldn’t think about architecture at a state fair but there’s quite a variety at the MN State Fair. The Minnesota State Fair Foundation has this great walking tour of some of the buildings on the State Fairgrounds. Check out their brochure that include some of these buildings.

Starting with the oldest, the Fine Arts and Progress buildings were both built in 1907. Your art gets to be shown in an work of art. If you’re lucky enough to make the cut.

This cute yellow J.V. Bailey House was built in 1911 was formerly the Greenhouse Superintendent's Quarters. Now it's the home of the MN State Fair Foundation. I'm not sure how, but I want to live in it – they just did a big renovation and it looks beautiful. Wouldn't it be cool to live in the fairgrounds.














It is so hokey, but you have to take a ride on Ye Old Mill – built in 1913. In between looking at the displays you can make out with a loved one in the total darkness. Then go get some Tom Thumb mini donuts next door.



I so love the Ag Hort building built in 1947 – I love the Art Deco look of it both inside and out. And not only does the big tower light up at night, it changes color. How cool is that!



Some buildings aren’t necessarily architectural wonders, but I love them anyway – like the former Spaghetti Village - now Spamville. Goodbye bland Italian food and crappy pizza hello spicy and deep fried Spam.



There is the hideously 1970s Creative Arts building. Thanks MNHS:


Check out this site for more MN State Fair buildings. Tomorrow - graphic elements in the buildings I love.

MN State Fair Sonnet - Day 7

Klecko at Saint Agnes booth MN State Fair
Originally uploaded by Debora Drower

Education
It's funny to think of actually learning something at the fair. It should just be a big snack and go on ride show. There are quite a few learning opportunities – the DNR fish tank and DNR building is a big draw. There's a very Bell Museum kind of animal diorama in the DNR building. I love it. At Heritage Square you can watch a blacksmith and woodturner and learn about newspaper printing – to name a few things. There’s the Miracle of Birth building to see things being squeezed out by animals. And there’s a farm for the city kids. I kinda dig the Territorial Pioneers Museum (they don’t promote it well at the fair on the web) and the State fair history museums because they're old and dusty never change.

Some things are just soft selling products; the new Eco Experience building has all sorts of green stuff to learn about and also has sales reps on hand to sell you the recycled glass counter tops flooring and electric cars. Everyone’s gotta make a buck, somehow.

Long ago, there was a Betty Crocker demo kitchen in the Creative Activities building. It was great – women in aprons making stuff from mixes or canning. Pretty dry stuff. I have some of the recipe brochures they handed out. You wonder why it fell out of favor. Maybe because the core audience was dying out, literally. So Betty packed up and they needed new fresh talent to liven up the joint. They ask Klecko, master baker from Saint Agnes bakery because he knows everyone in the twin cities food biz. And his show is the best at the fair. I’ve even been a guest at his demo kitchen explaining to the crowd about ice cream trucks and novelties. Pictured is Klecko in the State fair demo kitchen.

MN State Fair Sonnet - Day 6

Food Art

Some people think way the Sweet Martha’s cookies are stacked in the paper cone, or the Jengaesque, pixie stix stack of French fries are works of art but that’s minor league.

Two of my favorite exhibits are things made with food. The crop art is the best. I have to make my self see the whole Hort Ag building before I allow myself the crop art. I will miss the queen herself, Lillian Colton, the grand champion of all crop art who died in 2007. She’d sit a folding table paitently glueing tiny seeds.
Shown are some 2008 political themed crop art entries.





Next on my list, are the butter heads at the Dairy Building. Princess Kay of the Milky Way; Minnesota's state dairy princess, gets her likeness carved in an 90 lb hunk of butter. The picture shown is of the sculptress and the Princess in the cooler. Linda Christensen has been carving the same heads (they all look the same to me minus the hair) for 38 years. The other booths in the dairy building pale in comparison but what they hey, I’ll add another Fleet Farm key ring to my collection.



The most bogus of all food exhibits is in the Bee Exhibit. I was reading the rules here; making a gift basket with assorted items made with honey.



Or a collection of honey pots or collectibles:



Or should we call it shit I bought at the store or a garage sale. I call no way. Only a few of the entries are actual items people craft instead of buying.

No matter what the skill or bogus level, I love them all.

MN State Fair Sonnet - Day 5

I get seasick really easily, so I don’t go on many rides. I am a big fan of the Ferris wheel and the new freak show and uh um not much else. But I do love them. I love the neon and the loud music and the crowd. I walk the whole length of the midway admiring all the craziness. One year, I wanted to shoot all the neon in the midway, so went home, waiting until dark and brought my camera. I was apprehensive being alone at the fair with a big expensive camera. Somehow being behind the lens of my camera protected me, and I wasn’t really there, I was documenting but not really there – I’ve heard other photographers talk about that same feeling of not really being there if you have a camera.

MN State Fair Sonnet - Day 4

Hucksters...
...Or anyone selling anything. Nearly every radio station and TV station has a booth at the fair. I am such a sucker for the newscasts at the fair because they’ll feature a new booth or new food. I may just have to get a Dole Whip this year just because Don and Amelia (of WCCO) love them. I miss the KLBB booth next to the roasted corn stand. We would get corn and listen to corny old music. My favorite KLBB moment was when a young hip intern, Brad Savage, was on the air some quiet weekend. All he said was, “I got two turntables and a microphone.” I was probably the only person listening who got the reference. We would tell our stories (like me taping the Super Saver show to send to a friend) to the lackeys running the KLBB booth and purchase all the souvenir crap they had.

I have dragged countless friends and relatives to the Chef Harvey booth for the same spiel. It’s the same guy, same spiel – although I can tell the regular guy sits out much more these days. The Ginzu knife guy, Sushi, Vitamix and anyone in the Grandstand is B list for me. But I still love them.

I've bought and really use a: broom, Micro fiber mop, sprinkler, matt cutter Swiss Peeler, German towel and much more. I love buying the newest gadget at the fair, because for the rest of the year (the unfair – like an unbirthday) I get to savior and play with the item until it because fair time again.

MN State Fair Sonnet - Day 3

This year’s crop (ha!) of new foods doesn’t look all that great. It’s all things done with potatoes – a Pot Roast Sundae; a scoop of mashed potatoes, roast beef, gravy, corn, and cherry tomato. Fry Dogs; a French fry covered, deep fried hot dog on-a-stick and a Tornado Potato; a spiral cut potato on-a-stick. Bogus!

Last year, it was a bacon fest, maple bacon, chocolate dipped bacon. Oh good, I loved them both so much, I ordered them multiple times. I can remember the year Pork chop on a stick débuted and the deep fried candy bar (which you have to get fresh and hot or forget it) and then the deep fried twinkie. Since you can go online and read about the new foods, I make up my own list of what and where and bring it with me. Like a shopping list.

MN State Fair Sonnet - Day 2

The food. You walk in the fair and you are immediately enveloped in a cloud of grease, chocolate and who knows what. There are some old school foods that scream state fair – cheese curds, foot long hot dogs, Pronto pups and cotton candy. Here’s what I don’t understand. There are people that go nuts over the fries at the fair. Plain old French fries. You can get French fries anywhere. And while I am a fan of Sweet Martha’s cookies, they are warm chocolate chip cookies but you can even buy them frozen and make them in your own oven. But hey, to each their own. My rule is, if I can’t make it home or get it at a restaurant, I’ll get it at the fair – mini donuts, corn dogs or what ever is new. New foods – tomorrow.

MN State Fair Sonnet - Day 1

State Fair Shadow Box
Originally uploaded by Debora Drower

I love the MN State fair because it’s like going to another world. A world of never ending happiness, you can always see the sun day day day or night night… oh wait. It does seem like you leave your world behind when you enter the state fair. The very first time I went, I was with a cynical friend who wanted me to hate it along with him. And I tried, but I couldn’t. I loved and love the State fair. All of it. Now I attend the fair with like minded friends who love it along with me. I’m going to write sonnet to fair every day to prove my love. And I'm going to dig up more photos of the fair. This is a shadow box I show at art fairs of all my fave things at the fair.

Happy Birthday, Amy Louise

Amy modeling
Originally uploaded by Debora Drower

Fuck you, you fucking fucker. And I mean that with all the love in my heart. (We said that to each other all the time - not mean but in jest.)

You know, we should be in Lake Nebagamon (the bag man - what?) You staying at the city campground and me at the B&B. I could sneak you and Todd muffins and coffee - Then in a canoe on the Brule and me eating big hunks of cheese. I'd bring the Cub Foods white birthday cake that we'd eat the picnic table by your tent. We could go to the Iron River Blueberry festival and get blueberry sausage and cheap blue sunglasses.

I miss you and I'll have a Captain and coke in your honor.

Running away

Dear everyone, I am running away.

I am going to a small town with really great neon signs - like the one in the movie, "Cars." I am never coming home. Unless I get hungry for the Edy's Slow Churned ice cream I have in the freezer.

love,
Debora

Powderhorn Art Fair this weekend!

Jolly Green Giant Shadow Box
Originally uploaded by Debora Drower

Come this guy and much much more at the Powderhorn Art Fair in Minneapolis, MN
on August 8th 10am - 6pm
and August 9th 10am - 5 pm.

Kinko

kinkos
Originally uploaded by labanex.com

More favorite things.

Maybe they changed the Kinko's logo because the "O" looked like a toilet seat.

I wish I had a cool indie copy shop that could match Kinko's prices, the credit card reader and being open 24/7. Ah well. Besides, it brings back the days of type class and endless copying, pasting stating and waxing with Carrie.

I just recently used the online print deal thing on Kinkos. That shit is pretty cool. I uploaded a PDF then drove over and picked up 30 folded, collated newsletters. I usually would print out junk on my inkjet and then copy it. This time, the photos weren't just grey boxes. Rock and roll! I do always sing this old sick song when I go there.

Maybe they'll change the song to FedEx the kid loving clown. Probably not.

Few of my favorite things

Izzy's Ice Cream
Originally uploaded by kaszeta

When I get sick, I get mean. I feel yucky and I want you to feel just as yucky as me. There, the truth. But if I can stay positive, maybe I won't be such a crab.

Last weekend, a few of my Hour Dollars friends asked if I wanted to go to Izzy's Ice Cream in St Paul. I was preparing to order just one scoop. That lil tiny scoop is the Izzy. It would be a big and little scoop. I had my flavors narrowed down. Vicki told me you can get 5 little Izzy scoops in a cup - a Dizzy Izzy. Oh lord. I had the Salted Caramel, the Hot (something) Sugar, the Pirate, Mexican Hot Chocolate and Midnight Snack. I wish they listed all the flavors and descriptions on their web page. Either way. I had 5 tiny flavors of ice cream. Heaven!

Harris Brick Building, Minneapolis, MN

Harris Brick Building, Minneapolis, MN
Originally uploaded by Debora Drower

I drove past this area tonight because I was at Magus books in Dinkytown. I decided to stop and take a walk around. The old mills, empty lots and the Intercampus Transitway make for an interesting walk.

Ride Like the Wind

Ride Like the Wind
Originally uploaded by -Dons

I wish I could decorate my bike and ride in some 4th of July parade. I wish I could go on a picnic or the beach then watch the Dyke Stadium fireworks from the HiLo parking lot in Evanston, IL. I wish I could be sent to bed even while kids are outside setting off small fireworks. I want to be 7.

Riverview Theater, Minneapolis, MN

Riverview Theater, Minneapolis, MN
Originally uploaded by Debora Drower

James and I went here to see "The Soloist" not a bad film - not great - not bad. But they serve real butter on the popcorn (a great reason to see ok films).

Then we jay walked (not really) to the Riverview Cafe and had port and two chocolate desserts. The owner, David, said hi to us. A wine bar and a dollar theater - is this heaven, no it's my favorite corner of Minneapolis!.

Goodbye old friends

These two places in my neighborhood were recently torn down.

Happy Father's Day

Vintage Ports and my dad
Originally uploaded by Debora Drower

Our St Paul paper asked people to write in and tell them the important lessons they learned from their dads.

He taught me about money, saving it, investing it, not flaunting it and always buying quality items. His mother said something like, we’re too poor for you to buy cheap things like that after he bought a cheap suit that would later fall apart.

I was the one who’d borrow his tools and never put them back in the right spot (he’d always catch me!) I was certain I could fix things the effortless ways he did. Later, I learned how to use a computer (and somehow taught my dad – although neither of us have any patience) I am fearless when it comes to anything computer, setting them up, web sites or learning new applications. I credit my dad for that.

My dad has always worked hard his whole life. He started work as a dock boy and gradually moved to CEO. It’s a great lesson that everyone starts at the bottom. And while he works hard, he always take time out for fun and rest – traveling, being a mad inventor or napping on the couch.

I am lucky to have the world’s greatest teacher. My dad.

I love you Dad from D.A.D

Waiting...

...for you. Waiting for god, waiting to see more doctors, waiting for test results. Just waiting. And not so patiently.

Travel

Silver Streak Travel Trailer
Originally uploaded by Vintage Roadside

In my dreams, I was having all sorts of travel worries - could I park on a side street near the airport, was James going to come to the airport to see me off, could I get my money back if I canceled my tickets at the last second, why did I have a ticket to Minnesota - living in Minnesota? My "if I win the lottery" dream is to get an AirStream trailer and 1950s dresses and go for a long shooting spree. Will it be California - I love San Francisco, or Colorado - my favorites towns are Trinidad and Walsenburg. CA or CO?

My dream

How do you get diagnosed as being "exhausted?" You see headlines like the one I faked up for myself. How do find a doctor who tell the world you're exhausted? Are they on Angie's list or "if you have to ask you can't afford." Who do I call - who do I have to sleep with so I can lie around, watching bad tv and having someone wait on me. Because I am exhausted. I want the diagnoses and the pills and the excuse. I want rock star treatment.

My Favorite Fairy Godmother is a national finalist and she needs our votes!

I went to see Terre Thomas at her store after a break up and she had great advice for me. She is a real fairy godmother, can make your wishes come true and she wears gowns to her store every day. Check out the link to her online store below. And please watch the video, register and vote. If you live in Minnesota - I'll go to the store with you. I will.

She's sending out this plea:

In April, local Minneapolis fairy godmother, Terre Thomas, and her gift shop in Calhoun Square, was chosen as one of 50 national finalists (out of almost 2000 small business entries) in the Intuit/Quickbooks Small Business contest. She won $5000 and with a 2 minute video entry of her story, she has the chance to win $10-25,000 for the First or Grand Prize.

Forty percent of her score comes from votes from the public at the Intuit/Quickbooks contest website.

Watch the video and vote* (you have to register at the site to vote; it's just four boxes)

at this link:
http://community.intuit.com/contests/dZjlbEw_eqllvkab8P4pmk

Please vote by May 31st!

Candy is Dandy but Liquor is Quicker

Candy is Dandy but Liquor is Quicker
Originally uploaded by hanthemansol0

I had a dream the other night about some woman who would only eat her meals on the porch - it was more fun and the food tasted better that way. She would eat dessert inside the house and she demonstrated this by eating some of those candied fruit slices. I have no idea what this means. When I'd go to Mackinac Island with Pat (you do know it's pronounced Mackinaw) island, I'd eat almost all my meals on their gorgeous porch. It is more fun. And yes, we'd have fresh fudge inside at the dinner table.

I've been so tired lately, it's been hard to concentrate - I've been reading these really fluffy novels by Pamela Morsi. Just light candy reading. I love on the covers it says, "a USA TODAY bestselling author." Wow, USA today - a paper sold in a microwave (thanks Clare)

I was on some stupid antibiotics and you're supposed to stay off the hooch while on them. Thanks to a study done by a pharmacy student - I was trying out his theory last night at Dixies on Grand. A not bad BBQ, beers, wine and hard liquor (not very much of each) and I was fine. James got a stomach ache maybe some sympathetic reaction.

That's pretty much all I want in life, eating dinner on the porch, dessert at the dining room table and a glass scotch on the sofa while on the phone. Forget the real stuff - candy or liquor is fine with me.

Substitutes

Prescriptions - White
Originally uploaded by zacharmstrong

I've been thinking of substitutes this week. The word, the idea. Shown are not my actual prescriptions (I'm on nine at the moment) they are a substitute for my health.

Is it the word "substitute" (the kiss of death in school) or the idea that you're substituting one thing for another. A lesser quality trade.

Ever see some great item on a restaurant menu and maybe it has one ingredient you can't have but the chef refuses to change it. I hate that stupid disclaimer "no substitutes." My mom and boyfriend have some pretty severe allergies - I think a restaurant has more class if they're willing to take out an offending ingredient. Who knows.

I've been having fun learning how to BBQ. The real slow cooked, smoky BBQ. My first attempt was pretty good. To research more, I got a ton of books from the library. I found this one: Cheater BBQ. I had all the pieces to make one of the recipes from that book. It was cold and raining and I wanted dinner in less than 2 hours. I had a bottle of liquid smoke but the last time I used it - the results really sucked. So I followed the instructions, mixed the spices and the liquid smoke and broiled the chicken in my oven. Faux Q. (Say it, ha ha ha) It wasn't a five hour smoked piece of meat - but it was pretty good. James and I shared a bottle of wine with the faux q, my last drink for at least two weeks while I go on some pretty hardcore antibiotics. I love having a bit of scotch or rum at night before I go to bed. But I cannot have any alcohol. So I'll need a substitute for that. (Substitute my coke for gin) I actually have put a few drops of rum flavoring in my pop. I'd rather not get hung over by having some hideous medical reaction.

That got me singing the song, "Substitute by the Who". (Substitute my coke for gin) And I found a cover done by the Ramones that I can't embed. That's funny.