Believe me, it isn’t hard (I know you agree if you read this blog regularly) to make a complete asshole of myself. Especially while thoroughly enjoying everything the great state fair of Iowa has to offer every August. It’s my favorite day of the year (aside from Christmas and my birthday, naturally) and I will be gracing the fairgrounds with my presence the day after tomorrow. Look out!
Wanna make an ass of yourself, too? Here’s how…
First start the morning off right with a freshly grease soaked corn dog.
Then take every photo opportunity that you possibly can.
Once your cheeks are tired from all of the smiling, stop and get a snack. Like cheese curds. And make it two orders because if you decide to share one, they’ll be gone in 32 seconds flat and you’ll be pissed but still go back and stand in the 24 person line for the second order. So just get two to start with, OK?
After gaining the first three of thirty pounds you’ll be packing on during the day, chase (rather, waddle) after the Fair Queen and beg for a picture with the beauty. All I could think about in the photo was how fresh and clean the Queen smelled, while she probably wondered why I practically had my head on her shoulder (I was trying to knock her crown off and dethrone her – because let’s be real. There’s nothing sexier than a bloated, short, blonde wanna be fair queen, is there?).
Because your crew chased after you while running down the Queen, they’ll be all hot and bothered. Instead of carrying a personal fan around the hot fairgrounds, just dump cold water down your back. This is especially a nice trick if you are wearing a white t-shirt (smarts run in my family).
Next up, drag your crew to the line longer than the opening of a Southern Chik-fil-A restaurant. Seriously, there will be about 231 people lined up to see a statue of a cow. Made out of butter. And it’s fantastic. But when you roll with me, you end up sneaking (maybe rather acting like you’re on the phone, looking for your buddy who’s in the front – oh, hey you!) your way up into the middle of the line for the one picture you’re going to snap but without having to wait the 35 minutes to do so.
The butter cow sighting will throw your appetite into a frenzy. So the next stop on the face stuffing train is a gigantic pork tenderloin (which is the equivalent to heavenly greasy goodness here on Earth).
Upon consuming the 42,657th calorie of the day, you need to sit on your ass and ride the Ye Old Mill, which is the Iowa State Fair’s oldest (you will immediately see why, as it seriously goes about .001 mph around in a circle) permanent amusement ride, which is intended for dating couples but I always like to be the third wheel and spoil the romance.
After ruining the romance on the Ye Old Mill, I find it enchanting to pose with the leftovers of what I have been consuming all day.
Which means I will most likely leave the fair looking like the largest boar in the state of Iowa.
What cures the “I’m getting fat blues?” An icy cold cocktail and a bedazzled cowgirl hat of course.
Once you’re back to feeling like your foxy self, it’s time to hit up the Midway full of carnies and rides that you’re not sure you should get on once you lay eyes on the dude who put it together upon arriving at the fairgrounds two hours prior.
But since you’ve had a cocktail (or three) you throw caution to the wind and hop on the double ferris wheel.
Except that after every member of your group turns you down as a tandem rider, you have to go alone and wait for another single rider. Which in my case is always the embarrassed 12-year-old boy who wants the world to swallow him up whole on the spot when I whip out my camera and start snapping pictures.
The whirl of the wheel and carrying your buckets of loot throughout the enormous fairgrounds will make your stomach start screaming for food again (duh).
Perusing for the last snack of the day may take a toll on you, realizing that the day of fun is coming to a close.
But once you’ve settled on a last meal of a corn dog, donuts, lemonade and a fried Snickers, life doesn’t seem so bad after all.
On the (what seems like a 65 mile) walk to the car, stop and gaze at the fireworks (like you didn’t just seem them a month prior for the Fourth of July) that end each day of the fair.
And with a tear in the corner of your eye, hang out of the sun roof and snap a blurry shot of the double ferris wheel you just rode, while ruining a 12 year old’s dating life for the next six years.
And that my classy friends is how you show your ass (or make yourself memorable – however you want to look at it) at the Iowa State Fair.
I’m available for tour guiding – but it will cost you. Probably a corn dog.
Or six.
CBXB
Ooohhh you really know how to fun young lady.
Yes! Now come have some fun with me!
Too much to read, liked the photos, yes, cold wet water in front, 2 cheese plates at once. You need to put some make up on for your end of day photo…not sure what happened there…
Glad you made it back and the queen did not say “Off with her head” 😀
I can’t carry make-up in my bag at the fair! There’s no room in my bag with all of my Iowa State Fair loot! And I am ultra fortunate the queen let me keep my noggin’. She was too pretty to be an evil queen!
Well, I can’t say that I’ve ever aspired to make an A– of myself (can’t say the word, you know, I’m Victorian); but I’d go to the Iowa fair with you as my tour guide.
Looks delightfully fun. It’s not very different from my home-state MN fair which, competitively speaking, is at least as nice as Iowa’s copy of ours…
(I couldn’t resist, but I’ll probably regret drawing your attention to that old MN-IA animosity. And I still like you a lot, anyway, although you’re an Iowaegian. After all, i went to college in Iowa, for a semester, before I fled, hahaha).
Actually, it wasn’t Iowas’s fault that I left college after a semester. I love Iowa. I’d live there, in certain circumstances (for example, if it had an ocean nearby). The people are wonderful, as you well know!
Ha! I was JUST having this conversation with another Minnesota native regarding your fair vs. our wonderful Iowa State Fair. The consensus is that we’ll just have to visit both fairs and then decide which one is the most fabulous! 🙂
I love that you can’t say ass. So I will say it for you. Ass. Ass. Ass!
And yes, Iowans are wonderful, nice folks. I’d live there again if the winters weren’t so dreadful (and I didn’t love Nashville so much!) 🙂
what’s a cheese turd?
Cheese curd! Fried chunks of cheese that burst with ooey gooeyness once you take a bite….
Girl how do you stay skinny? This is just the sort of post of yours that I like – I love how lighthearted you are!!
Well, thankfully this event only takes place one time per year – or I would be as massive as a tank. I seriously can’t stop myself from overindulging on everything that is put in front of my face. I’m so happy you like these posts – I always hope that people ‘get’ my humor! 🙂
Looks sooo funny!!Greats, b.
It’s all fun and games until you get a stomach ache! 🙂
Oh I know exactly what you mean XD
We call corn dogs Dagwood dogs or Pluto pups here in Australia. I’m taking my kids to the Royal National Association Exhibition in Brisbane this weekend. It’s affectionately known as “The Ekka” and is the best “show” in Australia. I’d love to visit the US and attend a state fair 🙂
I love the name Pluto Pups! The trip to Brisbane sounds like it will be a fun treat. If you are ever in Iowa around fair time, I will be your personal tour guide!
Fantastic. One day I want to do a food holiday of the US.
Count me in!
Omg – That dairy farmer pic totally looks real. It was made for your face!
P.S. – Add this to our ever-growing list of things to do…
Seriously! I feel like we could create our own joint bucket list!
Best laugh I’ve had in day’s, which is sad I know…
Happy to help with a laugh…you can always count on a gal not afraid to make an ass of herself for a little smile…:)
and still look cute doing…
Well that could be disputed – but thanks for thinking so!
I will be following this itinerary exactly on Thursday!
Maybe I’ll bump into you at the cheese curd stand!!
Don’t you even think about getting in between me and a curd.
I feel a rumble coming on in front of the curd trailer…