kevin marched in the fair parade last thursday night, and we watched from the fairgrounds.  i remembered how the fair parade consists of a mass of people wearing identical or maybe just similar t-shirts walking along, mostly in support of some politician or another, throwing out candy.  this would then be followed by a break of different lengths, some as long as a block.  then there would be another mass of people, or occasionally, just to spice things up a little, there would be a marching band or maybe a float or more likely, people riding in cars, like the state fair and other sundry queens.

i remember going to the fair parade when i was a kid – my friend heather and i could just walk down Allen street to 5th, and the parade would march by and it was EXACTLY THE SAME as it is now, except i don’t remember so many masses of people forced to march for their politicians.  i do remember the candy, and as i recall the parade would last hours and after a while it got really boring but by that late in the summer, what else was there to do?

i also feel that the parade used to be during the day, which seems not quite believable to me now.  did everybody get the day off work?

anyway, it was kind of fun to watch the parade from the fairgrounds except when we walked to main street and it was very very packed with masses of humanity.  this got a little claustrophobic, so we moved to the bleachers where they have the diving pool, and the view from up there was grand.  problem is, we weren’t there very long when ALONG CAME KEVIN and i screamed at him but he didn’t hear me, so i ran down the bleachers and dashed through the crowd in order to catch up with him.

i kept running alongside him, taking photos as they marched.

i do have a couple good photos, and i promise i’ll put them up here before the year is out.

meanwhile, it’s simply outstandingly beautiful weather here and i should be outside.

ok, here are some fair parade photos.  this is the first time i caught up with them.  kevin and the other 114th regiment were dressed up in various pieces of military uniforms.  maybe some of there were actually soldiers, i’m not sure.

those are actual state police there in back of them.

i ran up to get a closeup of him here.

he’s marching past the FOOD-O-RAMA.  the subway is the healthiest thing they have at the fair; i doubt that many people bother to go there when you can get DELICIOUS FRIES and MINI DONUTS not to mention elephant ears and fried snickers bars and everything deep-fried and fabulous all throughout the fair.  i had flaming greek cheese at the ethnic village, although the ethnic village doesn’t have so much appeal to me anymore because you can get most of that food at actual restaurants, and usually it’s better.  but the fried food, that’s what the fair is all about.

i wish this photo was larger so you could get a better look at that soldier guy near the back; kevin said he looks like a plastic GI joe, but i think he just looks kind of like he’s a retarded person.

back in the background behind kevin’s head is a FRIED CHEESE CURDS stand.  i kind of feel like getting some fried cheese curds when i go back to the fair.  kevin and i got an order a couple of years ago and they were so good that we decided to get another order and after that we said we’d NEVER EAT FRIED CHEESE CURDS AGAIN.  but now they sound so deep-fried and tempting, plus the fact that it’s not 100 degrees outside so there’s even more reason to get more fried food.

it’s not ALL ABOUT THE FOOD, not for me, anyway.  there’s also the butter cow of course, and i have to see bev’s AWARD-WINNING OATMEAL COOKIES at the culinary building.  and i want to look at the giant clydesdales and the goats and the cows.  we missed the chickens, but maybe next year.

ok now i REALLY have to get outside.  i hope you’re not chained to your desk in a windowless office somewhere but if you are i say GET THE HELL OUT!

ok then,

tuesday afternoon grace.