The Great Minnesota Get-Together

It's that time again. Time for the "Great Minnesota Get-Together", also known as 12 days of sheer terror for those of us who are germaphobes, obsessed with sanitation and feeling compelled to clean excessively. When you take a look at how filthy some people are and then they cram all sorts of food into their mouths after touching livestock, it would be a perfect way for some natural evolutionary culling.

But I digress. Since this blog got started when I was traveling three weeks out of the month, I have an appreciation of Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods. I thought it was ironic that this sign was right across from the International Bazaar. Or perhaps I should it was bizarre? Bazaar.

I had to refrain myself from taking pictures, as I have a habit, of, let's say "unique" individuals. If you think riding public transit is major place where they hang out, think again.  The Minnesota State Fair is a magnet for them. But it makes for interesting people-watching to be sure.  And that's free entertainment.

Whenever I attend the State Fair, I have to mentally prepare myself, along with ample supply of hand sanitizer, that you're just going to be exposed to germs.  I can't even think about some of the people serving the food and whether or not they've actually washed their hands. Just because you put food "on a stick", doesn't mean it hasn't been handled properly. That, and so much of the food is fried. Can you imagine how many calories there are in a fried Twinkie? To see the "new" foods for 2012, click here.

Fortunately, there are a few places where you can wash up with real soap and water. Is it just me, or did the make the people on the restroom sign more "healthy" than typical? I'm not saying, I'm just saying. They also have hand washing stations after 'visiting the animals.' I would like to know if they are referring to the one inside or outside of the pens. 

 

Most of the stuff at the Fair, again in my opinion, is junk. Sure, there are a few chatzkis that are of interest. Every year at a number of art fairs around Minnesota, this one guy who makes beautiful tiles, gets a visit from me and a "I really should get that" from me, and rarely do I purchase. I have purchased some for my parents and they love it. Today I noticed a "must have", but two things prevented me from purchasing it. First, I live in a condo and putting this baby on the balcony defeats the purpose. Secondly, the booth was closed at the time, so I saved some dollars. They know I'm a sucker for anything Disney!

Hey, where's Perry? 

Even though I wash my hands constantly, I'm not immune from picking up bugs. My allergies turned into a cold, and I really should have stayed home today, but it was the only day I could really go to the Fair. So after three or four hours, it was time to leave. And that's okay.

Speaking of picking up, I posed for a photo opp. I told my friends that I finally got caught and picked up for taking sneaky pictures of people in public and putting them on my Facebook page. Knowing I'm a practical joker, most of my friends know I'm probably not serious, but after seeing some of the (clean, but not nice) pictures of people I've posted, I told them some guy pressed charges and I spent time in the slammer to think about what I've done. I'll stay off of Facebook long enough for them to think twice.

To read more about the Minnesota State Fair or to see the line up of bands coming to the Grand Stand, click here.