The fair ain't what it used to be....

When we were young, the fair was one of the biggest things of the year. We waited with tremendous anticipation and couldn't wait until the day arrived. I usually went with older brothers and sisters, and they had this dumb rule that you had to go in and walk around the whole fair before you rode or did anything. I guess it was so you didn't squander your money at the beginning, only to find something later than you really wanted to do.

The fair was about 5 miles from one end to the other. Or maybe it just seemed that way. And there were about a million people. And the guys running the little booths were very nice men, upstanding citizens who would never dream of cheating a little blond, curly-haired girl. My favorite ride was called the Paratrooper.....seats under canopies designed to look like parachutes. Maybe that was the beginning of my desire to skydive. I loved the ferris wheel, but I didn't really want it to stop at the top. And I did.

Because only at the top could you look around and see the whole wide world. Seriously. The whole world.

I loved cotton candy but hated the stickiness it left behind. I hated candy apples because it took too long to bite through the tough coating on the apple. And once I got to the apple, I was done anyway. Who goes to the fair to eat fruit?

We went to the fair tonight, and either the fair has changed a whole lot, or I have. We bought $20 worth of tickets, which was 20 tickets. And the two rides we picked out required 5 tickets each. Seriously. We rode two things. On the ferris wheel, your legs don't even dangle anymore. And you can't subtly make the car swing back and forth.

I don't think this guy found the fair all that much to write home about either. He may be seriously considering a career change.






I made hubby go into the building where they were showing livestock. We saw these two goats, and they weren't all that thrilled to have their picture taken. I didn't see a tip jar, so it wasn't that. Maybe they were shy. We also saw a massive bull with massive........bull parts. I put my hands on the railing to get a better look at him, and they came away wet and sticky. They were right about where the drooling bull slobber would have landed. Excuse me, I have to go wash my hands....... Okay, I'm back.

Just as we were leaving the fair (because it was, after all, 8:00 and approaching our bedtime), my sister sent me a text message saying that Billy Joel was on public television. You'd have to know us to know what seriously addicted Billy Joel fans we are. I haven't missed a Billy Joel concert in Atlanta since 1978, which is the year most of this footage was shot. I got home in time tonight to catch the tail end of the program. Of course, most of my favorite songs weren't even written yet.

Apparently Billy Joel ain't what he used to be either...