MTB

Here, in Gopher country, you don’t see a lot of Blue or Wolverines walking around.  In fact, when I see someone with something UM (MICHIGAN) related on, I try to say “Go Blue!!” to them but oftentimes they don’t hear me.  🙁

I get a lot of crap from guys at work about being from Michigan and the “other” U of M.  Mostly, I think they’re just jealous that we are better than them.  It’s nothing I can’t handle.  In fact, I don’t really fight back because I just know we are better.

So, I brought in a block M flag to work.  A nice sized one — a 2′ x 3′ — and hung it on my cubicle wall.

I got some immediate visceral reactions — and in fact, the guy who works on the other side of the building and went to MSU happened to walk by the day I put it up —  it was just what I was hoping for.

Yesterday, I had an all day training and came back to this:

And the filthy vandals even went so far to do this:

AHHHHH!

I’m playing it cool because that’s what we classy Wolverines do.

Yes, I did it.  I went back for a second round at the Minnesota State Fair.  This time I went with Madoka, my work friend, and Ike.

We parked in Ike’s work parking lot, which is something like a 7 minute walk to the state fairgrounds.  There are train tracks that border his building, which we needed to cross to get to the fair.  And just as our luck had it, a train was passing by and it kept going and going with no end in sight.  Then, it stopped.

Darn!  So, I thought we’d have to wait.  Then I saw people climbing through the train and I thought and said aloud, “OMG, are they crazy??”  And a few minutes went by and the train wasn’t moving.  So, guess what we did?  Yeah, we started climbing over it, too!  It was quite thrilling!!

That’s Madoka and Ike.

We hit the birthing center first because I really wanted to try to witness some kind of farm animal being born.

Baby lambs!

There was a huge cow in labor and we could see some mucus coming out orifices at both ends of her body.  She seemed like she was ready to roll any minute, but the vet said it would be at least a couple hours or into the night until she gave birth.  Though, it seemed like she was having contractions.  Weeeeeird!  For some reason I forgot to take a photo.  And I decided to relinquish the idea that seeing a live animal birth would have made my Minnesota State Fair experience complete and move on to eating.

I ate a lot. A ton.  Too much, but I didn’t care as long as my stomach could handle it, and it did.  Atta boy, Stomach!

We started off the night with some lovely fried cheese curds, except this time we had them at a different spot.

Then, we all enjoyed a corn on the cob, each, dipped in melted butter with some salt sprinkled on it.

Then, I indulged in some key lime pie on a stick covered with dark chocolate:

Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

The other two didn’t find it as appetizing as I did, but there’s something about the tanginess and creaminess that I can’t get enough of.

We continued to walk around and I realized it was time for a bratwurst with sauerkraut and mustard.  DELICIOUS.

We circled back around to the flowering onion stand because it was the end of the night and the line had dwindled.  $8 for a deep fried flowered onion.  Whoa.

Phew.  At that point, the only thing I could squeeze in was a small beer.

Oh yeah, we went to see the art and arts&crafts building too.  The art was awesome, but arts&crafts — BO-RING.

We made our way to the Midway (rides and games) so we could kill time before the fireworks.  Throughout the night, Madoka kept pointing to a little ladybug pillow pet and saying how much she wanted it.  So, I decided that I needed to take matters into my own hands since Ike was not willing.  So, I picked out a super easy game to play (the one where you squirt water into a hole and it makes something rise up).

I played once and lost.  Madoka played once and lost.  Madoka played a second time and lost.  And the second time I played — BOO-YAH!  I won!  I won, I won, I won!!!

And MAN, was I a sore winner!  I cheered and jumped up and down and then Ike said to me — “Yeah, aren’t you so happy you beat out that 8-year-old boy over there?!?!”

Yes, why yes I was!  Because I won Madoka the thing she wanted all night!

The second trip to the State Fair was totally worth the $80 I spent throughout the course of the night.