Meet Me in Dallas, Texas! Meet Me at the Fair!

(I never claimed to be anything but cutesy when it comes to blog titles!)

A week ago we went to the Great State Fair of Texas! Woot!

We go every single year. Not kidding. It's the kick-off event to my Fall & my upcoming Holiday Season. And, honestly, where else can I eat all manner of fried and delicious foods (and be encouraged to do so!!) and not feel even one ounce of guilt?!

This year, my dad came with our little family trio. It was awesome fun. We got to see the new, bigger, badder Big Tex. And get our pictures in front of him. It was a traumatic event last year when the big guy went up in flames. We were all happy to see him again. (... though, E mocked me endlessly for being emotionally attached to a large cowboy. My response? I grew up in Texas! What do you want from me?!)

Big Tex looked great. But his head moved from side to side & that was a little weird. It felt like he was following you around the Fair grounds.

We hit up the car show (both buildings!!!). Did I mention I was with 3 persons of the male species? We rode the the sky-tram thingy that takes you from one end of the Mid-way to the other. It was a great view. And at the bargain price of 10 tickets a person!!!!

We saw Elsie & Beau (the cows). Jacob had a fantastic time seeing them and petting them! He kept saying, "Ooh, look! They are so cuuuute! Aren't they so cute?!"

We walked & walked & walked. And I dodged people... and more people. And even more people. Did I mention- we went on the LAST DAY? Yeah. Oops. I gotta say, we won't be doing that again. It was wall to wall to wall, people.

But the real show was the food. Ahhhh...... the food. I love me some Fair Food. Every year I have to try one of the 'Competition Foods'.... those fantastic fried delicacies that make health food people go into spaz fits. We had pizza, and baklava, and Philly cheese steaks. There was ice cream. And hot dogs. And corn dogs.

And this delectable item. Fried Spinach Bites. 

Shut the Front Door! 

Oh, my goodness. 

So. So. So. So Good. 

It tasted just like spinach & artichoke dip.

I am a fan. 

And I need it at the Fair every year, from here on out. Forever & ever.

Amen.

E tried the Fried Thanksgiving. It actually won for best taste... but not with the husband.

For some of you that might not know, I am a die-hard Texas Longhorn fan. 

And.... this year was the scene of sweet, sweet victory for my beloved Horns. 

By the end of the night, we were all exhausted & very much ready to get ourselves on home.

We rode the DART train to and from the Fair- which is great.

If a little time consuming. 

I think this pretty much sums it up. 

And I can't wait until next year!!!!!

She Knew What She Wants...

And she wanted to go to the Fair and see the Bangles.

And a very sweet guy took her. Hee! God Bless my sweet 80's childhood and God Bless sweet E, who doesn't mock (too much).

The Bangles were great. Check it off my bucket-list, thank you very much. And the crowd. Oh, bless my heart- the crowd. The women, my age- who were little girls when the Bangles were at the top of their popularity... the women who were a weee bit older.... and the little girls in the audience who weren't even born. Oh, my.

I have rarely felt so young and so old at the same time. (and I think that's the first of many, many times in the future.)

me and E... and Big Tex

waiting on the Bangles. one of us is way more excited than the other.

(this has nothing to do with the Bangles. It's the Fried S'more.... my fav Fair food. And deserving of a yearly picture.)

The Bangles!!!

The GREAT State Fair

.................
oh, it's a grand time to be a Texan, I tell you. The State Fair of Texas is one of those beloved traditions that runs through my veins... and it runs deep.

It's the start of fall, it is. The Fair heralds the beginning of your Intrepid BloggerGirl's very favorite season. It's the time when my beloved Horns kick up dust with those northern aggressors known as the Sooners (icky!).

One of the greatest parts of the Fair is the fried food- oh, my heart does flutter. This year all I tried from the fried bounty that was offered was the Fried Margarita.... wasn't that bad. Kinda like eating a funnel cake & drinking a 'rita on the rocks. But you had to eat it fast, or it got soggy- texture! icky!

Yes, I did get a fried s'more again this year, thankyouverymuch. Those tasty, fried nuggets of wonderfulness soothe my soul and kinda complete me (culinary speaking, of course). ::sigh:: Can it please be next year again? Please?

Oh! and if you are a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan (I say lifelong, hoping that the people I am speaking to remember life BEFORE the man who fired Coach Landry) and you missed the Coach Tom Landry exhibit- shame. shame on you. It was really, really wonderful. Walking through & seeing into the life of the man who was such a fixture & a role model for so long was awesome. Coach Landry was one of a kind- a kind we need more of in this world, I think.

(.... and on a totally shallow note, a kind that the current Dallas Cowboys could benefit greatly from. Just sayin'.)

Anyway- enjoy some picture from the 2010 State Fair of Texas.


Yeah, so this was supposed to be a tender, sweet moment where we caught the youngling taking his next step into the big wide world.... sharing a Fletcher's Corny Dog. However, it was kinda, sorta ruined by the large man in the yellow shirt who greets the guests to the Fair.

Yeah, him. Big Tex. Our annual "Smile & Stand in front of Big Tex so everyone knows we are at the Fair" pic. Not so much. Tex started talking again. Jacob tried to tree himself in my hair & we had to motor. Rapidly.

HE RODE SOME RIDES!!!!!! (ahem) Sorry. I love rides. My baby rode some rides. His mommy beamed with pride. The End.

Well, almost the end... there were a few more photo ops!