I love the California State Fair. Year after year I look forward to the hot, greasy, dirty experience. Before leaving the house the morning of the fair, I make sure to don my most comfortable shoes and to tie my hair back in a ponytail (any hint of a part in my hair and my head fries like a lobster). I have gone to the fair with many people over the years, but most consistently its been with my friend Kelli on and off over the course of 25 years. Early on we were drawn to the midway and carnival games. Kelli is GREAT at the carnival games. Usually a very sweet person, Kelli gets this strange gleam in her eye when she focuses on the bottle or darts or whatever it is that she is trying to use to win a "free" stuffed animal and she has a great aim. As teenagers, we were entralled with the myriad of vendors hawking products we have never heard of (do we need a navel cleaner? how did we live without one before now?). As young adults, we became more acutely aware of the special exhibits and what they were trying to teach us (sometimes about the environment, sometimes about another country, always interesting) and the welcome air-conditioning these buildings provided. Now in our thirties, we gravitate towards the wine garden and partake of the excellent wine along with samplings of bread and cheese. One year we tasted more than 15 wines (getting ourselves tipsy in the process because we did more than just taste). We bought our favorite bottle of wine, saying we would share it during some special event during the year. I ended up drinking it with a boyfriend on New Year's (turns out it was a special event for me, but not so special for Kelli).

I have several singular memories of the State Fair. This is where I saw my first concert (Huey Lewis and the News) and where I first heard that Princess Diana was dead (as I got in the car to pick up the rest of my family at the gate).
I also have several memories that are generally the same, but quintessential to the State Fair experience. By far, these include the animals. I can't wait to see the baby pigs , lambs and cows (even though, again, they look remarkably the same from year to year). I love that the State Fair has maintained its farming roots. I love the rodeo and fancy horses. I love the frisbee dogs and the endless rows of Heifers. Ah...the aroma makes me feel safe. I am a kid again...everything is well in the world.