#2720, Monday, August 30, '21: The Fair

Post 2720

- 11 years and 242 days since I started this blog -

August 3, 2021 at the Night Drop

Daily Comment

Today was my 'day at the Fair' - the New York State Fair, held in Syracuse every year - except last year (COVID-19) - at the end of August.

I went for the first time in 2009. It wasn't that much fun for me. I have only gone as a performer since - in other words, I was paid to go. But I only stayed from load-in to load-out.

Until today. 

True, I did have a gig - the same one as last Monday, but with the closing/headlining spot at 8 o'clock, instead of the opening slot at 2, which we had last week. 

However, one of my favorite friends' bands did have the opening slot, and I decided to attend her set and then hang out until my 7pm load-in. Not only that, but I had been asked by BFF Marco to check up on a vendor friend who was set up at the Fair, far from home.

A phone call from my sister-in-law's social caseworker, and then an inconvenient gate closure, made me late, but the call was important, and the gate closure was only inconvenient.

It was great seeing my friends, I got to see the end of the set, and catch up with a couple of band member friends I hadn't seen since before the pandemic. Plus, the day was fabulous, with a beautiful skyscape, and agreeable temperature. 

However, the Fair was still the same one that I had abandoned for lack of interest more than a decade ago, and even though I was determined to go 'native' and eat Fair food, I ended up with a burrito bowl that cost twice as much as a non-Fair trip to Chipotle. And a fresh but disappointingly seasoned 'spicy' fried potato side (the Fair is all about fried food) that was approximately three times as expensive as it should have been.

I consider this self-harm penance for whatever bad things I've done recently. Now I forgive myself.

After getting his number from Marco, I did meet up with Marco's friend Amit. Although his jewelry booth was open, so after a 'welcome' we decided to meet up after my show, and his booth closing. We smoked, he had some excellent Japanese whiskey, I did my old man thing, talking about our mutual friend and some of our fifty-years-ago (glory days) adventures, when I, too, was in the jewelry business.

In the course of looking for Amit, who was quite literally on the opposite side of the Fairgrounds from me, I walked further than I had in years - accumulating more than five miles and more than ten thousand steps. So, that was good.

I'm grateful for these opportunities, even though I will happily, now, wait another ten years for a Fair day.

Food and Diet 

Today's Weight:                    201.9 lbs.

Previous Weight (8/27/21):         199.1 lbs.

Net Loss/Gain:                    +  2.8 lbs.

Diet Comment

From a diet perspective, this weekend was somewhat of a disaster, beginning with the large quantity of food eaten Friday, and continuing through Saturday's high-carb, high-calorie eating and Sunday's weekly stop at Gannon's Arctic Ice Cream stand. This is a highest weight I've carried in more than three months, so I am definitely going to have to take care this week to get back on track. After today's Fair visit, that is. 

Food Log

Breakfast
2:00pm: A feta cheese omelet and  overnight oatmeal with berries (rolled oats, chia and hemp seeds, oat milk, kefir, brewer's yeast, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, stevia).

Lunch
At the NY State Fair: Burrito bowl and spicy potato 'chips'. 

Dinner
8:10pm: A Quest bar.

Liquid Intake

   Espressos: 0;   Coffee: 24 oz.;  Water: 96+ oz.; 

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