I cast my historic vote!

When I was 18, I cast my first vote ever in the US Presidential race for Bill Clinton and he won!  Growing up in a household of Democrats during the Reagan and Bush administrations, this was a very big deal.  I began my adulthood with a president I voted for.  I’m excited to be 42 and casting my vote for Hillary Clinton.  I never really had a guess as to when I would be able to vote for a woman for US President, because it always seemed so far away.  I’m happy to be casting this historic vote.

(I also voted for everything else too.  Running this country isn’t just about who is president.)

The Fair: The 4-H Building

Let’s see what the kids are up to in the 4-H building.

They’ve been growing things.  (The beans are wizened because we were visiting at the end of the fair’s run.)img_6022 img_6023

Lots of skirts.img_6024

A nicely dramatic cloak and fancy dress.img_6025

A denim shirt I found to be quite impressive.  There were a lot of places where crisp results are tricky (collar, placket, sleeves, buttonholes, pocket flaps) and Kadi navigated those well.img_6026

This was an amazing jacket.  I was very impressed.  Good job, Mylene.img_6027

Becca did an amazing job on this coat.  Too bad it’s covering up Ms. Folgate’s dress.img_6028

I really love looking at these informational posters.  Things have improved since I used to make them.  It’s much easier to reproduce pictures and use fun fonts.img_6030

Here you can read bios of the 4-H State Ambassadors.  (The bios were filled with typos, which was hard for me.)img_6031

Here’s an informational poster that looks more like the ones from my youth.img_6032

This art was very fun in a slightly disturbing way.img_6033

4-H has a selfie category!img_6034

The Fair: Robotics Competition and some puzzles

I can’t remember where Matt was, but for some reason we were in two different places.  I found the robotics area and summoned him over because this was very fun.img_6113

I’d heard this and that about robotics competitions, but had never seen anything in real life.  This wasn’t an actual competition, but I learned how once per year the rules/goals/objectives for the current contest are released and then high school students form teams and design their robots to meet the objectives of the contests.img_6114

In this case, they were supposed to have their machines grab balls, carry them and then get them through the gates of the castle.  There were things to navigate around.  There were also bonus points awarded if the machine could hang from the bar of the castle for a specified amount of time (20 seconds or so).img_6115

Setting things up for competition.  I didn’t get any good pictures of the obstacles, but the machines had to make their way over teeter-totters and other such things.img_6116

The machines seemed to need a good amount of tinkering.img_6117 img_6118 img_6119

Getting ready for battle.  This machine lowered the back half to grab the ball, and then the yellow cords pulled the ball in the the middle of the machine for transport.img_6120

The names of the teams were very fun.img_6121

An example of one of the robots hanging.  We watched a few rounds of competition.  Once they got going, it was very fast paced and exciting.  img_6122

One of the many different puzzles available to solve.
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Perhaps you need your own Dalek?img_6124

I worked for a long time to get all 8 blocks in the box and Matt solved it in no time at all.img_6125

Apparently when not farming, Glen and Ruth are making puzzles.img_6126

The Fair: Monster Trucks

We were interested in attending the Motorsports Championship.  On our way in, we found my favorite fundraiser of the fair.  FFA was selling earplugs for a dollar each.  We bought.img_6127

And here we are in another microcosm I know nothing about, the monster truck world.  It’s a world where not only they make the very big trucks, but also have aliases and paint the names on the very big trucks.    The announcer told us the Scarlet Bandit was a big winner.img_6130

Before she entered the arena, the Scarlet Bandit chatted with this man and child.img_6133

The announcer was in the arena while people were coming in, but his eventual seat was near us.  I ascertained that the winners got some sort of champagne.  That box thing was linked to the sound system.   To sing the National Anthem, they plugged in a phone and hit play.  img_6134

Each monster truck was introduced and drove around the ring before coming to stop.  We had this guy, Time Flys.  I liked his truck and how there was a picture of a monster truck on his grill. img_6136

Some trucking through the arena.img_6137

The announcer and his assistant.  We had a group of giggly young teenage girls sitting a few rows back.  At one point they all yelled his name (“Justin!!!!) together.  He turned around, scanned the stands and then smiled and waved while they all giggled.   I love teenage girls.img_6138

Thus follow many pictures of very big trucks.  It was breathtaking to watch them fly off the jumps.  The hydraulics were incredible.  It was very loud.  I wondered how much one of those trucks costs and how much gas they use.img_6139 img_6144 img_6150 img_6151

And then there were these two.  What was their deal?  So many things I don’t know.img_6160 img_6162 img_6164 img_6166 img_6169 img_6175 img_6177 img_6179 img_6188

No part of this very large truck is touching the earth at this moment.  What does it feel like to drive them?img_6190 img_6192 img_6194

There was a break with the big trucks and they brought in other cars so we took our leave.  We had to wait and not be run over by any cars though.img_6196

So I got to take a picture of this kid, whose face was unfortunately a little too flooded with light.  It’s times like these I wish I had a bigger camera.img_6199

The Fair: Things made.

Now let’s see what kinds of things people made for the fair.

Cake decorating is going through a phase of fondant-everything.  Fondant is not my favorite thing, but it was fun to see what creative things people are doing with the fondant.img_5996

Maybe you need a high-heeled shoe cake?  img_5997

Or perhaps a Fair-themed cake?img_5998

As usual, I enjoyed reading the judges comments in the table decorating contest.img_5999

Let’s go on a quilting spectacular.  Because there were a lot of good quilts.

I like the colors, and the many patterns contained in one quilt.  img_6000

T-shirt quilt!  Maybe when I get my t-shirt quilt done (in approximately 10-15 years) I will enter it in the fair.img_6001

These people, (Matt included) were all taking a picture of a quilt, because you needed to look at the picture to see the person the quilt depicted.img_6002

It’s Nick Offerman, that guy from the TV show Parks & Recreation.  I’m interested in why someone would go to all this trouble, but there must be a backstory.  Also, the quilt in the background is also a winner!  Great colors!img_6003

Another fun quilt.  Amazing quilting and really good skulls.img_6006

A 9/11 quilt done in understated colors.img_6007

Nice use of black and white.img_6008

Impressively swirly.img_6009

Similar swirly.img_6010

We watched the Art of Cake Decorating on the creative living stage.  Not for long though.  She was sculpting with fondant. Impressive, but not good to eat.  That bust of a woman sitting on the table is actually a cake she made.img_6064

I enjoyed looking at this collection of tiny felted objects.img_6065

This next item was the most memorable thing at the fair this year.img_6066 img_6067 img_6068

Nice embroidery quilt.img_6069

Here were ladies partaking in a variety of work.  img_6070

Some really amazing crochet.img_6071

I loved this Steampunk outfit.img_6072

Those pleats!  So much pressing!img_6073

I also was a fan of this dress that was made to wear to her daughter’s wedding.  (Not enough to take a full-length picture of it, though. Sorry.)img_6074

Winning vegetables.img_6076

One thing I enjoy about the Oregon State Fair is that they have puzzles to solve.  People of all ages were trying their hand.img_6105

The fair is a good place to show off your license plate collection.img_6106

There were a lot of Legos for people to build with.  I love that woman in the purple shirt who seems to be tired of waiting around at the Lego table.img_6107

There were also many Legos on display.img_6108

As a counterpart to the handwork women, we have the wood turners.img_6109

Quite lovely dollhouse.img_6110

I was intrigued and repelled by this US flag made out of Army men by a youth. I guess that makes it art.img_6111 img_6112

The Fair: Things to buy

Let’s look at some fun things to purchase at the fair.

An interesting insurance requirement, which I assume has to do with child trafficking or pornography, or something along those lines.

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I also enjoy the sign added to bring our attention to the steampunk possibilities, as well as the display of the woman with very large breasts.  (Note that my enjoyment for the second is in its obviousness.)img_5991

You are missing something for your wrist, aren’t you?  This shop can help you.img_5992

These dogs walk forward and also perhaps bark.img_5993

No need to cover up your angel wings.  Here they are in rhinestone hoodie, with or without pink corset laces.img_5994

The food at this fair was sub-par. There were no churches selling specialty things, no Jobs Daughters selling baked potatoes.  We ended up with generic Yakisoba, made more fun by watching the X-Treme Air Dogs.  In the background you can see the fairlift.img_5995

Later, we got stuff at the Dairywomen’s booth.img_6037

Matt poses with a certain presidential candidate.  He didn’t want to get too close.img_6203

I know you needed a telescopic flagpole.  This is your place.img_6204

I wouldn’t have though the OR DOJ would have a booth at the fair, but here they were.img_6205

The fair is very cannabis-friendly, including this booth and there was a category of home-grown strains.img_6206

For the serious quilter in your life.img_6207

Same booth, a version of the Cinderella dress.img_6208

Why spend your time embroidering, when this machine can do it for you?img_6209

It’s Mr. Statue!  He’s usually in downtown Portland, but he made an appearance at the fair.img_6210

The Fair: The animals we saw

We started at the Horse Stadium where some showing was going on.img_5956

Then we wandered through and saw the cows getting gussied up. (Note embellished pockets on the cow handler.)img_5977

And also cows napping.img_5978

Two-week -old calves are hard to resist, apparently.img_5979

Mooi was sleeping, though, so we did not get to pet Mooi.img_5980

This goat was all for the petting, though.img_5982

Pigs were being shown.  We also encountered them on their way back to their pens after being shown.  Those pigs are pretty big up close.img_5983

Angora!img_5985

Pygmy goats!img_5986

I bet these guys don’t look quite so pretty when not at the fair.img_5989

Later in the day we stopped by the Extreme Creature Feature and saw all sorts of interesting creatures.

Like these turtles!img_6082

And this snake.img_6083

And my favorite:  the Alligator Snapping turtle.img_6090

They sit with their mouths open until some fish mistakes their tongue for something interesting and then SNAP!  Fish is dinner.img_6091 img_6092

There were also birds.  Like this parrot.img_6093

Some snakes had just hatched.  You can see the now-empty eggshell.img_6094

This made me think of Leath.img_6095

I loved these albino frogs.img_6098

This alligator seemed quite large.img_6102

Our last picture from the Extreme Creature Feature is this snake.img_6103

Great detail outside the Historic Poultry Building.img_6211

The bunnies were in the poultry building, too.  Here’s a pretty one.img_6212

Fluffy chickens.img_6213

And this fella.  Who looks pretty chill.  img_6215

The fair. Just getting started.

Here we are at the Oregon State Fair!  Hooray!  I love the fair.

One thing I noticed about the fair this year?  A lot of embellished pockets of jeans.  Like on this lady.img_5955

Matt takes a look at some fish.img_5958

The fair is a great place to come if you are thinking about Naturescaping.img_5959

A very good quote by Mr. Dickens.img_5960

Matt beats the kids to the mini-earth movers.  (There are advantages to arriving as the fair opens.)img_5961

To begin, we took the Fairlift so we could get a good overview.img_5963

The Fairlift gives some insights into the backstage area of the fair.  Look at all those prizes!img_5965

Were you looking for some sunglasses?  If you buy them here you get a free string!img_5966

Self-portrait from the Fairlift.

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The fair wouldn’t be my first choice for Body Piercing.img_5968

But Henna seems the right level of commitment.img_5969

At this booth you could check out the things that god cannot do. (We never walked by this  booth, so I’m not sure what the three things were.)img_5970

Trust them. They have your flag.img_5971

A view of the other Fairlift seats.  It was early, so they were mostly empty.img_5972

What’s happening behind the scenes of the Corndog tent.img_5973

Matt plots our day of events. img_5976

To be continued!

Mike Birbiglia Q&A at Cinema 21

And after we watched Don’t Think Twice, we got to hear the writer/director chat!

Tickets! (Or: a piece of paper that is standing in for tickets.)IMG_5745

The conversation with Mike Birbiglia was facilitated by a woman who is a local in the Improv scene.  In other news, I’m quite happy with this photo, because it accidentally captures a moment in the credits that is a callback to a funny bit in the movie.  (Thank youuuuuuu).IMG_5747

Mike Birbiglia does not stay still for long.  I have about ten photos with some part of him blurry.  This was my best shot.

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The theater guy (if memory serves, his name is Tom) was quite still, and it was easier to get a photo.IMG_5764

And here is where Mr. Birbiglia became distracted by an audience member’s shirt with Laser Cats on it and had to take a photo.IMG_5766

Things I learned from the chat/Q&A:

  • If we liked the movie, we should tell our friends because, “You’re the advertising budget.”  (I did like it.  You should see it.)
  • Mike Birbiglia’s favorite thing about Improv is that it has the potential to be the best thing you’ve ever seen, or the potential to not be so good.  But either way, you’ve only spent five bucks.
  • “You don’t get a body like this [points at his average, american-style body] without a some work!”  Apparently said work takes place on the treadmill, sometimes while Facetiming with your child.
  • The Improv scenes in the movie were scripted, but inspired by real-life Improv.
  • The “stage” at Cinema 21–which caused Birbiglia to question how little you need to be a stage–is referred to by staff as a “riser”
  • There was an Improv festival happening in Portland that very weekend.
  • Worst advice about Improv Mike Birbiglia has ever received:  Don’t ever try to link Improv with fame or fortune.  Because it’s not about how many likes you get, it’s about connection.
  • Suicide Squad also opened the same weekend and was rated PG-13, despite much killing.  Don’t Think Twice was rated R for pot smoking.  Values and beliefs?
  • There was a guy recording the talk.  Mild heckling by Mr. Birbiglia did not bring an end to recording.  Officially calling it out finally did.  “You know, you really can’t do that.  And also.  Be here now.”
  • Comedy and Improv are two art forms are different: comedy is a solitary venture, driving across the country on your own and doing shows.  Improv is about working collaboratively.