A few notes from Friday's fair

Perfect, take 2

By jameslileks

August 27, 2010 at 5:46PM

Another perfect day, interchangeable with yesterday, or 1968, or 1983.A few observations:

Today's lunch was penance for yesterday's coney dog: a bowl of chicken and garlic rice at Patinella's, right by the Grandstand. It's possible to eat healthy food at the Fair, although it does seem like you're missing the point. You can get chicken anywhere. You cannot, however, get a slab of bacon as big as a Tom Clancy paperback novel anywhere but here.

Next to the chicken joint was a new concession: Custard's Last Stand. Apparently Custard is about to be wiped out, leaving no survivors, thanks to hubris and a series of military miscalculations. I don't know if "Custard's Penultimate Stand" can be found elsewhere on the grounds.

Based on an appraisal of today's crowd, Justin Timberlake's effort to bring sexy back has stalled.

The hottest free item at the Strib stand: lip balm. I still haven't finished last year's stick; like most people, we have a drawer with sixteen dozen lip balms, each with a different flavor. Last year's Strib-balm was vanilla; this year it's . . . Corn on the Cob. We're out at the moment, but we'll have more around three. Smear some salt around your mouth and draw on some ersatz corn-flavor! We also have moist towelettes; alas, they are not butter-scented, or you could really make a meal here.

Now I have to go out and meet people as part of the promotional effort to interact with the readers and answer their questions. Such as, "do you have bags?"

We have bags.

about the writer

about the writer

jameslileks