So the 2011 Iowa State Fair is in the books. So what will we remember of this year's version?
I think this year's fair was all about sticks, schticks and stuck.
Sticks as is food on a stick. This year the attention-grabbing food was fried butter on a stick. I made two trips to the fair but never got around to thinking to myself, "Hmm, I could use 100 grams of fat on stick right now."
The food item did its job as it garnered national attention for the fair in a year where the Butter Cow was honored.
Schticks as in the visits by political candidates, who also grabbed the national spotlight. Yes, they were all over the place the first few days of the fair leading up to the Ames Straw Poll.
Some got heckled, some just wanted to be seen, and some we've never even heard of. Some aren't even candidates but decided to show up just in case they will be down the road (Sarah Palin).
Stuck as in the poor two young people who were trapped on the bungee ride for more than two hours about 90 feet in the air last week. They were good sports about it and were even willing to hold a press conference after their predicament was over. You know there would be some people out there threatening a lawsuit before they even got off the ride.
I guess we all appreciate the mild summer weather we got for the fair this year. I was amazed that I was able to walk around the fairgrounds and not become a sweaty mess this year.
On the last day of the fair I took in the mullet contest - which was the funniest contest I've witnessed in awhile. The host interviewed these Billy Ray Cyrus clones and many told the crowd they were making a beeline for the bar once the competition was over. Nobody seemed surprised at that.
I was also able to end my day with some prime people watching prior to the Lee Brice concert. What is it about people watching that is so fascinating?
We look to see their different clothes, different hair and just wonder about how these people's lives are way different than ours. And I'm here to tell you there are plenty of different-looking people out there who come out of the wood work during the fair.
If you are like me you look for the couples who have one less than attractive person with another regular looking person and wonder how they ended up together. Is it money, is it loneliness or just the right fit? Who knows.
That may sound cruel but I bet many of you have done it.
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Reporter Andrew Potter is a Tuesday columnist for the Times-Republican. The views expressed in this column are personal views of the writer and don't necessarily reflect the views of the T-R. Contact Andrew Potter at 641-753-6611 or apotter@timesrepublican.com