Fair Fun, Fair Food, Fair Hair

While at Roy Lake for Labor Day, Tiffany lamented that she wanted to go to the State Fair in Huron, but that she had no one to go with her. This was on Friday night, while we were all enjoying a few beers (and mystery shots) at the very happening Club Eden.

Amber thought attending our second state fair of the week (and this time without kids) sounded like a great idea and I am always up for anything, so a plan was hatched for the following day.

On Saturday afternoon, Amber and I set out for Brookings so she could get clothes at home. Tiffany and Tony weren't far behind.

While South Dakota's fair is smaller than Minnesota's, I like them both in their own way. South Dakota's is smaller, more personal, and more laid-back. Minnesota's is more intense, crowded, and larger.

We arrived at the fair around 7:00 and while Tony prepared for their performance scheduled for later that evening, Tiffany, Amber, and I hit the food stands. All fairs do well in this department. Among the three of us, we sampled:

cheese curds
mini donuts
indian taco
pork on a fork (enough pork to fit on a dozen forks)
deep fried twinkie
deep fried pickle
corn dog

Then it was on to stake our spot in the beer garden. I knew it would become crowded when the concert let out and Eclipse began to play, but I had no idea how crowded it would become. This 36 year old got a little cranky with all the pushing, especially the other 30-somethings who were pushing. A little politeness never hurt anyone!

As one would expect, early September evenings in South Dakota are way too cold for me! While an unflattering photo of me is not unusual, the odd look on my face (and double chin) in the photo below are due the 50-degree induced shaking I experienced. Until I started getting jostled and crushed; I forgot about being cold and started complaining about the pushing!

Tiffany and Amber were much more mellow than I was.


Sometimes when I get cranky I just go with it until it dissipates on its own. Other times, especially when I'm with other people, I try to perk myself up by focusing on something other than cold or crowds or having to pee every 30 minutes.

The South Dakota State Fair presented me with the perfect antidote to my crankiness. There seemed to be an inordinate number of people sporting fancy hairdos.

I don't usually make fun of other people's hair. Clearly, my hair is not my best feature and I have mostly given up trying to do much of anything with it.

One might be tempted to remind me that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. One would be justified in doing so, but just this once I'm going to pick on some hairdos!

I'm all for finding a hairstyle that works for you and sticking with it. Possibly even through three decades. But there is simply no way this was ever a great look for anyone.


Do you think she knows the woman in the previous photo?

Dreadlocks are not something you see every day in South Dakota. That and men in a passionate embrace, which we also saw. The Great State is really coming along!

I've seen variations of this Kate Gosselin hair lately (I don't watch the show but I am unfortunately familiar with her hair). When someone cuts her hair in this style I am convinced she must hate short hair and be doing this as some sort of protest statement. As a life-long proponent of short hair (what choice do I have?), I implore her to stop the abuse!

This guy (a friend of Tiffany and Tony) really doesn't have Fair Hair except to the extent that its messiness is indicative of a fun day at the fair.


Another thing you don't see every day or at every fair: convicts picking up the trash. (There's one riding on the back of the truck below.) These people were made to wear bright orange shirts with CONVICT printed on the back. While I am all for the state saving money and perhaps this is meant to shame them into rehabilitation, but I found it to be in poor taste.

There is nothing like ending a night at the state fair with a foot long corn dog!

This was my first trip to the South Dakota State Fair since 1992. I hope it won't be 17 years before I attend again, although I will be wearing warmer clothes next time!

Vote No on Measure 11

My South Dakota friends (to borrow a phrase), there's an issue on your ballot next Tuesday about which I feel so strongly that I'm willing to dive head first into a murky pool that most people would rather avoid.

Measure 11 seeks to "prohibit abortions except in cases where the mother's life or health is at a substantial and irreversible risk, and in cases of reported rape and incest."

There is perhaps no issue as emotionally-charged as abortion. It seems nearly impossible to engage in logical, fact-based discourse on the matter, although I will attempt to do so here.

Those familiar with the 2006 failed referendum know that Measure 11 also seeks to make abortion illegal, but this version has added exceptions where the prior version had none. These exceptions are vague and open to interpretation, which could have repercussions for both women and their doctors.

Notably, the new law would make an exception in cases of rape or incest only if it is reported to law enforcement. The woman must also submit to DNA testing, presumably to prove the identity of the father. Could this leave the door open to prohibit an abortion in cases of incest by a non-biological relative or rape by a boyfriend/husband? These requirements will prolong the suffering for victims and could delay the procedure - possibly past the 20 week window.

Abortion to preserve the mother's health seems to be some kind of joke worthy of air quotes (see John McCain in the third debate). Measure 11 permits abortion "to prevent death or the serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily organ or system." While the latter is almost completely a judgment call, even the risk of death can be debated.

Presumably - although not specified in the measure - medical professionals would determine the health risks involved. However, doctors who perform abortions in South Dakota, should Measure 11 pass, could be charged with a felony and serve jail time. In essence, they would be asked to pit their own best interests against those of their patients. The state's medical community opposes Measure 11.

Measure 11 would have marginal impact on abortion in South Dakota. The state already has what are widely considered to be the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. In 2005, South Dakota women obtained abortions at about one quarter the national rate.

Should Measure 11 pass - a recent poll indicates opinions are tied with 12% undecided - it will certainly be challenged at taxpayer expense. Measure 11 would put South Dakota in direct violation of the Due Process Clause granted by the 14th Amendment. South Dakota would be the first state to make abortion illegal, projecting Measure 11's sponsors into the spotlight to challenge Roe v. Wade on the national stage.

It's unlikely that Roe v. Wade will be overturned. No one likes abortion. No one aspires to have one. And I'd posit that no one considers it "birth control" as proponents of Measure 11 suggest.

Abortion is not the problem. Lack of access to or ignorance about birth control is the problem. Abstinence-only sex education is the problem. Incest is the problem. Rape is the problem. Tragic physical complications are the problem, albeit the only one over which we have no control. And yes, careless behavior is also the problem.

Here, perhaps, is where opinions begin to diverge and emotions begin to heighten. It can be a challenge to separate facts from feelings. The most common argument I hear from people I know who oppose abortion rights is [fill in the blank] got pregnant when they didn't want to and now can't imagine life without the child.

It's difficult, emotionally, to disagree with that. Logically, however, we know that nothing is that simple. Nor is it fair or accurate to impose our own perspective and experience onto the lives of others.

What [fill in the blank] has and Measure 11 would take away: a choice. There are a multitude of reasons why a woman might make a different choice. Anyone who has pondered this choice would likely consider it the most difficult decision of her life, regardless of the outcome.

We all know that the first abortion was not performed in 1973. Abortions have gone on since the beginning of human life on Earth. It's estimated that as many as 1.2 million illegal abortions were performed annually before Roe v. Wade. That's about the same number as were performed in 2005, despite about 100 million more people in the country. That means the rate was higher than it is today.

The difference between legal and illegal abortions is this: estimates range from hundreds to thousands of women dying every year in botched, back alley abortions. Deaths have been negligible since Roe v. Wade. A woman seeking to end a pregnancy will find a way to get it done. We can either permit access to a safe procedure or risk the complications of DIY abortions.

Is it really government's place to position itself in the middle of this complex, personal decision? If you believe it should remain the decision of a woman, her doctor and whomever she chooses to involve (with the country's most strict regulations already in place), vote NO on Measure 11.

One Year Anniversary

August 1. It's been one year since the 35W bridge collapse, a fact which those of you who are tuned into the Twin Cities media could not avoid. While that was a tragedy, that's not why this date is important to me.

The one year anniversary I'm celebrating is a happy one. Last August 1st was my official first day at my job. The day that I knew absolutely for certain that we would be moving to Minnesota! I didn't actually arrive here until the following week, but I started getting paid (the most important part) on the first of the month.

This year has flown by and has been filled with so many wonderful moments that I would have missed - and did miss for the nine years prior. I wouldn't trade my experiences in other cities for anything, but there truly is nothing like the feeling I have here. It's one of belonging, almost one of home, while having the advantages of a progressive, liberal, open-minded city. For me, it's the best of both worlds.

It's also Angie's birthday today - the big 1-9! Although she doesn't read my blog, I'm sending wishes her way.

Saturday in Brookings

I really enjoyed my first Brookings Summer Arts Festival in over 10 years! I don't have photos from that, but I do have a few from our night on the town. First, Amber, Jon, Melissa and I had dinner at Bravo's (I refuse to capitalize the v).

The meal was fantastic and the setting sublime. Except that Jon's shrimp diavolo may have made him sick. Don't order that! Brookings has long been in need of a quality food in an upscale setting and this is top notch.

After dinner, Amber gave us a campus tour. I've been there quite often recently, but Melissa hasn't been there in a few years. For those who may not recall, Melissa and I graduated on the same day in 1995 (wow! that's a long time ago) and even sat just two seats apart during the ceremony. The guy whose name falls between 'Hea' and 'Hei' was either entertained or annoyed by us for over two hours.

In a somewhat successful attempt to 'relive the good old days,' we visited some of our old haunts as well as some of the new (i.e., renovated) ones.

Good times, good times, as evidenced by Melissa's disappearing act into the covers. Yes, she's in there somewhere!

Thanks for your hospitality, Jon and Amber!

A few thoughts...

Once again, I neglected to take a single picture of a fun-filled weekend! (Mayday: Mom please send me some pics when you have a chance...)

I'll post some photos later in the week. In the meantime, might I share with you a few thoughts and observations that have been roaming around in my head?

- I listened to Bill Clinton on the radio for about half an hour while driving today. Despite his sometimes ill-advised comments during the campaign, he seems back to his old, inspirational self. I could listen to that guy all day. I'm not sure I've ever felt an ounce of inspiration from our current president. Maybe a little after 9/11 when he gave that speech from atop the rubble. But that was mostly the PTSD. Is it November yet?

- Three young women I know have died needless, tragic deaths in the past three months. I wrote about Katie in April. A couple of weeks ago my second cousin died in a motorcycle accident. Yesterday I found out that a former colleague from New York (to whom I last talked in December 2006), killed herself. I hope 'they' are right when they say these things come in threes. I feel so sorry for all of the families involved.

- I asked Chris to buy limes at the grocery store today. He called to ask how much I thought a lime cost. Fifty cents? Maybe a dollar? Not at Whole Foods. Their limes (possibly filled with gold) are currently going for three dollars. Each. EACH!? There's no recipe that will be so terrible without limes that I would pay that much. Anyone else worried that price increases will never stop? Stock up on Ramen now. You never know!

On a lighter note...

- Angie was crowned Princess in the Miss Delano competition on Thursday night! She rode the float in the 4th of July parade on Friday (the largest and oldest in the state) and that was just the first of dozens of activities she (and Bonnie and Duane) will participate in this year. Congrats!

- We had a great time at Roy Lake. Chris' first ever visit included golf, pontoon ride, convertible cruise, card playing, road trip to Pickerel Lake, a little sunburn and (too much) eating. It's always fun to watch the kids enjoy the lake like we all did years ago. Kailey skied like a pro - way to go!

That's all I have to say for today. Watch for photos later in the week!

The Second Amendment Goes to College

Can one of you wise South Dakotans please explain to me why your state House of Representatives found it necessary to pass a bill allowing (inviting?) students to carry guns on public college campuses?

Don't get up in arms (pun intended), folks. I love guns! Shotguns and rifles for hunting and even handguns for protection out on those mean gravel roads...as long as you're not a criminal and don't use them to harm people, own a hundred guns if you want to!

But could anyone possibly, ever, under any circumstance have a need, let alone a use for a gun at SDSU? I mean, the squirrels can get kind of aggressive as winter approaches, but wouldn't a rock or a loud shout be a more appropriate deterrent?

Why, oh why, waste the already limited tax dollars of South Dakotans pursuing such a meaningless piece of legislation? This comes on the heels of legislation proposing $1 million to fund a horse slaughter plant. That bill is dead and I don't really have an opinion on it, except to say that I think there are better ways to spend $1 million supporting new business in the state.

Does anyone else sense a connection between this nonsense and their new four-day work week? Too much time for *creative* thinking, perhaps?