After hours upon hours of sauntering around the fairgrounds, fatigue inevitably sets in. To combat this fatigue, check out the myriad cooking demonstrations held for fair goers. Not only are these sessions informational, they offer aching feet a much-needed rest. Whenever my feet begin to tire, I make a beeline for the cooking demonstrations. Today, for instance, I learned that red and yellow are the strongest appetite stimulants. Fascinating.

As far as entertainment at the Fair goes, the Hypnotist is tops. Held daily at 4 and 7:30 p.m. outside the Hobby Hall, the Hypnotist shows are wildly entertaining. Be sure to arrive extra early to find a good seat, as the shows are exceedingly popular. I checked about fifteen minutes ago, and the seating for the 4 o'clock show was practically full. Hopefully I'll still be able to snag a good spot.

And with that, I'm done for the day. I hope you've all enjoyed reading my posts and that I've provided some profound insight into the Puyallup Fair. Enjoy your visit!

-Danny Serna

During my time at the Fair today, I've been horrified by the level of base, crude "humor" I've seen on t-shirts. Ranging from subtly sexual to downright disgusting, the messages these shirts carry sicken me. If you're coming to the Fair, kindly leave your crude humor at home. No one cares where you want to stick your "chicken."

On a positive note, I found an exotic animal--an Egyptian Goose residing at the entrance of the chicken and poultry exhibit. Though it's no zebra, it's a nice break from standard livestock.

-Danny Serna

Lunch consisted of a delectable beef and cheese piroshky for me and yakisoba noodles for my vegetarian companion. Not exactly your classic Puyallup Fair fare, but both were excellent choices.

What wasn't so excellent, however, was the Retro Candy booth I mentioned in my first post. Not only was the variety of candy middling at best, but I don't think a single confection in that score could be classified as "retro." Amanda and I were hoping to find Razzles or penny candies or something of that sort, but we instead found Starbursts and sour gummy worms. Since when are Starbursts "retro?" I was highly disappointed.

Other than that brief lapse, our visit to the Fair has been stellar. Cows really are beautiful creatures, though their odor is far from aromatic. I haven't been able to find the exotic animals typically featured at the Fair, but I may be looking in all the wrong places.

Back to the masses I go.

-Danny Serna

It's 11:30 now, and the crowds are beginning to swell. So far, I've ventured through the Showplex, Grandstand and Centennial exhibits and have been offered everything from free back exams to free nail art. I'd highly recommend setting aside an hour or two to peruse these exhibits and maybe learn a little more about your back health in the process.

When you're at the Fair, be sure to visit the black hand washing booth next to the Dairy Barn (which, coincidentally, is home to the some of the world's finest ice cream and free milk samples). When you enter the booth, they place a chemical on your hands that glows under purple light. The goal is to completely rid your hands of said chemical, but try as I might, I have never been able to clean my hands entirely. It's a bit frustrating, but I can only hope that one day my hand washing prowess will increase and I'll become proficient enough to leave that booth with chemical-free hands.

I anxiously await that beautiful day.

-Danny Serna

Sunday morning is my favorite time to be at the fair. The crowds are smaller, the lines are shorter, etc. We'll see how long the Fair traffic remains light--I'm betting things pick up around noon.

Today, I'm attempting to do the unthinkable: see everything the Fair offers for $10 or less. That means that rides are largely out the window, and you may be seeing quite a few posts about interesting animals and the like. If I do run out of money, however, I'll be able to make a withdrawal from the First National Bank of Amanda, my traveling companion for the day. If you're at the Fair today, she's the girl in the gladiator sandals and vintage orange sweater. We'll be on the lookout for her favorite beverage, TaB, throughout the day.

On our way in, we noticed a few interesting attractions, including a Retro Candy booth and a strange animal resembling a camel-cow hybrid. We'll be investigating these forthwith.

-Danny Serna