Hoosierama

Got to experience the final day of the Indiana State Fair today, partially for a work thing, and partially out of curiosity to see the rural Hoosier in full plumage. I managed to sit through the State Fair Queen pageant, largely due to the food coma I was suffering after eating a fried Twinkie, a fried Snickers bar, two fried Oreos, a fried Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, a steak sandwich, an Italian sausage, and a pineapple whip. All I can say about the pageant is, every stereotype you can imagine was represented: the idiot host; the dumb farm girl; the bleached-blonde Marilyn Monroe wannabe; the girl who loves horses; the dark horse candidate who followed the unconventional career path (in this case, welding); the not-at-all-surprising fact that the one African-American person in the entire building was not a contestant; the inane questions, and even more insipid answers. It was all there, and it made for some high comedy, but also some incredibly painful moments. After that was over, we wandered around the midway and people-watched. Strangely, I wore a t-shirt with the Superman "S" logo, and several people told me "nice shirt". Huh? Either the superhero t-shirt is somewhat of a new phenomenon in this area, or else the farm folk don't see too many comic book nerds out their way. Or maybe it was just the way my bulging muscles fill out the shirt so well. All in all, the Fair was interesting in a car-crash can't-look-away way, but I don't think I really feel the need to go back (a fact which pleases my digestive system to no end).