Today's Subject...The Minnesota State Fair

I have lived in Minnesota my entire life and I have yet to visit the State Fair.

It's true. I know you are sitting there, reading this with an immediate sense of disgust and outright anger at the above statement. Like most people I tell that to, you are probably questioning my loyalty to the land of 10,000 lakes and I willingly accept your disapproval.  However, since I am so boldly confessing the biggest sin a true Minnesota girl could commit, I will spend the remainder of this post justifying this choice.

Reason #1 I will not attend the State Fair: The food.

Yes, I realize the food is usually the number one reason why people attend the state fair. It is my number one reason not to attend for the simple fact that for the last 10 years of my life I have made almost every attempt at shedding and keeping off the 30 pounds I have gained since high school. One might think it is within my control to opt out of eating anything that would sabotage my attempts, but I have yet to see "low carb" or "sugar free" in any of the advertising promotions for the food stands. The last time I saw a trailer selling cheese curds at a music festival, I quickly navigated my way through a crowd of 1000 people, eagerly stepping on small children and shoving the elderly out of my way for a shot at those crispy nuggets of cheddar gold. Only for my boyfriend to discover they were inhaled before he was done paying for them.

Reason #2 I will not attend the State Fair: The smell.

If I wanted to smell cow poop, stranger's sweat and week-old grease all within an arm's length, I would drive to Iowa.

Reason #3 I will not attend the State Fair: The money

I will simply refer you to my blog post entitled "" I am broke, and the last thing I want to spend $200 is an opportunity to smell the above, lolly gag on my feet all day, and go home with a serious case of bloated heartburn. I am much more content watching "Anchorman" for the 100th time with my dog Bitsy.

Don't get me wrong Minnesota, I get it. I get the appeal, and I totally understand why thousands of you flock to this great get-together every August. I celebrate your passion for this annual event and I wholeheartedly thank you for showing your desire to experience the single biggest showcase of our great state. Despite your instant judgements on my fair hater attitude, please note that I am a true Minnesotan. I go camping up north, I enjoy fishing, hiking, lefse and the Twins. Paul and Babe got me through college and I have always loved the Vikings even through their Warren Moon phase.