The Republic has their annual, people at the State Fair story in the paper this morning and like every year they include the line

Attendance at the Arizona State Fair has increased this year as Arizonans take advantage of the unusually warm October weather.

(page where the blurb is from) Except that is not unusual, it's always warm in October in Arizona, in fact usually they can't get people to attend the fair for the first week or two when it opens at the beginning of October. The reason? Usually the highs are around 100 and if you get on a ride at the fair, wearing shorts, which you are likely to do in the heat, you will burn your skin because the steel equipment gets so hot sitting in a parking lot on the fairgrounds all day, it usually isn't until the later half of the month it cools off enough you can enjoy the rides there. It looks like they are charging $8.50 for tickets this year, which I suppose isn't too bad considering it was $5 when I was in college ten years ago. The funny thing about the fair is it always seems to attract the stars that are either beginning their downward slide or have already well past popularity, not that folks enjoy them any less, hey it's a cheap concert honestly. But it is interesting to see whose name is listed and where their career is going, this years downward slide person is Coolio, but then I suppose that means he HAD a successful career no? Other folks on that slide include Bob Dylan, I thought he was dead ;-), and Stone Temple Pilots, I liked them the first time when they went by the name Pearl Jam. Also playing is Gin Blossoms the reason I don't count them on downward slide is for the fair they are just a local band playing a show, so it's no big deal there, though they put on a good show if I remember correctly. The fair was always a good date, lots to do, good chance to win the gf a prize especially at the billiards game. Good memories revisited this morning.