I look forward to the state fair every year. I usually get a season pass and go a few times slowly make my way through the entire offerings of the year.
I start first with a visit to the fletcher's corny dogs, a visit to Big Tex and then on to the art and crafts/collections exhibition building. Each year i am amazed what gets included and probably excluded from the exhibits.
One year Bruce and I entered collections...Bruce books and me - a few of my choice vomitclocks (as i refer to those sllghtly hideous resin and rock clocks i collect. I got a third place ribbon. I spent the entire fair season trying to locate the first and sceond place clocks. There was no novelty clock division, simply clocks. Finally i gave up and emailed the judging department telling them I proudly received third prize, but there was no first or second. The reply was...."yes, sometimes the judges just do that." That meaning give me a third because they did not take my clock collection seriously. Of course this was all back when a collection was 3. Now you only must enter 2 as a collection. I have not entered since the 3rd and the collection number rule change, but I have dreamed of paying for every friend i have to enter 2 of my vomitclocks in the clock division. I still could not be prouder of my displayed every day third ribbon.