Halcyon Days…

…here in Minnesota. The State Fair is underway, which is a bigger deal than most people around the country can appreciate. We went today, because our radio show broadcasts from the fairgrounds during the two weeks the Fair is on. It was a beautiful day and throngs of Minnesotans turned out:

The Patriot’s booth moved this year because they expanded the International Bazaar and took over the space where our antebellum mansion formerly sat. The new space is in a prime location, a block or two in from the main gate and across the street from the DFL booth. No fisticuffs broke out today, however; our show was almost entirely Fair-directed.

We began by interviewing the Minnesota Beef Queen, a lovely young lady from southwestern Minnesota who was wearing a tiara and leather sash and wants to be a doctor. Later on, we talked beer with the head of the Minnesota home brewers’ association. And we interviewed the guy from Famous Dave’s who invented the Pig Licker, the food sensation of this year’s fair.

What is a Pig Licker? It’s a strip of high-quality, apple-smoked bacon from a place in Wisconsin, dipped in excellent dark chocolate, sprinkled with sea salt and served cold. Good Morning America flew some to their studio so they could sample it on the air; Jay Leno told Pig Licker jokes in his monologue. The guy from Famous Dave’s brought some along; they were good. He told us that he ordered 26,000 bacon strips, thinking that would be enough for the fair’s two weeks. But Pig Lickers became the rage, and the 26,000 strips were gone in two days.

We had so much fun talking beef, beer and bacon that we barely had time to ridicule Joe Biden.

When the fair ends, the Republican National Convention begins. The Cities are gearing up, and we’re looking forward to it. All of us will participate in Pajamas Media’s convention coverage. Pajamas will have live coverage, streaming on the web, every night of the convention. We’ll see how well it comes together, but it should be a fun alternative to MSM coverage of the event.

The convention has one down-side: the Twins have been sent on the road, not to return until the convention is over. Their fourteen-game road trip started with two wins over the L.A. Angels, by record the best team in the American League. We won the opener 3-1 in extra innings and the second, last night, 9-0, to move into first place in the A.L. Central. This year’s edition could be the most fun Twins team ever. Management has been building toward 2010, when the Twins will desert the much-despised Metrodome and move into their new stadium. But the team, one of the youngest in the majors, has come together faster than anyone expected. Boosted by a young but deep pitching staff and several call-ups from AAA ball, the Twins should claim a spot in the postseason.

As I say, halcyon days. Life is good.

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