There are plenty of reasons to go to the county fair. Some go for the farm animals, some for the arts and crafts, others go for the rides and carnival games, some even go for the talent performances. None of those are why I go to the fair. Of course I do enjoy checking out those aspects of the fair, but they are not why I look forward to it every year. My purpose for going to the fair, my mission, if you will, can be summed up by a single word: food.

Yes, the main reason that I make the trek across the county to the crowded grounds is to eat as much food as I possibly can. The only sad thing is that I never eat as much as I intend. It is inevitable that something else will catch my eye, or my stomach proves not to be quite as big as I thought it was, or some other factor intervenes to curb my enjoyment of all the fair has to offer.

This year, the day that I was able to go proved to be the hottest one of the celebration. Temperatures reached the upper 90s and humidity was very high. Now, if you know me, you will know that heat and I do not get along. Not at all. I was dripping with sweat the entire day, while my exposed flesh started to cook in the bright sunlight. I swear, I was beginning to feel like the various roasted and grilled foods I was eating. Still, I did my best to partake in what I could, knowing there was going to be much I would miss out on, despite my best efforts.

When I left, I knew I had eaten all I could, yet I still felt the pangs of regret knowing all of the good eats I had to leave behind. I could also hear the cries of the chicken, the whimpers of the beef, the absolute anguish of all things fried as I left through the exit gate. They, too, were devastated that I would not be able to eat them. Rest assured, there is always next year. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I arrived at 11:00. My first goal was to get something to eat. You see, I had not yet had anything and was beginning to hear the whispers of the food. Not the vendors mind you, the food itself was calling to me, imploring me to choose them. At this point, allow me to say that I am not one for onions and peppers, so I shy away from the sausage and peppers and cheese steaks. I also tend to avoid the standard issue hamburgers and hot dogs, preferring the things I couldn't get at the local fast food joint. I also don't go for pizza. Honestly, who goes to the fair for pizza?