Curly Fries

I've been spending all my time on the Fair -- either furiously packing up new items to bring over, doing the long drive back and forth, or working my shifts over there. I scheduled all my time there this week, because I will be ferrying back and forth in the opposite direction next week to the Lord Hill show in Snohomish. Am I crazy? The answer is yes.

The Fair is quite a kick. I've spent lunch breaks viewing the pygmy goats, the angora sheep, the 4-H produce displays, testing out the various food booths (for the record, Pete's BBQ is killer), and hoofing it around the huge fairgrounds just trying to see it all. I'm headed over there again today, and trying to pack up a few orders quickly this morning before I have to run out the door again.

This weekend needs to be massively productive in trying to get inventory together for next week's other show. The stress of the last month has finally settled in I guess. That zit I mentioned? Turns out to be the dreaded herpes virus. Never had one in my whole life. Ever. How awful. Here's a quick primer that I just learned about the virus. At least 80% of the population has this thing in their bodies. It lies dormant, living in hiding in your spine. A number of factors will bring on a flare-up -- mostly stress, hormones (with women it's tied to the onset of a period usuallly), low immune system, sun exposure. It travels up the nerve fibers and causes little outbreaks of cold sores on your mouth or fever blisters on your upper lip, lasts about a week, and then dies back down the nerve endings and goes back to resting until the next time. Nobody knows exactly how it happens, but it is contagious, obviously. It's just so uncertain when, where or how it travels, because the virus mostly hides and breaks out only in specific conditions. Oh, and there is no cure. Yippee. How does one go this many years (mumble, mumble, more than 40) and suddenly get it now? So weird. And so stupid.

Well, that was enough over-sharing for one day. I'm just so mad and frustrated about it just showing up now.

So, to end on a high note? I just got word that I was accepted into the Phinney Ridge show again for December. This was my best show for the entire year in 2005 and I was biting my nails that I might not get in again this time. But I'm IN!!!! So I've just added it to the calendar on the web site. I absolutely love that show. Coolest artists ever. Coolest customers ever. So many people, so much fun -- the last show of the year and it's always a blow-out before Christmas. So very much looking forward to it again this year. Yay!!