Alcohol. This is a subject that Master and I have not talked much about. I know that Master limits his drinking due to his health. I’m sure he noticed that I didn’t drink. But what do I think about it?

I don’t drink because, frankly, I don’t like the taste of alcohol. I suppose if something were sugary sweet enough I might like it, but given my concern about my weight, I would probably steer clear of it anyway. I knew that I would have to develop a taste for alcohol, and I didn’t see that that was a good idea. I thought I’d probably become addicted, and who needs that? I already struggle with a food addiction. I didn’t need another.

Once in the dentist office they offered me nitrous oxide to relax me. I thought, why not? The assistant told me that it was kind of like a “two beer buzz.” This is how I would feel if I had a couple of beers. All I felt was a little woozy and dizzy. Tipsy is a good word. If I hadn’t been seated, I probably would have fallen. It wasn’t quite the same as feeling sick, but I wouldn’t describe it as a pleasant sensation. I just felt like closing my eyes until the feeling went away. I suppose if I ever did get drunk, the result would be a nap for me. Not real exciting. I must say, I don’t see the allure.

I have wondered if Master would like to see me drunk. I guess if left to my own devices, I would prefer not to. Why drink until I lose control, or my judgment becomes impaired? Just doesn’t sound like a good plan to me.

Hey, I’m a live and let live kind of person. If you can drink responsibly, be my guest. But for me, pass me the diet Pepsi.

If I could take Master on a vacation in Iowa, what would we do? Where would we go?

Suffice to say I would like him to see my beloved State Fair. I will not spend a lot of time here talking about it, since I have already said a lot on this blog, but I would enjoy sharing it with my Master.

What are some other things I would want Master to see and experience? We should visit the capital, Des Moines. I know it is not as large as Master is used to, but it would still be nice to share the state’s biggest city with him. We could explore theaters, museums, restaurants, whatever he would like to see. For me, of course, the best thing would be being with him.

I would also like for him to enjoy the Iowa Great Lakes in Northwest Iowa. There is a boat that, for $4.00 a ticket, will take you on a tour of the lake. It is a nice way to enjoy a boat ride, and if you wish, you can take in a lot of history of the lakes.

There is a Donna Reed Festival in Denison, the hometown of the actress. That might be of interest to Master Bennet. I really don’t know much about Donna Reed, or the festival, but I would willingly learn for Master. I think he would enjoy the fine arts atmosphere there.

Also, there is a small town called Riverside, Iowa . It is the purported future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise. They have a yearly festival as they count down to the birthday of the future legend. Master enjoys science fiction, and he might be interested in visiting that historical place.

I know, Master, that Iowa may not be known as one of the hottest spots in the country, but we do have a few places of interest. It is my wish to explore them together with you.

As I visited the Iowa State Fair this year, I had to take note of some things that have changed. Now, these changes didn’t happen overnight, or even in the course of one year. They have been going on for a while.

The first change I noted was the addition of beer to the wholesome Iowa State Fair. I’m not sure how I feel about that. The fair is supposed to be a family thing. But, to be fair, I neither saw nor heard of any problems that came as a result of the availability of alcohol. I heard that the Grand Concourse becomes a little livelier later on Friday and Saturday night, but I didn’t stick around to watch. Maybe I’ll put that on my agenda for next year.

I also noticed that people are, well, fatter. It used to be that I just seemed to notice all the skinny, pretty little girls running around at the fair. Now I notice the skinny little things seem to make up a minority. Maybe this is because the little ones are so young, and I am noticing people closer to my age. Maybe it is because I have lost weight that my eye gravitates at times to those still struggling. Maybe I am simply being more realistic. I don’t know. But I do know that I saw more overweight people than people of “normal” weight.

In addition to more obese people came many more people riding scooter, or electrical wheelchairs. The vast majority of those people in the chairs were, you guessed it, obese. I don’t doubt that these people’s obesity resulted in health problems that left them disabled, and I know from experience how hard it is to control that monster called weight. Yet, it is frustrating as well, knowing that many of their problems could be lessened, if not eliminated altogether, by losing weight. But, like I said, I know how difficult that is. I was reminded of my mother, who lost her battle with obesity. There, but for the grace of God, go I.

Finally, I noticed, I was going to say PDA (public displays of affection), but that is not really accurate. I didn’t see a lot of couples off necking somewhere. What I did see, however, was a lot of handholding. That in itself is not different from fairs in the past, but nowadays, the couples seem to be a variety of ages. At first I thought all of these people were fairly new couples. Holding hands is common for those falling in love, and people of all ages find romance these days. But then I thought I was being a bit cynical. Perhaps that elderly couple were not on their second marriage, but enjoying the comfortableness of a longstanding relationship. It is now acceptable for people, even older people, to show affection in public.

I must admit, in the past, when I have seen couples holding hands, I have been depressed. Poor me! Where is my man to hold my hand and walk through the fair with me? It is true that I do miss him and wish we had taken in the fair together (yes, and that everyone had seen us together, holding hands), but I am no longer so jealous. Maybe because I have had the privilege of walking hand in hand down the street with the one I love. Maybe simply because I know there is someone I love, who loves me as well. At any rate, I no longer begrudge the lovers’ each other’s company, regardless of their age.

As I said, I would have liked to have Master with me. I wonder how things would have gone. With his health problems, it would not be unreasonable that he would have been one of those on the scooter. I just got the image in my head of Master on a scooter, holding my hand, me running along side him to keep up. And, since he would need his other hand to steer, I would have to hold his beer for him! Okay, he gave that up due to his health, but it’s a hell of a picture!

I'm back! I have several posts swimming around in my head. I will be pounding them out on the keyboard shortly.

Yes, I’m on my way out. I am leaving today for a few days at my Dad’s home. This is our vacation.

We will arrive late tonight and then spend tomorrow at the Iowa State Fair (see earlier post). Dad and my son M will go together, watching the races and playing the games in the midway. I think in the morning I am going to go off on my own, and in the afternoon I am going to meet up with some people from where I work. Some of the disabled from the house will be at the fair, and I am going to stay with them and help them around. Between everything, I think we will all get our taste of the fair this year.

Also while I am at my Dad’s, I will be visiting a nearby state park once or twice. They have hiking trails, and those make my 50 minute walk more interesting for me. Also, I see they have boat rentals, from paddle boats to canoes and kayaks. M would like to go out in a boat, and if the fees aren’t too high, I think we will. We may even drag the tent out there and camp for the night.

It sounds like a relaxing vacation, if not quite the fantasy I had in mind. So, I will be gone until about Wednesday. Have fun at your daily grind, folks!