Earlier this week, we took the family to my 37th annual visit to the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights. The highlight for me was going to the top of the DNR’s fire tower–an attraction that has been closed since 1978. The new Miracle of Birth and Eco Experience buildings were also very nice.

Of course, there are really only two reasons to go to the fair: people-watching and food. The crowds have been light due to the rainy weather, but I still managed to find a few people I knew. Favorite T-shirt sighting: black shirt with white letters - “I AM A LIAR.”

It’s getting really expensive to eat at the fair, so my intake is controlled as much by my wallet as by my desire to keep my weight in check. The list this year:

• Pronto Pups (2)
• Tom Thumb Donuts
• Sweet Martha Cookies
• Kiwanis Vanilla Malt
• Danielson’s Onion Rings (who were celebrating their 50th year at the fair with a new trailer booth)
• Cheese Curds
• Bull Bites
• Macaroni-on-a-Stick

Only missed out on the french fries and the original dairy building malts…DK

Above: tinted primer applied earlier this week. Today we wrapped up most of the painting: navy blue walls, white columns. One section was left blank, as we are waiting for the projector so we can paint the screen accurately (Silverscreen, by Behr). Tomorrow we get more estimates for flooring and will attempt to locate some nice used room dividers…DK

Last night I drove my kids to Grand Marais on the North Shore of Lake Superior to stay with my parents for a few days before school starts. Four hours and 15 minutes door-to-door, stayed overnight, then left at 7:30 a.m. to return for more painting in the new office. This was my first, and likely only, visit there this summer, unfortunately. Sven and Ole’s was closed, but I did get some donuts at the donut shop…DK

The Wild have a nice booth at the Minnesota State Fair on the second floor of the Grandstand, with special guests every day.

Today Mark Parrish was signing photos from 3:30-4:30 and was really personable. He seemed to be very happy to be back in Minnesota and anxious to start playing.

Picked up tickets for two more games: October 12th versus Washington and October 27th versus Anaheim. Only three weeks to pre-season…DK

No, not the movie. I’m moving soon to new digs at work. I had a very nice office the past few years (friends called it the dorm room office), but HSRA is growing and the need for space in the school itself was dire. The new building owner offered us some space in the opposite end of the building at a good price–the catch is we have to finish it ourselves. The original contractor quote was quite high, so we are doing as much of the work ourselves as possible.

I created a new photo album in the photos section called Offices that has pictures of my old office and will have pictures of the new space as we progress though the next few weeks to completion. Here are some of the remaining tasks:

• Create Final Budget and Wish List
• Clean and Finish Floor
• Follow-Up on Electrical Connections
• Order Internet Access from Comcast
• Visit Home Depot for Floor Molding and Baseboard Heater Ideas
• Move Phone Line
• Get Extra Keys
• Pick Paint Colors, Get Quote from Painter
• Contract for Window and A/C Installation
• Find Solution for Room Dividers
• Move in Desks and Other Furniture
• Move Boxes of Office Supplies and Equipment
• Decide on Rugs and Wall Decorations
• Lighting Decisions
• Make at Least One IKEA Run
• Research Projector and Cable TV Options
• Purchase Approved Items and Install

Our budget is limited, but I hope to get as many of things on my master plan as possible by the start of the school year. Things like Super Chexx Hockey, though, will probably have to wait…DK

Tonight we had a visit from my favorite insurance agent, Sam Welter of the Catholic Aid Association (CAA). I’m not Catholic, but my wife is and she worked at CAA for a number of years. At one point, I was also under contract as the web developer for the CAA website (which was just recently replaced).

We have several life insurance policies with them for every member of our family and I rolled over my pension when I left Northwest Airlines four (!) years ago. The purpose of tonight’s visit was to finally roll over my old Northwest 401K account as well. I was tired of getting mail from them and the recent bankruptcy events made me a little nervous (even though it is managed by CitiStreet). I have a new State Farm retirement plan with Studio 4, but I prefer to do business with Sam when I can.

The big news of the visit was a new term life product that is cheaper than what I currently have, but has very stringent approval guidelines. I’m applying for it, as it would give me significantly more coverage for the same amount I’m paying now. The shocker is that I’m a borderline applicant because my weight is too high for my height. I assume it’s based on the BMI chart published by CDC, but man is that thing skewed to what I feel are unrealistic weights for most people. I would need to move from my current 187 pounds to 173 pounds to escape the overweight bucket and get in the normal category. According to that same chart, I could weigh 129 pounds and still be normal. That’s crazy…

With no smoking, no drinking, no overnight hospitals visits ever and marathon number 10 coming up, I may still be too much of a risk to get a better deal on life insurance. Oh well…at least it motivated me to get out for another seven miles tonight…DK

Caught up a little tonight…DK