chili-pie and meatballs

the western idaho fair is here ya'll!
(insert bonanza theme song.)
which means carnival rides, oversized produce, greasy food, wacky people, and the last week of summer.
baby brother tanner is workin' the burger booth this year, which brings back some pretty great memories.

let me share.

for a week at the end of august throughout most of my high school years, my friend katie, my sister, and i worked the hot dog booth at the grandstands. we got to hear all the concerts for free, and i still have the guitar pick i got from the willie nelson show. awesome right?

but mostly, i just got really fast at wrapping hot dogs, filling drinks, and making chili-pie= take a bag of fritos, dump in some chili, cheese, and a plastic spoon, and voila- a culinary masterpiece, no bowl necessary. i also learned how to use a till, so that was a good respectable skill, except that i didn't ever use a till again after that.

the real gem of the fair job was that it led me to a super sweet gig at the annual christmas craft bazaar. my sister and i worked the meatball sub table. mmmmm= a french baguette, pull out the soft middle and stuff the carcass full of meatballs. it was a top seller, an honor to make really.

good times.

*also sprinkled throughout my younger resume were a variety of temp assignments. highlights include: a night shift at a mental hospital where i sat behind a locked door and a thick glass pane. i signed in patients and answered the phone when troubled people would call and cry, or shout, or swear, and then hang up.

but the worst was probably a night shift emptying expired milkshake mix bags into a giant vat, my gag reflex was on overdrive that night. and ironic, it was the only time i've had to wear a hair net. i learned an important lesson that day: fast food ice cream isn't really ice cream.