Minnesota State Fair: Special Food-Only Edition

Since you all were such great troopers and listened to me wax philosophical about the State Fair itself, I have a special treat for you...and it comes on a stick:

It's the special, Minnesota State Fair FOOD-ONLY Edition!

As I pointed out in the previous post, there is plenty to enjoy and celebrate at the Great Minnesota Get-Together. For many of us, however, the main attraction is really the food. It's a once-a-year binge-fest...a plethora of deep-fried goodness...a smorgasbord on a stick. It's an amazing opportunity to enjoy old favorites like cheese curds and corn dogs, while pursuing new culinary adventures, such as wild rice cheeseburgers and chocolate-covered bacon (don't knock it 'til you've tried it).

But why is the food so amazing? What is it that causes us to go so completely overboard, gastronomically-speaking? Well, they've figured out ways to deep fry--to perfection--candy bars and Oreos, mac-n-cheese and pickle chips, corn fritters with honey butter and spiral-cut potatoes, sliced razor-thin and drenched in cheese and sour cream. All just heavenly.

It's Joe Mauer!

There's also a multitude of food that can be consumed, bite by bite, without using a fork or mussing up your fingers. You name it, and it can be eaten on a stick. Bacon, spaghetti dinners, egg rolls, cheese cake? Yes, yes, yes and yes. You can have pork chops and hot-dish and even Joe Mauer...ON. A. STICK. Yum.

And we haven't even touched the gold standard yet: the cheese curds.

So we're gonna skip the part where I ramble on and bore you to tears. The contribution of the State Fair food (other than heart disease, diabetes and rampant obesity) is clearly unabashed glee. There's nothing else to say. So let's let the pictures* be worth a thousand words...and a million calories! (And check back between now and September 6th...there may be additional pictures posted if there are additional trips to the Fair. Am I a dedicated blogger, or what?)

Corn Fritters! Usually my first taste of the Fair each year...thanks, in large part, to their proximity to the main gates. And also, the honey butter.

Imported fresh each day from Ellsworth, WI...the original cheese curds. Nothing compares...nothing even comes close...

Pickle chips...I don't know where these moved to...used to be the Food Building. I liked 'em. Oh well...

Cinnie Smith mini cinnamon rolls. Well worth the hike to the far, far northern end of the Fairgrounds. If you have the time, stay and watch the staff make them...super fun!

Best Mini Donuts ever...right next to Ye Old Mill.

Chocolate-covered bacon from Famous Dave's. I really enjoyed this, but wouldn't need it every year.

Walleye Cakes from Giggle's Campfire Grill...one of my absolute must-haves at the Fair. Probably my second favorite item (after the cheese curds).

Best fries ever. And for reasons I can't explain, I have to get them from the booth by Empire Commons, not the Midway. I know they're the same. I can't help it.

Sweet Martha's...how can you not?! Again with the weird location issues...they have to come from the booth by the Grandstand. With lots of milk.

Danderlute Ratsbain agrees: gotta have the wild rice cheeseburger from the Food Building. Seriously great burger...and there's usually a coupon in the Blue Ribbon Book! SCORE.

Hot Dish on a Stick! Meatball - tater tot - meatball - tater tot - meatball...and a side of mushroom gravy. Dee-lish!

One might think that it's rather banal to get ice cream at the State Fair, since there are so many other choices. But this chocolate delectableness from the Dairy Building (Empire Commons) shouldn't be missed!

French Meadow Bakery...rockin' our world with French Toast Tots and Mushroom/Swiss Risotto Poppers. New faves!

This obnoxious pile of awesomeness can be found right outside the Food Building. My Befri and I get these every year...and then we plunk ourselves down on the curb and indulge. Probably the dish that has garnered the most "OMG what is THAT!?!?!?" comments from passersby.

Apple Cider Pops from the Ag Building...almost always sold to you by the cutest grandma/grandpa couple on earth. For a dollar, you can have a refreshing, healthy snack. A nice way to reset your system before you head back out for more deep-fried fabulosity.

Mac-n-Cheese on a Stick from Axel's. Pretty simple. Pretty yummy.

Peaches and Cream - one of the items getting lots of critical acclaim this year. Am happy to report that it lives up to the hype! Fresh, fresh peaches, crunchy ginger snaps and soft serve. The perfect summery sundae.

Ma Ronning, this one's for you: the pork chop! Smokey, charred goodness...on a stick, of course.

Corn. The original "food on a stick."

So I've always wanted to try the deep fried Twinkie, but I never felt like I needed a whole one. Tonight we were sitting on a bench near where they're sold, and I saw this group of folks talking about them. I asked the guy if I could see what it looked like. He was like "I haven't even touched it yet...you have the first bite!" I was like "No, I couldn't do that to you." He was like "Do you have any diseases?" I was like "No." He was like "Go for it!" So I did. And it was delicious.

The chocolate, banana, marshmallow sandwich from Moe & Joe's (by the Miracle of Birth barn). SUPER-FANTASTIC and completely over the top. Met the lady who invented it (who was delightful, by the way), and she told me that she spent all winter thinking it up and finding exactly the right chocolate. I don't know what she used, but she nailed it! Thank goodness for long winters!

So there you have it, folks! Hope your appetites are whetted and your culinary imaginations are on fire! 

See you at the Fair!

 ________________________________________________

*These pictures span 3-4 years and a good half-dozen trips to the Fair. So the answers to your questions are:

• No, I did not eat all this in one trip.
• Yes, I shared most of these things with other folks.
• No, I do not get tired of the grease/salt/fat/sugar, and if you do, well la-dee-dah and good for you. You go on with your healthy, healthy self.
• Yes, there are extra trips to the gym immediately before and after Fair season.

Now leave me alone, you kill-joys!

The Minnesota State Fair (Don't miss it, don't even be late!)

As a general rule, I try not to wish my life away. I try very hard to focus on the present. I mean I strive to see the big picture and plan accordingly and save a little money and make thoughtful decisions and blahdyblahdyblahdy, but really, I tend to live in the moment.

There is, however, one thing--more than any other--that makes me wish time away with reckless abandon. More than hankering for the start of Badger football season or baseball's opening day...more than pining for the release of the last Harry Potter movie or the next installment of James Bond (R.I.P. MGM and Daniel Craig's new Bond)...more than longing for my birthday and Christmas combined.

All year long, more than any of these other things, I wish it was time for the Minnesota State Fair.

In fact, at some point every spring...not summer...but spring, as we're driving along Snelling, past the Fairgrounds, I'll see the dates posted above the main entrance, and I'll wistfully say to Jay, "I wish it was the end of August so we could go to the Fair!!!" Jay always pats my knee and gently reminds me that I should refrain from wishing summer away before it's even started. Point well taken. But it's so hard to wait!

Olaf C. Ronning

Like many Minnesotans/Western Wisconsinites, I've been going to the State Fair since I was a little kid. Almost every year, we would get up early one late-summer morning and drive from Star Prairie to Saint Paul for a fun-filled day at the Fair (except for the year I yarfed in the back seat of the mini van at the corner of Snelling and Larpenter, and we had to turn around and go all the way back home). Often, we'd meet up with my Great-Uncle Bud and his family. Uncle Bud loved the Fair...I think it was one of his favorite things in the whole world. I guess that's where I get my love of the Fair from...I come by it honestly!

You're never too old for the slide!

I have vivid memories of screeching all the way down the giant yellow slide and howling along to "Manic Monday" at a Bangles Concert at the Grandstand (bless my parents' hearts). I remember climbing around the big tractors on Machinery Hill and clinging to safety bars on the Mighty Midway rides. No matter what we did at the Fair, it was always thrilling...always a day jam-packed with adventure! To this day, when we arrive at Snelling and Dan Patch for the first visit of the season (there are always multiple trips), I feel the same child-like amazement and excitement about the Fair. I love it...I utterly and completely love it.

I love the sheep. The most.

And it isn't just that I love going to the Fair or eating at the Fair (which we'll talk about in a subsequent post)...it's that I love, with every ounce of my being, the entire State Fair experience. I love what it represents. I love the sense of community. I love the history of it. I love the collective energy you experience with the 150,000-200,000 folks who are there with you at any given moment. I love that so many of the buildings were constructed as part of the WPA. 

I love it. I love it all.

Our state fair is a great state fair...

As the child of two history teachers, I feel it is only appropriate to lead with this information (thanks to Minnesota State Fair: An Illustrated History by Koutsky & Koutsky): Fairs in Minnesota have been held, in one form or another, since 1854. Back then, it was a Territorial Fair--since Minnesota didn't become a state until 1858--and was held in Minneapolis. Early State Fairs were also held in various communities in southern Minnesota (closer to the actual farms) such as Red Wing, Rochester, Winona and Owatonna.

It's important that you know that after much competition between St. Paul and Minneapolis to see who could host a better fair, a "permanent home [...] was chosen in the little town of Hamline. Located equally between Minneapolis and St. Paul, Hamline won over the second-place option at Minnehaha Falls" (p. 11).Today, "Hamline" is really St. Paul. Isn't it nice to know that the "fairer" city prevailed?

They all look like winners!

Anyway - let's get on to the part of the post where I talk about the contributions of the Fair. The tens and tens of you who read this blog on a regular basis will certainly guess that I'll lead with public good. The Fair, historically and to this day, is a place to learn about our state and all that it has to offer. From the participatory experiences kids get as 4-Hers and FFA members showing their animals and crafts, to what we learn as we stroll through the barns and exhibits, the Fair is clearly an educational experience. You can watch baby animals being born. You can try to discern the difference between red- and blue-ribbon cookies and breads. You can synthesize the year's political events by looking at crop art.

High above the midway lights...

Furthermore, just like Ms. Amy K. referenced in her fireworks post, the Fair is a communal experience. You feel very much a part of a larger community when you go to the Fair. You sit an enjoy concerts under the stars with crowds of happy people. I can't think of many moments more beautiful than the one where we sang "America the Beautiful" on a cool summer night with Garrison Keillor and the rest of the crowd. You gawk without an ounce of subtlety or dignity and blurt out, "What is that and where did you get it?!" when someone walks by with a fabulous looking food item. You try not to lose sleep over the odd paradox of the Midway: a place that is--although unavoidably filthy and crammed with obnoxious teens and cigarette-puffin' carnies--really rather romantic. Only made more romantic by knowing that Semisonic's "Falling" references the Ferris Wheel at the State Fair midway. And just because I can't help myself...I have to tell you...I once saw Semisonic play "Falling" at the Grandstand at the Fair. It was so meta.

It's ALIVE!

In addition to the aforementioned, and more obvious, public good contribution, perhaps the greatest contribution of the Great Minnesota Get-Together is the optimism and enthusiasm it inspires. I always find myself infused with a sense of possibility as I make my way through the Fair. How could we not be excited and optimistic about life? Look at all our state has produced! Look at all we've created! Look at all we've grown! Giant pumpkins and seed art and honey and rabbits and sheep? Christmas trees and corn and cows? That's just the tip of the iceberg.

Will she be the next Princess Kay?

How about the adorable baby chicks (perhaps only moments old!) or the award-winning jams and jellies? The blue-ribbon cribbage boards and champion llamas running obstacle courses? Pies with fish heads sticking out or old-school 90210 pajamas lined with lime-green faux-fur? It's all here! Did you see the hog that weighs over 1,000 pounds? Or the World's Largest Redwing Boot? Have you ever seen a rooster that looks like that before? Seriously...look at it! And over there, there's a replica of a woman's head being carved into a 90-pound block of butter...RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES!?! We can do all these things. We have done all these things. And more! Yay us!

Ultimately, the public good and the optimism and enthusiasm collide...and that's what the Fair is really about. It's about seeing people's pride and joy on display. It's about hearing their stories and learning about their passion in life. Things you've never spent a lick of time thinking about...other people dedicate their entire life to it. For example...

Meet Angel the Llama!

A couple years ago, my Befri and I stumbled upon the llama barn. We didn't even know there was a llama barn. And we met these great folks from Rose Creek, Minnesota. They were phenomenally patient with us, as we asked dozens of questions about llamas. Are they hard to train? Are they friendly? What do you do with them in the winter? We must have talked to these people for over 30 minutes. They were kind and enthusiastic and generous. And now, any time I see a photo of a llama, I think of them and all I learned that warm August afternoon.

As the days get shorter and the temperatures finally start to cool, I can think of no better seasonal send-off than the Fair. What a beautiful way to say goodbye to summer and welcome the vibrant colors and certain transitions of autumn and beyond. All the novelty and excitement, all the tradition and adventure...it's just about enough to keep your heart warm all winter.

Hamburgers

I am not--and never will be--a foodie. It's not because I have anything against foodies (most of the time). And it's not because there isn't a teeny, tiny part of me that wouldn't mind being a little uppity about eating really good food. I could get on board with that.

But it's just not in my nature.

We ate here loooong before Carrie & the SATC gals.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy really good food. I appreciate what goes into making really good food. I can think of more than a few memorable fine dining experiences. The most prodigious included a couple scrumptious meals at Cafe Lurcat in Loring Park (the sea bass tasted like candy...it was ridiculous), and three insane visits to The Modern at MoMA in New York City. 

By insane, I mean  food so beautiful, we didn't even want to touch it. I mean amuse-bouche that you wish you could eat by the tray-full and petit fours after your scrumptious dessert and a loaf of pineapple pound cake that they give you as you're walking out the door so you have something nice for breakfast the next morning. Insane also includes the guy with the cheese cart and the other guy with that little table-crumber thingy and the guy who comes around and folds your napkin when you go to the bathroom lavatory. All three times we ate there, we tried so hard not to act all gobsmacked and "golly-gee, this is the coolest place we've ever been!" All three times, I'm certain we were desperately unsuccessful.

(The Modern, btw, it where Carrie announced her engagement to Big in the first Sex and the City film. So, SJP, "you're welcome" for that recommendation.)

So I think I've proven that I can keep my cloth napkin in my lap and my elbows off the table. And that I appreciate a watermelon foam palate-cleanser as much as the next girl.

But seriously, I'm not a foodie. Why? Because at the end of the day, I'd rather order pizza. Because I wanted white cake with white frosting for my wedding. Because if you say we should all go out for a glass of wine, I'll order a hefeweizen. It's just who I am.

As such, I am writing a post about hamburgers. So get on board.

The Juicy Nookie

Burgers are one of those things about which people are maniacal. When you ask someone to describe the best burger they ever ate, they get all wild-eyed and start using lots of gestures and superlatives. In fact, this exact phenomenon is currently what happens when you ask a certain member of my family how s/he feels about the Alumni Burger at The Nook in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The one-and-only Plazaburger!

I think there's also considerable nostalgia associated with favorite burger joints. When we were little and we'd all go to Madison, Mom and Dad would take us to The Plaza for Plazaburgers. They said it was (and still is) one of the only places in Madison that hadn't changed since they were students in the 1960s. The Plazaburger obviously holds a special place in their hearts. And now, mine too.

(Just for the record, the "Plazaburger" at Annie's Parlor in Dinkytown? Supposedly modeled after the one in Madison? Don't even bother. Not even close.)

Grill baby, grill.

So what's the world-warming contribution of the hamburger (and save the artery-clogging jokes for my post  on the food of the State Fair, a couple weeks from now)? I'm gonna lead with sincerity. Hamburgers are seriously down-to-earth food. We grill 'em at our picnics and order 'em at the drive-thru. They're on every kid's menu in every restaurant across America. We love 'em so much, we're makin' 'em out of turkey and salmon and black beans and some sorta tofu-ish stuff. And we're puttin' 'em on a bun with lettuce and tomato and mayo and pickles. And we love it.

Even if you try to dress burgers up or get all fancy, the underlying reality is still that you're eating something that is of the proletariat. It doesn't matter what you do to a hamburger, it's still greasy and messy and awesome. You're still picking it up and eating it with your bare hands. Could you imagine if you used a knife and fork? They'd send that Miller High Life guy after you.

I must say that the other contribution of our burger obsession would have to be unabashed glee. We have fun making them. We have fun eating them. People who own restaurants must spend an inordinate amount of time thinking up names for them. As a former waitress, I've served hundreds of Bernie Burgers and Jimmy's Deluxe. As a customer, I've eaten Juicy Nookies and El Guapos. What's not fun about that?

You know what else is fun? All these burgers? They come with fries.

Now that I've got your stomach a-rumblin', it's about time for me to hit the road. But one last thing, before I go:

Try all 10 and get a free t-shirt...and a free burger!

Those of you who've been following my recent eating exploits know that I've been pursuing the Blucy Challenge at the Blue Door Pub on Selby and Fairview in St. Paul. If you're speculating that this whole post is really just a thinly-veiled excuse to talk about my new favorite restaurant, well, then you'd be correct. Just above, you see a version of the Blucy punch-card. You have to eat 10 different Blucies to complete the challenge. My personal journey included (see menu for descriptions of the first 7 Blucies listed below):

• The Bankok
• The Blucy
• The Breakfast
• The Classic
• The Frenchy
• The Luau
• The Merriam Park
• The Gatsby (Gruyere and short-ribs inside!)
• The Pastrami-licious (pickles and cream cheese on the bottom bun, hot pepper cheese on the inside, and a big pile-o-pastrami on the top)
  and
• El Guapo (queso fresco, cheddar, pico de gallo and avocado-cilantro sour cream)

Couldn't have asked for better summer fun than that! It's always nice to have attainable goals: "Eat 10 awesome burgers and get a free t-shirt? Where do I sign up?!"

Now if only I could make this kind of progress on my dissertation...

Pixar

I'm gonna start this post off with a little smack-talk, because from here on out, it's gonna be so noxiously sweet that you're gonna wanna vom.

WARNING! She freaks out right here!

So here it goes (and I'm dead serious about what I'm about to say, so consider yourself warned):

If I ask you if you've seen [insert title of Pixar film here] and you reply--with a crinkled up nose and a sing-songy tone--"oh I don't really like cartoons," I instantly think less of you. Like you might as well say that A.J. Pierzynski and A-Rod are your two favorite baseball players. Or that you root for Michigan. Or that you think Michele Bachma....never mind that last one.

I love lamp.

Why? Because, first of all, if you think Pixar films are "cartoons," then you are a vapid moron* and I can't be bothered even talking to you. And second of all, if you're too hoity-toity for a little animated cinematic fun, then you and I were never kindred spirits in the first place.

Was that too much?

I really just needed enough ire and hostility to balance out what is sure to turn into some sort of a zippity-doo-dah, a-dream-is-a-wish-your-heart-makes, to-infinity-and-beyond gush-fest. Did I accomplish that goal? :)

I supported Pixar from the get-go. So please forgive me for Jar Jar!

Pixar films are, as you might well imagine, a big part of our household. The million reasons we love Pixar so gosh darn much include, but are not limited to: the company's initial link to and support from George Lucas, our sincere appreciation for the animation and the art that goes into these films, the fact that we haven't even remotely outgrown "kid's" stories, and our incessant anthropomorphism of every single thing around us.

We have so many dorky little Pixar "favorite things." For example, Finding Nemo was one of the first films we saw together as a couple, so it holds a special place in our hearts. In particular, I love the voice of Mr. Ray (the teacher) on the DVD menu. If you wait too long to start the film, he sings "Let's make a selection, a selection, a selection! Let's make a selection on the DVDeeeeeeeeee!" It makes me laugh. Every time.

Or remember the part in Monsters Inc. where Mike is teaching Sully how to scare kids in bunk beds...and he's making Sully go back and forth, from the top bunk to the bottom bunk, like a drill? Every time we see that part, Jay is like "WATCH! WATCH! This is hilarious!" And he's right. It is.

C & E's montage: Did they want us to completely fall apart?!

And then there's the first 10+ minutes of Up, where one of us cried so hard when we saw it in the theater, that the other one of us thought s/he was going to have to take him/her out to the lobby and get her/him an ice cream cone and a puppy just to cheer him/her up. But I'm not saying which one of us it was who got so emotional during the film. (Wasn't me.)

Anyway - on to the fun part...why Pixar warms the world. I am excited to say that this is the first blog subject that meets all 6 criteria! Woo hoo! So let's have at it:

Heeeerrrreeee's Brucie.

The wonderful, often intelligent, humor of Pixar is the first contribution we'll discuss. When Nemo and Dory find themselves at the shark "AA" meeting, listening to them recite the "Fish are friends, not food" mantra, it's impossible not to laugh at the many layers of humor taking place. I assure you, if you're sitting next to a little kid in the theater and you are both laughing at the same time during a Pixar film, I bet you dollars-to-donuts you're laughing at different things. There's something for everyone in these films. We all go, and we all laugh...often at the same time, but for very different reasons.

A great artist can come from anywhere...

Pixar also emphasizes the importance of focusing on the public good.  In Ratatouille, we're reminded that "anyone can cook"...and the snobbishness of fine cuisine is taken down a peg or two by one adorable little rat (and all the other cutie puff-ball rats when they come out of the dishwasher!). This is just one example of Pixar infusing more democratic ideas (little "d", not big "D") into their films.

Another example is the short before Toy Story 3, Day & Night. With no words--and some of the coolest animation ever--we are given the opportunity to think about how we all see the world from various perspectives. We learn not to fight about it. We learn about appreciation of differences and the value of teamwork. It was stunning...both in terms of the art, and the content and delivery of the message.

The brave little robot...

I know there was a lot of griping about the heavy-handed messages in Wall-E...because encouraging people to take care of the earth and their health is pretty controversial stuff...or remembering to exercise your body as well as a healthy skepticism of corporations is just too much to ask. Ugh...there goes my ire again. Anyway...although Wall-E may have been a little forthright for some folks, I think it's an important example of a company acknowledging their power in the market and their potential role in society, and then taking risks with their product. If they caught flack or lost audiences because they chose to advance a timely and critical message, so be it. Sometimes we have larger responsibilities to which we must attend. PS: Wall-E grossed over half a billion dollars...so...whatever.

Pixar obviously warms the world through it's optimism and enthusiasm. Given it's connection to parent-company, Disney, this is just a given. But I think this newer style of coupling optimism and enthusiasm with sincerity makes for a refreshing way of looking at the world. Optimism and enthusiasm are a little less Hakuna Matata than they've been in the past. They're more...I don't know...real.

I'd like to help, but there's nothing I can do...

While the optimism and enthusiasm part of Pixar films is formulaic, to be sure, I think there is a reassuring sort of humanity and honesty to this new genre of family films. Yes, everything ultimately works out in the end...the day is saved and everyone lives happily ever after. But I think we see some genuine struggles taking place. Mr. Incredible has a mid-life crisis and aches to matter again in society. Carl grapples with honoring the loss of his wife while pursuing the dreams they once shared as a couple. The characters in the Toy Story films (especially the third installation) strike a balance between letting go and hanging on to childhood.

Robo-love

In my humble opinion, the best example of optimism muddled with sincerity is the development of the relationship between Wall-E and Eve. It absolutely breaks my heart every single time I watch it. Poor Wall-E. He may not seem a prototypical Prince Charming, but he is so patiently persistent as he strives to woo Eve. All while she's brashly blasting everything around them to smithereens. This strikes a particular chord with me, because I'm quite certain that scene could be retitled, "Jay's Courtship of Emily: April - June(ish), 2003."

These first four criteria really focus on the films and products of Pixar. For the last two criteria, I'd actually like to focus on the organization and its roots.

It goes without saying that unabashed glee is as much a part of the Pixar process as it is  the Pixar product. These people love what they do, and they know they are beyond fortunate to be able to do it for a living. Brad Bird once said about John Lasseter, "So many animated films have tremendous skill on display, but it doesn't look like anyone had any fun making them. One of the things I love about John's work is there's absolute joy in it!" (Paik, 2007). Pete Docter (a Minnesotan!) had his work described by a former teacher as having a certain "joie de vivre" to it, thus making him an obvious co-conspirator for John Lasseter. Joy abounds at Pixar. And the world is a better place for it.

Finally, when you look at the roots of Pixar and where it really came from, you see a history infused with intellectualism. These were people who dreamed of making a full-length, animated movie...with computers. That was the whole goal. While the company eventually honed their business smarts, they valued intelligence--academic intelligence--from the get-go. In fact, in the early days, they were much more committed to more academic notions of success than they were with commercial success.

John & Ed

Some of Pixar's earliest roots can be traced back to Ed Catmull, a physicist and computer scientist. He talked about "intellectual openness" and the importance of not being secretive about their work...about bringing in the best minds and making sure people were feeding off of one another's progress. John Lasseter described how Pixar (in those days, it was the Lucasfilm Computer Division) was a melange of the smartest PhDs, artists, scientists and programmers that Ed could find. Because Catmull was so intentional, from the outset, about engaging the academic community as he worked towards the goal of expanding the possibilities of computer animation, there is an entirely unique ethos at the core of Pixar today.

So there you have it...Pixar warming the world in more ways than you can shake a stick at. And we know they'll keep doing it...to infinity and beyond!

_________________________________________________

A couple quotes and a lot of information in this post was gleened from the book To Infinity and Beyond! The Story of Pixar Animation Studios (2007). If you have a Pixar/Disney fan in your house, this book is a must! It is gorgeous and well done and funny and rich with information and beautiful pictures. If the person you purchase it for is lucky, they might even get to read it someday...or at least that's what Jay keeps hoping....


*My editor told me to remove this sentence because it was offensive and inappropriate. I told him that it was intended to be a joke. He said that people might not get it. I said that if they don't get it then they're vapid morons and I can't be bothered even talking to them. We're still at an impasse...