A few items, none of which really justify their own long narrative.  

First, I'm writing this as the morning temp is 47 degrees.  The first truly crisp morning of the season.  I'm looking forward to the additional warm beverages during the day, the increased number of big-pot-on-the-stove dishes that just seem out of place during the summer months, the ending of weekend mow-the-yard routine, the interim season of needing to run neither the air conditioning nor the furnace at home, sleeping with the windows open at night, doing any activity outdoors and not be drenched in sweat, the continuing of football season (might even attend another K-State game or two) and the lack of houseflies and other insect pests.  

Reminder to self:  Re-read the above when it's late January/early February and you're sick to death of the bone-chilling cold and brutal accompanying wind.  

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Visited the Kansas State Fair two weekends ago.  Headed that direction on the afternoon of the 8th, walked the midway and some exhibits during the evening.  Learned a great lesson as well:  If you search long enough you will find decent food for the evening meal.  Since I'm now in my 50's I don't care for fast/greasy food quite as much as in my younger days.  As one may expect, the midway area was loaded with offerings ranging from fried (you name it) on a stick to moink balls.  Definition?  Meatballs (moo) that are bacon-wrapped (oink) and cooked up good.  While my palate might enjoy such a thing as my evening meal, the rest of my body would not.  

Finally hit on the right place.  In one hall there was a variety of food vendors, all of whom were local.  This included church groups and other organizations.  Geogal and I wound up buying salads from one stand and meatloaf with mashed potatoes from another.  Hit the spot and the old adage remains true:  No beating home cooking.  

Stayed overnight in McPherson and returned to the fairgrounds on Sunday morning.  Easily in time for the 10:00 Lutheran Layman's League church service.  

Headed home by midday, stopping for lunch at Cozy Inn in Salina.  Not only are the sliders to die for but if you eat at the counter (which we did) you have the added benefit of your clothes smelling of grilled burgers with onion.  Reviewers on Yelp and elsewhere view this as a negative.  Not me!!  

Why the overnight stay, you ask?  Geoana had 4H commitments.  First she had to work the T-shirt booth Saturday from 6-8:30 (the crummy shift) and then had a Kansas 4H Ambassadors action team meeting at 9 on Sunday.  Even though our house near Manhattan is MUCH closer to Hutchinson then when we lived in Norton, it still made better sense to just stay overnight in the immediate area.  

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College football?  Now it's week 4 and the fun (i.e. conference) games really go into high gear!  Not that the first three weeks didn't offer some good armchair entertainment.  Even though I don't bleed burnt orange as do some of my other family members I still enjoyed seeing the Longhorns punch USC (The University of Spoiled Children) right in the mouth last Saturday night.  

I also read UT made the first move toward resuming matchups with Texas A&M.  The Aggies however, gave them the blow-off with the rationale that their schedules are already set for the next several years (which is true) and then added their philosophy that "our SEC opponents mean much more to us than playing you," (Geoguy paraphrase).  Seems the powers running the maroon and white wish to continue sending the message to Austin:  We don't need you anymore.