Finding pleasure in a fair deal

Our kids are at an age when they are becoming more responsible. What

that really means is that they’re old enough to start doing more

chores around the house. A couple of years ago, our kids weren’t

completely responsible for such tasks as setting the table, clearing

the table and loading the dishwasher.

Sometimes, there are mild disagreements over whose turn it is to

do something. But I’ve noticed that more and more, this once

well-oiled family machine is going through a growth phase and there

are times when we don’t all agree on where to go, what to do or what

to eat.

Last weekend, we all enjoyed a fun day at Wild Rivers, but the

kids were ready to leave before the parents. Some of us like to go to

the beach, some don’t. Some like Disneyland, some don’t. Some like

baseball games, some don’t.

So in 2003, I am particularly happy when July rolls around because

I know that it’s only a matter of days before the opening of the

Orange County Fair. The fair is one place we all love to go. The fair

is the great equalizer.

One of the fair’s best-kept secrets is the chance to purchase ride

tickets and admissions at a deep discount before the fair opens.

I went to the ticket booths last Thursday, but discovered that the

discount prices were not the secret I thought they were. The line was

far too long and my time much too short, so I left, but not before I

asked what time the ticket booths closed that night.

“10 p.m.,” came the reply.

That was at 1 p.m.

Life is funny. Sure, we get a lot of enjoyment out of driving a

nice new car, eating a fine meal or taking an expensive vacation, but

we also derive pleasure from so many little things: not having to

wait for a table at a popular restaurant; finding exactly what you

want at the department store and finding it at a triple-double

discount; finding $10 in a pair of pants; and having your kid do the

dishes.

Getting a few extra hours to buy cheap fair tickets made my day.

My week.

At 7 p.m., I left home with my 10-year-old son to get Chinese food

at a very a small, but very good take-out restaurant at Baker Street

and Fairview Avenue in the Stater Brothers shopping center. As we

were leaving, I turned left instead of right to go home and told my

son that we were going to the fairgrounds to buy tickets.

The ticket line at 7:15 p.m. was half the length of the line at 1

p.m. Another little pleasure.

But wait, there’s more. It happened that my son and I chose to buy

tickets at the same time the city planned to celebrate its 50th

anniversary. We were invited into the freshened-up Pacific

Amphitheatre, given cake and even saw a test blast of the fireworks

show planned for 9 p.m.

Note to the fair people: We watched the fireworks show from our

home, and it was outstanding. We suggest that you do it every year to

kick-start the fair.

The amphitheater was a bit of a disappointment. Oh, yes, it looked

like it had received a new coat of paint, and I’m sure that the sound

system has been updated and all that, but I was expecting more. I was

expecting something not so plain, a look that would have been more in

line with our Performing Arts Center or, alternatively, something

cutting-edge. My guess would be that budget constraints and the

possibility that this season is only a test were the reasons for the

ho-hum appearance.

Oh, and another beef ... I was told that this year’s concerts

would not include seating on the grassy area above the seats. Too

bad.

We stayed for another five minutes, watching the pop group

“Splash” perform a song, then we left.

On our way out, we picked up four “I love Costa Mesa” buttons, one

of which I proudly wore the rest of the evening.

At that moment, I broke a rule and told my son that if he wanted a

piece of cake, it was OK to go grab one. Dessert before dinner --

another little pleasure.

We may be headed for the fair tonight, maybe not. We’ve got a

family commitment in North Hollywood, where we’re going to see

“Pirates of the Caribbean,” so it may be too much to squeeze in the

fair.

But we’ve got our discounted ride tickets and admissions and we’re

ready to go at a moment’s notice. Cinnamon rolls, pig races and the

demolition derby await.

No, most days it doesn’t take much to keep us happy.

* STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and freelance writer.

Readers may leave a message for him on the Daily Pilot hotline at

(949) 642-6086.