Did You Hear The Story About My Bandages?

I didn't get a chance to wrap up my final days of the State Fair of Texas thanks to an unexpected hospital visit. I've been resting up all week on the couch, but it will be a 6-8 week recovery for my wounds to heal. What happened? Well, read on after I photo dump my final days at the fair for you:

In previous years, I have indulged in the soft serve.  This year, I only had one cone.....

My State Fair of Texas boyfriend, Julian, AKA my co-worker's son!  He greeted me with a "Burtt" every day, it was kind of awesome being one of his favorites.  

This was my co-host's favorite activity, jumping the Traxxas truck over me during the show.  I do my own stunts!

The best thing I ate at the fair, Deep Fried Pumpkin Pie.  Yum!

What is going on with my hair in this photo?

A great reminder that if you eat too much fried food in Texas, you wind up as big as this:

We had an early Halloween party the last week we were there.  Matt and I made a quick trip to CVS.

So, Toyota Live went as CVS witches.  I actually love this photo.

My CVS purchases:  my hat, my cup, and my Peanuts purse.

The start of the show!

Last night in Texas.....and a trip to the emergency room.  The waitress at the hotel accidentally dumped a catering tray of hot water on my legs.  I knew it was bad when I stood up and dropped and F-bomb as I am not someone who swears that much.  I then tried to remove my jeans in the middle of the bar....uh, yeah, the pain was that bad.   My left foot and calf all wrapped up.  

And my right thigh all wrapped up.  I wound up with 2nd degree burns.  Not a fun way to end my trip, but I am going to be okay.  I was so bored waiting for the doctor that I tweeted much of my hospital visit. (Go back to October 23rd if you want all of the morbid details.) A big thanks to everyone who pitched in to help that night:  Matt, Kyle, Tina, Josh, Evan, Carolina, Christina (Tina), and Jessica.  I appreciate it!

The hotel staff all heard about the big incident the night before and one of the valet staff made me a balloon flower while I waited for the airport car service.  I couldn't wait to get home.  

A big thanks to my agents at Productions Plus who sent me this beautiful bouquet.  It looks great in my dining room. 

Squaresville

Over a year ago, I was asked to play a role in a web series pilot called Squaresville.  I reminded the creator of the series, Matt Enlow, that I am definitely not an actress, but he reassured me that the role was a TV reporter.  Surely I could handle that, right?  We shot my scenes the night before I left for a month at the State Fair of Texas in 2010. In the following months, I was able to meet the incredible stars of the series, Mary Kate Wiles and Kylie Sparks, who play the inseparable duo trying to fit in a world that sometimes makes us feel like you can't ever fit in.  Their tag line is so fitting:  "They say it's hip to be square.  Sometimes I am not so sure."

Well, the series is now raising funds to complete production and they have 18 days left to complete their $12,000 goal.  They have hit a series of milestones and they continue to release minisodes after each goal is met.  My cameo appeared yesterday, how did I do? Well, you can watch it all below, let me know what you think!

To learn more about the series:  Tubefilter article

To donate to the series:  Kickstarter

Deep Fried Everything and the Bumble Bee

Well, kids, I am rounding day 19 at the State Fair of Texas.  This show is always a marathon, not a sprint to the finish.  I've been dressed like a bumble bee for days now and it was only fitting that an audience member, Tyler, came dressed as a bumble bee to our show.  Yellow and black will never look the same to me.  I know I've dressed the same way in 2009 and 2010, but I think I'm ready for a new look.  How about blue next year?

I happily have indulged in delicious fried food this year like a little Chicken Express fried chicken, fried okra, hush puppies, and fried corn nuggets.  Have you ever tried a fried corn nugget?  Holy cow!  Who knew you could fry creamed corn in a little nugget of deliciousness?  I promise I have been working out a lot this time around since I have a few red carpet events once I hit the West Coast and the East Coast again in the next few weeks.

Finally, a high five to the chef who created a Deep Fried Grilled Cheese with a side of tomato soup and potato sticks from your elementary school brown bag lunch topped off with Sweet Tea and a pickle.  Sometimes the simplicity of food is the best way to eat. *UPDATE*:  I am getting a lot of inquiries here on where to find Deep Fried Grilled Cheese at the fair.  The stand is just across from the main entrance of the Old Mill Restaurant.  Enjoy! And let me know what you think about the amazing Deep Fried Grilled Cheese.

I will be back to all of my red carpet shenanigans next week, but I hope you are able to join me tonight (Monday, October 17th) for my appearance on the Driving with Gass show.  Kevin and I debate the latest entertainment news....the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I hope you join us by listening here at KWSS.org at 7:35PM PT/10:35PM ET.  You can also join in the conversation on my Twitter account with the hashtag:  #RadioBurtt.

State Fair of Texas Photo of the Day: Fletcher's Corny Dog

I look forward to my Fletcher's Corny Dog every year.  It's tasty and I always get the jalapeño and cheese dog for a little extra kick.  This year, my Corny Dog was rather mediocre.  It just wasn't as good as I remember, so it was a waste of calories.  I think I should have had a deep fried grilled cheese if I was going to go big.....instead, I went home.

You can see me enjoying my Fletcher's Corny Dog in happier times here in 2009 and here in 2010.

Scenes from the Red River Rivalry Weekend

Matt hit up Fletcher's Corny Dog. I haven't had my annual treat....yet.

Ah, Red River Rivalry weekend....for those of you not from Texas or Oklahoma, this is a huge football weekend between OU and UT that occurs each year at the Cotton Bowl at the State Fair of Texas.  As someone who went to a high school and a university without a football team, it is sometimes an overwhelming venture.  It's fun to watch everyone decked out in their school colors and see how passionate the fans are about their respective teams.  I am still trying to figure out how a punter and a place kicker differ on the field and why five minutes in football takes twenty minutes in real time.  Nonetheless, I survived my third Red River Rivalry weekend with flying colors....yellow and black.  

 My cute little opening show announcers while Trackside Tina, our racing expert looks on from the audience.

 Immediately following the game.  We survived!  Sweaty, but rather gleeful. 

 I've been tweeting for Toyota Trucks while at the fair. Crystal is one of Toyota's most enthusiastic fans and she came out to say "hi".  We were so happy to finally meet her!

 A night show!  It's been hot here, look how shiny I am!

 And then it rained.  I found a new use for Toyota bags on the way home....and I'm always advertising for them.

 That would be my co-host also avoiding the rain.

 The battle of the teams.  I aligned with UT while Matt aligned with OU for their schools' fight song.

 Hitting the RC Tundra race tent with a little bit of Toyota trivia.

 Limbo time!  Everyone made it through this game safely. Phew.  The crowds had been drinking for awhile when we began this game.

 There were thousands of people in our display watching the game which was only a few feet away.

Parting shot......

Photos Courtesy of Kristyn Burtt, Matt Troyer, and Tina Pettet.

State Fair of Texas Photos of the Day: The Fried Bubblegum Saga

 Remember when I posted this photo of Evan yesterday?  I thought he might regret letting me eat a bite of his Deep Fried Grilled Cheese after I photo bombed his picture.  Well, he paid me back alright.  He let me take a bite of his Fried Bubblegum (It's really a fried marshmallow with bubblegum flavoring.) which was dubbed the "Most Creative" of the State Fair of Texas.  Um, creative and colorful, but tasty? Not so much. See how it all went down as I took my first bite:

Dedicated to my awesome niece who dared me to eat this.  Next time, you try it, sister!

State Fair of Texas Photo of the Day: Day 6

When you pose for a nice, charming photo at the State Fair of Texas, you never know what is lurking behind you.  I wonder if Evan is sorry he gave me a bite of his delicious fried grilled cheese?  (Fried grilled cheese should be on every menu.  Get on it, LA!)

Photo courtesy of Ron Williams.

State Fair of Texas Photo of the Day: Day 5

After a relatively slow weekend at the State Fair of Texas (Where were, y'all?), here is my latest photo of the day.  I have yet to indulge in all of the fried food (Don't worry, I will.), but this sign caught my eye.  Um, let's see the Ultimate Fried Cheeseburger:  1/3 lb of Black Angus Beef, Fried Green Tomatoes, Fried Pickles, Fried Cheese, and Onion Rings.....the only thing missing is the Bacon.  It's pretty perfect though, no?  Who dares me to eat this?

(This photo is dedicated to my burger pals:  DangerShoes, MdnightMaverick, and MYMHM on Twitter.)

State Fair of Texas Photo of the Day: Press Day

It's that time of year again and I am here at the State Fair of Texas!  I know many of you have seen my coverage from previous years, so join me on my adventure again for the next 25 days.  This photo came from our new radio controlled race tent in the truck zone of the State Fair.  I have a feeling this is going to be a huge hit, so I wanted to give it a try before the crowds took over.  Well, I stink (My car is on the far right in the ditch, not on the track.), but that's not what makes this photo so much fun.  Sometimes, the best things in a photo are in the background and this photo makes me giggle.  You can see that Toyota Live's producer, Kenny, is really shy and doesn't have a sense of humor.

I will dish out more photos from the State Fair of Texas over the next month.  Today, the crowds descend upon us and Toyota Live begins its first show at 12:15PM.  Come on down and join us, y'all!

Home

I travel a lot for work two days here, ten days there, but the State Fair of Texas is my hardest job of the year.  It is 27 days from airport to airport.  This year was much easier than last year because the weather was amazing.  Last year, we endured 18 days of rain while working outside.  Lots of time was spent sweeping away flood waters while waiting for the crowds to arrive.  It was a lot of waiting.  I'm now down to my last three days.  This is when it gets hard.  So close to being done, yet three busy days to tackle.  I'm ready to go home:

Have a great weekend and I will see you on Monday at Red Carpet Closet!

Musings......

It's been awhile since I have done a Musings post, but I am stuck in a bit of a writer's block today.  Actually, I think it is more of a Groundhog's Day type of scenario, every day is the same for me through October 17th.  Since I significantly covered the State Fair of Texas last year, I am trying to branch out.  The only problem?  My mind is blank.  So here are a few things that I have been thinking about lately, not enough for a full post, but here are some highlights:

1.  I Feel Frumpy:  Um.....not feeling so fashionable these last few weeks.  Yes, this is my wardrobe for the run of the show.  I cannot wait to be back in a dress and heels where I belong.  I either look like a bumble bee or Charlie Brown in my yellow and black.  Discuss.......

2. Gymnastics:  I am an uber-geek when it comes to gymnastics.  I never participated in the sport, but I love watching it.  I have even been to the last two Olympic trials just to catch all of the action live.  So, I am excited that the World Championship is coming up in Rotterdam from October 16-24.  The US Worlds Team was selected yesterday including the 2008 Silver Medal winning gymnasts, Alicia Sacramone and Bridget Sloan.  Go, USA!

3.  Football:  Since we are on the topic of sports, this was my view from the stage while I emceed the OU/UT, Red River Rivalry festivities outside of the Cotton Bowl last Saturday.  I didn't grow up in football country nor did I go to a high school/university with a team.  Heck, my school was the NYU Violets and our big sport was fencing with athletes like Jerry O'Connell.  Yes, that Jerry O'Connell, the one married to Rebecca Romijn.  Regardless, the fans are passionate about the game and their team.  It was overwhelming to have all of those people staring at you.  Congratulations to OU for pulling out the win this year, but UT wins the fashion award for the cutest school fashions.  The dresses with cowboy boots were awesome.

*UPDATE* If you are a fan of Longhorn Fashions, head over to Adored Austin's site to enter to win a UT-inspired clutch.

4. Home:  I miss home.  Being away for 26 days is hard, especially when the BF sends you cute pictures of the puppy.

What has been on your Muse List lately?  Give me the details in the comments below.