A Day's Outting

So I am trying to kick the cigarette habit and have found myself very angry and anxious as of late - surprise, surprise.

Anyway, V & I went to the Michigan State Fair today. As a veteran of many a fair, I was less than impressed. I have been to county fairs and (of course) the Ohio State Fair. I have won blue ribbons for cooking, etc. and have even taken 1st overall in some (well many) fair competitions. My sister served as a Fair Queen. Needless to say, the Hazlett's are seasoned fair goers.


Fairfield County Fair Grounds

The Michigan State Fair tried, but seemed to fall short. The fairgrounds are in a portion of Detroit that is wrought with burned-out, abandoned houses. The parking lot looked like something out of Mad Max. Now, the Ohio State Fair isn't in the best section of town, but the atmosphere and exhibits are much, much more interesting. Hell, we have a cow, calf and farmer carved out of butter (see below):



The best thing about the fair was the cotton candy (some of the best I have had in my life). On the way home, V & I took the long way down Seven Mile through Detroit. V hadn't seen that section of town and being that I had been all around our fair city back in '02, I wanted to show her.

We were able to secure a bean pie from the Nation of Islam. At a traffic light a cadre of bow-tied men were walking car to car hocking the bean pies as a "school fund raiser." Even though we were glared at when asked, we thought, "What the hell?" From what I had previously heard, the little navy bean pies were tasty. Well, those people were correct!

We bought two (more so because I didn't have change for a $20 and was afraid to ask - the guy didn't look like a change-giving man - at least to whitey) and now have one in the basement freezer for any Ohioans who wander this way and want an authentic taste of Detroit (since the 1930's).


The Bean Pie