Our Annual Trip to the Michigan State Fair

Every year since I've been a mom, my dad has taken me and the kids to the Michigan State Fair. It's nice. I like it. I would never go on my own because it's pretty expensive: you pay $5 for parking, then a nice handful of money for each person to get through the gate, the food is expensive (and smells delicious in all of its greasy goodness), and you'd need to refinance something to get the kids on a ride.
However, when dad takes us, I become a minor again. He pays the way and we all wander slowly through all the huge old barns looking at pigs, sheep, hundreds of types of poultry and pigeons, and let us not forget the cow barn.
The cow barn is where you find the "bottomless cup of chocolate milk" for only 25 cents. My dad makes sure he has his quarters ready for the cow barn. The milk is creamy, sweet and very cold, but I can never drink the whole cup. There's something really disgusting about standing in a barn full of cows, their shit, and a large community of flies while drinking the cows MILK (which has been "improved" by adding chocolate and a load of sugar). I start to imagine there's hair in my cup and it's all down hill from there.
My dad on the other hand, slams down one cup like its a shot, then slaps down another quarter for his second cup; frowning at me for being such a wuss about drinking milk and smelling cow shit at the same time.
We went to the cow barn when little E was just a month and a half old and very actively nursing every 3 hours. I couldn't even let my dad buy my first cup of chocolate milk that year. There was always something about drinking another animal's milk while I was actively lactating that just made me sick.

Hmmm, so what's all this got to do with Joey Ramone?
One year the Ramones played at the State Fair. I had already seen them a handful of times by then, and the tickets were pricey to get into the fair. But my best friend was showing her horses at the fair so we had free entrance. I got there a little later than I said I would. I found my friend in the horse barn (complete in her horse shit-covered combat boots) and we heard the music start up. The fair grounds are huge and we had no idea where to go. So we ran towards the music, making a few dead ends on the way. We finally made it to the stage and it was brilliant! By far the best show I've ever seen. The sun was setting beautifully and when it got dark, all the carnival rides were lit up and circling around and around us while the Ramones played what seemed like a really long set. Joey Ramone, who was never one to blather on into the microphone between songs other than a simple "Thank you" at the end, actually said it was like being at Coney Island. And it did. It was so romantic, I swear I nearly cried.
Ahhh, summer time.

So that's my immediate associations with the Michigan State Fair: the Bottomless Cup of Questionable Chocolate Milk and the best Ramones gig ever played.

I *heart* Joey.
May he forever rest in peace.