Canadian Buffoon's Back to Front Vacation - Update! 05/18 - Falling Down

[pkondz]

Aww! Luna is so cute! And very nice kitchen appliances BTW!!

Yes she is.

And... thanks!

 

[pkondz]

Hello there!

Well hello there, Kelly!
to the TR!

I've lurked on a couple of your other, very entertaining trip reports, but have never commented because I felt I was waaaayyyy behind.

Well, I'm glad you've decided
to come out of lurkedom.

But it's never too late to chime in.
I run a very open TR, here.

Well, here I am on page 11 and only two installments of a pkondz report and I feel like I can finally jump in!

Great! Hope to hear more from you!

Looking forward to reading more!

You're in luck!
The next update
is pretty much ready
to go.
Proofing now.

 

[pooh'smate]

I am still catching up as I am behind but I had to stop and post about the tourtiere. My dh is from MTL and we have tourtiere every New Year's Eve. We love it and I do make it pretty regularly through the fall and winter.

 

[pkondz]

I am still catching up as I am behind

Then I have bad news.
I'm about ready to post
the next update.

But the good news is...
There's no rules!
Catch up, jump in...
It's all good!

but I had to stop and post about the tourtiere.

Of course.
This seems to have brought
a few people to comment.

My dh is from MTL and we have tourtiere every New Year's Eve. We love it and I do make it pretty regularly through the fall and winter.

Nice!
I need to learn.
I told my Mom that she
"has" to teach me this year.

 

[pooh'smate]

Then I have bad news.
I'm about ready to post
the next update.

But the good news is...
There's no rules!
Catch up, jump in...
It's all good!



Of course.
This seems to have brought
a few people to comment.



Nice!
I need to learn.
I told my Mom that she
"has" to teach me this year.

I can send you the recipe I use. I found it in a cookbook one year and made it as a surprise for my dh. He took one bite said it was better than his mothers and even better then one that is really famous in Quebec that some Monks make.

 

[pkondz]

I can send you the recipe I use. I found it in a cookbook one year and made it as a surprise for my dh.

Welllll…. I dunno…
Kinda used to my Mom's and...

He took one bite said it was better than his mothers and even better then one that is really famous in Quebec that some Monks make.

I'm sorry. What's that?

Send it!!!!

 

[pkondz]

Cole at Christmas
(not a typo)

I left Upper Sandusky
and a very nice DISmeet
happy and full.

I do love meeting new
friends that until then
were friends-I'd-yet-to-meet.

I drove on toward Cleveland.
Over the next couple of hours
I made a few stops
at a few Harley shops.

I usually listen either to
tunes on my iPhone,
random radio stations,
or to audiobooks.
Mostly audiobooks.
(One such, Aurora,
by Kim Stanly Robinson,
is science fiction and if you
enjoy that, I highly
recommend it.)

When I need to pay particular
attention to traffic,
or there are numerous
interruptions by Betty,
I'll turn off the book
because I can't really
concentrate on the plot.
Or to Betty.
Or both.
Or... neither, rather.

When I did so, the radio
announced that tornadoes
had been spotted in the
______ area of Cleveland.

Great. I had no clue where
______ was. For all I knew,
I was driving right into it.

Luckily, I avoided making
like Dorothy.
Probably because I'm more
Scarecrow-like.

He was the brave one, right?


So where was I heading?
Well, in Cleveland, one must
visit the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, no?


Wellllll….


Well... it had been my plan
to visit it.
And the map I'd printed
did include it, but...

Tickets to the Hall are $26.
Not including parking.
I was going to arrive
around 3:30 - 4:00pm.
People have posted that
they've easily spent
four to five hours there.

And it closes at 5:30pm.
So... $26 for an hour or so
of very rushed, unsatisfying
touring?


Nope.
I decided to skip it.

Silver lining
(Chrome lining?)
I added a couple of Harley stops
and decided to check into
my hotel before my next DISmeet.


But first...
Well, in Cleveland, one must
visit the Christmas Story House.

If you don't recognize that house,
then you probably haven't watched
A Christmas Story.
If you haven't watched
A Christmas Story...

Why haven't you!?!?!?

Seriously. Watch it.
Well... maybe not now,
but when you're in a Christmas
kinda mood.
Maybe next month, some time.

And wash out your mouth
with a bar of Lifebuoy
for not having seen it.

So! ls everyone ready
to visit the house?

Then you should probably
head over to Cleveland,
since I didn't go in.

You may be saying to yourselves:

But I've been there before.
You can read about it here:
Christmas in July
(If you haven't already. If you wish.)

While I didn't go in,
I did notice a couple
of new items on display
in the garage across
from the house.
Well... new to me anyways.

According to the (slight)
research I've done on this car,
a 1938 Oldsmobile Touring Sedan,
it apparently is the original one
used in the movie.
My only complaint
is that while the tires
are round and made of rubber...
They have tread on them.


The fire truck, however...

Is not the one used
in the movie.
It's actually a 1939
Ford-LaFrance,
while the original
is a 1938 model.
The movie one is
owned and currently
on display at the
Chippawa Volunteer
Fire Fighters’ Association
in Niagara Falls, Canada.
(original seen here in this
still from the movie.)

You'll notice that the truck
says Chippawa on it.
It was parked
(in the next frame)
so as to obscure
the name.

It should have said
Hohman on it,
since the movie is set
in Hohman, Indiana.
Which is why the one
on display in Cleveland
has that stenciled on it.

Oh, and...

The outdoor winter scenes
at the school were shot
in St. Catharines, Canada.

Oh, and...

Well, that's all I'm going
to say about poor Flick.


So why did I stop there?
Well... only one other
reason anyone would
feel compelled to go there.

To pick up one of
these beauties.

It's indescribably beautiful!

Purchase in hand,
I lovingly placed it in
the trunk of my car,
careful not to damage it,
lest I be forced to bury it
next to the garage,
with the sound of "Taps"
being played, gently.


Major award in hand,
I set out once more.


I had a couple stops
before checking in to
the hotel.
One of those stops was at
South East Harley Davidson.

Frequently, due to the frequency
that I frequent Harley Stores,
I simply pop in, grab a poker chip,
and continue on my way.
Every now and then,
something will catch my eye
and I'll peruse a little longer.

This particular shop held
a few surprises.

A 1919 Harley with...
A covered side car????
It looks a little ratty...
but it is almost a hundred
years old.
Still, never seen anything
like that before!

Also, there was this Harley:

Owned at one time by
Elvis Presley.
I find it interesting
that with the passage
of time, this may be
less cool than it once
would have been.

Kids these days.

Now if it was a
Taylor Swift bike!

Yeah...
Who cares.





My original plan was to
have my next DISmeet
and check in to my hotel
afterwards.
But since I was running
a bit ahead of schedule,
I actually had time to
check in and get myself
situated before the meet.
That would save time later
and allow me to get some
rest a bit earlier.
Another long drive coming.

So.... here's the thing about Betty.
I've noticed that there are times,
when the road is straight and true,
and as we're coming up to an exit,
she'll start telling me to
"Keep left, on I-90 to Chicago"
for example.
Well... yeah.
She didn't tell me to take the exit,
so why would I?

She doesn't do it at every exit,
thank goodness.
But often enough that it's noticeable.


I left my last Harley shop of the day
and headed to the hotel.
And... came to a standstill.
There was an accident up ahead
and nothing was moving
to allow those nearest to stop
and admire the carnage.

I started looking at the clock,
thinking that I'd be late
for my DISmeet.


I hate being late.
I really do.
I think it's completely unfair
to the people whom you
are making wait for you.


Luckily, in jolts and staggers,
the traffic started to lurch forward.
Soon I was traveling at highway
speeds once again.
I glanced at the time and
at Betty's ETA and knew
I'd have time.
It would be tight, but do-able.

As the miles to destination
wound down, I became more
convinced that I'd just make it.

Okay... in another mile or so,
I need to make a right turn.
I approached a long ramp,
on the right.
I started to wonder if I
should take it... but Betty
made no comment as I approached.
Okay, obviously a ramp leading
elsewhere and I'd have that right
turn come up real soon.
I passed the ramp and Betty
cheerfully and smugly chirped:
"Recalculating".
(Usually Betty says that
in an accusing/exasperated tone.)

What???

The ETA went from one minute
to ten more minutes.
With a (more or less)
U turn up ahead.

Thanks Betty.
Should've trusted my instincts.
(Totally disregard that my
instincts were completely wrong
just a couple days ago.)


I got to the hotel
(10 minutes late)
and as quickly as I could,
checked in, found my room,
dumped my bags, and headed out.

(This photo was from later that night.)

Yep. Room.
Bed.
TV.
Rejoice that I posted that.

I ran (i.e. hobbled quickly)
back to the car,
hopped (i.e. slowly, carefully eased)
in to the seat
and zoomed (i.e. just slightly over the speed limit)
off to the DISmeet.
And I was gonna be late.
And I was not happy about it.


When I used to travel
in the States, I was pretty
much out of contact.
I did have my iPod that
I could use when I had wifi
to send and receive emails...
But I didn't have a cell phone
that worked outside Canada.

Now I have a shiny new iPhone, but...
I can place and receive calls,
but I would incur roaming and
long distance charges,
so it's really for emergencies.
I can text, however...
but most people with iPhones
don't use "text".
They use iMessage.
I do too.
But I didn't have data
in the States,
so I could only get text texts.

So I started texting Carrie
(@orangecats2) that I
was on my way but would be late.

No answer.

I eventually arrived at
Melt Bar & Grilled.
(And is it just me?
Or is it weird it's called
Bar and "Grilled" instead
of Bar and Grill?)

I sent Carrie another text
letting her know I was here.

No answer.

I walked inside and looked around.
I didn't see anyone familiar.

(We had met previously
a few years earlier.)

She hadn't answered me...
What if she hadn't been able
to come for some reason?

I was beginning to wonder
if I should bite the bullet
(aka, the cost)
and phone her, when Carrie
walked around the corner
and waved.

Phew!
I asked. "Did you get my texts?"
Carrie assured me that she had.

Huh.
I realized that I'd never actually
asked a question, so there'd
been no real reason for her
to respond.
I forgot about it and got
down to the happy business
of catching up with friends.

It was nice meeting
Carrie and Joe again, but....
It was their wedding anniversary!
I asked them why they were
spending their anniversary with me,
but they assured me that they were
going to begin their celebration
the next day as they were
leaving for Disney in the morning.

They then gave me a gift
for my travels.

Really, people... gifts aren't necessary!
Really!

But, the case of Vanilla Coke was
appreciated... and imbibed!

Thanks, guys. I appreciated it very much.


We chatted for a bit and ordered food.
I ordered an interestingly named dish
called "Cuban War Pig".
A half order, actually.

Honey ham, mojo glazed pulled pork,
fried pickle spears, honey mustard
and Swiss cheese.

And it was.... wonderful.
I believe Joe got the same
while Carrie ordered
"Mom's Meatloaf Dinner".

There was one downside, though.
I couldn't decide between
fries or coleslaw...
So of course I ordered both.
But the coleslaw...

It was cabbage and carrots
and pepper....
And nothing else.
No dressing whatsoever.


It was awful.


It was basically a bowl
of raw cabbage (with a hint
of carrots thrown in.)
I took a bite or two
(the second, because I
couldn't believe what
I was tasting with
the first bite)
and shoved it away.

In retrospect, I suspect
that perhaps the server
scooped some out of an
unfinished batch of cold prep?
And you may wonder
why I didn't send it back?
By then I was full and
didn't want any more.
I should have mentioned
it though.
Just to save someone else
the ignominy of an incomplete
helping of disappointing coleslaw.


We spent the next while
happily noshing and chatting.

All too soon, the evening wore down
and it was time for us to go
our separate ways.

Sure was nice seeing you guys again.
Hope your trip to Disney was great!


I drove back to the hotel.
When I logged on to the wifi,
I suddenly got a bunch of
iMessages from Carrie.
"We're here."
"Okay, we're inside."
"We're just around the corner."

Oh.

I made sure to tell future
DISers that I met that I
couldn't get iMessages
and to just use straight texts.


Oops!


It wasn't long after that,
that I hit the sack
and fell asleep about
five seconds after my
head hit the pillow.

It had been a great day
with two wonderful DISmeets.

And I think that's a good spot
to end this chapter.


The afternoon's drive:

In case you didn't see it:

Did you see it in this chapter?

Coming up... The center of the Universe.

Chapter 4. Groundhog Day​

 

[buzzrelly]

I clicked over to read about your trip to Ralphie's house. I LOVE that movie I'd love to see that, but I just put it into my maps and it's about a 14 hour drive from me and I am not a fan of driving, especially on highways. I guess I'll add it to our "someday" list. My DH wants to drive cross-country someday but since we couldn't take off 3 weeks of work in the summer, it's going to have to wait until we are retired. I also want to hit Marceline, MO on that trip, which seems like it's not even close to Ohio so maybe we'll need more than 3 weeks

I saw it in both chapters, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone else

 

[pkondz]

I clicked over to read about your trip to Ralphie's house. I LOVE that movie

Isn't it the best???

I'd love to see that, but I just put it into my maps and it's about a 14 hour drive from me and I am not a fan of driving, especially on highways.

Yeah, that might be a
bit of a problem, then.

I guess I'll add it to our "someday" list. My DH wants to drive cross-country someday but since we couldn't take off 3 weeks of work in the summer, it's going to have to wait until we are retired.

3 weeks?
It's only 14 hours away.
You could do that in one day.

Well... if you're stupid
like me, you could.

But you could do it in
a very easy 3 day drive
or two full days.

I also want to hit Marceline, MO on that trip, which seems like it's not even close to Ohio so maybe we'll need more than 3 weeks

Yeah, that'd be another
ten and a half hours.
Bit of a long side trip.




Hmmm....
Only twelve and a half from me...
Could do that in a day. Hmmm...

I saw it in both chapters, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone else

 

[buzzrelly]

3 weeks?
It's only 14 hours away.
You could do that in one day.

Ha! That part, but I don't think we'd revolve the whole trip around visiting Ralphie's house, as much fun as that seem to be. We kind of want to see a bunch of National Parks, the Grand Canyon, etc. And since my DH won't fly, that's the only way he'll ever see any of that

 

[pkondz]

Ha! That part, but I don't think we'd revolve the whole trip around visiting Ralphie's house, as much fun as that seem to be. We kind of want to see a bunch of National Parks, the Grand Canyon, etc.

I have very bad news for you.
The grand canyon isn't
all that close to Ralphie's house.

And since my DH won't fly, that's the only way he'll ever see any of that

Okay... you're gonna
need that three weeks.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

I usually listen either to
tunes on my iPhone,
random radio stations,
or to audiobooks.
Mostly audiobooks.

I usually flick around to different radio stations when driving. I have actually never listened to an audiobook. It might be interesting.

And it closes at 5:30pm.
So... $26 for an hour or so
of very rushed, unsatisfying
touring?

Nope.
I decided to skip it.

I can't blame you there. I once did something very similar at a science center in Singapore. They had a temporary Star Wars display there with a lot of movie props. It was similarly late in the day before I got there. I really wanted to see the Star Wars stuff, which I did, but I felt paying the full day admission price was a bit of a waste since there was an entire science center full of things I never saw.

If you don't recognize that house,
then you probably haven't watched
A Christmas Story.
If you haven't watched
A Christmas Story...

Why haven't you!?!?!?

Confession time (and I have a feeling I may have mentioned this before, maybe in the DDC thread) - I have never seen A Christmas Story. At least not in its entirety. I know that house, the leg lamp, and I have seen parts of the movie. But something always happens that I never finish watching, or I see it part way through. I may well have seen the entire movie if I put all the bits and pieces together. It's shameful really. I distinctly remember sitting down last year to watch it. I distinctly have no idea why I didn't finish. But I didn't.
Life goal for 2018: watch A Christmas Story. From start to finish.
I'll have to let you know how that turns out.

It should have said
Hohman on it,
since the movie is set
in Hohman, Indiana.
Which is why the one
on display in Cleveland
has that stenciled on it.

Oh, and...

The outdoor winter scenes
at the school were shot
in St. Catharines, Canada.

This is very cool stuff. Really. I like behind the scenes info like that.
Now when I actually sit down and watch it, if anyone is with me, I can tell them all these interesting facts. And they'll think I'm smart.
Kind of like that scarecrow dude.
Oh...he was the brave one...was he?

Owned at one time by
Elvis Presley.
I find it interesting
that with the passage
of time, this may be
less cool than it once
would have been.

Kids these days.

Now if it was a
Taylor Swift bike!

Sad but true. Although I didn't mind Taylor when she first came out and she was country.

Yep. Room.
Bed.
TV.
Rejoice that I posted that.

Interesting room. That little half-wall between the couch and bed. I don't think I've ever seen a room like that. I kind of like it though.

Now I have a shiny new iPhone, but...
I can place and receive calls,
but I would incur roaming and
long distance charges,
so it's really for emergencies.
I can text, however...
but most people with iPhones
don't use "text".
They use iMessage.
I do too.
But I didn't have data
in the States,
so I could only get text texts.

It's one of the frustrating parts of travelling with a Canadian phone. It either costs a fortune in roaming to use everything normally. Or you don't use it. I completely missed meeting a friend I hadn't seen in years on a (previous years ago) Florida trip because of that.



Oh, and about seeing it...I did, but I after my third look! He was sneaky this time, peeking out....won't say exactly where and give it away...

 

[buzzrelly]

I have very bad news for you.
The grand canyon isn't
all that close to Ralphie's house.

 

[pkondz]

I usually flick around to different radio stations when driving. I have actually never listened to an audiobook. It might be interesting.

I find that a bit annoying
when I'm driving for
a long time and the
stations keep fading away.

I find that I pay more attention
to the audiobooks and they
really make the miles roll by.

I can't blame you there. I once did something very similar at a science center in Singapore. They had a temporary Star Wars display there with a lot of movie props. It was similarly late in the day before I got there. I really wanted to see the Star Wars stuff, which I did, but I felt paying the full day admission price was a bit of a waste since there was an entire science center full of things I never saw.

Yeah, I feel your pain.
When I went to the Chicago
Museum of Science and Industry
last year, I didn't have much time.
I knew going in that I really
only had time to see the submarine,
but I would've loved to have had
the time to see more.

Confession time (and I have a feeling I may have mentioned this before, maybe in the DDC thread) - I have never seen A Christmas Story.

You're lucky you still are
allowed in the club.



Very lucky.




Very.

I know that house, the leg lamp, and I have seen parts of the movie. But something always happens that I never finish watching, or I see it part way through. I may well have seen the entire movie if I put all the bits and pieces together. It's shameful really.

And yet...
I suspect your situation
isn't all that rare.

It's one of those movies
that you happen to walk
by the TV and it's on and...

You sit and watch for a bit
before you remember
what it was you were
actually supposed to be doing.

I distinctly remember sitting down last year to watch it. I distinctly have no idea why I didn't finish. But I didn't.

Life goal for 2018: watch A Christmas Story. From start to finish.
I'll have to let you know how that turns out.

Betting that you start and...

This is very cool stuff. Really. I like behind the scenes info like that.

Me too.

Now when I actually sit down and watch it, if anyone is with me, I can tell them all these interesting facts. And they'll think I'm smart.
Kind of like that scarecrow dude.
Oh...he was the brave one...was he?

Yeah. You'll be the hit
of the party if you
jabber away during the movie.
You should definitely do that.


And yes.
Brave. I'm sure that's it.

Sad but true. Although I didn't mind Taylor when she first came out and she was country.

She was country?

Ah.
Your girls are younger
than mine.


Explains it.

Interesting room. That little half-wall between the couch and bed. I don't think I've ever seen a room like that. I kind of like it though.

Actually...
That half wall is the only
reason I took that photo!

I was going to mention it...
and then thought:
"Nah. Who'd care about that?"

It's one of the frustrating parts of travelling with a Canadian phone. It either costs a fortune in roaming to use everything normally. Or you don't use it. I completely missed meeting a friend I hadn't seen in years on a (previous years ago) Florida trip because of that.

Yeah...
Been there.


Been there.

Oh, and about seeing it...I did, but I after my third look! He was sneaky this time, peeking out....won't say exactly where and give it away...

 

[pkondz]

There, there.
If you're nice,
maybe someone will
move it closer for you.

 

[docsoliday1]

I can send you the recipe I use. I found it in a cookbook one year and made it as a surprise for my dh. He took one bite said it was better than his mothers and even better then one that is really famous in Quebec that some Monks make.

I'd never heard of it before here, but I'm always good with good recipes. PM me with it if you would (or if you post it here, never mind)

 

[Terra Nova guy]

I was going to mention it...
and then thought:
"Nah. Who'd care about that?"

There's one born every minute....

 

[pkondz]

There's one born every minute....

So.... when were you born again?

 

[docsoliday1]

Cole at Christmas
(not a typo)

I left Upper Sandusky
and a very nice DISmeet
happy and full.

I do love meeting new
friends that until then
were friends-I'd-yet-to-meet.

I drove on toward Cleveland.
Over the next couple of hours
I made a few stops
at a few Harley shops.

I usually listen either to
tunes on my iPhone,
random radio stations,
or to audiobooks.
Mostly audiobooks.
(One such, Aurora,
by Kim Stanly Robinson,
is science fiction and if you
enjoy that, I highly
recommend it.)

When I need to pay particular
attention to traffic,
or there are numerous
interruptions by Betty,
I'll turn off the book
because I can't really
concentrate on the plot.
Or to Betty.
Or both.
Or... neither, rather.

When I did so, the radio
announced that tornadoes
had been spotted in the
______ area of Cleveland.

Great. I had no clue where
______ was. For all I knew,
I was driving right into it.

Luckily, I avoided making
like Dorothy.
Probably because I'm more
Scarecrow-like.

He was the brave one, right?


So where was I heading?
Well, in Cleveland, one must
visit the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, no?


Wellllll….


Well... it had been my plan
to visit it.
And the map I'd printed
did include it, but...

Tickets to the Hall are $26.
Not including parking.
I was going to arrive
around 3:30 - 4:00pm.
People have posted that
they've easily spent
four to five hours there.

And it closes at 5:30pm.
So... $26 for an hour or so
of very rushed, unsatisfying
touring?


Nope.
I decided to skip it.

Silver lining
(Chrome lining?)
I added a couple of Harley stops
and decided to check into
my hotel before my next DISmeet.


But first...
Well, in Cleveland, one must
visit the Christmas Story House.

If you don't recognize that house,
then you probably haven't watched
A Christmas Story.
If you haven't watched
A Christmas Story...

Why haven't you!?!?!?

Seriously. Watch it.
Well... maybe not now,
but when you're in a Christmas
kinda mood.
Maybe next month, some time.

And wash out your mouth
with a bar of Lifebuoy
for not having seen it.

So! ls everyone ready
to visit the house?

Then you should probably
head over to Cleveland,
since I didn't go in.

You may be saying to yourselves:

But I've been there before.
You can read about it here:
Christmas in July
(If you haven't already. If you wish.)

While I didn't go in,
I did notice a couple
of new items on display
in the garage across
from the house.
Well... new to me anyways.

According to the (slight)
research I've done on this car,
a 1938 Oldsmobile Touring Sedan,
it apparently is the original one
used in the movie.
My only complaint
is that while the tires
are round and made of rubber...
They have tread on them.


The fire truck, however...

Is not the one used
in the movie.
It's actually a 1939
Ford-LaFrance,
while the original
is a 1938 model.
The movie one is
owned and currently
on display at the
Chippawa Volunteer
Fire Fighters’ Association
in Niagara Falls, Canada.
(original seen here in this
still from the movie.)

You'll notice that the truck
says Chippawa on it.
It was parked
(in the next frame)
so as to obscure
the name.

It should have said
Hohman on it,
since the movie is set
in Hohman, Indiana.
Which is why the one
on display in Cleveland
has that stenciled on it.

Oh, and...

The outdoor winter scenes
at the school were shot
in St. Catharines, Canada.

Oh, and...

Well, that's all I'm going
to say about poor Flick.


So why did I stop there?
Well... only one other
reason anyone would
feel compelled to go there.

To pick up one of
these beauties.

It's indescribably beautiful!

Purchase in hand,
I lovingly placed it in
the trunk of my car,
careful not to damage it,
lest I be forced to bury it
next to the garage,
with the sound of "Taps"
being played, gently.


Major award in hand,
I set out once more.


I had a couple stops
before checking in to
the hotel.
One of those stops was at
South East Harley Davidson.

Frequently, due to the frequency
that I frequent Harley Stores,
I simply pop in, grab a poker chip,
and continue on my way.
Every now and then,
something will catch my eye
and I'll peruse a little longer.

This particular shop held
a few surprises.

A 1919 Harley with...
A covered side car????
It looks a little ratty...
but it is almost a hundred
years old.
Still, never seen anything
like that before!

Also, there was this Harley:

Owned at one time by
Elvis Presley.
I find it interesting
that with the passage
of time, this may be
less cool than it once
would have been.

Kids these days.

Now if it was a
Taylor Swift bike!

Yeah...
Who cares.





My original plan was to
have my next DISmeet
and check in to my hotel
afterwards.
But since I was running
a bit ahead of schedule,
I actually had time to
check in and get myself
situated before the meet.
That would save time later
and allow me to get some
rest a bit earlier.
Another long drive coming.

So.... here's the thing about Betty.
I've noticed that there are times,
when the road is straight and true,
and as we're coming up to an exit,
she'll start telling me to
"Keep left, on I-90 to Chicago"
for example.
Well... yeah.
She didn't tell me to take the exit,
so why would I?

She doesn't do it at every exit,
thank goodness.
But often enough that it's noticeable.


I left my last Harley shop of the day
and headed to the hotel.
And... came to a standstill.
There was an accident up ahead
and nothing was moving
to allow those nearest to stop
and admire the carnage.

I started looking at the clock,
thinking that I'd be late
for my DISmeet.


I hate being late.
I really do.
I think it's completely unfair
to the people whom you
are making wait for you.


Luckily, in jolts and staggers,
the traffic started to lurch forward.
Soon I was traveling at highway
speeds once again.
I glanced at the time and
at Betty's ETA and knew
I'd have time.
It would be tight, but do-able.

As the miles to destination
wound down, I became more
convinced that I'd just make it.

Okay... in another mile or so,
I need to make a right turn.
I approached a long ramp,
on the right.
I started to wonder if I
should take it... but Betty
made no comment as I approached.
Okay, obviously a ramp leading
elsewhere and I'd have that right
turn come up real soon.
I passed the ramp and Betty
cheerfully and smugly chirped:
"Recalculating".
(Usually Betty says that
in an accusing/exasperated tone.)

What???

The ETA went from one minute
to ten more minutes.
With a (more or less)
U turn up ahead.

Thanks Betty.
Should've trusted my instincts.
(Totally disregard that my
instincts were completely wrong
just a couple days ago.)


I got to the hotel
(10 minutes late)
and as quickly as I could,
checked in, found my room,
dumped my bags, and headed out.

(This photo was from later that night.)

Yep. Room.
Bed.
TV.
Rejoice that I posted that.

I ran (i.e. hobbled quickly)
back to the car,
hopped (i.e. slowly, carefully eased)
in to the seat
and zoomed (i.e. just slightly over the speed limit)
off to the DISmeet.
And I was gonna be late.
And I was not happy about it.


When I used to travel
in the States, I was pretty
much out of contact.
I did have my iPod that
I could use when I had wifi
to send and receive emails...
But I didn't have a cell phone
that worked outside Canada.

Now I have a shiny new iPhone, but...
I can place and receive calls,
but I would incur roaming and
long distance charges,
so it's really for emergencies.
I can text, however...
but most people with iPhones
don't use "text".
They use iMessage.
I do too.
But I didn't have data
in the States,
so I could only get text texts.

So I started texting Carrie
(@orangecats2) that I
was on my way but would be late.

No answer.

I eventually arrived at
Melt Bar & Grilled.
(And is it just me?
Or is it weird it's called
Bar and "Grilled" instead
of Bar and Grill?)

I sent Carrie another text
letting her know I was here.

No answer.

I walked inside and looked around.
I didn't see anyone familiar.

(We had met previously
a few years earlier.)

She hadn't answered me...
What if she hadn't been able
to come for some reason?

I was beginning to wonder
if I should bite the bullet
(aka, the cost)
and phone her, when Carrie
walked around the corner
and waved.

Phew!
I asked. "Did you get my texts?"
Carrie assured me that she had.

Huh.
I realized that I'd never actually
asked a question, so there'd
been no real reason for her
to respond.
I forgot about it and got
down to the happy business
of catching up with friends.

It was nice meeting
Carrie and Joe again, but....
It was their wedding anniversary!
I asked them why they were
spending their anniversary with me,
but they assured me that they were
going to begin their celebration
the next day as they were
leaving for Disney in the morning.

They then gave me a gift
for my travels.

Really, people... gifts aren't necessary!
Really!

But, the case of Vanilla Coke was
appreciated... and imbibed!

Thanks, guys. I appreciated it very much.


We chatted for a bit and ordered food.
I ordered an interestingly named dish
called "Cuban War Pig".
A half order, actually.

Honey ham, mojo glazed pulled pork,
fried pickle spears, honey mustard
and Swiss cheese.

And it was.... wonderful.
I believe Joe got the same
while Carrie ordered
"Mom's Meatloaf Dinner".

There was one downside, though.
I couldn't decide between
fries or coleslaw...
So of course I ordered both.
But the coleslaw...

It was cabbage and carrots
and pepper....
And nothing else.
No dressing whatsoever.


It was awful.


It was basically a bowl
of raw cabbage (with a hint
of carrots thrown in.)
I took a bite or two
(the second, because I
couldn't believe what
I was tasting with
the first bite)
and shoved it away.

In retrospect, I suspect
that perhaps the server
scooped some out of an
unfinished batch of cold prep?
And you may wonder
why I didn't send it back?
By then I was full and
didn't want any more.
I should have mentioned
it though.
Just to save someone else
the ignominy of an incomplete
helping of disappointing coleslaw.


We spent the next while
happily noshing and chatting.

All too soon, the evening wore down
and it was time for us to go
our separate ways.

Sure was nice seeing you guys again.
Hope your trip to Disney was great!


I drove back to the hotel.
When I logged on to the wifi,
I suddenly got a bunch of
iMessages from Carrie.
"We're here."
"Okay, we're inside."
"We're just around the corner."

Oh.

I made sure to tell future
DISers that I met that I
couldn't get iMessages
and to just use straight texts.


Oops!


It wasn't long after that,
that I hit the sack
and fell asleep about
five seconds after my
head hit the pillow.

It had been a great day
with two wonderful DISmeets.

And I think that's a good spot
to end this chapter.


The afternoon's drive:

In case you didn't see it:

Did you see it in this chapter?

Coming up... The center of the Universe.

I will attempt to reply better(multi quote) when I'm at a pc, but am I seeing correctly...you wore the same shirt both times you met Carrie & Joe?

 

[Pluto0809]

Mostly audiobooks.

That's me too. It's about the only way I get to read any more, just too busy. So I listen to audiobooks on my commute.

One such, Aurora,
by Kim Stanly Robinson,
is science fiction and if you
enjoy that, I highly
recommend it.)

Love Sci Fi, I've added this one to my long list of books I want to get to someday.

Well, in Cleveland, one must
visit the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, no?

Definitely on my bucket list. Sad thing is, we lived in Erie so right next door for about 6 years and we never made it over there.

Well, in Cleveland, one must
visit the Christmas Story House.

Ditto on this one, would be a neat place to see.

Well, that's all I'm going
to say about poor Flick.

I have to admit, I always find the facts you include in your TRs fascinating. But I'm a trivia buff so accumulating information I will never need in my daily life is a bit of a hobby.

I passed the ramp and Betty
cheerfully and smugly chirped:
"Recalculating".
(Usually Betty says that
in an accusing/exasperated tone.)

Grrrr, hate when this happens.

It was their wedding anniversary!

Awwww, sweet they spent it with you. I think my worse anniversary was the one where my MIL was visiting and the three of us went out to dinner together.

Did you see it in this chapter?

Yep, but it took me twice through. Marvin was certainly sneaky this time!