You didn't miss the post about trip #3 (it would have been titled Cleveland is Closed), an official version was never posted. Here's a recap: Michelle and I arrived in Cleveland at 9:00 p.m. We went to each of the restaurants along E. 89th St. in search of food for Michelle. Despite the signs indicating the places were open, they were all closed. We asked at one place why they were closed when the posted operating hours showed they'd be open, and the security guard simply said, "We're closed". Michelle negotiated some yogurt at Subway and scrounged some soup at the hotel. Drove all that way only to find out that part of the city closes at 9:00. The appointment was uneventful and nothing unexpected happened. Drove home. The turnaround trip happened while Michelle and Lju were finalizing the purchase of their store and I was being held hostage by a virus. It was a tight time-frame since I was also leaving the next day with Jessica's hockey team for a tournament.
Didn't see that recap either? It's not there. The team brought home silver after the championship game went to shoot-outs. But the real highlight is that Lorraine and I went to Bingo and won!
Back to today.
It's the one-year follow-up visit. My traveling companion for this trip is my son, Andrew. Also on board is Kate, the voice of John's new portable navigator. It's not long before Kate and I have a disagreement. She wants me to get off the 190 in Buffalo and take surface roads to pick up I-90. I stick with my instincts and proceed along my usual route.
We enter the toll road in little traffic. Just us and the 18-wheelers cruising along. We pass a Caution, Deer Prancing on Hind Legs sign and 1/2 mile down the road, Bambi and her mother tentatively move from the woodsy median toward the westbound lanes. I slow the car to see what they're going to do. The doe takes a couple more steps toward the highway then prances back to the woods.In Pennsylvania, we trade seats. We've muted Kate on the GPS navigator. We decide to let her keep track of our travel stats, but that's it for now. Unfortunately for Andrew, beginning at mile #3 and through to the Ohio state line, the Interstate is under construction - only one lane is open and the speed limit's reduced to 45 mph. We gas up at the edge of Ohio and switch seats for the final leg.
Kate agrees with my usual route to the hotel. Apparently Kate is holding a grudge over having been muted: she fails to tell us that all the roads around the hotel and hospital are being reconstructed - Euclid is closed completely to traffic; same with 93rd; 89th is torn up, but passable at very low speed.
After unpacking and checking in at home, we go looking for food. Based on the November experience, I know better than to venture anywhere but the lobby...where, at the restaurant, you can order food until 10:15 (it is 10:00 when we start looking), or order room service until 10:30. I guess nobody ever gets hungry late at night around these parts.
Andrew eats in the lounge and we catch a couple innings of the All-Star Game. He comments that it's not a very happening place. I explain that it's not a club - most of the guests at the hotel are here for the hospital services, not the party.
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