Pre-Journey Preparation

I like spiders.  I'm fascinated by them.  But cobwebs give me the oogies.  It was not pleasant venturing into my basement to turn off the water to the washer or unplug the dryer.  I imagine they will simply begin construction while I'm gone for some supercobweb casino.  "Bring your friends!"  
I gave away a ton of foodstuffs from the cupboard and fridge.  Somehow, on the last day, I still had more stuff than I could imagine and gave away two pies, half a brick of cheese and some condiments.  I spent my last 15 hours at the homestead cleaning the refrigerator, packing and baking fish filets, frozen pizza, tater tots, cookies and two loaves of beer bread (thanks to my Irish friend, Sean Linehan and his wife, who gave me the fabulous mix).  A slight problem, because while the food accumulated, I only had one beer left, (how might that have happened?) so I substituted a wine spritzer and added rosemary, basil and fennel.  It's phenomenal, and I'm looking forward to an end-of-day fish sandwich.  I probably have enough food to last the entire trip, if I can keep it refrigerated.  I also made three batches of ice for the cooler.

My brother, Mark, stopped by to laugh at me just after I solved the Great Trunk Closure Quandary.  I had to leave two sportcoats behind in order to latch the trunk.  The car was packed to the hilt. I squeezed cooking utensils under the seats, and wedged shoes in between other items.  Oh, and summer clothes?  I shipped 37 lbs. worth to my friend in Littleton, CO.  Angela might be interested to know that I also brought a can of hospital-grade aerosol disinfectant.

Saturday's rain was miserable for packing the car.  Sunday dawned as a clear, crisp, sunny morning.  Was I still in Rochester?  I microwaved coffee from the night before, as the coffeemaker and espresso machine were packed away. Surprisingly, I was ready to leave at 10 a.m., my self-imposed departure time.  First stop:  Starbucks, for real coffee and also to check to see if my car might bottom out.  All safe!

The ride was quite peaceful.  I listened to Dan Fogelberg CDs, and not only did he make me think of Colorado, but also of Cleveland.  I saw him live at the Blossom Music Center, one of the nation's finest natural amphitheaters.  Twelfth row, back in 1985, with a beautiful journalist, Debbie Morley. Cleveland conjures up so many fine memories for me.

My traveling companion for this journey is the Frog Angel.  It is on loan until its rightful owner comes out West to visit, but FA is fine company.  We like the same music, and he sits on a special perch in my rear window making a funny face at me as I drive.  The Frog Angel will be a big part of my journals as I cross this amazing nation.  Our first stop was a bathroom break in Fredonia.  we took a quick P-I-.... C-T-U-R-E, and then I took a piss.  I hate that term.  I took nothing; I gave back.   But in the Dunkirk Quality Supermarket men's room, they keep scented pine cones strapped to the pipes. I thought that was hysterical.


On we went.  Once I crossed into Ohio, I was able to pick up the Cleveland Browns radio network, and the game with Oakland was underway.  I haven't been able to follow the NFL very closely this year, mostly because the teams I like are so pathetic.  The Frog Angel wanted to go to the game, so as we passed through Painesville, the birthplace of Don Shula, we decided to go to the stadium.  Shortly after Painesville, we passed the site where my first new car, an '84 Toyota Celica, was demolished on I-90 by a drunk and uninsured driver.  Okay, not all Cleveland memories are happy ones.  We drove downtown and sought a parking space in some of my free parking places.  No go, as it was game day.  I drove several blocks away and parked illegally, because Frog Angel said he would protect me from parking tickets on this trip.

We went to the stadium.  He thinks he went to the game, but don't tell him any differently.  We did get to watch replays on the giant Jumbotron, and the Browns did win, 23-9.  We walked to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and took pictures.  We met Springsteen, but he wouldn't shake hands because he said he had genital warts once and they wouldn't go away.  Okay, no, we didn't meet Springsteen.  More pics in front of the Great Lakes Science Center, which is a really cool place if you ever have time to visit.  We did not, because they wanted the Frog Angel for scientific experiments and dissection. Okay, more fiction.  True to his word, Frog Angel and I escaped without a parking ticket.
 









We drove to Avon Lake, where I originally thought I'd be able to meet up with friends, but that did not work out.  We had a drink at Applebee's and then the Frog Angel saw somebody choking and called 911 and saved them.
 All right, part of that story is true, and part of it is fiction.  We then ventured to Panera Bread for coffee and free wi-fi.  Frog Angel attracted the attention of my new friend, Jason, who wanted me to introduce Frog Angel to his wife, Milla, and daughter Mackenzie.  Really nice, interesting people.  Reminded me of all the reasons why Cleveland is my favorite city. 
Then, one of the employees brought Frog Angel and me some free pastries.  Just what I need... more food.  But how cool is that??!!!  Enjoy our pictures.  We'll have more tomorrow.