Fine Trip - Part 7

Hi All,
1 July 2010

I'm on a roll so I'll keep on blogging.

13 June 2010, Sunday
Plans had been made, hotel rooms booked and directions verified. Ann, Dave, Christine and I are off to Cleveland to visit the Rock & Roll Museum and Hall of Fame. I had been itching to go even before I left for the UAE but just couldn't get schedules coordinated. Now that Ann is on summer vacation from her teacher's assistant job and Dave has retired, there wasn't anything holding us back. This being my third visit, I acted as the tour guide but was still giddy with excitement knowing how much Dave would enjoy it.
We arrived in Cleveland, got to our hotel and into our rooms. We found a place to relax and have a few beers which we did after taking in a park. We returned to our rooms then went out for dinner at Olive Garden. Christine had the waitress taking the display china, used as decorations, off the walls and shelves, which she showed her up close. We told her why we were in town and she told us that Robbie Kreiger and Ray Manzarek of the Door's - her favorite band - had also been in a while back. She first recognized them from Ray's voice. Frankie Avalon has made frequent appearances at that Olive Garden as well. Needless to say, the waitress received a healthy tip for her service and hospitality. It was off to bed as the next day would be a long one.

14 June 2010
Monday
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Following a breakfast at the hotel, we proceeded to downtown Cleveland in a huge rainstorm. Luckily the Garmin knew the way and all I had to do was to keep my eye out for morning traffic. Suddenly the Garmin decided to take me a way which was not what I was accustomed to- right thru downtown Cleveland. - Oh well, we still followed it. The rain stopped and we got to see some goomer wearing a bright red T, with his pants securely fastened at about nipple height, proclaiming his love of the Cleveland Indians. - What a sight. We arrived and found parking and we walked down to the Museum. Not knowing the traffic or the distances, we were a little early but we hung outside and got in line as the 10a opening time approached.
The doors opened and as we queued up to pay our admission, the sense of wow was already in the air. Huge concert stage display pieces hang from the ceiling, and as we take the escalator to the lower level - where you enter - guitars are in display cases and cars/ motorcycles are parked for viewing. If you have been there , you know what I mean, if you haven't, then you are missing out on a truly wonderful experience. Your formative years come rushing back to you with sight and sound reminders of the music we grew up with. Janis Joplin's glasses, Eric Clapton's white suit and Martin guitar - which is the same make/model (except for the tuning head layout) as Dave's guitar- (Dave's is nicer) - Mick Jagger's white jumpsuit with the grommet holes - several of Jimi Hendrix's flamboyant outfits - hand written lyrics by John Lennon. The list goes on. You depart the lower level and take a escalator to the 2nd floor where more memorabilia overwhelms you - several rough draft pages of Hunter S. Thompson's " Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" , The first issue of The Rolling Stone with John Lennon on the cover. From there it's up to the third level - where I finally run into Christine, Ann and Dave having been separated since soon after arrival. We have a bit of lunch at the in house snack area and then queue up for the Hall of Fame section. A video - now 40 minutes long - goes year by year- reviewing the inductees visually while playing the music which got them there. There is no narrator, just the music. You exit on the 4th level after you leave the HoF video where you can listen to all of the HoF members music from several touch screen kiosks.
The 5th and 6th levels are reserved for traveling displays. This time it was Bruce Springsteen.
We tour these two floors and decide to meet in the gift shop on the 1st floor. As we are choosing memento's of our visit, the announcement comes overhead that the museum will be closing in 15 minutes at 5p. - We had been there for 7 hours and left much to be seen. You get overdosed with information and any one trip is not enough.
We make our way back to the car and after clearing some evening rush hour traffic, we are on our way back home. A quick side trip with a right hand turn from the far left hand lane across 5 lanes of traffic at the red light and a vicious stare from one of the occupants got us some Starbucks coffee for the initial portion of the ride. We passed through Columbus and stopped for dinner. The remaining ride home consisted of a murderous thunderstorm with copious amount of lightning as we passed through Cincinnati. We learned the next morning that Big Butter Jesus - a 60 foot tall styrofoam sculpture of Jesus from the chest up was struck by lightening and burned to the ground. I guess Jesus must have made his father mad as he smote him ! Go to Heywood Banks - Big Butter Jesus on YouTube to see this amazing - now destroyed icon. You will laugh yourself silly. It was a wild ride. We arrived around 2a safe and sound.

15 June, 2010
The End is Near

Coffee on the front porch - albeit later in the morning than usual - and the realization that the end of my vacation is drawing to a close. I'm to depart Friday afternoon and now we are thinking what needs to get done before I leave. I'm not sure what else we did that day if anything.

16 and 17 June, Wed and Thursday
Yard work, a ride to Dicks, lunch with Alex, Christine and I at a sushi bar and then to Ann and Dave's for a nightcap.
Thursday evening we had planned on going to Jim Porters - a local honky tonk where many good acts have passed thru in the day - BUT Dave had read the schedule wrong so the band we wanted to see wasn't going to be there . However not to be outdone, we decided on Wednesday evening to go see Gallagher - the comedian who at the end of his show smashes watermelons and other assorted food stuffs with a huge "Sledge-o-matic" which sprays the crowd who wisely show up with enough plastic sheeting to ward off the flying pulverized food stuff. (Just before we went we ate dinner at Ramsi's on the World restaurant across the street from the club. Always one of my favorite places to eat as it's so eclectic and good.) Thanks to Tom who brought the plastic otherwise we would have been covered in food although we were a good 15 - 20 feet from the stage. Following this we went to the Germantown bar, Zeppelin. We had just ordered our drinks when the band started playing upstairs in the "Listening Room" We quickly went up and discovered it was "show up and go up" night with various musicians playing in pick up bands. Harmonica players were featured performers and I enjoyed their talents as I tried to play along in my head. All good things must come to an end and we returned Vickie to her house ending with long hugs and kisses goodbye and we departed for home. Ann and Dave said they'd be up to see me before I left the next day. I went in to see Wes, woke him up to say goodbye to him as he'd be gone by 5a for work.
In bed and not wanting to go but knowing I had to.

18 June 2010
Departure Day

Christine and I had our last coffee on the deck and then began the task of packing. Christine pulled out another suitcase as she was having me return with a load of her stuff as well. Alex woke up and joined us. Dave and Ann arrived and we relaxed until it was time to go. It was hard saying goodbye as these two mean so much to me.
Christine took me to the airport arriving at 1:45 for a 3:09 flight. We said our goodbyes, she watched as I went through security and went on her way as well. I had the usual hour plus wait and thought of getting a beer but I was all beered out. The prior 4 weeks of constant beer had me bloated, put on more weight than I care to admit and just burned out. So I just listened to my iPod and people watched. The flight was a late but that didn't matter to me as I had a 5 hour lay over in Chicago. We arrived just in front of another terrible storm (why was my vacation filled with this unsettled weather? ) As I was walking s-l-o-w-l-y around the terminal, I stopped to watch the approaching storm when suddenly, a bolt of lightening made it's jagged attack on the ground about a mile away. The report was almost instantaneous. I kid you not, everyone in the entire terminal went WHOA at the same time. The lights then dimmed as the terminal switched to emergency power. As the storm hit, the airport closed down with all planes stopped in place. One plane was being pushed out from the jetway and the guy on the push tractor ran for cover. It rained violently but as far as I know, no styrofoam Jesus statues were destroyed. The storm passed and O'Hare returned to normal operations. Being a hot dog lover found a stand where I bought a Chicago style hot dog. Yum I continued on my lazy walk now having killed 1 1/2 hrs so I ended up in a sports bar where I sat and watched the US Open and nursed a rum and coke for all it was worth. ( I'll tell you it's worth $9 - what a rip) Now having killed another hour, I figured it was time to go over to the international terminal and get checked in. I arrive to find a line which seemed to have no end. I finally got to the check in desk - my baggage had already been checked through at Louisville to get my boarding pass 1/2 hour later ( yes I timed it). The clerk told me they were running late and to take my time. I should have listened to him and returned to the domestic terminal - but that would entail going thru security again so I had my last USA meal at - dare I say it - McDonald's - and went thru security to the gate. Well my 8:30 flight is now listed as 10:30. ARGH The waiting area is filled to capacity with sub - continent types- some of who have a hard time distinguishing what deodorant is used for, so I found an empty gate and stayed there and watched CNN for hours on end - which turned out to be a repeating loop of news stories. I was able to lie down on the chairs but couldn't rest in fear of falling asleep and missing my flight. Another wicked storm rolled through the airport and shut it down again during this time reopening some 1/2 hour later. Finally it's nearing 10:30 so I go back to the gate and there is activity happening. Just as they are ready to start boarding, another storm hits and shuts the airport down - yes 3 storms in 7 hours. So we are delayed from boarding. We finally get aboard and settled in and pushed back from the gate at 11:30p. Then we sit and sit some more. Finally at 1:30a, nearly 13 hr's since arriving at Louisville Airport, (remember I gained an hour changing time zones) we depart for Abu Dhabi.
The 14 1/2 flight was uneventful. I slept a little bit, watched movies until I was bleary eyed, stood in the rear for almost 1 hr to get the blood circulating, returning to my seat to watch some more movies. I watch night go to day and then to night again.

19 June, Saturday
We finally landed, got thru immigration and while waiting for the baggage picked up 2 bottles of rum at the duty free shop. Collected my baggage and caught a taxi home arriving at 2a local time. After getting in and settled, I skyped Christine letting her know I was safely here. I got to bed by 3a and was up at 5:20a when the alarm went off for work. I hit the snooze but in my mind I knew I had to get up. I stumbled around, got my act together and came into work arriving only 1/2 hr late at 7a.

The first few days were a daze. My body was wracked with aches and pains from the limited space and torture devices they have you packed into in coach and my mind was on a completely different time zone for about 3 - 4 days. The first weekend home consisted of sleeping, going to the grocery store to restock the larder and sleeping some more. Finally, getting back to normal this week and getting my work a day habits into full swing as I tackle the challenges this job brings.
So thus ends the saga of my vacation. It was a Fine Trip. I hope you all enjoyed reading about it. I will be posting more pictures soon. As of today, July 1, there are 81 days until Christine arrives in Abu Dhabi to join me and as you have already surmised, I'm counting the days.
Thanks again for such a wonderful vacation - Thanks to Max for the extra spending money and most importantly thanks to my wonderful family- Christine, Wes and Alex and friends for all your support that you give me as I continue to work and live here in the United Arab Emirates.
All My Love
Scott