Vermont Super Club - A Review

     Page Two Hundred Eighty-Five.
     I arrived in New York on Friday Evening, stayed the weekend and then drove up to Vermont on Monday morning. I'm still very good friends with Diana, the woman who hired and supervised me at Fancy-Shmancy Nursing Home, in 2003, until she retired in 2004. She has a place in Vermont and when we discovered that we'd both be in New England the same week we knew that I'd have to go up and say "Hi!". My hostess's husband died some months ago, and she's not getting younger, so who knows if this was my last time up there? Subsequently, I only wanted to savor every moment among those trees and hills. This was my 3rd time visiting and it's absolutely beautiful. Hardwick, a tiny pocket of the world with a few thousand inhabitants, is quite far north, just a short drive from Canada and the scenery is spectacular. It's also the largest village for about 20-30 minutes in any direction. So it's the buzzing metropolis for that part of the galaxy.
     Diana's daughter, Julie, and her boyfriend, Jim, live in the Vermont home year round and one evening Diana, Jim and I went to dinner at Vermont Supper Club, a nice place nearby. Julie didn't join us due to her work schedule, but she and Jim both declared it to be a good eatery. It was tres fancy by Vermont standards (Vermonters, ultra-sophisticated and well-educated as they are, do prefer to wear their plaid and denim) and the food was good. Not great but good, I'd recommend it.
     It's decor was casually elegant. In Cleveland, it's tables would have had white tablecloths and chrome candle sticks. But as it was, the tables were polished wood with contemporary, white porcelain salt and pepper shakers. There was complimentary bread and butter, though the butter was mixed with something which didn't add to the effect. Also, each table received a plate of freshly fried shrimp or crab or something. It's unexpectedness was quite charming and whatever it was tasted very good.
     I got a burger with onion rings and a salad as Diana was treating. The rings sucked as the ratio of batter to onion was sinful. I mean really, REALLY sinful. We're talking Sodom and Gomorrah here.  But you know what? I'm not even going there. I know going in that most places ruin their rings. I'm just always fascinated by the new, creative and unusual ways by which they do it. But my salad and burger were strong so I was happy.
     My salad was interesting, not skimpy and also accompanied by a good house dressing. My burger was presented medium as ordered, anther surprise, and juicy and flavorful. As I was in Vermont, I felt obliged to get Cheddar melted on top and it was nice and sharp. Diana and Jim were also happy with their meals of large dinner salads. Upon exiting we all felt satisfied, pleased with the decor, prices, presentation, service and food experience. I liked it and would go back.
     Vermont Supper Club - Hardwick, Vermont (seriously... the middle of nowhere). My rating 7.5/10
(Would be higher if not for the rings.) 

Almost Famous - A Review

     Page Two Hundred Eighty-Four.
     There was only one thing on my agenda concerning sightseeing/shopping while in New York. I wanted to go to a fantastic used DVD store. Buying used DVD's is my primary hobby right now and I wanted to find some great place where I could indulge in my whims and browse for hours through racks of classic/obscure/cult/silent/foreign movies. Deb, my hostess, did some research and found the perfect spot: Academy Records & Cd's at 12 West 18 Street in Manhattan was just the place. I browsed for a long while and bought way more than I should have. I purchased a couple dozen movies, many of which I've never even heard of. They simply looked like I couldn't possibly live without them.
     One of the few movies I purchased which I had heard of, let alone seen, was Almost Famous. This coming of age/comedy/drama from 2000, is one of those movies I didn't want to end. Directed by Cameron Crowe, it tells the story of 15 year old William, who gets hired by Rolling Stone magazine in 1973, to write a behind the scenes expose of one of his favorite rock bands. The movie is highly autobiographical for Crowe as that was exactly how he got his start in entertainment. Rolling Stone hired him in '73, when he was 16, to do a cover story on the Allman Brothers Band. He'd go on to write many more cover stories for them prior to writing his first mass-appeal book: Fast Times At Ridgemont High.
     All the performances and plot points were believable and the level of endearment is off the scale, but with nary an ounce of sentimentality. It's the first of all the newly purchased movies which I've watched and I'm pleased with that decision.
     Almost Famous. My rating: 9/10
     Should my next movie be To Be Or Not To Be, 1942, with Jack Benny and Carole Lombard; Jean Renoir's Boudu Saved From Drowning, 1932, (one can TRULY see the influence of the father's painting style when viewing cinematic works by the son); or Saw, 20004? I've never seen any of these. Hmmmm..... How will I decide? How, how, how?

How Many Parents At A Wedding Reception?

     Page Two Hundred Eighty-Three.
     I went to New York for a wedding reception My ex step-nephew got married some months ago but he and his wife only now had their reception.
     Ben, the groom, is the product of Bruce and Sandi's marriage which ended in about 1979 when he was, perhaps, 3. Sandi then married Bob in about '81 and Bruce married my sister in '83. Sandi and Bob divorced in the late '80's and she's been single ever since. Bob then married Carol in '92, I think. Bruce and my sister divorced in '12 and he recently married Alice. All 6 parents were there.
     Brooke, the bride, has a similar situation, though my sister wasn't able to figure out all the details. Her mother has had 3 marriages with husbands #1 & 3 both being named Paul. All those husbands and wives attended as well. Between Ben and Brooke, there were 12 parents in attendance.
     Here's my opinion, for what it's worth. No child ever wants their parents to divorce, but if they must divorce, these are the types of relationships you hope for. Ben has 6 people whom he can phone in an emergency, when only a parent will do. Brooke has the same. Of course some of the ex-spouses get along better than others. Sandi doesn't get along with any of her ex's, but everybody was civil and there for the bride and groom. How wonderful.

Another Car Repair Story

     Page Two Hundred Eighty-Two.
     This is my first blog, after a nice little vacation. More about the vacation later. But first, this is just too good...
     I planned on leaving Friday morning, August 15th at 8AM. The previous Tuesday, the 12th, at 3PM, I took my car to my mechanic, 2 short blocks from my apartment, to get an oil change which was 1000 miles overdue. He called me 15 minutes later with the news that I needed a new timing belt and transmission pan. Great. I picked up the car and then dropped it back off on Wednesday evening at 6PM. Tom said, "I'll have it ready tomorrow evening or sometime Friday morning".
     "No", I replied. "I'm leaving Friday at 8AM. I need it back Thursday night."
     "Okay, you'll have it back Thursday night." 
     I phoned him on Thursday at 5 to say I'd be by at 6, when they close, to pick up my machine.
     "It's taking longer than we thought. Give us a couple of extra hours."
     So I went over at 8 and sat for an hour 'till Tom and Mike finished. Prior to driving out at 9, I gave Tom a boatload of money. I appreciated that they each stayed 3 hours past closing so I could drive to New York the next morning and I told them so. I have an extremely good relationship with my mechanic, Tom, and his employees: Mike and Gary. I then drove the 2 blocks home and got ready for my get-a-way. 
     I woke up earlier than anticipated on Friday and pulled out of my parking lot, ready to go, at 6.30AM. (Leaving for a long road trip 90 minutes ahead of schedule, that early in the morning, qualifies me for a Nobel Prize in some category. I'm just not sure which one.) Within 100 feet though, I knew there was a problem. The machine didn't feel right at all. First, I was in denial. I figured that the new pieces simply had to "gel", which really isn't that bizarre. Sometimes when you have serious work done under the hood, it takes a few moments for everything to sound and feel normal again. But as I went to the bank and Starbucks and it wasn't getting better, I proceeded from denial to stubborn. "I don't care! I'm going anyhow." Then, as I was leaving the gas station and beauty salon (which I had to prep for the day) I went from stubborn to acceptance. "I don't f***ing believe this!"
     I then drove back to Tom's shop, parked in the lot, turned on the radio, WCLV - Cleveland's classical station, turned off the car, pushed the seat to full recline and went to sleep. This was at 6.50AM.
     I was rudely woken at 8.05 by Tom knocking on my window. "Jeremy, what are you doing here?" I explained the situation. He fiddled under the hood for a few moments and told me to drive around the block. It was a little bit better but not much. He then examined under the hood with all his experience as Mike drove up and stared at us. Apparently, Mike's expression was such that Tom then said to me, "Mike just threw up in his mouth."
     They fiddled under the hood for a while and 20 minutes later Tom declared that some very important hose split while all the work was being done the day prior. It had to be special ordered and then picked-up from Marshall Ford, way down Mayfield Road, which is under construction. I made myself comfy in his shop and phoned my NY hostess, declaring the problem.
     While I was sitting, drinking Starbucks and pretending to be driving to New York City, a lady walked in and declared that she was there for her oil change and tire rotation appointment. We talked for 90 minutes or so while her car was happily being adjusted, without incident, after which she handed me her business card and suggested that I apply for a job with her very large company which was hiring. We agreed that we'd talk at some point in the near future.
     At 11.15AM, Tom declared that the hose had been replaced and I'd gotten a tune-up, all for free. I appreciated that. Ethically speaking though, that really is what he should have done. But still, there appears to be such a lack of ethics in today's work place, that when someone actually displays it, there's and air or refreshment. I felt it.
     I called my New York host and hostess (whom I hadn't laid eyes on since 1995) after getting on the freeway at 11.30. They were cool with the delay. I pulled in their driveway at 7.30PM and met their extremely lovely 15 year old daughter whom I've been sending Valentine's cards to since she was born and also met the family dog whom I'm now friends with on Facebook. Literally. The dog has his own Facebook page with a couple hundred friends. I'd describe this family as "wacky" except for the fact that he's a cardiologist and they live in Pelham Manor. (Peham Manor is a rather swanky and chic suburb of NY.) I wasn't exactly roughing it.
     I just LOVE seeing long-time friends. 

Only One Day Of The Feast

     Page Two Hundred Eighty-One.
     Last year I wrote heavily about one of my favorite events: Cleveland's Feast of the Assumption. I won't get into that again, here and now. But, suffice it to say, the food is extravagant and one of the things I look forward to the most during the entire calendar. This year though, I'm off to New York City to help my ex-step-nephew celebrate his wedding which will be the same weekend. So, I'm only going to catch one day of the most glorious food that Cleveland-based Italians have to offer. I may not survive the lack of nourishment. 
     By the way, after NYC, I'm off to Vermont for a couple of days to visit some other friends. One friend in Vermont is the head chef at a vacation lodge and the other friend is her mother who's an elderly, German woman. NYC food... head chef food... elderly, German woman food... okay, fine... I won't starve, I guess.

Gay Games 9

     Page Two Hundred Eighty.
     Many months ago I mentioned that the 9th International Gay Games are coming here to Cleveland. Well, they're here now and the place just isn't the same.
     The gay games are similar to the Olympics. Indeed, some of the competitors have been, or will be, in the Olympics. But unlike those games, the gay games are open to anybody of any ability and are extremely inclusive. Gay men, lesbians, straight people, transgendered individuals... anybody, and the post man, are invited to participate. And they do. In the past, the games have been in gay meccas like New York; San Francisco; Stuttgart, Germany and so forth. The 10th games will be in Paris, France. So why are they in Cleveland now?
     Cleveland rolled out the best red carpet 4 years ago for the search committee. That's why. We were up against Boston and Washington D.C. and when Cleveland got it, the other cities' reactions were "are you kidding? Cleveland? What sort of joke is this?" You see, only slowly is the international community of tourists coming to realize that Cleveland has a lot to offer travelers. But they are nevertheless coming to realize it now. That's also one reason why the 2016 Republican National Convention will be here.
     Now to be sure, another reason that the games are here is because the organizers wanted to go a little more mainstream. The days of the novelty of homosexuality are numbered. By having the games in Cleveland, they're making a statement of "we're everywhere, not just on the coasts and not just in big obvious cities". Which is also to say that the Republican National Convention, 2016, is going to be in the most blue county in Ohio. Literally. Clevelanders haven't voted Republican for much of anything in years. Cleveland's last Republican mayor was Voinovich in the '80's. The RNC just wants to be in Ohio, the most purple state in the USA. Don't be surprised if the Democrats hold their convention in Columbus or Cincinnati for the same reason. (Does everybody on the planet openly acknowledge that Ohio picks the president?)
     But back to the games: It's being featured in the daily news and I see the visitors during all my shifts at the Cleveland Museum of Art. It's nice for the city and for the visitors (9,000 visiting participants; 20,000 visiting observers). But, ultimately, it's like having a teacher's convention in town. It really is.

Burger King - A Review

     Page Two Hundred Seventy-Nine.
     I recently went to Burger King for a quick bite. I hadn't eaten fast food in over a year. Let me tell you about it.
     I ordered a basic, little burger, plus I asked for tomatoes, lots of 'em and lettuce, lots of it. Additionally, I purchased a small order of French Fries. I wanted a cup of water too, but that would have cost me one dollar and we're talking water from the sink here. On principle, I decided against the $1.00 tap water. My bill came to almost $3.75. They charged me .15 for the extra tomato and .10 for the extra lettuce.
     The burger was exactly what I remembered: small and cardboardy on a mushy bun. There was one very small slice of tomato and one small leaf of lettuce, plus, of course, the ketchup, pickle and so forth. The fries were slightly stale and weren't very hot. Also, there were fewer fries in the pack than there used to be. The best part of the meal was the ketchup. (I love ketchup.) 
     It was a very poor value, particularly in a restaurant chain which plays up value as one of it's assets. The quality was also very low. American fast food has been losing market share for the last few years and the company executives wonder why. In one article I read a couple days ago, the writer declared that Americans are finally waking up to the fact that fast food just doesn't taste very good and it's not worth the money. How true... how true.
     My rating 2/10.

    

Slyman's Restaurant In Cleveland

     Page Two Hundred Seventy-Eight. 

     I was downtown today and while there, got a corned beef sandwich from Slyman's. That place has been written up in a few national columns and on the Food Network. The next time you're in Cleveland, if you like corned beef, I'd suggest you go there. There are a few other places in Cleveland to get fantastic corned beef, too. But they're not written about. You may as well go someplace famous. Be prepared though, it's a hole in the wall and slightly out of the way of Cleveland's main events and circus. But it's worth it. Great fries, too. Enjoy!

Back To School Shopping

     Page Two Hundred Seventy-Seven
     I've mentioned back to school shopping before, but please humor me here. This is a very pleasant memory. If I re-write the same blog once a year, that's okay.
     During the 1990's and 2000's, there were about 5, 6 or 7 summers when I went down to North Carolina to visit my oldest sister and her children. The kids have always responded very well to me and my sister and brother-in-law knew it. So, every year I received the job of taking the kids for their back to school shopping. It wasn't dull.
     Heather, the oldest, was and is a fashionista. With her, it was more about reigning in the spending. We liked a lot of the same things so there was little arguing. She knew exactly what she wanted. I was just along to hang out and gossip with. Now that she's a financial analyst, she doesn't have to reign in the spending as much. (I knew I'd arrived when she invited me to join her and some friends to get coffee and bagels in the morning on the first day of her high school senior year. What an honor that was... my God! In uncledom that's the equivalent of an Oscar.)
     Michael, the middle one, was pure boy. He was rough and tumble and one of the few shopping mistakes I ever made with the kids was the day I allowed him to purchase a cold water only, slightly fancy, ramie shirt. If it had been a touch less fancy and even $10.00 cheaper, I think his mom and dad wouldn't have made us return it. Oh well. (Honestly though, I still wouldn't completely trust him with that shirt, even if today he is a nuclear engineer and the world's coolest person.) 
     Jonathon, the youngest and most sensitive, simply hated wearing clothing. Covering his God-given body was an affront to him. If not for the fact that he's an environmental engineer today, he'd probably live in a nudest colony. As it is, he took 3 sabbaticals from college to go surfing by himself, once to Indonesia and twice to Nicaragua. His friends tease him that one of the reasons he took those trips is so he could live naked on the beach. Imagine trying to buy clothing for a child like that. (Nobody in my family reads my blog. So I'll admit that in my Last Will and Testament, which might come to be needed in about 2050 or so, I request Jonathon to be in charge of my funeral. Of my 14 nieces and nephews I think his sensitivity is closest to mine. I'm the youngest in my family, too. )
     But, of course, it was never really about the clothing; it was about spending time with them. All those trips to the mall are wonderful memories. Even breaking up the incessant fighting between Michael and Jonathon are great memories. (All three are best friends today.)
     Very busy parents rarely want to hear my opinions, but here's one anyhow: Savor the back to school shopping. You'll miss it in 20 years. I promise.

On Replacing Quito & Wanda

     Page Two Hundred Seventy-Six.
     The real Quito died earlier this year, with his housemate and best friend for the last 10 years or so, the real Wanda, predeceasing him by about 3 months. Their humans are ready to move on and have picked out 2 new charmers. As a close family friend, regular dog-sitter and dog god-father, they've asked me to accompany them for a final looksie this coming weekend prior to making the final decision. They've guaranteed my love at first sight with the new kids. We'll see...  
     

Really Great Tex-Mex Style Baked Beans

     Page Two Hundred Seventy-Five.
     These are so good and so easy. Admittedly, this is hardly what I'd call "cooking"; assembling is more to the point. But sometimes assembling is fun, too.
     INGREDIENTS:
     1 can of chili-style baked beans. I prefer Bush's Chili Magic chili starter, medium, but you use whatever you like.
     3-4 tablespoons of sofrito sauce (sometimes called refogado sauce). Sofrito is a Hispanic-style tomato sauce. It's kind of like a smoother version of the salsa you dip your chips into, but it's actually a cooking sauce. Goya brand is what I always purchase. You can always use salsa which has been put through the food processor for a quick moment, or you can even make your own sofrito sauce which good Hispanics cooks do. But I won't get into that right now.
     1 or 1 &1/2 tablespoons of honey.
     A few dashes, more or less to your taste, of Tabasco sauce, or your favorite hot sauce.
     DIRECTIONS:
     Heat everything together, cook for a while and serve. That's it.
     I serve beans over my own, special, wild rice*. I top rice/beans with cheese and micro 'till melted. Then, pour on some taco sauce and top with a little reduced-fat sour cream and sprinkle on some chopped scallions. It's a whole meal which is filling, nutritious and delicious.

*Add 1 or 2 vegetable soup bullion cubes to the water you're cooking the rice in. This little trick pushes that rice right over the top into heaven.

Having Conversations With Dementia Patients

     Page Two Hundred Seventy-Four.
     Some old work supplies were recently returned to me by a friend who borrowed them a couple of years ago. She's a college instructor who used them to show her art therapy classes different ways to interact and have meaningful conversations with people with moderate to severe dementia from Alzheimer's or any other memory impairment. These books were assembled by me for me when I was in charge of activities for two dementia units in a nearby nursing home.     
     One of the books is nothing but photos of people, places and things which people born prior to 1940 or so would be able to relate to. The worlds of entertainment, politics, sports and current events are all included. I copied the pictures from history books and then assembled them in a binder and used it over and over again for the years that I was on that job. Just showing people the pictures conjured up old, buried memories and subsequently, conversations began. I'd strongly recommend any care-giver to a demented loved one consider creating a similar book. It can help provide hours of stimulating conversation. Of course, it helps if the care-giver has done a little research on the various topics so as to prod the conversation along. 
     These photos are an example of ones in my book. Admittedly, I'm a grand risk-taker. Not all of these pictures would be appropriate for all audiences, but in my racially and religiously integrated nursing home, I used photos quite similar to these with great effect. You know your loved one, I don't. But, you'll be surprised what gets the juices going.

A One Day Staycation

     Page Two Hundred Seventy-Three.

University Circle is concentration of bldgs. at top, near horizon

     Yesterday, I took a walk down to University Circle, Cleveland's cultural, medical and educational hub. We certainly have copious museums, hospitals and educational facilities strewn all over the region; but 100 years ago the city planners decided that Cleveland should have many of them in a centralized location. So, a disproportionate amount of those facilities are in a relatively small section of town. I'm sure I've spoken of Cleveland's University Circle region in this blog before, so I won't get into it again. But really, any out-of-towner invariably ends up there.
     I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art; the Crawford Auto Aviation Collection and the Botanical Gardens, in that order. And, I was quite giddy with glee as I flashed my Cleveland  Museum of Art employee badge and received free entrance to all of the above. (The CMA is one of the grandaddies in University Circle, along with Case Western Reserve and a variety of massive, cathedral-like churches. But all the museums have a reciprocal relationship with each other.) Nothing better than a day of free museums! That's pretty much it, as far as I'm concerned.

Museum of Contemporary Art

MOCA

The Botanical Gardens

 2 different rainforests with their glass outer walls and roofs

     I live in Cleveland Heights, a suburb on the hills which overlook University Circle. So I walked down and around and back up again - about 5 miles. It was just a wonderful afternoon.