Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas 2010

We celebrated Christmas at my sister Maggie and her husband Mike's house in Parma. We had chicken (Fajita and Plain), Scalloped potatoes (Made by Yours Truly), corn, baked beans with sausage, bread sticks, and a lot of appetizers and desserts. The food was rather tasty.

In addition to Maggie, Mike (Schabel), and myself, the participants included Kathleen, Tim, Joe, Mandy, Lois, Marnie, Mike Schmidt, Kendal, and Hayden. It had been exactly a year since I had seen the last four people listed. Bob had a plumbing problem at our house and needed his rest since he is on the night shift at the post office in Downtown Cleveland. Paul was overworked celebrating with his family, so he was not present. The other relatives from the Gift Exchange group celebrated elsewhere. We enjoyed spending time with each other.

We ate in three stages. They were appetizer, Entree, and Dessert. After eating and initial cleanup, some people opened presents. Lois, Mike Schmidt, Mandy, and Marnie had presents from the Gift Exchange. Kendal and Hayden appeared to have a "truckload" of presents. (They're four-and-a-half and two-and-a-half, respectively) Most people ignored practicality in favor of readily appreciated presents. Of course, Bob and I are the exceptions to this rule because we gave them Toys 'R' Us Gift Cards. The kids enjoyed their presents for the most part.

In general, Christmas turned out to be a nice affair. It didn't start out so great. In addition to the plumbing problem, my first bag of instant scalloped potatoes went flying due to a hard to open bag. When I preheated the oven, I failed to discover a cookie sheet that was placed under the baked beans that Kathleen cooked yesterday. As a result, two of our smoke alarms went off. Thankfully, we didn't have a fire. We will laugh about this day someday.

Until next time, enjoy life.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Happy Holidays!

I would like to wish those celebrating Christmas, Kwanzaa, or any similar holiday, a nice holiday. I was at Ziggy's Produce on Broadview Road in Cleveland this morning. It wasn't too crowded. Of course, Orthodox Christmas Eve (January 6)will be another story. Tune in to find out.

This blog may be joining the Facebook family soon. Watch out for any future information. Thankfully, Facebook is "private" enough to avoid any major problems, I hope.

Until next time, enjoy life.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Happy Anniversary, Mandy and Paul (and a Christmas Report)

Today is my niece Mandy and Paul's Second Wedding anniversary. For my future readers, I have no stories about their wedding day since they eloped. I found out when I saw them on Christmas Day. I hope that they enjoyed their anniversary.

My Christmas shopping was finished on Wednesday. Since we have the Gift Exchange, I only had to shop for one adult and my four great-nieces (Ages ranging from four-and-a-half to one-and-a-half on Christmas Day.). I hope to see them next weekend. Bob and I received our Christmas Card from Amy Marie and Emily today. Hopefully, our card from Kendal and Hayden will show up soon.

Until next time, enjoy the Christmas season.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Black Friday

My shopping trip was successful. It was not too crowded at Giant Eagle. I bought our bus passes, but the lottery machine was down. I then went to a nearby Walgreen's. I bought two bottles (Canada Dry, A&W Root Beer) of soda there since I received a 99 cent off coupon for my next purchase. I should have bought the bottles separately since it was one coupon per offer, but sometimes you have to live it up. On the way home, I stopped off at Ziggy's Produce (Featured in the Orthodox Christmas Entry from January 2010) for my lottery tickets. The store was a little more crowded than usual, but the trip was successful.

I came home. Shortly afterwards, Kathleen came home with soda from Deals or Dollar Tree. I reimbursed her. She then went home. Originally, if Kathleen came home from Black Friday shopping (She left around 9:15 a.m.) before I left for Parma-Snow Library and my shopping, we would have gone together to do the soda shopping. Thankfully, we successfully accomplished all my shopping.

Until next time, enjoy your holiday shopping.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thanksgiving

The McDonnell family Thanksgiving was a small affair. For dinner, it was Bob, Kathleen, Mike and Maggie Schabel, Joe, and myself. Paul and Mandy arrived just before dessert because they were at Paul's sister's house. We had the usual Thanksgiving fixings. Dessert consisted of Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Satin Pie, Cheesecake, Apple Pie, (Bob and I provided it from Perkins. (In the Denny's and Friendly's class of chain restaurants)) and Margarita-flavored jello. All of the food was delicious.

After the dessert course was over, the names for the Gift Exchange were selected. There are some complications again, so, once again, they won't be posted on this blog. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable and peaceful evening.

I will not be shopping for Black Friday items. However, I will be buying December bus passes for Bob and myself. Ohio Classic Lotto and Powerball tickets will also be purchased as well. I'll see how crowded Giant Eagle (It was open on Thanksgiving.) across from Midtown Plaza will be.

Until next time, I hope that all of my readers enjoyed Thanksgiving. I also hope that they also survive Black Friday and the rest of the various shopping seasons. Keep up with your research.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Happy Birthday, Paul

My nephew-in-law, Paul (Mandy's husband) celebrates a birthday today. I hope that he had a nice celebration. I also hope that he enjoyed all his gifts.

Until next time, enjoy life.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Southwest Alabama Television

After writing my last post, I was going to look at Cleveland Classic Media through the link on this blog. As I was looking through the blogs that I follow, I noticed Southwest Alabama Television on the list. Unfortunately, the blog was removed recently because the information was moved to the Mobile, AL of the Examiner Web Site. I miss the old site because a "bookmark" is now necessary to easily reach the information. I enjoy this site because it talks about "local" TV personalities, which is one of my interests. I hope that you enjoy the information, which is now at http://www.examiner.com/tv-in-mobile.

In addition, I will be adding a Boston television website to the blogs that I follow. I have interest in this market because my sister, brother-in-law, niece, and nephew-in-law live in the market. You can also learn about Boston area weather from this blog. I love this blog, but it would work better as a stand-alone blog. Since I visit the site almost daily, it is bookmarked on my computer for easier access. For the rest of my readers, it can be found at http://hinghamweather.com/bostontvnews. It will be in the "Blogs I Follow" section soon.

Until next time, your research will include more election results than you need to know.

Happy Birthday, Mike

I would like to wish a belated birthday wish to my brother-in-law, Mike. His birthday was yesterday. I hope that he enjoys all his gifts. I don't know what other people gave him, but Bob and I gave him a Wendy's Gift Card. He goes to Wendy's almost every day, so I know that the gift will be appreciated. He called me tonight to tell me so. Once again, Happy Birthday, Mike!!

Before I sign off, don't forget to vote.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Halloween 2010

I had an interesting Halloween. It started out with a trip to Aldi on Pearl Road in Cleveland. I barely made the bus after dropping off some newspapers at the recycling bin near where Bob and I vote (My Census training was also held here.). I bought some 2% milk, Variety Pack Oatmeal, Unsalted-Dry Roasted Peanuts, and a 2 liter bottle of GT Cola (only $.59 (Diet GT Cola was only $.39)). There was no line and no clerk. After I completed my purchases, I crossed the street to catch a bus to get me closer to home. I then walked home from State Road and Portman Avenue. I then spent the rest of the afternoon on my computer and looking at football.

Not long after dinner, Trick or treating started. After four minutes, I had given away twenty pieces of candy. I thought that it would be a big night. As it turns out, about 94 people received candy in the two hours of trick or treating (6:00 to 8:00). I blame it on the wind and the temperature in the forties. At least, it didn't rain.

After spending more time on the computer, I left for Heggs House of Horror (http://www.heggshouseofhorror.com) on Merl Avenue, a short walk from my house. Since it was well past the end of handing out candy, there was a nice crowd. I spent some time looking at the display. I then walked home. In less than half an hour, the trip was over.

Halloween 2010 will be noted for the lack of "exciting costumes". It was still a fun day. I hope that I have as much fun next year.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

My 40th Birthday Celebration

As most of you know, my birthday was on October 21 (I started writing the post on October 21, but I finished it after midnight.) Tonight we celebrated by having dinner at Dimitri's in Parma (Yes, it's near the new Walgreen's that I have documented many times on this blog.). The attendees were Kathleen, Tim, Mike (Schabel), Maggie, Lois, Joe, Bob, Mandy, and Paul. The food was delicious for the most part. Although dessert was part of the Sunday special, (Entree, soup, salad, rolls, dessert, and beverage are bundled for one price on selected meals.) we also enjoyed a birthday cake made by Maggie. We also enjoyed each other's company. It was a nice celebration that will be remembered for a long time. (This blog will be a great help!)

P.S.: I had my usual Boston Scrod and Rice Pilaf tonight.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

My 40th Birthday

As most of my readers know, I turned 40 years old today. I started the day watching my favorite show Live with Regis and Kelly on WEWS in Cleveland. I then checked my e-mail. I attempted to print out an e-mail coupon from Denny's. I struggled, but Bob was successful with the printout. We walked to Broadview and Tampa Avenues to catch the first of two buses to go to Denny's near Parmatown Mall. The first bus was so late that we didn't make our second bus at Broadview and Pearl Roads, so we just went back down Broadview Road to go to Wendy's. We both had half an Apple Pecan Chicken Salad and value priced sodas. Bob had Chili, while I had a Baked Potato with chives, butter, and sour cream (It's my birthday. You only turn 40 once.) We enjoyed our food. After lunch, Bob went home. I headed for the Parma-South Library.

Despite the fact that our bus was late to Broadview and Pearl Roads was late, the second bus was late enough for me to catch it. At the library, I read the latest Billboard Magazine, the Official Catholic Directory for 2010, the Spring 2010 SRDS Newspaper Advertising Guide, and an article on Kelly Ripa in the November 2010 issue of Good Housekeeping. I also checked out six CDs (Five 70s compilations and one 80s compilation). I then went to Giant Eagle by Parmatown to buy Classic Lotto and Powerball tickets for Saturday's drawings. After reading the Glee spoof in Mad Magazine, I made the short walk to Denny's.

At 4:00, my seating area at Denny's had a lot of people. I ordered my "healthier" Grand Slam. Unfortunately, I forgot to hold the butter and syrup, so I lived it up. (I only used one of my two syrups on my pancakes.) I also enjoyed a Coke with added vanilla flavoring. (I would have enjoyed it more without the glass two-thirds full of ice. I remedied the situation at refill time. ) Once again, I enjoyed my food.

To kill time before my first bus towards home, I crossed Day Drive to go to JCPenney. I then caught the bus which took me to Aldi on Pearl Road in Cleveland to buy a variety pack of oatmeal and a gallon of 2% Lowfat milk. I then came home and relaxed.

To all the callers, e-mailers and Facebook commenters, thanks for the nice birthday messages. This was a birthday to remember. The celebration continues on Sunday. Details will follow.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Happy Birthday, Mandy

Today is my niece Mandy's birthday. She and her husband, Paul, were planning to spend the weekend in Niagara Falls. I hope that they have a nice safe trip.

Speaking of trips, it was reported on the Kendal-Hayden Blog that Mike, Marnie, and the kids were in Cleveland. Driving through Cleveland was probably involved, based on the activities that they enjoyed, but Bob and I, who actually live in Cleveland, were not involved. Hopefully, we will see them in the coming months. I am pleased to report that location detail on the blog is showing some improvement.

Until next time, enjoy life.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Walgreen's, Dave, Melina, and the Census Bureau

On Thursday, I finally made it to the new Walgreen's on Rockside Road in Parma. (The Arby's next door has a Snow Road address.) Cashews (8.5 oz.), mixed nuts (9 oz.), and peanuts (16 oz.) were on sale for $1.99 through today. I bought a can each of cashews and mixed nuts (Both unsalted). I didn't buy any peanuts because I can buy the same size from Aldi at that price regularly. (Deals offers the same size for $2.) I didn't tour the store because I wanted to catch the bus home, so I could catch up on videotapes with Bob. In addition to the nuts, I picked up five Buck Doubles from the nearby Burger King for Bob's meals at work. I also visited the Parma-Snow library to pick up some CDs and read some materials. We watched the tape, ate leftover pizza from Don-Gi's Pizza, and relaxed before Bob left for work.

This morning, we got haircuts from the Pearlview Barber Shop on Broadview Road (Across from the former Arby's). It was our first haircut since our previous barber, Dave Bernard, died a week ago. Before going to work at our current barber shop, his barber shop was across the street. Bob and I had our haircuts from Dave for about twenty years there before the bar next door wanted to expand. He then went to work with our present barber, Roy Valenti, briefly. His license and smock are still there, although he retired a few years ago. There was at least one time when Roy cut my hair, and Dave cut Bob's hair. (I don't remember if the reverse scenario occurred.) Dave will be missed.

There is a little bit of trivia concerning Dave Bernard. His son married Melina Kanakeredes's sister. Coincidentally, Melina was on Live with Regis and Kelly on Thursday. Unfortunately, Dave's death wasn't mentioned on the show. It would have been nice to meet her if she made it back to town for the wake and funeral. By the way, Bob and I missed both events because they didn't fit into Bob's schedule. We really didn't know his family, although his widow and a few other relatives made a few appearances at the barber shop over the years while we were there. We'll have our memories.

Speaking of memories, I finally have decided to update the story of the Census Bureau's failure to put my pay into my bank account. After my first call and visit to the Census Bureau, only about half of my pay made it into my bank account, so I called again. A few days later, after checking my bank account, I thought that the Census Bureau failed again, but I reviewed my pay stubs and realized that my pay stubs were added together (Two amounts were in each pay stub in my later weeks in one of those baffling government decisions.) On July 29th, my pay stubs and my bank account were finally in sync (after the aforementioned summation, of course). After a small hassle, I was finally relieved with a happy ending.

Until next time, keep up with the research.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Happy Anniversary, Dan and Laura

Today is my nephew Dan and his wife Laura's seventh wedding anniversary. I hope that they still get as much enjoyment as I did the day that they got married. It was a fun wedding.

Until next time, enjoy life.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Old Restaurants

On September 15, Bob and I went to the Perkins in Middleburg Heights because it was easier to reach from Southpark Mall than our usual Perkins. We had never been to this branch although it predated the one in Brooklyn (By the way, the Brooklyn Perkins was rebuilt after a fire.). On the way there, we noticed that the Denny's that used to be across the street was out of business. I don't know how long that it has been out of business since it had been about a year that we had been in the area. We used to pass it when we took the bus from Great Northern Mall to Parmatown Mall, but the bus's route was changed from Cuyahoga Community College to Southwest General Hospital in September 2009. (Years ago, the bus went from Great Northern to West 33rd and Brookpark, not far from our home. The route is a little too complicated to discuss at this time.) I also don't know if the competition has changed significantly. Bob Evans (Rebuilt around 2002-2003) and Friendly's have been in the area for awhile. Max and Erma's and Olive Garden are also in the area. There's some fast food places in the area. Several motels in the area may have restaurants as well. Obviously, it is a heavy traffic area. In addition to the hospital, the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds and Baldwin Wallace College are all down Bagley Road. Hopkins Airport is not too far away. With all the traffic, I don't see the Denny's staying vacant too long (Even if it is torn down and replaced with new construction).

Before I forget about Perkins, I enjoyed my salmon with apricot-teriyaki glaze. I don't remember Bob's entree at this time. One funny thing did happen on this trip. When the cashier was handing me back the change, I dropped a quarter in the space on the counter where the cash register wire or phone wire resides. The cashier couldn't find the quarter, so I received another quarter. (For the record, Bob paid for dinner that evening.) Otherwise, the trip went smoothly. Despite our bus from Bagley Road being late, we made our two connections to our house. We relaxed for most of the evening.

This story brings me back to the Midtown area. If you go West on Snow Road (on Google Earth) from Broadview Road, you will see a Denny's. Needless to say, it went out of business a couple years ago. It was demolished, and the site now holds a Third Federal Savings branch (Our local branch on Brookpark Road and the State Road (near Snow Road) branch were consolidated.). It's a nice branch, but we wish the Denny's was still there. By the way, I haven't been to the new Walgreen's nearby yet. Tune in for more details.

Until next time, keep up with the research.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Happy Birthday, Dan SR.

I would like to wish my brother-in-law, Dan, a happy birthday. I hope that he enjoys the present that Bob and I sent him. I also want him to enjoy his birthday with his family and friends.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Corrections and Other News

While discussing potential cats for adoption, Bob notified me that I had transposed the price of adoption for cats from the Cleveland APL on August 28. Older cats could be adopted for free. Kittens cost $10 to adopt. (The item has been corrected on the original post.) I hope that you weren't confused.

Also, while doing some research on Google Earth on Lincoln Street in Worcester, MA, I spotted the Bickford's that replaced Abdow's Big Boy. I was inspired to check the Bickford's Web Site. I discovered that the Bickford's on Lincoln Street was defunct. I don't know what occupies the space now. I recommend checking out http://www.bickfordsrestaurants.com for your own enrichment.

Speaking of restaurants, a restaurant that has been in my area, for as long as I can remember, closed last month. The Pizza Hut on Broadview Road in Parma is the restaurant in question. It is one of many Pizza Huts to close in my area recently. We rarely go to Pizza Hut, but the stores are missed.

Speaking of stores, Walgreen's was scheduled to open on Snow Road (near Broadview) in Parma yesterday. Contrary to what I expected, the store was built past the Arby's, which recently had a major interior and exterior renovation. I visited it about a week ago (9-7-2010). It is quite nice. Many of the other Arby's in the Cleveland area are in various stages of construction as well. By the way, the former Arby's closest to my house is still vacant. It is still missed. For the record, there is a new parking lot where the Mr. Chicken mentioned in an earlier post and a vacant lot that formerly housed a SOHIO gas station (Now BP) once stood. It goes without saying that the changes will really surprise people who haven't been in the area for awhile.

Until next time, use Google Earth to research the areas that I mentioned in this post. I will highlight some changes in the Midtown area in Parma in a future post. It will be a very interesting story.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Happy Anniversary, Mike and Marnie

Today is Mike and Marnie's sixth anniversary. I hope that they enjoyed it in their new house. I am sure that Kendal and Hayden were on their best behavior that day. I'll let you know if an anniversary-related post appears on the Kendal-Hayden blog. Bob and I gave them an Applebee's Gift Card for a present. I am sure that they will find a nearby Applebee's (Howell, perhaps). It seems that they are everywhere. Tune in to find out if there are any details.

Bob's Vacation (Part Four)

On September 1, Bob and I went out to Beachwood Place, La Place, and Legacy Village. We had lunch at Subway. We visited Nordstrom, Eddie Bauer, Clark's Shoes, and Dillard's (Saks was just a walkthrough.) in the mall. Borders was our only stop at La Place. (It's not that exciting of a mall in my opinion. We visited Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Nordstrom Rack, and Dick's Sporting Goods.

After buying nothing out East, we headed towards Steelyard Commons. We visited Staples and Petco. We then headed to IHOP for dinner. I had tilapia. Bob had sirloin tips. We both enjoyed our meals. We then headed for home. The first bus was so late, but we made our connecting bus towards home because it was quite late. We then went home and relaxed.

On September 2, we went to Great Northern Mall. We ate at Donato's Pizza across the street. I had a coupon for individual pizzas for $1.99 each (up to three). We split chicken, pepperoni, and meatball pizzas. They were tasty. It had been awhile since we ate there. Subway's $5 footlongs are hard to pass up. We did some more window shopping. We then went to Eat 'N' Park in Parma for dinner. I had grilled chicken. Bob had Chicken Alfredo (I think!). Once again we enjoyed our food. We then headed for home. We almost made an earlier bus that we were on earlier in the other direction. Fortunately, the next bus was coming soon. (Under normal circumstances, there are thirteen minutes between these #35 buses. (in the 6:00 p.m. hour)) We then went home and watched the Browns beat the Bears on a game ending field goal. I hope that we have more exciting finishes like that in the regular season. Also, during the game, (around 9:00 p.m.) Kathleen stopped over to pick up tapes of Rescue Me that were taped for her over the last few weeks. The week so far has had its moments. Things will get interesting in the next story.

On Friday, Maggie stopped over to take Bob and me to Holy Cross Cemetery in Brookpark because my parents would have been married 61 years that day. Since it was raining, we didn't stay long. We then went to Brookgate, so Maggie could visit Marc's. We bought cans of soda there, so we benefited, too. We then went back towards the cemetery because we were going to Big Boy. I did a phone survey to win either free soda or a free slice of pie. We all had cheeseburgers and fries. We enjoyed them. Bob and I had soda, but we all had pie because one of us would have it for free. I had French Silk pie. Maggie and Bob had Coconut Cream pie As it turns out, Bob and I finished Maggie's pie. We enjoyed the pie as well. We then went to Dollar Tree on Brookpark Road to buy bottles of soda. We then went to Giant Eagle by Midtown (and Eat 'N' Park) to pick up cookies and milk. We saved two dollars on a gallon of milk because we bought five selected items. This offer wasn't in our ad, and the eligible items were not clear in Maggie's ad. After Giant Eagle, we came home, unpacked, and relaxed.

After relaxing, we headed to TGI Friday's in Brooklyn because I had a BoGo Entree coupon that was only for that branch. Bob's plan was to take the #35 bus to Lorain and West 25th so we could catch the #79B to TGI Friday's on Tiedman Road. Unfortunately, our bus was fifteen minutes late, so Bob's plan was out. Fortunately, I had another route in mind. We took the bus down to Pearl Road. We made our second bus only because it was fifteen minutes late. We took that bus to Stumph Road. Since we had time to kill, and some repair work was occurring near the convenient bus stop on York Road, (Stumph Road changes to York Road when it crosses Pearl Road.) we walked down the road. The stop was a little further than we would have desired, but we still made our bus. We then went to TGI Friday's. It was one bus stop sooner than I would have liked, but it was actually easier to reach the restaurant from that stop. The creek wasn't in our way. We somehow had very little traffic coming or going, which surprised me. (There are two hotels and two restaurants that share the driveway.) We enjoyed our food. I had chicken with angel hair pasta. I'll get back to you with Bob's meal that night. After dinner, we used Bob's route to go home. The first bus was late, but it was back on schedule by the time we left the bus on West 25th. We easily made our connecting bus. We then went home and relaxed. It was a vacation to remember. (I would have preferred that the buses weren't so late in some cases, but the stories wouldn't have been as interesting.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Bob's Vacation (Part Three)

One week ago today, Bob and I went to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. It was just as enjoyable as last time. Unlike last time, we took pictures that may or not show up on this blog eventually. Despite the heat, there were many people with strollers. I only saw one obvious day care this time, compared to last year's after the kids went back to school trip. We did a lot of walking because the trams were not running. They claim that they were trying to save on diesel fuel, but I think that the construction of the elephant area may have been a factor as well.

After the zoo, we took a short walk to the corner of Fulton Parkway and Fulton Road, so we could catch a bus to Parmatown Mall. Before visiting the mall, we ate lunch at Mr. Hero across from the mall. (Yes, there's one in the mall, but I know that free soda refills are available across the street. However, Great Northern Mall's Mr. Hero offers free refills, but they do not accept coupons, although I observed an acceptance not too long ago.). We each enjoyed a sandwich, waffer fries, and soda for $5.00 each. (No tax was charged although we dined inside the restaurant. If we used takeout, there would have been tax on the soda, at least in our area.) The food was tasty. We observed more dine-in people than we normally do at Mr. Hero. My theory on the traditional routine is that many of the customers grew up when Mr. Hero was take out only. The Mr. Hero that I first remember on Memphis Avenue in Cleveland is still like that. (Coincidentally, it is a short drive from the zoo if you use the Fulton Parkway exit of the zoo. (The Fulton Road/Fulton Parkway confusion is best illustrated with a map.))

After lunch, we visited Wal Mart, Dick's Sporting Goods, and a cameo appearance at JcPenney. I grabbed one of the two bus schedules that I didn't have. (The other one was retrieved on a bus the following day. (I think!)) We then went to catch the #20 bus that would take us closer to home. Although, we were running late, we should have made the bus. However, it was either early, or there was a complication. We never saw this bus. About half an hour later, the next bus showed up. It kept stalling out. No air conditioning was a consequence. We got off the bus at Saratoga Avenue because there was no coordination with the #35 bus thanks to the complication. We then went home and rested.

After a while, we headed out to go to Denny's on Brookpark Road. Our first bus (#35) was fifteen minutes late, but we took advantage of a #51 bus that was late enough so we didn't have to wait long for a bus that would have taken us closer to Denny's. After a short walk from Brookpark and Pearl Roads, we arrived at the Denny's. We enjoyed our food and then went home and relaxed.

On Tuesday, we went to the Chick-Fil-A at Westgate in Rocky River (Although most of Westgate is in Fairview Park, the Chick-Fil-A website offers the exception.) We had a BOGO coupon for a large combo. Food for the two of us was less than $8.00. It was tasty.

After lunch, we visited Lowe's, Kohl's, Target, and Petco at Westgate. We then walked to the Westwood Town Center to go to Marc's. We then went to the AMC Theaters next door to see The Other Guys . I enjoyed the movie, but Bob thought it would be funnier.

After the movie, we took a bus to Lorain Road in Fairview Park, so we could catch a bus to Baker's Square on Lorain Road in North Olmsted. The bus left late, so we barely missed our connection. We weren't expecting to make it, but rush hour and construction on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland (It becomes Lorain Road in Fairview Park and remains that way the rest of the way Westbound (at least through North Ridgeville in Lorain County).) made the connection a realistic possibility. We caught the next bus. We enjoyed our meal, but I challenged and won a dispute over a surcharge for a croissant, which was my choice of bread for my sandwich for the Pie Shop Special. I later learned from my sister Maggie, that the surcharge existed in "fine print" on the menu, but since neither the manager, nor I saw it, the surcharge was removed from the bill. They even took the tax off the $5 off coupon. A lot of restaurants do this, but usually not Bakers Square. I was happy. Unfortunately, we missed a bus, but Bob was still eating, so we wouldn't have made it anyways. We walked down to a nearby Discount Drug Mart to kill time. We then went home and relaxed.

My next report will discuss our adventures from September 1 until I tire of writing.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Bob's Vacation (Part Two)

In our last adventure, Bob and I had reached the corner of Broadview and Pearl Roads after we went to SouthPark Mall on Sunday. Although we were walking home, Bob wanted a shake from Arby's which was nearby. However, there was a little problem. The Arby's was out of business.
I had noticed yellow tape (Not Crime Scene tape) along the front of the store on Friday as I was on my way to pick up some CDs from Parma-Snow library. We may have noticed it on Saturday (or not). By Sunday, we were saddened. We do still have an Arby's at Broadview and Snow Roads that we enjoy more, but the closed branch was closer to home. I hope that something nice happens to the former Arby's and the former KFC down the street. There is good news in the neighborhood, though. Almost across the street, after being vacant for many years, Anthony's Pizza and Deli will be coming to a building that housed five different donut shops over about a twenty-five year period. Let us hope that they give Don-Gi's Pizza down the street some competition, as much as we enjoy Don-Gi's. I'll let you know my review as soon as we experience Anthony's.

Just as we planned, we walked home. We relaxed for a little bit. I then went to Qdoba in Parma to have my dinner and to pick up Bob's dinner. The bus was about twelve minutes later, but I should have been able to eat my dinner and pick up Bob's before the return bus arrived. Unfortunately, I had a complication with frequent customer points. I may or not have had my meal credited with my points from a swipe of my Qdoba card by the cashier. If things went according to plan, Bob's meal would have been free as I would earned enough points. I did scan my receipt to send to Qdoba, (Success is questionable since I don't know if they received it.) but our first entree next time should be free, especially if I go on Triple Points Sunday or Double Points Tuesday. In the time that I spent discussing the points situation, I missed the bus. It did not help that the bus was now running about a minute early. It must not have been too crowded. After determining that I missed the bus, I crossed the street to go to Giant Eagle to cash a $150 MegaMillions winner (I had three numbers and the Megaball. Four numbers and no Megaball would have won the same amount.). After browsing through the store, I went to catch the bus. I almost missed this bus because I had misjudged the bus stop, but I caught my mistake in time. We then relaxed for the rest of the evening.

In my next report, I will discuss our Monday trip to the zoo and Parmatown Mall.

Bob's Vacation (Part One)

Bob was on vacation this week. I am going to give you the highlights of the week. You should notice a recurring theme.

On Saturday, Bob and I got our haircuts at Pearlview Barber Shop on Broadview Road in Cleveland. We had to do it that day because our barber was going to Italy on vacation for two weeks. Surprisingly, it was not crowded for a Saturday morning before a vacation. As I was in the chair, the barber received a vacation-related call that lasted about five minutes. As a result, we missed our bus towards home. Thankfully, it wasn't a long walk.

(For the record, there was a possibility of visiting the Animal Protective League to adopt a cat (Kittens were $10. Older cats were free last weekend.). However, Bob decided that rest was more beneficial. It also doesn't help that the facility is not very bus friendly. A long walk with a cat on a hot day would be a little extreme.)

We rested for a short time. I ate lunch. I then went to the Main Library downtown. I was running late. Any other day, I would have missed the bus. I was on my way to State and Saratoga to catch the #20 bus when the #35 bus arrived fifteen minutes late. After the library, I went to CVS and then to St. Leo Church for 4:00 Mass. Father Lowe had the Mass, but another priest spoke about a group in Southern Mexico who needed our money for everyday needs. I then came home. We had hot dogs and baked beans. We then watched the Browns game and the NFL game on CBS. It was a quiet night.

On Sunday, we went to SouthPark Mall in Strongsville. We visited Borders Books and Music across the street. We then ate lunch at Steak Escape in the same strip as Borders. Our next stops were Fannie Mae Candy, (There was an one day offer for a ninety cent pint of ice cream with a coupon. Unfortunately, we did not have the coupon.) Best Buy, and Petco. We then crossed the street to go to the mall. We closed our visit with a trip to Kohl's near the mall. We then headed to the bus stop. It was late. After a short layover, we headed back towards the mall because Drake Road has a construction situation. Apparently, there was no good detour to cover Pearl Road between Drake and Royalton Roads. If we or anyone else had business in that stretch, they would have been unhappy with the "unannounced" detour. We then walked home. There is a little side story that I will reveal in my next report.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Update on Wednesday's Post

I have some information about bus two of my adventure to Big Boy. On Sunday, RTA changed some times on this bus. What I thought was on time was actually three minutes late. This means that if the bus is on time, making the bus that shortens our walk home, should not be a problem.



For the record, I have all our schedules except two. I forgot to grab one, and the Tower City Rapid Station was out of the other. I thought I had a copy of the unavailable schedule on my bus to Midtown, (This bus would also take me towards home.) but it was the previous edition that came out just six weeks earlier. I think a lot of these schedule adjustments are due to the fact that they changed the name of the #20A bus to #20. The letter was not needed anymore because the seasonal #20Z bus to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo was discontinued less than a year ago.(There are some pictures from Kendal and Hayden's visit to the zoo with Maggie and Mandy on June 8 on the Kendal-Hayden blog.) It was a nice bus that helped avoid the hill to and from the zoo if you used the Pearl Road Entrance.



For the record, Bob and I have planned a trip to the zoo on Monday. However, we plan on walking down to Fulton Parkway (The opposite end of the zoo for those not familiar with our zoo) because we plan on going to Parmatown Mall. (For further reference, go to the RTA web site that will be in the Links section of this blog.) I will let you know if these plans succeed.



Until next time, enjoy the research tips that I give you.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Back in a Flash

Bob, Maggie, and I made it to Microcenter at Eastgate Shopping Center in Mayfield Heights to pick up our free flash drives or SDHC cards. We had trouble finding the flash drives, but we were told that they were at the registers. There were no problems in attaining our items.

We then went to the nearby Marc's. Bob and I picked up four 12 packs of Coke and two packages of Chips Deluxe cookies. After Marc's, we went to the nearby Wal-Mart to attain our free refill of lens cleaner fluid. Otherwise, we window shopped.

Our final stop was lunch at Roly Poly Sandwiches at nearby Golden Gate Shopping Center. Bob and Maggie had small chicken fajita sandwiches. I had a chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich. Bob also had a cup of potato salad. I had a cup of pasta salad. Maggie did not have a side. We had sides because they were less than half price with a soda (Both of us drank Coke.) purchase. We all had a spoonful of tart yogurt. The food was interesting.

Since we were done shopping, we went home and relaxed. At 3:30, Bob and I went to Big Boy on Brookpark Road in Cleveland. It was a three bus trip. We made all of our connections. I even had time to buy lottery tickets and redeem a small ($3) Mega Millions winner before our second bus. At Big boy, Bob had smothered chicken, a baked potato, green beans, and Pepsi. I had the burger bar (Hamburgers, French Fries (which I skipped), hot dogs, soup, and salad) and Pepsi. The food was quite tasty.

It was a lot better than my last experience at Big Boy in Worcester, MA in 1991. I took Patty and Bob there before we caught our train back home to Cleveland. My fish had bones all over it. I remember nothing else about the food. I do remember that the nearby shopping center looked "old". There was also a nice article about Cleveland on the previous Sunday in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette newspaper. I do remember mentioning this article to the female cashier. She appeared to be indifferent about it. Thankfully, Big Boy left Massachusetts. Bickford's Grille is there now. Ruby Tuesday is also nearby now. The shopping center was rebuilt. The area appears to be classier. It can all be seen on Google Earth (490 Lincoln St. Worcester or Bickford's Worcester should do the trick.).

Fast forward to 2010. After dinner, we crossed the road to catch our first bus. The crosswalk is a little tricky. (Big Boy Cleveland should work on Google Earth.) The bus stop was in a "mandatory" right turn lane. Thankfully, the bus was an unwritten exception to the rule. This bus was also late, but we made our second bus easily. The second bus was surprisingly running a few minutes ahead of schedule, so we made our third bus towards home instead of just missing it. We then relaxed after I put our trash on our tree lawn for tomorrow's collection.

The day was quite interesting. Maggie's driving us to Mayfield Heights saved Bob and me from any "funny" misadventures on a two bus-one train (Rapid) trip. Our evening bus trips were a lot better than expected. The exercise would have been nice, but we appear to be a little more relaxed as a result.

Until next time, enjoy Google Earth for future research.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Our Plans Evaporated in a "Flash".

Bob and I were planning to go to Microcenter in Mayfield Heights on Wednesday to pick up a free flash drive for myself. As it turns out, two other people will be receiving flash drives as well. Unfortunately, we don't have them yet.

We were running late this morning. The #35 bus was running a little bit early. We missed it by about a minute. We walked down to Broadview and Pearl Roads to catch the #20A (soon to be #20) bus. Our bus was on time, but we wouldn't have made our train to University Circle from Tower City. After we visited the ATM for Bob, (I visited the ATM on Tuesday.) we headed for the Rapid station. I looked for schedules that will go into effect on Sunday. I struck out on that goal. Since we would have missed our bus to Mayfield Heights by about a minute if we took the next train eastbound. We changed our plans by going to Great Northern Mall and Plaza. The westbound train showed up at a reasonable time, so we made our bus to the mall.

After departing the bus on Great Northern Boulevard, we went to Penn Station East Coast Subs for lunch. They were offering a small order of French Fries for free. Since the promotion wasn't heavily advertised, the lines were not ridiculously long. In addition to the fries, I had a Chicken Cordon Bleu Sub, Pepsi, and Mug Root Beer, and Bob had a Cheesesteak Sub and Pepsi. We enjoyed our food immensely.

After lunch, we walked to the mall. Our only purchases at the Mall and Plaza were lottery tickets for Wednesday's and Friday's drawings. We still had fun, though.

After the mall, we headed for Steelyard Commons. Before eating, we did some more window shopping at the plaza. We then went to IHOP. I had grilled tilapia Hollandaise, mashed potatoes, (With butter that is not normally provided, but without the expected gravy) broccoli, garlic toast, and Mountain Dew. Bob had balsamic-glazed chicken with red skin potatoes, (I should have had them, but I made a substitution.) broccoli, garlic toast, and Lipton Raspberry Iced Tea. Once again, we enjoyed our food.

After IHOP, we went home. I put our trash on the lawn. Bob mopped the kitchen floor. We then relaxed for the rest of the night.

Our day did not go according to plan, but we can try again next week. Roly Poly at nearby Golden Gate Shopping Center is the planned destination for lunch, but plans do change. Tune in to find out for full details.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Famous Gyro George

I finally made it to Famous Gyro George today. I took the #35 bus up to Famous Gyro George on Broadview Road. I ordered our gyros to go. Since the next bus would be coming from Snow/Rockside Road, which means the bus wouldn't be going past Famous Gyro George, I walked down to Snow Road (It becomes Rockside a little later on eastbound.) to catch the bus home. I only made the bus with a few minutes to spare. This would not have been a problem if the bus to Famous Gyro George wouldn't have been six minutes late. Thankfully, I didn't have the misadventures that I mentioned two weeks ago.

I came home. Bob and I ate our gyros. It was o.k. It was worth it at BOGO pricing. There is a place on Ridge Road (between Pearl and Snow Roads) in Parma named Fergie's Place that loads the meat on their gyros so much that it requires two sittings to eat it all. It would be fun to eat there for dinner one night, since my only exposure is when Bob used to bring gyros home when he and his friends went there after work. Tune in to find out if we make it there.

For dinner tonight, we ate at Steak 'N' Shake near Parmatown Mall. We had double steakburgers, baked beans, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup shakes. In addition, Bob had vegetable beef soup, and I had cottage cheese with a pineapple ring. It was all tasty.

Before dinner, we looked at Target, Kohl's, and PetsMart. After dinner, we went to Giant Eagle. After Giant Eagle, we took the #20A bus to State and Ruby and walked home from there. We could have taken the bus to Pearl and Broadview, but we determined that walking home would get us home quicker. We then rested for the rest of the night.

Tomorrow, I am getting a free flash drive from Microcenter in Mayfield Heights, OH. Free French Fries from Penn Station will also happen. Details are to follow soon.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

It Wasn't Very Smooth.

This afternoon, I picked up lunch at McDonald's at Pearl and Denison in Cleveland. There was a coupon for a free smoothie or frappe in Parade Magazine that was expiring today. I also had a coupon for a BOGO Angus that had appeared in either The Plain Dealer or in the ads that usually come on Tuesdays. In addition to the burgers and a smoothie, I bought a small bag of French fries for Bob and a side salad with Lite Italian dressing and garlic and butter croutons for myself. I thought the only problem that I would have was that I had originally neglected to buy Bob's fries, but I caught that error when the bill was $5.00 instead of $6.00. When the order came, there were two bags of food and the smoothie. To make my life easier, I put the smoothie in with the salad. I should have asked for a bag for the smoothie. I learned this lesson the hard way.

I caught the #20A bus because the #35 bus was not due until about twenty-five minutes after the #20A. After the short bus ride, I got off at State and Germaine (one street from Honey Hut) . As I was crossing the street, my smoothie and salad bag collapsed. The cover came off the smoothie. About half, if not more, of the smoothie ended up in the street. Since the cover was "damaged", I had to be extra careful for the fifteen minute walk home. Fortunately, the rest of my food survived the trip. (I tripped on an "uneven" sidewalk on Portman Avenue. I also dropped my silverware as I was either crossing Schaaf Road, or walking through the Brooklyn Heights United Church of Christ parking lot (Bob and I vote at this church. My Census training was also located here.). Bob and I enjoyed our food (I heated his. I didn't heat mine because I thought that it was warm enough.). We then divided the Wild Berry smoothie. (Bob put his share in a small juice glass. I enjoyed my allotment in the original cup.) Since I screwed up, I promised a smoothie for Bob (I might even enjoy one, if it's BOGO.). I think I have learned that an extra bag would be a good idea.

This wasn't my last spill of the day. I later spilled Stars and Stripes Cola (Deals, Dollar Tree) while I was pouring it for Bob (in a glass) on the coffee table in our living room. It bubbled over. Unfortunately, I do this all the time. I'll try to restrict my pouring to the kitchen, in addition to being more careful.

Before I spill the beans, I will sign out for the night.

Friday, August 13, 2010

For the Record

Yesterday's post was really posted just before my computer's clock changed to 12:00 AM. Blogger's clock is ten minutes slow. I investigated trying to fix it, but I haven't found a way to fix it yet. Tune in to find out if I can fix the blog's clock. I doubt it, but you never know.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Happy Birthday, Amy

I would like to wish my niece Amy a happy birthday. I hope that she and her husband Dave celebrate her birthday in a fun way. I know that our present will be appreciated.

She'll be seeing her brother Patrick this weekend because he is doing some work as a DJ (I assume!) at an event in Hartford being broadcast on NBC. I hope that Patty and Dan Sr. will see him, too. When I check Patrick and Amy's Facebook Pages, I will mention any commentary.

Until next time, have fun.

Happy Birthday, Joe

I would like to wish a belated Happy birthday to my brother Joe. His birthday was yesterday. I hope that he had a nice birthday. Our sister Maggie wishes him a happy birthday, too. (She was present while I was writing this.)

I will be posting another message later today.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Multiply

Last year, I had moved this blog to Multiply. Fortunately, the old site did not go away. As an experiment, I attempted a post to this blog via Multiply. A simple link to my Blogger page was promised, but it failed. I then "cut and pasted" what I wrote, so I could share the post about Kathleen's 2009 birthday party with my readers here at Blogger (Blogspot).

On a lark, I decided to revisit Multiply today. All my recent posts are still going there. If you want a "less cluttered" experience, you can visit my Multiply page at http://billmcdonnell.multiply.com. The widgets did not make the trip, but you can still see them on the old page.

For the record, I also have a Facebook page, My Space page, and a Twitter page. Facebook was for research on Kelley Tuthill, a cancer survivor who works at WCVB Television in Boston. Her former co-worker, Gail Huff, is married to U.S. Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts. (By the way, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (No relation, I assume.) of Ohio is married to Plain Dealer\syndicated columnist\Pulitzer Prize Winner Connie Schultz.) My My Space and Twitter accounts are mostly for "research" purposes. Facebook is also used for "research" purposes, but I also learn family insights as well.

Most of my insights will stay here (Blogspot & Multiply). I hope that you continue to enjoy this blog (Widgets or No Widgets). Right now, I am going to "tweet".

Saturday, August 7, 2010

My "Real" Playlist

billmcdonnell

The above link will get into the promised playlist. I hope that you enjoy this playlist more than you "enjoyed'"yesterday's playlist. I am sorry for the error.

The next post will be more family related.

My Real MySpace Playlist

Yesterday, I sent you to an empty playlist. So I don't have to eliminate the link, I will eventually add some material to yesterday's link. Until then, enjoy the forthcoming playlist.

My Other Playlist

billmcdonnell playlist by William Frederick

This is my playlist from my MySpace account. Most of the material was either not available at Playlist, or it was found while I was enjoying MySpace. It's a shorter list, but I haven't had it as long as I have had my Playlist. I hope that you enjoy this playlist as much as you enjoy the previous one.

For the record, my readers now know my middle name since it's in the link to the new playlist.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

My Day

Today is a day that will be hard to forget. It started with a trip to Acme Supermarket at Pleasant Valley and Broadview Roads in Parma. I bought some hot dogs and cereal (Honey Nut Cheerios and Golden Grahams (Unlike my birthday, Golden Grahams (in the on sale size) were in stock on the last day of a sale.). The hot dogs were supposedly three for the price of one. The ad said meat franks. The label did not use that title, but the ad showed what was on sale. The display area did not have the sale sign in question. After a couple of looks at the ad, I had selected All Beef Franks since the specific item was not clear. Once I had reached the cashier (No self-check!), I interrogated the cashier about the hot dogs. She scanned the item and quoted the "on sale price" of $3.00. It was only the pictured item that was three for the price of one. Since Bob likes All Beef hot dogs, I bought them anyways. Fortunately, I had a coupon for $.75 off of any two Ball Park Franks. I bought all three packs instead of the two packs that I would have bought in a normal sale. The cereals' dollar off of two coupons were no problem. I then headed for home. The bus was eight minutes late coming and going. Late buses would become a theme later in the day.

Ninety minutes later, Bob and I headed for Parmatown. Unfortunately, the bus was so late that Bob went home because we wouldn't have made our second bus. Bob sent me to go get gyros at Famous Gyro George's on Broadview Road in Parma. I expected to catch the bus and get off at Broadview and Snow Roads because the route splits at this point. Once again the bus was late. After calling Bob with a change of plans, the bus arrived. The bus ride was uneventful until the bus stopped at the corner of Broadview and Snow instead of turning on Snow/Rockside Road. I thought that the driver was offering a courtesy stop to a wheelchair bound passenger. It wasn't until I saw my expected bus turning on to Snow/Rockside Road that I realized both buses were very late. If I had stayed on the bus, I would have avoided a short walk to the restaurant.

When the bus was late, I had decided on a nearby Arby's after calling Bob. Unfortunately, it was closed for a few days for construction. (The Walgreen's next door is close to completion. More details will follow in a future post.) I called Bob again to tell him that I was coming home as the Northbound bus was coming soon. I then realized that I was just on that bus, so I called Bob again to tell him that I was going to Taco Bell (co-branded with Long John Silvers).

I ordered my food first because I was shooting for a sure thing, as far as buses go. I ordered two Cantina Tacos that were supposed to be discounted for buying two instead of one. I was not charged the discount rate. The problem was fixed so well that the soda that I ordered was not charged. My guilty conscience wouldn't allow the free soda, but the clerk wouldn't take the money. I ate my tacos, which were very tiny. In addition, the shell's taste was unappealing, even for a soft shell. They had skipped the lime, but I didn't miss it. There was no lettuce or tomato included (I withheld the onions.). I'll stick with the crispy or the regular soft taco in the future.

I went to get a soda refill. Unfortunately, the soda wouldn't stop flowing. I was going to alert an employee, but another customer beat me to it. I then ordered a Chalupa for Bob. I then headed to the bus stop to go home. Since I had time, I mailed some bills that Bob wanted to be mailed. The bus was late, but not too late. I came home and told my story to Bob. He told me that a water main break in Broadview Heights was the cause for the lateness for that branch of the route. (The other branch's lateness was just the routine lateness.) This day cannot get any more interesting.

Bob and I went to Friendly's in Parma Heights for dinner. We had BOGO burgers (Mine was Boca.) After we were finished, we sprinted to make a bus. If the bus is on time, we make our bus towards home. Even with the fun of the day's buses, the bus was late enough to make coordination risky. Bob had already decided to go to Honey Hut, so we did. We got off the bus at Pearl and Oak Park and walked to Honey Hut. I had two scoops of Honey Graham Ice Cream in a cup. Bob had a scoop each of Coconut and Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Creams in one cup. The ice cream was quite tasty. We then walked home as we usually do after Honey Hut. We then relaxed the rest of the night.

Thankfully the end of the day worked better than the start of the day. I know it's hard to believe, but you can't make all this stuff up. It would need a genius to perform the miracle.

Until next time, be creative.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Happy Birthday, Laura

Today is my niece-in-law Laura's birthday. I hope that she has a nice birthday. I am sure that Dan JR., Amy Marie, and Emily will do their best to insure that it happens.

Bob and I gave her a gift card for Best Buy. I was considering O'Charley's in Niles, OH (The Gift Cards are sold at our local Wal-Mart Supercenter at Steelyard Commons.), but a babysitter (for the girls!) may be a problem. It may not be a "family" restaurant, but the other patrons probably need some "entertainment''. Perhaps, we will keep this in mind for next year.

Until my next post, enjoy life.

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Happy Third Anniversary

It is hard to believe that this blog started three years ago. Since I didn't tell the relatives who are in the Christmas Gift Exchange about this blog until months later, I couldn't tell the stories that I tell now. That's why the widgets and RSS are a part of this blog. The widgets are fun, but I think that the stories are what makes this blog the "success" that it is.

The next post will be a birthday message.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

My Playlist

You may have noticed a purple box in my last entry courtesy of Playlist. I finally accomplished what I wanted to do a while back when a playlist from another source was added to this blog. Unlike the previous playlist, I selected all the songs this time from music uploaded to Playlist by other people. Enjoy this playlist. The previous playlist is probably still all unfamiliar or foreign to me.

There will be a new report as soon as something exciting happens.

Listen to billmcdonnells Playlist


Get a playlist! Standalone player Get Ringtones

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Happy Birthday, Lois

Today is my brother Tim's companion Lois's Birthday. I hope that she and her family have (or had) a nice celebration. I also hope that she enjoys all the gifts that she has received or will receive.

It has been almost five years since I first met her. On July 18, 2005, we had a get-together at Maggie and Mike's house because Patty and Dan SR. were in town because they attended their nephew's wedding two days earlier. Unfortunately, Dan SR. was not at this get-together. Dan JR. and Laura's new garage at their Chardon house needed some repairs, so he helped Dan JR. in repairing the problems. By the way, I do miss that house, but their home in Warren is a lot nicer.

Unfortunately, I remember very little about that function. I do remember that earlier in the day, I made my only purchase at Nordstrom (so far!) at Beachwood Place Mall. They were New Balance tennis shoes. They were half-priced. If I recall correctly, the shoes went into circulation months or a year later because my shoes at the time were "adequate". It would be nice if I had more memories. Anyone who was there can contribute. Of course, other contributions are welcome. Just keep it "PG" please.

Until next time, enjoy life.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Still More of My Week with Bob

On July 1st, Kathleen had an appointment in the area, so she took Bob and me shopping at Steelyard Commons. We bought stuff at Deals, Super Wal-Mart, and Target. Let us say that most of the stuff would have been hard to carry all around town.

After Kathleen went home, Bob and I went to Steak and Shake by Parmatown (Steelyard Commons would have been too funny!) for dinner. (By the way, we ate lunch at home.) I had a burger, salad, baked beans, and a Caramel Turtle Fudge shake. If I recall correctly, Bob had a burger, Chicken Gumbo Soup, French Fries, and a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup shake (I'll have that one next time!). We enjoyed our food. We came home and napped.

On July 2nd, Bob and I went to Great Northern Mall. Since we were late leaving the house, we missed the bus to the Rapid Station (West 25th and Lorain). (In my defense, I never saw the bus. If Bob saw it when he did, it may have been a little bit early.) We took the bus from State Road to the aforementioned Rapid Station. After the train, since we left earlier, we made our bus to Great Northern Mall this time. (It figures that we would have made the bus taking the train at the same time that we took on June 30.)

We shared a footlong chicken sub from Subway. We enjoyed Pepsi from Mr. Hero (Free Refills). Since we were hungry, we had pretzel dogs from Auntie Anne's (I had a Mango Chicken sample from Stir Fry 88 around the time that I was getting our sub from Subway,). After eating all that food, we shopped. Our only purchase was lottery tickets (Powerball and Classic Lotto) from CK's Lottery in the mall.

We eventually headed to IHOP at Steelyard Commons. Bob had a chicken omelet, and I had a ham omelet. They came with three buttermilk pancakes. Bob and I enjoyed Pepsis. After dinner, we browsed at Best Buy across the road. We then went home and relaxed.

On Saturday, Bob and I went under the Detroit-Superior Bridge to look at Cleveland transit of the past (Particularly, streetcars). Since we have done this many times over the years, it was a quick visit. We then went to Zoup on Euclid Avenue for lunch. I had Potato Cheddar soup and a Greek salad (I ordered a sandwich, but they gave me a salad instead. We drank Cokes (Maybe, I will tell you what Bob had, if I still have the receipt.). The food was okay, but a little overpriced.

After lunch, Bob went home to rest. I went to the library. I then went to St. Leo's for Mass. I came home. After dinner, we watched TV, and then I walked Bob to the bus stop so he could go to work. The vacation was over!

As luck would have it, Bob had the Fourth of July evening off. He rested most of the day. I made separate trips to Acme Supermarket and Boston Market (Takeout for dinner). We had brisket and some sides. (For the record, they are across the street from one another on Pleasant Valley in Parma. Qdoba and Ruby Tuesday are also nearby.) The food was tasty!

Finally, we have reached the end of the vacation story. You are welcome to research unfamiliar places for enrichment. In addition to the businesses' web sites, Google Earth can also help you to make the picture clearer. Have fun with your research!

Monday, July 5, 2010

More of My Week with Bob

In my previous story, I mentioned that Bob and I went to Akron on June 29. We had a fun time that day. The fun is only beginning.

On Wednesday, Bob and I went to see Grown-Ups at the AMC Westwood Town Center Theaters in Rocky River. The movie was almost postponed because we were waiting for something better coming out on Thursday. We had planned on going to Great Northern Mall because we had not visited in a long time. Unfortunately, the train was late, so we missed the bus that would have taken us there. We went back to our original plan.

Before the movie, we ate at Wendy's near the theater. Bob wanted the lettuce held on his Single. The clerk was confused, thinking that he wanted the tomato withheld. I corrected the request. The crew didn't get the message. I had to go back to request tomato for his sandwich. I then took the lettuce off his hands. For the record, I had a Grilled Chicken Go Wrap. We both had baked potatoes and Cokes. It was O.K. (At least, my food was.)

After Wendy's, we walked to the theater. There was a handful of people in the cinema . You would think that everyone was seeing the new The Twilight Saga: Eclipse movie. However, I didn't see a long line outside the cinema despite the fact that there was a showing not long after our movie was scheduled to start. That was a relief.

We enjoyed the movie. Like the rest of the crowd, we did not stay through the closing credits. I normally try to do it, but I had to take care of business. We then went to the bus stop (across from Wendy's). Our original plan was to go to Ruby Tuesday in North Olmsted, but we just missed the first of two buses to take us there. I was willing to visit the Westgate Complex to kill time, but Bob decided to take the next bus towards downtown. We ended up at our local Ruby Tuesday in Seven Hills (Across from Qdoba, which is actually in Parma). I had a Chicken Club Quesadilla, and Bob had a steak. They were both appetizing.

After dinner, we walked down to Walgreen's at Broadview and Pleasant Valley Roads to buy milk. I almost walked out of the store without it because I lost sight of it on the counter. I thought that Bob had grabbed it. I made a quick retrieval. We then caught a bus towards home. Bob went home with the milk, but I visited Save-a-Lot to buy orange juice. Before Save-a-Lot, I went to a nearby store to buy tickets for Wednesday's and Friday's lottery drawings. I then took the 20 minute walk home since it would have been foolish to wait for the bus. After the trash went to the lawn for the weekly pickup, we relaxed.

The story will continue in a future post.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

My Week with Bob

Bob is back to work after a week's vacation. It was quite a busy week. I only have a day to recover as Bob is off tomorrow because of the holiday.

Last Saturday was quiet as Bob slept after working overnight. I went to the downtown library and then went to St. Leo's Church for 4:00 Mass. After coming home, Bob and I relaxed until he cut the lawn, cleaned the garage gutter, and removed some plant growth off the back of our garage. I cleaned up and bagged the plant growth for disposal.

The next day was more eventful. Bob and I went to Parmatown. We ate at Mr. Hero on Day Drive. After not buying anything at the mall, we went to Honey Hut on State Road in Cleveland and enjoyed ice cream. After "burning off" the calories by walking home, we relaxed for awhile.

I then went to Qdoba on Broadview Road in Parma to pick up food for Bob. A few drops of rain fell as I waited for the bus. There was lightning in the distance as I approached Qdoba. By the time I had my food, the rain started to poor. Thunder and lightning followed. Three split second power outages occurred during my meal. By the time that I was done eating, and Bob's food was in my possession, the storm was over. I came home and was relieved that only a few small branches came off of our trees. (On the previous Wednesday, a medium sized branch fell off the tree on the tree lawn by the front of our house, but it conveniently fell by our trash bag waiting to be collected by the garbage collector on the following day.) Bob enjoyed his dinner and we relaxed for the rest of the evening.

On Monday, Bob and I went to the Cleveland Zoo. Since the trams weren't running, we were on foot the whole time, but we enjoyed ourselves. After the zoo, we went to Arby's at Broadview and Pearl for lunch. We then went to South Park Mall. After buying nothing, we then went home for dinner because I didn't bring the bus schedule to take us to IHOP at Steelyard Commons. We then relaxed for the rest of the evening.

On Tuesday, Bob and I went to the Akron area. We took the bus to Independence (We left earlier than I did two weeks earlier. Unlike my previous trip, we took the Southbound #35 bus.) We were planning to get off by the McDonald's in Independence for a breakfast snack. Unfortunately, the bus stop was removed, so we got off at Rockside and Canal Roads instead of Rockside and Brecksville Roads. As a result, we just waited for the bus to Brecksville. Eventually, we caught the bus to Akron.

Once we reached the Transit Center, we traveled to Chapel Hill Mall and some nearby stores. After buying nothing (Sound familiar!), we went to O'Charley's for lunch. We had entrees and shared the free appetizer (potato skins). We did some more looking and then caught a couple of buses to Summit Mall. I bought a bag of "deformed" cookies from The Cookie Store. We then headed towards Cleveland. After buying some stuff at Discount Drug Mart in Independence, we then went to McDonald's on Snow Road in Parma because it was easier to catch a bus home afterwards. After coming home, we did some more yard work and then relaxed.

I'll have some more stories later.

Happy Birthday, Dave

On Thursday, my nephew-in-law, Dave celebrated his 29th birthday. I hope that he and his wife, Amy, had a nice "quiet" celebration. I am sure that Patty and Dan SR. and some of the relatives in the Gift Exchange group sent/delivered gifts. Bob and I gave him a Gift Card to Best Buy. We hope that he appreciates it.

My next posts will be about my week of events from Bob's vacation from work.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Dump the Pump

On Thursday, I went to Akron by bus because it was free to ride all day. I saved $2.50 by not buying an all day pass. The trip started by going downtown from Broadview and Tampa. The bus was four minutes late, but my bus to Brecksville was fifteen minutes late. Fortunately, my layover before the bus to Akron was scheduled to be 36 minutes. I took the bus to Akron with four other men. Once I reached the Transit Center, I retrieved the schedules for all of the Akron buses (except for the bus from Brecksville's VA hospital and the rush hour buses from Downtown Cleveland to Chapel Hill Mall or the Transit Center via Summit Mall). I then caught a bus to Chapel Hill Mall in Cuyahoga Falls.

After a brief review of the mall, I walked down to O'Charley's for lunch. I had a short wait for a table. Once seated, I ordered a white cheddar grilled cheese sandwich and a loaded baked potato as a lunch combo for $5.99. I also ordered a Pepsi. In addition to my order, I was surprised to receive two dinner rolls that were fresh out of the oven. They were very easy to eat. I enjoyed them immensely. My sandwich and potato came. The sandwich was delicious. The potato was skinny, but filling. It was "loaded" with butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits. The potato was appetizing, but I am having an entree and an appetizer next time because my prize for joining the e-club is a free appetizer with an entree purchase. I'll have Bob join the club as well to get the same deal (We hope!).

The food was fine, but I have to be firmer about no ice in my soda. It didn't help that my refills came without prompting. Maybe next time, the sodas will come to my liking. A glass two-thirds full of ice is not my idea of enjoying soda. At least, the refills were complimentary. In closing, O'Charley's earned my return business.

After lunch, I visited the adjacent Borders Books, Best Buy, and Target. My only purchase was a package of Chips Ahoy Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies that were on sale for $1.99 at Target. They will be enjoyed.

After Target, I caught a bus to downtown, so I could visit the Main Library. After a brief visit, I went back to the Transit Center to catch a bus to Rolling Acres Mall. I knew that the mall was out of business except for the Sears and the JCPenney Outlet Store, but I wanted to see the mall because I hadn't been there in about ten years, if I recall correctly.

The department stores were in good condition, but the inaccessible mall had fallen plaster that was visible from almost every window that I viewed. It was depressing. The mall was losing its appeal to me ten years ago, but I was unprepared for what I saw. Even worse, the Marc's across the street was out of business. When a Marc's closes without replacement, I know that the area has seen better days. Thankfully, an office furniture store occupies the space. A charter school is in the former Apples grocery store next door. There is some good news in this neighborhood. Most of the fast food places that were near the mall are still in business with their original tenants. However, the Wendy's is vacant. Though not fast food, the former Denny's appears to be a Mexican Restaurant now. Fast food restaurants are not enough. Rolling Acres would be nice as a lifestyle center or strip mall. I'll miss the Macy's and Dillard's buildings (I didn't look at them this time or the former Target due to time constraints that were caused by looking too long for the men's shoes in JCPenney Outlet Store.), but new stores could revitalize the area. An empty mall is not my idea of fun.

After my visit to Rolling Acres, I caught a bus back to the Transit Center, so I could catch a bus back to Brecksville and then a bus towards home. Since I had time to kill, I decided to take the bus down to West Market Street to see the sites. The bus was seven minutes late leaving, so I would have missed my planned bus in theory. Once again, I benefited from a late bus that was very quiet because I was the only passenger until another passenger joined me in Richfield. I then took the bus back to Downtown Cleveland. Unlike the Pilgrimage, I made my connection with the #35 bus that would lead to a short walk home.

In closing, the trip was full of adventure. The buses did not appear to be super crowded in the Akron area, despite the free rides. Cleveland's buses, though not free, were less crowded than I expected. Don't worry, I will see my share of overcrowded buses in the future. I hope to be back in the Akron area within the next month to enjoy O'Charley's. I hope that Bob enjoys O'Charley's as much as I do. If not, I can make occasional visits to satisfy my desires.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Another Potential Restaurant for Tuesday

If Bob and I had made our bus towards home after the pilgrimage on Tuesday, I had suggested Boston Market as a possibility for dinner. We would have been on the driver's return trip. Due to time constraints (The restaurant is past Snow Road going southbound.), I developed our eventual plan, but we took two buses to do it. (We could have gone to Boston Market on our first bus from downtown, but it would have required at least a fifteen minute walk from State and Pleasant Valley (No bus service on that stretch of Pleasant Valley) to the restaurant. Also, even if we had opted for takeout, we probably would have been out past 9:00 p.m. Don't worry, Boston Market will be in our future.

Until next time, do your best to beat the heat.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The Pilgrimage

At around 4:00 p.m., Bob and I went to Brecksville for what is usually my solo pilgrimage to where most of my brother Dan's ashes were scattered four years ago today. Unfortunately, the bus was late and encountered gridlock on Broadview Road, so the pilgrimage was slightly delayed. Our second bus (Brecksville Road) was relatively on time, so we made it to Chippewa Creek on Chippewa Road by 5:25 p.m. We reminisced about the day of the scattering. Bob's commentary on the now very treacherous walk to the water was emphasized.


After the pilgrimage was over, we walked to a nearby shopping center. We made a brief visit to Giant Eagle before going to the bus stop for the trip downtown to catch a bus to Baker's Square. When we learned that the bus to Baker's Square didn't come until 7:10, we decided to go to Denny's (probably the one by Parmatown). Once again, I realized the probability of being out later than necessary. I decided that if we made the #35 bus (our regular starting and ending transportation), we could go to Eat 'n' Park. We just missed the bus in question. After eventually catching a bus (which would have taken us to Denny's) to Broadview and Pearl, we took the next #35 bus to Broadview and Snow. Once again, I changed our dinner plans to the nearby Taco Bell/Long John Silver's so we could make the return trip on the bus that we missed earlier. I had a chicken quesadilla, a crispy taco, and a soda. Bob had the two piece chicken meal which included fries, hush puppies, and a soda. He also added two ears of corn. The food was enjoyable, but we were overtaxed, which is a regular occurrence at this establishment.


Before the bus arrived, we saw three deer across the street from the restaurant. They remained in their general area, unlike a few months earlier where they crossed Snow Road, heading towards Marc's. (http://www.marcs.com/). They must have needed supplies that may be cheaper than Giant Eagle, another pharmacy or any other store usually sells them.


The pilgrimage this year was memorable. If I had our eventual dinner plan on our first bus back towards dinner, we would have departed the bus near Rockside Road and would have had a simple trip (Rockside Road becomes Snow Road just before Broadview Road.) to our restaurant. We would have arrived about half an hour earlier. We probably would have been on the same return bus, but we may have had time to visit Marc's or another nearby store. Then again, the story wouldn't have been as entertaining.


Until the next adventure, enjoy life.

Happy Birthday, Marnie

Today my niece Marnie celebrates her birthday. Bob and I sent her a gift card for Aeropostale. I hope that she still likes to shop there. I also hope that the big move went smoothly. I will have some details as soon as possible.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Happy Birthday, Kendal

My Great-niece Kendal turns four today. The party in Ohio is a question mark. Mike and Marnie bought a new home and are scheduled to start moving this weekend. Also, Mike has had a business trip to Europe, particularly France, postponed at least twice in the last few months. Let us hope that their move goes very smoothly.

In other news, I had plans to go to Five Below for a couple of five cent hot dogs in honor of their grand opening. Unfortunately, I discovered that my paychecks were not deposited into my bank account. I called the Census Bureau office to notify them of this situation. I went to the office at Lorain Ave. and Rocky River Dr. in Cleveland to fill out a new direct deposit form. I had to fill out the original one incomplete due to some miscommunication from the Census Bureau. They did have my routing number and a voided check. My account number, which I didn't give them, must have been inputted incorrectly. Hopefully, the situation will be rectified.

I could have gone after my business, but by then (around 5:00 p.m.), the crowd may have been too large. They are having it again tomorrow, but I have other plans. Bus service is also less frequent. I also missed out on National Donut Day. I guess that I will live without my free donut with a purchase of an "overpriced" beverage from Dunkin Donuts, as well as my five cent wieners. If I went with my original plan, I could have done both offers at Ridge Park Square. However, I decided to go to the Plaza at SouthPark (Of Costco and Best Buy fame) for Five Below and to visit Dunkin Donuts at Midtown (Dimitri's and Sonic are in this area.) later in the day. Oh well, I guess that I decided to stay on my "healthier" diet.

My next post is expected to be on Tuesday as Marnie celebrates her birthday then.