On September 27, we had a family gathering at my nephew Dan Jr. and his wife Laura's house outside of Warren, OH. Dan's parents are still in the area because Dan and Laura went to Jamaica to celebrate the 50th birthday of Laura's cousin. Their daughters Amy and Emily are way too young to stay by themselves, so their grandparents came from Lancaster, MA to watch them. Dan and Laura have returned, but other "commitments" kept them from enjoying this event. Dan Jr. was at a cabin in Pennsylvania with some of his friends from Kent State's Delta Upsilon Fraternity branch. When we arrived, Laura was on her way to the aforementioned cousin's birthday party in Eastlake, OH. If you were expecting an adults only event, you would be disappointed. Amy and Emily did not accompany Laura. They made this a very festive event.
Besides Dan Sr., Patty (The Grandparents), myself and the "little angels", the participants were my sister Maggie and her husband Mike (who drove my brother Bob and me to this event), my sister Kathleen, my brother Joe, and Dan Sr.'s brother Mike and his wife Joanne. We enjoyed a delicious dinner of grilled/barbecued chicken with a honey mustard "glaze", Tortellini Salad, croissants, and fruit salad. Dan and Patty provided most of these items, but Joanne made the fruit salad from fruit purchased at a Farmer's market. The food was delicious. Dessert consisted of Marie Callender's Chocolate Peanut Butter and Lemon Meringue pies, both courtesy of Maggie and Mike, a Coconut Cream Pie of unknown origin, Pumpkin Pie, and some other desserts. The Pumpkin Pie and the other desserts were not opened because there were plenty of options for a "small" gathering. The desserts were enjoyable, too.
The entertainment consisted of socialization among the guests. One major topic mentioned were brothers and sisters. After one of my great-nieces asked Kathleen about religious sisters during a previous visit. Kathleen came prepared. She brought some pictures of nuns. One picture was from her order (Sisters of Notre Dame). Kathleen was not in this photo. She found another picture of five nuns from a different order who were biological sisters. Unfortunately, Amy and Emily's attention span was too short to receive the full lesson, but the pictures were left at the party, so they might receive the education at a later date. The discussion also offered a review of the brothers and sisters at the event. Since Dan Sr. and his brother were nearby in the house, (The discussion was held on the patio.) they were not emphasized.
Beyond the usual socialization, Amy and Emily were the center of attention. Their main activity was handing out tickets for unknown offenses! It was later revealed that the "crime" was too many people on the couch. Somehow, I was not charged with a crime. My tickets were for being "good", though that almost changed when I suggested that they should be careful with what looked like drumsticks because they could have injured somebody. I was briefly deemed to be naughty, but it was immediately reversed. By the way, the bathroom was the jail. There was also a puppet show that I missed because I was looking at the Ohio State-Cincinnati Football game at the time. Amy also played the piano/synthesizer for us, but most of us only heard the music. These girls sure have a lot of energy. It comes from their father. Surprisingly, there was no yoga demonstration, but the gathering was still memorable.
As the girls were up way past their bedtime of 7:30 P.M., they prepared for bedtime after 9:30 P.M. with a lot of energy. Maggie, Mike (Schabel), Bob, and I were the last to leave. After the drive home, we relaxed for the rest of the evening. It was a nice event, but Dan Jr. and Laura were missed. Perhaps, they will be there for the next event at their house. If it's Amy's First Communion next spring, it would be strange if they weren't there!
Until the next report, enjoy life!!
Monday, September 29, 2014
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Lunch at the Pub (Part 2)
On September 23, my sister Patty joined my brother Bob and me for lunch at The Pub at Beachwood Place. Patty and Bob both had Cranberry Pecan Salads with the Grilled Chicken option. I had a Black Bean Burger with French Fries. The burger was a little spicy. The fries were delicious, but I had a little surprise. What I thought was a French Fry was really a breaded fried pickle. It was a "flavorful" Dill pickle. Bob and Patty enjoyed their salads.
We talked about recent happenings in our lives. It was an enjoyable experience. We then said our goodbyes. Bob and I then visited Dillard's and Nordstrom in the mall. As we were exiting the mall through Saks Fifth Avenue, Bob thought he saw Browns backup quarterback Johnny Manziel in his Heisman Trophy jacket. Ironically, I had jokingly said that I had seen Browns starting quarterback Brian Hoyer in the same store moments earlier. We then visited Nordstrom Rack and Dick's Sporting Goods across the road at Legacy Village. We didn't buy a thing. Legacy Village ended with a walk by Claddagh Irish Pub before we headed toward Perkins in Brooklyn, OH.
Since it was about 4:00, Bob and I visited the Aldi next door. I bought a box of Chicken Flavored Rice and a box of Fruit and Nut Granola Cereal. I thought that I was overcharged for the cereal until I found the item in question. Our box was "mistakenly" displayed with a similar type of granola cereal that I have bought in the past. I did not challenge the price.
Our food at Perkins was tasty. I had Salmon with Apricot Teriyaki Glaze. My accompaniments were Herb Rice and Broccoli. Bob had Mushroom Swiss Chicken with Green Beans (?) and a Vegetable Medley. We both had rolls. Dessert was Chocolate French Silk Pie for me and Peanut Butter Silk Pie for Bob. With the Dessert and Beverage option, it was only Seventy Cents more for the pie per person. The pie was up to the usual standards.
After dinner, we took two buses and enjoyed a fifteen minute walk to take us to our house. We spent the rest of the evening relaxing. It was a long but exciting day.
Hopefully, Saturday dinner at Dan Jr. and Laura's house in Howland Township, OH will be just as enjoyable!
We talked about recent happenings in our lives. It was an enjoyable experience. We then said our goodbyes. Bob and I then visited Dillard's and Nordstrom in the mall. As we were exiting the mall through Saks Fifth Avenue, Bob thought he saw Browns backup quarterback Johnny Manziel in his Heisman Trophy jacket. Ironically, I had jokingly said that I had seen Browns starting quarterback Brian Hoyer in the same store moments earlier. We then visited Nordstrom Rack and Dick's Sporting Goods across the road at Legacy Village. We didn't buy a thing. Legacy Village ended with a walk by Claddagh Irish Pub before we headed toward Perkins in Brooklyn, OH.
Since it was about 4:00, Bob and I visited the Aldi next door. I bought a box of Chicken Flavored Rice and a box of Fruit and Nut Granola Cereal. I thought that I was overcharged for the cereal until I found the item in question. Our box was "mistakenly" displayed with a similar type of granola cereal that I have bought in the past. I did not challenge the price.
Our food at Perkins was tasty. I had Salmon with Apricot Teriyaki Glaze. My accompaniments were Herb Rice and Broccoli. Bob had Mushroom Swiss Chicken with Green Beans (?) and a Vegetable Medley. We both had rolls. Dessert was Chocolate French Silk Pie for me and Peanut Butter Silk Pie for Bob. With the Dessert and Beverage option, it was only Seventy Cents more for the pie per person. The pie was up to the usual standards.
After dinner, we took two buses and enjoyed a fifteen minute walk to take us to our house. We spent the rest of the evening relaxing. It was a long but exciting day.
Hopefully, Saturday dinner at Dan Jr. and Laura's house in Howland Township, OH will be just as enjoyable!
Lunch at the Pub (Part 1)
While my nephew Dan Jr. and his wife Laura are in Jamaica, his parents Dan Sr. and Patty (my sister) flew in from Boston to Pittsburgh to baby-sit their grandchildren Amy and Emily. Dan and Laura live in Howland Township, OH (near Warren). Patty and Dan are re-learning the logistics of extra-curricular activities. These include soccer, dance lessons, piano lessons (Amy only), and yoga. Visiting family during their stay is another lesson in logistics!
Thankfully, Patty was available to join my brother Bob and me for lunch on September 23. Since she and Dan Sr. have the responsibility of taking the girls to and from school, when Patty called us the day before, she asked us to take public transportation to a place that is a little closer to the Warren area. Restaurants near I-271 that were also public transportation friendly were the most logical option. My first choice was Scrambler Marie's on Som Center Road in Mayfield Heights. However, there was only one route available during lunchtime (Later in the afternoon, there is another bus route that would allow a shorter walk to the restaurant which is ironically closed by this time. (Scrambler Marie's closes at 3:00 P.M.)).
Since there are a number of public transportation methods to reach Beachwood Place, Legacy Village, La Place, and Cedar Center/University Town Square, Bob suggested that I find a suitable place in that area. I researched a number of places in the Beachwood Place/La Place area where we have never eaten. The two top choices were Claddagh Irish Pub, which is at Legacy Village and The Pub, which is at Beachwood Place. After researching the menus of both restaurants, I chose The Pub. I then called Dan Jr. and Laura's house to reveal the decision to Patty. (Dan Sr. would have been an acceptable conduit for the information.)
Fast forward to Tuesday. Bob and I took a bus to Downtown Cleveland. We then took a train to connect with another bus that took us to our final destination. We walked through Beachwood Place to find the restaurant. (There are other options which would have left us closer to the restaurant, but we had chosen this route because it worked better for us.) We looked at the menu to refresh our memories. I had decided to step outside to wait for Patty and/or Dan. As it turned out, Patty was waiting on a bench near the restaurant. Since the restaurant was not open yet, we waited outside for a few moments before entering the restaurant. By the way, Dan Sr. chose to skip this outing, but he sent his regrets.
Thankfully, Patty was available to join my brother Bob and me for lunch on September 23. Since she and Dan Sr. have the responsibility of taking the girls to and from school, when Patty called us the day before, she asked us to take public transportation to a place that is a little closer to the Warren area. Restaurants near I-271 that were also public transportation friendly were the most logical option. My first choice was Scrambler Marie's on Som Center Road in Mayfield Heights. However, there was only one route available during lunchtime (Later in the afternoon, there is another bus route that would allow a shorter walk to the restaurant which is ironically closed by this time. (Scrambler Marie's closes at 3:00 P.M.)).
Since there are a number of public transportation methods to reach Beachwood Place, Legacy Village, La Place, and Cedar Center/University Town Square, Bob suggested that I find a suitable place in that area. I researched a number of places in the Beachwood Place/La Place area where we have never eaten. The two top choices were Claddagh Irish Pub, which is at Legacy Village and The Pub, which is at Beachwood Place. After researching the menus of both restaurants, I chose The Pub. I then called Dan Jr. and Laura's house to reveal the decision to Patty. (Dan Sr. would have been an acceptable conduit for the information.)
Fast forward to Tuesday. Bob and I took a bus to Downtown Cleveland. We then took a train to connect with another bus that took us to our final destination. We walked through Beachwood Place to find the restaurant. (There are other options which would have left us closer to the restaurant, but we had chosen this route because it worked better for us.) We looked at the menu to refresh our memories. I had decided to step outside to wait for Patty and/or Dan. As it turned out, Patty was waiting on a bench near the restaurant. Since the restaurant was not open yet, we waited outside for a few moments before entering the restaurant. By the way, Dan Sr. chose to skip this outing, but he sent his regrets.
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