We left on Thursday the 4th.

After sitting in the car for so long, we thought walking would be good, so we headed to the zoo before it closed for the day. A bit chilly, but i found it refreshing and i loved the walk. Most of the non-human animals were sick of the humans, and decided to hide, but it was so neat to see the giraffes at eye level. They can be seen from a window while they are indoors....

Then, we checked into our hotel in Independence.

Next, we thought we would grab some dinner. We looked through the tourist mags and found a place we thought would be great. Melt Bar and Grilled, a place that specializes in grilled cheese and beer! When we got there, we found out the wait would be an hour to an hour in a half, so we left, thinking we would try to come back for lunch another day.

We ended up at a chain, Qdoba a place we had eaten before in our travels. Their Mexican Gumbo was sooOOoo good, and yes, vegetarian!

Friday, we took a quick swim in the indoor pool, then headed into the city to go the market. The West Side Market. Best damn market i have ever been to, and Hamilton has (had?) a great Farmer's Market. This one beats all. The main part is in an old, but clean building....



Fresh, beautiful produce at good or great prices. You would have loved the seafood, (e:Paul). The meats looked like good quality. The ethnic and prepared foods were heavenly. (e:Uncutsaniflush) got himself a sausage with kraut and i got a crepe with pears, caramel, walnuts and dark chocolate. I even braved the balcony to get the pictures (and spill chocolate all over myself!). This guy was nice, but his co-worker must be french since he was very rude!



Wandering the neighbourhood, we happened upon the Great Lakes Brewing Gift Shop and pub. Got a 6 pack of... gee, i don't remember, something that you can only get there.

Then, out to University Circle. We went to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens and the Cleveland Museum of Art,



The latter was huge and we were there for a couple of hours... and i think we breezed through the 1916 building and the older collections.

We had heard the news, we heard the big snow was coming. Although the news that the heaviest snow falls would be to the south of us, we decided to have a night in. We headed to the Giant Eagle for supplies, grabbed a pizza and back to the hotel room for the night.

Saturday was a bit more low key. Breakfast, a swim, then off to Melt Bar and Grilled for lunch.

Unlike Thursday night's 60 to 90 minute anticipated wait, this time, less than an hour after opening their doors, we had to wait about 40 minutes. And, sadly, it was not worth the wait. Service was ok, grilled cheese had way to much bread. I got the simple grilled cheese, their "Kindergarten", but they use that thick texas toast stuff. I understand it for the bacon egg cheese giant sandwich, but for a simple, basic grilled cheese, it's just way too much bread. So, for a place that brags on grilled cheese, it kinda sucked.

Then, on to the History Museum... which had some very interesting cultural exhibits, some of which brought a tear to my eye.

We decided to drive through the city and take the long way home. After some initial wrong turns, we got ourselves in the right direction. Almost immediately, we began to head uphilll and drove through Little Italy, a cool small strip of Italian shops and restaurants. Then, up into Shaker Heights, a very upscale looking 'burb, then down south through so many different neighbourhoods, from country to upscale to upper middle class, to low income and back again. Very interesting drive.

For dinner that night, we went to Tommy's in Cleveland Heights' Coventry Village. Only had to wait about 15 - 20 minutes... Food was good, not great, and very veggie friendly. I had the Rebel Falafel. Neighbourhood was very cool. Loved the toy shop 2 doors down, Big Fun. My friend Mark would have stayed all night.

The next morning, we had to leave. I don't want to get back to real life and return to work....

Last night, at 10pm, i started my vacation. This one is so needed.... but complaining about work is not what i want this to be about.

(e:Uncutsaniflush) are thinking a few days elsewhere will be in order. We are thinking of continuing the theme of least likely places to go on holidays, following Detroit last May with Cleveland in February. There's some logic there, isn't there? I mean, we did move to Buffalo...

I think i am going to join the JCC so i can swim. I kinda hate exercising, but i love to swim, so, it makes sense to do what i like to get the ole heart pumping, right? Plus, they have a promo going on, and i might as well take advantage. Only one small issue....

I got my nose pierced about 2 hours ago, and they tell you not to swim for a couple of months. Opps. But, i can still go as long as i don't dunk my face, or nose.

Today, i decided to take advantage of a coupon i got in the mail and go shopping for bras. It really is torture. Or at least used to be for me. I know they say you really should get yourself measured regularly, but i have a brand and style i like, so i think i am just gonna keep doing what i did this time -- bring a tag into the store (in this case, Lane Bryant) with the name and size and ask what colours they have. This time, they have new ones with lace, so i got a bright pink and orange one. And a purple one. And 3 black ones and a beige one. Hey, buy 1, get one 50% off, plus a coupon for $25 off if you spend $75. Plus i got one of their charge cards and got another 15% off (yeah, i will like only use it once, maybe twice and then pay it all off!) Plus, i got some panties... i am a sucker for anything orange!!!

Then, while we were in the mall, we walked around. And ended up in DSW. And i saw a pair of chucks for cheaper than at the outlet store. And i have a $10 off coupon for joining their rewards program thingie a year or so ago. So, (e:Uncutsaniflush) got me a pair of sparkly lowcut chucks as an early birthday pressie!



Which makes me totally spoiled since he already got me this obnoxiously bright green backpack purse i bonded with at Marshals yesterday.



And when i got home from work and decided to put all my stuff into it, there was a wrapped pressie inside -- the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs cd i wanted! Wow... and yay!

Then, this morning, i opened up the wooden box i keep all my hair brushes and bibs and bobs for my hair so i can get a brush, and there is ANOTHER wrapped pressie! Another cd, this time an old Death Cab for Cutie i should have gotten when it came out.

I'm so spoiled!!

Yesterday, i got a call from my mom while i was driving to work. Her calling at that time of the day.... well, i just got the feeling it was bad news. My first thought was my Nana. She is in a nursing home, and pretty much given up and "waiting for the good lord to take" her. Unless you have "a coke" at the end of that straw, she ain't eating or drinking it.

When i pulled into the parking lot at work, i listened to my mom's message. They had just gotten home from the vet after having had to put their dog, Ralphie, to sleep. Poor old dog. He hadn't been doing well lately, either. My dad, not surprisingly, is not taking this very well at all... in fact, i am surprised he agreed to put him to sleep.

I have been saying for about 10 years now that my parents have been staying together for the dog. They sure as hell would not have stayed together for us kids.... but, i wish they hadn't. In fact, i hope they can be there for each other when they are sad, but that so not very likely. I just hope they finally decide they do not make each other happy... and know they no longer have to stay together for the sake Ralph.

Here's a pic of the little mop, doing one of his favorite things: laying on my dad while my dad's feet are up on his lazyboy.

RIP lil bro....

Ours is cracked because the recycling people just throw it after emptying it. I would have thought this would be a simple quick task. I was wrong, and for the first time, i found myself hating Buffalo... really really hating Buffalo....

First, i did a simple google search and ended up with a government page. I printed out the list of places in which i could pick up a bin under the Where Do I Get A Bin? Headline.

I called City Hall. It rang until my phone hung up. I called again. I was told, "i don't know... uhm... we don't have any" by a very impatient woman on the phone. So, i will not waste my time to go downtown and try to find parking, pay for it and try to find the right room in city hall and have them be out of bins.....

I called this place:COPS International Market    283 Grant Street    884-782 and was told yes, they have some. Cool. I go, and the storefront is a closed up shop. I call again... and i am told, "oh, yeah, we moved" before getting hung up on.

Time to try next place: Parkside Community Association    2318 Main Street    851-4324 I passed it, then turned around, found parking, got out and found the wee store front. The woman would not unlock the door. She shouted "WHAT!?!" from her desk and when i would not go away and asked over and over "Do you have any blue bins?", she came to the door, would not open it and spoke to me through the crack between the door and its frame. Yeah, well, you know, mid-morning and overweight middle aged white women are both very risky. I was told "we ain't got none!" and she sent me to a store "a few up", pointing vaguely northward.

That place was a bodega and the clerk looked at me like i really was a risk, or crazy, and told me to go to "Gloria Parks". When i asked who that was, a street corner bin supplier?, he did not laugh, but said, "it's up there" and pointed north.

After passing it a couple of times, not realizing it was a community center and was indeed on my list (COPS [WTF does COPS mean?] Gloria Parks    3242 Main Street    851-4112), i found yet another parking spot, walked to it and tried to get in. I buzzed a buzzer and was told i was buzzing the wrong one. I was eventually let into the building and asked the question i wanted to ask after i was searched and had to show i.d. and sign in. I was told they were "all out" and it was suggested i "go to flare". "Where is that?, i ask. "Leroy" was the answer.

I consulted my list to see that yes, that place, too, is on my list, (FLARE    302 Leroy Ave    838-6740) so i called and got voicemail. I left a message and drove there, since i didn't think it was too far away. When i got to what looked like an abandoned firehall, the doors were, of course, locked. I tried to find a buzzer but could not. I tried to open the front door and knocked, and when someone came nearish the door that woman just waved me away. When i said, "DO YOU HAVE BLUE BINS?" through the door, she walked away. I waited for a few minutes and went back to my car.

Sigh

Next nearest place: Ken-Bailey NHS [WTF is NHS?] 995 Kensington Ave    836-3600. I drove the wrong way, then by it 2 times, not only because, at that point i was half expecting some dude in a van, but because i didn't even think it would be a Habitat for Humanity. It was. And it even had a parking lot... with available spaces! Gasp! I park. Go to the front door. Yep, locked. I buzz the first buzzer. Nothing. Second one. Someone comes and i ask, "Do you have any blue recycling bins?" through the closed glass doors and i am told to try the other buzzer. I try the other one and wait. Nothing. Yes, in that location, there are 4 buzzers. On the last buzz, someone comes to the door. I take a deep breath and ask that question of the day. And i get.... "yes, we do.". And i almost fell to her feet to kiss them. I am asked if i mind being searched and showing i.d., and my reply is, "no, i do not mind, but only if you really do have a blue bin for me". Puzzled, but polite, she searches me, my purse, inspects my i.d. and watches as i sign in. She asks me to sit and she will get me one. I sigh and thank her and tell her that recycling in Buffalo is hard earned and give her the whole story. She comes back with 2 bins "for all your effort". Nice woman. Or maybe i just think that because she had my coveted blue bins.

So, what i thought would take 30 minutes took over 2 hours. I still sorta hate Buffalo... and i think if these 2 ever break, i will send someone else to get them, or just stop recycling. Yeah, i am that annoyed.

It's the 13th... my last Daily Chuck was on the 10th. That means that i either haven't worn shoes in a couple of days, or... i've been lazy.

I've been lazy. I worked 7am - 11pm on Friday and then 3pm - 11pm yesterday and i am going in for 3pm - 11pm today.

So, here are the chucks for today, yesterday and the day before that... guess which is which?