Well, technically it was Westlake. A couple of weekends ago, I took a Friday off and drove down to Ohio for a three day weekend with Gil.

I think that this was the first time that Michigan roads were better than Ohio roads.  It used to be that you could tell the exact moment that you were crossing back into the mitten by the sudden crappy pavement. US-23 is more smooth and pleasant to drive than it has been in years past.  By contrast, the normal highways in Ohio have suffered a bit, and the Turnpike has really seen better days.  (I drove it from I-75 east to the I-80/I-90 split, and then back again.)  I have to admit, though, that the raised 70mph speed limit made me feel right at home.

The theme for the weekend was rejuvenation. The pace was relaxed; there was no rushing around or worrying about being late.

We went down to Tallmadge and hung out with Terri and Duncan, whom I hadn’t seen face to face in years. It might as well have been a couple of weeks once we all started catching up on kids, ailments, and craziness. I’m hoping that they can do all they want with their house – their plans are grand and perfect.

Gil had rehearsal for Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, so I even had a couple of hours to sit and put some words down on paper. The cafe in the Beck Center for the Arts was a great setting for it, too.

Both Gil’s girlfriend and roommate made me feel at home while I was crashing there. I got to know Allison a lot better than I had in our previous (and brief) meeting, and I’ve decided that I’d like hanging out with her whether or not she was dating Gil. Paul was a scholar and a gentleman.

If, while out and about for the purpose of drinking, I ever decide to go back to my mainstay drink – the Jager Bomb – please point and laugh. I didn’t even think about the caffeine in the drink’s Red Bull component. Getting hit on by a woman celebrating her 30th birthday helped forestall the inevitable migraine, as did finding the perfect Irish (Gil says Scottish) pub tucked away in a not so nice part of Cleveland. I don’t care where it’s located, a place as beautiful and stately as that should never be so deserted. It’s a crime, I tell you! The bartender, wearing a vest and a bow tie, made a perfect White Russian.

Last but not least, there were some lessons learned: Spines are good to have. Getting to Tallmadge is like getting to Shelby Township – tons of ways to get there, none of them direct. Mango liquor and cream looks like a tiny beer, and makes a great shot.  Accepting is harder than it sounds. Semantics are STILL important. If the headlight assembly of your Pacifica isn’t coming unclipped as the manual says it should, you’re probably not pulling hard enough.