Monday June 13, 2011

Saturday June 11, 2011: Today is a travel day for me and Ms P. We are going to Lakewood, Ohio to visit Melissa and AJ. Before leaving home I helped Nancy finish setting up for the garage sale. I also headed to the Kava House to get us some scones and coffee. Nancy was already very busy selling things when Ms P and I headed out.

The drive to Lakewood was uneventful. We did not stop until we hit the Ohio Turnpike. Ms P and I had to do our bidness! I got to Lakewood about 1600. It is 290 miles from GR to Lakewood. We got to Lakewood while Missy and AJ were running errands. Ms P and I made ourselves at home. They arrived home shortly after us. I must be getting old because all this traveling exhausts me. I took a short nap. After the nap we got in Missy's car and had dinner at a place called "Around the Corner". We sat outside and had a light fare. After dinner we headed to the ice cream store so Grandpa could buy AJ an ice cream cone. The place was full. Everybody gets an ice cream cone on a warm summer night. We all went to bed early because Sunday will be a busy day.

Sunday June 12, 2011: Today we are going on a bike ride through Amish farm country. The ride is call a "Sunday in June". They are estimating between 800 and 1,000 rider. This is the third time Missy and I have done the ride. The first time we did 50 miles. Last year Missy carried AJ on her bike so we did 27 miles. This year we are planning on going 27 miles again. It is really hard carrying another person on your bike even if she only weighs 30 pounds.

The ride starts and ends at Burton, Ohio. Burton is about a sixty minute drive from Lakewood. It is ESE from Cleveland. We got to Burton about 0845 and had trouble finding a parking place. We picked up our ride packet and at 0850 we headed on the ride. It was a nice cool day for a ride. The wind was a little brisk but did not really slow us down. I think most folks when they think Ohio think Rust Belt. Ohio also has a large agricultural industry. We traveled on lightly traveled roads through the Amish farm country. The Amish farms are large and look very prosperous. The area is very hilly so I got some practice climbing hills. At the end of last year's riding season I had a five speed internal hub installed on my AT bike. Today for the first time I used all 5 speeds. The last two "Sunday in June" rides I used my single speed bike. Let me just say 5 is better than 1. It took 2h 17' to do the 27 miles. The last mile was a steep hill. I made it without having to walk. We were provided with an Italian lunch after the ride. We had pasta, meatballs, salad and cookies. AJ thought the cookies were the best part of the ride.

I fell asleep on our ride home. We did stop at Trader Joes to buy some ginger snaps and lemon curd. For dinner we went to the Leaping Lizard. I had salmon and a beer. After dinner we relaxed and I read the Cleveland paper. I was in bed by 2100. It was a great day. A "Sunday in June" has become a tradition.

Monday June 13, 2011: Today is a travel day for Ms P and I. It is also a travel day for Missy and AJ. They are driving to NY to visit Nancy's sister Peg. AJ calls her Grandma Peg. Peg and DeWight live on Owasco Lake near Auburn, NY. Owasco is on one of NY's finger lakes.

Ms P and I leave first. The drive back to GR was smooth. We stopped twice and got home about 1500. Nancy and I have tickets tonight to attend an exhibit at the GR Museum. It is a Civil War exhibit and is called "Thank God for Michigan". Apparently President Lincoln said this when Michigan supplied a lot of troops after his first call for volunteers. It was an great exhibit.

And that folks is how I spent the second weekend in June, 2011. On the second weekend in June in 1961, OCSA Scott was given his first liberty. We took a Navy bus into Newport, RI. and spent the evening at the Viking hotel eating, drinking and dancing with the Fall River, MA girls. I had to be back to the Navy base by midnight (2400).