Cincinnati Trip, Day Three
SUNDAY, August 22
I got up with the alarm at eight, did my figure-four stretches in bed, and prepared for the day. Around nine we had breakfast in the hotel lobby, sitting in the front to avoid Fox News Sunday in the breakfast room proper. From there we stopped by Kroger for a dozen roses, some drink cups, and assorted snacks, toiletries, and laundry supplies.
Our next stop was Gate of Heaven cemetery to visit my parents' and brothers' graves. We divided the roses four ways: six for the vase between Mom and Dad, and two each for Joe, Kevin, and Dave. I stopped for a silent Our Father at each site.
From there we stopped at Walgreens in Kenwood for a car charger and more snacks, then returned to the hotel. I got onto Messenger to see what days and times would work to meet some of my new Facebook friends while we're in town. After that we had some quality time, followed by a late lunch at Skyline Chili.
When we returned to the hotel, Gary napped while I hit the pool. I was greeted by a nice ginger-blonde lady about my size who looked to be a few years either side of forty. She informed me that pool towels were available from the front desk. I asked the clerk if I should leave the towel at the pool and she said I could hang onto the towel and keep it in the room with the other towels. I returned to the pool and did five laps face down and five more face up, then floated around a bit before getting out of the water to air-dry in a chair. While I sat there, a young black kid with a bit of a tummy got in some swimming. I hopped in once more for a few minutes, then noticed my arms were getting a little pink so I dried off and returned to the room about six.
Colleen and I exchanged text messages regarding Iggyfest (St. Ignatius church festival) where she and Kate were working the Plinko booth. Because of the hot weather (high of 91°F.), they decided to go home and return to Iggyfest after eight when it would be cooler. We decided to go to Iggyfest anyway to have dinner and meet them when they returned. We left the hotel around quarter to seven.
As we reached the end of the off-ramp from I-74, we noticed a police car with its lights going parked behind a damaged car skewed across the adjacent on-ramp the wrong way. We parked in the lot behind the church close to the exit. We walked around the grounds, threading our way through the crowd, until we reached the food booth. I bought us a couple of bratwurst and Gary bought drinks, and we sat under the big tent to eat and people-watch. A mother was trying to spoon feed her child in their dad's lap while standing, so Gary went to get her an available chair, for which she was most appreciative. There were quite a few bears of various descriptions passing by, notably including a very tall, bald daddy with a trim beard pushing a stroller. I went to use the portable toilet (Rumpke, not Honey Bucket) and as I exited I held the door open for the huge bear in the neon green Iggyfest T-shirt who followed me. I overheard a tallish dude with some used pull tabs remark loudly: "That's why they call these rip-offs, because you never win." Some teenage boys played football with a Nerf ball across the way; one wearing a Pete Rose #14 jersey almost looked like a full-grown adult, but on reflection clearly wasn't.
Colleen and Kate arrived about 8:30 and we followed them to the Plinko booth. After making plans for tomorrow and Tuesday, Gary and I played a game each (two disks) and Gary won a Tootsie Roll while I won a whistle and a yo-yo. While Kate ran the booth, Colleen walked with us to the bandstand where Soul Pocket was playing. Gary was in his element and enjoyed the music very much. Eventually the Plinko booth closed and Colleen and Kate headed home, just before the band finished their set at 9:30.
We made our way back to the car and drove back to the hotel. No sooner had we parked the car than a motorcycle with bright blue lights and a super loud stereo flew by on I-275. The desk clerk and another staffer who were standing outside the front door were laughing hysterically about the biker as we entered the lobby. When we returned to the room, I changed into my gym shorts and journaled while Gary half-watched the news in bed and nodded off. I headed for bed around midnight.
I got up with the alarm at eight, did my figure-four stretches in bed, and prepared for the day. Around nine we had breakfast in the hotel lobby, sitting in the front to avoid Fox News Sunday in the breakfast room proper. From there we stopped by Kroger for a dozen roses, some drink cups, and assorted snacks, toiletries, and laundry supplies.
Our next stop was Gate of Heaven cemetery to visit my parents' and brothers' graves. We divided the roses four ways: six for the vase between Mom and Dad, and two each for Joe, Kevin, and Dave. I stopped for a silent Our Father at each site.
From there we stopped at Walgreens in Kenwood for a car charger and more snacks, then returned to the hotel. I got onto Messenger to see what days and times would work to meet some of my new Facebook friends while we're in town. After that we had some quality time, followed by a late lunch at Skyline Chili.
When we returned to the hotel, Gary napped while I hit the pool. I was greeted by a nice ginger-blonde lady about my size who looked to be a few years either side of forty. She informed me that pool towels were available from the front desk. I asked the clerk if I should leave the towel at the pool and she said I could hang onto the towel and keep it in the room with the other towels. I returned to the pool and did five laps face down and five more face up, then floated around a bit before getting out of the water to air-dry in a chair. While I sat there, a young black kid with a bit of a tummy got in some swimming. I hopped in once more for a few minutes, then noticed my arms were getting a little pink so I dried off and returned to the room about six.
Colleen and I exchanged text messages regarding Iggyfest (St. Ignatius church festival) where she and Kate were working the Plinko booth. Because of the hot weather (high of 91°F.), they decided to go home and return to Iggyfest after eight when it would be cooler. We decided to go to Iggyfest anyway to have dinner and meet them when they returned. We left the hotel around quarter to seven.
As we reached the end of the off-ramp from I-74, we noticed a police car with its lights going parked behind a damaged car skewed across the adjacent on-ramp the wrong way. We parked in the lot behind the church close to the exit. We walked around the grounds, threading our way through the crowd, until we reached the food booth. I bought us a couple of bratwurst and Gary bought drinks, and we sat under the big tent to eat and people-watch. A mother was trying to spoon feed her child in their dad's lap while standing, so Gary went to get her an available chair, for which she was most appreciative. There were quite a few bears of various descriptions passing by, notably including a very tall, bald daddy with a trim beard pushing a stroller. I went to use the portable toilet (Rumpke, not Honey Bucket) and as I exited I held the door open for the huge bear in the neon green Iggyfest T-shirt who followed me. I overheard a tallish dude with some used pull tabs remark loudly: "That's why they call these rip-offs, because you never win." Some teenage boys played football with a Nerf ball across the way; one wearing a Pete Rose #14 jersey almost looked like a full-grown adult, but on reflection clearly wasn't.
Colleen and Kate arrived about 8:30 and we followed them to the Plinko booth. After making plans for tomorrow and Tuesday, Gary and I played a game each (two disks) and Gary won a Tootsie Roll while I won a whistle and a yo-yo. While Kate ran the booth, Colleen walked with us to the bandstand where Soul Pocket was playing. Gary was in his element and enjoyed the music very much. Eventually the Plinko booth closed and Colleen and Kate headed home, just before the band finished their set at 9:30.
We made our way back to the car and drove back to the hotel. No sooner had we parked the car than a motorcycle with bright blue lights and a super loud stereo flew by on I-275. The desk clerk and another staffer who were standing outside the front door were laughing hysterically about the biker as we entered the lobby. When we returned to the room, I changed into my gym shorts and journaled while Gary half-watched the news in bed and nodded off. I headed for bed around midnight.