Cincinnati Trip, Day Nine
SATURDAY, August 28
Woke up early and was showered, dressed, and ready for breakfast by nine. We were done with breakfast by 9:30. As we planned yesterday, we went from breakfast to Colleen's. She asked Rab to help her put up shelves in her scrapbook closet, then grabbed some frozen chili and fixings and hopped in our car for the trip to Aunt Evie's. We arrived there around 10:30 and chatted until two. While we were there, I texted James because he was interested in meeting with us for lunch, but he was busy packing for a fishing trip and wanted to do dinner instead, and we were planning on dinner with Zach from Portsmouth.
After our visit with Evie, I was fairly hungry so we decided to stop by Ron's Roost for lunch. Their specialties are fried chicken and German food. I had the lunch portion of sauerbraten with hot bacon slaw, Gary had the goetta grilled cheese sandwich with potato salad, and Colleen had a salad with chicken and ordered a burger to take home for Rab. On our way out I noticed the authentic Reds locker from the former Riverfront Stadium and took a picture. I got a Facebook message from Zach indicating he had arrived at his hotel and was checking in. Colleen worried about us meeting a stranger from the Internet and suggested we meet in a public place, which was the plan all along.
When we returned to our room, Gary watched the Little League World Series game while I made arrangements with Zach. We agreed to pick him up at his hotel, have dinner at Red Lobster, visit Bar 32 (the "bear bar") in Covington, then drop him off at the hotel. That settled, I took an hour nap before we left.
At Red Lobster, our waiter was tall and had a bubbly personality. Gary and I both had garlic shrimp skewers with broccoli, his with coleslaw and mine with lobster-topped mashed potatoes; Zach had a salmon dish which would make two meals for him. Over dinner we got to know each other better. Zach is a care coordinator for a hospice service covering Ross County south of Columbus, but wants to go into IT and move to Austin, TX before it gets too expensive.
From the restaurant we headed south to Covington. On the way, Zach mentioned he's also a major hockey fan and wants to see an NHL game soon. For the first time this trip we were able to use the Brent Spence bridge (I-75) because there was no backup at that hour. We parked in the Mainstrasse garage and walked down Main Street past a lot of quirky eateries and shops (including the Cock and Bull pub) two long blocks, then turned and found Bar 32 a few short blocks away on the corner with rainbow crosswalks. The bar was fairly slow at 9 PM, with what looked to be a few regulars at the bar (tended by a lady with a spiky purple Mohawk), 80's music on the jukebox, and Impractical Jokers on the many TVs. We chatted some more over mostly Cokes (I had one Angry Orchard cider) and Zach shared this was his first visit to a gay bar. About ten, we left the bar and returned to the car. After heading north across the CW Bailey bridge to I-75, we arrived at the hotel and parted with hugs all around.
When Gary and I got back to the hotel room, we had some quality time and I fell asleep, waking just after midnight to finish preparing for bed and complete my journal of the day, and finally getting to sleep about quarter to two.
Woke up early and was showered, dressed, and ready for breakfast by nine. We were done with breakfast by 9:30. As we planned yesterday, we went from breakfast to Colleen's. She asked Rab to help her put up shelves in her scrapbook closet, then grabbed some frozen chili and fixings and hopped in our car for the trip to Aunt Evie's. We arrived there around 10:30 and chatted until two. While we were there, I texted James because he was interested in meeting with us for lunch, but he was busy packing for a fishing trip and wanted to do dinner instead, and we were planning on dinner with Zach from Portsmouth.
After our visit with Evie, I was fairly hungry so we decided to stop by Ron's Roost for lunch. Their specialties are fried chicken and German food. I had the lunch portion of sauerbraten with hot bacon slaw, Gary had the goetta grilled cheese sandwich with potato salad, and Colleen had a salad with chicken and ordered a burger to take home for Rab. On our way out I noticed the authentic Reds locker from the former Riverfront Stadium and took a picture. I got a Facebook message from Zach indicating he had arrived at his hotel and was checking in. Colleen worried about us meeting a stranger from the Internet and suggested we meet in a public place, which was the plan all along.
When we returned to our room, Gary watched the Little League World Series game while I made arrangements with Zach. We agreed to pick him up at his hotel, have dinner at Red Lobster, visit Bar 32 (the "bear bar") in Covington, then drop him off at the hotel. That settled, I took an hour nap before we left.
At Red Lobster, our waiter was tall and had a bubbly personality. Gary and I both had garlic shrimp skewers with broccoli, his with coleslaw and mine with lobster-topped mashed potatoes; Zach had a salmon dish which would make two meals for him. Over dinner we got to know each other better. Zach is a care coordinator for a hospice service covering Ross County south of Columbus, but wants to go into IT and move to Austin, TX before it gets too expensive.
From the restaurant we headed south to Covington. On the way, Zach mentioned he's also a major hockey fan and wants to see an NHL game soon. For the first time this trip we were able to use the Brent Spence bridge (I-75) because there was no backup at that hour. We parked in the Mainstrasse garage and walked down Main Street past a lot of quirky eateries and shops (including the Cock and Bull pub) two long blocks, then turned and found Bar 32 a few short blocks away on the corner with rainbow crosswalks. The bar was fairly slow at 9 PM, with what looked to be a few regulars at the bar (tended by a lady with a spiky purple Mohawk), 80's music on the jukebox, and Impractical Jokers on the many TVs. We chatted some more over mostly Cokes (I had one Angry Orchard cider) and Zach shared this was his first visit to a gay bar. About ten, we left the bar and returned to the car. After heading north across the CW Bailey bridge to I-75, we arrived at the hotel and parted with hugs all around.
When Gary and I got back to the hotel room, we had some quality time and I fell asleep, waking just after midnight to finish preparing for bed and complete my journal of the day, and finally getting to sleep about quarter to two.