bigmacbear (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bigmacbear) wrote2021-12-24 11:59 pm
bigmacbear) wrote2021-12-24 11:59 pm
Christmas Trip, Day 3 of 8
FRIDAY, December 24
I got up with the alarm at 7:30 and proceeded to shower and get dressed. Gary suggested Tim Hortons for breakfast and I went through the drive-thru on High Street across the river from the hotel. I got Gary an egg and cheese biscuit and myself a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit, with Arnold Palmers for both of us. We had breakfast in our room, then Gary took his shower. When he was done I finished packing up.
We checked out around ten after eleven and drove west to the Rusty Bucket restaurant and tavern in Upper Arlington to meet Brian. We were expecting to meet Brian's husband Justin for the first time, but he was feeling crummy due to the aftereffects of the COVID booster he received yesterday. As we were getting ready to order, we spotted another bear couple being escorted to their table: an older, shorter, balding dude with a light beard, and a bigger young dude with thick reddish hair and beard. I later told Gary they reminded me of John and Justin in Oregon. We chatted over lunch for about an hour. I had the house special burger, Gary had a bowl of rigatoni in red sauce, and Brian had a Buffalo chicken sandwich. Brian wants to bring Justin to Seattle at least once.
After parting ways with hugs outside the restaurant, we returned to the car and I installed the Wyndham Hotel app to check in online. Then we headed back to the freeway and on to La Quinta in Sharonville. We stopped at both the rest areas along the way and discovered the scenic overlook at the Morrow Bridge had permanently closed. As we approached I-275 I noticed the traffic information signs saying "Jingle Bells/Speeding smells/Buckle up today". We arrived around quarter to three and were assigned suite 600, with a lounge and kitchenette separate from the bedroom and bath.
We left around twenty after four for St. Ignatius to meet Colleen, Rab, Sheila and Len for Christmas Eve mass. When we arrived there were Christmas carols being sung by the choir and played by the guitarist who was very good. The father of the family in the pew in front of us had a neat, blocky blond haircut, and a few pews foward was a simply huge bear with an unusual haircut: an oval tuft on top with a tiny ponytail in back and shaved down on the sides and back. The big bear was accompanied by a little girl. Having not been to mass since Dad's funeral, I found some of the changes in the liturgical texts a little awkward, and singing into a mask, I found it difficult to sustain a phrase. Gary and I chose not to receive communion and I was surprised to find Len joining us.
After mass we all headed for Sheila and Len's home for dinner of root beer braised pulled pork, firehouse beef barbecue, coleslaw and potato chips. We chatted over dinner and traded stories: Gary had tales of New York City and Sheila and Colleen had stories from the hospitals where they worked. The conversation turned to dogs since Scott and Michelle's dog, a tall and lean chocolate Lab, was poking around the table sniffing for food. Sheila mentioned their old dog used to bark hysterically whenever a plane crossed over the house. Colleen and Rab left around eight to see Kate's kids off to their dad's house for the holiday at ten. We left Sheila's around 9:30 and as we exited the garage door, heard and saw a plane overhead so I started barking at it. Gary shouted, incredulous, "Are you barking?" I nodded and we all had a good laugh.
We stopped on the way back to the hotel for fuel, beverages and snacks. When we returned to the hotel there were a few people walking dogs outside the side door; one was nice enough to let us in behind him. I ditched my good clothes and Gary got the TV in the lounge working (it had been unplugged) and I caught up with my journal while we watched Shark Tank and the late news. I got to sleep about 12:30.
I got up with the alarm at 7:30 and proceeded to shower and get dressed. Gary suggested Tim Hortons for breakfast and I went through the drive-thru on High Street across the river from the hotel. I got Gary an egg and cheese biscuit and myself a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit, with Arnold Palmers for both of us. We had breakfast in our room, then Gary took his shower. When he was done I finished packing up.
We checked out around ten after eleven and drove west to the Rusty Bucket restaurant and tavern in Upper Arlington to meet Brian. We were expecting to meet Brian's husband Justin for the first time, but he was feeling crummy due to the aftereffects of the COVID booster he received yesterday. As we were getting ready to order, we spotted another bear couple being escorted to their table: an older, shorter, balding dude with a light beard, and a bigger young dude with thick reddish hair and beard. I later told Gary they reminded me of John and Justin in Oregon. We chatted over lunch for about an hour. I had the house special burger, Gary had a bowl of rigatoni in red sauce, and Brian had a Buffalo chicken sandwich. Brian wants to bring Justin to Seattle at least once.
After parting ways with hugs outside the restaurant, we returned to the car and I installed the Wyndham Hotel app to check in online. Then we headed back to the freeway and on to La Quinta in Sharonville. We stopped at both the rest areas along the way and discovered the scenic overlook at the Morrow Bridge had permanently closed. As we approached I-275 I noticed the traffic information signs saying "Jingle Bells/Speeding smells/Buckle up today". We arrived around quarter to three and were assigned suite 600, with a lounge and kitchenette separate from the bedroom and bath.
We left around twenty after four for St. Ignatius to meet Colleen, Rab, Sheila and Len for Christmas Eve mass. When we arrived there were Christmas carols being sung by the choir and played by the guitarist who was very good. The father of the family in the pew in front of us had a neat, blocky blond haircut, and a few pews foward was a simply huge bear with an unusual haircut: an oval tuft on top with a tiny ponytail in back and shaved down on the sides and back. The big bear was accompanied by a little girl. Having not been to mass since Dad's funeral, I found some of the changes in the liturgical texts a little awkward, and singing into a mask, I found it difficult to sustain a phrase. Gary and I chose not to receive communion and I was surprised to find Len joining us.
After mass we all headed for Sheila and Len's home for dinner of root beer braised pulled pork, firehouse beef barbecue, coleslaw and potato chips. We chatted over dinner and traded stories: Gary had tales of New York City and Sheila and Colleen had stories from the hospitals where they worked. The conversation turned to dogs since Scott and Michelle's dog, a tall and lean chocolate Lab, was poking around the table sniffing for food. Sheila mentioned their old dog used to bark hysterically whenever a plane crossed over the house. Colleen and Rab left around eight to see Kate's kids off to their dad's house for the holiday at ten. We left Sheila's around 9:30 and as we exited the garage door, heard and saw a plane overhead so I started barking at it. Gary shouted, incredulous, "Are you barking?" I nodded and we all had a good laugh.
We stopped on the way back to the hotel for fuel, beverages and snacks. When we returned to the hotel there were a few people walking dogs outside the side door; one was nice enough to let us in behind him. I ditched my good clothes and Gary got the TV in the lounge working (it had been unplugged) and I caught up with my journal while we watched Shark Tank and the late news. I got to sleep about 12:30.