2009 - My year in review

Hey Gang,
2009 - My year in review.
How do I sum up 2009? Lots of stress, uncertainty, tragedy, a few personal triumphs and quiet. I guess that would be correct. Some of you are probably thinking besides the quiet sounds like a typical Carey year. Not really.
The year started off with way to much stress from my deranged nephew, an on going battle with Euclid, and financial difficulties that lasted until mid summer. My travel wings remained for the most part clipped and ventured out only a few times. And as usual the revolving door of friends appearing and disappearing was present but not as much as in years past, as I said it was relatively quiet.
The tragic was the passing of Marks daughter that is still hard to think about and accept. I will never forget the phone call from Jamie informing of what happened. So very sad.
The triumphs were Euclids case against me being thrown out, maintaining ownership of my houses and business rebounding, lets hope these three continue into the years ahead.
Met a few interesting people. I had the pleasure to meet Mayor Murray and his wife Sylvia of Somerville, Texas, Carey Coleman radio personality and ex weather forecaster for channel 43, John Kasich former representative and TV host of In the Heartland and now governor hopeful for Ohio, George Sleigh a 911 survivor, and a host of councilman, representatives and others in elected positions.
Like I said I didn't do much in the way of travel but made the most of the opportunities that were granted to me. Dov and I picked up Millard in Kentucky in July and he stayed for about a month. That was a fun trip. A couple of the evenings down there were unseasonably cool. For the return trip Jeff came along. It was a fun filled adventuresome four days. It seemed as if we were gone much longer. I have been to Kentucky more times than I can remember but I am still finding new things to see. On the way to take Jeff and Millard to see Natural Bridge we went through the Nada tunnel. What a sight! It looked like something out of Jurassic Park.
I also went to Texas with Walt that stretched not only our patience with each other but also our nerves. I still don't know how Walt managed to perform in a grueling jet ski race after a 1,300 mile plus trip with very little to no sleep in 104 degree heat. I could barely function doing nothing.
Looking back though the trip was still worth it as I got to see places I have never been before. Heading to Texas we did take one short break in Parkers Crossroads, Tennessee site of a civil war battle. Barbara Warhurst who works at the bookstore & gift shop found out after she got the job there that her great great grandpa James Madison Allen fought at that battle. I really enjoyed my conversation with her.
While in Texas we went to College Station home of Texas A&M and historic downtown Brenham. On the way home we stopped in Hope Arkansas home of President Clinton and Governor Huckabee and Hot Springs, Arkansas which I hope to return to see the rest of the historic sites.
The Winter Cookout resumed with about 12 in attendance as well as the Christmas Spaghetti Dinner/gift exchange. But 2009 was the first year I didn't have a backyard cookout.
Went to the beach only once and didn't even enjoy it. Poor Millard. Every year he comes in June the weather isn't warm enough for a beach outing. So I told him come in July and what happens? The day we made plans it was unseasonably cool with cold water temps.
I took a few day trips. One was to the Pemberville Free Fair with Jeff B., it was unplanned and turned out to be a very good time with free vegetables for me. Took Mom, my sister Cindi and Jeff M. to the Painesville Town Square car show and ended the night in Geneva on the Lake and yet again it was cool. Other than that car show didn't attend any others.
A couple of the more exciting things I did was spend the night in the Mansfield Reformatory with my sister and Jeff M.. A very memorable eery experience. Also sort of along the same lines of being in an abandoned place I went to Detroit Superior Bridge Festival held in the lower level where the streetcars use to run. What a fascinating experience. And again almost along those same lines was being inside of Euclid Square Mall which is just about completely vacant.
As for the Christmas season it was quiet and besides the major disappointment of Ruth being denied after we spent months planning her visit it was nice. It started early with my Christmas Spaghetti Dinner/Gift Exchange. After that Cindi planned a Christmas outing to see the Christmas Story House and then had friends over her house. Christmas Eve I spent playing Santa with Jeff B., dropping off gifts to my tenants, spending some time with Walts family and then ending the night with Bruce and his Mom for coffee and laughs. Christmas just the family, the first time no one dropped in on us. For New Years Eve Cindi invited me to a singles night at her church, Willoughby Friends. Met some interesting people there. It was fun.
Well that about sums up my year 2009, if I forgot mentioning something I did with you, sorry! Just send me an email and say what about.....
Happy New Years Friends
and may 2010 be prosperous and healthy for all of us.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

Finally a story from Texas. The stranger in our hotel room

Hey Gang,
Instead of writing a play by play of the Texas trip I think I will just pick random people and events as they come to me. Today I will start with the stranger we had stay in our motel room.

The Dark Stranger
Even though I was running extremely low on sleep, my habits of going to bed late kept me wide awake. While Jimmy snored and Walt unwound watching TV I went for a long walk. I was on a quest to find a late night milk shake or float that I failed to find earlier. We stayed at the Super 8 which is on the edge of town, one of the last structures before leaving Somerville. The whole main street of this mini city is about 2 1/2 miles long, maybe. I just about walked the whole strip. My first stop was Mama’s Kitchen.
I entered and asked if they had floats. The waitress said no. I said well do you have Sprite? Yes. Do you have ice cream? Yes. Do you think you can add a couple of lumps of ice cream to my Sprite? She replied sit down I will take care of you. A few minutes later she comes back to tell me they were out of ice cream. Either they were or my recipe was a bit hard to follow. So off I went to continue my search.
I walked to a convenience store on the opposite end of town, about the only thing left open. I spied the soda fountain and said to myself if I can't find a float I will build my own. So I grabbed the 32 ouncer and walked around looking for a small container of ice cream. I found an ice cream cup and asked how much. The clerk said they are on sale 2 for a dollar. Bought both and plopped them in my Sprite with the help of the worker who lent me scissors to pry the ice cream out of the cup. He said OH I see what you are doing. What a deal, a float for a $1.99.
The temp had cooled down to 88, just an occasional car passing by, no sounds except crickets - a dog barking, very peaceful, I was enjoying life.
I got to the corner of 8th and Rt 36 where the Somerville Museum is located. It was here the dark stranger crossed my path. Actually, it pounced out of the shrubs and immediately attached itself to my leg. I was startled and almost dropped my float. It was a black cat! I stepped back not knowing if the thing was rabid. It wouldn't leave me alone so I scooped out a little ice cream. The cat starting eating and I took off. I got about 15 feet when it caught up with me. It was doing a figure 8 around my legs making sure I didn't get away.
Again I dropped some ice cream. And again the cat stopped to lick it up only to hurry and catch up with me. HMMMM! I tried having a talk with it, OK listen you need to go. It didn't work. Then I started feeling sorry, the poor critter was so skinny. So then I said alright I have a pork chop back at the motel follow me and it did.
We got to the motel and came up with a game plan, through the back door but we still have to sort of sneak past the front desk as we were staying on the first floor.
It was just like in the movies. I opened the door, OK ready lets go. We ran through the hall, at the entrance for the front desk I waved hold it, I went through first, the lady looked at me but never looked down as the cat passed. I fumbled with the card to open the door. Nervously I got it open, shooed the cat in, shut the door. Brilliant, it worked. Now how to explain this to Walt.....

So what did Walt say? Nothing other than OH a cat! I grabbed my leftovers I was saving and sat down to feed our guest. It kept pulling the pork chop out of my hand as I was breaking it up into smaller pieces. The poor little thing was starved. It wasn't that old of a cat, maybe under a year old. It jumped from bed to bed and made itself at home, very well mannered. How sad someone abandoned it.
In the morning the rest of the pork chop bone was gnawed to nothing, didn't know cats chew on bones, didn't know they knew how to get into styrofoam containers either. And the good news was no poop was found so we were safe.
When Jimmy woke he sat straight up and said there's a cat!! Walt was teasing him and said what cat? Right there! Walt asked me do you see a cat I don't.
We didn't know what to do with it so I told Jimmy hurry and let it out the back door before the cleaning lady gets here. If the cat is still there when we leave I will take it.
Fortunately we parked next to a couple who was just leaving the motel. They were adjusting the boat they were towing. The cat jumped in the boat and was rolling around playing. Walt went up to the couple and explained it was a stray and said if you want it take it. The cat wasn't there when we left so I assume the couple took it. I was almost hoping it was.
Another stranger came and went and another lasting memory. Oh well thats life on the road

Where there is smoke there is fire......

Hey Gang,
I finally stopped at the Texas Steakhouse in Mentor which was formerly Road House and before that it was the Original Girves Brown Derby to take photos. Mom and my sister Cindi tipped me off that I needed to. Why? Just look at the last photo with their slogan, you will understand. It was late at night with very little lights but I think you can still see that from the fire it was a total lose. But their slogan is kind of prophetic, huh.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey