A brownstone and the Jeremiah Ensworth house

Hey Gang,
Recently business has picked up. Gas goes up, things slow down, gas goes down, things pick up, do you think there's a connection?
One of the new accounts I picked up is actually from a previous customer. I had cleaned their empty rental years ago. They decided to get rid of their cleaning person and hire an outside janitorial service.
The properties I'm maintaining are on Prospect Ave. in downtown Cleveland. Both are historical houses. One is a brownstone built in the early 1900's and the other is the Jeremiah Ensworth House built in 1870. It was exciting to get to clean these old places.. I must of passed these houses dozens and dozens of times but never noticed them.
I didn't get a chance to snap a photo of the outside of the brownstone, next time I will. The place is in dire need of a complete restoration but still it is in decent enough shape to tell that at one time it was a very fine home for some well to do individual.. I don't know much of the history of it other than its one of the few remaining brownstones in Cleveland.
What I found amazing is how thin the house is and the stairs are very narrow. I wonder how did they ever get furniture to the upper rooms? I just can't imagine living in a house with that many stairs and climbing them all day every day.
The Jeremiah Ensworth house has been researched and printouts of the history are available. According to this paper it is one of the few remaining examples of a single family home from the post Civil War era on the east side of Cleveland.
I don't have a count but its amazing how many rooms there are in this house. I was told to clean each floor and every time I thought we had finished a floor we found another door that led to another room.
In both houses every room has a fireplace and each were different. Some were all marble, others were brick or wood. It must of been so cold years ago. Heating by fireplaces and then by coal in a tall house with 12 foot ceilings, brrrrr. This is kind of funny. When Mr. Kramer, the current owner, bought the Ensworth house, he thought it had horse stalls in the basement. They weren't, it was stalls for the coal that was delivered. It must of took an awful lot of coal to heat the place.
Jeremiah Ensworth was born in 1818. He was a principal in the firm of Fogg, Ensworth and Company Importers. During the Civil War he responded to the call of President Lincoln and was promoted to Captain. After the war he returned to his business and built the house. He died in 1883 of Brights disease. His wife sold the house and it became a boarding house in the early twentieth century, then it was a haberdasher with the owner living upstairs, in the 60's a fraternity stayed in it, and now it is the law offices of Kramer and Associates.
If ever in Cleveland and want to drive by the houses, the addresses are 3214 Prospect Ave. for the Jeremiah Ensworth House and the brownstone is 3655 Prospect Ave..
You know.... I just can't end this story with out writing about the head secretary for Kramer and associates, Madeline. I couldn't figure out how to include her but it wouldn't be complete without doing so. I enjoyed talking with Madeline. She is very friendly and likable, proper but not stiff. Her demeanor just seemed to suit the house, from her dress to her manners. I can actually imagine her living in the place.
There, now the story is complete.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

Jeff's Moms condition

Friends,
Last night Millard wanted to get a group together and eat at the Panda Buffet. Mom, my sister Cindi and Jeff came along. Panda Buffet is located on Euclid Ave. in Willoughby directly across from Lake West Hospital. We also celebrated Jeff's birthday. As we were just finishing our meal and waiting for the check Jeff received a call from his brother Dave. Dave told him he was on the phone with Dad when Mom fell out of bed and landed on her head. My sister Cindy drove him right across the street to the main entrance of the hospital just as the ambulance arrived with Jeff's Mom.
I truly believe this was no accident that we decided to eat there, you can't plan things like this.

Here's an update on Jeff's Moms condition:

She is in intensive care since last night. She has a serious urinary infection that went into her blood. They have to stabilize her heart rate and blood pressure. Jeff's Mom has had strokes in the past which left her very inactive and hard for her to communicate so its very difficult to tell if she is in pain or hurting. Because of her age and previous strokes this is serious. As I hear more will pass it on.

Thanks,
Carey

Travel Trays and Mayfield Village Cruise In

Hey Gang,
Instead of trying eBay again I thought I would send out an email to you and see if there is any prospective buyers for this neat old car accessory - TWIN TRAVEL TRAY.
The GoGoBus already has a dining table and the Daewoo well now... remember the opening scene of the Flintstones when the tray gets placed on the car and it tips? Besides that fact, the Lil Daewoo has buckets seats.
This travel tray was made in good ole Cleveland, Ohio in 1963. The tray slips over the front bench seat of the car. Just looking at this tray gives you that nostalgia feeling and reminds one of yesteryear, the days of carhops, drive ins, cheap gas, no seat-belts, and when Chrysler was a Chrysler, America was America and a Communist was someone you shot and not someone you would elect as President. And of course it also reminds you of those tin TV trays that everyone had in their living room while they watched Ed Sullivan.
If you have a big old American car with bench seats you need this accessory for the cruise ins to add just a little more flare to your setup. The trays slip over the front bench seat. Did I say that already?
I have the original box but its tattered and worn. One tray is near perfect, the other has some surface rust, but unfortunately the gold finish on the frame has a lot of surface rust so it will need to be sanded and painted. Overall good condition.
And if you email within the next 5 minutes, because I can't do this all day, I will throw in at no extra charge one small Sham Wow! What are you waiting for? Oh the price, I think $20 is fair plus shipping.
If you aren't interested PLEASE pass this on.

And now for the cruise in photos.

I didn't take a lot of photos at the Mayfield Village Cruise In. Just a few. I like this show probably the best because they block about a 1/4 mile or a bit more of Wilson Mills Rd and let you cruise your ride while people sit on the sidewalk in lawn chairs. They have a couple of different bands playing, some food stands. A very miniature Woodworth. Always a good time. The local fuzz even let you get away with a little tire chirping. Unless of course you are driving a GoGo Bus. I told someone heck I can't burn my tires but I do have a stove to burn eggs.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

ps: if you need more photos of the trays just ask.

The new neighbor

Hey Gang,
Sometimes what I write I like it, other times I don't. Well this is one of those times I am not sure if I do. But read it anyways and you decide.
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Guess what? I have a feel good story to write about, well most of the story is feel good.
I went to my rental today to do yard work. Next door, the house that was vacant for about 3 years, finally found a family. They are renting it from the owner who bought the house in foreclosure, and yes it was trashed. I knew the people who lived there. A white couple in their early 50's, not a black couple. Got that? I guess you can tell I am a bit sensitive to whats going on in Euclid. After he lost the house, if I was told correctly, because of not paying taxes, he got a job with the city, go figure. Let me end it there because that's not what this story is about, its about the boy sitting outside reading.
As I was doing yard work the boy next door said hi to me. I didn't want to stop so just said You the new neighbor? I resumed working but started thinking I was a bit cold. So I stopped and asked about his family and where did he move from. They were renting another house in Euclid but it was to small for the six of them. Before that they lived off E.55 and then Norwood off St. Claire. His Mom wanted to get the kids out of that area and said God had better plans for them. The schools he said are much better than in Cleveland, in Euclid they will not let you get away with things, I remember when I was in seventh grade while still in Cleveland this kid got straight F's and they passed him, I still can't believe it and will never forget it. I said I understand wanting to get out, both of your old neighborhoods are tough places, Clevelands been hard hit. He went on to tell me that his family is originally from Georgia and when his great-grandpa moved here 60 years ago Cleveland had all kinds of jobs thats why he moved up here. I replied its bad right now, don't know what the answer is or what to do. Do you know what he said? Pray! How 'bout that! I was being taught a lesson here. That adult and Godly answer made me me forget about yard work so I relaxed and talked with him further.
I asked what church he goes to. His family attends The Cathedral Worship Center, 216 Euclid Ave, Euclid. I asked is it a nondenominational? He replied thats all we attend, the churchs we did attend that were denominations said only blacks were going to heaven and thats not right. Sound familiar friends? Usually though its the whites who are going to heaven, guess depends on which side of the fence you are on.
Bryant is about to graduate from high school and will soon be off to Orlando where he will attend college to become a surgical assistant. His real passion though is politics and law enforcement. He was a volunteer for a mayoral candidate in University Hts... His candidate lost but his enthusiasm for politics hasn't been dampened and will get involved again in the future.
Before getting back to my yard work Bryant gave me a sheet on a genealogy service he does. He was able to track his family back to 1780 in Africa. His grandfathers side descend from the Choctaw Indians. On their grandmothers side, her father came from England and Georgia. He started a school there and named it after himself. The service is called - Genealogy Genius - the web address is: http://genealogygenius.webs.com/index.htm.
It was just refreshing to meet someone younger who has goals and is doing something with himself. And I am pretty certain whatever Bryant decides to do he will succeed. More than that though, his friendly hello is how neighbors should be.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

What's in your pocket?

Hey Gang,
Rowe from California emailed this short story about the shorts his wife bought him. I am so thankful that I have friends who share with me this stuff. Its all important.


here is a story that is gross. Mary bought me a pair of "levis" shorts from Wal-Mart yesterday. I cut off the tags and put them on . When I went to put my keys in the right hand pocket there was something in there. I pulled out a chicken bone that had been eaten by someone while in the store and they needed to get rid of it so just put it in the pocket of these hanging on the rack. Un believable !!!! We got some low class people out here. UGHHHH Rowe


My reply:
That is gross! I guess Rowe you have a bone to pick with Walmart. Heck, maybe it wasn't a customer but Colonel Sanders who returned them. Or those shorts could be work pants made for the bone yard. Or just maybe its a new slogan... At Walmart our prices are so low we trim the fat and leave the bone. By the way did the shorts make you look boney? You said you went to put your keys in the pocket, you sure it was a chicken bone and not a skeleton key? Or maybe short ribs?
Rowe just having fun, I would be completely grossed out myself.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

Why the Cavs won't win the NBA championship

Hey Gang,
I guess this isn't travel related but it is a fun article so I posted it here. Maybe it will find its way to David Letterman.
So here is my top ten list why the Cleveland Cavs won't win the NBA championship.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know its early and the Cavaliers have to win one more series to get to the finals but it still has all of us in Cleveland thinking what can go wrong this time? 2 years ago when the Cavs made the finals it came as such a shock that we didn't have enough time to fret. But in typical Cleveland fashion our beloved home team didn't disappoint us, the Cavaliers never showed up in losing to the Spurs in four straight. This time though the Cavs are so good, this season is so dream like that something just has to go wrong, it can't be possible Cleveland can actually win a championship.

So here is my top ten list why the Cleveland Cavaliers won't win the NBA championship.


10. Lebron James gets hurt.

9. Reality dawns on the Cavaliers and they realize this is still Cleveland we're not suppose to win.

8. Michael Jordan comes out of retirement.

7. Lebron James will be forced to finish the 12 grade because they found out he is short one credit.

6. The entire team comes down with the swine flu.

5. Manny Ramírez finks on Lebron as the one who gave him the performance-enhancing drugs.

4. Obama steps in with his spreading the wealth theory and says Lebron is too good, he can only play 20 minutes to make it fairer for the opposing team.

3. The Cavaliers pregame antics cause a delay of game and they're issued a technical foul before play even starts which causes them to lose the 7Th game by one point.

2. Lebron throws so much powder in the air the Cavs come down with asthma and can't run.

And the NUMBER ONE reason why the Cavaliers won't with the NBA championship is..........

John Elway appears on the sideline of the opposing team and leads them on a drive to score the winning basket.


Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

Cleveland Tea Rally and my Chinese Experience

I decided to take a brief break from writing about Euclid and tell you about the Cleveland tea party rally and my Chinese restaurant experience though this story does go back to what I have been screaming about - Euclid and socialism. Hey I wish I could just write about happy things, its not my fault our waitress decided to tell us about her life and homeland that brought me back to that topic.
Anyway... I started a new account recently. Its on Paine Ave. in Cleveland. Across from it is an Asian Plaza that I have never been to before. I told mom about it and she replied I have been going there for years. Now I know how the kimchee, dim-sum, and other Asian delights end up in our fridge.
Just before heading to this new account in downtown Cleveland I decided to swing by the Tea Rally. My thoughts of this rally was another pompous display of cheer leading to get someone elected. Can you tell how disillusioned I am? How hard have I tried to organize an effort in my support against Euclid? Exactly, so call it pouting if you like but if people won't support my effort why should I support theirs? Yes yes yes I do realize this is about country first, just need to keep trying to wake people up I guess.
Minutes before taking off I quickly threw together a pamphlet hi-lighting Euclid's codes and fines keeping it very short and not even including my plight so people would read it. I wanted to hand these out at the rally since it was all about taxes and erosion of our rights, maybe someone from the crowd will join my battle.
Jeff and I got to the rally late, about the last 30 minutes. The crowd was of decent size with many signs and flags waving. My little pamphlet was well received except for one lady who just didn't get it. I almost wanted to escort her out of the rally. When I tried to explain to her what is going on she said angrily "Well they are trying to stop it from becoming another E. Cleveland." Lady, high taxes, regulations, government interference are all playing a large part of people fleeing Euclid. The more people flee, the more empty houses and the more values keep plummeting. Capeesh?
I did take a moment at the rally to step back and take it all in. The crowd of people was mixed, old, young, well dressed, jeans and piercings, some in costume, black, white, male, female. Quite a few had signs, some waving flags. The words of the speaker, the cheers, it was an event but the atmosphere was not festive. I realized how on the cusp we are to a real revolt. And as I was reflecting on this I actually felt my words may come true and soon if things don't change - some city hall is going to be hit by someone who is losing it all and cant take anymore. Not like Oklahoma City, an armed rebellion. I don't wish it but I almost feel its inevitable.
We left there to go to work but before starting I wanted to check out the Asian plaza to possibly get a bite to eat. It was quite an interesting experience. This is one time I didn't check if the products were made in China, I would of been disappointed if they weren't. The plaza isn't that large. Its anchored by Li Wah a Chinese restaurant and a Chinese grocery store. When you walk into the Chinese grocery store the odor hits you and it ain't pleasant. What a difference between this and an Italian food store with all those wonderful scents. I love trying different foods but there was a couple of items I don't think I could try. One is the duck tongues, quack, I mean yuck.
We then went to Li Wah to eat where we met the talkative little Chinese waitress. Jeff and I almost left when we asked another waitress if the Mandarin pork chops were filling. She said it was small. Small turned out to be small as in small pieces and but the serving was quite large. Mandarin pork chops are similar to sweet and sour pork except the sauce is not red and not as sweet.
Half way through our meal is when the talkative and friendly waitress, Young, walked by and commented on what we ordered. Oh you ordered the Mandarin pork chops that is my daughters favorite. It went from there to telling us that she came to the US in 1988 and the last time she went back home to China was in 1992. Jeff and I had little room to respond as she kept on talking. I stopped eating to listen and didn't want to interrupt her either. Both of us found what she had to say as very informative and interesting. She must of talked at least a good ten minutes.
Young went on to say how things have changed in China since 1992. Before people were trying their best to come to America as there was no opportunity to succeed in China. It was very hard to start a business. Back then you had to go to one office to register, another place to get a license. Very very difficult for businesses. Now they have relaxed their rules and it is easy to start a business. One of the few times I could get anything in I said it seems like China is becoming easier and less rules and America is becoming harder and more regulations. She said exactly! Her friends and family no longer hope to come here and they ask her to come home things are much different. Before hardly anyone had cars, just businesses or government, now people are buying cars and they are everywhere.
China is more free now, more tourists. American businesses have opened like McDonald's and KFC. When McDonald's first opened you couldn't even move it was so crowded. Everyone wanted to try it.
I asked her about Hong Kong if it was a problem that China took them over. She said not really. Before you needed a passport to go there, now we go freely back and forth, Hong Kong is built up and people love going there.
About education she had this to say. American students aren't as smart. My daughter needed to buy a calculator for math, in China we don't use them, we use pencil and paper. Our chidren are way more advanced. A Chinese child in the third grade comes here and knows everything already and should really be put into the sixth grade.
Young started laughing when she realized how she interrupted our meal and apologized. I said please don't apologize I enjoyed your talk immensely, I learned a lot and hope to talk with you again.
Now do you see how this ties in with Euclid and the Tea Rally? It just upsets me that America the land of the free for some reason wants to embrace socialism/communism that has failed miserably everywhere else. Wake up people.
I just marvel at my life, though I get tired and fed up and say thats it, it never fails to amaze me the connections that seem to cross my path that ties things together and makes me continue onward.

CKM