Been busy the last few days

Hey Gang,

Been busy the last few days cleaning up the old Big Lots in Wickliffe getting it ready for the antique/crafts and collectible co-op called Antiques & Uniques. Tom and Barb the owners are setting up a top notch operation. When I was contracted to do the floor I thought OK clean up, set up booths and be done. Nope, they have gutted the place and are rebuilding it. Wow. Stop out if you want to take a peak before the opening. They still have some spaces available for vendors. I think this is going to be a success for Wickliffe.

This past Saturday went to Chardon to find a spot for me to stand and sell my book at the Chardon Maple Festival, that didn't go so well but what did was our visit to the Chardon Lyric Theater on Water St., playing was Anne Frank. John wanted to see it and Ruth had no clue about it. I myself wasn't keen on watching it as it is so sad. I read the book when in school and saw the movie many years ago. It is something all should see but doesn't make for a pleasant evening, at least not for me.
These are the notes I posted on Facebook.
Haunted tonight. As I told the actor who played Otto, Tonight was a very unsatisfying/satisfying night. You did a great job but you moved me almost to the point of tears. Well done. He replied yes I understand what you mean, mixed emotions.
I recommend it, especially for my socialist liberal friends.

It was very well acted. There has to be a special place in hell for those Nazi's.

Sunday – friends were curious how my book signing went at the craft show in Streetsboro. I made PEANUTS and I learned a lot. This was the first show I set up at and learned the lesson of asking about advertising, how many vendors will be there, what will they sell but the most important question where did you advertise. I asked one vendor didn't they advertise? Her reply was they put it on Facebook. WHAT! I am not kidding when I say 10 people came in. 10!

All the vendors sat in their booth or walked around visiting other vendors. Some had a lot of effort in setting up their booth. It was so dead the last half hour I went to my car and slept. What did I miss when I went back in – nothing, the vendors were packing.

So I made peanuts, literally. I swapped one book for two bags of peanuts from another vendor. At least I made peanuts.

Gotta Go-Go!

Carey

That should teach him, or will it?

Hey Gang,

That should teach him, or will it?

I am not a fan at all of cigarettes, I tolerate them some but I do what I can to keep my distance. At my backyard parties though or outdoor outings I am more laid back. If someone's got to smoke go ahead and do it just not near me.

Well my last backyard party was in July. A friend who will remain anonymous attended. He is a chain smoker. If that's not bad enough his habit of flicking his cigarette butts to all parts of the yard really annoyed me. So the following day I decided to accumulate the strewn butts, tape them to a piece of paper and mail them back to this human smoke house.

Well one week led to a month led to months when I remembered I never mailed the butts. So last week I wrote a simple note that said:

“Hello, during my backyard party last summer you left these in my yard, I wasn't sure if they were important or not so I mailed them to you.”

I put the note in an envelope along with the butts. That took care of that.

I didn't hear anything back from Mr. Smoke until while at work a few days ago.

Hello – Very funny, what's wrong with you ^%$+** I received your #@!%%^ letter, what compassion you show for others – YOU blankity blank I just got out of the hospital and had to return home to that!

Well I am sorry, I didn't know you were in the hospital so sorry. What were you in for.

I couldn't breathe!

OH well listen I am at work, I need to go. I hung up before I let out a loud BAH HA HA!

What timing aye! I mean he gets out of the hospital because he couldn't breathe only to be greeted by his spent cigarettes. Honestly I didn't plan it, just call it perfect timing.

Hmmm, but do you think he got the message?

Gotta Go-Go!

Carey

Third Day at the Akron Civic Theater

Hey Gang,

I want to say thanks to Walt and Jamie for a wonderful outing on Saturday night.

They invited Ruth and I to see the Christian music group “Third Day” at the Akron Civic theater.

Upon entering the theater my mouth dropped open, we were all in awe. The place is simply beautiful. I wanted to travel light so I didn't bring my cam and I am sorry I didn't. The colors, the artwork, the high ceilings, the turrets and statues, the domed ceiling with stars and moving clouds YES moving clouds is spectacular.

I took this description from Wikipedia which is accurate. An atmospheric theatre is a type of movie palace that was popular in the 1920s in America. "Rather than seating the theatre patrons in a boxlike, formal setting as passive observers of stage entertainment, the atmospheric design transported them to an exotic European courtyard or garden. A plain cerulean sky replaced the ornate dome of traditional theatre design. Wispy floating clouds produced by a projector replaced crystal chandeliers and gilt.

The theater was built in the 1920's and believe it or not almost torn down in the 80's. It has undergone almost 20 million dollars worth of improvements and restoration so I can imagine what it would cost to build from scratch today.

The band “Third Day” were terrific. Their sound and words to their songs are excellent, very uplifting.

So thanks again Walt and Jamie for a wonderful night.

Gotta Go-Go!

Carey

 http://akroncivic.com/site/page.php?id=410

 https://www.thirdday.com/home

Additional photos of St. Ignatius and St. Colman.

Hey Gang,
Thanks to Mike B. for sending his photos from the church tour last Saturday.
        ENJOY!!!

  Mike and I up on the choir and organ balcony of St. Ignatius.

        Looking out from the balcony.

        Pastor Troha and I climbing up.


         These are from St. Colman.

     Whoops this is St. Ignatius

   Mike's fav photo


       Gotta GoGo!
            Carey

Brunch Bunch & Church & More 2

Hey Gang,
Before I proceed lets back track to St. Ignatius. Right before  Father Troha left the organist walked in. Father Troha said take you time if you want to stay longer but I need to leave. Well that was the perfect opportunity to introduce myself to the organist and ask if he could play a song for us. He said certainly.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzt8W1UbTaI

Thank you!

OK - hot dogs now St. Colman Catholic Church on West 65th Street. As I wrote in part one I was invited to stop in before Mass and look around. I wasn't too keen on that suggestion as it is a place of worship and I wouldn't feel right walking around snapping photos but since we were right there I decided to stop.

Church was in service so we entered as quietly as possible. I sat in the second to last pew and waited for the rest to follow but they didn't. I got up to see what they were doing. They were in the foyer taking pictures. It didn't matter as Mass was just ending. An older gentleman was the first to leave but before he did I tapped him on the shoulder. His name was John Carey. I said C-a-r-e-y? Yes. Well that's my first name.

John owns the funeral home on Lorain. He has been a member of St. Colman for 49 years. Did I ever get an earful from him when I asked I bet you have seen a lot of changes in this neighborhood. John had a list of grievances blaming most of it on politicians. Both parties according to him are whores. How true. He even mentioned how people seem to think they are entitled to things. And slavery, well his family came here in the early 1900's from Ireland, fought in both world wars, the Irish had it tough, so why complain to me about slavery when we weren't even here yet? John even mentioned the decline in his funeral service and the lack of reverence being afforded to burials. People don't care, if a loved one dies in a nursing home many times the family member tells them just mail the ashed to us, no respect given. 

I won't share to much more of what he told me because I am not sure if it was said in confidence so enough of that, besides this is about St. Colman. I asked John if he would do me a favor and walk with me through the church. He gladly said yes and I got a very informal quick tour of St. Colman. Wonderful.

Unlike St. Ignatius, St. Colman is airy and bright, so hard to even compare the two, both are gorgeous in their own way. You enter both and immediately feel you are in a place of worship. 

Both churches in the beginning had so many members attending they would have multiple Masses and both had churches in the basement holding service at the same time. Both are now sadly declining in numbers. In fact St. Ignatius was close to closing until word got out and they were able to raise close to a million dollars to keep it open. The following day the decision was made to keep it open a Muslim knocked on the door wanting to buy it to make it into a mosque.

We ended the day with supper at Minh-Anh Vietnamese Restaurant on Detroit Ave.

We went from a Polish church, (I think) to a Russian Church, to an American Diner, to an Irish Church to a Vietnamese Restaurant - almost a world tour in just a short drive.

  Gotta Go-Go!
   Carey

Brunch Bunch & Church & More

Hey Gang,

Saturday went FAB! Actually Beyond FAB!!

But first my peeve for the week or the day?

This is Cleveland. How many winters have we been through? Most of us have lived here a lifetime, no one actually moves to Cleveland. We all have seen snow before. So I don't understand canceling or staying home because of the snow. That's my peeve.

OK now back to my irregularly scheduled posting. So lets start all over and I'll say once more... Saturday went FAB! Actually Beyond FAB!!

The day started with breakfast at Flavors on the Avenue with the Brunch Bunch. The Brunch Bunch are classmates of Wickliffe High that meet once a month. It was started by Chuck S. and Mary D. helps with the announcements. I am really enjoying reconnecting with old friends and classmates. It's great!

Immediately afterwards I hurried home to meet those that said they would attend the church tour I organized. Only Mike was there and Jamie met us at the church. I was initially very disappointed that only two showed but it actually worked out for the best. I still felt bad though for Father Troha who made time for this tour and was expecting a larger group.

The first church on our list was St. Ignatius of Antioch on Lorain Avenue in Cleveland, it is beautiful! Father Troha is terrific. His humor and mannerisms make you feel so relaxed. What he said would be a 20 minute tour actually took over a hour. We just conversed back and forth and since there was no one else it was way more intimate. 

He took us up in the balcony where the organ is and the choir sings. What a view from up there. Father Troha didn't expect or want it but we blessed him with a small monetary gift and a copy of Hey Gang Ready to Go-Go? And YES before you say anything he wanted a copy.

Time was about four so off to the next place on my tour - St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Tremont. This church was in the movie “The Deer Hunter”. Unfortunately we must have had our wires crossed because when we arrived the church was locked. No big deal we proceeded with plan 3 which was just lets see what we can find.

On the way out of St. Theodosius Jamie was telling us of a hot dog joint on Lorain Rd. A little bitty place that looks lost in time. Without planning it I drove in that direction and Jamie said hey there's the hot dog place, Old Fashioned Hot Dogs. So that turned out to be stop 3 for plan 3.

I hate hot dogs so ordered a hamburger. It was OK, not good, not bad, OK but the retro diner feel was a high 10. We had some laughs, the owner put up an ad for the book Hey Gang Ready to Go-Go?, Mike picked up our tab of 11 bucks for 2 hot dogs, 1 hamburger, 1 coffee and 1 cola – not bad and out the door we went.

Earlier in the week I tried to schedule a tour for St. Colman's which is not far from the hot dog house. I was informed tours were only during the week but we could stop in before Mass and look around. I wasn't too keen on this suggestion as it is a place of worship and I wouldn't feel right to be walking around snapping photos. But I headed towards there anyways.

To be continued...

Something to think about.....  I asked a few people if they wanted to come along and the answer was not me in a church! Well if there is no God according to you and its all a myth then whats the problem? Why does it bother you? If anything you should have came just to enjoy these masterpieces that are never to be duplicated again. A lost art in a culture that is close to being lost.

Book signing mishap

Hey Gang,
There I was at work, readying a condo in Cleveland for the new owner when one of the other tenants walked in to take a look at the newly finished unit.

I spoke with this gentleman and his wife before in this same building. I told him besides running a janitorial service I am an author and recently released a book.
He said next time I see you I want to buy a copy.

So when he walked in I reminded him if he still wanted to buy a book?

He said yes, do you have one with you? It just so happens I do.

I asked if his name was with a C or K? It was with a C so I proceeded to sign the book when suddenly the unthinkable happened, I was horrified.

Um Marc excuse me but you can't have this copy and sorry its the only one I have right now.
He asked why?
Well as I was signing it the pen suddenly ran out of ink, this is a family book, look what is says, you just can't have this, not like this.

It read: Marc and Emily, Pleasure me

He laughed and agreed he wouldn't want it.
I thought I lost a book sale when Ruth frantically rummaging through her purse said HOLD ON, I have another pen.

WHEW! I finished the signing and saved the book sale.

It now read: Marc and Emily, Pleasure meeting you, Enjoy the book! God Bless, Carey Masci


Gotta Go-Go!!
Carey