August 14 Road Trip

My parents said they were coming to visit us, but it turns out they really came to Chicago so we could drive them to Cleveland. Why you ask? Because they, which really means my mom, wanted to see the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame. So today we headed out on a road trip to Cleveland. Our first stop was in Goshen, IN. Chrissy watches Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and she saw an episode about the South Side Soda Shop & Diner in Goshen. It definitely had that old time diner look and my Philly Cheesesteak sandwich was very tasty. We walked through downtown Goshen to another old fashioned candy & soda shop, the Olympia Candy Kitchen. Damn, a little town in the middle of nowhere with two soda shops. I thought I stepped backwards through time about 50 years. Surprisingly, the Main Street of Goshen appears to be thriving. Lots of small businesses throughout the downtown area. It's worth a trip to see how pleasant life used to be and can still be. We got to Cleveland about dinner time. After checking into our hotel, we took the trolley to the Warehouse District of downtown Cleveland. This revitalized area is full of restaurants and bars. It was a beautiful night for walking around the city. We settled down at a sidewalk table outside the Metropolitan Café. What a fantastic end to a very pleasant day, the street scene, the setting sun, the very good meal and of course the inevitable argument with my father. I knew it was too good to be true 10 hours spent together and no harsh words between us. I swear I was just soaking in the twilight after eating a delicious pasta & seafood dish, just enjoying the bustle of the streets, people watching, happy to see Cleveland's downtown alive again. Then my mom goes to the bathroom and slowly it turns. I honestly do not remember what started the argument. But my father was livid at me after I called him Rush Limbaugh for not letting me reply to his ranting. You need to know another fact to really understand how strange our arguments about politics are...we both lean toward the Democratic side. Somehow we argue about an issue that we actually agree on. Do not ask how this is possible. Anyway, the waiter & waitress working the outside tables are now afraid to pass our table. I calmly try to point out the flaws in my father's argument but am shouted down with several f-bombs thrown in for good measure. Someone walking down the street actually took a picture of us arguing. As usual it ends as soon as my mom returns to the table, shockingly my dad calms down immediately. The rest of the night goes smoothly with my mom never leaving us alone again. Here's a picture of my dad sitting next to his Ritalin, my mom.