We took a quick weekender on Saturday and stayed at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. I’ve lived in Ohio for the better part of 39 years, and had never set foot in the place.

It takes up an entire city block on Public Square, home to Tower City Center and the Higbee’s building (now home to the Horseshoe Casino). Coming in off the parking garage and to the lobby is quite the culture shift. From crazy downtown traffic to an ornate, quiet, cavernous lobby, restored to its 1920s opulence — it was a welcome sight.

This property has had more rebuilds and name changes than just about anywhere I’ve been. Its underground train terminal made Cleveland the first city in North America to have direct rail service from an airport to downtown.

We were on the 5th floor, and enjoyed a small but comfortable room — with a view of the atrium on a little private balcony. Cool. The wooden entry doors had brass plates with engraved numbers, just like in the movies/olden days.

The Grand Staircase is a central focus of the lobby. And I wish I’d thought to snap photos of the old-style elevators. You half expected a uniformed elevator man to greet you when the door opened.

It was a nice, quiet stay in a beautiful place, where we got to play pretend tourist one final time before reality hits again. Speaking of which…it’s Monday morning and I have a meeting. Yay!

Sic infit.

Sleeping until 7:15 a.m.? Did the Rapture happen, and I was left behind?

Man, that hasn’t happened for a while. A LONG while. Now I’m all sideways and off my feed. But all is well; the Thriller and I are going on a short overnighter to get away, so there will be time for recovery and relaxation.

We’re boarding Rousseau for the first time ever. Not feeling super good about it, but we thought we’d try it this once. We always depend so heavily on our children and BFF Kay & Bob to care for him while we’re gone overnight, but this time, we decided to not ask them, mostly because he has an eye infection that requires medication, and the doc is not totally sure what caused it or what it is. Therefore, he’s not sure if it’s contagious to other dogs or not. So we thought the vet’s office boarding facility might be a better place for him until tomorrow night.

Do I sound like I’m rationalizing a guilt-ridden decision? Oy.

Anyway, this is one of the last hurrahs of the summer. August is upon us, fiends. That means it’s time to get into schoolhouse mode. Where has the summer gone? I had to postpone my recording session at BoomR’s house until next June, but by crackie, it is going to take place then fo sho. My pipes might well be on their last gasp, but we’ll get it done.

I was going to write a review this morning on the HBO film I watched last night: Hemingway and Gellhorn. But…I’m still not sure how I feel about it. More research on their story is needed first.

So hey, it’s the weekend, and it is an absolutely gorgeous day here in Smalltown, Ohio. Right now it’s 65 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. All our doors are open and it smells great. This is what summer should be, every day. Enjoy!

Glurg.

That’s kind of how I feel this morning, and I don’t even know what “glurg” is. Just sounds right.

I think once I get back home from this meeting in Columbus, I’ll be less glurgish. In 15 minutes, I need to be hitting the showers and the road. Does THAT sound familiar? Oy. Maybe that’s why I’m glurg-y this morning. It is right around the corner. It starts unbelievably early this year. Usually, it starts around my birthday, on the 25th of next month. But this year, faculty have to report on what…the 16th? (Hey, that’s our fiend Stoney’s birthday.)

It makes my tummy get all glurg’d up.

Not sure what to expect this year; there are some huge changes, not only in my program, but in the district as well. Y’know…I used to love big changes. The anticipation and the mystery were real motivators. Now? Not so much. I know, I’m showing my age. But can’t a girl just want some peace, and not all this upheaval? Honestly. People just need to SIMMA DOWN.

OK, I’m fine now.

I just found out that an old girlfriend of mine from high school moved back to the area after living in Florida for decades. It’ll be good to see her again after all these many moons. If all goes well, we’re meeting at Bux tomorrow. How about you? Any plans for the weekend I need to know about/approve? Let fly.

FO — to Columbus and beyond. Glurg.

I admit it. I have a free account at the Norwalk Reflector so I can read the neverending cavalcade of completely asinine, idiotic, crack-brained comments on the articles. Hahahaaaaa

I laughed, I cried, it was better than Cats! 

All right, be serious here. Cake Decorating Class #2 coming up tonight — I’m ready for it! I’ve been practicing all week (two cakes baked and hours of pastry bag practice), so I’m hoping I won’t look like a total dork in front of my classmates tonight. En garde…here we go!

Whee!

J’ever just hit the floor running from a dead sleep? I haven’t done it in years, until this morning. I’m comatose, and suddenly, a white, puffy puppy (we’re entertaining — and being entertained by — Drago, while BFF Kay and Bob are in Chicago for the weekend) jumps up and says, “OK, I’m ready — take me outside NOW!” *wagging tail thrumming body crazy miniature canine playful growl*

So I’m like whooooa, git up, and hit the carpet. Barefoot, even. And those who know me know I *never* walk about the house with no moccasins on. The Thriller must have noticed the bizarre state of things, too, because he said to me from the kitchen while I had dogs outside, “Good morning — I brought your phone downstairs.” HA. I’m rarely without that thing, either.

I’ve never been a person who “needs time” in the morning. I can get out of bed, go down and make coffee, and have a conversation if I need to. I like my quiet time, no doubt, but I don’t go all Linda Blair if someone needs to talk to me before 7 a.m. (Truthfully, I think the whole “Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my coffee” is a lame crutch; an excuse to be mean and get away with it.)

Speaking of time in the morning — gotta go make the best of it. Still much to do, and on today’s menu: choir music for school. Goin’ shoppin’, goin’ shoppin’…always fun with someone else’s money.  Then there’s the Sunday Big Three tonight: True Blood, The Newsroom, and the premiere of the final season ( ) of Breaking Bad. Wahoo!