"We’d all like to flee to the Cleve and club up at the Flats and have lunch with Little Richard..."
Egads! I just signed into LiveJournal for the first time in 50 weeks. I guess it's appropriate since I only use this to keep people updated on the National skating championships. Sadly, I didn't have the time or resources to update this page while I was at the 2008 Worlds in Sweden. A great time was had -- ask me about the backwards garbage bag-quality plastic American flag sometime. We did America proud, I tell ya!
Anyway, I flew into Cleveland today at 2:00 p.m. local time care of a non-stop Continental Express flight from Madison. It didn't dawn on me until Monday that I didn't do much homework as to where my B&B is located in relation to the arena, or the things I should do when I'm not at the skating competitions. I've been too busy with work. How smart I was to leave for vacation the day AFTER the inauguration, a.k.a. the day the news and hype finally dies down following a long election season and the most anticipated changeover of presidential power in recent American history. But whatever - on the bright side, I shouldn't be missing much while I'm away.
Before leaving, I scrambled to dig up some dirt on the safety of my temporary neighborhood and the city at large. I've heard mixed reviews from those who live here, have lived here, or live/lived in Ohio and could only speculate on the quality of the Cleveland atmosphere. From "they've cleaned up the city real good," to "it's not devastating..." I wasn't really sure what to expect.
Upon my arrival, I was picked up by a gentlemen named Andre, who brought me to my B&B. As we chatted, I learned he's a police officer "by day" and was once part of a former mayor's security entourage. It wasn't till we were halfway to the B&B that Mrs. Blue's voice from Forrest Gump popped into my head.
"Are you crazy? Or just plain stupid?"
Why was I not seizing the opportunity to ask a LOCAL COP about area crime? So after giving me the lowdown on where I should and shouldn't go, Andre also offered me his personal business card and told me to call him if I feel I might need a ride home late at night after the competitions. It was so nice to have my first personal encounter in Cleveland be with someone so considerate.
Andre dropped me off at the house, a Victorian home in the historical district near Rockafeller Park. We were greeted by Martha, one of the inn-keepers. She lives here with her brother, Gary, whom I haven't met yet. She welcomed me into her beautiful living room, filled with homey furniture, African decor, and a fireplace mantle packed with awards, certificates and medals of all kinds. She offered me some juice, and we visited for a while before starting to plan out which buses and trains will get me where I want to go. She too offered to wait up and retrieve me from the Metro after the events each night, and she didn't hesitate to call the Regional Transit Authority to help me plan my trip.
Since the Senior competitions don't begin until tomorrow, I had the rest of the day and evening to kill. After getting settled, I froze my buns as I scoped out the nearby bus stops and tried to find a restaurant for dinner. But it's nothing I wouldn't do back in Wisconsin, where frozen buns are a delicacy.
Tomorrow, I'll be attending the Championship Original Dance and Championship Ladies Short Programs. I'll try to update this page daily with updates, pictures, and stories, trying my best to hide competition results from the at-home viewers who won't see the competition till this weekend. And if you simply can't wait to see results, I'll provide links to the USFS website.
Till tomorrow... enjoy this clip from 30 Rock, which should prove to be an accurate representation of how the rest of my trip will go.
Anyway, I flew into Cleveland today at 2:00 p.m. local time care of a non-stop Continental Express flight from Madison. It didn't dawn on me until Monday that I didn't do much homework as to where my B&B is located in relation to the arena, or the things I should do when I'm not at the skating competitions. I've been too busy with work. How smart I was to leave for vacation the day AFTER the inauguration, a.k.a. the day the news and hype finally dies down following a long election season and the most anticipated changeover of presidential power in recent American history. But whatever - on the bright side, I shouldn't be missing much while I'm away.
Before leaving, I scrambled to dig up some dirt on the safety of my temporary neighborhood and the city at large. I've heard mixed reviews from those who live here, have lived here, or live/lived in Ohio and could only speculate on the quality of the Cleveland atmosphere. From "they've cleaned up the city real good," to "it's not devastating..." I wasn't really sure what to expect.
Upon my arrival, I was picked up by a gentlemen named Andre, who brought me to my B&B. As we chatted, I learned he's a police officer "by day" and was once part of a former mayor's security entourage. It wasn't till we were halfway to the B&B that Mrs. Blue's voice from Forrest Gump popped into my head.
"Are you crazy? Or just plain stupid?"
Why was I not seizing the opportunity to ask a LOCAL COP about area crime? So after giving me the lowdown on where I should and shouldn't go, Andre also offered me his personal business card and told me to call him if I feel I might need a ride home late at night after the competitions. It was so nice to have my first personal encounter in Cleveland be with someone so considerate.
Andre dropped me off at the house, a Victorian home in the historical district near Rockafeller Park. We were greeted by Martha, one of the inn-keepers. She lives here with her brother, Gary, whom I haven't met yet. She welcomed me into her beautiful living room, filled with homey furniture, African decor, and a fireplace mantle packed with awards, certificates and medals of all kinds. She offered me some juice, and we visited for a while before starting to plan out which buses and trains will get me where I want to go. She too offered to wait up and retrieve me from the Metro after the events each night, and she didn't hesitate to call the Regional Transit Authority to help me plan my trip.
Since the Senior competitions don't begin until tomorrow, I had the rest of the day and evening to kill. After getting settled, I froze my buns as I scoped out the nearby bus stops and tried to find a restaurant for dinner. But it's nothing I wouldn't do back in Wisconsin, where frozen buns are a delicacy.
Tomorrow, I'll be attending the Championship Original Dance and Championship Ladies Short Programs. I'll try to update this page daily with updates, pictures, and stories, trying my best to hide competition results from the at-home viewers who won't see the competition till this weekend. And if you simply can't wait to see results, I'll provide links to the USFS website.
Till tomorrow... enjoy this clip from 30 Rock, which should prove to be an accurate representation of how the rest of my trip will go.