What I Did on My Summer Staycation

Well, I didn't go spelunking, but at least my two vacation days this week were spent doing fun stuff.

Following the lead of local author Erin O'Brien, we took an urban hike through Cleveland's Flats, exploring the bridges via a route she had mapped out. It's easy to forget that there are breathtaking things to see right in your own neighborhood. When we lived in the Washington, DC area, many of my co-workers hadn't been to a Smithsonian museum or the monuments for years. I used to think this was odd. But this week, I realized I'm just as bad. I'd never seen this particular view of the city of my birth.

The story is really all about the photos, a few of which I'm sharing here. Our goal is to go back to the Scranton Flats and do the path that hugs the Cuyahoga River.

Thanks to the internets, I also discovered a new favorite place to shop in Lakewood, called The Lion and Blue.  Lots of cool, woo-woo stuff. Crystals and scarves and trinkets and stuff.

On the second day of my glorious absence from work, we decided to go see a movie. The cool thing was it was discount day, so we only paid an arm to see the show and buy some treats. Plus, the theater was nearly empty, which suited us just fine. No loud talkers or wailing babies. We sat in the back row. Playing on the big screen in 3D was Minions, the prequel to Despicable Me. Great fun, indeed, especially if you lived through (or simply "get") the 1960s. Lots of sly references, very Bugs Bunny.

What amazes me about today's movies is all of the commercials. The cinema companies put together a short film to "entertain" you while you wait for the 17 movie previews before your film begins.
This short is a bunch of ads cobbled together. We usually get settled in our seats 10 minutes or so ahead of time, so we get to view most of this. Fortunately, there is a summary at the end, so we can see the ads we missed. Me being me, most of my snack has disappeared before the opening credits of the the movie.

It's nice to stay in town and toodle around. You save on the expense of transportation and lodging. No packing or unpacking. Of course, you still have chores nagging you to be completed. But they could  wait.

And they did.