The Road West-Part II

So there I was...in the Northwest Baltimore suburb of Owings Mills, staying at the rather nice Hyatt Place. It was early in the morning of August 27, and I set out on the road. As I mentioned, my original plan to travel via I-70 changed at the last minute, and it dawned on me, as I made my way on to I-68 that (a) I had no road map or atlas of any kind, (b) I had no GPS or phone with any sort of GPS, and (c) I am a man-therefore, I was willing to end up in Florida before stooping to the level to asking for directions. I vaguely remembered that to get to I-80, I would have to drive to Pittsburgh, so away I went. My only stop during the morning was to refuel at a McDonalds in the rural mecca of Cumberland, MD. Now, I am a lover of Southern style biscuits. You can TASTE the lard in a properly made Southern biscuits, and the biscuits that I would eat from fast food chains in the Midwest never seemed to measure up to the SAME biscuits prepared in the ovens of the SAME fast food joints located in Southern states. I'd like to think that the attention to detail that the "biscuit artisans" of the Southern McDonalds observed was due to their own watchful and clucking Grandmothers who KNEW how to make a good biscuit. So it was with great anticipation that I ordered my Southern style Chicken biscuit from McDonalds in Cumberland, and oh man....it did NOT disappoint. The biscuit was hot out of the oven, and the chicken was piping hot as well and perfectly seasoned. I luxuriated over ever bite, and took my time. Although Chicago is my adopted hometown, there are just SOME THINGS that I cannot find in Chicago. Thankfully, those things are alive and well on the road to Cleveland.

So I made my way on I-68 and passed through West Virginia, looping North towards Cleveland. I ended up reaching Cleveland at around 1:30 PM and checked into my hotel. I then made my way to my buddy Aaron's place, and we tooled around North Olmsted for a bit. He and his wife Julie were to take to out to celebrate my birthday, and we had a wonderful evening at Champps. Aaron's original intention was to take me to a nice restaurant, but in actuality, I was looking more for a bistro atmosphere and not a fancy sit-down situation. Suffice it to say, a good time was had by all. We made our way back to Aaron's place, and the kids were already asleep. I put in the first disc of "Arrested Development: Season One", and Aaron and Julie were both hooked by the saga of the Bluths, as I knew they would be. What a great series! Early the next morning, Aaron and I dined at the middle America mecca that is Baker's Square, and I immediately understood one of the root causes for the obesity epidemic in the United States (notwithstanding my own fascination with Southern-style biscuits...so good...). Everything on the Baker's Square menu was laden with fats and carbs. Just by glancing at the menu, I could tell that the entire menu was a landmine. No wonder corporations like Baker's Square, Denny's and IHOP refuse to publish their nutritional information! They would never get people in the door if they knew. Uusually in situations like this, I opt for the fruit plate and oatmeal, but those self-same restaurants always have the WORST oatmeal..a watery gruel that one cannot justify paying for. Would it be too much to ask for some good old fashioned steel-cut oats?

Breakfast aside, Aaron and I had a good time just relaxing and talking. We always have excellent conversations, and these quite moments with one's friends are something that I treasure. The time then came for my return trip to Chicago, and I made my way back to I-80. The trip was uneventful, but I was pleased to see that the Indiana Toll authority would now recognize my I-Pass...this will make trips East that much easier. Now if only the Ohio toll authority would catch up.

When I arrived home, I felt different than I had in the past. This is the first time EVER...well, since moving from my parents' home in Virginia...that I felt like I was HOME. There were the walls, cabinets, granite countertops, and paint colors that I (well, with AH's help with the colors, at least) had chosen. There was MY entertainment set-up. There was MY ginormous king size comfy bed. I felt like I was home, and it felt good. I still need to have a housewarming party, but I also need to do some unpacking. Oh well...time enough for that later.

Next time....my first weeks at work and the fun that is having Eddie and HASWOE living so close by.