A Hectic Day

My first day in Ohio was busy seeing some friends and running around taking care of some tasks that I needed to do.  There was also some running around that I had not expected.

In the morning I met my Ohio cousin Gail at a local restaurant for breakfast.  We had a leisurely meal and caught up on what has been going on in our lives since we saw each other last.  

Next came a trip to the pharmacy where I usually go for my COVID and flu shots.  Even though I can not use my coverage in Mexico, I still have my Medicare and health insurance.  I am still in the pharmacy's system, so I do not have to pay for my shots.   After a short wait, I got my two jabs.

Next was a trip to the supermarket to pick up some things that I can't get in Mexico, such as the brands of deodorant and bar soap that I prefer.  Next stop was the post office where I bought stamps for the Christmas cards which I had already made out and which I had packed in my suitcase.  (No, I am not sending them now.)  I also stopped at Office Max to buy greeting card envelopes for future use.  They have Office Max in Mexico City, but oddly enough, they do not have the correct size of envelopes to use with my Christmas cards.  Whenever I visit Ohio, I always buy a couple of boxes so that I will have them for next year and beyond.

My next task was something I had not planned on.  The night before, after I had picked up my rental car, the low tire pressure warning light had come on.  In the morning I stopped at the gas station and put some air into the low tire.  It was fine for a while but then the warning light came on again.  When I was at the post office, I noticed that there was a bolt stuck in the tire.  So, I went back to the car rental center near the airport, and they switched me to a different car.  It all worked out OK, but it was an annoyance that I had not expected.

Finally, in the early evening, I went out for dinner with my friend Frank.  It was not only a chance to socialize with him, but I gave him my bundle of Christmas cards.  Around Thanksgiving he will send them out for me.

I accomplished most of what I needed to do.  Now I can visit a few more friends in the short time that I am here, and do the main reason for this trip... VOTE! 

Flying North

On Wednesday, I flew to Ohio via Houston.  I had a lot of frequent flyer miles, so I used them for business / first class tickets.  Alejandro drove me to the airport two hours ahead of time, and I did not have to wait in line at all to check in.  The whole airport experience would have been effortless, except for one problem going through security.  I have a friend whose son loves "axolotls", the salamander-like creature which is native to Mexico.  I bought him a night light, a glass globe with what I suppose you would call a holographic image of an "axolotl" within it.  After my carry-on passed through the x-ray, the security person had me open my backpack for inspection.  She said that the globe was not allowed.  Alejandro was still waiting just outside of security, so I gave it to him, and then passed through again.  Other than that disappointment, everything went smoothly.

As I was headed to my gate, I could see through the window the two volcanoes, "Popo" (to the right) and "Izta".

The flight to Houston boarded right on time and left the gate ahead of schedule.

By the time we took off, the volcanoes were shrouded in clouds and no longer visible.

The remnants of Lake Texcoco which once covered much of the valley.

In the left corner you can see part of the unfinished international airport which was abandoned at great cost so that former President López Obrador could build his vanity project airport at greater distance from the city.

We head out over the Gulf of Mexico.

Shortly after this we began our descent into the Houston area.

We arrived at our gate twenty minutes ahead of schedule.

Even though I had a two hour layover in Houston, when I made my flight reservations, I was a bit worried that I had not scheduled enough time to pass through immigration, recheck my luggage, pass through security again, and make it to the gate for the flight to Cleveland.  There was one trip to Ohio some years ago in which I missed my connecting flight because the line at immigration was so long.

Perhaps I lucked out because of the time of day, but there was no line at all.  Plus, the entire procedure has been changed since my last trip north of the border, at least for U.S. passport holders.  I did not even have to show my passport; I simply had my photo taken.  I went downstairs to the luggage carousels, and within a few minutes I had my suitcase.  I checked the time, and it was 12:55,  the time when my flight from Mexico was supposed to arrived in Houston.  So, I was way ahead of the game timewise.

The line passing through security was not too bad.  I did not have to take off my shoes or remove my laptop from my bag.  The gate for my connecting flight was within easy walking distance from there, and one of the United Club lounges was nearby.  Since I was flying internationally on business class I was entitled to use the United Club.  I had not thought that I would have enough time to do so, but I still had an hour before my Cleveland flight was scheduled to board.  So I was able to take advantage of the lounge, have a bite to eat, relax, and send a message to Alejandro that I was in Houston with time to spare.

As it turned out, boarding on my connecting flight was delayed by about a half hour.  Nevertheless, we were able to make up the time, and I arrived in Cleveland on schedule.

 Taking off from Houston

According to the flight map, we were somewhere over Arkansas here.

When we reached Cleveland, it was raining lightly and it was almost night.  We circled to the east and flew over downtown Cleveland before landing at the airport.

You can see the baseball stadium where the Cleveland Guardians play.

The Cuyahoga River snaking its way past downtown

On previous trips, I have arrived in Cleveland airport much later at night.  It was strange to see the airport busy with travelers and all the shops and restaurants open.  I picked up my suitcase, took the shuttle bus to the car rental center, picked up my car, and drove to my hotel where I am staying for my first two nights.  It was a long day, but there were no major problems. 

Vote!

 

And that's why I traveled 1,800 miles from Mexico City to Cleveland, Ohio, to vote in person at the Board of Elections!

Welcome to October

I am now in Ohio, but I prepared this post ahead of time.  The photo for October on my calendar is of the palace garden in Munich, Germany.

Before Germany became unified, Bavaria was a separate kingdom with its capital at Munich.  The Bavarian rulers lived in a royal palace known as the "Residenz".  Behind it is the "Hofgarten" or Court Garden which is now a public park  It was laid out in 1613 by Maximilian I.    In the center of the park is a pavilion known as the Temple of Diana.  In the background is the chancellery of the state of Bavaria.

Packed and Ready to Go

Within an hour after this entry is published, Alejandro will be driving me to the airport for a trip back to Ohio.  The purpose of this trip is to do early voting at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections in Cleveland. I believe that this year's midterm election is one of the most important in U.S. history, certainly the most important in my lifetime.  This is our chance to put the brakes on the Orange Pendejo's insane agenda to destroy our country.

It will be a short trip, and Alejandro will not be accompanying me.  I will have a chance to see a few of my friends in the week that I am there, but unfortunately not all of them.  If any of you are reading this, my apologies for not having the time to schedule a get together with you.

Volcanoes in the Morning

This morning, while Alejandro was taking his sister to work, he sent me a voice message saying that you could see the volcanoes this morning.  So, I climbed up to the roof and took these photos...

Popocatépetl (Popo for short) was fuming as usual and wreathed in low-hanging clouds.  Can you make out the snow on top of the peak?

To the left of Popo is Iztaccíhuatl (Izta for short).

Not My Cup of Tea

A short while ago I wrote about the book "Rules of Civility" by Amor Towles.  I said that although I had enjoyed two of his other book, that one was not my favorite.  Some critics compared it to F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby", and I stated that I did not care much for "The Great Gatsby" either when I read it many years ago.

The next book that I picked from my bookshelf was another Fitzgerald novel, "Tender Is the Night", and it simply confirmed my opinion that he is not my cup of tea.

The novel portrays a wealthy couple Nicole and Dick Driver who are vacationing on the French Riviera.  Among the group of expatriates with whom they socialize is teenaged Rosemary Hoyt, and up and coming movie starlet who falls in love with Dick.  The characters mirror Fitzgerald, who was descending deeper into alcoholism, and his wife Zelda who was institutionalized after being diagnosed with schizophrenia.  Even Rosemary is based on a young movie star with whom Fitzgerald had an affair.

Frankly, I have to wonder if Fitzgerald was drunk when he wrote this novel.  I found his writing style difficult to follow, at times incomprehensible. There was passage after passage in which I had no idea what he was writing.  I was reading words, they were written in English, yet I was lost.  I soon grew weary of trying to decipher them.  After reading about one hundred pages, I finally said, "Enough!"  Life is too short to waste time on a book that I am not enjoying.

Many critics consider "Tender Is the Night" to be Fitzgerald's masterpiece and one of the greatest novels of the 20th century.  I'm sorry if that makes me an uncultured Philistine, but the book is going back on the shelf unfinished.