Afforability

All of my friends here in Ohio are complaining about the high price of everything!

(image taken from the internet)

Playing Cards

While staying with Katie and Olivier, they taught me a card game that I had never heard of... something called "crapette".  It is a form of solitaire for more than one player, and the first person to get rid of all of their cards is the winner.

I tried to do some research on the origins of the game on the internet.  It appears to be of Russian origin, but the version they play uses a French deck of Tarot cards (not the Tarot cards used by fortune tellers, but the ones used in some European card games).  There are four suits as in the deck that we are are used to, but each suit has four face cards... King, Queen, Knight, and Valet.  In addition there are 21 numbered cards that do not belong to any suit and a card that is similar to the joker.  The game is not really difficult, but you have to look carefully to not miss an opportunity to play one of your cards.  I won the first two games we played, but that was "beginner's luck, and because their daughter was helping me.  Later, my luck ran out.

Katie gave me a deck of cards and the rules of the game to take back to Mexico.  However, I have never seen Alejandro and his family play cards, so I don't know if they will want to learn.

Fine Dining in Cleveland

You don't often think of Cleveland, Ohio, as a center of fine dining, but the city is indeed gaining a reputation for its wide variety of excellent food, from the ethnic food stalls at the West Side Market to elegant "haute cuisine" restaurants.  

I have been spending some time at the home of my friends Katie and Olivier.  Katie is a French teacher and was one of my colleagues way back before I retired.  Her husband Olivier is originally from France.  They both know French cuisine, so when they recommended a restaurant on the east side of Cleveland, I figured that the food would be top notch.

The restaurant, which is called "Edwins", has a unique story.  The chef, Brandon Chrostowski, studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and he worked at prestigious restaurants in Chicago, Paris and New York before coming to Cleveland.

In his youth, Chrostowski had a run-in with the law.  When he came to Cleveland he established a non-profit organization called "Edwins Leadership and Restaurant Institute"  (Edwin is his middle name, and it is also short for Education Wins.)  He trained former prison inmates in order to give them them a second chance.  In 2013 he opened his own restaurant, and all of the staff are "graduates" of his training program.

"Edwins" is located in Cleveland Heights in an old building that used to be a jazz club.  The decor is very elegant, and there was live music.

Olivier and Katie

(That is Chef Chrostowski in the background.)

We were joined by their daughter Nina and her boyfriend, Antoine.

Nina and Antoine recently finished their master's degrees at the University of Bordeaux, and are in Cleveland for a visit.

The food definitely did not disappoint.  I had squash soup, and potato-wrapped grouper with fresh green beans in a red butter sauce.  The food was superb, and the service was attentive.  I was very happy to have experienced this unique restaurant!

Being Political Again

I am keeping very busy here in Ohio, so I am simply posting this image (I guess the modern term for it is a "meme") which I found on the internet...

 Is that a promise?!!!

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!