Tu-Fr

Told ya I'd be a gone a couple of days!

A friend of mine and I took off on a spur of the moment mini vacation to Cleveland. The agenda was the Cleveland Zoo, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, a nice dinner out and maybe sight seeing on the way home.

If you're a zoo fan like I am, I recommend the Cleveland Zoo and Rain Forest for a day trip. Yes. I said Rain Forest. In a 2 acre 2 story building. Very cool.

Here are a couple of pics from the zoo...

Finding Nemo...

Prettty kitty! Ok, Snow Leopard. It was a pity he was too CLOSE to get a clearer pic as he looked into the sunshine... NOT!

Another close-up kitty (Cheetah)

The next day was cloudy, chilly and rained on and off all day. So it was perfect for the RockandRoll Hall of Fame and Museum!

You're not permitted to take pics inside the exhibits but you can in the lobbies. I sent these next two pics to my favorite Guitar Hero fan back in MI, Joshua.

Four of Jerry Garcia's guitars...

The blue one in the center is Kurt Cobain's guitar!

Me and the Rock Hall

Outside the Rock Hall sits the U.S.S. Cod, a decomissioned Navy submarine that is a museum. It was closed but I had to take a pic. (This one's for you, Bre!)

Dinner that night was in Cleveland's Warehouse District at a funky place called FatFishBlue . We got to hear a really good blues and jazz group called JD and the All Stars and had a fantastic meal including a beer I'd never heard of and am now practically stalking! It's called Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager. (Pic below) If you know where I can get it here in MI, I expect a comment with directions!

Yesterday found us driving through downtown once again to find that the Market Square in Ohio City wasn't open on Thursdays. We still enjoyed the area and seeing the growth of the city, with plenty of new loft apartments, boutiques and coffee houses.

Bummed that the Market wasn't open we headed to NASA's Glenn Research Center, an active research facility and museum that also conducts free tours... Only to find that you have to be a US citizen to get in ~ and one of us wasn't. I did get to hear and learn a new phrase though as my friend exclaimed: "That Frosts My Drawers!" It was all I could do not to crack up.

This is as close as we got.

No matter. We were tired and needed to get back in time for me to attend the end of year banquet for the Troy Police Explorers. It was a relaxing and talkative drive home.

Joshua and Tim got home from school and rehearsal to turn around and leave for the banquet. After dinner was served and cleared the ceremony started. Lovely, eh?

Joshua's friend Ryan B., with whom he joined the Explorers group back in January.

Joshua and Ryan were recognized for their Police Duty and Community Service hours and awarded a pin.

Moms got to take home a centerpiece that is nestled in a Troy Police Officer coffee mug!

I also talked to V last night. She's ok but is going through a series of frustrations. We had a good chat.

So... from Tuesday through Friday morning, that's all the news!