There's nothing like a Browns fan...I think...

Columbus Day weekend.  We planned a trip to Cleveland, OH.  Far enough away to feel like a vacation, but not so far as to feel like a whirlwind trip.  We got a good deal on a hotel (which, we haven't stayed in a hotel for vacation in 4 years), and planned on doing family centered activities, but didn't really put together a whole agenda.

Temple St. Entrance to SUNY Fredonia.

Mama and Adam, walking a familiar route.

We left early Saturday morning, and decided to make a quick stop at our alma mater, Fredonia State University.  Turns out it was homecoming weekend, so the campus was already starting to "buzz".  We toured the music building, Mason Hall, and marveled at the changes since we were first there in 1995!  We stopped at the Starbucks on campus (new addition) before leaving.  We got Adam to take a picture of us, and showed him where we lived and met.

Dada and Adam walking into Mason Hall.

Many hours spent in desks like this.

Some kind of monitor lizard.

'Roo ears at the Zoo.

After about an hour we continued on towards Cleveland.  Our first stop before checking in to the Hotel was the Cleveland MetroParks Zoo.  Very nice zoo, with some big hills (we took the tram...).  We spent about 4 hours walking around, and Adam loved it.  And to think, 4 years ago I walked the park at 300 pounds!

After that it was check in time at the hotel, and dinner time.  We aren't big fancy eaters (mostly because of the price), and so we didn't go to the hotel's restaurant (a steak was $45.  I am sure it was an awesome steak, but not for $45!) and instead went to the Denny's next door, where I was hoping to get wings.  But they don't carry wings anymore, apparently.  So I got a sirloin steak, which was pretty good, Lisa got a big salad, and Adam had...chocolate chip pancakes!

After that, it was time to swim in the hotel pool.  It was cold, but the pool had bathrooms, which had showers, and I had a genius idea.  Get in the hot shower, but slowly lower the temperature, and then when I get in the pool, I would be fine.  It worked!  We had a nice swim, but got out when some teenage girls (cheerleaders?) got in and did their usual loud fun.  No offense, but not my favorite environment...

So after swimming, we decided to get room service - wings for me and Lisa, and fries for Adam.  And it was less than $45.  And it was very good.

So, the next morning our plans were to go to the Greater Cleveland Aquarium and the Great Lakes Science Center.  We stopped at a local Bob Evans, and Lisa and I had omelets, and Adam had...Chocolate Chip Pancakes.  Again.

Cleveland Lift bridge

Checking out a turtle.

On the way to the Aquarium we had to stop for a lift bridge (way different than the Albion lift bridges), and I noticed some folks tailgating in a parking lot.  I said, "Oh, there must be a Browns game today."  More on that later.

So, on to the aquarium, which was great!  It wasn't huge (like the National Aquarium in Baltimore), but it was better than our local aquarium in Niagara Falls (I'm not knocking Niagara, but it could use some updating), and amazingly clean, well laid out, and the staff was awesome.  Adam got to pet stingrays, and see sharks.

Petting the Stingrays.

Sea Anemone.

The Leg Lamp is in the window.

Christmas Story House.

 After leaving the Aquarium, we started heading toward the Science Center (with a brief photo drive-by of "The Christmas Story" house).  As we got closer, we saw more and more brown and orange.  The Browns game.  And apparently I had forgotten that the Stadium and The Science Center are right next door to each other.  Parking lots were packed, and to pay for parking would have been $25!  As we waited in traffic, trying to decide if we should go or not, we were amazed at the sub-culture we were seeing as we waited in standstill traffic on the highway.  Brown and orange buses, modified to look like dogs.  Pickup football games in the parking lots.  Drinking, and loud music. It was brown and orange as far as the eye could see.  We even saw a man relieving himself (sorry, no picture) - he courteously went behind his bus attempting to be unseen, but unfortunately, that meant he was facing oncoming traffic, and us.  Interesting.  There's nothing like a Browns fan.

I think we saw this one.

I guess what I take away from all of that, is that I don't understand the professional sports culture.  I know I have running role models (Ryan Hall, Steve Prefontaine, Dean Karnazes), but I don't idolize them.  I understand how people can be entertained by football (and other pro sports), but I don't understand the deep obsession some people have with it.  I guess one could say the same about music (I'm not talking Pop or Rock stars), and professional Symphonies and performers.  But somehow, I don't think they are the same.

So, in the end, after looking at the Science center website and seeing that the parking lot devoted to the Science Center actually was used for Browns game parking, we decided to leave Cleveland and be on our merry way.

On the way home we stopped at Subway.  We stopped in Erie, PA, at a place where you can get your own custom Jelly Belly mix (Adam, not me).  Our lasts top before home was Batavia.  We stopped at Target to look for a pink shirt for the Making Strides walk on Sunday.  Then it was on to home (which when we arrived, was WASP-FREE...).

Any big revelations for me on this trip?  Not horribly huge...but I thought of this verse:
^{Matthew 6:19-21...19} “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

I thought of all those Browns fans, drinking, carousing...I am not trying to judge, but I wonder...where do they think their treasure is?  I know where mine is.  It was in the good time that I had with my family, and I think God would be pleased that we spent time together.  That is not an earthly treasure, I think.  I treasure the love we all have for each other, and the love only comes to us through Christ.

I. Hate. Wasps.

And I don't mean people of english descent.  Actually, they might be hornets, but either way, I hate the things.  Nothing in the world makes me want to curse, swear, and throw things more than these little stinkin' pests.

My   n e m e s i s . . . 

It's the time of year when it happens.  I get that.  Somehow they have been finding their way into the house.  I don't know where - I can see on the outside (near a soffit/eave/vinyl siding gap), but not on the inside.  So they must be coming in behind something (a cupboard, the stove, or...?).  We had the local pest control guy come and spray again (he guarantees through December), and it looks like this time he used some of the powder stuff too.  Except I think now they are trying to escape INTO the house.  I almost have nightmares about it.  I am hoping that the temperature starts to drop soon and kills them all off.  They are at a high activity right now, so I am not about to go tearing off siding and try to find wherever they are nesting.  And right now, I don't feel like we have the money to pay a pro (probably the local pest control guy again) to come do the investigating for us.  We just paid for a new roof, which looks awesome, but took a huge chunk out of the savings.

I hate them.

That's a strong word, I know, but it's the only way to express it.  I don't feel that way about much else in this world.  I am not allergic to them, but I know they sting, and make my heart race a little just thinking about them.

I can't imagine loving them.  The aggressive, stinging, nuisance of a pest.  But somehow, we are called to love our "enemies".  I am going to go out on a limb here and say that I don't think Christ was talking about wasps, but you can see the parrallel, right?

I am sure we all have times where we would rather just get rid of the nuisance, and never deal with it again.  Or at least cover it up and pretend they aren't there.  But have we really dealt with the root of the issue?  Not really.

Sometimes we have to buck up and dive into the "hornet's nest" - something that scares the life out of me.  I am not myself an extrovert, and don't like to put myself in situations where I have to confront someone (an enemy?) about something, much less try to love them.  One of my good friends is good at that, but it's really not him - it's him listening to what God is telling him to do, and knowing that when the time comes the words, the strength, and the love, will be there.  I can only pray that when the time comes, he will do the same for me.   I know I am not allergic to loving my enemies, but I know that they can hurt me, and it makes my heart race to think about confronting them.

So, for now, I will wait for the right time to tear into the wall (of my own psyche, and the wall of the house) and confront mine enemies.  God will give us the resources to make it happen, and put before us a task which is important to him.

But I will still hate the wasps.

Happy Birthday, to me.

There's something to be said for doing what you want on your birthday.  After putting in a full day of school on Wednesday, my family and I went to Applebee's for dinner, where I was able to get a free entrée because I'm part of their email club.  The dessert was a free hot fudge sundae shooter, which I gave to Adam to eat!  I wasn't planning on having any kind of dessert, and after Applebee's we went to swimming lessons at the Y.  Afterwards, I decided that wanted to stop at a local chocolatier and get a treat.  I did get a few small things for my family, however for myself I got peanut brittle, peanut butter candies, and some espresso mix (chocolate covered espresso beans, basically).  All of them were delicious, but I couldn't finish the peanut brittle, or the espresso mix.  My eyes were definitely far bigger than my stomach, but it was something that I wanted to do.  Not exactly what I should have done, but it enjoyed it nonetheless.

The problem came later.  Actually at about 1:30am, to be more precise, when my left foot/ankle decided to get a cramp.  Not fun.  I have found in the last 6 months that when I over indulge on sugar, I get night cramps (and sometimes day cramps, depending on when the indulgence happens).

What did I learn from this?  Nothing really.  I knew they would give me cramps, but I did it anyway.  I continued to make the mistake, even though I knew it would happen.

Lisa has pretty effectively cut out sugar from her diet, and I have been letting it in far too often.  One could say that nutrition wise, I have fallen from grace.  But thankfully, I know the way back.

What happens when we fall from the grace of God?  Actually - that doesn't happen!  Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.  His love is unconditional, but ours is fickle, and we sometimes forget that we cannot be separated, and instead we focus on the earthly desires and distractions that make us feel like we have lost our way.

The amazing thing is, when we focus on Heaven, on Christ, those earthly desires fade away, and those distractions resolve into chances for ministry.

So, Monday, I start again; see if I can get to that 15%.  First day of the rest of my life, and all that....

...

All right - that's all I've got!