Last week was a rough week at work. The first two weeks of a new school year are always rough, but this year was a doozy, with lots of odd software problems. Friday was particularly rough, and by Friday afternoon, I had more or less had my fill of people. So, for the first time in years, I told Mer I was skipping the CVCA picnic.

Every year, CVCA has a picnic for the faculty and staff and their families. It is generally a good time, and I like my colleagues. Last Friday, though, I needed some downtime. I did make a dessert to send to the picnic with Mer, who still went. I stayed home and watch an old episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

I did manage to muster myself out of my self-imposed exile to continue my band-cheering tradition. As often as I can make it to a CVCA home football game, I go early and cheer like mad as the band marches to the stadium. I like it, and the kids think it is weird but seem to appreciate it. I did manage to get to CVCA in time to cheer the band, and then I (sort of) watched the football game until halftime. Several former students to whom Mer and I are close came up in the stands to visit me (and Mer, when she arrived in the second quarter), so I split my attention between them and the game. I’m afraid it was not much of a game. CVCA has been good for years, but this game we were behind 35-0 at the half. I did enjoy the band’s halftime show, which is playing music from the musical Les Mis. Mer and I left after halftime.

Saturday was a very mellow day. I was still in a slightly irritated mood from the rough week, and I also had to cut my Saturday morning run short because of back problems, so I was really put out. It was “my” day, so I decided we should stay in and watch The Dark Night, the second of the most recent Batman movies. That was pretty much it for Saturday.

Last Thursday, Mer and I headed up to eastern Cleveland to meet up with her friend Jill. Jill is a fun person, so Mer and I were both looking forward to the evening. Plus, Jill was recommending we go to the very cool Coventry neighborhood. Coventry has great restaurants and unusual shops.

We started the evening with a fantastic dinner at Tommy’s. Mer and I had been to Tommy’s a couple years ago, and were happy to be going back. The food was excellent, and Tommy’s has pretty good art on the wall. This time, it was really spiffy thread drawings that I liked quite a bit. Tommy’s also endears itself to us because one of the main entrances into the restaurant is to and from a book store, where we spent a few minutes browsing.

Jill then encouraged us to check out the local toy store, saying we would like it. She was quite right. The store has lots of original fifties-through-eighties toys in stock for sale, and has lots of currently produced, but retro in style, merchandise. There were Star Wars action figures and comic book heroes and cartoon characters from the eighties and gag gifts and old video games and more. The place was crammed with interesting things, and we spent about an hour in there. It is a great place.

We dropped Jill off at her place and headed home, as we had to work on Friday. A great meal and reliving my youth are hard to beat for a way to spend an evening.

Saturday was Mer’s day, and she started us out by heading north to the Holden Arboretum. We are members there, so we get in free, and Mer wanted to see if we could make a good attempt at walking all the trails there before our membership runs out in October.

It was a sunny and slightly hot day, but pretty in the shade. Happily, most of the trails were in the shade. We got a trail map, and Mer took us on the 1.5-mile-long Bole Woods Trail. The woods trail was pretty, but I was surprised at how quickly the trail looped back on itself. I guess I am used to the longer trails in the park system around our house. We followed that walk by about two miles through the fenced-in Rhododendron Garden (it is fenced to keep deer out). The rhododendrons were mostly past bloom, but it is a serene and beautiful garden to walk in, with small ponds and lots of bushes and trees. We spent quite a lot of time wandering the maze of trails in the garden.

We headed back to the parking lot using a circuitous route of trails, stopping off at an observation tower meant for kids. It overlooked a marshy area that was fairly dry, as we have had little rain of late. We had the tower and environs to ourselves, and although not jaw-dropping scenery, it was pleasant. We finished off our trail walk and got back to the car, where we headed southwest, where we eventually stopped off at a Panera for supper. Panera is not the most romantic of places, but we had a gift card, and the food is very good.

The ultimate destination of the evening, though, was Chagrin Falls. Chagrin Falls is a very cute town with a walking path, a river, a dramatic set of falls, cute shops and good restaurants, and a small but very good community theater. We found a parking spot in a lot on the far side of the falls, which forced us to walk past them. As such, we discovered that there were stairs down to the foot of the falls, which we checked out. I was mad that I had forgotten my camera; it was quite lovely in the evening light.

We wandered over to the theater, where Mer picked up tickets to the sold-out evening’s performance of the musical Hairspray. We still had time before we had to be in our seats, so we used it to wander along the river above the falls along a beautiful walking path. We swung through a couple of blocks of the town on the way back to the theater, just to check out the town. Since the two main ice cream places are right around the falls, the area was pretty busy.

We got back to the theater in time and found our seats. Mer had found out about the show through one of her students. The student, Abby, had a part in the chorus. Normally, the chorus seems like a minor role, but they were on stage a lot of the time. Hairspray has lots of big song-and-dance numbers, so there were lots of times where ten or more people were on stage at the same time.

Briefly, Hairspray is a musical that takes place in Baltimore in the early 1960s and is about a chunky girl with big hair who loves the pop music of the day. She follows her music and her dreams and lands a spot on a whites-only TV music show, and she shows off dance moves she learned from black friends. The musical manages to stay fluffy and tongue-in-cheek while having a plot line of integrating the TV program. There is a lot of humor and the music is catchy.

The Chagrin Valley Little Theater did a marvelous job with the show. They had a ten-piece (or so) orchestra on the stage at the back of the stage, and they really did have a huge cast. All of the main players were excellent, and there were only one or two bit roles where the acting seemed a bit forced at times. The music was top-notch. I was really impressed that a small community theater could put on such a large musical. The only issue they had was with the sound system – the microphone on the lead was acting up and buzzing at times. Happily, it only happened a few times, so it did not take away from the overall show.

Mer and I had been to the Chagrin Valley Little Theater last winter, and it was nice to come back when it was not snowing and when we could wander around the town some. I’m looking forward to going back this upcoming season.

Last Friday was a fun night, even though it may not blog as anything too special. Mer and I went to Canton to Aunt Mary’s, where she made us dinner, and we watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! While that sounds fairly tame, it was just what I needed: a quiet evening with people I enjoy. We laughed a lot, and the food was excellent (including generous amounts of whipped potatoes, which I rarely make for myself). I felt relaxed and happy, and it was just what the nurse ordered (Aunt Mary is a nurse).

The students who graduated last May are starting to gear up to go to college. A couple of them made an effort to look me up before they went, which made me feel pretty special. On Wednesday, Ben, who worked for me this summer, came over to play the Wii version of Super Mario Brothers. I had played Super Mario Brothers when I was in college back in the early 1990s, but Mer had never played. It was much fun watching her play. She did quite well for a first-time player, but the real joy was hearing her cry out when bad guys came close. It was a sociable time, as all three of us could play at the same time. Ben clearly was the best of the three of us; I have lost any touch I might have had. It was a great time nonetheless.

On Thursday, I drove up to Hudson to meet one of my CVCA Connections guys, Nate. We met up at Cold Stone Creamery, where we munched on ice cream outside while we talked. We both wanted to keep talking after we were done eating, but I don’t like sitting around, as most restaurant seats get uncomfortable after about forty-five minutes. So, we took to our feet and walked all over Hudson, walking out of the new shopping square, past the library, back into the residential areas, into the old town square, down the main street and back to Cold Stone. It was a great visit. We said goodbye, and I dashed into Cold Stone to pick up an ice cream cake for me and Mer, since she had not had any ice cream. It turns out that the cakes are quite expensive, and while quite good, not twice as good as the bigger Dairy Queen cakes, which cost half as much. Mind you, we still enjoyed it.

Here’s to Ben and Nate! I hope and pray they have great college experiences!

Mer and I were pleased to get an invitation to a party hosted by Linda Rocha, who has worked out in the CVCA guidance department for about twenty-five years. The party was to be at her house, up in eastern Cleveland, and it took place on Saturday afternoon.

Mer and I found the house with no problems, thanks to our GPS. Linda and Bill’s house is in a middle-class neighborhood of close-set homes. The house was cute and well maintained, but it was small across the front, so I was wondering how crowded the party was going to be, especially since it was a cool and cloudy day, so eating al fresco might not be a great option.

I need not have worried. Linda’s husband, Bill, is a mason by trade and can build just about anything. Bill had added an entire wing onto the back of the house, which included a huge dining area that could have seated thirty people comfortably. Linda had some of her family there, as well as her closest CVCA friends, including my colleague Phil and his wife. In all, counting a bunch of kids, there probably were about thirty people there. Linda and Bill had laid out a huge spread of rather wonderful looking food, to which I added my chocolate chocolate chip cookies.

Phil and Laurie made room for us at the end of their table, and we had a good visit with them while eating too much food. Laurie had brought a huge Texas sheet cake, which I went back for thirds on, and Linda had provided a couple of small M and M cakes, which were quite good. We stayed for about two hours before we headed homeward. It was a good gathering.

On the way home, we went through the Valley as a change of scene from the highway. We stopped off at the covered bridge on Everett Road. I had never been there before, and in addition to the place being pretty, there were several placards giving the history of how the Cuyahoga Valley National Park was set aside as a park; the movement was spearheaded by a couple of area congressmen, and gained popular support in the late sixties and seventies. I am deeply grateful that the Valley still exists as a park; it makes living in NE Ohio special and relaxing.

Linda’s party was followed by another one on Sunday, and a party that was unique to us so far in our lives. We go to a ton of CVCA graduation parties during the summer, but this was the first one-year-later party we had ever been to. One of Mer’s former students, Sam, wanted to throw a party so he could see his CVCA friends, and he invited us. I like Sam, and I now have his bother Haydn in my CVCA Connections group, so I was excited to go.

The party was in Sam’s back yard, which is narrow and overlooks a steep drop down a tree-encrusted hill. It is very peaceful and beautiful. Sam was manning the grill, turning out chicken kabobs, and there were lots of chips and other finger foods. I had brought my cookies as my contribution, and Sam’s parents later unveiled a sundae bar. Dubbs showed up, and our former student Faith, and several others who were or had been Mer’s students. It was a merry little gathering, and we stayed for about three hours before heading home, well fed on yet another weekend.

John recently graduated from CVCA and is about to head off to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. For the last two years, John was in my CVCA Connections group (a small group of men who met every Thursday for thirty-five minutes). John is a fantastic young man; he is funny, and talented in music, and truly wants to follow Jesus. He is pretty remarkable in my eyes. I am honored that, for whatever reason, John looks up to me and admirs me. I am at a loss as to why, but after thinking long about it, I decided to take it as a gift, and I appreciate it.

John’s father, also named John, e-mailed me last week and asked if I would join him and John at a dinner to wish John well as he went off to college. John, Sr., was assembling many of the men who were strong influences on John, Jr., and wanted to thank them with a meal, and to have us give John parting advice and a favorite Bible verse or two. I was happy to accept.

The meal was at a local diner, Eddie’s Deli and Diner, and was held last Thursday. This was a restaurant that John and his friends and several teachers would frequent on occasional Thursdays, when it was “wing night” – when you could get unlimited wings as well as soup, rolls, potato, and dessert. It’s quite a deal, and the long meal encourages fellowship. In all, there were about twelve of us. Most of the men present were CVCA faculty, but there were a couple of non-CVCA men there as well. John’s best friend and future roommate, Ben, was also there.

We put in our orders, and then John, Sr., had us go around one at a time to encourage John. We told him something we liked or admired about him, and shared a Bible verse, and gave him some advice. John, Sr., wrote everything down for John in a book for his edification when he was at college. People talked about John’s willingness to serve, and his faithfulness to his friends, and his willingness to reach out to people. Good things were said. I told John that he was a friend, and I hated to see him go. I told him that when things get rough or I get confused, I always go back to Peter’s asking Jesus, “Lord, you have the words of life. Where else shall we go?” For advice, I reminded John that  I had given him three pages of bullet points of life lessons in our last meeting in Connections.

I think the meal was good for John, but it was also good for us. There were a lot of good men at that table, and I enjoyed being there. I will miss John, but I am excited to see what he will do as he moves ahead. He has many gifts, and he is eager to serve God. That is a magical combination.

Yesterday (Wednesday) was our fourteenth wedding anniversary. We usually save the “real” celebration for a weekend so that we can be relaxed about whatever we try to do, rather than trying to cram it all in a few hours after work. Still, I decided to take a half-day off from work so Mer and I could spend the afternoon together.

I thought it would be nice to go for a walk, and on a recent drive in the Valley, I had seen a sign for a trail I had not taken before. So, in the mid-afternoon, we drove down to the Valley; Mer saw the sign and exclaimed, jokingly, “Oh, no! Not Wetmore!” It turns out I had forgotten that the Wetmore Trail was a trail we hiked over a year ago, in the spring, and the trail had been incredibly muddy and difficult to walk. I tried to reassure Mer that it would not be muddy this time, as we had had almost no rain for two months. I also told her that the lack of mud would make the hike easy. One out of two ain’t bad.

Because of the mud that had been everywhere on our first walk, I had completely forgotten that the Wetmore Trail is very hilly. Really, really hilly. And the temperature was in the mid-eighties. We got a little sweaty in places, and the trail is four miles long, which turned out to be about a mile longer than I had wanted to go (I was pretty hot and tired by the last mile). The scenery was pretty, and there was no mud. And I was with my love, so that made for a good, albeit hot, afternoon. Mer was a good sport.

I wanted to take Mer out for supper, and figuring that we would be going out to eat “for real” later, I thought it would be fun to take Mer to Cici’s, a pizza buffet. Mer had never been before, and had expressed an interest in going. So, we drove over to Streetsboro only to find that the restaurant was out of business. Rats. So, I punted to a back-up plan: going to Steak ‘n Shake. Mer was very game for that choice as well. She had forgotten that Steak ‘n Shake was a “real” restaurant (not a fast-food restaurant). So, while it was in no way a romantic spot, we both enjoyed the food and the company; we’ll find a romantic restaurant sometime soon.

On the way home, we stopped in Hudson to get separate bags of chocolates. One of the secrets to fourteen years of marriage is to get your own dessert. We took those home, and wrapped the evening up eating chocolates and watching The Big Bang Theory, followed by the Olympics.

Fourteen years of wedded happiness. I love you, Meredith!

Last Friday, our former students Ben and John came over to the house. Not only do I find it amazing that eighteen-year-olds want to hang out with a forty-one-year-old, but they were coming over to teach me and Mer how to play the video game Super Smash Brothers: Brawl. Brawl is pretty much a self-descriptive name for the game – Nintendo took many of the characters from its video game series, and made it so you could use them to have a four-player free-for-all. It is pretty entertaining to watch, but Ben and John wanted us to play it.

I made pizza for the occasion, and Ben got to the house first. He spent the fifteen minutes or so before John got there playing the game, trying to “unlock” new characters. He also tried to explain what he was doing as he was playing. We munched on some pizza, and Ben and John had some food they brought with them as well. Then, we got down to playing.

It was amusing. Ben and John let me and Mer beat on their characters in an attempt to learn the game, which worked pretty well. But every once in awhile, John could not stand it and wiped the floor with me or Mer. He did that not out of spite so much as habit. Mer turned out to be a pretty good player, better than I was. She was particularly good with the old-school video game character Donkey Kong. We had some fun mayhem for about an hour and a half, and then Ben and John had to leave. I’m not saying Mer and I could hold our own with anyone under the age of thirty, but we had a good time with it.