Cleveland / Toledo - Music and Fog

Driving by myself for hours at a time has made me much more aware of my surrounding environment. I never used to think much about driving in the rain; for short stretches in a mostly low-speed urban setting, rain doesn't seem like a significant factor. On a highway at night, however, every unexpected bump or twitch of the car makes one wonder if traction is about to be lost completely. Some of those episodes are accompanied by a mild adrenalin dump. One normally associates an adrenalin dump with some sort of active event, so having one while calmly sitting in a comfortable vehicle carries a bit of cognitive dissonance. It's not unpleasant, but it's not my thing and I wonder if those regular rushes of adrenalin contributed to my earlier-than-expected fatigue on the first night of driving.

There was some pretty impressive fog during the drive into Pennsylvania. At one point, the signs on the side of the highway were visible for only a couple of seconds before zooming by. You'll want to turn down the volume before playing the video if you're not into Marilyn Manson.



The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was quite enjoyable. As one might expect, their handling of visitors is modeled on a concert experience, down to giving visitors wristbands so one can exit and re-enter. The architecture is visually interesting, with an airy pyramid that is reminiscent of the Louvre. From a usability perspective, the design of the place can make it a little tricky to get around, as there is a commingling of areas upstairs that are accessible to the public vs. paid visitors. The cafeteria is on the 3rd floor; the chili's okay, the cheeseburger is microwaved but apparently not bad, other than the fluorescent yellow cheese. The main exhibit hall downstairs has a ton of wonderful artifacts that are well-curated but arranged in a non-linear fashion, so be prepared to wander around a bit with people walking by exhibits from different directions. Set aside at least 4-5 hours for the museum, especially for some of the movies. The one on the 4th floor had one particularly moving snippet from Pete Townshend where he's clearly agitated and states that the fire of rock and roll burns and burns and burns, but that's because it's fed by bodies. While that sounds romantic and those people are icons to us, "they were my f****** friends." He played music with them, lived with them, and loved them, and now they're dead. I'm really not doing it justice but his short, eloquent statement of emotion by itself made the visit worthwhile.



The midwest really does St. Patrick's Day. Nothing needs to be said about how Chicago does it but I hit Cleveland at 11am and the downtown area was filled with folks decked out in green, with more than a few denizens sporting a suspiciously unsteady gait. I had the good fortune to spend the evening out and about in Toledo in a very large van with a friend from my client and 14 of her friends. According to Wikipedia, the population of Toledo is about 295,000 with 10.8% being of Irish descent; that percentage naturally increases one night a year. The bars we visited were well-populated without being overly packed, so moving 15 people around was not the logistical challenge I thought it would be. Then again, the crew I was with is a polished party machine so it shouldn't be a surprise that they know what they're doing. They really are a great group of people, with ties that go back many years and the familiarity of interaction that accompanies that kind of shared history. I suppose this is one of the things I hope to find/create in LA or anywhere I settle down: a comfortable circle of friends for regular gatherings. Preferably living within the same state as me (for a change).

Miles driven: 375 / 475
Interesting meals consumed: 0