A Fugitive from Justice

During my stay in Ohio, the new owner of my old house invited me to stop by.  I really didn't feel any pangs of emotion returning to the place where I spent most of my life, although it was a rather surreal experience.

The owner said that there was only one piece of mail that looked important that had been sent to me at the old address.  She handed me a summons for jury duty that had arrived a few days earlier.  I thought to myself, if I had never received the summons and did not show up at the courthouse on the date of service, there would be a warrant for my arrest.  I had visions of returning to Ohio sometime in the future and being met by the police when I landed at Cleveland airport.  (I checked on the internet, and failure to show up for jury duty in Ohio carries a charge of contempt of court, $100 fine plus court costs and / or three days in jail.)

The summons unfolded to include a form for requesting excusal from jury duty.  I checked change of address and provided my new address (both my private mailing service in Florida, and my actual address in Mexico City) and my new phone number.  I went to the post office and sent it on my last day in Ohio.  However, I also called the courthouse.  The lady said that it doesn't matter that I am now living 2500 miles away.  As long as I am registered as a voter in Cuyahoga County, I am required to serve. 

I found a form on the internet from the Ohio Secretary of State in which I can cancel my voter registration.  However, I don't want to do that.  I want to be able to vote in the November election.  Besides, I don't know if cancelling my registration AFTER receiving a summons would be valid.

I am going to have to make some more calls, but I have a feeling that I am going to have to make another trip to Ohio much sooner than I had planned!   

Souvenir Shopping

Of course, I had to buy some Cleveland souvenirs to take back to my Mexican family.  I wanted to buy some tee shirts commemorating the total eclipse.  A shop in the suburb of Lakewood that specializes in Cleveland-themed clothing was recommended as a place where I might find some shirts.  I went there on Monday, hoping that they would still have some.

The store, GV Art + Design, is a cool place with a wide variety of apparel.  They still had a few eclipse tee shirts, and I bought several of this design as gifts and for myself...

The image in the center is of one of the monumental "Guardians of Traffic" sculptures on Cleveland's Hope Memorial Bridge which crosses the Cuyahoga River.  (The new name of the former Cleveland Indians Baseball team, the Guardians, is a reference to these statues.)  On this tee shirt, one of the Guardians is pictured wearing glasses to view the eclipse.

I could not resist buying this hilarious tee shirt...

Clevelanders always joke that if you don't like the weather here, just wait a while because it will change.   That was very true on this trip.  I experienced snow, rain, high winds and some beautiful days of sun and warm temperatures during my two-week stay here.

At the Art Museum

On Sunday, Katie and Olivier took me to the Cleveland Museum of Art where we saw a special exhibition called "Africa and Byzantium".

The exhibit shows the artistic connection between the Byzantine Empire and northern and eastern Africa, including the black, Christian kingdoms of Nubia and Ethiopia.

Here are a few of the items on display...

Diptych of the 12 Apostles and St. Paul

Empire of Ethiopia, late 1600's

Mosaic portrait known as "Lady of Carthage"

Tunisia, 4th or 5th century

Gold coin necklace

Egypt, 6th century

Terra cotta pottery

Tunisia, 4th century

Funerary sculpture

Egypt, 4th century

Mosaic of a lion attacking a wild ass

Tunisia, 3rd century

Gospel illustration of the journey of the Magi

Empire of Ethiopia, 16th century

Tapestry of the Virgin and Child

Egypt, 4th century

Wood and ivory bridal chest

Kingdom of Nubia, 300s - 500s

Diptych

Empire of Ethiopia, 15th century

Mosaic palm tree

Tunisia, 6th century

Wall painting of a Nubian bishop protected by St. Peter

Kingdom of Nubia, 10th century

Triptych with the Virgin and Child

Empire of Ethiopia, 17th century

Miniature diptych used as a pendant

Empire of Ethiopia, 18th century

More International Dining

As I mentioned previously, I am now staying with Katie, a former teaching colleague, her husband Olivier, and their son Christian.

On Saturday night, after our visit to the zoo, they took me out to a Japanese hibachi grill.  It was my first experience at that sort of restaurant.  We were seated around a large metal grill, and we watched the chef prepare the food... the grilled vegetables, the fried rice, and our selections of meat.  It was quite a show, and the meal was very good.

 

Last night I treated them to dinner at a Spanish tapas restaurant not far from their house.  It was an excellent choice.  The food was superb.  My gazpacho was very authentic, and all the tapas that I ordered were very good.  In fact, the ham croquettes were the best I have ever had... even better than what I have had in Spain.

Later today, I will leave their home and spend the last few nights at the Red Roof Inn.  I will definitely need to go on a diet when I return home to Mexico City!

In the Rainforest

On Friday, I went to the home of my good friends Katie and Olivier to spend a few days.  Katie was my colleague in the Foreign Language Department where she taught French.  Her husband is originally from France.  Their daughter Nina is currently working in France, but their son Christian is still at home and will be graduating from high school this spring.

On Saturday they took me to the RainForest pavilion at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.  I have been to the RainForest numerous times, but it is always enjoyable to visit again.

Katie, Christian and Olivier inside the entrance to the RainForest.

The RainForest was completed in 1992.  The two-story building is one of the largest indoor tropical exhibits in the world, and contains more than 10,000 plants and 600 animals, including birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles from the rainforests of the world.

It was a fun afternoon at one of Cleveland's most popular attractions.

International Dining

This trip to Ohio was not only an opportunity to see the eclipse, but also to visit friends up here.  It has definitely not been a trip conducive to dieting because practically every day I have been going out to eat.  The restaurants have represented a variety of international cuisines.

After spending several days with Duffy and Carlos, I went on to visit my friends Cliff and Jeramie.  During the time that I spent with them, we went out to "Das Schnitzel Haus"... obviously a restaurant that specializes in German food.  It is one of their favorite places, and I like it also.  The food is good, and the portions are very generous.  I always leave the restaurant with a full tummy.

Cliff (left) and his husband Jeramie

I joined my cousin Gail and her husband Wes for dinner at "Barroco", a restaurant which specializes in "arepas", a typical food of Colombia and Venezuela.  An "arepa" is a patty made of corn flour with a stuffing.  I had an "arepa" filled with "ropa vieja", a shredded beef dish. It was very tasty, especially with the sauces that they have on the table.  I like the spicy peanut sauce best of all.

Yesterday, I got together with my friends Nancy and Fred.  We usually go to a Mexican restaurant called "Dos Coronas" which is not far from their house.  Most Mexican restaurants up here are not that authentic... more Tex-Mex than genuine Mexican.  However, "Dos Coronas" has an excellent Aztec soup, and their "carnitas" (pieces of braised pork) have an authentic flavor.  Their portions are enormous. I made the mistake of ordering a bowl of soup instead of a cup (the soup is thick with chicken and avocados) in addition to "carnitas".  I was not able to finish everything, which is unusual for me.

I am now staying at the home of my friend and former colleague, Katie.  The international tour of food will continue because we are going to a Japanese steak house tonight.

Lots of good food, but even more importantly, the good company of dear friends! 

   

A Bunch of Retired Teachers

I wrote a long time ago that there is a group of retired teachers from the school district where I taught that get together for lunch every month.  For many years, I did not attend because I thought that it was a ladies-only get together.  I was told that I should join them, and the last couple of years I have attended when I was in Ohio.

Before I made this trip back to Ohio, I emailed a couple of my former colleagues and wrote that I could come to this month's lunch if they scheduled it while I was up here.  April's lunch was yesterday, and I was in attendance.  The number of former teachers always varies, and sometimes I would not know all of them.  However, yesterday the eight retired teachers were all people with whom I had worked sometime during my teaching career.

Long-time readers of this blog have already met a couple in the group.  Carol (far left) was a colleague in the foreign language department, and years ago she traveled with me to Mérida, Yucatán.  Next to Carol is Nancy, who, along with her husband Fred, has traveled to Mérida and Mexico City.  Lucy (second from the right) says that she is planning to come to Mexico City in the fall, and I am looking forward to playing tour guide when she visits. 

It was a wonderful get together, and I enjoyed seeing everyone.