The Nasti...
Ever since my department in GE Energy merged with one based in Cincinnati, OH in the GE Aircraft Engines (now called GE Aviation) division, I've had to take several trips up there for various meetings and Work Outs (W/O!) (multi-day focused meetings driven to come up with a solution to a problem). I never liked (nor minded really) going there only because I didn't relate to the city or to the state (especially after last year's presidential election!). This trip, however, was a little more exciting because I got to stay the weekend after and hang out with my friend Clifton that just graduated from the IMLP program out of Aircraft Engines and bought a condo not too far from the office. Clifton so affectionately refers to "Cincinnati" as "The Nasti" which I found amusing because those of us in Atlanta usually refer to "Evendale, OH" (where the Aircraft Engines office is) as "Evildale"...so this played into our mock Batman metaphor of the area.
What a week...
The week went by pretty quickly, but not for a lack of working our tales off! We were sequestered into a room with a locked door (which was kind of odd to us) and no windows for the whole week. The folks who run the office there even helped us kick all of the other regular meetings in that room out so we could stay the entire time without interruption. They brought us in breakfast and lunch, so we literally were in there ALL day! Most times we were tired enough after working that we went to the hotel, where they had free happy hour from 5-7p, and had a few there...possibly went out to eat...and then tucked in for the night to do it all again the next day. Wednesday was the only real exception to that...
What a Wednesday it Was...
After work on Wednesday our group was invited to join another group of folks that are largely based in Cincinnati, but had out-of-town guests that week as well, to an after work happy hour. Spirits were high (and I mean all kinds of spirits :-) and a lot of fun was had; it was a good break in the week. The nicest thing was that my boss's wife, whom I affectionately refer to as my aunt since I sometimes refer to my boss as my uncle (long story), was also there after having come back from Florence, Italy where the two of them are living until March '06. The happy "hour" stretched on from 5p till about 11:30p, with a lot of antics in between, before the M@ Express took some of the drunk folks back to their hotels and called it a night. Boy! Too bad for them the next day when the alarms started to chime that it was time to go back to work for another long day of meetings :-)
TGIFTFC! (Thank God It's Friday...Time For Columbus!)
Friday came before we knew it and while the majority of the folks that I was with all week were scattering across the four winds again back to their homes which literally spanned the United States, I was hanging tight waiting for Clifton to finish up some work so we could get the heck out of dodge and head up to Columbus, OH for the night. I had heard a lot of stories about Columbus, especially in regards to how it had a much better night life than Cincinnati, so Clifton booked a one-night stay in a hotel there and we left a little early from work to hit the road before traffic became a nightmare.
Where in the hell are the cabs in this bloody city!?
Clifton and I checked into our hotel room after having stopped up at this awesome outdoors mall / shopping area in Easton, OH for dinner and a walk around. It was really an awesome atmosphere up there and I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like during the holidays with snow on the ground and the outdoors music playing Christmas carols. Our hotel was right across the street from the Capitol building and had a great view of the surrounding city from the 15th floor. After a quick nap, shower, and costume change, we were ready to hit the streets to begin the night. We figured we'd play it safe, leave the car parked at the hotel, and take a cab into town and back later on. While walking the streets, trying to find a cab, though, it seemed like we were hunting for the Holy Grail! We'd be on one busy street and then see a cab go flying down another street. We'd run over to that street thinking it was likely that another cab would whiz by and we'd be able to hail it, but then there would be one on the other street again! Finally we ducked into a Marriott that we happened upon and asked the concierge if he would kindly call a cab for us. At last the blue car with silver writing on it and a friendly taxi-driver lady pulled up and we were on our way (not that we hadn't already walked most of the way there...).
Good times in the COL...
The rest of the night was pretty standard without much out of the ordinary happening. We met up with two of Clifton's friends from the area and went to three different places, the last of which was a dance club much smaller than what I'm used to in Atlanta, but more in line with what I'm used to back home in Albany. The places close by 2a (except the dance club which can stay open until 4a), so most people were over there by the end of the night. The place had two levels (the second of which was more of a balcony that went around the place with a room in the back for shows). The first floor had a bar when you walked in, but then you could go a couple stairs onto a platform where there was a box and another bar. Down another couple stairs was the dance floor with a large stage up front. They played pretty good music; it was fun!
OMG! He's from that movie I love!
One of Clifton's friends led us upstairs after we got a drink or two to show us the little room they have up there for drag shows etc. As it turned out, we walked in just in time for the host to introduce a special celebrity guest that was at the club that night. It was Jim Verraros who was on American Idol as well as co-starred in the movie Eating Out. The host asked who had ever seen the latter and I think my hand was the only one that went straight for the ceiling. I love that movie! It's hilarious and I definitely suggest watching it whatever your sexual orientation is. Jim sang a couple songs before heading out for the night. I was so jazzed up that I got to see someone famous from a movie I loved (even if he was much shorter in person than I had expected...). After that we went to get something to eat for breakfast with Clifton's friends before they dropped us off back at the hotel (saving us from yet another crusade to find the sacred store of taxis)...a good end to a good night.
"Who are we? PENN STATE!"
The next day we checked out of our hotel, went back to the cool outside mall to get some things for Clifton's condo, and then back down to Cincinnati to relax before going to see the Penn State vs Ohio State football game. Clifton was so jazzed up and nervous about this football game I thought I was going to have to get him a Valium just to make it through the day.
Apparently these two school are particularly nasty towards each other when it comes to football, and as luck would have it, they were both meeting in the same bar to watch the game. There was a separate room roped off (probably for security reasons more than anything) where the PSU fans were headquartered. I wore a plan, gray shirt so that people wouldn't think I affiliated with either team, and hence wouldn't feel the need to cause any bodily harm while traversing from the front door to our little room (and back afterwards). I thought the stories Clifton told me about football rivalry and violence were exaggerations, but quickly learned that they're true all right! I thought I was back in the south! (which just reaffirmed my belief that Cincinnati is more southern than Atlanta even though it's 400 miles due north).
Penn State won the game, much to the elation of the folks in that little bar. Clifton was on cloud nine for the rest of the weekend...in his words, "I feel like I just had sex!" after his alma mater took the win. I just had to capture that moment and promised him that his quote would show up here :-)
Card Games, Alcohol, and White Castle?
Neither Clifton nor I were wholely excited about going out again that night (especially with the complications that would have ensued for reasons I won't get into here). However, he invited his friends Nick, Clair, and Tony (who are all siblings) over and we played @$$hole and drank the rest of the night away. It was a good time...better than if we had gone out I'm betting.
As all true drinking nights in Clifton's book go, it wasn't finished until we took a trip to White Castle (which was a first time experience for most of us including myself). As if it was unfair that we had such a great night, when we got there we were heckled by the primarily African American clientele that were in there because we were white. Then when we left, Clifton (who is of Chinese decent) was racially assaulted by another couple of Black folks leaving the restaurant. The most disappointing part about the whole experience was that we were keeping to ourselves, were in a generally jovial mood, and weren't bothering anyone yet there are some people, no matter what minority they belong to, that just can't deal with that (and trust me, I'm by no means fingering Black folks...I know gay, Asian, Hispanic, and white people who do the same thing...shame on all of them!).
What the heck is that you're eating!?
The next day we got up fairly early (going on 11a :-) in order to go get Dim Sum and get me off to the airport. We met up again with Nick, Clair, and Tony and headed over to this place near where Clifton lives. For those of you who don't know what Dim Sum is (and didn't read the little hot link I put in above :-), it's a Chinese custom brunch in which people come around with little carts full of small plates of food that you order and then share as a table...basically a buffet that comes to you! Clifton did the ordering and most of the stuff looked and sounded tasty, although some things, like the whole shrimps that you eat shell, head, and all, were a little out there for some of the folks in our group :-) I however, dived into everything whole heartedly and without caution...it was good :-)
Back to the ATL...
After Dim Sum we brought our other companions to their car and Clifton scurried me off to the airport. We made great time (especially since my flight was delayed due to some air traffic control issues) and before I knew it I was sandwiching in between a couple other folks on the airplane back home. Frankie picked me up at the airport and took me back to his place to see the paint job he and Erin had done that weekend and to get something to eat. Another trip was down and I had a week to go till I was on the road again...but that's another story so far unwritten (since I leave tomorrow ;-). Stay tuned!
M@
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