Back from Margarittaville!!

It has been a while since I wrote a post. Since the last post, my house was broken into by the back door, and our safe was busted open on November 11, 2010. I was not home so no one was hurt. The crooks took all our money and jewelry. Nothing was found, but the insurance has helped by replacing the door and will be replacing the damaged floor. Another Christmas and new year without Joe. I have been teaching two introductory computer classes at Tri-C. I just finished a support group through St. Bart with alot of nice people and have volunteered at a couple of functions. Just came back from five days in Key West with Sue Bobey, another business teacher who I knew from BG and retired last year from Cleveland Jane Addams High Schol. We stayed at the Doubletree Hotel which is near the Key West airport. It had a shuttle which had a regular schedule to take us into town or the beach every day. On Day One we went to the Key West Butterfly Conservatory and Ernest Hemingway's house. Day two was a pool day, and day three was a beach day. Tried and loved eating edamame at Mangoes and had a great lobster lunch at Blue Heaven, the restaurant with chickens running around. And, of course, you can't go to Key West without going to Jimmy Buffet's Margarittaville. After getting some sunburn, we continued our sightseeing on day four with a tour of the Truman Winter White House and major shopping. Of course, every evening we went to Mallory Square to watch the sun set. Everyone gathers for the evening festivities where there are street performers and vendors. The entire crowd applauds when the sun sets. Then everyone heads to one or more of the downtown bars to drink and listen to the music of the bands and performers that are at all the establishments such as Sloppy Joe's. Also got a black and white beaded necklace at Yours and Mayan, a fair trade store. On our last day, we just vegged around the pool and got ready to bring some sunshine back home. Coming back home to an empty house is the hardest. It hits you in the face everytime that Joe is not here to share in what we do on a daily basis or on special occasions or trips. He would have loved Key West and its caribbean low-key lifestyle.
Today it is St. Patrick's Day, and it is sunny and 65 degrees in Cleveland, OH!

Labor Day Weekend 2010

End of summer has brought lots of happenings in our family. It has been one year since Joe passed which is sad, but on a happier note, Matt got a job in Upper Arlington and purchased a house in Powell, Ohio. Gina, Mom, Dad, Chuck, Joanie, CJ and Sophia met at Matt's house on Sunday, September 5. It was a kind of impromptu housewarming party and a rather festive gathering. We went to the never-ending pasta bowl at Olive Garden. So Joey was happy about that! Speaking of Joey, at the same time Matt was buyng his house, Joey's apartment got broken into and his tv, ipod and cash were stolen. He is now trying to move out with his buddy Drew into a better apartment. On Labor Day, we went on Charlie's yacht to see the air show. It was something having the Blue Angels fly directly over our heads during all of their maneuvers. It was a breathtaking site that was truly memorable. Then we went back to Chuck's house for a great feast from food bought at the farmer's market. All in all, a very good weekend.

It's been one year.

In an update from the last blog. We arrived home in time for the boys and I to say our love and goodbyes to their grandmother and my mother-in-law Wilma. She passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 18. There was a mass and reception in her memory at St. Christopher's in Rocky River on Friday. It was a mixed blessing as she will be missed, but she is no longer in pain and her suffering is over.
It has been one year since Joe passed. There was a mass yesterday, and we had brunch afterward at the house. I also put together things I had been saving in a memory book for the boys. Today we also went to mass, then to Panera's for breakfast and then to the Brown's training camp. It was a good way for us to remember Joe by doing something he might have done. It was also good for the boys to talk sports with John Grebenc, Jim Timoteo and Ray Wittrup.
I miss Joe. I miss his humor and his jokes and his guidance and protection and his love and laughter. I miss the glint in his eyes and the touch of his hand and the kiss of his lips. I miss what he would say about Matt buying a house and what trip he would have planned for us to take. I felt his presence at his mother's service and at the mass in his memory. I hope he can whisper to us his words of wisdom and we are able to somehow hear them. I miss his love and hugs. I love you, Joe.

Time to Come Home.

Fred got up at 4 a.m. to travel back to Florida, and I got up to go to 6 am yoga on the beach at the Mandalay Bay pool. Although it cost $25, it also included use of the spa which had a workout area, steam room, sauna, hot and cold whirlpools, beautiful showers and amenities. Took advantage of all of them! Joe definitely would have taken advantage of this especially the fact that yoga was included. Then we hit the buffet, gambled our last remaining chips and the boys made some sports bets and then left for the airport. Big highlights of the trip was the hike in Red Rock, the George Wallace comedy show, playing craps with the guys, going to the spa at The Hotel, seeing the Wittrups, going to the pools, and just being in a really nice room on vacation. However, we received some bad news near the end that Grandma Solarz is not doing well. She has been a wonderful grandmother to the boys and a good mother-in-law to me and obviously a great mother to Joe.

Last Full day in Vegas

Joey and Fred went to the spa which has its own floor in this casino. They worked out, saunaed, steamied and relaxed and when they came back Matt joined us as we traveled back to the Casino Royale and together played craps and roulette. We lost our shirts, but playing with my boys shooting craps was priceless!! I had fun throwing those dice even though we didn't win. They went back to the hotel, and I walked around the forum shops..saw Peter Max gallery and Peter Lik photo exhibit with unvbelievable landscape photos. His favorite place to be is 100 miles from any city...so you can imagine the photos. He is from Melbourne, Australia. Also saw Pete Rose signing autographs at sports memorabilia store there. Then went to Bellagio where Frank Sinatra was singing Luck be a Lady while the fountains were going and I got my usual mango gelato while there. The Gardens there are just beautiful. Got tickets to see George Wallace tonight...Joe loved his sense of humor and I loved that he doesn't use a lot of swear words in his performance. His logo is "I be thinkin'". Joey is going to meet Stacy Matwechi later for dinner and then join us at the show.

Downtown Fremont Experience

Wednesday Matt and Joey entered the Mandalay Poker Tournament for $40 buy-in at 10 am. Ther were about 12 players. Joey lasted halfway through and Matt got third place for $10. The first two split the winnings and each got $150. Fred and I gambled the video poker and blackjack machines. Went back to Red Rock for lunch but Wednesday was senior day so line was long. Matt and Shannon went over to the Rio to check out the World Series of Poker and Fred and I checked out the City Center shops, the Aria hotel, Bellagio and Big Elvis at Bill's casino. Joey rested. We all went to the In and Out burger joint, a classic institution in this part of the country. It was packed. We got the double double animal style which is sort of like out old Manner's Big boy. Complete with fries (not very good sort of like Burger Kings) and a drink, we were in grease heaven. Then we proceeded downtown. I got us lost in not so good neighborhood, but we finally made it. The Freemont Experience was about Queen and the song was we will rock you. Lots of people, lights and bands. Lots of dancers and beads for Fred.

Red Rock Day

Got up and the whole gang headed to Red Rock Canyon for a day of hiking. The boys and Shannon saw rams when they got to the top of the hill, and we could see our hotel from the top of the rock we climbed. Although it was a really hot day, we had a nice cool breeze while we were hiking so it was nice. Then we went to Red Rock Canyon Resort for lunch for only 9.99...Great buffet--good food and great value. Came back and got ready to see Lance Burton the magician at the Monte Carlo. George Steinbrenner died today of a heart attack. Sometimes the boys mannerisms, jokes or what they do or say remind me of their father, which is nice for me to see how they emulate their dad.