"All The Little Chicks With The Crimson Lips Say...

...Cleveland Rocks!"
But their airport sucks.
Or, more specifically, NWA.
No, not the 80's rap group Niggas With Attitude. Northwest Airlines.
We just spent the last week here in Cleveland, visiting family and friends, etc.
Our return trip was supposed to be today. One flight to Minneapolis/St. Paul, then a connecting flight to San Francisco.
BUT
approximately three minutes after boarding the plane to Minneapolis, they made us take our stuff and get off the plane for some "last minute maitenance."
That was at 6:30 (eastern time). The plane was supposed to take off at 6:49. It is now 8:49 here.
We now have to spend a night in a hotel once we get to St. Paul, then pay for the extra day our car is parked at SFO, and our dog has to spend one more night at our friends' house, and we all miss him dearly.
Thank god my mom had a laptop.

"But what did you do there?"
We got in on Sunday. Tomato soup and salmon patties at [my grandparents] Gram R and Poppy's house, like always.
Monday was lunch at Jack's Deli. Corn beef to die for. Then we picked up Seth at Kent State. Dinner at Hunan in Solon. Seth and I went to his dad, my Uncle Kenny's house to pick up his car, and he and I went to one of his friend's house. Back to Seth's house.
Tuesday was quiet, until dinner at Seth's mom, my Aunt Karen's house. Most of the family, gathered together over chicken wings and football.
Wednesday was fun. Uncle Kenny took Seth, his sister Lauren and her boyfriend Matt, my brother Noah and I out to dinner at the House of Blues, then to the Cavaliers' game. I can now tell my kids that I saw Lebron James play when he was with the Cavs. I slept at Seth's house, just like every year on the night before Thanksgiving. After watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, he went to bed. I stayed up watching Family Guy and Scrubs and channel surfing in general. (Being one who only subscribes to basic cable at home, I must say, at two in the morning, Cinemax is a hell of a channel.)
Thursday was Thanksgiving. I woke up in time to watch the entire Macy's Day Parade. I went back to Gram R's, where I took a short nap before people started arriving. Gram R and I, with some assistance from Noah, made our yearly eggnog. (FUN FACT: Eggnog is the greatest beverage since water.) Dinner was delicious, as always. After dinner, my oldest, dearest friend Kathryn arrived with her family. Kathryn lives back in New Jersey, but she also has family she visits in Cleveland. She and I talked nonstop for a couple of hours. My mom came into my room and told me to come downstairs. I obliged, and a hell of a surprise was waiting. Mark Jones. My dad's oldest and best friend, who nobody in my family had seen in over three years, had decided to fly in from New York to surprise us. What a nice surprise.
Friday was calmer. We went to the movies with Kathryn and her mom. We saw Four Christmases. Not bad, in my opinion. That night was an early birthday dinner at Maggiano's for Gram R, and Seth and I provided the music, switching off between electric guitar and fretless electric bass.
Then today. Gram R and I went to the mall, conveniently five minutes from her house, went home, packed, said our goodbyes, and left. We got the airport around 5:00 [Eastern time]. It is now 9:13, and I'm STILL IN CLEVELAND.
I'm hungry, I'm tired, and I (for once) don't want to be in Cleveland.
This is not fun.
But the video below is.

-Jason