The banks of the mighty Ohio River was the scene this past weekend as four hombres who, for some crazy reason, love their football team and took the jaunt to Cincinnati to see the Lions. Win or lose, the game itself seems to be the gravy on top of all the other weekend activities.
The giddiness started Friday evening as we rolled in about 10 and tackled this very clean city. Well, after all was said and done Friday, the city tackled us. We sprinted out of the gates when we should have been jogging. The Cadillac Ranch was our first destination. I don't consider myself frugal but paying $5 cover for a place that has no band makes me frown a bit. We did get to witness some mechanical bull riding though. No, it was not me as I would have been walking out of there like Fred Sanford had I climbed aboard. The tour then moved down the street to a pretty cool pub called O'Malley's in the Alley. With the Irish theme, we sipped on some whiskey and Irish eyes were smiling.
The Irish eyes were a bit weary Saturday morning as the little train took a bit to get going. We made a nice rebound though after a hearty breakfast and a morning stroll down by the two stadiums near the river. The walk ended up at the Black Finn Saloon where we bit the dog with the hair or whatever that saying is. We were a silent bunch there for a bit trying to get our hydration back. As the college football games got kicking in, so did the train. The Heineken mini keg never lets you down.
We hailed a cab later in the afternoon for an area a few miles east of downtown called Mt. Adams. We get in the cab and the driver has a U-M winter jacket on. Of course he was asked, "so, you're a U-M fan?" The guy was adamant about not having any affiliation with the Wolverines, advising us that his old lady got a deal on the jacket and it keeps him warm. Jerry even jokingly told him he'd get an extra tip just to say he was a fan, even if he had to lie. The cabbie said no. Those Ohio-ans love their Buckeyes. He dropped us off at the City View Tavern. This place is in pretty much a house made into a bar that sits on a hill looking into the city, hence the name. We had the pool table to ourselves, no wait for a refiller, music and football. It was Xanadu.
Directionally challenged yours truly thought he got some good directions for a place to get dinner near there; however, the "it's just over this hill" turned into a longer walk than expected. My brethren needed to stretch their legs so it worked out just fine. After asking some locals, we came upon the Mt. Adams Bar & Grill. The place was beautiful with some serious wood throughout. The meal, including desert (good fudge cake), was a great capper to a great day.
The showcase event of the weekend was of course watching our beloved Lions. Our tailgating area had a bit of a Mad Max or Fred Flinstone feel to it as the local quarry opens up their lot near the stadium on game days. We were grilling surrounded by rocks, rocks, and more rocks. The Bengal fans were pretty cool. They knew we sucked and we knew we sucked so there wasn't much trash talking going on. They pretty much told us to hang in there. Well, the team has been hanging in there prior to the start of my 42 years. I'll keep hanging. The Lions actually had a glimmer of hope in the first quarter until Cincinnati starting playing for real. The stadium itself had some great views and a lot of open areas to block yourself from that river wind. My wind burned face and chapped lips are looking pretty tough right now.
The city that Pete Rose built is not too bad.
Trail Head
Good friends, booze, and lures. That pretty much sums up the 23rd annual CMU Christmas party. And the 22nd, the 21st; pretty much all of them. And that is a damn fine thing. There just aren't any a-holes in this group and the entertainment value is second to none. The amateur comedians that I hang with are quite a bunch. Good laughing (as opposed to bad laughing).
