Vacation?

Are you taking a vacation this year? I know some people who are staying home. The economy, you know. And I totally understand that we all are doing with less these days. Or maybe we have the same or more, but we’re conserving our money. Finally saving some it. But back to vacations. Are you taking one this year?

I always wondered, coming from the town of Lima, Ohio, what it meant to be on permanent vacation. Last year my wife and I drove from our home in Sarasota to Disney World in Orlando. If you lived in Orlando and had a season pass to Disney World…would that be like having a permanent vacations?

I do research for my books on exotic islands. St. Barts, Barbados, Jamaica, The Bahamas. People spend big bucks to vacation on these tropical ports, but what about the people who live on the island? I’m spending thousands of dollars and they’re just hanging out. They never have to leave, right?

And places like Paris. So romantic, bustling with activity, coffee shops on the Seine, the museums and Cathedral Notre Dame. What if you lived there 52 weeks a year? Some guy would ask “are you taking a vacation this year?” and you’d just spread your arms and say “What? And leave all this?”

The conversation would go something like that. “Hey, pal, I know people who spend good money to come here from all over the world. I’m already living in one of the greatest vacation spots in the world.”

So I’m thinking, Casey lives in Cleveland, right? Jeff in Cincinnati, Jay in Lima, and John and Toni in…for God’s sake, Westerville. For some reason, they’ve chosen to make those places their homes. So there must be some redeemable quality in those cities ( except maybe for Cleveland.) Maybe these Ohio locations would actually make a passable vacation spot. And maybe people from St. Barts or Paris or Jamaica would consider coming to Ohio for their vacation. It must be very boring living in a true vacation paradise all of the time…so let’s bring ‘em to Ohio. And while these foreign vacationers are here, maybe Casey, Jeff, Jay and John and Toni could stay at their places. In Barbados, Jamaica, St. Barts and Paris.

Or maybe not.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and whatever vacation spot you end up in.

10 Responses to “Vacation?”

1. I suppose that if a French person living in Paris, or a Hawaiian for that matter, felt the same way I/we do about living in towns like Fremont and Lima . . .the saying “A nice place to live, but I wouldn’t want to vacation there.” would have taken root long ago.

   by Jay Waggoner on August 3rd, 2009 at 8:18 am
   
   

2. Hey, what’s the shot at Cleveland?!? It’s actually a great place to visit. We have:

   A world-class art museum
   A knocks your socks off orchestra
   The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
   A great botanical garden, natural history museum and historical society
   The Wharehouse District for fun and food
   A baseball team that stinks and management that makes terrible decisions, but we love our Indians, anyway
   A lakefront with beaches and parks
   A terrific zoo
   A beautiful park system and a nearby national park
   Oh, and some really interesting cemeteries (you didn’t think I’d miss that one, did you?)

   by Casey on August 3rd, 2009 at 1:24 pm
   
   

3. Good line Jay. I have no idea what it means, but good line.

   Cleveland? I lived there. Played guitar in the flats back in the early seventies. It has all those wonderful things you mentioned, Casey, but what kind of a place would put up with Zorro? Seriously?

   by don on August 3rd, 2009 at 7:26 pm
   
   

4. I used to work in Cleveland. I’d never vacation there. I’d never work there again. Westerville…maybe.

   by Orroz on August 3rd, 2009 at 7:32 pm
   
   

5. I love Cleveland. The Indians may not be doing that well, the Browns may be perennial losers, the Cavs choked in the end, but

   Wait a minute, maybe I’m not that fond of Cleveland.
   SJ

   by Sarah on August 3rd, 2009 at 8:23 pm
   
   

6. There are still people who believe that the song Smoke On The Water was written about the Cuyahoga down in the flats. Yes, the river did burn, but the song was not about Cleveland. Are there any songs about Cleveland? I don’t think so.

   by Lanny on August 4th, 2009 at 7:12 am
   
   

7. Cleveland….a hidden treasure. Guarded continuously by Zorro. So you better be visiting here for a good reason…..or Z to your right cheek! from the mighty sword of Zorro!

   Zz

   by Zorro on August 4th, 2009 at 9:58 am
   
   

8. Sure there’s a Cleveland song, Lanny. Well, there’s probably more than one. There’s that “Cleveland rocks” lyric we hear around here all the time. Not sure what that’s from. Then there’s Randy Newman’s tune. It’s called “Burn On” and it’s played during the opening credits of “Major League.” Part of it goes:

   Burn on, big river, burn on
   Burn on, big river, burn on
   Now the Lord can make you tumble
   And the Lord can make you turn
   And the Lord can make you overflow
   But the Lord can’t make you burn

   by Casey on August 5th, 2009 at 7:24 am
   
   

9. Ahhh,from the Drew Carey Show. I knew Cleveland was famous for something. But the Drew Cary Show?

   by rick on August 5th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
   
   

10. Drew Carey grew up in Cleveland so there are plenty of Cleveland inside jokes in his show. Of course that made it very popular here!

    by Casey on August 6th, 2009 at 7:54 am