Cleveland Rocks!

The kids in the house were on Spring Break this week so the family packed up and drove up to Cleveland for a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now I've heard of Spring Break. I expected alcohol. I expected cute girls. I did NOT expect snow. And yet, snow we got. A couple flurries were flying around as we left Columbus. The sky got grayer the closer we got to Cleveland. Soon it was hard to find the horizon, as the land and the sky were monochromatic. Snow was sticking to the trees, ground, and parked cars. Spring Break, people!!! I had certain expectations!!!

Upon arriving in The Cleve, we went straight to the Hard Rock Cafe before checking into our hotel. We were hungry and it seemed like the right thing to do. A couple Pink drinks later, our moods had lifted. I tell ya: Pink makes everything better. Our waiter was awesome and attentive and said he'd stop by, so if he's reading, Hootie Hoo to you, sir!


The next morning we were off to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I really wanted to have my picture taken outside the Hall of Fame, because it is a cool building, but the snow was blowing horizontally when we arrived. It was cold and brutal and nobody wanted to futz around with pictures.


Unfortunately, pictures were only allowed in the lobby, so they're pretty limited, but here you have it. Pink's rockin' spring break. Owl's gone wild.

Here I am in front of a Neil Young Tribute Guitar

A tribute to rock and roll in general

RAMONE'S!!! Hey! Ho! Let's Go!

There was a special request for a picture of me in front of something "Billy Joel related". How lucky we were that one of Mr. Joel's old bikes was on display in the "photography allowed" lobby!


This is Jon Bon Jovi's bike. Sorry about the dreary quality of the picture. It was, as I said, quite the dreary day. Regarding Mr. Bon Jovi, the ladies in my host house say, "Secret squeeeee!" every time his name is mentioned. I take it they think he's cute or something. There is a family story that has to do with him. A couple years ago Tam was still putting love notes in the kids' lunches. Lea asked her to stop. She said they were embarrassing. Tam still wanted to express some love, so she started writing lyrics and rock and roll trivia on Lea's lunch bag. She checked out a "Today in Rock History" site run by, I believe, the very Rock and Roll Hall of Fame about which we're speaking today, so that she could give some historical significance to her notes. They were going to school, after all. One day - I think it might have been Richie Sambora's birthday - Tam wrote some Bon Jovi lyrics on Lea's lunch bag. But Lea forgot her lunch and Tam had to drop it off at school. Earning her the nickname, for the rest of the year, among all the office staff: "Bon Jovi Mom".

I bet she's been called worse.