An Evening in Cleveland

Several years ago I had a meeting in Cleveland. The meeting was set for 9:30 a.m. at the Union Club in Downtown Cleveland, and reservations were made for me at the hotel across the street, the name of which, at this time, has escaped my memory. It is an old, well established, downtown hotel and by this point, some 11 or 12 year later, the name is probably changed, but it’s on Euclid Avenue, across the street from the Club.

I knew I was coming in late from Calgary, as "you can’t get there from here", so I had a guaranteed late arrival on my room. I finally arrived at the hotel at 1:00 a.m. I gave the woman on the desk my name and waited for my key.

“I have no room for you”, she said. “But I have a guaranteed late arrival”, I said. She smiled (I was very tired as I had been flying all day) and said, “We guarantee you a room, but not necessarily here”.

OK, I was beyond playing, so I could not wait to see what would happen next.

“Where am I going?”, I asked, and she explained that they had a arrangement with a Travelodge (I believe) in Cleveland to take the overflow and that they would provide a cab, at their expense, to get me to the hotel.

She called the cab, and I was whisked off into the night (or early morning).

I looked around as we drove away and noticed the neighborhood deteriorate as we continued through the night. Suddenly, and with some alarm, we entered the ghetto, or so it seemed. In the midst of boarded up stores and some sub standard housing there appeared a motel! There were a couple of 18 wheelers sitting in the parking lot, and a couple of truckers in the lobby watching TV. It was 1:30 a.m. and I had a 9:30 a.m. appointment and I just wanted to sleep!

I registered, and went directly to a room and fell asleep!

In the morning, I went downstairs, careful not to wear my meetuing suit, and asked where the coffee shop was. No such thing! But, if I walked down the street, I’d find a little place on the corner that sold breakfast.

Off I went into the mean streets of Cleveland, looking for a place to eat.

As I walked, for the first time in my life, I actually heard theme music! I was walking to the beat of Sanford and Son! I looked for Julio and Grady, but they were already out for breakfast!

I reached the corner diner, and it was great!

It was a small, neighborhood diner, a Greek place (what else?), with colorful characters and colorful waitresses. It was a crew who looked like they came straight out of central casting!

There was a guy in sort of army fatigues, with the lenses of his glasses taped together with scotch tape, counting change out from a small, leather purse. There were loud salesmen, giving the waitress a hard time, but all in fun. The waitress cracked her gum as she worked. I had the breakfast special, with eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, toast, coffee and anything else they could think of for $4!

I went back to the motel, changed into my suit and got a cab (at their cost) and returned on time to the Union Club. When I went into the meeting I was asked (as an opener),“How was your evening?”

I took the next 15 minutes describing my night!