Planet Cleve-land

Who is in the Hall.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

I was there in 1996 with ol' buddy Kathryn. Then we grabbed dinner at Bertucci's -- which, for 21/20-year-olds, was a nice night out!

Anyway, went back today as the cross-country chaos with Andrew continued in Cleveland.

But I don't feel like writing all that much about the Hall. So I won't.

Hall.

OK, fine -- how the hell is Green Day in before, like, 37 other bands who are more deserving? I'm cool with them being in, but they could have been made to wait a few years while the likes of the B-52's, Warren Zevon, Oxnard of Saturn, The Cars and Ampersand were inducted. Whatevs.

Random crap:

Andrew's mother is collecting the state park quarters, so we're keeping our eyes out. I encounter the Connecticut state quarter with the Charter Oak on the back. I proceed to tell Andrew about the Charter Oak and its critical role during the revolution.

Said Andrew, "That's a good story. Thanks."

I don't think he meant it.

Earlier in the day he proclaimed,  "It might have been worth spending $10 on the brown stuff."

So we do the Hall -- it's cool. Solid exhibits. And I got to hear "Now I'm a Farmer" by The Who. It's in the Hall of Fame. How great is that?

Andrew fighting with port-o-potty
lock. Yes, it had a padlock.

Then we leave, stopping to get gas before hitting the highway. And we encounter one of the more absurd gas station bathrooms one might see.

So we hit the road, drive to Columbus, take a right and head west, then eventually head a couple miles off the highway to an off-the-beaten-path (AKA "highway") restaurant called Henry's Restaurant.

We read they had amazing pie. So we went. There was a regular named Steve sitting down the counter. He called over waitress/cashier Jessica and told her, "There's something seriously wrong with this ham and cheese."

Jessica looks.

Steve, who slightly resembles a crankier Gerald McRaney, points out that there's no ham.

Jessica tells Alissa back in the kitchen. Alissa feels bad.

"Want to come back here and beat me?" Alissa asks Steve.

"Want to go back there and beat her?" Jessica asks Steve.

Alissa questions whether Jessica told her the right order.

"I said 'ham and cheese'," asserted Jessica. "It's not my fault this time." 

Jessica and Steve.

Jessica also suggested we order the fried corn nuggets. So we did. They were tasty.

Steve then noted, incredulously, that he never had heard of the fried corn nuggets and complained that in all his years eating there, Jessica never had suggested he order them.

Corn nuggets ain't for everyone, bro.

Later, Alissa emerges from kitchen to talk to Steve.

"I had to be at work at 6," she says. "I have an excuse" for messing up the sandwich.

"I had to be up at 6," Steve replied, "and I remembered how to order." 

Steve then told us to check out Kent Murphy Baseball for some funny youtube stuff.

"Just google it -- 'Kent Murphy'," he said. "If 'right field' comes up, that's a good one."

Based on the first 15 seconds, it was pretty good.

Back in the kitchen, Melissa laments, "I have to put up with the men. I have to put up with my husband and my daughter's boyfriend." 

To which Steve replied, "You married your daughter's boyfriend?"

We had food. Then we had pie. The pie was delicious. That -- and the atmosphere/character of the place -- easily made the side trip worth it.

Blackberry pie.

Oh, today's music rundown:

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Little Feet

Warren Zevon

Arcade Fire

Paul Westerberg

Vanilla Ice

B-52's

Debbie Gibson

Yes, those last three. We stopped at a gas station right after dinner. They had a bargain rack. I couldn't resist. So I stopped, collaborated and listened. And got me some of that good stuff.

Back on the road, we encountered some tricky weather and dicey traffic.

"After this truck I think I can go," Andrew said.

We regained consciousness several hours later.

A truck and a restaurant, somewhere in Ohio -- where all is strange and vague.