I 'm not for a minute suggesting that too many Floridians are scared pansies with too much money, too much spare time, too many lawyers, and a quick finger on the blame trigger. I'm just saying that I find the midwestern approach refreshing.

I drove past my old house then made a quick trip over to the Noble Roman's which had been there since I had (and probably long before), then headed southeast toward the Ohio River Valley. Indiana apparently gave in and implemented Daylight Savings Time-- which is the acme of impracticality, so I suspect mental illness or goverment corruption was behind the move. However, the time change that somehow confuses me every year was no longer a factor.

Arriving in Cincinnati there was just time to stand down before going over to the Shadowbox Cabaret. If you ever get a chance to see this show in Newport or Columbus (or Orlando if I get my way), don't miss it. They take it seriously, too: it's impressive to see the guy who took your entrance fee or brought your drink suddenly appear onstage in a guitar solo or a skit.

It's a good thing I'd checked their schedule; all the other performances this week conflicted with Reds games for which I already had tickets, so this would be the one and only chance for this year. As usual the show was outstanding, if slightly shorter than I remember.

And now 'tis Thursday again. I realized early on how exhausted I actually was. Around ten-thirty I wandered over to Gold Star for a couple of breakfast coneys. That was enough effort to start the day, so I went back to the hotel and took some ibuprofen and a nap.

I haven't talked about the hotel yet, so while I'm asleep we can take a brief interlude. The last few visits I'd been staying at a very nice riverside suite, and as a government employee I got a darn reasonable rate. This year, for reasons unknown, there were no government-rate rooms available, and the lowest rate was almost triple what it's been. 		  O kay, I thought: for some time the Hannaford Suites has piqued my curiosity; a very nice, very old building sitting several blocks south of the river, which is further from the baseball but much closer to the chili. No joy: it's gone condo.

If you read my 'blog with any frequency you'll recall my scathing diatribe on the false economies caused by greed, such as the Internet "boom" and the real estate "boom". Suffice to say I was displeased to be so directly affected by such nonsense.

All this leads to my current residence at the Travelodge, which is exactly what it appears to be from the outside.

In its defense, the location next door to Newport on the Levee is practically perfect, the accouterments are acceptable, it has a wireless Internet connection (if you sit in the breakfast area), and the staff does make an effort to keep ahead of the maintenance.

But it's still an old and fairly unattractive building that's gone through a lot of winters. Because of its spectacular location, I see the housing market staggering forward under its own inertia just long enough for someone to start building a condo on the site. (Whether they finish or not I wouldn't give odds.)

I'm stirring now... okay, I'm awake, my head feels much better, and I feel a bit lighter on my feet. Let's shift back to the past tense and continue. 		 
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