I made the drive from northern Kentucky to central Virginia so many times that I can't count them over the past 41 years. When I first started the trip, the Expressway was not finished through West Virginia so the route was 71 north to Columbus then east on 70 to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and south on 81 from Breezewood into Virginia. That took about 12 hours (in a Volkswagen bug!) These days it is straight east from my house. AA to 64 straight through Charlottesville to Richmond. I will be headed that way this weekend to celebrate my granddaughters fourth birthday – July 3. I'll have to admit that my van always seems to want to get off the Expressway in Charlottesville and visit my old haunts around the University. So many good times there! But, these days, I trudge the next hour toward Richmond and wind up at my daughters house in Hanover County, in a location called Glen Allen. The drive takes about eight solid hours for me and I'll a stop once or twice, pack my lunch, and make sure I'm hydrated. I actually like the drive because I know the road, know what to look for, and love driving through the mountains. Most holiday traffic is going North and South so my east – West jaunt usually encounters little traffic.
Eight hours in the car alone gives me a lot of time to think. I think about relationships, about the status of the city of Erlanger, about how my law practice is going, about particular cases, about my parents, about my kids and grandkids – a little bit of everything. I often solve all the problems in the world during that eight hour trip only to forget my solutions when I arrive and see my granddaughter running toward me.
My current curiosity is examining my station in life. I will be 59 in August, am twice divorced, live alone in a big house and am pretty much confined to an electric scooter or power chair. I designed the house and it was built so that the everyday chores of living would be manageable – bathrooms, laundry, kitchen, etc. I love to travel but every place I go away from here presents a challenge and struggle. The temptation is to stay home where I am in control of everything, but the adventure is to leave and see what's out there. When I'm away from here I have to start preparing for scheduled events much earlier than the average Joe. You'd be surprised how hard it is in some places to put on pants and shoes and socks. Simple things. Reaching the showerhead. Getting to the sink with a toilet in the way. A super soft mattress which inhibits my ability to roll over in bed (I had to get Hyatt personnel to put a piece of plywood under the mattress during the bar convention.) Traveling with someone is so much easier for me than traveling alone. However, my station in life requires me to travel alone most of the time. Traveling alone is one of the downsides of being single.
I do get several opportunities a year to travel. For instance, I am making this trip to Virginia. In two weeks I will go to Kentucky Dam Village for two days for KBA summer meetings In August I will go to Toronto for the American Bar Association meetings now that I am a KBA officer. Labor Day weekend starts football season and I will be traveling to Virginia and Lexington for 8 to 10 football games and will probably spend Thanksgiving weekend in Glen allen as the Virginia Tech game is in Charlottesville this year. I try to plan trips to Virginia for one or two basketball games during the winter but the weather has been so bad the past two years that I haven't been able to count on the Expressway being passable. Each spring, I make at least one trip to Charlottesville for a baseball game and/or a lacrosse game (after all, UVA lacrosse are the national champs and UVA baseball made the final four in the College World Series.) Like I said, I love to go but I don't like to go alone. But, I go alone because sitting here and having a pity party is not an option.
I haven't been on an airplane in years and don't plan on it anytime soon. Air travel, alone, does not suit me, particularly with the way I am treated in airports in my own country. Therefore, my travel will be by motor vehicle. I can carry all of my apparatus and stuff in the Toyota sienna, and it is quite a comfortable vehicle for me.
For years and years, my family vacationed in Hilton head, South Carolina and it is still my favorite place to go for a beach vacation. In the past few years, vacation trips have been to Charleston South Carolina, Chicago Illinois, in Washington DC. I can't get back out on the sand in many places so beach vacations for me consist of sitting by the pool or on a deck overlooking the ocean and reading all of these books that are stacked up on my desk. That's okay – I don't get much quiet time to read. I am told that the new Virginia Beach has ramps to go practically to the water for wheelchair and scooter users, gazebos every so often along the boardwalk with music, and lots of things to occupy your attention so perhaps I'll try that soon.
With all the modern gizmos and gadgets, I can practice law from practically anywhere that I am, if I leave the gizmos and gadgets turned on. Sometimes you just need to turn everything off. I will probably turn everything off when I leave here because my brain needs a cleanse. Sitting alone in my thoughts, listening to a book on desk, listening to music, and/or listening to talk radio is relaxing to me, and I need a little that. I could use a hug or two also, and I'll get that in Virginia.
I hope that everyone has a happy and safe Independence Day weekend and returns next week with charged batteries and a cleansed brain.
TLR 6.29.11
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Reflections of a food junkie
It was a beautiful summer evening last night so my friend Laura and I decided to attend the annual festival held by the Greek Orthodox Church up on the Winton Road in Cincinnati – Panegyri. I typically don't attend that festival to see people that I know, because I don't know many there. The main attraction is the food – wonderful food! Lamb, rice, Greek salad, stuffed grape leaves, pastries filled with cheese and spinach, baklava, Greek wine that tastes like pine cones. If I use the Greek words for all of these things I would be in the dictionary the rest of the day. Thinking about the wonderful food we enjoyed last night brought back memories of places long gone.
I was raised in a house on Erlanger Road with my father, mother, maternal grandfather (Poppy), and sister Lucy. On regular occasions – every other week or so – the five of us would go out to dinner at a local establishment. I remember eating at the restaurant at the airport (SkyChef?) watching the airplanes with propellers come and go and thinking how glamorous it seemed to fly away. I remember eating at the Cabana, which is now a shoe store across the street from the post office and muffler shop. I remember eating at a Retschultes (and wondering if the frog legs they served were from the pond in the back), which is now Barleycorn's in Lakeside Park. Sometimes we would drive to Batesville Indiana and eat at the Sherman House, or to Lexington to eat at the Campbell House or Imperial House across the street. Those trips became possible when the expressways were built in the 50s and 60s. But, in particular, I remember the establishments on the 'Gourmet Strip' of the Dixie Highway ran through Park Hills.
Our family's favorite place was the White Horse Tavern, owned and operated by a family friend, Ben Castleman. (the breeder of Seattle Slew) I look at the empty lot that now sits where the restaurant was and am amazed at how the establishment operated there, parking and all. Once seated, Poppy would always order a Manhattan up, and I usually managed to find a way to get the cherry from him. While the grown-ups were having cocktails, Lucy and I would have alternate drinks such as Shirley Temples or Cokes and eat the complementary offering of olives, sweet pickles, pickled corn, and my favorite – watermelon rind pickles. The cracker basket was also attacked. My favorite was Melba toast. When it was time to eat, the menu had all sorts of delicious choices. The restaurant had a tank of live lobsters in the dining room and you could choose your own. I remember country ham, fried chicken, prime rib, fish selections, calves liver and onions, pork chops, hot slaw, blue cheese dressing, among other delicacies. I had my first oysters on the half shell there and learned to love them. I probably had my first shrimp cocktail there are also. I do not remember what my favorite food was but I was told by my parents that I usually ordered whatever my grandfather ordered. Sister Lucy, however, was a different story. If my memory serves me correctly her standard order was a cup of vichyssoise followed by deviled crab. I remember baked Alaska for dessert, and the place always have a selection of my favorite desserts – pies. The parents would finish their meal by liesurely smoking and chatting while the kids would get outside and run up and down the sidewalk in front of the restaurant waiting for the adults to emerge. The sidewalk was no more than 10 or 15 feet from the Dixie Highway but in those days it wasn't an issue.
Several traits that I believe I carry with me today were learned during those restaurant adventures. Patience - lots of patience. Keeping an open mind to new things and being willing to try anything at least once. (I still don't like fried chicken livers but I tried them!) Manners – minding my manners and learning from my parents, particularly my mother, what manners were. Respecting and learning from my elders. The ability to carry on conversations with adults. Knowing when to shut up, sit down and stay out of the way. People watching, learning from their actions, and reading people's faces and body language. I tried to impart this same experience on Hillary and Jessica, but times were different, the pace was faster, and the restaurants by and large tried to get us out of there so somebody else could sit at the table. Hopefully they got at least part of what I did.
My last memory of eating at the White Horse Tavern was having dinner before the prom my senior year in high school, 1970, with a group of friends and dates. I remember that the restaurant seemed to be getting smaller and smaller as I grew and grew. The college-bound football player did not fit as well in the small rooms as the little boy had. In the fall of 1970 I relocated to the grounds of Mr. Jefferson University in Charlottesville, Virginia and by the time I came back, the White Horse Tavern was memory. A great memory.
The Golden Goose – now Szechuan Garden. The Town & Country – now the Gardens of Park Hills. The Lookout House – now an office building. Oelsner's Colonial Inn - Now Skyline Chili, I think. The Hearthstone – now indigos. The gourmet strip was filled with lights, good food and good times. The lessons learned by a boy eating out with his family have lasted a lifetime. Perhaps that is why to this day I really enjoy a well-prepared dinner out with friends and family.
I was raised in a house on Erlanger Road with my father, mother, maternal grandfather (Poppy), and sister Lucy. On regular occasions – every other week or so – the five of us would go out to dinner at a local establishment. I remember eating at the restaurant at the airport (SkyChef?) watching the airplanes with propellers come and go and thinking how glamorous it seemed to fly away. I remember eating at the Cabana, which is now a shoe store across the street from the post office and muffler shop. I remember eating at a Retschultes (and wondering if the frog legs they served were from the pond in the back), which is now Barleycorn's in Lakeside Park. Sometimes we would drive to Batesville Indiana and eat at the Sherman House, or to Lexington to eat at the Campbell House or Imperial House across the street. Those trips became possible when the expressways were built in the 50s and 60s. But, in particular, I remember the establishments on the 'Gourmet Strip' of the Dixie Highway ran through Park Hills.
Our family's favorite place was the White Horse Tavern, owned and operated by a family friend, Ben Castleman. (the breeder of Seattle Slew) I look at the empty lot that now sits where the restaurant was and am amazed at how the establishment operated there, parking and all. Once seated, Poppy would always order a Manhattan up, and I usually managed to find a way to get the cherry from him. While the grown-ups were having cocktails, Lucy and I would have alternate drinks such as Shirley Temples or Cokes and eat the complementary offering of olives, sweet pickles, pickled corn, and my favorite – watermelon rind pickles. The cracker basket was also attacked. My favorite was Melba toast. When it was time to eat, the menu had all sorts of delicious choices. The restaurant had a tank of live lobsters in the dining room and you could choose your own. I remember country ham, fried chicken, prime rib, fish selections, calves liver and onions, pork chops, hot slaw, blue cheese dressing, among other delicacies. I had my first oysters on the half shell there and learned to love them. I probably had my first shrimp cocktail there are also. I do not remember what my favorite food was but I was told by my parents that I usually ordered whatever my grandfather ordered. Sister Lucy, however, was a different story. If my memory serves me correctly her standard order was a cup of vichyssoise followed by deviled crab. I remember baked Alaska for dessert, and the place always have a selection of my favorite desserts – pies. The parents would finish their meal by liesurely smoking and chatting while the kids would get outside and run up and down the sidewalk in front of the restaurant waiting for the adults to emerge. The sidewalk was no more than 10 or 15 feet from the Dixie Highway but in those days it wasn't an issue.
Several traits that I believe I carry with me today were learned during those restaurant adventures. Patience - lots of patience. Keeping an open mind to new things and being willing to try anything at least once. (I still don't like fried chicken livers but I tried them!) Manners – minding my manners and learning from my parents, particularly my mother, what manners were. Respecting and learning from my elders. The ability to carry on conversations with adults. Knowing when to shut up, sit down and stay out of the way. People watching, learning from their actions, and reading people's faces and body language. I tried to impart this same experience on Hillary and Jessica, but times were different, the pace was faster, and the restaurants by and large tried to get us out of there so somebody else could sit at the table. Hopefully they got at least part of what I did.
My last memory of eating at the White Horse Tavern was having dinner before the prom my senior year in high school, 1970, with a group of friends and dates. I remember that the restaurant seemed to be getting smaller and smaller as I grew and grew. The college-bound football player did not fit as well in the small rooms as the little boy had. In the fall of 1970 I relocated to the grounds of Mr. Jefferson University in Charlottesville, Virginia and by the time I came back, the White Horse Tavern was memory. A great memory.
The Golden Goose – now Szechuan Garden. The Town & Country – now the Gardens of Park Hills. The Lookout House – now an office building. Oelsner's Colonial Inn - Now Skyline Chili, I think. The Hearthstone – now indigos. The gourmet strip was filled with lights, good food and good times. The lessons learned by a boy eating out with his family have lasted a lifetime. Perhaps that is why to this day I really enjoy a well-prepared dinner out with friends and family.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Family
Today is Father's Day. My dad has been gone 20 years and I miss him every day, but enough of that. I was blessed to spend the day with Hillary, Jamie, Caroline and Camden, and Jessica and her boyfriend Greg joined us for dinner at FMCC. Lucy and Kevin joined us at Dixie Chili for lunch after church at the Erlanger Christian Church. I can't get enough of this. Hillary lives in Glen Allen, VA and its been months since we were all together. Those 2 grandkids, well . . . . .
Family first. Always - in my book. Treasure your kids, spoil the grandkids. If you are lucky enough to still have parents around, visit or talk to them daily. Families can be natural (kids, grandkids, etc.) and families can be created (via marriages, adoptions, guardianships, etc.). In my book, families are families, and the relationships are blessed by God and to be honored and respected.
Jamie's folks, Mitch and Patti Billingsley, and his sister Ashley Kay, are wonderful people and live close, so they spend lots of time with each other. I am envious of them, as they see C & C grow and change daily. I have to do it long distance via Skype, telephone, Facebook and try to make regular visits. 8 hours in the van alone is a long drive for me and is draining. But part of my family lives in Virginia, so I do it as often as I can. If only the airlines were not so: 1) expensive, 2) hostile to handicapped scooter users, 3) unreliable and 4) generally a pain, I could avoid the drive now and again.
I used to be able to fly Comair, on their 'weekend traveler' program, round trip to Virginia for $150. But, Comair became so good that Delta bought it and destroyed it. Good job, Delta and, by the way, thanks for what you have done to CVG and for lying to everyone. Great corporate citizen. Should have been liquidated in bankruptcy and sold off. If I were king for a while, I would decree that Delta be forced to pay off the debt CVG incurred to ramp up for the promise Delta made making CVG a 'hub' then ban it from NKy and invite Southwest and other carriers back in. Delta is real family friendly - not!
In 33 years of practicing family law, I have seen some real dysfunctional families, some horribly abusive situations, some crazy behavior, but in most of those cases, something had intervened, such as alcohol, mental illness and drug abuse. I have also witnessed the love between parent and child, caring and nurturing grandparents, and selfless decisions made for the best interests of kids. I continue to practice in this area because I like to help people through trying times. I also enjoying helping children.
So, my conclusion is that no matter what your situation is, cherish your family in your own way and spend as much time together as possible. When they are gone, or move away, you'll wish you had them back. God bless families!
TLR
6.19.2011
Family first. Always - in my book. Treasure your kids, spoil the grandkids. If you are lucky enough to still have parents around, visit or talk to them daily. Families can be natural (kids, grandkids, etc.) and families can be created (via marriages, adoptions, guardianships, etc.). In my book, families are families, and the relationships are blessed by God and to be honored and respected.
Jamie's folks, Mitch and Patti Billingsley, and his sister Ashley Kay, are wonderful people and live close, so they spend lots of time with each other. I am envious of them, as they see C & C grow and change daily. I have to do it long distance via Skype, telephone, Facebook and try to make regular visits. 8 hours in the van alone is a long drive for me and is draining. But part of my family lives in Virginia, so I do it as often as I can. If only the airlines were not so: 1) expensive, 2) hostile to handicapped scooter users, 3) unreliable and 4) generally a pain, I could avoid the drive now and again.
I used to be able to fly Comair, on their 'weekend traveler' program, round trip to Virginia for $150. But, Comair became so good that Delta bought it and destroyed it. Good job, Delta and, by the way, thanks for what you have done to CVG and for lying to everyone. Great corporate citizen. Should have been liquidated in bankruptcy and sold off. If I were king for a while, I would decree that Delta be forced to pay off the debt CVG incurred to ramp up for the promise Delta made making CVG a 'hub' then ban it from NKy and invite Southwest and other carriers back in. Delta is real family friendly - not!
In 33 years of practicing family law, I have seen some real dysfunctional families, some horribly abusive situations, some crazy behavior, but in most of those cases, something had intervened, such as alcohol, mental illness and drug abuse. I have also witnessed the love between parent and child, caring and nurturing grandparents, and selfless decisions made for the best interests of kids. I continue to practice in this area because I like to help people through trying times. I also enjoying helping children.
So, my conclusion is that no matter what your situation is, cherish your family in your own way and spend as much time together as possible. When they are gone, or move away, you'll wish you had them back. God bless families!
TLR
6.19.2011
Beginnings . . .
I am stepping into the world of blogging, trying to become more techno-saavy and 'modern.' or whatever that concept is called these days. Probably - no, assuredly - I am late to the party, and not fashionably late. But, I often have lots to say on subjects (and often no one to say them to) that may be of interest to someone, and in today's world with the media options we have, this seems way too easy. so - here goes.
Why 'Beginnings?' Its the title to a song by Chicago I listened to over and over while an engineering student at UVa from 1970-75 - and I believe my real beginning was at Mr. Jefferson's University. I will share many thoughts and rememberances from those Glory Days on the Grounds, and hopefully show relevance to the world in which I live today. Perhaps I may become one of the 'Honor Men.'
Down the road I will try some video blogging. My friend Marcus Carey has impressed me with his effort in his Bluegrass Blog. For now, written thought will suffice.
Why "Hoo's in charge?" Pretty simple - my daughter Hillary suggested it. I am, after all and among other things, a WAHOO, the nickname used by many for the Virginia sports teams and students - a 'Hoo - and seem to be in charge of a lot of stuff. So, this Hoo's in charge.
In charge of what? These days, and as this is written, I operate my own law practice - THOMAS ROUSE LAW - and am engaged in the practice of family law, general and bodily injury liutigation, estate planning and administration (probate, guardianships, trusts, etc.) small business assistance, and most general practice topics. I received my Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1978.
I am in my second term as Mayor of the City of Erlanger, KY, a city of 18,000 in Northern Kentucky and am the CEO of an operation of 150 +/- employees and a $14 million general fund budget. I spent 14 years as a member of Erlanger's City Council (1989-2003) and grew up the son of Erlanger's City Co-Ordinator (today called CAO) Clyde L. Rouse, who served the city for 24 years. Erlanger is and always will be in my blood.
I took the KY Constitutional Oath a couple of nights ago as the Kentucky Bar Association's Vice President. I will finish my 6th and final year as a member of the Board of Governors representing the 6th KY Supreme Court (SCOKY) District- 23 northern KY counties on 6/30 and become VP on 7/1. The KBA is an agency of SCOKY charged with the duty of maintaining professional discipline among its members - every attorney licensed to practice law by the Court.
I intend to discuss matters of concern to me, matters that entertain me, that amuse me, that interest me and that I think you may be interested in. I invite feedback - I never pass up a learning opportunity! I may even use this to get stuff off my chest. I hope its fun.
TLR 6/18/2011.
Why 'Beginnings?' Its the title to a song by Chicago I listened to over and over while an engineering student at UVa from 1970-75 - and I believe my real beginning was at Mr. Jefferson's University. I will share many thoughts and rememberances from those Glory Days on the Grounds, and hopefully show relevance to the world in which I live today. Perhaps I may become one of the 'Honor Men.'
Down the road I will try some video blogging. My friend Marcus Carey has impressed me with his effort in his Bluegrass Blog. For now, written thought will suffice.
Why "Hoo's in charge?" Pretty simple - my daughter Hillary suggested it. I am, after all and among other things, a WAHOO, the nickname used by many for the Virginia sports teams and students - a 'Hoo - and seem to be in charge of a lot of stuff. So, this Hoo's in charge.
In charge of what? These days, and as this is written, I operate my own law practice - THOMAS ROUSE LAW - and am engaged in the practice of family law, general and bodily injury liutigation, estate planning and administration (probate, guardianships, trusts, etc.) small business assistance, and most general practice topics. I received my Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1978.
I am in my second term as Mayor of the City of Erlanger, KY, a city of 18,000 in Northern Kentucky and am the CEO of an operation of 150 +/- employees and a $14 million general fund budget. I spent 14 years as a member of Erlanger's City Council (1989-2003) and grew up the son of Erlanger's City Co-Ordinator (today called CAO) Clyde L. Rouse, who served the city for 24 years. Erlanger is and always will be in my blood.
I took the KY Constitutional Oath a couple of nights ago as the Kentucky Bar Association's Vice President. I will finish my 6th and final year as a member of the Board of Governors representing the 6th KY Supreme Court (SCOKY) District- 23 northern KY counties on 6/30 and become VP on 7/1. The KBA is an agency of SCOKY charged with the duty of maintaining professional discipline among its members - every attorney licensed to practice law by the Court.
I intend to discuss matters of concern to me, matters that entertain me, that amuse me, that interest me and that I think you may be interested in. I invite feedback - I never pass up a learning opportunity! I may even use this to get stuff off my chest. I hope its fun.
TLR 6/18/2011.
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