my sister, tracy, her husband, and my little nephew are in town for the next week visiting from south carolina. after spending a couple of days with my folks, they moved over to a house that they'd rented in downtown geneva on the lake. if you've never been to geneva, not only is it home to some of ohio's finest wineries, but the downtown area is a sort of america's vacationland from the bygone era when people could only afford to vacation in their home state. this was the time of airstream campers, little cottages by lake erie, and mom and pop amusement parks, put-put courses, and eateries. anyway, my family has always had a special place in our hearts for this faded little slice of americana, even with the incredible number of bikers who invade the place all summer long. a good wine buzz cures all though. tracy really loves geneva, so it came as no surprise that she would want to spend some time there. i took the time to join the family yesterday and had a great day filled with some headache-inducing wine from the firehouse winery and two, count 'em, two trips to eddie's grill. eddie's is a real geneva institution serving burgers, dogs, fries, and rootbeer in a setting that makes you feel like some greasers or girls in bobby socks and poodle skirts could walk in at any time. it was great to be there with people 
who are so close to my heart and, most of whom, i don't get to see as often as i would like. moreso, i loved the day, and especially my trips to eddie's, because it's just the sort of thing that makes me feel happier about the world. i like knowing that places like geneva and eddie's still exist...that everything hasn't succumbed to the seemingly endless wave of mcdonald's, applebees, and other chain places that have tak
en over so much of the dining landscape. admittedly, speaking of chains, i even found myself getting a little teary when the juke box played "unchained melody" by the righteous brothers...a song that i've heard a thousand times and that the movie "ghost" had almost ruined entirely. it finally seemed to have the impact on me that it had on so many kids back in the days of penny loafers, pat boone, and unbridled optmism about living and being in love in america. incidentally, since we were planning on having too much wine, there was also a sleepover at the rental house with the family involved. i'm including this picture of the sleeping quarters, just because i haven't had the opporunity to sleep in a red, metal matchbox car-themed bunk bed in, oh, i'd say, thirty years. sometimes it takes a few wierd things to really add up to the recipe for fun.
who are so close to my heart and, most of whom, i don't get to see as often as i would like. moreso, i loved the day, and especially my trips to eddie's, because it's just the sort of thing that makes me feel happier about the world. i like knowing that places like geneva and eddie's still exist...that everything hasn't succumbed to the seemingly endless wave of mcdonald's, applebees, and other chain places that have tak
en over so much of the dining landscape. admittedly, speaking of chains, i even found myself getting a little teary when the juke box played "unchained melody" by the righteous brothers...a song that i've heard a thousand times and that the movie "ghost" had almost ruined entirely. it finally seemed to have the impact on me that it had on so many kids back in the days of penny loafers, pat boone, and unbridled optmism about living and being in love in america. incidentally, since we were planning on having too much wine, there was also a sleepover at the rental house with the family involved. i'm including this picture of the sleeping quarters, just because i haven't had the opporunity to sleep in a red, metal matchbox car-themed bunk bed in, oh, i'd say, thirty years. sometimes it takes a few wierd things to really add up to the recipe for fun. 
