weekend in Rochester

Me at Martini's, the bar in the Grand Kahler.

Regis at Mac's Cafe where we had a most delicious breakfast.

We had a wonderful weekend that didn't always go as planned but still was, as the billboards say, awesome. (Aside: I never eat in a restaurant that claims its food is awesome.)

Our intention was to spend the weekend in Rochester so we could attend a Lehto and Wright concert on Saturday night at a place called the Acoustic View. We had two tickets reserved for us and we put the place in google and had the address and a map. More on that later.

Friday afternoon after checking into our hotel downtown Rochester, we met Steve and Sherry for dinner at a place called Chester's. I had dinner there before and thought the food was good. There was a Rick Springfield concert that night at the civic center so the place was crawling with big-hair 1980's types.

One woman had a denim jacket on with a painting of what must have been Rick's face on the back...bigger than life. It was a cheap looking jacket that must have been painted by machine in some factory because that dude could have passed for Elvis, Michael Jackson (before all the nose surgery), or Rick Springfield. Really. The way some people clothe themselves is frightening. We didn't think to get a picture of this thing which is probably good.

The meal at Chester's was loud. Very loud. We were seated in the bar area and were too stunned by the bazillion decibel level of the music to even protest. There was a lot of "what?" going on at our table. the bar manager was perky and ubiquitous with spiky hair and a big diamond earring. We're not at Patrick's anymore, my friend. If we tell him about it, maybe Hombre will adopt some of this guy's affectations. You never know.

We wandered up to the University Square shops and found this amazing (awesome) chocolate shop where Catie works.

I bought (or Sherry bought for me...thanks, Sherry!) two rum beans, two dark chocolate coins, and two sugar-free dark chocolate peanut clusters. It's a good thing I showed that much restraint. I had one of the peanut clusters for breakfast with the left-over chicken.

We went back to Martini's and shared a bottle of wine and some good laughs. They have beautiful wine glasses at Martini's, something for which I admire them. I hate a bar with crappy wine glasses.

Saturday, we headed down the street to Mac's Cafe for some Greek breakfast and some good coffee. I had what they called a cheese omelet with some Greek salsa on top. Very, very good.

I looked in a couple shops that advertised sales but they were selling stuff that was $500 to start with so the markdown, even though significant, was still way out of my league.

I did find a few things at a store that says of itself that it has "cutting edge fashion at affordable prices". And a good sale.

I found a good consignment shop, too, and managed a few more bargains while Regis went back to take a nap before the trip to Byron.

So, we go to Byron armed with our cell phone map, a google map, and a copy of the email saying our tickets were reserved. We drive up to the address and it's a house. Nobody is home at the house. Clearly this is not the location.

We drive back down to the main drag and I go into a bar where everyone is drinking Bud Light and playing pool. They don't know where a folk music concert is because the juke box is blaring country western.

I go into the next bar. These people are drinking Bud Light and playing pool, too, but they are more helpful and direct us to a sign they had seen for a concert. We go there and I run in, even though it's some kind of alternative church. An old biker dude tells me that it's a Christian Outreach for heavy metal fans. They have a concert but not Lehto and Wright.

We go back to the Kwiktrip. The four kids working in there are all about 16 years old and they shrug. No idea.

By this time, it's after 7:00 and we make one more stop. This place is full of snowmobilers and they have a band setting up...not the right band.

We go back to the hotel. Not much else to do.

So, we had a wonderful weekend and did a lot of interesting things but didn't get to the one thing that drew us there in the first place. Oh, well. It was a hoot anyway. Might even say it was awesome.

P.S. I hate the word awesome. It's used way too much for everything from food to movies to God knows what. It's ridiculous. Find a new word, people. I had to talk to a reporter for the local paper about something once and he quoted me and had me saying the word awesome. I had a conniption fit. I was mortified. What the hell.