More Trip: Wake up to participate in hotel's breakfast buffet, then cab off to the Lakewood Civic Auditorium to attend the 2002 NPC Natural Ohio prejuding. Get there early so decide to scout about for a good cup of coffee. I stumble upon Madison ave/st check out Madison Trash, used t-shirts and stuff and My Minds Eye, indie record store. Both are closed, seem very hip and remind me of some places I know back home. My jodar homes me into Mudslide on Madison, a very cool looking place, I have a house roast in a large cobalt blue mug which is very good...I'll be back. I return to the auditorium for the prejudging that moves quickly through the various classes accompanied by eighties pop hits on repeat loop. Thirteeen member judging panel guzzles bottled water and chomps protein bars like there's no tomorrow, all while joting down the scores of the athletes. The level of the competitors is pretty high for this show, looks like the men's finals will be between a certain lightweight and light heavyweight ..we'll see what happens. Cab back to the hotel for a little rest, return for the early evening final show. Promoter Dave Liberman does a great job as mc, keeps the large crowd engaged. The main guest poser of the evening was Greg Rando, the 2001 NPC Team Universe Overall Champion. Greg suffers with a degenerating eye disease that makes him legally blind, which makes his accomplishment even the more incredible. Greg was the bigest object on stage that night and got through his routine with no problem at all. The men finals was won by super ripped and sized lightweight Justin Wilcox over the gigantic light heavyweight Jeremiah Forster. A rare judging call of a lighter weight class beating out the big guys... at the announcement the heavy and light heavyweight overalls looked more than fairly disappointed. Shows over and I have a little trouble getting a cab so I decide to walk back to Mudslide to get another jo and call from there. At Mudslide an off duty employee named Ray overhears me asking about calling for a cab and volunteers to drive me back to my hotel. I felt that it would probably be ok since this guy worked here..right?!hah! I get my coffee to go and Ray shows me to his jeep that I notice has multiple American flag stickers of different sizes all over, I'm guessing to ward off any lurking terrorists. Along the way Ray talks about how people should be nicer to one another and how his bonding trip to Las Vegas with his four brothers was a complete diasaster. Ray gets me back to my hotel without killing me like I thought might happen and begrudgingly takes payment. Catch SNL before passing out...great MTV4 skit with japanese girl band..hahah..ha...ssnnorrree...snnoorree.....