Richard: I'll not bother you because I realize you are in "convention" mode. I know that means you'll be drinking alot of coffee and sleeping with creators this weekend..so I'll just leave you alone..ok...

Akbar was succeeded by his son Salim, who took the title of Jahangir. In his reign (1605-1627), Jahangir consolidated the gains made by his father. The courtly culture of the Mughals flourished under his rule; like his great grand-father, Babar, he had an interest in gardens, and Mughal painting probably reached its zenith in Jahangir's time.

Last Trip: Get up and get some steak, eggs and some blueberry pancakes as my last hotel meal. Back at my room I finally notice the Cleveland City Visitor magazine setting on the coffee table, on the cover Jeweled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals. I've always been a fan of the Mughal empire(really, I'm not kidding)....maybe my next trip. Check out with enough time to get train out, call cab. Along the way I chitchat with the driver, look at his dashboard clock, I notice its about one hour later than it should be then it hits me.....aaarrrrghhhdamn damngrrrsonavabitchgggrrr fuckingdaylightsavingtime imafuckingidiotgrrr.....driver tries to get me in on time but when you want the train to be late, it is of course, right on schedule...which means I missed it. Switch gears to Greyhound station which has a bus going out in about two hours which really isn't too bad. I buy my ticket. The Cleveland station is large and busy with ordinary people moving to all points. Metro Security is all over the place, I decide to cool my jets with some $1.27 Greyhound coffee as I take in the activity and the artdeco look of this big station. The Greyhound coffee isn't as good as the Amtrak coffee but I guess I'm drinking it. Lots of people of all types, lots of different bags and luggage, lots of different stories I'm sure. The Greyhound logo is everywhere but there is a Leader of the pack mega-sized hound icon hanging high above the others and looking down on all of us ordinary people...I think I feel safe...I start to get in line for the trip. Metro Security is actually checking bags...I hope my SHIELD clearance will explain the large rawhide tossing bone I have packed away...he checks me next...woo...I'm safehaha. Our driver checks our tickets as we get on, he looks like an old salt with this routine sporting his Greyhound uniform. I'm on and the people just keep on coming..till we're completely full. Large black woman with heavy red coat braves to set next to me, she holds on to her small purse for dear life. We start out leaving Cleveland behind, I try to sleep as much as I can, I think everybody else has the same idea. The trip back seems to go much faster and I find myself arriving at the home station in good time. A very very good trip and it's good to be back with everything intact..

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.....

More Trip: Fortythree rolls into the station and grinds to a halt, I grab carry on and trundle out to the waiting area. Once inside I take on my usual confused state but I am quickly snapped out of it by Cleveland Uber blogger Jocko. It was great to finally meet Jim in the real world, he was immediately super friendly and all smiles from the get go, a very nice greeting after the trip. Jim was good enough to leave work early to pick me up and get me to my hotel. We start talking about stuff as Jim points out city sculptures of interest while weaving through downtown. We pass an immense Civil War style memorial that looks unbelieveable. After a little confusion on directions but good talk along the way, we get to my hotel. Once settled in Jim recommends eats at an asian place and we pick up his friend Dave to join us. Switching to Dave's silver vw bug we arrive at the Minh Anh restaurant. Good food, very nice conversation, my grilled chicken was delicious, tried some tasty beef cinnamon soup, this was a great place to eat. Jim gets me back to my hotel through near blinding lake effect snow storm. Very nice of Jim to get me orientated in Cleveland, truly a top-notch guy, it was great yaking about stuff and having good asian eats. A little tired, I call it an early evening.

The trip: Amtrak station waiting for #43 to show up. Watch large woman carefully open about four different small snack chips/curls/pretzel bags one at a time into larger plain potato chip bag. After depositing the contents of each one into the larger bag she shakes it up. She is obviously a high priestess of snacking, who am I to judge? Two well dressed goon types show up lookin around for something or someone, after awhile one plays a coin operated pistol shooting game, I'm thinking how perfect. Call for #43 puts me into action, leaving my priestess and pluggers. Passing the Amtrak engines never ceases to impress me, nearly unstoppable mechanical power forgotten in the 21st century. Finally onboard I'm offered a very small and very soft pillow to assist my dozing. The trip starts and the little pillow I secretly scoffed at works quite well as I get back some of the sleep I missed last night. The quickly passing outside is snowy and grey with sunbeams occasionally cracking through. Cafe car two cars behind opens up, excuse for me to try Amtrak coffee along with premade ham/turkey half sandwich with Pepperidge Farm oatmeal cookies. I curl up with a complimentary USA Today, read about the world falling apart..good coffee..I get another in the nice Amtrak paper cup. Back to roomy seat, hardly anyone onboard, agreeable warm temperature, pull out trip book, knock off a few chapters...soon see the cityscape of Cleveland on the horizon....

New stuff..looking forward to playing Justice League of America Monopoly sometime...really cool JLA version of a tried and true classic...nice metal tokens of all the best known members and great renderings of all the characters on the board and box..very sharp looking...and yes I'll buy Green Lantern's power battery for $150.00...

Jerry made the comment today that no one around here(work) every gets reprimanded for anything...he's right...its a damn circus around here...the boss needs to get his head examined...but at the end of the day the staff gets the job done...and that's what matters..despite the chaos...the staff is golden.

Four Corronas, nice cheese and crackers at small farewell party for store going out of business. Store is a street institution that has been selling great international stuff for some 28 years...amazing operation...can't believe it's really closing...it will be missed. Owner is a truely great man who I will miss seeing on a daily bases...I wish him great luck with his upcoming writing and photography projects...I think whatever he does it will be just great...

Stop that man with the razor.. he's really going to hurt himself this time....shower...shave(badly as usual..blood a common sight)..monkey suit...Dale coaches me on tie length..last minute adjustment...free ticket finds me at the opera to see Madama Butterfly. Packed house..have to confess to nodding off a bit in the first act despite fine vocals...slam down some needed coffee at intermission...more awake for act two..intense aria by Butterfly.. title of this piece escapes me now...story goes down hill for our gal who gives it all up at the end..large falling red drapery...

Charles Mingus background for preworkout coffee..good...George Benson played at gym instead of regular techno inferno..good...unusual compliment given by other gym member for amount of poundage on lat pulldowns which really isn't that much in my opinion....nice...good...all in all good strong paced gym time with bis, back and legs...lots of cold rain on the walk back...not so good...probably will get sick...worse...my collection of umbrellas never where I need them..what's with that?

I just got back from visiting the Lobster Man's villa. I brought along some Somoas girl scout cookies to hopefuly make a non-verbal friendship offering, but all lights were out, with no LM to be seen...I guess he must be sleeping. Sleep Lobster Man sleep.....

Lost a fast and furious session of the Milk and Cheese boardgame to Dale while on break. Victory was mine till Lady Luck spat on me at the last moment...MERVE GRIFFIN!!!!

Just got back from seeing the Lobster Man's house in progress at CMU campus. Talked briefly with his sister about his project, I think it a pretty great idea. Apparently some dunderheads tried to mess his place up over the weekend. Sis yelled up to her Lobster brother that I would be looking about and it was ok...got a few distant glimpses of the Lobster himself shuffling around doing stuff.

An actual fax recieved at work today: This Shakin', Rockin' Rollin' Easter Bunny or chick, at the touch of a button, pops out of the highly decorated easter egg and begins to dance and sing. Rock to a licensed Easter version of the classic ZZ Top hit "She Got Leg's"....One FREE demonstration egg with each order(limit one per order)...Don't Miss Out on this Incredible Offer!..CALL NOW: 1-800-786-3456..I think this is the best fax ever sent to us...it's nice to know we have a choice between an Easter Bunny or "chick"...Tall Man keeps the original motion picture soundtrack to "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly" on near continual loop today as a few shady characters and tumbleweeds roll in and out of Dodge.

After a long phone conversation with someone I haven't talked to for about a year and a half I was interrogated by Dale. "Who was that"?..oh..just a friend who I haven't talked to for a long time..."Friends..your not allowed to have friends..friends are bad for you"....oh Dale...so psychotic..so protective. Earlier in the day Dale informed me that for the past two years I have been the focus of his personality destruction/reformation procedures....well...that explains a few things.

Back from lunch at the Golden Palace Buffet on campus..two full plates of stuff and a bowl of egg drop.. good food for a good value. Currently sporting a splitting headache that started this morning and won't stop knocking me..time to man up and get things done here at work.

back from gym: Reintroduced tricep extensions to the program..reminded why this exercise is nicked "skull crushers"..sorta tough, probably best with a spotter so you don't give credence to the name. Stopped at Starjerks for a coffee, cranberry loaf and a...hey.. you big doofus that last Times is mine..aaugh..the big dummy picked up the last NY Times before I could grab it..damn...I should just take it from him and make a scene..but I won't..besides he's bigger than me..grrr..he's lucky I play by the rules..and..why did I get this for here..there is no place to sit..damn yup peoples everywhere..luckily some nice University of Miami folk give me a small part of their table to occupy. Coffee and cranloaf quickly inhaled, leaving U of M banter, back out into whats trying to be Winter.

Richard: I feel like I need to get a little on the edge... I'll eat this nutrition bar that made for especially for women..its called Luna..