Getting out of Dodge

A quick trip to the Queen City

My lovely wife had a wonderful idea. Most of her ideas are wonderful, actually, especially if they agree with my own. She suggested we get out of Dodge for a few days before the surgery on Friday. Her reasoning was this. First, it was her spring break, so she had the time available. But second, and more importantly, she knew it would give us a healthy distraction.

You see Friday is not just my surgery date, but it is also the anniversary of our son’s death.

It will be six years. The first two years I was a mess. Somewhere around the two-year mark my emotions stabilized. But the week leading up to the anniversary is ALWAYS hard. I get pretty depressed. It’s a little odd, because I don’t fixate on the date; in fact, I try not to think about it. But my subconscious knows. And, of course, I’m also a little anxious about the surgery and the recovery period.

And Amy knows this. In many ways she knows me better than I know myself. So she suggested we spend Monday and Tuesday nights in Chicago and camp out Tuesday at one of my favorite places, the Art Institute of Chicago. But alas, the AIC is closed on Tuesdays, which, incredibly, they did not consult me about.

So we switched it up and headed to Cincinnati instead. We had never been before as a couple, even though it is less than two hours away.

Here is what I knew about Cincinnati before this trip:

• It’s in Ohio

• It is nicknamed the Queen city because Freddie Mercury was born and raised there. Probably.

• It’s in Ohio.

And that’s it.

But lo and behold, the city is actually kinda cool.

First, they have hills. I realize this is a low bar, but remember: I live in central Indiana. The highest point around here is the pitcher’s mound at the high school.

Second, they have a great art museum, and it’s totally free. Nearby is a gorgeous conservatory with some amazing tropical plants.

The third thing is a little harder to specify; but the city just has a nice vibe about it. It sits along the Ohio river and you can walk along it or have a meal over-looking it. Plenty of cool old buildings and interesting neighborhoods.

It was just what the doctor ordered.

I also got a phone call while there from a researcher working for my surgeon. She wanted to know if I wanted to be part of a medical trial related to prostate cancer. More about that tomorrow.