It all began with a day trip to Cleveland this past weekend…
Hubby was going to help our friends’ son and DIL (you may recall them from My First Jewish Wedding post a few months ago) with some electrical work in their new home.
I, on the other hand, was going to “play” with one of my BFs and her girls and our GFC friends.
It was a gorgeous, unseasonably sunny, not-so-frigid February day that started with lots of hugs and kisses, a new home tour, a delicious steaming breakfast casserole loaded with eggs and bacon and potatoes, fresh chewy bagels in pumpernickel and cinnamon raisin and sesame seed with generous shmears of cream cheese, and mugs of hot coffee with french vanilla cream.
After all the hugging and kissing and eating was done, the guys went to work, and the girls went to play!
We took a ride to a quaint little village called Chagrin Falls. The scenery was stunning, the shops were eclectic, and the restaurants were yummy! The streets were bustling with girlfriends and couples and families and even lots of dogs strolling the streets with their moms and dads. (Sssshhh! Don’t tell Charlie!)
After we found a parking space (that allowed for us to accumulate some steps on our Fitbits), I threw my camera in my purse, and we were off. The views were breathtaking, and we giggled and chatted and wandered while we waited for a text from the restaurant we chose (with a 45 minute wait) to let us know a table for six was ready.
After about – oh – maybe 42 seconds down the road, I noticed my cell phone was missing. A bit discombobulated, I decided I was with my friends and didn’t need it. “Let it go, Jodi,” I told myself. “I’m sure I left it in the car, and I don’t need to be attached to it while with these people I love and don’t get to see nearly enough.” So I mentioned it to the gang – ok – maybe 2 or 212 times – but “let it go.”
After a bit of strolling and photo-taking and giggling and selfie-ing and posting on Facebook, we got our text that our table was ready for lunch.
If you are ever in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, be sure to check out Flip Side! We had the sweetest waitress, the most amazing cocktails, and to-die-for burgers! My One Red Door Burger was topped with melted brie cheese, crispy shallots, and date and applewood bacon aioli (O. M. G!!!)
After we ordered our drinks, I checked my purse one more time for my phone. When I couldn’t find it, I decided it was worth a walk to the car to get it and put my mind at ease.
I looked in the car, under the seat, under the car, on top of the car, around the car.
No cell phone.
Well – maybe it is really in my purse.
So back to the restaurant I walked.
After pulling pretty much every item out of my purse, I realized I didn’t have it, and it wasn’t in the car. Still not too concerned, I asked my “Bub” to dial my number and see if we could hear it ring.
Well – much to our surprise – a deep, gentlemanly voice answered my phone!
It seems my phone was at the local police station – dropped off by a kind gentleman who found it.
Mystery solved, we toasted friendship and the fact that there truly ARE still good, good people in this world.
We enjoyed our cocktail(s) and lunch, laughing and joking with our waitress about the fact that we might be stumbling a bit intoxicated to the police station to retrieve the phone after we finished every morsel of burger, sweet potato fries, crispy onion rings, and every last drop of Hendricks gin loaded with thinly sliced cucumbers over ice. (Okay – maybe that was just for me!)
Wiggling and wobbling through the streets and practically skipping with joy in the fact that good people do still exist, we got to the local police station where we found the door locked….
While I waited, my Bubby opened the box next to the door and picked up the phone to call “inside.” The dispatcher assured us someone would be right there to let us in.
A minute or two passed while we laughed and chatted about our good fortune. Then five minutes passed. Bubby stayed by my side, while the rest of the gang gathered at the front of the building near the street. Ten minutes or so passed, and Bubby and I were beginning to wonder if the people “inside” forgot about us….
A police car pulled up and a young officer drew near the door. “YAY,” we thought, we can slip in with him to the people inside who are waiting for us.
When the young officer approached, Bubby shared with him that “we have been waiting here for a long time!” We were relieved to be let in.
“No you haven’t,” he replied.
“Oh – YES – we have,” my dear Bubby retorted in true “Bubby-style.”
“Well – I was only a few minutes away, and I came right over….” declared the officer.
Jaws dropped….
OOOOOPS!
“Sorry Officer!”
“We were waiting for someone to show up from inside!”
“We didn’t realize…..”
Backtrack. Butt-kissing. Apologies…. OOOOPS! (and this is not our first experience involving the police at a GFC activity...)
Thank goodness for the kind officer who forgave us, who laughed at with us, who gave me the name and phone number of the kind gentleman who turned in my phone so I could call and thank him (which I did!), who noticed a selfie posted on Facebook while in the possession of my cell phone and responded with a private message to my Bubby (under a code name we are still peeing our pants laughing about!), and who waved at us with a grin when we crossed paths AGAIN at the intersection leaving town that day.
If you ever doubted, there STILL ARE good good people in this world. We only need to relax, to trust, to believe, and to embrace.
I’ll never forget you Chagrin Falls….
for your kind citizens (thank you Mr. A for taking the time to pick up my phone, ask people around you, and then walk it to the police department, so it could be returned to me),
your amazing police department (we’ll not soon forget you Officer J – and we’re guessing you won’t soon forget us),
your beautiful sites (the waterfalls and walking paths and old-town feel),
your delicious burgers (thank you Flip Side for your hospitality – can you PLEASE deliver to Mars?),
your popcorn shop (which made for a fun snack on the ride home while hubby and I sang along to oldies with the radio blasting),
your jeni’s ice cream parlor (whose name we first thought was “penis”),
and your friends and friendship (to all the people and dogs we couldn’t resist stopping to chat with along the street).
Oh the laughs we had joking about Officer Naughty and Officer Nyce. That’s all I’m going to say about that….
My GFC girls will understand.
And they know how much I love them.
And isn’t that just about all that matters?
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Sounds like ya’ll had a great time spending the day together. I think it is wonderful you were able to get your phone back, thanks to a VERY nice man! The pictures are wonderful! So, it all ended up being a friend filled, fabulous and fun day!
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For sure! Favorite kind! 😉
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I love this! what a fun day filled with adventure haha and lots of interesting people, friends! I love the pictures Jodi, just amazing! I want to come along next time!! xx So interesting about the phone being picked up and how you got it back!
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Oh how fun it would be to have you join us Lynn!!! 😝
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Oh I would love it, what a great bunch of ladies!!!
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OMG, you have to be following in my footsteps!!!! What a great story with a great ending and most importantly shared with the best of friends!!
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This must be oh rob! I totally thought of you and almost called it an oh jodi day. Lol. Xoxo ❤️
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I vaguely remember Chagrin Falls (l lived in Cleveland and then the suburbs of Cleveland until I was 12) but I’m sure it’s a different universe now. Well, maybe not the scenery.
Actually I find people are amazingly nice about returning things if they can find you. Sounds like a fun day and a good ending for all! (K)
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I know right? We always hear about the bad stuff and there are so many good people. 😊.
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Awesome to hear there are good people doing good things in the world. We don’t hear enough of these good news stories! Glad you had fun, Jodi. ❤️
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There really are! And I am so fortunate one was around when I needed! 🙂 ❤
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Woot! Yeah, I don’t even wanna think about losing my phone……very cool how that worked out!
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Now that was a delightful tale!
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Thanks Kathy! It was a delightful day 🙂
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Great to have time with the girls Jodie…and good to hear about happy ending too 😊
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I don’t know what I’d do without my girlfriends! 🙂
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ha! good times!
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indeedy 🙂
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What a great story! There’s nothing better than times spent with good friends and family, and I love the reminder that there are still lots of good people in the world, too. Glad you had such a wonderful time!
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What a wonderful day spent with wonderful friends. I am glad the cellphone was found and there are still nice people out there. 🙂
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It surely was Terry, and there are sooo many good and nice people if we only open our eyes and ears and hearts 🙂 ❤
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Great weekend story and and pics today Jodi…and those darn cell phones! Thanks for sharing and bringing laughs.
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I know – right? Can’t live with them – can’t life without them….! Thank goodness for girlfriends and kind peeps! 🙂
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Days like this one remind us of everything that is good in our world. Good friends, good food, good shopping, good people! A recipe for a fantastic day!
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So true! there is still soooo much good! Thanks for visiting and dropping a note Lynn!
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Loved reading your story! Your excitement and joy of the day definitely came through! Laughing about the police and wondering just how many times the police were involved in your adventures. Haha! Great pictures also! Thanks for a delightful post and you gotta love singing to those oldies! Tho we have to do it when the girls aren’t in the car! They don’t appreciate them quite as much as we do, LOL!
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It was a delightful day! Oh we are so silly though! Do you recall the time we went to the spaceship in Mars in our jammies to take a photo. A police man stopped by to see what kind of ruckus we were up to. We ending up getting him to take our picture and then get a picture with him. Thank goodness he didn’t ask us to take a breathalizer test! hehe!
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Now that sounds like quite a story!! LOL!
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Sounds like an awesome adventure! I’m still smiling! So glad you got your phone back, and there are good people in the world.
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It surely was 🙂 I’m still smiling too – haha! and it was days ago….
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What a wonderful adventure Jodi! Being with people you love and laughing about anything and everything is the best thing in the world! So glad the missing phone had a happy ending too!
XOXO Linda~
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Sure is Linda! It was one of those “best of” days. I’m still smiling 🙂
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Love those days! 💞
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What fun you had! So glad you got the phone back too, they are so integrated into our lives today. There really are good people still, they seem so far away today. ❤️
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We sure did have fun! Rarely don’t – LOL! Life’s tooooo short! ❤
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I love seeing girlfriends having a good time together. Looks like lots of fun ♥
summerdaisy.net
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Awwww – thanks! Girlfriends are the best! 🙂
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Chagrin Falls should change its name since there was little “sorrow” in that town while you were painting it red! Perhaps “Fortunate Falls” would be more appropriate.
Sending greetings to you and yours from sunny Mazatlan.
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Hi Marguerite!! Good to hear from you! Where in the world is Mazatlan? I must look up! I love the idea of changing the name to fortunate falls! haha!
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Ahh! Mexico! ENJOY!!
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Enjoyed hearing your stories, seeing your smiles and all the fun you had with your girlfriends, Jodi! And YAY you got your phone back! 😄👍💜
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Thanks Jilly! It was a day to remember 🙂
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I don’t have girl friends like you do so I always enjoy hearing about your wonderful times together! xo
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😦 – well if we lived closer I would be your GF! 🙂
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LOL! Oh, you and your BFFs have the funniest adventures! So glad your phone is safe…thank goodness for honest folks!
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We sure do – eh?! 🙂 Such good good times. ❤
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What a fun story, I could just feel the bubbly excitement while reading the words! Yay for everyone involved!
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Aww! Thanks KR! It was fun to relive through writing. 🙂
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Thank you for sharing such lovely photographs and a fun loving adventure story to go along with it. Really was a joy to read.
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Awwww! Thanks Haunani! I am so glad you enjoyed 🙂
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That sounds like the very best of days, Jodi. Am very happy for you.
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It really was! 🙂 Thanks Torrie!
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what a fun and entertaining story! One to remember!! glad you got your phone back, whew….. loved your pics too 🙂
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lol! It really was a fun day, Debi. And always a story – haha!
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you, I think, could fill a Book!! 🙂
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Lol. ☺️
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Lovely story , friends , photos , and good people 🙂
I’m all smiles now 🙂 after reading you
Turtle Hugs
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I’m so glad your smiling! I still am too! 🙂
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Sounds like a great adventure😊 However I’m still trying to figure out how you misunderstood the name if the ice cream place. Unless of course…..oh wait, I’m guessing that may be another post..:)
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LOL! It surely was George! 🙂 Don’t you see it in the font of jenis? I think I might restrain from writing that post 🙂
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This sounds like an amazing adventure! I might also point out that it sounds like you all spent the majority of the day eating….not that there is anything wrong with that! 😉 I’m so glad you didn’t need to bail anyone out and that your phone made it home safely! Thanks for sharing your fun day.
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Well – I do have to admit, I passed on the ice cream, and the popcorn was for the ride home, but yessss….. we did kind of eat our way through the day! Par for the course! 🙂
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Well, yeah, of course. That’s part of the fun!
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Wow! Hehe!! What an adventure with the girls! And such a great story to know that good people are still out there in the world!! 😃And your photos are stunning as ever Jodi! ❤️😃
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Thanks Charlie! It was a truly fun adventure.
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Oh, what a wonderful day! So glad you recovered your phone 🙂
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It sure was! thanks Carol!
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