Friday, April 29, 2005

Vacation Pictures

Here are some pictures from the trip to Boston and Cape Cod last week. Thanks to my parents for letting us borrow their digital camera for our adventures.

The view of Provincetown from the top of Pilgrim Monument

The view from the bottom of Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, the original landing point for the Pilgrims.

The best part was how quiet the beaches were during our stay on the Cape

A typical Cad Cod view with the white picket fence where your backyard is the Atlantic Ocean

The most expensive houses in the city are on Beacon Hill.

The Bunker Hill Monument

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Back to the Grind

It is weird to be back in Cleveland. Everything seems like it is moving in slow motion compared to the pace of Boston. What a great trip to the East Coast! I heard the weather here was horrible but we had beautiful weather almost everyday. It rained on our drive to Cape Cod but once we got there it was gorgeous for two days. The Cape was deserted so we had the beaches and the restaurants to ourselves.

I won’t have any of the pictures ready for a day or so but we got some amazing shots in Provincetown and in the city. It was truly an incredible vacation where we ate like kings, slept in everyday and lost track of the outside world. This is the first time I have been on-line in a week and I hardly watched any sports the whole trip. It is extremely hard to miss the Red Sox on television because they are on in every restaurant and pub. We were unable to get tickets to the baseball game. We went down to Fenway and tried but it is a good city to be a scalper—everybody wants a piece of the Red Sox. Instead of going to the game, we enjoyed a couple beers at a pub behind the Green Monster and still felt like part of Red Sox Nation for a night.

The food was incredible. My first night there I had scrod stuffed with crab in a lobster béarnaise sauce for $13 in a cute little restaurant in the North End overlooking the Harbor. In the Cape, we ate at the famous Lobster Pot where you can add a whole lobster to any entrée for $10. Eating a whole lobster was quite an experience. A few words of advice: wear the bib. The ethnic restaurants in the city were incredible. We had great Thai food, cheaper and better than what I have had in Cleveland. We also ate these Chilean sandwiches in the city that were phenomenal.

I will admit however that when we got home last night at 9:00 we did go to the Winking Lizard because we missed our wings. And smoking. We also missed smoking and having a beer in the same spot. Massachusetts is a non-smoking state which was a little hard to get used to at first. It was amazing though to be hanging out in all of these pubs and restaurants with no cigarette smoke. There is something to be said about going home and not smelling like smoke at the end of the night.

I loved the city but I just don’t think I would ever be able to afford living there. We stayed in a 950 square foot condo about 15 minutes from the city which cost our friends almost $300,000. It just amazed me how much more expensive it is to live in the city. We went to a party thrown by a girl who lived in a suite for $1000/month. This was just one room, a small kitchen and a bathroom. Of course there is also Beacon Hill right downtown where the houses, with no yard whatsoever, sell for six million dollars and up. The houses on the Cape overlooking the ocean were half this much.

Overall it was an incredible trip and I feel so well rested from my much-needed vacation. I must admit there were some things I missed back in Ohio and I was ready to come home after seven days. I should have pictures up and ready in the next few days.

Friday, April 22, 2005

Two Things I Know I For Sure

1. I could never afford to live in Boston.
2. After checking out the graveyards downtown, the dead people in Boston are a lot cooler than the dead people in Cleveland.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Finally!

Finally after weeks of planning, my vacation is here and I couldn’t be more excited. Tomorrow at this time I will be eating fresh seafood sitting in a city with a playoff-bound basketball team. (I haven’t given up complete hope for the Cavaliers but things are looking bleak). I will spend the next week trekking around Boston, Salem, Cambridge, Jamaica Plain and Cape Cod on an overdue vacation. I realized yesterday since I have started working full-time six years ago I am yet to take a real vacation which makes this even more exciting. Being a history and sports buff, this trip is going to be incredible. I can’t wait to go to Fenway Park but I am also so excited about going to Salem to see the Witch Trial Museum. And the ocean. I can’t wait to see the ocean! Pictures and entries to follow at some point during the week and after my trip.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

You Got A Husband?

Yesterday we were made speechless. As we were standing out on our porch, a man in his early fifties, dressed in khakis and a polo shirt came around the corner and asked both of us at the same time: "Uh...hi, you got a husband?" We both answered: "Uh.....No" We had no idea what to say. Who asks that? He then went on to say he was looking for help to clean up Ohio City and then he kept on walking. If he coudn't have somebody's husband to help he couldn't have anyone apparently. This is the second day in a row we have had a freak on our street. Unfortunately I think this one lived near us and wasn't just passing through to pee like the gentleman from the night before.

Monday, April 18, 2005

Indecent Exposure

It was a tough decision this morning when it came time to decide what to write about from the weekend. After all we were practically held hostage inside my friend’s apartment by some psycho until the police came on Friday night. Not to mention my sister’s party on Saturday when my nephew accidentally pushed my mother in to the fifty degree lake. I could also talk about how I have a new favorite show, Nip/Tuck, which held my interest almost all day Sunday thanks to Netflix. I could also mention the CAVS on this Monday morning as I watched them practically push themselves out of the playoffs yesterday against Detroit’s second team. The event that takes the cake from this weekend though happened to us last night around midnight right in front of our house.

Before I tell this story, I would like to make it known we live on one of the nicest streets in Ohio City—residential and historical homes frequented by people who tour take tours on Lolly the Trolley. However, last night our street was frequented by some fraternity boy in a red Ford Explorer. We were standing out on the porch when his car pulled up and stopped abruptly in the middle of the street, halfway between our house and our neighbor’s house. His car was still running in the middle of the road when he stepped out. At this point we weren’t exactly sure what he was doing until we saw the steam coming off the pavement and noticed he was peeing right there in front of us. He had no idea he was being watched from such a close range so we weren’t sure if we should continue our conversation or just stand still. We stood still trying not to laugh until he got back in his car and drove off down the road. Who does that? Don’t get me wrong, I have pulled my car over to the side of the road but never have I seen anyone just stop in the middle of the road with their car running to relieve themselves. This is another one of those perks shared by men: they think they can pee anywhere anytime and they usually can. Lucky bastards.

VACATION COUNTDOWN: Three more days

I have to mention Nip/Tuck again. What a great show. If you haven’t seen it, watch it. No matter who you are, it has something for everyone and the writing is incredible, filled with irony and dark humor. It currently runs on FX on cable but I would recommend renting it on DVD.

Okay, okay, I have to mention the CAVS too. They have gone 10-20 in their last thirty games and are about to be bounced out of the playoffs. If you have an All-Star Center and one the best players in the game running your offense, you should at least be one of the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference. Part of me just wants this season to end now and get it out of the way. If we do make the playoffs, it is going to be torture watching the CAVS play Miami.

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Under the Weather

I have been away from my computer and under the weather for the past few days. Thanks to some strong antibiotics, I am recovering quite nicely. Over the past two days, I have watched so much ESPN that I now know how every analyst on that station feels about Tiger Woods catching Jack Nicklaus with Major victories, Terrell Owens’ possible contract negotiations, Mike Tyson returning to the ring, Mark Prior’s place in the Cubs rotation, possible NBA playoff seedings, Jermaine O’Neal’s take on NBA age restrictions and every possible break-down in the NFL draft. I took in so much yesterday that I almost had to turn off ESPN because I could recite all of the highlights on Sportscenter before they even came on the screen. It started getting a little scary, even for me.

Monday, April 11, 2005

Handicap Accessibility at the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre

On Saturday my mother and I went to see the closing night of Mindy’s play, The Smell of the Kill, at the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre. We were treated to much more entertainment than we ever could have imagined. The play itself was incredible, but there was also something that happened in the audience which only a few select people were lucky enough to witness, and for those of us who saw it, we will never be the same. (I only hope I can do this story justice.)

My mother and I had seats in the last row with very little room between us and the wall of the theatre. The usher thought this space between the last row and the wall would be a good place to stick a woman who had come in a wheelchair. As the two talked, the woman in the wheelchair began to reveal how hard it is for her to get around and see plays anymore because her legs hurt so much and it is hard to make the drive. She also went on to say she was left behind at the last play she attended when the lights went out in the theatre after the play ended. The woman performing the usher duties let her know nothing bad would happen at this theatre and the drive would be worth her while. She also assured her she would be back to get her after the show so she wouldn’t be left alone again.

Before the play began the man running sound and lights needed to get around the woman in the wheelchair and head up the ladder to the control panel, which was on the other side of this woman. There was no way to get around her but to go around the rows, yet he seemed stumped until everyone in my row looked at him and said: “you have to go around.” If you are keeping score at home, this is stupid man number one.

Let me introduce you to stupid man number two. Mid-way through the play the gentleman in front of us decides to get up. He is only one seat in from the aisle, yet instead of telling the man next to him to move, he decides he is going to go around. Everyone in the back row knows this is not going to be a good idea, yet we watch him, knowing that he is going to have to turn around once he gets to the ladder. We all sit there in amazement as this man, most likely in his early sixties, squeezes his body around the ladder between the wall and our last row. Now we are all feeling sorry for the guy because he worked so hard to get around the ladder only to encounter a woman in a wheelchair blocking his way out. As he walks closer to her, I hear something that I will never forget in my life. I hear him whisper to the woman “Can I climb over you?” At this moment the four people in my row turn around in horror and watch him straddling this poor woman, face-to-face in the wheelchair with one leg over her and the other leg stuck. Finally after grabbing onto her head and her wheelchair he made it over. Take a moment to visualize what I just wrote—this man practically molested this old woman stuck in a wheelchair because he could not figure out a better way to get around her. It is scary yet true.

He came back and decided not to go back the way he came and just take another seat. What a smart guy. He actually ended up sitting in our row, and when he sat down he smiled at all of us because we could not stop staring at him in disbelief. Why he didn’t ask the man sitting next to him to move is still beyond me. Let me reiterate this man was only one seat in from the aisle yet he decided to go all the way around and commit this heinous act of stupidity. I felt so sorry for this poor woman who was already hesitant to venture out due to the pain in her legs and the fact she had been left behind in a theatre before. Apparently being left behind in a dark theatre isn’t all that bad after what happened to her at this theatre. If I were her, I would ask for some free tickets and a better seat next time.

Friday, April 08, 2005

I Just Don't Have The Endurance To Be Crazy

Today a man in Lorain County will begin his hearing after holding people hostage for 25 hours straight last year. I don’t know about you, but if I don’t get at least seven hours of sleep, I have trouble functioning. You really have to have a lot of endurance to do crazy things these days and to be able to do them for more than five hours. You got to give the guy credit for sticking with it because I know I would have just fallen asleep after CSI like I normally do.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Editor's Note

Last week in my entry regarding Tuesday nights in Cleveland, I made a glaring omission which I would now like to correct. I left Rocky River Brewing Company off of my Tuesday list and this is unfortunate. They have great specials Tuesday through Thursday and the food there is incomparable to any other Brewery/Restaurant in the area. Every time we go, we are amazed by the quality of the food.

On Tuesdays you can get an incredible burger for $5 and I highly recommend the black and bleu burger which is topped off with a grilled red pepper for incredible flavor. The calamari is the best I have ever had ANYWHERE and I am a huge fan of all of their salads. Last night (Wednesday is martini night) I broke out the entertainment card for the first time (very exciting) and we got the home made macaroni and cheese with chicken and sausage and also the stuffed chicken with a garlic risotto and fresh broccoli.

On Thursday nights you can get a large microbrew for a small microbrew price so I recommend you head there tonight. As far as beer selection, I like the Northern Lights and the Coopers Gold Kolsch but there are so many good selections, it is hard to go wrong. Whatever you do, don’t walk into this place and order a Bud Light because they have a microbrew for every taste--don’t be afraid to be adventurous. One more important variable is that in the bar area they have a ton of big screen televisions which are always playing some sort of sporting event, so I have an even more special place in my heart for this venue.

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Paxson Watch

A source on ESPN revealed that Cleveland Cavaliers General Manager Jim Paxson would be fired within the next 48 hours. Trust me...this is good news for CAVS fans!

No Seriously...So Now What

I started this blog the day after the Super Bowl with the scary realization I wouldn’t be excited about sports again until March. Now that One Shining Moment has played and all the prognosticators have submitted their early Top 25 rankings for the 2006 college basketball season, I am officially in a bigger transition period then I was in after the Super Bowl. At least after the football season ends, you have thoughts of March Madness. Now that March Madness is over, I am looking over my upcoming sports calendar and I am feeling a little disheartened.

For me nothing really compares to pro football or college basketball but there are a few things to help me get by until next September when football starts up again. I will now turn my interest to the NFL draft in April. I will spend the next couple weeks reading every Mel Kiper Jr. article to try and figure out how the Browns are going to better themselves next season. After the draft, the NBA playoffs will finally be getting underway and the season will start to get exciting. (I will also be spending my energy over the next couple weeks hoping the CAVS can hold on to a six seed in the Eastern Conference but this is starting to look bleak.) I really wish I liked baseball more, but it will be well into the summer by the time the NBA champ is crowned, and the NBA draft is held, so I will have no business sitting on the couch watching sports anyway. That is until August when my fantasy football draft season begins.

Don’t worry about me. I will be okay. I have a wonderful vacation and a large event this summer I am volunteering for over the next four months. The sports world is not the only thing that makes my life go--it just makes things a whole lot more interesting when it is going.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005


The Winning Bracket

Best.Tournament.Ever.

And not just because I won $300 last night. And also not just because I cried during "One Shining Moment" because I always do that.

Monday, April 04, 2005

Something You Probably Didn't Know About Me

Every now and then I might surprise you or at the very least startle you a little bit. This might be one of the those times. One thing I was reminded of this weekend is how much I love Shakira. Go ahead read it again. I like her music so much that I believe at one point this weekend I could have been quoted as seriously saying: “She is amazing—do you think she writes her own stuff?” She is definitely a skeleton in my closet and I thought it would be fun to share this with you on this Monday morning.

Also of note today is the fact that if North Carolina wins tonight I win the office pool here at work. Believe me I have no problem being a huge North Carolina fan for $300.00. I am easy like that.

Shakira: One of the skeletons in my closet

Saturday, April 02, 2005

Mile High Mistake

These past couple weeks might just be enough to erase all the pain from “The Drive” and “The Fumble” in Browns history. Browns fans can now look at Bronco fans and just laugh. Denver decided to revamp its defensive line this off-season and for whatever glorious reason they decided to go shopping for overrated Browns’ defensive lineman. In the last three weeks, the Broncos have successfully signed Ebenezer Ekuban, Michael Myers, Gerard Warren and Courtney Brown. In exchange the Browns landed a 1,000 yard rusher in Reuben Droughens.

I don’t know if this is payback for all of those Cleveland tears in the late eighties, but I personally could not be happier. Denver is going to make Phil Savage the GM of the Year this year and I can’t help but think they did it out of pity. Why else would you replenish your defensive line with four key players from a defense that won just four games last year? I guess we will find out come September, but until then, I couldn’t be happier about the new-look Browns and the new-look Broncos.

Friday, April 01, 2005

My Blog Will Make You Smarter

I am on a never-ending quest to make the people who read this blog and myself smarter. Here are some interesting origins relevant to this week:

April Fools Day is a holiday of uncertain origin. Prior to the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar the date was observed as New Year’s Day by cultures spanning from the Hindu to the Romans. The original New Years was related to the festival of the vernal equinox which occurs on March 21. In 1564 France adopted the reformed Gregorian calendar and shifted New Year's Day to Jan. 1. However, many people either refused to accept the new date, or did not learn about it, and continued to celebrate New Year's Day April 1. Other people began to make fun of these traditionalists, sending them on "fool's errands" or trying to trick them into believing something false.

Yesterday I also learned about another important origin: March Madness. The term was first coined in the early 1900s in reference to Illinois high school basketball. In 1982, Brent Musberger became the first television analyst to use it in reference to the NCAA basketball tournament. That year also happened to be the year Michael Jordan hit his first history-making shot when North Carolina defeated Georgetown 63-62.

April FOOLS

This is a real article from CNN.com found this morning by my co-worker:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/04/01/ms.wheelchair.ap/index.html