Jaded But There's Still Hope

Yesterday I was hoping Danny Ferry would make a trade with the Bucks and I got my wish. Well not exactly. A second round pick in the 2006 draft wasn’t what I was hoping for, but at least we got rid of Jiri Welsch and freed up cap room for free agents this summer. Welsch is a great example of why Jim Paxson is no longer the general manager of the Cavaliers. Paxson, who must not believe in keeping first round picks to build a team around, or any draft picks for that matter, acquired Welsch by giving up a first round pick in 2007. The best Ferry could get for him was a second round pick next year. As jaded as I feel about the job Paxson did as general manager, I realize it is now time for the CAVS to get down to business. The free-agent period starts Friday and this is when Ferry needs to put that degree from Duke to use. If the CAVS don’t bring in at least one All-Star this summer, I might have to sell my LeBron bobblehead doll and give up all hope on the up-coming season.

The Little Things

I don’t normally do things like this, but today I am feeling inspired. I feel inspired to write about the little things that have won my heart over. It probably comes as no surprise to those of you who frequent this blog that flowers and jewelry don’t do it for me. I like the little things that make me stop in my tracks. Things like: Using the word residual when referring to your lip gloss, buying me a shot at the bar when some random guy is buying you one so I don’t feel left out, describing the things I do which I consider girly as utilitarian, offering to let me smoke in your apartment even though you are a non-smoker, going on-line to see what the main “notes” are in my cologne because you like the way it smells so much (and then explain to me what “notes” are), sitting through the NBA draft with my brother and I even though you have to get up at 5 am, having as much fun hanging out with my friends as I do and so many more things that make me smile on a daily basis.

Happy birthday to the person in my life who does the little things.

Poor Danny Ferry

If Danny Ferry felt the pressure from the fans of Cleveland in 1989 when he arrived here in a trade for Ron Harper, I can only imagine how he is feeling today. Less than two days on the job as the General Manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers and he has to manage a draft in which Jim Paxson left him with no draft picks in a town that relishes draft day parties. You could say Clevelanders have high expectations. I personally expect nothing less than for Ferry to be able to trade Desagana Diop to the Milwaukee Bucks for Michael Redd and the number one pick in tonight’s draft, but perhaps that is asking a little too much.

I Haven't Watched SportsCenter in 5 Days

SportsCenter is one of those shows on ESPN which is on morning noon and night. Usually I catch it during all three of those time slots during the day and on average I probably watch it close to 30 times a week. I realized today I have not seen a single sports highlight in five days. This is an indication things are going well in my life. Very well.

I have been hanging out with a lot of different people the past couple weeks and doing a lot of fun things in my neighborhood and all around Cleveland. In essence I have been making the most of this much-anticipated summer. This past weekend was incredible. On Saturday I attended a really fun birthday party which started at the Lava Lounge and ended at the Garage Bar. I like the Garage Bar because they play Billy Squire and I have come to the conclusion you can never really have enough Billy Squire in your life. Not to mention I can walk there. I have a special place in my heart for bars I can walk to.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate two of the greatest people I know for getting their house this weekend. Chrissy and Tina congratulations on your 30-year commitment together. I am sure it will fly by.

How Stupid Can You Be?

I read this story and knew right away I had to share it with everyone I know. I love stupid people.

In other news, I wanted to thank everyone who came out to see me perform last night at Loganberry Books. I had a fabulous time and felt truly honored to share the stage with the incredibly talented Mary Miller. Many thanks also to Wild Plum for producing the show last night.

Wired

Last night I was sitting outside enjoying a wonderful evening with a friend talking about the people who come in and out of our lives when we seem to need them the most. She turned to me and said we are all like the telephone and electric wires running above our heads. Sometimes our lines cross and we give each other energy and other times our lines run away from one another but that energy is always there…somewhere. Over the past couple weeks I have been reminded of how people have entered my life at certain times and why I needed them then (or now) as opposed to any other time in my life.

Last week I was having lunch with someone who has become a really good friend of mine over the past couple months and we realized we were at the same party together two years ago. For whatever reason, we were not introduced. When we finally did get the chance to meet in March, the timing couldn’t have been better and I appreciate her friendship so much more now than I would have two years ago.

Saturday I was sitting in a grandstand watching a friend of mine perform with her band. As I looked around I saw ten people scattered about in different groups. Ten people I used to hang out with every week like clockwork, acting crazy and being silly and creating a bond that will last forever. Now however we have all gone our own way. It was probably the first time we have all been together in over a year. It was great to see each other and feel that energy again, but it was also amazing to see how much we have all grown in the past two years. We all needed each other at one point and we took that energy and grew with it.

On that same day I was sitting next to someone I have been hanging out with a lot lately. Someone I met almost ten years ago, but only began talking to over the past month. Someone who has brought an incredible amount of energy into my life when I didn’t even know I needed it.

I think about my best friend and how I have known her since high school. How much our relationship has changed and evolved and how we always seemed to re-connect when we needed it the most. There would be years we would hardly even talk and then months at a time where we would spend every second together. Now I can’t imagine my life without the energy she brings to it.

Think about the people in your life. Why did they come into your life when they did? Is their energy still there even if they are not? I feel incredibly lucky and blessed when I think about the people who have come into my life when I needed them the most, even though I may not have known it at the time. Our wires will always be crossed.

Dating Rhetoric of the New Millennium

How times have changed. It used to be you went out on a date and your friends would ask: “Where did you go?” “Did you have fun?” “Are you going to see them again?” After talking about someone I am seeing, my best friend turned to me Wednesday night and asked: “Have you ‘Googled’ her yet?” For those of you unfamiliar with this term, it isn’t something dirty (please my parents read this blog, you think I am going to write about sex here…sheesh.). To “Google” someone means you put their name in a search engine on the internet and then see where and why their name comes up on the information super highway. I must admit I am a “googler” but I have even “googled” myself a time or two. Now there’s something you don’t hear everyday.

To The Guy Last Night Who…

…asked the cashier at the gas station who was going to win the San Antonio/Detroit basketball game (and then gave me a dirty look and told me I didn’t know what I was talking about when I answered Detroit would come out strong and take their first game at home because I knew the cashier had no idea what you were talking about), don’t think just because I am a woman, I can’t hold my own in a conversation about sports. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Let's Make A Match

There is something weird about match.com. When they send me my new matches they also send me my own profile and say I am 96% compatible with myself. What is that about? Not that I would ever buy into this gimmicky dating internet site, but I did fill out a profile a couple months ago when I was bored at work to see people I know who have profiles in the database. Now they send me these people everyday who they feel I would be compatible with. Considering some of the people they have sent me, I would have to agree with them and choose me as well.

Here's Johnny...

I had this great blog entry I was going to do about what an incredible weekend I had in my neighborhood and how much I love Ohio City and my best friend Mindy and spending time with new people and just living life to the fullest, however this was all put on the backburner. Why? Someone in my office just told me I reminded them of Johnny Appleseed and it is really hard to top that.

Down and Out at the Dollar Store

I hit a new low yesterday at Dollar USA. I am poor, even more so than I usually am which is pretty sad. When you are poor, what do you do? You drive to your parents house and give them your sad story so they will take you to places like Dollar USA in Bainbridge, Ohio.

To me the dollar store is intriguing because everything is one dollar. Making this even better last night was that Seasons in the Sun was playing on the radio. The whole thing was surreal as I walked around picking out extension cords and hangers singing the lyrics to this song. As we headed to the cashier, a look of horror ran across my face when I saw that somebody from high school was working as a cashier. Here I am an almost 30-year old able-bodied human being and then here is my mom saying: “Okay put your stuff up there on the counter so I can pay for it.” In my head, these thoughts were passing through: Please don’t recognize me. Please don’t realize my mom has to buy me a noodle strainer and hangers at the age of 30. Please don’t look up and notice I was the one who beat you out for that shortstop position 12 years ago. Just keep moving the line and don’t look up because I think that would be so awkward.

She never looked up or at least she didn’t let on that she looked up or noticed me. In general running into this girl would be awkward. Running into her while my mom is buying me $8 worth of stuff for my new apartment, was really awkward for me. Maybe I am just a big snob but yesterday was one of those low moments I would like to forget. Someday when I am where I want to be, I will look back and remember this moment as one of those moments of inspiration. Thanks for the stuff Mom!

The Funniest Thing I Have Seen In A Long Time

On Friday I went to karaoke and saw something I hope I can do justice to because it was so hilarious. The gentleman sitting in front of us headed up to the stage when the screen showed the song he had chosen and the following four words never seemed quite as funny to me as they did on a karaoke screen: We Are The World. That’s right he sang this song and he was great. He had us rolling off our chairs he was so damn funny--though his wife looked a little embarrassed. He tried to do every single voice in that ensemble and I think he managed all but one. His take on Bruce Springsteen and Cyndi Lauper put me over the edge but Stevie Wonder definitely took the cake. He sang some other classic songs, but I will never forget the first time I heard We Are The World at a karaoke bar.

I Do Love Me Some TV

Why I Have HBO

Ahhh…Six Feet Under. I missed you so. After almost a year, my favorite show is back on television and I couldn’t be more thrilled. While the last two seasons have been mediocre, it looks as though Alan Ball is going to redeem himself with great visuals and some intriguing caricatures of the characters I have grown to love. I really enjoyed last night’s episode but I don’t know if that was because I missed it so much and was just so excited to see it again. They threw a lot together in a one-hour span and I wonder if the writers will be able to keep up the pace of making every actor the lead actor or let things falter like they did last season.

Why I Have Cable

After Six Feet Under I was able to catch the end of the Detroit/Miami game and I was surprised it was so close. I was cheering for Miami but I knew it was going to be tough for the Heat to hang with the defending champs in a game 7. The Finals will be intriguing: it may be one of the best series of all time yet get the lowest ratings of all time (San Antonio and Detroit are not exactly a marketer’s dream). I said San Antonio was going all the way a couple of weeks ago and I am sticking with that prognosis.

Seems Like Forever

I have taken a little break from the blog the past week, but now I am back after my crazy week from hell. This past week has included a lot of moving, both moving out and moving on but I think I am back to my old self.

Moving has got to be one of the most stressful things to do. Lucky for me I had some great help and some great laughs. I felt like I was in a comedy of errors last week as my brother had to help me move wearing golf shoes and tube socks with shorts (quite a look), most of my furniture took a beating in my new tiny door ways and I found out that Alison and Karen are the beat couch movers this side of the Mississippi. To everyone who helped me, thank you very much. Many thanks to Mindy who brought a certain someone over to concoct a pulley to bring my treadmill down the stairs—quite a sight to see.

I am starting to feel more and more at home in my new place. I love my new claw tub and the other night I was so tired the only thing I wanted to do was take a bath. I turned my radio on for a little background noise but when the commercials on the radio were over I realized I had put on Delilah doing Lovelight songs on Soft Rock 102.1. I was too lazy and too tired to get up and put something else on the radio. I heard dedication after dedication and just sat there thinking: “I might actually be in hell.”

My house became complete on Saturday when the cable guy showed up with HBO and a digital video recorder. Mindy said I actually sounded like the commercial when I called her to say: “It actually stops and pauses live tv!” I am going to be entertained for hours, which is good because this is the first time I have ever lived on my own so there is a little bit of an adjustment to make.

I have actually found out living alone doesn’t mean you have to be alone. I had a great first weekend that involved going to see Star Wars at a matinee with some friends I haven’t seen in a while and then meeting my couch movers, Alison and Karen for Happy Hour and some incredible Karaoke performed by Karen. (I have never heard Bon Jovi sound so good.) Then last night as I was about to grill up some dogs for myself, I got a couple phone calls and I was instantly joined by five other people who brought even more food over along with folding chairs and a table and voila! we had an impromptu outdoor grill party. The best part is when the party is over, everyone goes home and I get to hang out by myself pausing and recording live tv. Life is good.