Why I Haven't Blogged Much Lately

I wish I could say that I have been so busy being political, volunteering and learning a new job that I haven't had time to blog lately. Unfortunately this is not the case. This is the real case (literally):


Ironically, I do come up with some of my best blog ideas after having a couple bottles. My follow-through or the ability to complete full sentences however becomes strained after drinking this stuff. Other things that become strained after having just a couple Great Lakes Christmas Ales: motor skills, vision, self-control and the ability to not want to start a bar fight.

My New Rule

I am back. Sorta. I need to find more time to start blogging again. Yesterday I was inspired because I received an award from this blog. This blogger also has this blog which gives a wonderful perspective on life in Detroit and politics all over the world. Check it out if you get the chance.

I have also been inspired by ignorance. It truly is bliss, or at least appears to be that way. Lately I have received all types of racist forwarded e-mails regarding Barack Obama. It was bound to happen. What I didn't think would happen is that some of these e-mails would come from people who voted for Ken Blackwell two years ago. Blackwell is an African-American Republican, and he ran for Governor of Ohio against Ted Strickland in 2006. This begs the question: If you voted for an African-American two years ago to run your state, how can you have contempt for an African-American, or a "mutt" as Obama refers to himself? I now have to implement my new rule of common sense. Here is the refresher for everyone out there:

If you voted for this guydon't forward racist e-mails about this guy: It doesn' t make any sense. At all.

Bushisms

(I interrupt this blog vacation as I have been motivated by George W. Bush to write. Yes...he has finally motivated me. It only took eight years.)

I watched the George Bush interview the other night on CNN when he talked about the things he regretted saying. He only mentioned two things. Seriously? Two? Is that per day? I almost forgot how moronic he is. It is just unbelievable to me that this man has been our Commander-in-Chief for the past eight years. When Obama was elected, it gave every child hope that they could do or be anything they wanted one day no matter the color of their skin. To me, it meant something else. It actually showed that if you had a good vocabulary with articulate expressions and well-spoken thoughts, you too could be president. It has given me hope as well that I can be anything I want to be. For a well-spoken American, it was hard to have aspirations that we could rise up because this is what we saw leading our country on a daily basis:

Blog Vacation

Like Barack Obama, I was offered a new job last Tuesday. His position is a little more exciting than mine, but it's still a transition nonetheless. I have been quite busy the past week, and probably will be for the next week or so until I get settled into my new position. With this in mind, I probably won't be blogging nearly as much. In case the two of you who actually read my blog get bored, you can always watch one of my favorite videos:
The first Sarah Palin spotting on SNL:

Global Impact

Change is coming and it has not only inspired a nation, but much more importantly a world. A world of people celebrated OUR presidential election. After a time when I felt embarrassed to call myself an American, today I wake up so proud. Proud of my country for voting and proud for what this country has the propensity to do for ourselves, for each other, for America and for the world. Our country elected him, but everyone celebrated him (The last picture of the slideshow is my back porch as the champagne was opened):

Change Is In The Air

If you woke up in Cleveland, Ohio this morning you can feel that change is coming. You can feel the excitement in the air. Everyone is walking around with smiles on their faces because they have been waiting ten months for this day to come. That's right, Great Lakes Brewing Company has changed it's seasonal beers and it's Christmas Ale time! The strongest beer I have ever consumed is being tapped at bars around Cleveland tonight. Hopefully people will be drinking it in celebration.
[ I will not be indulging in Christmas Ale tonight. We are having a very small get together that will involve buttered rum, champagne and a big crock pot of moose stew (Sarah Palin's favorite meal). The champagne will hopefully be opened sooner than later. I can't do another 2000 or 2004. Indiana, Virginia and Ohio polls should all be announced by 9. At that point, the bubbly will be poured.]

Why I Early Voted

I voted three weeks ago. The process was so easy. I was one of three people voting at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on Thursday, October 9. My co-workers, many of whom still are not at work yet because they are standing in line voting, mocked me and said my vote wouldn't be counted. It was counted this past weekend along with all the other absentee ballots in Cuyahoga County. I have slept like a baby for the past three nights knowing I have already voted and my vote has been counted.

This morning our alarm clock went off at 5:30. My girlfriend had to get up earlier than usual to vote. As she drove off to wait in line, I watched CNN and got ready for work peacefully. I left a little early to go get my free Starbucks coffee, which every person who voted today is able to get. I was the only one at Starbucks. I flashed my "I voted sticker" which I kept because they gave me three of them back on October 9 when there was a sticker surplus. I saw another person in there who had just left the polls. She looked excited but tired. I gave her a refreshed smile and a look of confidence that every Obama supporter is passing on today, and kept on my merry way. As I drove to work, I passed lines of people standing outside waiting to vote. I got a text from my girlfriend who voted but didn't get a sticker for her free coffee. Apparently there were no stickers to be found. Bummer. I listened to CNN on my XM radio, and found out there are already voting machine issues in major battleground cities. Can someone explain to me how five of the seven voting machines in Richmond VA, have already broken after only an hour? (Aunt Mary: you live in Richmond, whats going on with your Board of Elections?) I was the first person at work today. As more people walked in, there were stories of long lines and the inability to vote due to time constraints. I just sipped on my free coffee and tried not to mock them as they had mocked me only three weeks earlier.

Sarah Palin Makes Halloween Fun!

For Halloween this year I decided to dress up as Sarah Palin's house and Julie decided to go as Russia. Sarah Palin inspired this idea with her brilliant quotes regarding the way Alaskans can see Russia, and this in return made Palin qualified on foreign relations issues. I am really going to miss her in two days!

This is the costume. I was Palin's house and Julie was Russia. Good Times:


Here is our inspiration:

The Opposite Of Hope

When a candidate builds somebody up so much like John McCain has done with "Joe The Plumber" there are bound to be Frankenstein moments when the monster turns against you. This video sums up that moment as "Joe" (His real name is Samuel by the way) stands McCain up at a rally. McCain then proceeds to say how he saw "Joe" on television that morning. Shouldn't Joe be watching McCain on television and not the other way around? I have to admit I felt sorry for McCain after watching this video, but that quickly faded as I found out "Joe" is about to sign a country record deal. Nice job McCain Campaign: You really are helping the unemployment crisis (at least for one man).

HOPE.

At an early age, my mom instilled in me how much politics can impact you emotionally. She would re-tell stories of the way she would feel when she listened to JFK speak before he was elected. I feel like I was there with her when she found out JFK had been shot, not because she told that story so many times, but because of the way she told it. I always wanted to feel that way about a candidate. To have a president inspire me. To give me someone to believe in the way she believed in JFK.

Today I drive home from work and listen to Barack Obama and get goosebumps. He inspires me. He speaks to me. I relate to what he has to say not just about the economy but on foreign policy and education. My hot button topic is education. I work in education. I work with college students everyday who can't afford to go to school. Obama is the only candidate who has asked these students to join him. To join him and give back to this country with community service and volunteering and he will help them go to school. This concept is not new, but it seems to have been forgotten. Nothing inspires me more and gives me more hope for this country than listening to Obama speak about everyone working together, and the opportunities this can lead to for the future. We as a people have to be accountable not only for ourselves, but we also have to be accountable for the future of our country. Take care of ourselves and take care of our neighbors and the country will do it's best to take care of you. Is this such a crazy concept? Is this such a new concept? Does "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country?" sound familiar?(Barack Obama speaking in the rain in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, October 28th, even after the Mccain campaign canceled their Pennsylvania commitments due to the weather)

Sports Socialism

If you are following the current landscape of the 2008 election, you would know that the new catch phrase is "Redistribution of Wealth," and it is being used against Barack Obama. This is a fun phrase that the GOP and Fox News like to use to scare people into believing this will be the first time in their life they will have to pay taxes, and that those taxes are going to go directly to a non-deserving population of people. They are even calling him a Socialist. To these people apparently a Socialist is someone who believes those at the bottom deserve a chance, and with that chance, a more competitive market place will occur at home and abroad. This is not Socialism, it's common sense. If you are a sports fan, you see this annually when your favorite team drafts a new player. To make this more relevant to Cleveland sports fans, I want to remind you of the 2002-2003 Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 2002-2003 Cleveland Cavaliers stunk. They tied for the worst record in the league. Thankfully for the Socialist mentality of the NBA, and other major sports leagues, the worst teams in the league draft first. They do this to create a more competitive league by giving the worst teams a redistribution of wealth. That particular draft brought LeBron James to Cleveland and the rest is history. If the NBA didn't believe in fairness, then LeBron would have gone to the Los Angeles Lakers who won the championship the year before, and they would have continued to win championships year after year. This would have become boring, and fans would have stopped attending games for small market teams. This most likely would have ended up in a bailout for these small market teams and perhaps an emergency plan-maybe even a 700 billion dollar emergency plan-to help out these small market teams who never received the chance at a top draft pick. Even in my fantasy football league, the worst team gets the first shot at free agents every week. I almost called the Commissioner of my league this week to complain and call him a Socialist, but then I realized he was just being fair. Because of this Socialist fantasy football policy my last place team two weeks ago, has now won two games in a row, and we have HOPE that we can make the playoffs. We were given a chance to do something with our team, whether we did or not was up to us, but at least we had a chance.

If hope, fairness and chances are how the GOP is going to re-define socialism, then count me in because I am a small-market sports fan that loves fantasy football and loves this country. For now on, just call me Jo-Anne Six Pack, the Socialist.

Sportygrrl Election Homework: read this article from the New Yorker to see how much McCain actually AGREES with Obama AND Biden's policy and comments on taxation.
This excerpt is from the article:
During the 2000 campaign, on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” a young woman asked McCain why her father, a doctor, should be “penalized” by being “in a huge tax bracket.” McCain replied that “wealthy people can afford more” and that “the very wealthy, because they can afford tax lawyers and all kinds of loopholes, really don’t pay nearly as much as you think they do.” The exchange continued:
YOUNG WOMAN: Are we getting closer and closer to, like, socialism and stuff?. . .
MCCAIN: Here’s what I really believe: That when you reach a certain level of comfort, there’s nothing wrong with paying somewhat more.

Fantasy Football Players Care About The Election Too!

For the sake of this blog, let's forget that I watch CNN 20 hours a day (My girlfriend thinks I have a serious problem, but I just call it Electionitis). Let's also forget that I could recite all four stump speeches that each candidate gives everyday (I have the scars to prove it my friends). What if I didn't follow everything going on in the current election like it was my job? Like many Americans who don't have the time or the patience to listen to every single thing being said and written about, I would most likely get my news from the periodicals that I normally read, such as ESPN The Magazine and one of my favorite writers, Rick Reilly. Reilly isn't a politcal commentator. He writes about real life and he does it really well. If I was an undecided voter without the knowledge of 20 hours of CNN a day, this story from Reilly last week would have helped me make my decision because when I am not watching CNN, I am obsessing over fantasy football (in case this is your first time to my blog, I really like fantasy football A LOT). With that in mind, you can imagine how excited I was to read this article written by Reilly about his fantasy football partner, Barack Obama (It's important to note that Reilly asked both candidates to play a week of fantasy football with him, but only Obama agreed to the challenge):

I have the absolute worst fantasy league football partner. Just try to get the guy to return a call. Or a text. You need a damn court order.

He's Barack Obama. And, yeah, I guess he's busy, but why was I the one who had to fly to Dayton, get frisked and have bomb dogs drool on my bags just so I could meet him getting off his tricked-out, chartered 757? He can't meet a guy halfway?

I asked each candidate to be my running mate for one week in a fantasy league, just to see what kind of president he'd make—how he'd handle decisions under pressure and balance a budget. (On ESPN.com's Gridiron Challenge, you get a mystical $50M to spend on a team.) Only Obama bit. We settled on the Week 6 games.

Still, you talk about bossy. I thought he'd let the professional sportswriter do most of the picking while the wonk occasionally looked up from some Pakistan brief and nodded. Yeah, not exactly. When I got on his campaign bus, all three flat screens were tuned to ESPN. Obama was sitting in a black leather swivel chair, reading the paper. "Hey, man, I'll be with you in a second," he said. "I'm poring over the latest economic news." It was the USA Today NFL stats page.

He is taller, grayer and quicker to laugh than I expected. Moves sort of like an athlete—cool and smooth. "Now, you're the expert," he began. "And I'll gladly be the junior partner in this, but I really think we should take Drew Brees. He could have a big week. Oakland's secondary is a wreck."

Ohhhh, so that's how it's going to be. "Well, I like Carson Palmer," I said. "He's due for a big week, plus he plays in Ohio and I figure that's a state you need, so …"

He looked at me like I'd stuck my elbow in his soup. "Man, this is more important than politics!" he insisted. "This is football!"

This is a man who could potentially audit me forever. We paid $7.3M for Brees.
He wanted Clinton Portis. I wanted Adrian Peterson. We took Portis ($6.6M). He wanted Brandon Marshall. I wanted Bernard Berrian. We took Marshall ($5.7M).
Doesn't work well with others. Check.

Have to admit, though, he knows his stuff. Turns out, he played a little. He was a tight end in ninth grade until a coach told him to "trample" an opponent's back. He gave up football for hoops. In 2004, when Mike Ditka considered running against him for Senate, Obama—remembering how Ditka let William Perry score a Super Bowl TD instead of Walter Payton—said that "anybody who would give the ball to Refrigerator Perry instead of Sweetness doesn't have very good judgment." Ditka didn't run. "Too bad," Obama says. "We were hoping he would."

Likes to bait Hall of Famers. Check.

It took us 30 minutes to pick nine slots. The man was into it. I said I'd need to talk to him the following week about how we did.

"Cool," he said. "How's Tuesday?"

"Sorry," I said. "Getting married Tuesday."

He looked stunned. "Who'd marry you?"

Wise guy. Check.

We wound up in a dark tunnel under Fifth Third Field in Dayton for a campaign event. He was telling me a story about throwing out a first pitch when suddenly I heard over the PA system, "… the next president of the United States, Barack Obama!" He looked at me, said "Gotta go!" and sprinted up some steps to a thunderclap of a roar.

Afterward, while signing books, he asked if I thought we'd win. "Win?" I said. "There's like a gazillion teams in this thing!"

He glared a hole in me. "You think we're just messing around?"

Then Sunday came. Man, did he get lucky. The guys he made us choose—Brees and Portis—went nuts. The guys I wanted, not so much. We finished 32,190th for the week. But wait! That put us in the 81.2 percentile, which means we beat four out of five teams!

Of course, he already knew. Because, like so many Americans, he was checking the fantasy stats all day, even while he was supposed to be prepping for his final debate. He e-mailed to say he wished he had followed my advice on Berrian (who smoked Marshall), but he was "pumped up" about our numbers. And he congratulated the newlyweds.

I e-mailed back and said that if he wins this election, the ambassadorship to Tahiti would make a nice wedding present.

Retraction

I can no longer be angry at LeBron James. He may be a Yankees fan and he may be a Cowboys fan. He may also be leaving Cleveland in two years to go play somewhere else, but he has changed my mind about all of those hard feelings. I have been impressed by the way James has gotten involved in this year's election. He has taken criticism in the past with his political stances, but I think he has finally come around to realize you can create change when you put your money where your mouth is. This is his latest gesture, and it is quite impressive considering he has already been registering voters and canvassing downtown for Obama.

The Origin Of Sportygrrl

People often ask me, Sportygrrl, how did you get your name? Ok, nobody has ever asked me this, but if they did, this is how I would answer them:

(Insert Bizarre Time Warp Music)

On the night of October 20th, 1975 my mother went into labor during Monday Night Football. Is this a surprise to anyone? From The Buffalo Bills website:
October 20, 1975 -- BILLS SUFFER FIRST LOSS OF SEASON
In a bizarre Monday night game at Rich Stadium, the N.Y. Giants handed the Bills their first loss of the season, 17-14. Many fans acted atrociously, taking off their clothes, getting involved in numerous brawls, and mugging for the national TV cameras.

I was born the next morning on October 21st 1975. This happened to fall on the same day as Game 6 of the World Series between the Cincinnati Reds and the Boston Red Sox. From Wikepedia:
October 21, 1975-Game 6 of the World Series. This game would go down as one of the greatest games not only in World Series and post-season history, but baseball history as well. In the bottom of the 12th inning Carlton Fisk took the second pitch and lifted a high drive down the left-field line. The ball struck the foul pole just above the Green Monster. In what has now become an iconic baseball film highlight, the NBC left-field game camera caught Fisk wildly waving his arms to his right after hitting the ball and watching its path while drifting down the first base line, as if he was trying to coax the ball to "stay fair." The ball indeed stayed fair and the Red Sox had tied the Series.

Let me also say that Good Will Hunting is one of my favorite movies of all-time. As I sat in the theatre watching this incredible film and this scene played out, I knew I was born for greatness, or at least to write a blog that 2-3 people would read a day:


With all the sports drama during this two-day period, I had to grow up to be a Sportygrrl. I had no choice.

McCain Endorses Obama

I taped Meet The Press for the first time in my life on Sunday. What happened on Sunday was so historical that I wanted to see it for myself. I wanted to see one of the most-respected Republicans in the United States endorse Barack Obama. Colin Powell, George W. Bush's first Secretary of State and then National Security Advisor, endorsed Obama and put the last nail in McCain's presidential coffin. Obviously McCain won't be endorsing Obama until November 5th, but just take a look at the list of GOP supporters who have jumped ship to embrace Barack Obama, or turn a cold shoulder to McCain. This list is just a sampling and was taken from The Jed Report.

Florida GOP (Sun Oct 19):
The Florida GOP is planning to withhold about $2 million that it was planning on spending to help John McCain win the state. Instead, "Florida Republicans already are looking ahead to 2010 when Crist runs for re-election."

Colin Powell (Sun Oct 19):
Colin Powell, former 4-star general, Reagan national security adviser, Bush Sr. chairman of the joint chiefs, and secretary of state, gave a full throated endorsement of Barack Obama and indictment of the McCain campaign and the Republican party.

Frank Luntz (Sat Oct 18):
Frank Luntz, GOP pollster and language expert, states bluntly: "I think Barack Obama is going to be the next president of the United States." He adds: "John McCain cannot communicate. Stevie Wonder reads a teleprompter better than John McCain."

Michael Smerconish (Fri Oct 17):
On his talk show on WPHT today, conservative Philadelphian Michael Smerconish endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

Chicago Tribune Editorial Board (Fri Oct 17):
For the first time in the 161 year history of the Chicago Tribune, the paper has endorsed a Democratic presidential nominee: Barack Obama.

Richard Lugar (Wed Oct 15):
Richard Lugar, the seniormost Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, came close to a full endorsement of Obama by endorsing his approach to foreign policy - specifically, his emphasis on diplomacy.

RNC (in Wisconsin) (Wed Oct 15):
The RNC is giving up on McCain in Wisconsin. TV stations report that they've stopped airing ads attacking Obama, and won't comment on the pullout.

Rush Limbaugh (Tue Oct 14):
Rush Limbaugh all but accepted the fact that John McCain had lost this election, asking Sarah Palin "have you even thought about a political future beyond this campaign?" Obviously, if Limbaugh thought McCain could win...her political future would be as Vice President.

Matthew Dowd (Tue Oct 14):
Matthew Dowd, a former Bush strategist, let the cat out of the bag: "They didn't let John McCain pick the person he wanted to pick as VP...[McCain] knows, in his gut, that he put somebody unqualified on the ballot. He knows that in his gut, and when this race is over that is something he will have to live with... He put somebody unqualified on that ballot and he put the country at risk, he knows that."

Dennis Hopper (Mon Oct 13):
Loyal Republican actor-director Dennis Hopper is giving up on his party, at least for this election, complaining of the "lies" of the current administration and saying "I voted for Bush, father and son, but this time I'll vote for Obama."

Mickey Edwards (Mon Oct 13):
Republican Mickey Edwards, formerly a congressman from Oklahoma, distances himself from McCain, saying "today, thanks to a campaign apparently managed by Moe, Curly, and Larry, he comes across as erratic (Obama's word, but it fits), impulsive, befuddled, and ill-tempered, and apparently unable to utter any words other than 'surge' and 'earmarks.'" Edwards also plays the blame game very explicitly: "If Obama gets a big win, it will be McCain himself, and the Three Stooges calling the shots at his headquarters who will deserve whatever blame is attached for transforming a viable and energetic Obama campaign into a steamroller grinding the Republican Party into the ground."

David Frum (Mon Oct 13):
David "axis of evil" Frum gets his "I told you so" ready at the National Review and rebukes his critics who complain that he isn't cheerleading for McCain enough. He concludes: "Perhaps it is our job at NRO is tell our readers only what they want to hear, without much regard to whether it is true. Perhaps it is our duty just to keep smiling and to insist that everything is dandy - that John McCain's economic policies make sense, that his selection of Sarah Palin was an act of statesmanship, that she herself is the second coming of Anna Schwartz, and that nobody but an over-educated snob would ever suggest otherwise."

Michelle Malkin (Mon Oct 13):
Michelle Malkin expresses her disappointment in McCain after learning that "John McCain had no problem calling ACORN members his friends during his ill-fated illegal alien shamnesty crusade." She concludes, "We're Screwed '08."

Erick Erickson (Mon Oct 13):
Erick Erickson, "editor in chief" of RedState.com, is giving up on McCain: "With only a few weeks left until election day, let's be blunt: McCain-Palin '08 does not seem to be making headway against the polling." He suggests that McCain needs to choose between himself and senate/house Republicans, and suggests that his readers focus on downballot races: "The Republican numbers in the House and Senate can be salvaged, but in the next few weeks there must be a realistic assessment from the McCain campaign regarding winning his own race versus helping Congressional Republicans mitigate their losses."

Bill Kristol (Mon Oct 13):
Kristol: "It's time for John McCain to fire his campaign. He has nothing to lose. His campaign is totally overmatched by Obama's."

Lee Terry (Mon Oct 13):
In Nebraska, a Republican representative, Lee Terry, ran a newspaper ad featuring support from a woman who called herself an "Obama-Terry voter."

Roger Stone (Sun Oct 12):
Roger Stone, a longtime McCain supporter, said the state party and the national campaign bear almost equal blame. ''This effort lacks coordination and a cooperative spirit and it's showing,'' Stone said. "But it's more than mechanics. The campaign has no consistent message.''

Charlie Crist-Governor of Florida (Sun Oct 12):
"Saturday, he skipped a McCain football rally and instead went to Disney World."

Patrick Ruffini (Sat Oct 11):
Conservative columnist Patrick Ruffini argues that the RNC needs to give up on McCain and try to save Republican house and senate seats, and that "McCain should start explicitly making the argument for divided government, with him as the only hope of preserving it. This is unlikely to be a voting issue at the Presidential level, but we need to get the idea percolating that we are about to elect Obama with unchecked, unlimited power." That is, Ruffini wants to sacrifice McCain to save congressional Republicans.

Tommy Thompson (Sat Oct 11):
Former Republican Governor of Wisconsin, said it would be difficult for Mr. McCain to win in his state but not impossible, particularly if he campaigned in conservative Democratic parts of the state. Asked if he was happy with Mr. McCain's campaign, Mr. Thompson replied, "No," and he added, "I don't know who is."

Saul Anuzis (Sat Oct 11):
Saul Anuzis, the Republican chairman in Michigan, said "I think you're seeing a turning point, you're starting to feel real frustration because we are running out of time. Our message, the campaign's message, isn't connecting."

Norm Coleman-Minnesota GOP Senator (Fri Oct 10):
Coleman bails on McCain rally: "[Norm] Coleman told reporters that he would not be appearing at a planned rally with McCain this afternoon. Could it be McCain's sliding polling numbers in Minnesota? His attacks on Obama?"

Christopher Buckley (Fri Oct 10):
Christopher Buckley, son of National Review founder William F. Buckley, and columnist for the National Review himself, endorsed Barack Obama, saying "this campaign has changed John McCain. It has made him inauthentic."

William Milliken (Fri Oct 10):
Former Republican Governor of Michigan William Milliken, who endorsed McCain during the primaries, said: "He is not the McCain I endorsed; he keeps saying, 'Who is Barack Obama?' I would ask the question, 'Who is John McCain?' because his campaign has become rather disappointing to me. I'm disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign, when he ought to be talking about the issues."

Ed Rollins (Fri Oct 10):
Ed Rollins ran Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign in 1984, so he knows a thing or two about landslides -- and he's predicting one for Barack Obama. At this point, he says the only question left to answer is whether John McCain will take the Republican Party down with him.

Joshua Trevino (Fri Oct 10):
Joshua Trevino, co-founder of RedState.com, wrote on his blog: "In the end, I couldn't do it...I opened it fully intending to vote for John McCain...Do I believe in John McCain? Not as much as I used to. Do I believe in Sarah Palin? Despite my early enthusiasm for her, now not at all. Do I believe in the national Republican Party? Not in the slightest -- even though I see no meaningful alternative to it. So, my choice for President in 2008, scrawled in my ballot as an act of futile protest, is Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana."

National Review Editorial Board (Thu Oct 9):
"We never thought we would defend the Frank-Dodd legislation, which we bitterly opposed last summer. But it looks downright prudent compared to what McCain has proposed. McCain's plan is a full bailout for lenders."

Perry Diaz (Wed Oct 8):
Perry Diaz, chairman of the National Federation of Filipino-American Republicans, resigned from his post and withdrew his endorsement, saying "I endorsed McCain before the California primary believing that he was the right man for the job. I was wrong. His selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate and his decision a few days ago to resort to personal attacks on Obama's character and integrity run counter to my personal beliefs and core values. I have lost my respect for McCain and I believe that a McCain/Palin administration would only worsen the economic situation in the country."

David Brooks (Wed Oct 8):
David Brooks rips apart McCain's pick for VP, saying "Sarah Palin represents a fatal cancer to the Republican party."

George Will (Wed Oct 8):
George Will laments McCain's campaign and quotes an Orioles manager: "Are you going to get any better or is this it?" His takeaway? "Obama in a romp in November? Don't be surprised"

Lilibet Hagel (Tue Oct 7):
Lilibet Hagel, wife of Republican senator Chuck Hagel, appeared with Susan Eisenhower to endorse Barack Obama, saying that this election is "not about fighting phantom issues churned out by a top-notch slander machine. Most importantly it is not about distracting the public - you and me - with whatever slurs someone thinks will stick."

Kathleen Parker (Fri Sep 26):
Conservative columnist Kathleen Parker wrote in the National Review that Sarah Palin is "out of her league" and should step down for the good of her country.

Wick Allison (Mon Sep 22):
Wick Allison, former publisher of the National Review and current editor-in-chief of D magazine, endorses Obama and writes "I made the maximum donation to John McCain during the primaries, when there was still hope he might come to his senses. But I now see that Obama is almost the ideal candidate for this moment in American history."

My Somewhat Coherent Post-Debate Thoughts.

I have a couple thoughts on the third and final Presidential Debate last night that I would like to share with anyone who may or may not care.

1. Is it me or would you just love to play poker with John McCain? The guy has the worst poker face in the history of mankind. I have never seen anyone so excited to throw out a zinger or know an answer in my life.

2. I found it amazing that Joe the Plumber was available for live interviews right after the debate last night. I also found it amazing he came up 26 times-mostly initiated by McCain. Say it ain't so Joe...the plumber, but I find the whole thing to be a little fishy.

3. I agree with the critics that Obama missed his opportunity to criticize Sarah Palin last night. The Obama/Biden campaign is obviously trying to make her a non-issue. I am sure the McCain/Palin camp wishes she actually was. How do Joe Lieberman and Mitt Romney sleep at night knowing they could have helped McCain win this election?

4. So why did Obama not criticize Palin when he had the opportunity? He may be trying to make her a non-issue, but my real hypothesis is that he only had nine minutes to answer the question. Where do you begin to criticize the credentials of this woman? Nine minutes just is not enough.

5. Hillary Clinton's post-debate interview. I enjoyed it better than the debate. Is it me or does she seem to get smarter everyday, or is that just what John McCain thinks? Afterall, he did praise her four different times last night, while trying to compare some of his plans to her ideals. Does this mean that all the Clinton bashers who support McCain now agree with Hillary? If this is the case, than they also agree Barack Obama will be the next president. Clinton said the phrase "President Obama" every chance she got in that interview. She is really taking one for the team.

6. Speaking of taking one for the team. This is going to seem crazy, but I do believe paying taxes is patriotic. I have no problem with paying taxes. I am lucky to live in a country that has given me a chance to excel with guaranteed government student loans, and to work in a field supported by the government. I think even if you make less than $250,000, you should put it on yourself to pay an extra 3%. Do it yourself on your own terms. Help America. I will consider this my patriotic tithe. Conservatives will say people like myself don't support this country or love this country because of my liberal (though actually pretty moderate) views. I disagree with that. While I may not be taxed 3% more, I guarantee you I will now begin to give an extra 3% of my salary a year to a non-profit that Barack Obama would support when he becomes president. Community Shares, I am talking to you.

7. I will admit McCain's zinger to Obama that he should have run four years ago if he wanted to run against Bush was a great move for his campaign. Not sure why he waited so long to use it, but maybe it's because McCain and Bush really aren't all that different. View for yourself:

Now view this:


You be the judge. To me they both have a pretty bad sense of direction when it comes to this country or leaving a room for that matter.

8. My last and final thought is this: Go Vote. No matter who you want to see win this election-vote! I think it was great when the moderator, Bob Schieffer mentioned the importance of voting at the end of the debate. We live in the greatest country in the world that gives you the honor and privilege to vote for your beliefs. Take advantage of that right.

Now Hiring: McCain Concession Speech Writers

I can't believe he did this. He can't believe his voters took his words seriously, SO NOW WHAT? Get a good concession speech writer. It's over.

Love Hurts

Have you ever been cheated on? Even worse, have you ever found out from a third party? If so, you can imagine how I felt when I saw Brady Quinn on the evening news Wednesday night introducing John McCain as "the next President of the United States." I was heartbroken. Why Brady? Why? We were so close to having it all.

My choice now is to either work through my issues and see if I can salvage this relationship OR revenge. I am choosing revenge. Monday night when I attend the Browns/Giants game wearing my Brady Quinn jersey, I will also be wearing my "I Already Voted for Barack Obama" sticker right over Quinn's number.

As a sidenote to this story: After Quinn introduced McCain, McCain thanked him and wished him luck on Sunday. Does anyone know what Brady Quinn is doing Sunday?? I hope he isn't doing anything to hurt his chances of playing on MONDAY. Is anyone even briefing McCain before his speeches, or is he just hoping Palin will quote something smart off of a coffee cup? In case you missed it, last week Palin misquoted Madeline Albright who was quoted on the back of a Starbucks cup. I think Palin was choosing between that quote and: Caution! Beverage Is Extremely Hot!

Strongsville=Scaryville

I love the bike trails in Strongsville. I love the Brew Kettle in Strongsville. I love the way the MetroParks run through Strongsville into Berea and Rocky River. I even love tobogganing in Strongsville. As of this morning, though, there is one thing that scares me about Strongsville: The People.

Birthday Month

My birthday isn't until October 21st, but I received two gifts early this year, so I well be able to celebrate the whole month. Next Monday Julie is taking me to the Browns Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, and yesterday my gift arrived from my parents, who will be out of town for my birthday. Waiting for me when I got home from work was this gem: I wanted something to work out with while I was watching television or on the computer, or just feeling too lazy to go to the gym. You can put it anywhere and just pedal or work on your arms while you are doing other things like drinking beer for instance. I love to multi-task.

It was a tough decision because I almost asked for this chair that I saw on the Ellen Degeneres show. Believe me, this video is worth watching.

VP Debate Thought For The Day

Cringe Debate '08

I am looking forward to the Vice-Presidential Debate tomorrow night...I think. Sarah Palin makes me smile everyday with her inadequacies. I can't stop watching her clips on You Tube. Yet, with all of her mistakes, you can't help but wonder if it's all an act. Nobody can really be that stupid, right? What if it's all a ploy to blow us away tomorrow night during the debate? What if she really does know about foreign policy and doesn't think that Alaska is a microcosm of America? Though this isn't my biggest fear. My biggest fear is that Joe Biden is going to be in front of a national audience tomorrow night trying not to look patronizing, pompous and elitist to the American viewer. Luckily Palin has made so many mistakes in her recent interviews that she even made Katie Couric (America's Sweetheart) look patronizing, pompous and elitist, so Biden won't be the only one.

Pssst....Democrats:

GO VOTE! In Ohio, anyone can vote early starting today and there are two ways in which you can vote.

Vote early in person:
There is an early voting location in every county in Ohio. . There is a five-day window, starting today, in which you can both register to vote and vote the same day. This will end at the registration deadline (October 6).

Vote early by mail:
To vote early by mail, download a copy of the absentee ballot request form http://www.sos.state.oh.us/sos/upload/elections/forms/11-A.pdf

Just in case you aren't sure who you are voting for, I chose this video to help you with your decision only because it isn't a spoof. This is a real video and these are their real answers, and this is how they really act in front of a camera. Could John McCain look any more uncomfortable? Apparently I am not the only one who gets a nervous twitch when Palin talks about foreign policy:

Why I Work Out So Much

I work out a lot. I try to go to the gym at least five times a week and bike when I get the chance. I am not the kind of person who works out to lose weight and stay in shape. I work out so that I can live my life the way I want to and not have to worry about gaining weight. If this is your first time to my blog: I like wings and beer. On top of that I also like to indulge in the Sunday Brunch at The Tap House in Tremont because they serve the most unbelievable breakfast burrito.It is loaded with chorizo sausage, cheese, hollandaise sauce, sour cream and more chorizo sausage. They also have a fabulous beer list including a breakfast stout pictured above (Not all three are mine).

This past weekend I doubled up on my work-outs for two reasons: I knew I was going to The Tap House for brunch on Sunday AND I knew I was going to The Beer Engine in Lakewood to celebrate Oktoberfest. Did I mention I like beer?

Kansas City Has The Right Idea!

The Browns' loss yesterday was humiliating. They looked horrible, and for the fifth game in a row, Derek Anderson looked like his arm was broken. He couldn't complete a pass to anyone wearing a white jersey. If he can't pull it together for the Cincinnati game, then I think it's time to make a change. I am going to start the "Brady, Brady!" chants. What I just found out, is that these chants aren't just happening in Cleveland. Kansas City has also started an organization to try and pry Brady Quinn from us. The website can be found here:The screenshot from the site is above and these people mean business. They have apparel and petitions being sent around the city to try and take OUR quarterback. It is amazing that these fans seem to like him even more than the Browns' coaching staff, and he is on OUR team.

Barracudas Are Scary Scary Animals!

In the past 15 minutes I have received five e-mail messages about Sarah Palin. Some negative and some positive. People are going to think whatever they want about this woman. It doesn't matter what she has done before now. You can't make her look any worse than she has already made herself look in the past: www.sarahpalinexposed.com, so stop trying. From here on out, it is smooth sailing for her. People are going to write her speeches (see the Republican National Convention speech) and set up "special" interviews on the Charles Gibson show for her. It is up to Americans to do the research to decide if they like her or not, and (AGAIN) gender should have nothing to do with this decision, right? Isn't that what Republicans said in the Spring when Hillary Clinton was "hiding behind her apron strings?"

I don't want gender or race to play a part in this election, but unfortunatley both will. I was hoping Palin's nomination would at least encourage more positive dialogue on gender, but it hasn't. Here is my take on gender and Sarah Palin: If she was a man, she would not be in the position she is in now. She would be seen as too conservative. McCain would never have picked her because she would be a man who: is against a woman making a choice about her own body, votes pro-gun on issues, puts church AHEAD of state, doesn't believe in civil liberties for all Americans and among other things wants creationism taught in public schools. What if McCain had picked a man who wanted ALL of these things? It was just a couple of years ago that Pat Buchanan wanted all of these things. Even Republicans were scared about Buchanan being nominated because of his extreme views. I know one Republican who wasn't scared: Sarah Palin. She was Pat Buchanan's 1996 Alaska State Coordinator.

As women, it seems easier to identify with other women. We all got our first period at some unexpecting moment, we have all been teased about insecurities, we have all felt sexism whether we knew it or not, we have been labeled as bitches, whores, sluts, the other woman, the weaker sex, the more sensitive sex and the list can go on and on. We are drawn together by common bonds that most men could never understand. I thought it was incredible when Hillary Clinton ran for president. I didn't vote for her, but I was proud of her and what she accomplished for women. When Condoleeza Rice became Secretary of State I was proud for what she had accomplished, but I again didn't agree with everything she had to say. When Sarah Palin was chosen as McCain's running mate, I not only didn't agree with her, I was scared by her ideologies. Now I understand how Republicans felt in 1996 when Buchanan tried for the nomination.

Benedict Arnold James

Many of you may remember last fall when LeBron James wore a Yankees cap to the Yankees-Indians game, and it just made my stomach turn. If you forgot, you can click here. Now I am beginning to wonder if James even cheers for the CAVS after watching him cheer on the Cowboys yesterday IN Browns Stadium. I bet he is a Steelers fan as well.

Jame is seen here hanging out with Adam "Pacman" Jones before the start of the Cowboys/Browns game on September 7, 2008.

Move Over Blogger, Here's Something Leaner

About a month ago, I joined a social community on-line (cult) called Twitter. This system allows you to update what you are doing or thinking by using your cellphone or computer. Essentially you have a maximum of 140 characters to type out something mundane or something witty, and you can do it endlessly all day. It is especially useful when you want to see what is going on around town or to keep up with your friends throughout the day. Twitter also brings people together on a national basis when major events are happening. Live twittering has been especially fun with people from around the country during the political conventions and other nationally shared experiences. Twitter is becoming so popular that many journalists are now using it to do real-time reporting instead of blogging, and what they have to say is usually a lot more important than the stuff I blurt out at 2am. Click to read story on Twitter's popularity.

This brings us to the important question of: Why do you care about my twittering? I am blogging about Twitter because I have added a new section to my blog. To the right you can see a new section called: The latest on Sportygrrl. These are my last five twitters, and they automatically post to my blog now. They are put on there in reverse order from newest to oldest and the time stamp is on the bottom. There will be times when I will be replying to other people on twitter with an @ symbol, and those twitters will make zero sense to you, but there will be times when my twitters may come in handy. I doubt my twitters will ever come in handy--I don't know who I am kidding, but I thought I would alert you to my newest addition.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

If Labor Day weekend is officially the last weekend of summer, then my summer went out with a bang. I started the weekend out by researching my German ancestors at the Cuyahoga County Oktoberfest. When I say research, I really mean sampling a lot of beer and eating a lot of schnitzel and potatoe pancakes. The next day we headed to Buffalo to research the National Buffalo Wing Festival. In this case, when I say research, I really mean sampling wings from all over the country, drinking beer in a baseball stadium infield, finding cool bars all over the city and staying out until 4 am enjoying the suprisingly exciting Buffalo nightlife. We made it home the next day thirty minutes late for a party that WE were throwing. Luckily there was only one person there waiting for the hosts to arrive.

On top of all of this...IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON! I have waited patiently (not really) for the past seven months for football season to start again. With two fantasy teams ready to go, I am looking forward for the regular season to kick off tonight. I initially wanted to change my one team name to "The Sarah Palins," but I thought that might be too extreme. I don't want my team to come off as too conservative or inexperienced.

Along with all of these great experiences and two weeks of political convention drinking games that we have invented (Someone says "Change" and everyone has to drink), there is one more big event I am looking forward to, which will officially bring in the Fall. On September 13, the biggest gala in Cleveland, Pandemonium 08, will be taking place at Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT). This fundraising extravaganza includes live entertainment all night outside and inside the theatre along with free food, beer and wine stations set up all over the CPT campus. Last night I found my dream outfit for this event at a thrift store. The only problem is the shirt is a little snug. I am now about to begin my Nine-Day Pandemonium Diet of Champions. Ironically my diet doesn't include schnitzel, potato pancakes, wings or beer. I wonder if those things have anything to do with my shirt being snug.

**For those of you paying attention, my diet includes not drinking beer for the first weekend of football. That's how much I like this shirt I bought.

Oh Caption, My Caption

I love this time of year. Great photo opportunities, lead to great photo captions. I just couldn't resist when I saw this picture:

John McCain participates in "Take Your Daughter To Work Day" at his Dayton Ohio rally.

Alaska Is The New Black

Breaking News! It appears John McCain has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his VP running mate. I will now be distracted all day as I find out more information on the gun-toting, corruption hating, 1984 Miss Alaska runner up.
To find out more about Palin, click this link. This should make things interesting to say the least.

Oh Caption, My Caption

I didn't think I would have time to blog before the weekend, but when I saw the photo below, I had to post it. This is the most ridiculous picture I have ever seen. Of course we all know he is fake laughing at something one of his potential voters may be saying, but the timing of the shot is priceless. You can make up your own caption for the shot, but I think mine will be: "Obama laughs at Clinton as she warms up the microphone for his acceptance speech." OR "Obama finally finds the guts to laugh at Clinton to her face instead of behind her back." OR "Obama laughs at Hillary Clinton's orange pantsuit as it becomes painfully obvious color will no longer be an issue in this election."

Sportygrrl Through The Years

I know I have been a bad blogger, but I have been so busy. This weekend is going to be quite blog-worthy with the Oktoberfest and my wing trip to Buffalo, but until that happens I thought I would amuse my readers with a fun gadget I found on-line called Yearbook Yourself. Essentially you put a picture of yourself into the website and it shows what your yearbook pictures would have looked like through the decades. It's so scary yet so funny at the same time. Enjoy:

Ohio University's Lottery Pick

When I went to Ohio University, the football team was the big joke on campus. They won only 20 games during my five year tenure in Athens Ohio and most of those wins came during my last two years there. As a matter of fact, when they beat a I-AA team in 1995 it was their first win in two years. The students were so excited they tore down the goal post and drank late into the night. Well they normally drank late into the night, but the goal post coming down was very exciting.

Nowadays things are different at Ohio University. The football team even played in a nationally-televised bowl game two years ago. There must be some luck in the Hocking River because the football players are not only winning on the field, they are also winning the lottery...literally.

This article was posted today on ESPN.com:

ATHENS, Ohio -- Most lottery winners, upon learning they've hit the jackpot, run to the store where they played their lucky numbers to make sure, then find the nearest state lottery commission office to place a claim on their prize. Michael Eynon did all of those things. And then he went to football practice.

Eynon, a senior offensive lineman at Ohio University, matched five numbers in Tuesday's multi-state Mega Millions drawing on the ticket he bought at a Shop Mart in Athens -- good for $250,000 before taxes, the Columbus Dispatch reported.

"It hasn't settled in yet," he said, according to the report. "I've been out throwing footballs, and it's still the same routine."

The odds of matching five numbers, excluding the Mega Ball, were 1 in 3,904,701. Had Eynon matched the Mega Ball as well, he would have won the $34 million grand prize, according to the report.

"Everyone was like, 'Dude, you were one number off,' " Eynon said, according to the newspaper. "I was like, 'I'm satisfied.' This is awesome either way."

Instead of $34 million, Eynon will settle for $172,500 after federal and state taxes. According to the Dispatch, the 22-year-old accounting major from Westlake plans to donate some money to his church, give some to his family and invest the rest.

Ohio U. athletic spokesman Jason Corriher said the winnings will not affect Eynon's NCAA eligibility, according to the report.

"I've been in this business for about 10 years and I cannot remember ever hearing about a student-athlete winning a portion of the lottery," Corriher said, the newspaper reported. "It's pretty unheard of, I think."

Paris Hilton For President

I hate all the political games. I just want November to be here. I can't stand all the banter back and forth. It is just too much to take, and it really begins to make even quasi-political people like myself start to feel apathetic. That is until you see really good non-partisan humor such as the Paris Hilton campaign ad that was just released. Last week John McCain released a commercial saying Barck Obama was similar to Paris Hilton. I think that is a bit of a stretch. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, you have to see the absurdity with that comparison. Thankfully somebody was smart enough, rich enough and witty enough to come up with this response (please click the link below):

Click here to see the Paris Hilton video and then click on the video. It will make your day or just keep making my day. Either way-it's funny!

Wings 101

It has been a long time since I have blogged about wings. This by no means indicates it has been a long time since I have eaten wings. After I found out Wing Masters folded (I know...I can't believe it either), ranking them seemed pointless. However there have been a couple things of note this summer that seemed blogworthy:

1. Wings in Ireland are fancy, expensive and small. We went to the Elephant and Castle Pub in Dublin to try their famous wings while we were in Ireland earlier this summer. The Elephant and Castle is a high end pub in the center of the city, and their wings were one of the major draws to the restaurant. Wings are scarce in this country, and this was one of the few places that served them, which was probably why this establishment is known for them. Even though they said they were spiced "New Orleans Style" these were classic Buffalo wings. Classic and expensive. We paid close to $20 for one order. Not only were they pricey they were also quite small. Apparently those outside of the US do not give their animals steroids, so these looked like normal-sized chicken wings and who wants to eat normal sized anything? Not these Americans that's for sure!

2. Wing Night isn't all that bad. I have mentioned again and again how much I hate getting wings on wing night. They are always dryer and never sauced well enough. Last Tuesday this myth was debunked when we were at Winking Lizard on wing night. Our new tenants both serve at Winking Lizard, and they have given us a lot of insight on both the beer tour and wing night. Last week, our server/tenant told us to order the wings fresh on wing night and they would have to make them that way. I finally got good wings on wing night! My life has been changed forever. Don't think it is mere coincidence our tenants work at Winking Lizard, I like to call it fate.

3. Contrary to the sign hanging outside their restaurant in Independence, Quaker Steak and Lube does not have "Best Wings USA". I actually had trouble finishing my wings there and that has never happened. I hope it was just an off night because if it wasn't, I think they would have trouble proving "Best Wings on Canal Road in Independence".

So why am I finally writing about wings? I am doing this in anticipation for the National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo New York that I will be attending at the end of this month. If I don't come back with a giant foam chicken wing hat, I want you to know I will be highly disappointed.

Beer Muscles

You know when you are drinking and you think you can do anything? If you don't, let me tell you a little secret about myself: there have been times when beer has impaired my judgment and I thought I could do whatever I wanted. I know this is hard to believe, but follow me on this one. There is a term called "Beer Goggles" which means that after drinking enough beer, someone actually looks more attractive to you. I want to take this time to introduce you to my new term: "Beer Muscles". From here on out the definition of Beer Muscles is going to be: After having several drinks, you think you can lift anyting in front of you. Let me give you an example:

Two nights ago our new tenants (who will be blogged about very soon) began moving into our rental property, which is in the back half of our house. We knew there was a moving truck coming and we knew they owned a lot of heavy stuff, yet we still decided to have happy hour after work. When they arrived at about 8 p.m. that night, I will admit to not being completely sober. I will also admit that at this time I thought I could lift whatever I wanted out of this truck with very little help. The contents of the truck included full dressers, bed frames, bins of books, mattresses and exercise equipment, and I moved as much of it as I could. I couldn't believe how much weight I was able to lift. All the sudden that gym membership was paying off, or maybe it was the beer. I kept lifting and attributed my strength to the gym membership and not the beer. I was wrong.

Flash forward 48 hours later. My arm muscles are sore. Very sore. My arms are barely able to type out this blog. I had trouble putting my shirt on this morning. Even worse...I will have trouble lifting my beer tonight.

Die Republikaner Zählen Einen Punkt

I usually feel like a pretty smart person. I know I can be a little ignorant on some issues, but it wasn't until I traveled abroad when I realized how very little I actually knew about the world. When we were in Ireland we met people from all over the world who were concerned with what was going on in the United States. They asked us about political and financial issues because they knew they would also be affected by these problems. I never had anything to ask back. I knew so little about the world when I thought I knew so much. The people we met never looked down on us for not knowing about their politics. One Australian woman even said without trying to be patronizing: "We don't expect Americans to know what is going on outside of the United States." That was sad. Real sad.

So what's my point here?

Yesterday, Barack Obama was speaking in Berlin Germany. He seems to understand the importance of meeting with world leaders and speaking to people from other countries. I am glad he understands this election is not just about America. These people can't vote for him, but they can listen to his message. While Obama was in Germany speaking yesterday, John McCain also had a speaking engagement. According to CNN, McCain was giving a press conference from Schmidt's Sausage Haus in German Village, a small German section of Columbus. He really showed Obama who loves Germans more, didn't he? Is the Republican National Committee not raising enough money to get McCain overseas? One reason they may be low on funds would be this passage from the same article: "At the same time (Obama was in Germany), the Republican National Committee was running anti-Obama ads in Berlin, Pa., and other namesake villages in Wisconsin and New Hampshire." I can't believe I wondered why people thought Americans were ignorant toward world politics and issues. There is no difference between Berlin Germany and Berlin New Hampshire, is there? Score one for the Republicans (see German translation above).

Confessions Of A Lazy Cleveland Blogger

I will be the first to admit I have not been a good blogger this summer. For the one or two of you who have not given up on my blog, I am sorry, but there is justification for this. First I was distracted by that whole Ireland thing, then I started applying for other jobs and finally I realized it was summer in Cleveland. If you don't understand that last part, then you obviously live outside of northeast Ohio. Those of us in Cleveland realize we must try and fit twelve months worth of activities into four months of sunlight. It's not easy, but I have been trying to do this, which is why the blog has been suffering.

In the past ten days alone, I have traveled through most of Ohio going to bonfire parties in Wooster, pool parties in Rocky River and then spending three days last week at my alma mater, Ohio University for Ohio Brew Week. I finished last week off by attending the National Hamburger Festival in Akron Ohio. This weekend, I am looking forward to attending the Cool Cleveland Ingenuity Party, which is taking place downtown Cleveland during The Ingenuity Festival. Also coming up for those of you who like free outdoor theatre is a show called "Becomes You" which will be performed in Rockefeller Park this weekend and Edgewater Park next weekend.

If you live in Cleveland, you have to make up for the dreary winters and springs by spending as much time as possible outside during the summer. Otherwise I would be boring you with blogs everyday while sitting in the Winking Lizard finishing off my beer tour and eating wings all the time. Not that there is anything wrong with that: It's good to have hobbies.

The Perfect Bathing Suit

Buying a woman's bathing suit is an impossible task, especially when you just want something plain and functional without paying an arm and a leg. This brings us to Saturday afternoon. I was two hours from a pool party and I had no bathing suit. Nothing like waiting for the last minute. We found ourselves out in Mentor on Saturday running errands when I decided we should go to Great Lakes Mall to continue my search for a bathing suit. Let me first admit I have never bought my own bathing suit before. Somehow my mom was born with the talent to pick out a perfect bathing suit for other people, and she has always bought my bathing suits. With no past experience in this department, I had no idea where to even start. I scanned the mall directory looking for a woman's apparel store assuming that is where you bought bathing suits. Apparently you can't just pick up a bathing suit at any store as I first started looking at Sears, which had very little to offer. Time continued to tick away as the search heated up. My next stop was Dillards. JACKPOT! They had bathing suits galore and just the style I was looking for. I will admit they were a little pricey, but there was no longer time to think about price. As I picked up the bathing suit to try on, the electricity went out in the entire store due to a storm. There weren't even emergency lights that came on. It was completely dark. People were pulling out cigarette lighters to find their way through the store. The odd part is that they weren't kicking people out, so I went ahead and tried the suit on thinking the lights would come back on soon. There was some sun shining through the dressing room and I could tell this was the suit for me. Even if it didn't look good in the light, I could tell it looked good in the dark, and I could at least save it for late-night pool parties. I decided to wait for the lights to come back on, and make my way to the front of the store where I thought there might still be working registers. On the way up I made the following call to my host, Mindy:

Me: Is it raining at your house?
Mindy: It just stopped. Why?
Me: I am stuck in the dark at Dillards in Mentor with the perfect bathing suit. I am willing to wait it out for the electricity to come back on if it is nice at your place, but if not I probably won't buy the suit.
Mindy: Uncontrollable laughter ensued followed by: Get the suit, it's nice here!

Once we were at the front of the store where light was shining in from the mall, the woman in the shoe department said her register was still working, and I was so excited. As she started to ring me up, she found out her register was no longer working as well. I began to wonder if they would just take cash with the tags of the suit, but the ATM was also down, so that wouldn't work either. We had a decision to make as we stood in the dark with the managers finally telling people they needed to leave: steal this suit knowing the security system was also down or go to TJ Maxx. I hate to admit that this decision was a tough one. My scruples were diminshed by the fact I had found the perfect suit and time was ticking away. We did the right thing though and I bought a much cheaper, poorly fitting suit at TJ Maxx, which of course began to fall apart at the party.

Moral of the story: Always take a flashlight and cash with you when purchasing a bathing suit during a storm. (This is something most people would never tell you, which is why you are lucky I am here to help you with these future predicaments.)

Please Don't Pick Us! Signed, Cleveland Sports Fans

I came across an article in USA Today today titled: "Revived Browns to feel the pressure of high expectations." Not only do the Browns feel the pressure, I speak for all fans of Cleveland sports when I say: Please don't pick us to win anything. We aren't good in those situations. We never win when people think we should. This years Cleveland Indians team was supposed to go to the World Series and they currently sit in last place in the Central Division. Do you want more proof? Remember when Sports Illustrated picked the Indians to win the World Series in 1987 and the team went on to lose a league-worst 101 games that season? I still have the cover, which jinxed us, etched in my memory. As a 12-year old I completely believed the experts when they picked Cleveland. I no longer feel that way. I am warning the young children of Cleveland now about the Browns season because I am sure I am not the only Cleveland child who has been scarred by the experts.

I Left My Heart (and my sunglasses and my camera case) In Ireland

It's been two weeks since I have been back from Ireland. My life has finally gone back to normal. I no longer feel worldly, I just feel grounded. I no longer feel like every turn is going to be a new encounter, I just feel routine. I now remember how much I hate feeling these ways. The trip to Ireland was a once in a lifetime experience that I am going to try and duplicate as often as possible. One problem with life-changing trips. They are also checking-account changing trips, and this means it will probably be awhile until we head out of the country. So now what? My favorite question as my blog title attests. Now I am going to the Ohio Brew Fest in Athens Ohio next month. It's not Ireland and I don't need a passport to get there, but it is Athens, one of my favorite places in all the world, and it does involve a lot of beer, one of my favorite things in all the world. The good news for you is that there will be a lot fewer pictures to look at upon my return, though probably the same amount involving beer.

Remember When?

Remember when I left for Ireland and many of you told me to take a lot of pictures, and then I came back and you found out I took over 1000 pictures? At that point I am sure many of you hoped and prayed I would not make you sit down with me and go through the story of each picture. Well...fear not! I have gone through all of my pics, cut them down in half, and created a link so that you can go through them as you like or not like as the case may be. This link will bring up all the pictures on one page and then you can either click on a specific picture if you want to see the caption, or you can click on "detail" on the left hand side, and it will photostream the pictures for you, so that you can view them all with the captions. Enjoy my Ireland Pictures!

Back From Ireland!

I am back from Ireland! I have over 1000 pictures to go through, which will probably take me weeks to sort and label. However, I was able to find about 20 pictures, which should reveal quite a bit about my trip and what an incredible adventure it was! You can click on the slides to see the pictures and captions better. I am feeling lazy and just took the pictures off another website, but that's what happens when you are up for 20 hours traveling, and then go to work the next day.

Where Am I? What Day Is It?

Normally I ask myself these two questions after a night of drinking. Now I am asking these questions because we are going to be traveling all over Ireland and Northern Ireland in 12 days, so I might be a little confused. Follow along for yourself:

Day 1: Fly into Dublin, tour the city and go to the Guinness Brewery*
Day 2: Fly to Galway on the west coast, pick up a car and head to the Cliffs of Moher*
Day 3: Drive the southwest coast of Ireland for 8 hours and end up in Cork*
Day 4: Drive to Cobh and then head north to see the Rock of Cashel*
Day 5: Walk around Cork, check out Blarney Castle, go to the English Market and then fly to Belfast, Northern Ireland*
Day 6: Spend the day touring Belfast*
Day 7: Pick up a car and drive the north coast of Northern Ireland ending up in Bushmills*
Day 8: Tour the Bushmills Distillery, Giants Causeway and bike on Rathlin Island*
Day 9: Drive back to Belfast and take the train to Dublin*
Days 10-12: Enjoy Dublin including a day trip to the beautiful town of Howth*
*Enjoy local pubs

The Bright Side Of The Cavs Losing

Yes, it was heartbreaking to watch the CAVS season end yesterday. Yes, I wish they were going up against the Pistons in a conference finals rematch from last year. However I have to look on the bright side of yesterday's loss and think: At least I won't be walking around Ireland the next two weeks trying to find a CAVS score. I have a feeling their games are not front page news over there.

Five days until Ireland!

Popeye For Vice President

John McCain should be working at the Tarot Card shop in Ohio City. Apparently he can tell the future because he sees an end to the war in Iraq in 2013. It looks like he is already campaigning for his second term with this brilliant plan. In essence if you vote for him now, he will put an abrupt end to the war just in time for his second term. I don't know about you, but the first image that popped into my head was Wimpy from Popeye and now I can't get: "I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today" every time I see McCain on television.

One more observation for McCain supporters. Remember how you chose George Bush over McCain in the primary eight years ago, and now even you can't wait for Bush to leave office? In summary, you want to vote for someone that you didn't like as much as George Bush who now has the lowest approval rating of any U.S. president. That adds up about as much as McCain's proposed economic plan.

Home Tour Sweet Home Tour

Looking for something cool to do in Cleveland this weekend? Even if you aren't, you should go to the Ohio City Home Tour. The tour highlights houses, condos and businesses in the Ohio City neighborhood. These kind people let you walk through their houses and businesses to view either the unique history or the modern touches they have added to the neighborhood. Its a great way to become more familiar with the near west side of Cleveland or just a good excuse to stop into The Old Angle for a pint.

The Trials And Tribulations Of Tivo

I love Tivo. It has changed my life. Hopefully for the better. We have Tivo on three of our televisions. The main television in the living room can record two things at once, while the other two televisions can only record one thing at a time. Unfortunately you can not watch live television if the television is recording at it's maximum, which can create a funny situation, such as the one it created last night.

In the middle of the CAVS game, a message came up on the screen telling us to decide between the CAVS game and (don't laugh) Grey's Anatomy and Don't Forget The Lyrics, which were both about to start recording in one minute. I yelled: "Oh No!" I obviously wanted to watch the CAVS, but not recording those two shows is not an option in our house, so we had to move and we had to move fast. Julie ran upstairs to record Grey's Anatomy, but she realized we were recording The Office up there, so she then ran down to the basement and was able to record Grey's Anatomy in time leaving me with the ability to watch the CAVS game live in the living room as I cooked dinner. I felt bad as I watched her run back and forth because I had already given up on the game and the CAVS were down by 20 points, but I wasn't about to tell her that.

Don't let this blog fool you, we don't really like Grey's Anatomy. I could see how you might think we do from reading this entry, but we really don't. Seriously. Don't let the fact that we were frantic when we thought we wouldn't be able to watch it lead you to believe that we are actually in any way interested in this show, and if you do draw that conclusion from this entry, please don't tell anyone else.

In other more important, yet unrelated news: 15 days until Ireland.

Rap Stars And Pizza Wars

I am so glad the Cavaliers finally beat the Washington Wizards. Of course I am happy because the CAVS won, but I couldn't take this series anymore. It was giving me a headache. I couldn't take the trash talk, or all the new rap songs that were coming from it. I thought this would all be behind us after Friday night's victory. However with the series over, we are now dealing with PapaJohnsGate.

Last Friday, D.C. area Papa Johns Pizza stores handed out white t-shirts to Washington fans that had LeBron's number and the word "crybaby" underneath. This was probably not a good idea for a NATIONAL chain. Sure its good advertising in D.C., but Cleveland fans seemed a little miffed. There is nothing worse for a business owner than miffed consumers. In a surprising move to coutner the bad publicity, Cleveland area Papa Johns stores are now offering 23 cent pizzas and donating money to the Cavaliers' local charity. Talk about clean-up work. I am hoping for this next series against the Celtics that Boston area Buffalo Wild Wings will make t-shirts that say the same thing, so we can get 23 cent wings and beers. A sportygrrl can dream, can't she?

Ireland Countdown: One Month

Yesterday my co-worker approached me and asked me how I was surviving now that all of my fantasy sports seasons have ended. I had to stop and think about that. How was I surviving now that all of my fantasy sports seasons have ended? Then I remembered I was in the middle of planning my FANTASY vacation to Ireland, which has kept me from blogging about such things as the CAVS in the playoffs (DeShawn Stevenson is a moron), the Browns draft (they did a lot with very few resources) and politics (This just in: disenfranchised white people do turn to religion and guns...Obama was correct).

Instead I am thinking about where I will be a month from now, and one month from today I will be taking a flight from County Cork to Belfast in Northern Ireland and from there we will be heading to Giants Causeway for the weekend (see red arrow). In other terms that may be easier for some of my readers (including myself to understand): we are flying from the city that brews Murphys Irish Stout and then driving to the oldest Whiskey distillery in the world: Bushmills, which is located near the Giants Causeway. My trip is definitely a combination of Carmen San Diego meets Jose Cuervo.

Happy Birthday To Me (6 Months From Now)

I was partially joking when I told Julie I wanted to go the Monday Night Football game between the Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants on October 13, 2008. By partially joking I meant it in that way when you hope someone takes you seriously, and if they don't, you can just say: "What? I was just joking-I would never really ask for something like that for my birthday six months away from now." Thankfully she took me seriously. Today I got my birthday wish six months in advance when she purchased this view for that evening: