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:

Bummer

I love irony. Today I found out LeBron James will be sitting out tonight's game against the Detroit Pistons because the CAVS clinched their playoff spot. That isn't the ironic part, this story from the Plain Dealer is:

They could pick any spot in the country. Yet six teenagers from Nulato, Alaska, chose to visit Cleveland for their senior trip.

Why not Hawaii, like last year's class? Or New York City? Or Florida?
Senior Arnold Demoski offered one word: "LeBron." King James. Basketball god. Superstar they've scrutinized so many nights on satellite TV.

"They live, breathe and die basketball," said Mike Day, principal of the 60-student, K-12 Andrew K. Demoski School. "Winter months are long when you've got negative-50-degree weather. There's not a lot of outdoor activities."

And so the students, chaperoned by school counselor and Shaker Heights native Laura Barnett, raised nearly $20,000 and flew for 24 hours to see the Cavaliers.

They packed visits to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the zoo, movies and the mall and an Indians game -- where they froze, by the way -- around two Cavs games. They plan to visit Niagara Falls on Thursday.

"They love LeBron. They just think LeBron is the greatest player ever."

The students hope the King will grant a private audience at tonight's game. The Cavs helped the group buy tickets and gave them hats and t-shirts, but had no plans to help them meet their idol.

About Face

People say Hillary Clinton is two-faced, but I beg to disagree. I believe she has so many more faces than two. I can't decide if she is the least or most photogenic person I have ever seen. Decide for yourself:

The Rack Is Back!

We decided to take advantage of the first sixty-degree day of the year by putting the bike rack back on my car and biking in the Cleveland Metroparks. It has been nearly six months since my last bike ride outside, and I was beginning to wonder certain things out loud: "I can't remember what gears worked best for me." "How high do I like my seat?" "How do I switch gears on my bike...I can't remember!" Finally Julie said: "Relax-riding a bike is going to be just like riding a bike-it will all come back to you!"

The Wingmaster Strikes Again

We were invited to a chili cook-off this past weekend. One small problem: we have never made chili before. We figured if we were starting from scratch we might as well use our favorite food as inspiration. On Saturday our Buffalo Chicken Chili walked away with "Most Inventive" and tied for "Best Overall Chili" at the contest. I was going to post our recipe, but we literally created it as we went along and would have trouble coming up with exact measurements. The main ingredients were ground turkey, Frank's Hot Sauce, blue cheese dressing, celery, onions, carrots, a lot of garlic, stewed tomatoes and beer. We added the beer so the voter could get the full experience we have when we enjoy wings. Apparently the beer addition worked, or the voters were just drunk. Either way...it was fun. We are now looking forward to creating a Buffalo Chicken Sheet Cake if we ever get invited to a baked goods contest.

Ireland Countdown

In less than two months, we will be on our way to Ireland, and exactly two months from today (May 27th), we will be staying at a bed and breakfast called The Moher Lodge. I am really excited about this particular stay because this bed and breakfast is located next to The Cliffs of Moher, so we will be able to see the sun set and rise to this view:

I've Fallen And I Can't Get My Computer Up

I actually wondered out loud last night if anyone noticed I hadn't blogged in a while. It brought up that age-old question: If a blogger stops blogging in the middle of the woods, would anyone notice? I haven't exactly been in the middle of the woods, but I have been unable to find any time over the past couple weeks to blog. Today one of my favorite people, who I hardly ever get to see or talk to anymore sent me this message: "Just checking-there haven’t been any new entries and you usually don’t go this long before posting something and with March Madness and all I figure you’re busy but I just wanted to make sure."

Apparently my blog has turned into one of those necklaces older people wear to alert people when something is wrong. If I go three weeks without blogging, you may want to check in if you haven't heard from me just to make sure.

Speaking of March Madness, As many of you know, I always take the first Thursday and Friday of the tournament off from work, which I call my holy days (ironically Good Friday fell on MY holy day this year). On Friday afternoon I went to the gym to work out and watch the games. It was the perfect way to burn calories and stay up on the scores, and apparently a lot more healthy than sitting on my couch drinking beer. (If only someone had told me this 10 years ago!) I promised myself I would work out for the whole first game, which went a little longer than I had planned. I started working out during the Gonzaga-Davidson game which went down to the wire and lasted almost two hours, and then CBS immediately went to the Western Kentucky-Drake game which went into overtime. There was no way I could leave during an overtime game, so I kept working out on the eliptical machine. And working out and working out and working out. About 150 minutes later and 1200 calories burned, Western Kentucky won on a buzzer beater in overtime. I threw my arms up in excitement, or at least I think I did because at that point my body just kinda slumped over. It was almost as if I had played in the game, except it felt more like I needed one of those necklaces the elderly wear.

The Following Movie Has Been Rated Rx

I have trouble sitting still. Movies and live theatre scare the hell out of me. Julie loves the Clevleand International Film Festival, so I go evey year and try not to complain too much as she watches me squirm and sweat in my seat. I do this because: She never complains about playing in my fantasy sports leagues (which she always wins anyway), she lets me lay around and watch most sporting events, and when I ask her to pick up a 12-pack on her way home, she brings home the 18-pack because: "it's just a few dollars more."

This year I promised to attend six movies in an eight-day span. I went the easy route and picked three double features to minimize the amount of time I had to spend at the movie theatre. Everything about the experience makes me panicky, so I had to think ahead to avoid any anxiety. This year I also have added help. For some reason, my doctor gave me quite a bit of zanax for my plane trip to Ireland which is still more than two months away. When I saw how much she gave me, I went and got it filled last night...just in time for the film festival!

Hallmark: When You Care Enough To Watch All The Election Results

I had a co-worker come up to me this morning and say: "I am so sorry. I thought about you last night when I saw Dennis Kucinich had won his congressional seat." I thanked her as if I was at a wake. This then got me thinking that they should make election day-after greeting cards. In my case, it would go like this: "I am so sorry for your loss and the landslide victory the congressman you despise was able to win in your district. I want you to know I am here if you need me." Signed, Co-worker/friend/etc...

Why I Didn't Vote For Hillary: A Confession From A White Feminist

Yes, the title of this blog sounds like a Lifetime Movie, but I really feel my decision was that dramatic. I didn't make it until the last minute, and I have been riding the fence for three weeks, but this morning I voted for Barack Obama. It wasn't Barack's speeches, or the stardust he threw around as one of my friends would like to say. It wasn't about my white guilt or reparations. It wasn't based on gender because they both have very liberal views on women's issues and choice. It wasn't about health care, the economy or foreign policy though some politicos might cringe to hear that. (I found that their policies were both so similar it was often hard to really tell them apart). It wasn't based on experience because I have been on enough search committees to know experience isn't nearly as important as other variables when it comes to selecting a candidate. It was based on the following scenario: Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton. As hard as I tried, I didn't like the way that looked and what it meant to our government. What it meant is that we would have the same lobbyists, scandals and favors coming in and out of Washington as if the city were a revolving door. If George W. Bush invaded Iraq because his father failed to do it right, what is Hillary Clinton going to complete for Bill Clinton and their political friends?

I wrote the majority of this blog post before I voted because I thought I was confident in my decision, but the truth is, this decision was a lot harder than I thought it would be. It was hard to not vote for a woman that I knew would be more competent than what we have had for the past eight years. Though my teenage nieces are more competent women than our current president, so it doesn't have much to do with gender. I admit to liking Hillary, probably more than most people, but I am ready for change. We need new corruption. I am tired of the same bribery and scandals that we have had for the past 20 years. I want new deception and lies and I believe Barack Obama is the man to do that.

Browns Sign Clinton and Obama

You can't go anywhere in Northeast Ohio without seeing Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I mean this literally. In past elections, the Ohio primary took place so late that the candidates for each party had already been decided (see: John McCain). This year both Obama and Clinton can't seem to get out of Ohio. Just yesterday Obama was down the road at Valley Forge High School as Hillary was a little farther east in Youngstown before she came to Akron this afternoon. She will be holding a rally at Cleveland State University tonight. They will both be back in Cleveland next Monday and Tuesday before the election. This 2008 primary is really starting to overshadow the Browns' Free Agent signings-so much so that I am beginning to think the Browns signed both Clinton and Obama. Can you even imagine? Let's Try:

CLEVELAND - The Browns made two signings today to shore up both their secondary and receiving corps by signing strong safety Hillary Clinton and slot receiver Barack Obama. Both players were signed to four-year contracts with the option for four more years, though no money is guaranteed for either player.

Clinton, a strong safety out of Wellesly College, has promised to defend the long bomb against defenders. Her services will come in handy as the Browns secondary only had 17 interceptions last year and is one of the youngest in the league. Clinton has been tauted as one of the most fiery veterans available, but has never been seen as a team player. "I don't care if people like me," Clinton said. "My coaches know I can get the job done and I am here to do that."

Obama, a slot reciever out of Columbia University, has promised to prove his critics around the league wrong who say he is too young to start. He has yet to show much in his first three years, but the Browns were willing to take a chance on him based on scouting reports. "I really think I can surprise some people at this level," Obama said. "I have fought through adversity before."

Browns fans seem torn on this decision by General Manager Phil Savage. It seems that 51 percent of the fans are happy, 47 percent of the fans are unhappy and two percent of the fans are undecided. Season ticket holder Dennis Kucinch* had this to say: "I am really disappointed they didn't at least try me out for the team. I might be little, but I really know how to fake people out."

*The writer of this blog is hopeful people will vote Dennis Kucinich out next Tuesday. Please consider voting for Joe Cimperman!

Reality Resembling Fantasy Is Good For Cleveland

If you are anything like me, and luckily for you, you probably are not, then I know you are as excited as I am about the Cleveland Browns free agent signings and off-season trades. In the past, Browns fans have had very little to look forward to. When it came to free agents, we got the best of the washed up 30 something crowd that any fan could hope for. Not anymore. Apparently when you fail to make the playoffs on the last game of the season due to the lackluster play of Derek Anderson (who I really really really wish the team would trade for draft picks), the team thinks they should try to get better in the off-season. Low and behold, only two days into free-agency, the Browns have traded for two defensive lineman who are in their prime and yesterday they signed a wide receiver my dad and I have owned on one of our fantasy football teams in the past. This was a nice indication of how far management has come considering they are almost on par with The OC Herons when it comes to football drafts and free-agent pickups.

Leap Night!

When was the last time you celebrated Leap Night, which falls every four years on February 29th? If you said, four years ago, then good for you, but for many people including myself, I have never seen this as an opportunity to go out and celebrate. Until now! This is where Pop-Up City comes in handy. Pop-Up City creates events around Cleveland in vacant areas of the city, to showcase not only the city, but the people who like to spend time and money in this city (we are an under-appreciated people).

This Friday, Pop-Up City is creating Leap Night 2008. According to the webiste, Leap Night will turn a vacant lot in The Flats into a Winter Wonderland while featuring a snow and ice installation, a winter forest complete with costume bears, music, bonfires, performances by SAFMOD, Cleveland’s multi-media performance ensemble, an ice skating rink, a snowboard ramp and rail jam competition, an outdoor Rock BandTM video game competition, a snowsuit fashion show, and food and drink vendors. I personally never miss an opportunity for a good snowsuit fashion show and either should you. Come out and support Pop-Up City and Leap Night 2008.

I Knew It!

My long-time suspicion that Mother Nature is a Republican turned out to be true today. While she has always been conservative with the sunshine in this part of the country, it wasn't until today's horrible snowstorm that I realized she wasn't the liberal everyone thought she had been all these years. If you don't live in Cleveland, let me clue you in to the weather situation here: snow, snow and more snow. I put a picture up of the current weather conditions in Cleveland. You see that blue stuff? That's snow. Underneath that blue stuff? That's Cleveland.
One of the biggest political moments in Cleveland is about to happen tonight when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton face off in a debate downtown at Cleveland State University. Seems a little suspicious that the worst storm of the winter would hit while the democratic candidates are in town, especially considering the weather John McCain had yesterday when he visted Cleveland. While he was here, it was a balmy 45 degrees out-I was practically wearing shorts. With the debate tonight, the streets are going to be closed downtown due to the media and secret service, making the afternoon commute even worse when you combine it with the weather. Upset drivers are going to be cursing the name of one woman for all of this and I am sure it won't be Mother Nature, but Hillary. The Republicans are using every trick in the book this election season and it is only February.

February 27, 2008
I would like to retract the above blog statement due to the fact that we all know Mother Nature is a tree-hugging liberal. She also made Cleveland look beautiful with all the snow yesterday, as cameras caught glimpses of our quasi-Winter Wonderland to show around the country.

Dem On Dem Violence

"Dem on Dem Violence" is the term I coined yesterday after watching a staunch Obama supporter harass a staunch Clinton supporter. The Clinton supporter was simply holding a Hillary sign at an Obama rally. Can't we all just get along, and save all this harassment until we have to fight the real enemy in November?

The Las Vegas Blog Post

Introducing the first-ever Sportygrrl Las Vegas awards. A ceremony that chronicles our wonderful stay in the real city that never sleeps.

Best place in Las Vegas to get anything you could ever want on your burger from lobster meat to black truffles to fried egg: The Burger Bar (earlier during the awards ceremony, The Burger Bar also won for best selection of imported beers). This restaurant was located in Mandalay Place, not Mandalay Bay which is a little confusing at first, but it is worth the search.

Best place in Las Vegas to see a re-creation of King Tut's Tomb: The King Tut Museum located inside the Luxor Casino. This award could also be re-named: Best place to visit once you have realized you are lost inside the Luxor and can't find your way out of the casino area.

Best place in Las Vegas to watch Beer Pong after midnight: O'Sheas Casino. They actually advertise the authentic beer pong tables they have in the back of the casino. This place resembles a bar from 1982 more than a casino, which is part of it's charm.

Best place in Las Vegas to use a public bathroom: The Venetian. On our long trek down the strip at 3 a.m., it was nice to know you could stop inside a public bathroom with gold trim and private rooms to take a pee break.

Best place in Las Vegas to sit in front of a firepit and eat chicken wings: The Peppermill Fireside Lounge (earlier in the awards ceremony, The Peppermill also won for best $18 drink, which was named The Scorpion). This whole experience was amazing. It was definitely our favorite spot on the strip as we spent a couple hours at the bar and then moved down to the firepit to eat dinner. This is vintage old school Vegas! The wings here were also really good. I gave them a 4.0 out of 5.0 on my wing rating scale.

Best place in Las Vegas to play slots at 5 a.m.: Slots A Fun. Sure...it's dingy and a little scary, but you won't get the real feel of this place during daylight hours. We were quickly sold on the yard-long daiquiri and tacky slot machine themes.

Best place in Las Vegas to eat lunch when you are hungover: The Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood. They have everything here combining every nationality you can think of including a middle eastern selection. The food was extremely good for a lunch buffet and perfect for a "morning after meal".

Best place in Las Vegas to experience an atomic bomb being detonated: The Atomic Testing Museum. This hands-on museum is located right off the strip and was a great late afternoon activitiy. The museum includes movies, war propaganda galore and many pictures of Miss Atomic Bomb 1957. The best part about this museum is that it shows a very accurate reflection of how crazy people were during the Cold War.

Best view in Las Vegas: The Foundation Room at the top of Mandalay Bay. The Foundation Room is a private club affiliated with the House of Blues and located on the top floor of Mandalay Bay. We were able to get in because my cousin was kind enough to pull a few strings and get our name on the guest list. This place really did make us feel like royalty with the velvet ropes, elevator greeters and an unbelievable view of the strip. They do open this place up to the public on Monday evenings and I highly recommend it to anyone who visits Las Vegas.

Best view of Las Vegas from the middle of the strip: The Eiffel Tower at the Paris Resort and Casino (earlier in the awards ceremony this also won as the most french thing you can do in Las Vegas). Sure, it's a little cheesy to go up a fake Eiffel Tower, but we had a coupon from our Players Club Book, which makes it so much more legitimate. What really made this vertical venture worthwhile was viewing the watershow at The Bellagio from above.

Best place to spend two hours in the desert viewing three acres of old Las Vegas signs: The Neon Boneyard. Like Las Vegas? Like history? Like neon? Like getting sunburnt as you walk around looking at old Las Vegas signs? Then this is the place for you! It all came together for me when the tour guide said: "In 1929 neon was patented, and in 1931 gambling was legalized in Nevada." These two events led us through decades of tacky neon signs that eventually ended up at this somewhat secretive Las Vegas escape. If you are going to take this tour, you have to book it in advance.

Best Place in Vegas to get a 99 cent margarita: Our Hotel, Bill's Gambling Hall and Casino. This was way too convenient. The margarita bar was located right by the door, so you ALWAYS passed by it.

Best place to get a cheap microbrew: Ellis Island Casino and Brewery. This place was a pleasant surprise, and a favorite spot for locals. It's an older casino, located two blocks behind the strip with a microbrewery right inside the casino. The best part was that all their brews were only $1 no matter which one you ordered.

Best place to drink a beer under the World's Largest Pint Glass: Hennessey's Tavern. Before entering the Fremont Street Experience in Downtown Las Vegas we stopped inside this little Irish pub to grab some dinner. Luckily for us, Tuesday was Burger night, so we got a free meal. Located above Hennessey's is the largest pint glass in the world, which also happens to be a club called Brass The Lounge. Its a good pit stop as you walk around Downtown.

Best place in Las Vegas to drink out of a plastic football while watching a crazy light show: The Fremont Street Experience. If you haven't seen this light show or been involved with this experience, it is hard to describe. Every hour, the biggest light show in the world goes off for five minutes and completely captivates everyone who watches it. We debated going downtown, but I am so glad we did it.

Best place to gain five pounds and lose a lot of money: Las Vegas!

People try to describe Las Vegas to you before you go, but there is only so much you can do to prepare for this experience. If you have been there, then you know what I am talking about. If you haven't made the trip, then I highly advise you do it at least once.

A Small Taste Of Vegas And A Foreign Dose Of Wings

While the "Las Vegas Blog Post" has yet to be finished, I did want to direct you to a very small sample of pictures, that I uploaded last night. If you click this link, you can catch a glimpse of our four-day trip keeping in mind there are still hundreds of pictures yet to be loaded. You should be able to click on the individual pictures to enlarge them and see the caption.

In the meantime, I read this story yesterday about a hockey player from Czechoslovakia who was hospitalized in Buffalo after a traumatic incident during a game. The player was critically injured, but as he recovered in Buffalo, his one request was to eat authentic Buffalo Wings. Stories like this just warm my heart! My favorite quote from the story was from the doctor: "He asked if he could eat Buffalo chicken wings," Noor (the doctor) said. "So we let him." This quote reminded me of the famous words uttered by Marie Antoinette, instead of letting them eat cake, she should have said: "Let them eat wings!"

The Morning I Got Trumped By Chelsea Clinton

I arrived back at work today after four days in Las Vegas. As I walked into my building I saw a band and balloons hung all over the inside of my building. I assumed this was my "Welcome Back Michele" reception until I saw all the cops. Thinking back on what I had done the last four days, this made me a little nervous. Actually none of this has anything to do with me. When I walked into my office, my boss informed me that Chelsea Clinton is speaking inside our office building today about thirty feet away from me. I wanted to tell everyone about my trip, but I guess this is a much cooler story than my adventures in Sin City. First Vegas and now the former first daughter: this has been quite a week! If I wasn't such an unlucky gambler (as I found out firsthand over the past couple days), I might actually consider playing the lottery.

Reason #138 That I Am Excited To Go To Vegas...

...Big Elvis performs at our hotel everyday from 3 pm to 6 pm for free.

In about 48 hours, my plane will be touching down in seventy degree-weather to spend a care-free vacation in Sin City. I am looking forward to reporting back to the Blog at the end of next week to catch you up on all the fun.

Closer Than You Might Think

After a successful year for the Cleveland Browns, it looks like they may still be a couple years away from contending for the AFC championship and the Super Bowl...or are they? After the New York Giants won yesterday, I went back and found a statistic I remembered reading a couple weeks ago from Peter King, journalist for Sports Illustrated that showed the Browns might not be that far off from becoming a serious contender. Here is the difference between the Cleveland Browns and World Champion New York Giants: The Browns were 7-1 at home and 3-5 on the road in the regular season. The Giants were 7-1 on the road and 3-5 at home.

Both teams finished the regular season with an identical record of 10-6, but because the AFC is an overall tougher division (and a serious choke job at Cincinnati), the Browns lost out on making the playoffs. This statistic might mean very little to you, but when you are a Cleveland sports fan, anything positive that you can read into (and I am really reading into this) means a lot.

A Nice Leather Vase

Last week my co-worker asked me why my blog was titled: "So Now What". For those of you who never read my first post, I will tell you what I told her: These are the words I said after the Super Bowl ended in 2005. The day after the Super Bowl is a hard one for me. It means I will have to wait seven more months until I see another snap again. Hello my name is Michele and I am addicted to football. However today is also the three year anniversary of my blog. This anniversary is more like Thanksgiving than the Fourth of July. It doesn't always fall on the same date, but it is always the Monday after the Super Bowl. I was looking on-line to see what gift to give my blog for this three year anniversary. The traditional gift for three years is leather and the modern gift is crystal, so I am torn.

In other news, the Super Bowl last night was incredible, and I made the most of the event, which happens to be one of my favorite days of the year. We had my brother Mark over and the three of us all agreed the party was the perfect size. I found out last night that Mark and I have the same theories on Super Bowl party size, and creating the perfect environment in which to watch the game. Hello my name is Michele and I am addicted to football. If you saw the food we put out, you probably would have thought there were ten people there, not to mention the amount of beer that was consumed. We put out homemade spinach dip, a jalapeno cheese ball, shrimp cocktail, salsa and chips and this recipe for chicken legs, which turned out to be the perfect Super Bowl snack. The only problem with cooking these chicken legs is that they make the house really smokey, which obviously takes away from the perfect Super Bowl environment.

Obama/Edwards '08

Be the first person on your block to get an Obama/Edwards '08 bumper sticker. With Edwards dropping out of the race today, this seems to be a likely match. After Edwards' decision to end his candidacy came out this afternoon, Obama had this to say:

"John Edwards has spent a lifetime fighting to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the struggling, even when it wasn't popular to do or covered in the news. At a time when our politics is too focused on who's up and who's down, he made a nation focus again on who matters - the New Orleans child without a home, the West Virginia miner without a job, the families who live in that other America that is not seen or heard or talked about by our leaders in Washington."

Let me translate that paragraph into: " I want to thank John Edwards for dropping out of the race right before Super Tuesday (February 5th), so that I can receive his votes over Hillary Clinton. The least I can do to pay him back for this is name him my running mate in the Fall."

If you are planning on printing these bumper stickers up, please consider that two years ago, I declared the Browns would finish the season 13-3 after starting the season 0-3.

A Wing In Any Other Time Zone Is Still A Wing

I realize I haven't written in a long time, but I have been really busy planning a trip to Vegas (12 days and counting) and a trip to Ireland (116 days and counting). The amount of work you have to put into your own customized trip to another country (other than Canada), is more than I ever imagined. We have just finished booking six places to stay in five different cities along with car rentals and flights around Ireland. On top of this, we are still working on the Vegas trip as we try to get the most for our money while we are in Sin City for four days. Through all of this, you can imagine I have already done research on the most important thing in both Las Vegas and Dublin: Wings! I am going to the Peppermill in Las Vegas for recommended wings, and we will be doing the same when we go to the Elephant and Castle in Dublin for wings. It might be a different time zone, but I still have to eat my wings.

I Will Be On Tour This Year

Last Saturday I signed up for the World Beer Tour at the Winking Lizard, and after one day, I can tell this is going to be a life-changing event. When you sign up for this tour, the restaurant gives you one year to drink 100 unique imported beers. For more information on the tour check out the link above. From what I have experienced during my first day on the tour is that it makes you feel like you are always on vacation because you are constantly ordering things you wouldnt normally drink. That part alone makes whoever created this tour a marketing genius. My favorite part, however, is that you have a swipe card to track what beers you have already consumed and which ones still need to be consumed. I have never felt like such a classy beer drinker.

Not only am I doing the beer tour at the Winking Lizard, I also feel like I am actually going on a world tour this year. Last week we finalized plans to go to Ireland and Northern Ireland to travel the countryside from May 24th to June 5th. More plans will follow regarding this trip, but I have never been more excited to plan anything in my whole life. Speaking of planning, I wonder if the Winking Lizard has any plans to expand to Dublin, so I can still continue the beer tour while I am there. Ironically Guinness is one of the beers you have to drink on the beer tour at the Winking Lizard. I should get used to it now because I am sure to have my fill of it during my trip to the mother land.

Word Of The Day

I have come up with a new word. This new word is: Resolutioners. Please see my definition and story below:

resolutioners \REZ-O-lush; IN-erz\, Noun: people who make a resolution after New Years to lose weight and then go to the gym only to annoy the hell out of the people who have been there for months.

I went to the gym yesterday and was surrounded by "resolutioners." They were using my normal machines or at least attempting to use these machines while I had to stand by patiently waiting for them to figure out they didn't like that machine. Once I was able to get on and begin my work out, they would interrupt me, and ask me how the machine next to me works. Who interrupts someone who is in the middle of a workout, sweating and listening to music on their earphones? At first I just gave quick instructions, but then as this woman next to me began to look like she might hurt herself, I actually stopped working out to show her in more detail. After a minute, she walked away anyway. Luckily I found this article from 2004 that did research on the average length of New Years Resolutions. The results were that most people didn't follow through for more than 17 days. I am hoping this still appplies to this year, or I might just let more people get hurt on the machines I use.

Free Stadium Mustard When You Meet Your Deductible

Two years ago my brother and I had a contest to see who could name the most sports stadiums that aren't named after corporations. (Yes we can make a competition out of anything.) The first stadium we both mentioned was Jacobs Field-the field our very own Cleveland Indians play on every summer. Next time we become sports dorks and decide to have this competition, Jacobs Field will no longer be on that list.

Sadly, Jacobs Field is now going to be called Progressive Field. When I first heard this I really hoped it had something to do with the changing political landscape in Cleveland. This was not the case. Peter Jacobs, Cleveland's richest man and the founder of Progressive Insurance, has bought the naming rights to Jacobs Field. Jacobs, who has his name on half the builings on the East side of the city, has now decided to move downtown. The whole thing is a little depressing like most sell-outs, and is enough to make me want to leave the country. Luckily, I got my passport yesterday, which makes that possible.

Happy National Championship Day

You may think everyone in Ohio graduated from Ohio State tonight. When the Buckeyes play tonight in the BCS Championship Game, everyone in the state will be wearing their scarlet and grey while watching the game. With all the pride in the state, you would think all these people actually graduated from Ohio State. As a matter of fact, I don't know one person who graduated from Ohio State. Not to say people don't graduate from there, I am sure they do, but I just have never met an Ohio State graduate. However everyone I know owns something that says Ohio State on it. It always makes me think back to when I would tell people I went to Ohio University (located in beautiful Athens, Ohio), and everyone thought it was in Columbus. It is on days like this, that people forget there are actually other schools in Ohio that play sports. In fact, last year Ohio University played in THE historic GMAC Bowl, yet nobody seems to remember that-not even this Ohio alum who had to double check on-line to make sure that was the correct bowl game. Hmmm...maybe I did spend four years in Columbus going to school.

Whatever Happens In Vegas...Will Definitely Be Posted On This Blog!

My maiden voyage to Las Vegas will be in February as we booked a three-day, three-night excursion to Sin City yesterday. Using the friendly services of Expedia, we were able to get exactly what we wanted with flights and a stay right on the strip at Bill's Gambling Hall and Saloon. I know many of the people who read my blog have been to Vegas so please send along your best advice to my e-mail address: mrl21@hotmail.com.

One funny sidenote of using expedia is that we were checking flights for both Akron and Cleveland when we accidentally put in Akron to Cleveland. Can you believe the flight was more expensive than Akron to Las Vegas? Not to mention there were two layovers. Apparently there are no direct flights from Akron to Cleveland and you have a layover in Detroit and Pittsuburgh, though my guess was that the layovers were in Stow and Brecksville which seemed to make more sense geographically.

Have a Happy New Year Everyone!

Pride Won Out Over Money...Barely!

Early Sunday it became obvious that my father and I were going to lose in our fantasy football league (the league with the big payout). Actually lose is too nice of a word-we got crushed. I still had one chance left to make it into a championship game in my other league (the league with the small payout, but a lot of pride was at stake). It came down to the last minute of the Monday Night Football Game, but I won my semi-final game in my other league (the pride league) by ONE point to make it to the championship game. If you read this previous blog entry, you would know my leagues and my teams came down to pride or money last weekend. Obviously pride won out, except for one small thing: I still have a championship game to play, and I have to play it against my Julie, the Fantasy Football First-Timer. Let me say one more thing: Her team is good, really really good. Yesterday my co-worker, and blog-reader Bill said the following thing: "It would really suck to lose to your significant other in something that you really loved, and something they were only doing to entertain you." That pretty much sums up what I am feeling right now. Thanks for the insight Bill!

The World's Best Wings? I Think Not!

Last week I took a new way to work as to avoid the crazy freeway traffic that occurs before you get downtown. As I took my new route, I found a Cleats Bar and Grille at the bottom of a big hill behind the freeway with a huge sign overlooking the parking lot that said: "Home of the Worlds Best Wings". I felt like Columbus discovering America for the first time, though discovering a place that advertises "Worlds Best Wings" might be an even better feeling.

Obviously it wasn't long before we headed over there for dinner as it was only 5 minutes away, and just to remind you, they advertised "Home of the Worlds Best Wings" outside on a huge sign. We got there and were excited it wasn't wing night, so we could taste the real deal and not get stuck with the skimpy wing night wings. We were pleasantly surprised that you could get a wing platter: 30 wings with choice of five different sauces. We were sold on the platter right away. We were also sold on the Great Lakes Christmas Ale, but that is a different blog entry. We chose our five sauces: hot garlic, samurai (teriyaki), memphis belle, cajun and sweet heat. When the wings came out they were all loaded on one big platter with a bunch of fries thrown in the middle. I felt my arteries tighten up as the waitress sat down our dinner in front of us. (Keep in mind this is a place that advertises an 11-pound sandwich on their menu called the Garbage Dumpster, so you know these wings are bound to be extra-healthy!)

As for the wings, I only liked the hot garlic and cajun dry rub wings. The other three were way too sweet and not spicy enough for me. On top of only liking the two sauces, I had two wings break on me, which is an automatic deduction in my rankings. Overall, the wings had good size but could have been sauced better. It looked like they just threw sauce on top of the wings on the way out of the kitchen, so only half the wing had sauce on it. I walked away underwhelmed by the whole experience. I give the wings served at Cleats three wings out of five wings. Also, if you don't think the name Cleats sounds like a romantic place to get wings, you shouldn't judge this wing place by the athletic shoes hanging outside on their big bright neon sign. Underneath the exterior of a very casual sports bar, with minimal formalities and a bathroom that looks like it is only half-completed, they also offer this deal: A Deluxe Chicken Dinner on their menu with 24 wings and a bottle of Dom Perignon for just $150.00. Now that's a classy romantic wing joint!

'Tis The Season

It's that time of year again. I am making last-minute preparations, checking my lists twice and planning parties. Of course I can only be talking about one thing: Fantasy Football Playoffs have begun. This year I was in two leagues for the first time, and this year I am lucky enough to have made it to the semi-finals in both my leagues. As much fun and excitement that it has been to be in two leagues at one time, it has also been quite a headache: twice as much research and twice as many decisions. I know! My life is so hard! The most stressful thing (if you can call anything with the word "fantasy" in it stressful) is that many weeks I face players in one league that I have on my team in another league. I will be facing this very situation this weekend. My father and I have a chance to win a lot of money with Adrian Peterson, Edgerrin James and Joey Galloway this weekend in our semi-final game. In my other league, my opponent has these same players and the opportunity to win bragging rights in Cleveland for the next year. I am torn on money versus pride this week. Talk about stressful. I would rather try to find a parking space at the mall on Christmas Eve. Speaking of Christmas...isn't that coming up sometime soon as well?

The Browns Score! CRASH!

Yesterday my brother Mark was the responsible one. You may want to read that last sentence again before I go on. Ok...now that you are all caught up, Mark is the responsible one. This is because he was the only one able to drive home yesterday after we spent four hours at the Blue Moose Eatery watching every football game possible on the NFL ticket. We left the bar before the Browns game was over even though it looked like they had the game won. However on the drive home and two onside kicks later by the Jets, the game was still not over. It was at this point that I got out of my car and watched Mark park my car ahead of his car on the street. Unfortunately, it was also at this point that Jamal Lewis scored the game-winning touchdown for the Browns. As my brother listened to Jim Donovan's excited voice do play-by-play on the score, he accidentally slammed his foot on the gas and backed up into his own car. At this point his alarm starts going off on his car. While there was very minimal damage for either car, it did create quite a commotion. I guess that was just Mark's way of celebrating. Let me reiterate, he is the responsible one in this story.

The Amazingly Cold Casting Call

On Tuesday my sister and I waited for four hours out in twenty degree weather for our chance to get an audition for The Amazing Race reality show. Let me just say, it took me almost 24 hours to regain full feeling in my extremities, but it was worth it. After doing a quasi-Amazing Race adventure in Dave and Busters, we were chosen to do a video that would be sent to the casting offices of the show. I will keep everyone updated. Keep your fingers crossed!

The Amazing (Blog) Race

Tomorrow at this time, my sister and I will be auditioning for The Amazing Race, which is one of our favorite shows. If things go well, at this time next year, you will be watching us adventure across the globe. As always, I will keep you updated.

I Have The NFL Network And I Bet You Don't!

There is a huge uproar in the sports world today regarding the NFL Network and tonight's Packers/Cowboys game. If you are like most people in this country, you won't be able to watch one of the biggest games of the season. To go into the logistics of why the cable companies won't purchase the NFL network you may want to read this article. Obviously it comes down to money, though that doesnt really help the millions of people who won't be able to catch this game tonight. Fortunately I am not one of those people. I have the NFL Network.

I actually stumbled upon the NFL Network a few months ago by accident before I even moved in with Julie. There I was flipping through her channels and there it was, and I just kept saying: "You have the NFL Network? You have the NFL Network? YOU HAVE THE NFL NETWORK!!" As you can see I was extremely happy, though trying to explain the importance of this find to someone who never really watched sports before I came along was a bit tough. I tried to explain that there would be games on that would not be shown on regular television this football season, and what a beautiful thing it would be once the season started. Each day after I found the channel, I would go to it just to make sure it was still there. Now my patience has paid off. On Thanksgiving day when people were coming down from their Turkey and football high of watching TWO games, I switched on the NFL network to catch the Colts play the Falcons that night for my THIRD game of the day. Tonight I am obviously going to catch the Packers/Cowboys game, and then hopefully in week 17, I am going to watch the Patriots make history against the Giants as they try and go undefeated.

I actually thought I was going to have to miss the game tonight because of a really cool event at Cleveland Public Theatre, but then I realized we weren't going until Friday. When I thought I was missing this game, Julie said we could TiVo it. However I said: "No way! You can't TiVo a game on the NFL Network!" I might as well just be watching highlights with the common folk who have cable. No, if I am watching a game on the NFL Network I want to be watching it live, so I can call people and tease them about the game. Julie really does have a lot to learn about football, but it last she has the NFL Network and now that I am all moved it, so do I!

Moving Thoughts...

As I stood there this weekend with my hands full of boxes and furniture, I stared at my emptying apartment and thought the following things: 1) Why didn't I make the back room my bedroom 2) Why didn't I open up the living room more 3) Why didn't I put my couch in the other corner of my living room 4) Is it too late to pull all of the stuff out of the truck just to see how that would have looked. The answer to that last one by the looks on my helpers faces would have been a resounding "YES!' by the way.

The Seven-Day Wagon

I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday weekend. My weekend was packed full of wonderful Thanksgiving food, moving furniture, the best wings I have ever had in Cleveland, traveling to Detroit to see a concert and of course Sunday football events.

A day after stuffing ourselves with Turkey and stuffing, we worked up another appetite from moving furniture and decided to get wings at the Winking Lizard in Independence. These were the best wings I have ever had at any Winking Lizard. I always recommend that you DONT get their wings on wing night and we were happy to go there on a Friday night with no wing specials in sight. The wings were big, juicy and piping hot covered in our favorite sacues: hot garlic and cajun. They recieved 4.5 wings out of 5 on my scale. I don't know if this is truly the case or not but there was a great football game on the television and the beer tasted extra good on this day, so perhaps the beer and football also made the wings taste better. Speaking of beer...

My doctor put me on a prescription where I can not drink at all. I have not started taking it yet. I just picked it up last night and now I have to decide on a seven-day window where I will not want to drink or the opportunity will not present itself (ahem). I have two friends with birthdays this week and an open bar on Friday night after a play I am attending. Saturday and Sunday is football. Hmmm...this could be a tough decision. I wonder if I can double up on dosage and just take it for 3.5 days. This reminds me of my friend Mindy trying to decide on a good time to get pregnant. Obviously the holidays will never work and the summer is a bad time to stop drinking. I always have to remind her that it is impossible to go through the whole process in less than four months. Though if anyone can do it, it is definitely Mindy.

Pub Crawl Slideshow

I was told some people were unable to see the pics I tried to post last week from my pub crawl. I decided to go ahead and add the slide show so that you could see all the revelry up close. Enjoy and have a great Thanksgiving weekend.

X-Mas Aled Up (Pub Crawl Blog)

Yesterday my sister came up with a saying to describe my whole weekend. To be "X-Mas Aled Up" is a term she coined after seeing the effects on a person after having one of these beers. Every fall Great Lakes Brewing Company makes their infamous Christmas Ale and releases it for only four months a year. I can only assume this is for safety reasons. This beer does crazy things to people. It's not a normal beer. It's like a super beer.

People run out to get this beer like it's a drug and usually regret it the next day. I have been able to hold myself to only two a night in most situations and usually this is too many. On my pub crawl this past weekend, I waited until my fifth bar out of nine to have my one and only Christmas Ale, and even this was not a good idea. As I look back, it was at this bar where things started going a little awry or shall I say blurry. The next day I tempted fate and drank another one, which led to me hitting my head on my couch (see picture).

As for the pub crawl: I don't think I have ever had so much fun with friends and family. As you can see from the pictures at this link, it was a good time for everybody-even people who didn't know me. By the end we just handed the extra t-shirts out and people all around Ohio City knew my name. I am now looking forward to my "Getting Acquainted with Old Brooklyn" Pub Crawl, but I think I will wait til the Spring so I am not tempted by the Christmas Ale!

The Curse Of Cleveland Is Over

Just in case fans of Clevleand have not heard yet, the curse is over. We finally won the big one! This past Sunday on the Food Network's "The Next Iron Chef," Michael Symon, owner of two Cleveland restaurants, Lola and Lolita won the battle to become the next Iron Chef on "Iron Chef America." If you don't watch the Food Network or have never heard of Iron Chef America, this may mean very little to you. However, if you like Cleveland as much as I do, you have to at least appreciate the prominence this brings to the city.

Most people who live downtown know that Symon owns two of the coolest eating joints around. Origianally located in Tremont, Lola is now located downtown and Lolita has taken the Tremont location. While the food is phenomonal at both these locations, Lolita has one of the coolest happy hours around. Where else can you get happy hour prices from 10 pm until close on Friday AND Saturday nights that include items from the award-winning menu and drink specials. This weekend I went to the Food and Wine show in Cleveland and Symon was listed under "local celebrity chef." Next year when I go to this show, I will be excited to see his name under "national celebrity chef." Now if only the Browns can win the big one, and by that I mean...beating the Steelers!

Come One, Come All...

...To my Ohio City Pub Crawl. Join me this Saturday as I bar hop through Ohio City for the last time before moving to Old Brooklyn (that's Cleveland not Parma by the way). We will be leaving the Old Angle at 6:30 pm and stopping at seven or eight bars (weather permitting) before coming back to the Old Angle to finish the night. There will also be t-shirts designed by Tim for a very small price to wear along the way to make it worth your while. I hope to see you there!

Who Jokes About Wings?

Today as I was talking to my father on the phone, I told him I was about to take my Wingmaster exam. He completely thought I was joking. He thought I made the whole wingmaster title and site up. After completing the exam and receving this response just a few short minutes ago, I can assure all of my readers this sight and my exam are no joke:

Sportygrrl,

Thank you for your swift response, I am happy to report that you were the first person to get 9 out of 10 correct and if you check the site, TheWingmasters.com has bestowed the supreme status of Wingmaster upon you - Congratulations!!!

We are very impressed with your answers; the only one you got incorrect was a tricky question. We know you are extremely deserving of this title because you got the one question that almost everyone gets wrong correct; the average size of a chicken wing. This is not an easy question and you must eat and know wings to answer it correctly because it is not noted anywhere. We arrived at the answer based on a review and measuring of 250 wings over a two week period, at various locations.

What's also impressive is that you were right on with the wing sauce question, and you took the proper approach to looking at the question - this was our other trick question. Great job and welcome to the League of Wingmasters...

Who's joking now? Ok, ok... it IS a little funny.

Breaking News!

This just in from every major news source in the world: "Keeping slim is one of the best ways of preventing cancer, as is avoiding excessive amounts of red meat and wine, a landmark study has revealed." On Wednesday when this study was announced, I couldn't get away from it. It was on every major news website, and as I worked out that night, it was on almost every television at the gym. Is this really huge news? Who didn't know this? Was there someone out there trying to beat cancer by binge drinking, eating a lot of steak and not exercising, and if so...has that been working? I think my favorite finding of this earth-shattering study is this: "If people must drink, the report said, they should limit their intake to two units a day for a man or one for a woman. A unit is a half pint of beer or a small glass of wine." A half-pint of beer for a woman? Can you actually go to a bar and order a half-pint? I just hope this finding doesn't create longer lines at my gym. Though on the other hand, it might create shorter lines at the bar.

In related news, we tried a new wing place this week called Roosters. We spotted this restaurant last weekend driving through Parma, and vowed to return as they advertised wings on their big bright sign. This was an interesting place because it was a sports bar, but it was really really bright and seemed more family-oriented than anything. The wings were huge, BUT they were breaded and I don't like breaded wings because they take away the crispiness. We ordered extra hot (which they call Donkey for some reason), garlic and teriyaki. The hot wings were unimpressive, but the garlic was very good as was the teriyaki. If you can get past the breading, the wings were fresh, juicy and very filling, but if your claim to fame is wings and you can't make a good hot sauce, I cant possibly award you more than 3.5 wings out of 5. I highly recommend these wings with a good half pint of your favorite beer.