tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69671956368888279022024-03-05T09:50:50.988-05:00Don't Call Me Mrs.Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-44873953671120528282010-07-05T10:57:00.002-04:002010-07-23T22:10:36.618-04:00Soho sushi<div>What's better than dinner with friends? When dinner turns into a Sushi Rampage! With about 10 people, this was a three week in the making sushi date. We hit Soho on its second night of evening hours. The staff was so friendly and accommodating, including allowing us behind the counter to see the inner workings of some of the machines. </div><br /><br />Of course, if you're making sushi, you need the 50 pound bag of rice<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/4747276993/" title="Soho Sushi by 5chw4r7z, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4747276993_0c6174088f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Soho Sushi" /></a><br /><br /><div>I know some critics say it's the Chipotle of sushi but here's what's so great about it: You can get either a seaweed wrap or a soy wrap with the rice inside the wrap. If you ask, they'll also put the rice on the outside instead. If your're not feeling adventurous or are a sushi novice, there are some very tasty standard rolls suggested on the menu. And if you want to be creative, you can make all the choices, get as crazy as you want and not feel like you're spending a boatload of money. I choose both a standard with chicken and I got creative with crab, avacado and some other fixings. The staff will offer suggestions too, which is where the avacado comes in. I'm not a big fan of avacado, but this roll was fantastic. Since there were so many of us, we did a lot of sharing so everyone got to try several different rolls. </div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/4747932092/" title="Soho Sushi by 5chw4r7z, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4747932092_86aff70163.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Soho Sushi" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/4747296009/" title="Soho Sushi by 5chw4r7z, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4137/4747296009_7ca08be06e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Soho Sushi" /></a><br />All in all, a very enjoyable and affordable dinner choice.Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-63854932904426036932010-06-22T18:35:00.006-04:002010-06-23T18:32:57.326-04:00Cassidy's Surprise<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRK4sZaaz3qn5MroVKPaMz-9bfsl4HFymsHkWWqcFZtmUt9DssP7NGErfUxFXjGl2xG3QhBHSxmlP_DTIvh-49rm3MAVMzoZc_-WTDAGr_ezTBaH78-13ug-44QFcyRTm29nmTWDknN-iL/s1600/Cassidy's+kitten1.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486099416903054082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRK4sZaaz3qn5MroVKPaMz-9bfsl4HFymsHkWWqcFZtmUt9DssP7NGErfUxFXjGl2xG3QhBHSxmlP_DTIvh-49rm3MAVMzoZc_-WTDAGr_ezTBaH78-13ug-44QFcyRTm29nmTWDknN-iL/s320/Cassidy's+kitten1.JPG" /></a><br /><br />A kitten is in the animal world, what a rosebud is in the garden.<br />-Unknown<br /><br />If there's one thing I'm a sucker for, it's baby animals and specifically, kittens of any kind. Cassidy recently got a kitten and since she's going to be away for a few weeks, I offerred to bring her home with me and return her when we meet for vacation. She didn't go for what I thought was a splendid idea. I did get some photos of the new kitten, Mai. You just can't find something much more adorable than a new kitten, really.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0vQe8QXA3cruZyWuQldkYczARvXLvQSS-cw8I_q_a4wMd5R4MSuxtmHJFxYwFLM2fMAzRPJ-sSxN20Dsu7PXgC-dYOdmR-FHqv_2C5RRJnfE7aFRGxaPb39FSCwlLqZmkHrp0oza4sbF/s1600/Cassidy's+kitten2.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486099995555847090" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0vQe8QXA3cruZyWuQldkYczARvXLvQSS-cw8I_q_a4wMd5R4MSuxtmHJFxYwFLM2fMAzRPJ-sSxN20Dsu7PXgC-dYOdmR-FHqv_2C5RRJnfE7aFRGxaPb39FSCwlLqZmkHrp0oza4sbF/s320/Cassidy's+kitten2.JPG" /></a>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-39213125414981245622010-02-11T07:00:00.000-05:002010-02-11T07:00:09.019-05:00All or Nothing<div align="justify">Does anything in this video look familiar? If you've spent time in downtown Cincinnati, it might. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">The George Moss video, filmed last month, was released yesterday. Everything in this video, except the club scenes was filmed in our condo, the building's roof and on Cincinnati streets in the downtown area. Moss is a Christian rap/hip hop/r & b artist from Grand Rapids, Michigan who came to Cincinnati to film his first music video. This video is actually the first two tracks from his cd; the first minute or so is his spoken word first track <em>The Young Black Falcon </em>and <em>All or Nothing</em> starts when the music kicks in. He sent us a copy of the cd. The whole thing is great; I've basically taken it from 5chw4r7z and play it in my car regularly. Enjoy...</div><div align="justify"> </div><br /><br /><object width="660" height="525"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rP40mzRLukc&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rP40mzRLukc&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="660" height="525"></embed></object><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);font-size:15%;" >best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio george moss all or nothing George moss all or nothing dreamlight entertainment 7th station media charles marzette altiora coffee house taylor mill ky cincinnati ohio grand rapids michigan</span>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-17022991661958430432010-02-10T07:00:00.000-05:002010-02-10T07:00:02.225-05:00There Might Be Something To This Twitter Thing<div align="justify">I took the morning off last Thursday to do an interview about Twitter with Fox 19. While I'm not Cincinnati's most prolific blogger, I was happy to help them with this story. One of the things they explored is the way local govermental offices have begun using twitter. The Cincinnati Police Dept has a twitter account now, which I've looked at. the only problem is, you have to know the boundaries of each district to know if what they're tweeting about affects you. Cincinnati Public Services office has a twitter stream under CincinnatiSnow which I would likely find useful as well as the ODOT Cincinnati stream. For those of you who missed it, or who live out of town, here's the link to the story:<br /><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.fox19.com/global/video/videoplayer.js?rnd=688315;hostDomain=www.fox19.com;playerWidth=400;playerHeight=340;isShowIcon=true;clipId=4527796;flvUri=;partnerclipid=;adTag=null;enableAds=false;landingPage=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.fox19.com%252Fglobal%252FCategory.asp%253FC%253D151146%2526clipId%253D%2526topVideoCatNo%253D15048%2526topVideoCatNoB%253D109491%2526topVideoCatNoC%253D104760%2526topVideoCatNoD%253D141804%2526topVideoCatNoE%253D142722;islandingPageoverride=false;playerType=POPUP_EMBEDDEDscript"></script></div>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-37910817140317928522009-12-16T07:00:00.000-05:002009-12-16T07:00:03.664-05:00Mr. Jones & Me<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Well, since I missed Dhani Jones first photography exhibit, I made it a point to go to the opening of Senegal, Jones' second exhibit. I'm guessing he took these while filming another season of Dhani Tackles the Globe, his Travel Channel series. Check out the exhibit; he is a talented photographer.</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/4183481050/" title="Dhani Jones: Senegal by cincinnatista, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2709/4183481050_2ab93a764b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Dhani Jones: Senegal" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Smiling in the bright lights,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Coming through in stereo,</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">When everybody loves you, you can never be lonely.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">-Counting Crows, Mr. Jones</span>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-19947749702104878072009-12-08T07:00:00.000-05:002009-12-08T07:00:05.229-05:00The Amazing Race Cincinnati Style<span style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://www.katesrandommusings.com/">Kate</a> certainly knows how to throw a party. For her recent birthday, she arranged a very small party beginning with cocktails at Scott's house. She then arranged three teams of four people each and started handing out clues to each team. It was a race around the city with the first stop at Grammar's. At drinking establishments, she arranged to have bartenders hand out the clues. Bonus: several of the clues had a tidbit of Cincinnati history.</span><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/4167237095/" title="Kate's amazing race by cincinnatista, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2732/4167237095_f983af2da4.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Kate's amazing race" /></a><br />Some of our fellow competitors<br />Next stop was Holy Cross Immaculata Church in Mt. Adams where each team found a lit votive and a clue leading to the Blind Lemon. The hardest part of this stop was finding a free legal parking place. Luckily <a href="http://www.5chw4r7z.blogspot.com/">5chw4r7z</a> was on the lookout, managing to find a legal space and what a good thing that was. Some unlucky car was being towed as we headed out of Mt. Adams and off to Race St.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/4167239053/" title="Kate's amazing race by cincinnatista, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/4167239053_e70832f53c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Kate's amazing race" /></a><br />This is where things really got interesting because we over-thought the clue and headed to Yum-Yum. The nice old couple who own the restaurant noticed the ruckus outside (and Brian looking under the door mat for a clue) and came out to see what was going on. They had no clue, literally and figuratively as to what was going on, but let us take a picture with them to add to the fun.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/4167239255/" title="Kate's amazing race by cincinnatista, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2637/4167239255_626228dae7.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Kate's amazing race" /></a><br />The clue we were looking for, taped to a wall down the street, led us to <a href="http://www.toniconfourth.com/">Tonic</a> on Fourth.<br />Tonic, and the adjoining <a href="http://www.mylocal127.com/">Local 127</a> are two of my favorite new downtown establishments. But that's a post for another day. With a drink here, added to the several before it, Kate expected us to do math! The equations revealed the address and street where the contest finished, which we already knew but went through the exercise just for fun. Now here's where we thought we were going to win- you had to have a 1976 coin with you when you arrived at the destination. We were close enough to casa de 5chw4r7z to go home where we found not only a coin from the year of her birth, but a bicentennial quarter. Alas, the prize was within our grasp- except for the fact that we were too slow and another team beat us there with a coin from '76. At least we weren't after the million dollars.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/4168001732/" title="Kate's amazing race by cincinnatista, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2587/4168001732_b455c85730.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Kate's amazing race" /></a>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-59346473190239333392009-09-15T19:42:00.004-04:002009-09-15T20:57:55.042-04:00Local 127Local 127 has opened in the former Pigall's on Fourth Street. <a href="http://www.5chw4r7z.blogspot.com/">5chw4r7z</a> and I were actually intending to have drinks next door at the lounge formerly known as Twist. The former Twist location won't be open for another two weeks. So we winged it, as usual, and decided to check out Local 127.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/3923917683/" title="Local 127 by cincinnatista, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3450/3923917683_34285999f6.jpg" width="375" height="281" alt="Local 127" /></a><br /><br />Local 127 bills itself as a New American Eatery. The menu sounds like it will change regualrly based on local availability of ingredients. For instance, we were told this would be the last week for locally grown tomatoes. Local 127 prides itself on using only local source ingredients; from the farm to the table.<br /><br />First stop: the bar (of course) where we were able to take in the decor of the entire lower level while chatting with bartenders Jody and Laura. We also met managers Craig and Christina who outlined some of the previously mentioned philosophy and mission for the restaurant. There was an excited, expectant energy in the air, very similar to opening night of a play. The staff were doing final preparations and waiting for the audience-er, customers, to arrive.<br /><br />Next: Tours of the establishment including the meeting/party room, upstairs lounge and kitchen, which was, by the way, immaculate. There are plans to have a chef's table in the future where small groups would have an opportunity to be in the kitchen and see their food being prepared.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/3923916341/" title="Local 127 by cincinnatista, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2441/3923916341_cb57fb5974.jpg" width="375" height="281" alt="Local 127" /></a><br /><br />Last: We tried the Kentucky Bourbon Sundae. One word to describe it: RICH. This is undoubtedly a dessert to be shared and way more than one patron would likely want to consume on their own, especially after a full meal. I tasted a hint of coconut on the first bite that quickly gave way to the bourbon taste. Now, I'm not a bourbon connoisseur at all, but I thought the amount of bourbon was perfect. There was definitely more than a taste but it wasn't overpowering.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/3924704066/" title="Local 127 by cincinnatista, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2492/3924704066_da6d94755f.jpg" width="375" height="281" alt="Local 127" /></a><br /><br />Tonight was truly a delightful experience at what is sure to become one of Cincinnati's premiere dining establishments.Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-77823737077193897922009-08-13T18:09:00.002-04:002009-08-13T22:30:43.955-04:00Cincinnatians For Progress at the DRC<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;">Tuesday evening the Downtown Residents Council invited representatives from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/http//www.cincinnatiansforprogress.com/Home.asp">Cincinnatians For Progress</a> and COAST to give presentations for and against the proposed acquisition and passenger rail charter amendment. Knowing this is a hotly debated topic with passions running high on both sides, DRC saved the presentations for last, allowing only 20 minutes before a vote allowing the meeting to continue another 15 minutes. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br />This amendment is not only about the streetcar. If the amendment passes, each and every rail project would be subject to a public vote, increasing a project's cost and causing delays. This includes a public vote on projects that don't have tax increases attached. The DRC notes that the first project most likely to be affected is the proposed inter-city rail that would connect Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland. If this amendment succeeds, we could be left out of the economic loop and all the dollars that entails. There are plans for the inter-city rail to extend all the way to Indianapolis and Chicago. I can actively see myself taking high speed rail to all the cities listed. Passenger rail could offer another alternative means to come to Cincinnati other than through our high-cost airport. John Schneider of Cincinnatians for Progress noted there are only two cities in the top 25 that don't have rail transportation: San Antonio and, you guessed it, Cincinnati. Mark Miller of COAST admitted passenger rail is a good thing in some cities (but apparently not ours, in his opinion). </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br />Mr. Miller said his organization is going after city council<strong>MEN</strong> to take a no tax pledge. Ms. Cole, Ms. Ghiz and Ms. Qualls, are you listening? You won't have to worry about being targeted for a no-tax pledge since, apparently, COAST must think only men are on city council. But why have a representative government in the first place? Miller stated city government "Doesn't trust the voters (and) wants to deceive the voters". Miller further claims he's "Not opposed to transit" but his group was formed specifically to defeat this ballot issue. He also believes taxes will go up for transit initiatives, he has no trust in city government but nothing to back up his belief. By the way, the president of Miller's organization lives in Blue Ash (well outside the city limits) and most members don't even live in the city limits. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br />Now let's bring up the 'S' word since that's what so many people think that's what this initiative is about. 8 of 9 city council members support the streetcar initiative as do 16 of 18 council candidates. Have you been downtown during rush hour? Or on a Friday or Saturday night? The streetcar would reduce some of this congestion since it would run seven days a week and every 10 minutes during peak traffic periods. Construction of the initial streetcar line would spur economic development along and adjacent to the route including residential construction or renovation, shops, businesses, restaurants and the like. Over the course of the first 15 years, the initial Downtown Loop would help create $1.5 billion in new economic development. Cincinnati would see $17 million <em>each year</em> in new consumer spending because of the streetcar. All this economic activity results in earnings, property and sales taxes which would help decrease the burden on state and local government as well as help out Cincinnati Public Schools. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><br />Please take some time to critically assess this initiative as a whole and how it could critically affect the future and potential economic growth of our city and consider voting 'no' on the initiative.</span></div>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-51334278087437800852009-06-15T08:00:00.000-04:002009-06-15T08:00:00.636-04:00Vagina Monologues<center><a href="http://s52.photobucket.com/albums/g12/5chw4r7z/MISC/?action=view¤t=vagina.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g12/5chw4r7z/MISC/vagina.jpg" border="0" alt="vagina"></a></center><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues opened Friday night at Newport's <a href="http://www.falcontheatre.net" target="_blank">Falcon Theater</a> and WOW, what a show. It's been years since I've seen the entire show as an audience member and it was a thoroughly enjoyable and fresh experience. For starters, it's the first production I've seen that involved a man as part of the cast. The sole male cast member served in a narrator-type capacity, dispensing mostly vagina "happy facts" along with a few not so happy facts. The stage was adorned with various styles of chairs for the rest of the cast and solo monologues were given mostly standing. I need to reveal that I've done three V-Day productions of Monologues- one through Youngstown State and two with Kent State Trumbull, all productions directed by men, as was this production also. If you're a woman, and it doesn't matter what you are: gay, straight, bi, single, married, mother, wife, daughter- there's something here for you. And while you may not be able to relate to each and every monologue, you'll likely be able to appreciate them all. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">There are wonderful moments when the entire cast is on stage with lines bouncing back and forth across the stage like a super ball (remember those?). I especially liked the shared scene about menstruation. This scene is a perfect example of the complexity and variety inherent in the show. While every woman's had a period and remembers her first one, there's a striking array of how each woman's character dealt with the experience as well as the rendetion of how the character's family handled her emergening womanhood.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">My personal stand out favorites in the production included "My Angry Vagina", particularly the part about the cold duck-lips at the gynecologist's office- what woman hasn't experienced that? And of course, Julie from <a href="http://winemedinemecincinnati.com" target="_blank">winemedineme</a> gave a stand out, spot on performance in her scenes. I have to admit that my favorite was the actress that did "Coochie Snorcher" and several other scenes. She simply and completely owned the stage in each scene in which she was featured.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">There's laugh out loud scenes as well as scenes of heart-rending sadness. From monologues about rape survivors in Bosnia and the plight of Native American women, to The Flood, the gentle humor of Because He Liked To Look At It and answers to what a vagina would say and wear, this show is one to take your mom, daughter or best girlfriend to...or better yet, take all three to this finely crafted production. Remaining shows are Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20. Reservations are advised; this theater is <em>small.</em> </span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">And for anyone who cares, in each of the productions I was in, I did the monologue about a woman who had a good experience with a man.</span></div><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-27935865694294050622009-05-28T23:54:00.002-04:002009-05-29T00:12:21.366-04:00Cincy Fringe<span style="font-family:lucida grande;">One Cincy Fringe show down, how many more, remains to be seen. That said, I clear my calendar for Fringe, one of two festivals I volunteer for (the other being Mid-Point Music Fest). For those of you still making picks, <em>If Only This Date...</em> has been dropped from the calendar and won't be performed. That was one of the shows 5chw4r7z and I were looking forward to. Tonight's pick, Kevin Thornton's one-man show <em>Sex, Dreams and Self Control</em> is a definite must-see. This autobiographical tale of growing up gay in Indiana, told through monologues and songs is funny and chock-full of '80's pop culture references. It's also one of the longer plays I've seen at Fringe, clocking in at 90 minutes. One suggestion if you go: take a sweater. I don't know the last time I was soooo cold. You can find out more about Kevin at <a href="http://www.sexdreamsandselfcontrol.com/">www.sexdreamsandselfcontrol.com</a> </span>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-7519358301458631112009-04-24T07:13:00.003-04:002009-04-24T07:26:45.645-04:00#16Happy Anniversary!<br /><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/2849031972/"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000000 2px solid" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3094/2849031972_1d1e49b69f_m.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px;font-size:0;" ><br /></span><span style="MARGIN-TOP: 0px;font-size:0;" ></span><br />Here's to you my little love,<br />With blessings from above,<br />Now let the day begin,<br />Let the day begin,<br />Let the day start<br /><br /><em></em>Let the Day Begin, The CallMs5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-3209296941082503022009-04-19T19:48:00.002-04:002009-04-19T20:12:55.996-04:00Little Ones<div><font face="times new roman">Friend from work tells me she had a dream about me where she comes to my office to talk, but I tell her I'm busy and being really snippy and short with her, telling her to go away. She looks around, sees I'm not writing and not on the computer. And in her dream, she's wondering why I'm being so short with her when she sees something black race from under my desk to under the other desk. That's when she realizes what's going on- she dreamt I was trying to hide three little cats in my office! She said one was white, one black and one calico. </font></div><br /><div><font face="Times New Roman">The night she dreamt that may have been the night I saw my sister-in-laws new kittens. Three black and two black and white. I played with all of them- they were all adorable and way too little to leave their mother.</font></div><br /><div> </div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erinmarie5767/3457726226/" title="004 by erinmarie5767, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3584/3457726226_e350bfaf11.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="004" /></a>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-37458469520201910302009-04-05T09:17:00.001-04:002009-04-06T19:48:35.836-04:00Let's hear it for the boys<div align="justify">Cold, cloudy with copious amounts of...drizzle for <a href="http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=cin">Reds</a> Opening Day 2009. But the weather couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of those who braved the weather to help usher the team into the regular season. I used to follow the Indians opening day, but they have nothing on Cincinnati And even though they lost, there's still one hundred and sixty some games left.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">My girlfriends and I started the day with muffins & merlot. It was supposed to be kegs & eggs, but alas, no breakfast this year at Game Day. Debbie paid homage to the free hot sauce they were handing out with this little display.</div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erinmarie5767/3418941063/" title="Reds Opening Day by erinmarie5767, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/3418941063_08abf1e4cd.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Reds Opening Day" /></a><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">And no opening day would be complete without a picture with Frank Marzullo from <a href="http://www.fox19.com/">Fox 19</a>.</div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erinmarie5767/3419751150/" title="Reds Opening Day by erinmarie5767, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3624/3419751150_1e3e18ef6e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Reds Opening Day" /></a><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Speaking of Fox 19, I'd like to personally thank them for finally being the media outlet to allot some time to focus on the <a href="http://www.cycloneshockey.com/">Cyclones</a>. Cincinnati has a winning, professional team that, even with heading to the playoffs for the second year in a row, are virtually ignored by the media in town. And to get only two paragraphs in Thursday's newspaper is criminal. If you missed the final two regular season games, get down to a playoff game. <a href="http://5chw4r7z.com/">5chw4r7z </a>and I excitedly watched them win in overtime last Friday and all I can say is these guys are the real deal!</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-30157022876849161552009-03-12T19:08:00.002-04:002009-03-12T19:16:11.433-04:00Mom---MoooooommmHere we go again with a casino initiative. It's not really the casino idea itself that's bothering me, it's the fact that we defeated it only four months ago. After months and months of endless political advertising from both sides. I'd love some sort of legislation that forces any initiative that fails to skip at least one election before trying again. Makes me think of the little kids who keep repeating the same request over and over until they wear mom down and she finally says yes. <em>Please mom, please, please, please can I have a casino?</em> I'm just gonna keep saying no.Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-20809876652681816352009-03-08T20:51:00.003-04:002009-03-08T21:19:40.522-04:00HolidayA little bit of fun for International Women's Day<br /><br /><blockquote cite="http://news.yahoo.com/comics/nonsequitur"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/uc/20090308/lnq090308.gif" /></blockquote><cite cite="http://news.yahoo.com/comics/nonsequitur"><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/comics/nonsequitur">Comics and Editorial Cartoons: Non Sequitur on Yahoo! News</a></cite>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-19102384508474043232009-03-08T17:42:00.002-04:002009-03-08T18:14:17.964-04:00Old Memories<a href="http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/articles.sec-165-1-wessels.html">Joe Wessels</a> column in this week's CityBeat is a loving tribute to Cincinnati icon Uncle Al. While I didn't grow up in Cincinnati and watch Uncle Al, I saw several parallels to my own life. Where you had Uncle Al, in Cleveland we had Barnaby on WUAB 43. It's been so long I can't remember much specifically about him but I do remember him as kindly, older guy, not unlike Captain Kangaroo. I tried searching for info but couldn't find anything which makes me wonder if anyone else remembers him at all.<br />Like Joe, I'd always look for the WJW studios right along the Shoreway. He looked for Uncle Al down here, while I looked for the weatherman, Dick Goddard. This guy was my hero when I was a kid- I was fascinated by the weather. I wanted to do that when I grew up & my grandma bought me his books, which were crammed with information about all kinds of weather. He's been on the air so long, I thought he must have retired by now, but he was still going at it when I was up north at Christmas. The guy is a weather diety.<br />We also had the tv that turned with a dial and took five minutes to warm up. Not only that, but after years of use, the dial wore out and you had to turn it with a pair of pliers. I also remember my dad going down to the drugstore to test and buy tubes for the thing. Christmas gift to the family at 15- after the original moved up to Maine and back- a new tv.Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-75418089140651208162009-03-02T18:09:00.002-05:002009-03-02T18:19:36.214-05:00Downtown Life<span style="font-family:times new roman;">Coming home from the gym today, I noticed bunches of flowers outside Jean-Robert at Pigall's, presumably left by those in mourning over the demise of our city's only 4-star restaurant.</span><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span> <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erinmarie5767/3324289494/" title="Jean-Robert At Pigall's by erinmarie5767, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/3324289494_78b62225cc.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jean-Robert At Pigall's" /></a> <br /><br /><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Meanwhile, there's a real life CSI going on up on 9th between Elm & Race. Bet you won't see as many bouquets on the street from people mourning that victim. I'll also wager you don't get to discuss such exciting topics at your gym in the suburbs.</span>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-44793182198444108512009-02-14T14:25:00.002-05:002009-02-14T14:32:07.753-05:00Happy Valentine's Day<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erinmarie5767/3278701795/" title="Cincinnati by erinmarie5767, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3464/3278701795_0559726cfd.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Cincinnati" /></a>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-73789910401884307152009-01-07T20:20:00.006-05:002009-01-07T21:28:21.197-05:0025 Things5chw4r7z tagged me for "25 things about me" So here goes:<br /><br />1.I was born in and spent the first 10 years of my life in Cleveland.<br />2. My family also lived for a short time in Maine-<br />3. then moved back into the house we'd moved out of just months before.<br />4. When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be a meteorologist<br />Or a vet<br />5. I love Spanish music and Indian food<br />6. Cats have always been my favorite animal<br />7. One of my all-time favorite songs is "Sing" by Travis<br />8. I cannot draw to save my life so I did not inherit that parental talent,<br />9. but my great-grandmother was going to be an opera singer but gave up that dream to get married and have 11 kids (in other words, I can sing)<br />10. Dream role: Fantine in Les Mis<br />11. I was 6 months away from moving back to Maine when I met 5chw4r7z<br />12.I didn't break a bone until I was 21<br />13. And I got chicken pox at the same time<br />14. I like to cook & try new recipes<br />15. Red wine & dark chocolate are one of my favorite combos<br />16. My mom said once I started walking, I didn't go back to crawling, I just took off<br />17. I consider garlic to be a food group<br />18.I cried tears of joy when I found out we were moving out of Youngstown<br />19. My parents sent me to Presbyterian pre school<br />20. and Jewish summer day camp<br />23. but we're all Catholic<br />24. Two of my favorite movies are "Sid & Nancy" and "Life is Beautiful"<br />25. I want to go to Italy and Ireland<br />And finally, it occurred to me the other night while watching 'Planet Earth' that if I couldn't be a human, being a dolphin might be a lot of fun.<br /><br />What would you be, if you had the option to be another species???Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-90534158301369549642008-12-28T17:22:00.001-05:002008-12-28T17:22:34.668-05:00The Best Christmas Present<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/3145503498/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/3145503498_e02b007e22_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/3145503498/">Christmas 2008</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/5chw4r7z/">cincinnatista</a></span></div>...that I didn't actually get. Mike & Elicia let a cat adopt them a while ago, not knowing it was pregnant. This is one of the kittens and in an attempt to not get attached, they hadn't given him a name. 5chw4r7z decided to call him "Erin Marie's future kitten". He was so relaxed here, purring loudly and I was in love. I let my better judgement take over- I knew if we brought this little guy home, he'd be into everything we'll be packing up over the next few weeks.<br clear="all" />Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-19287296504245659462008-12-25T09:36:00.003-05:002008-12-25T10:48:29.555-05:00Merry ChristmasLast year <a href="http://5chw4r7z.com/">5chw4r7z</a> and I took the parents 5chw4r7z to Krohn Conservatory to see their Christmas display. Santa was there and the parents made a comment on how long it had been since any of their kids sat on Santa's lap. We didn't sit on his lap, but we did have a little visit with him.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/2096571046/" title="santa.jpg by cincinnatista, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2064/2096571046_67550fbc53.jpg" width="500" height="356" alt="santa.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Santa: I'd guess you two want trips, cars and houses.<br />Ms5chw4r7z: I want a kitten!<br />5chw4r7z: And I want some good cigars.<br />Santa: Well, that's some reasonable requests!Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-52837488554562914782008-12-14T11:14:00.002-05:002008-12-14T11:19:18.647-05:00The PoguesOne of my most favorite Christmas songs<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ff3aoSyYOVs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ff3aoSyYOVs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-2263134891027426072008-11-04T18:02:00.002-05:002008-11-04T18:27:08.028-05:00Celebrate 2008<div><font face="trebuchet ms">Hopefully, I'm not being premature in my celebrating here. Actually,that's not correct- I keep waffling between <em>He's gonna win big </em>& <em>The republicans are gonna do something to f**k it up and win</em>. I wasn't going to vote early- I wanted to be a part of the election on Election Day and I was almost giddy to vote for Barak Obama. And here's a little taste from the rally Sun.</font></div><br /><div><font face="trebuchet ms"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erinmarie5767/3001617936/" title="Obama Rally at University of Cincinnati by erinmarie5767, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3202/3001617936_16fe7175d4.jpg" width="500" height="305" alt="Obama Rally at University of Cincinnati" /></a></font></div><br /><div><font face="Trebuchet MS"></font> </div><br /><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erinmarie5767/3001617428/" title="Obama Rally at University of Cincinnati by erinmarie5767, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3244/3001617428_5b87e9aab8.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Obama Rally at University of Cincinnati" /></a></div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Do I spy a Spy in the house of love (and change)?? Nah, 5chw4r7z just came to support me supporting Obama</div><br /><div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erinmarie5767/3000778361/" title="Obama Rally at University of Cincinnati by erinmarie5767, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3025/3000778361_3b39a75ba0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Obama Rally at University of Cincinnati" /></a></div>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-84016930123703490822008-10-30T20:58:00.002-04:002008-10-30T21:09:24.895-04:00Tell A FriendWith Breast Cancer Awareness Month coming to a close, I decided to rip a picture, courtesy of <a href="http://5chw4r7z.com/">5chw4r7z</a>. Statistics show one out of every eight women will develop breast cancer at some point in her life and a woman's risk rises with age. If you're over 40, a yearly mammogram is essential since early detection can be key to survival. And tell a friend.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/5chw4r7z/2967660047/" title="Bras with Flair on the Square by cincinnatista, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3209/2967660047_6976f5719d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Bras with Flair on the Square" /></a>Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6967195636888827902.post-83293383755267764862008-10-07T19:45:00.002-04:002008-10-07T20:08:49.524-04:00Me at a Beer Taste?<span style="font-family:georgia;">Yes, it's true. I went to a beer taste and drank - beer. Well, I sipped some. Morton's hosted a Beer for Bloggers tasting of three Chimay beers paired with such delights as petite filet mignon sanswiches, tuna tartare canapes and, my favorite, hot chocolate cake. The Chimay Cinq Cents is brewed for one year in the bottle using water from the abbey where it's brewed. I tasted apricots, although that's the scent described for the Chimay Premiere. With the Premiere, I picked up on a honey scent. This was the only beer I didn't actually sip because I didn't want to ruin the lovely aroma. The Morton's staff noted the Grand Reserve can be stored for years and becomes like a port wine as it ages. This had a nice caramel flavor and was originally brewed as a Christmas beer. </span><br /><br />If you missed the event tonight, you have another opportunity to sample the food and beer on Friday, Oct. 24. Tickets go for $45 with $5 from each ticket going to Make A Wish.Ms5chw4r7zhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08147355707704141606noreply@blogger.com0