Don't Call Me Mrs.

Soho sushi

2010-07-05T10:57:00.002-04:00

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.

Of course, if you're making sushi, you need the 50 pound bag of rice

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.

All in all, a very enjoyable and affordable dinner choice.

Cassidy's Surprise

2010-06-22T18:35:00.006-04:00

A kitten is in the animal world, what a rosebud is in the garden.
-Unknown

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.

All or Nothing

2010-02-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

Does anything in this video look familiar? If you've spent time in downtown Cincinnati, it might.

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 The Young Black Falcon and All or Nothing 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...

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There Might Be Something To This Twitter Thing

2010-02-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

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:

Mr. Jones & Me

2009-12-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

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.

Smiling in the bright lights,
Coming through in stereo,
When everybody loves you, you can never be lonely.
-Counting Crows, Mr. Jones

The Amazing Race Cincinnati Style

2009-12-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Kate 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.

Some of our fellow competitors
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 5chw4r7z 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.

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.

The clue we were looking for, taped to a wall down the street, led us to Tonic on Fourth.
Tonic, and the adjoining Local 127 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.

Local 127

2009-09-15T19:42:00.004-04:00

Local 127 has opened in the former Pigall's on Fourth Street. 5chw4r7z 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Tonight was truly a delightful experience at what is sure to become one of Cincinnati's premiere dining establishments.

Cincinnatians For Progress at the DRC

2009-08-13T18:09:00.002-04:00

Tuesday evening the Downtown Residents Council invited representatives from Cincinnatians For Progress 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.

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).

Mr. Miller said his organization is going after city councilMEN 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.

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 each year 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.

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.

Vagina Monologues

2009-06-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues opened Friday night at Newport's Falcon Theater 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.

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.

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 winemedineme 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.

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 small.

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.

Cincy Fringe

2009-05-28T23:54:00.002-04:00

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, If Only This Date... 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 Sex, Dreams and Self Control 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 www.sexdreamsandselfcontrol.com

#16

2009-04-24T07:13:00.003-04:00

Happy Anniversary!

Here's to you my little love,
With blessings from above,
Now let the day begin,
Let the day begin,
Let the day start

Let the Day Begin, The Call

Little Ones

2009-04-19T19:48:00.002-04:00

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.

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.

Let's hear it for the boys

2009-04-05T09:17:00.001-04:00

Cold, cloudy with copious amounts of...drizzle for Reds 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.

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.

And no opening day would be complete without a picture with Frank Marzullo from Fox 19.

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 Cyclones. 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. 5chw4r7z and I excitedly watched them win in overtime last Friday and all I can say is these guys are the real deal!

Mom---Moooooommm

2009-03-12T19:08:00.002-04:00

Here 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. Please mom, please, please, please can I have a casino? I'm just gonna keep saying no.

Holiday

2009-03-08T20:51:00.003-04:00

A little bit of fun for International Women's Day

Comics and Editorial Cartoons: Non Sequitur on Yahoo! News

Old Memories

2009-03-08T17:42:00.002-04:00

Joe Wessels 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.
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.
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.

Downtown Life

2009-03-02T18:09:00.002-05:00

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.

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.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T14:25:00.002-05:00

25 Things

2009-01-07T20:20:00.006-05:00

5chw4r7z tagged me for "25 things about me" So here goes:

1.I was born in and spent the first 10 years of my life in Cleveland.
2. My family also lived for a short time in Maine-
3. then moved back into the house we'd moved out of just months before.
4. When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be a meteorologist
Or a vet
5. I love Spanish music and Indian food
6. Cats have always been my favorite animal
7. One of my all-time favorite songs is "Sing" by Travis
8. I cannot draw to save my life so I did not inherit that parental talent,
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)
10. Dream role: Fantine in Les Mis
11. I was 6 months away from moving back to Maine when I met 5chw4r7z
12.I didn't break a bone until I was 21
13. And I got chicken pox at the same time
14. I like to cook & try new recipes
15. Red wine & dark chocolate are one of my favorite combos
16. My mom said once I started walking, I didn't go back to crawling, I just took off
17. I consider garlic to be a food group
18.I cried tears of joy when I found out we were moving out of Youngstown
19. My parents sent me to Presbyterian pre school
20. and Jewish summer day camp
23. but we're all Catholic
24. Two of my favorite movies are "Sid & Nancy" and "Life is Beautiful"
25. I want to go to Italy and Ireland
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.

What would you be, if you had the option to be another species???

The Best Christmas Present

2008-12-28T17:22:00.001-05:00

Christmas 2008
Originally uploaded by cincinnatista

...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.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T09:36:00.003-05:00

Last year 5chw4r7z 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.

Santa: I'd guess you two want trips, cars and houses.
Ms5chw4r7z: I want a kitten!
5chw4r7z: And I want some good cigars.
Santa: Well, that's some reasonable requests!

The Pogues

2008-12-14T11:14:00.002-05:00

One of my most favorite Christmas songs

Celebrate 2008

2008-11-04T18:02:00.002-05:00

Hopefully, I'm not being premature in my celebrating here. Actually,that's not correct- I keep waffling between He's gonna win big & The republicans are gonna do something to f**k it up and win. 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.

Do I spy a Spy in the house of love (and change)?? Nah, 5chw4r7z just came to support me supporting Obama

Tell A Friend

2008-10-30T20:58:00.002-04:00

With Breast Cancer Awareness Month coming to a close, I decided to rip a picture, courtesy of 5chw4r7z. 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.

Me at a Beer Taste?

2008-10-07T19:45:00.002-04:00

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.

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.

Driehaus for Congress

2008-09-07T19:05:00.005-04:00

5chw4r7z and I ventured out to the west side yesterday to meet Democratic congressional candidate Steve Driehaus at the Front Porch Coffeehouse. Driehaus outlined his positions on several major issues starting off with the foreclosure crisis. One thing I really liked was Direhaus' commitment to the needs of urban core residents. Additionally, there was an opportunity to discuss how campaigns are run and Driehaus addressed the ad his opponent has been running on local tv. I get tired of all the negative advertising that goes on in many political races. When a candidate tears an opponent down in an ad it takes away from the real question: what are you, as a candidate going to do and how are you going to accomplish it?

Driehaus has a 97% attendance rate as a state representative since his first win of the office in 2000. He serves on the Govenor's Forelcosure Prevention Task Force as well as committees including Finance and Appropriations, State Government and Elections, Public Utilities and Insurance. You can find more information about Driehaus here

So there IS something fun to do in Mason

2008-09-02T17:10:00.004-04:00

I went to the AVP beach volleyball tour sponsored by Crocs on Friday where I had the opportunity to meet Olympic gold medal winner Misty May and see her work the court with her partner Kerri Walsh.

And although I didn't get to meet the men's gold medal winners Rogers and Dalhauser, I got to see them play & managed to get some half decent pictures. During the Olympics, I wondered why the women were in skimpy bikinis while the men had to wear tank tops. To which 5chw4r7z came back with "who'd want to see that?" I, as well as just about every other female I polled, would! I found out it was some kind of 'rule' at the Olympics. Well, this wasn't the Olympics, baby.

Boss & Ross looked like they knew what they were doing too.

By the way, the entire Crocs advertising campaign seems to be centered on "We're ugly, we know it, but we're comfy"

Lost and Found

2008-08-23T12:31:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I felt like I was losing track of everything and I mean everything up to and including my license. But during my searching I came across what is likely the very first picture of 5chw4r7z and me. I can't believe how young we look or that this picture is 21 years old.

Week with the girls

2008-08-13T21:05:00.002-04:00

Cassidy & Caitlyn are back home but while here we ran them all around the city, as usual. Part of their visit included a visit to the aunt & uncle's future (hopefully very near) condo.

They also got to try Javier's and the new downtown favorite breakfast spot of the 5chw4r7z', Taza Mia. Cassidy proclaimed Javier's to be "better than Taco Bell". I would hope so! She also ranked Taza Mia higher than McDonald's for breakfast. I think those are compliments of the highest order coming from a 13-year old.

Youngstown

2008-07-14T17:15:00.002-04:00

A little shout-out to Youngstown for getting mentioned in the New York Times yesterday. Local entrepreneurs are trying to capitalize on various cities images, however tarnished that image may be. And they're doing it by creating and designing t-shirts that poke fun at their native city. Rusty Waters Apparel sells shirts extolling the virtues of Cleveland, Youngstown and Pittsburgh. I especially like the article mentioning in particular, the shirt featuring the Home Savings & Loan building and what the design represents. But my favorite is their MySpace quote, "Don't mess with the underdog. Rustbelt Warriors!"

July 4th in Northside

2008-07-04T18:53:00.003-04:00

I've been wanting to go to the Northside 4th of July parade for the past few years but it's always been too hot & humid to pry me away from the pool. Since it was much cooler this time, 5chw4r7z and I grabbed our umbrellas and headed to Hamilton Ave. All the businesses were open, the first of which, Take the Cake was selling a wide array of delectable goodies. Alas, no pictures of any of our adventures. 5chw4r7z's camera died on the first picture. He was really kicking himself for not charging the batteries when I took him in to Shake It Records. I didn't realize he'd never been in there before. I don't get there often enough, but I smile every time I walk in there.

The parade and people watching were great. The rain didn't seem to dampen anyone's enthusiasm. Several people we knew participated in the parade, including Nigel from Below 0, who was walking along side and ice cream truck & ran back to give me a free treat!

We headed to the Northside Tavern after the parade. Apparently, everyone else had the same idea because it took us forever to get served. If you haven't been there recently, it's worth checking out. They have a huge new room in the back with hardwood floors, a new bar and an actual stage. It looks like bands won't have to play in the front window anymore. We picked up a menu from the Hideaway next door which I plan to hit the next time 5chw4r7z makes pizza- Cuban sandwhich, here I come.

The Only Good Cicada is a DEAD Cicada

2008-06-12T17:09:00.002-04:00

Those beady-eyed little monsters have shown up again & what a racket they're making! All in search of sex. I think cicadas are the equilavent of drunk, horny frat boys. Flying around bumping into and onto everything in their path they wouldn't be so bad if they could be flung off; instead, you have to physically brush them off. There's so many in the Kenwood/Blue Ash/Madiera area no one wants to step outside, especially in the afternoon.

Taste of Cincinnati

2008-05-27T17:12:00.002-04:00

How many times did you hit Taste? I think my record is now four times. I went with 5chw4r7z and friends on Sat and had what turned out to be my favorite dishes of the weekend: vegetable pad thai and chicken curry with rice from Arioi Dee. The pad thai was good, but I really enjoyed the spiciness in the chicken curry; too hot for some of my companions but it was just right for me.

Sunday 5chw4r7z accompanied me on my quest for chocolate mousse from Behle Street Cafe. Alas, we were too late and they had closed up for the night. We went on to the Courtyard Cafe stand where I had raspberry cloud pie instead. I liked it and the people at the stand were great, but the pie wasn't as good as I remember it from last year.

On Monday, since I was still on a quest for chocolate mousse, I decided to go down early in the afternoon, starting off at Market Street Grille, where I tried the jambalaya. Spicy happiness for me until I realized they didn't pull the tails off the shrimp! On to the Friday's booth where I had samples of two mojitos and won a hat. I also ran into someone I know, got a few samples (the Ghiardelli samples were the best!) and finally has my chocolate mousse, which was worth the wait, before heading home to beat the rain. Not bad for an hour's work! We went back down in the evening to check out Leroy Ellington and his band and made one last stop at Arioi Dee for the Thai vegetable spring roll. Over the course of the weekend, I tried everything from that place except for the California Roll.
Next on the schedule: Cincy Fringe!

2008-05-11T16:54:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day

Week in Review

2008-05-04T13:00:00.002-04:00

Tuesday: 5chwartz and I braved the rain to attend the sold out preview performance of The Great American Trailer Park Musical, a raucous homage to all things white trash. With a cast full of CCM grads, it centers on an agorophobic housewife, her philandering husband and his stripper girlfriend. The performances were spot on, the set was amazing & the cast recieved a standing ovation at the end of the night. This is likely going to be one of the most talked about shows in Cincinnati this year. Get your tickets while you can; the original run is sold out. ETC has extended the run for two weeks after Fringe Fest.

Thursday: I now understand how guys feel trying to shop at Victoria's Secret. Shopping for a gift for Jennifer's baby shower, I felt completely out of place in Babies R Us. Even though I was armed with a registry and a map, I still had no idea where or what anything was. For those of you who know me well, this little shopping excursion should give you some idea of just how much she means to me.

Saturday: Went with a group of friends to the Funny Bone at Newport on the Levee courtesy of Zipscene.

Goodbye Matt

2008-04-28T22:05:00.003-04:00

Although I've never been a supporter of the war, I do support all the brave men and women in the armed forces, particularly those serving in Iraq. With that in mind, I went down to Great American Ball Park yesterday for the Celebration Service for Staff Sergeant Matt Maupin, who was captured just a few months before we moved down here. After nearly four years of searching, his remains were found late last month and he returned home on Sat. I was out on Rt 32 on Friday and yellow ribbons were everywhere in Newtown along the route from Lunken Airport to the viewing site. At the service I thought I wouldn't cry since I didn't know him personally- that went out the window when they started showing pictures of him on the scoreboard and I could make out his parents in the front row.

Back to Hip-Hop...maaaaaybe not

2008-04-09T19:30:00.003-04:00

I should have known something was up when I walked in the room. And really I did, when I saw there were about 15 people and it was only the second week of the spring sessions. The room should have been packed. The regular instructor doesn't teach in the spring or summer. So who's the new instructor? Well, today's hip-hop class was taught by a 60ish white guy with a beard and a do rag. He knew what he was doing and did some ok things but it just didn't pop & flow like Danielle's class. I think I'll be sticking with Zumba until the fall sessions start up.

N/E Ohio- The List

2008-04-03T19:05:00.003-04:00

Being up in Youngstown last weekend made me realize there are some things I miss about the area. These things being:

Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Lake Erie
Scheetz
Cleveland Public Theater
Giant Eagle
The Warren Panera with the cool fountain
Beachwood Place
Kent Trumbull Theater (love you, Dan!)
Coventry
Parade the Circle
Little Italy, in particular Corbo's bakery
Amish buggies
Oakland Center for the Arts
Cedar Lee Theater
Handel's Chocolate Malt w/caramel

Note that most of the things I miss are in or near Cleveland.
I once had a boss who described 5chw4r7z and I as Clevelanders living in Youngstown. I think that says it all.

Reds Opening Day

2008-03-31T19:50:00.003-04:00

I celebrated Reds opening day the same way everybody else did-by taking a day off! I met two girlfriends at Game Day for breakfast & met these fellows too, who had been drinking steadily since about 6 am. At $5 per beer, I figured they were well on their way to spending at least $150.

I also ran into Dan Carroll at the ballpark, so yeah, it's a picture of another Fox 19 personality.

Next, we hit Fountain Square for our spots to watch the parade.

And you can't have a parade in Cincinnati without a giant, pink pig!

No pictures of Matt Maupin's parents; I was too busy applauding them.

Questions to ponder on language

2008-03-24T19:51:00.002-04:00

I've noticed a disturbing trend lately, particularly from the media. When did we go back to gender-specific language, for example councilMAN, chairMAN, policeMAN.

I'm not saying that everything needs to have a corresponding word including woman. What I'd rather return to is non-gender-specific wording such as chair, council representative, police officer, etc.
With women still earning only .76 for every dollar a man earns, making a lifetime earnings loss adding up to between $700,000 and $2 million, can we really afford to regress?

The week in review- backwards

2008-03-09T15:59:00.008-04:00

SATURDAY - SUNDAY

The general public emerged from their cocoons Sunday, but we did it first thing Sat. First up, tromping through Piatt Park with 5chw4r7z and Jackie, measuring snowfall amounts and snowdrifts.

We thought the world really was coming to an end when we got to First Watch and found it closed. But we had a great breakfast at Ingredients, which was open. And we watched the wonderful city workers truck the snow out of downtown before lunch at Margarita's. They decorate all the tables differently-this one is my favorite.

The Japanese work ethic was evident Sat. This place was one of only three open in the food court.

FRIDAY

We had plans to dine with friends for Break the Chain/Go Independent Week. I mentioned this might not be a good idea during a blizzard but 5chw4r7z was having none of it. He was going if he had to take a dogsled to get there. The decision was made for him when Chalk called to say they were closing early. Papa John's doesn't really get it when you're in the mood for a good dinner.

MONDAY

My favorite coffee place in Columbus is gone, gone, GONE! I had a taste for something cold, chocolately and blended and figured we'd stop at the Coffee Table in Short North. For the longest time 5chw4r7z and I called it Coffee Time. When we finally realized our mistake, we just kept calling it Coffee Time because we liked that name better. Making it back to Cincinnati in time, we went to Kitty's on Court Street. My cold, chocolately, whatever-you-call-it was almost as good as what I would have gotten in Columbus. My only complaint-no soy milk at Kitty's.

SUNDAY

Pick up 5chw4r7z in Canton and head to IHOP for breakfast before visiting some of my family. That breakfast was the perfect antidote to an extremely late night in downtown Cleveland.

SATURDAY

Why was I in Cleveland, you say? For Elicia's bachelorette party, of course! Those nice people at the Wyndham overbooked the hotel, but put us up at the Sheraton & picked up the tab! Bonus points: the Sheraton had a free shuttle so no one had to drive. I'll spare you the sordid details; suffice it to say we had a good time.

Shoe Porn

2008-02-25T20:31:00.003-05:00

Although I'm not what you would consider crazy over shoes, I had to snap a picture of this after I saw it in Saks the other day. The design, as well as the price, are both way over the top. My husband remembered the pair goes for $675. Shoud be able to swing that by simply digging coins out of the couch cushions, right?

Fred

2008-02-25T20:25:00.002-05:00

Joseph Williams Home
Originally uploaded by cincinnatista

I cannot say enough about this wonderful new home store. It's filled with contemporary furniture, art and accessories all very reasonably priced. We met William, one of the fabulous co-owners. William (who goes by the name Fred) and the store are featured in the current issue of Cin Weekly. We will definitely be going back when it's time to move into the condo.

Slick & Sweet

2008-02-24T20:29:00.002-05:00

Gramercy pool
Originally uploaded by cincinnatista

Going down to the Aronoff for Sweeney Todd Thurs night, both of us almost wiped out it was so icy out. It was also so icy that I got Friday off-Sweet! Up north, driving in six inches of snow is no big deal, but down here, any time snow (aka white death) covers the road, no one can remember how to drive more than 5 mph. It took me an hour and a half to get home last night when it usually takes 20 minutes. But I still love snow and it looked like this:

Valentine's Day-A Holiday in Three Acts

2008-02-17T18:43:00.002-05:00

Act I

I started out my day meeting Frank Marzullo from Fox 19 at his remote broadcast. He's originally from Youngstown and my oldest niece told me her mom was disappointed when he moved to Cincinnati. We had a nice little talk & I love the smoking jacket.

Act II

After a dinner of homemade Chicken Mole', 5chw4r7z and I made our way to Twist where we shared a Valentine's dessert of this:

Act III

And yesterday, we received this in the mail:

They Make How Much?

2008-02-07T19:28:00.000-05:00

Do you make $300 a day? Didn't think so. Me neither. But according to a police survey, panhandlers in Coos Bay, OR do...and they're panhandling outside the Wal-Mart! And most of them are not homeless. In fact the majority live in the suburbs and this is their 'chosen career'. I wonder how much the panhandlers around Fountain Square pull in on an average day. Anyone thinking about a career change?

Ohio's Best Newspaper

2008-02-04T18:52:00.000-05:00

Those who know me, know that although I'm not originally from here, I have a great love for Cincinnati. That said, I can't claim the same feeling for the Enquirer, a mediocre newspaper at best. I was reminded why I have such love for the Cleveland Plain Dealer last week when I grabbed the Sunday paper before heading back to Cincinnati. I had forgotten how much I miss Regina Brett & Dick Feagler's columns, Earthweek, a real travel section and good, in-depth reporting including a front page story of two teenage girls from Western Reserve Academy whose lives were forever changed by the negligence and inattention to safety practices on the part of their chemistry teacher, Mrs. Pratt, who didn't make the students wear protective gear in the first place. This is only one example of the exceptionally poor judgement she showed on this day.

During a chemistry experiment (in which she allowed her 11-year-old son to start the flames) she poured methanol on flaming mineral salts, causing a four foot wide fire that landed both young ladies in the hospital for three to four weeks. But that was just the beginning of their troubles. Between the two of them they endured blisters, unexplained rashes, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction to painkillers, and non-support from some students and faculty who accused the two of trying to ruin the teacher's life by their attempt to have her removed from the classroom. Pratt used the single fire blanket to help only her son, leaving the two girls who were also actually on fire, to fend for themselves. Both students also had to deal with stares and comments when out in public.

Both girls went on to graduate high school, are attending ivy league universities and received a combined settlement of over $18 million. But they will never have what they had before this life-altering event. The biggest injustice: Mrs. Pratt continues to teach chemistry at Western Reserve Academy.

A Tiny Taste of Spring

2008-02-03T17:47:00.000-05:00

We have these blooming in our apartment.

Shower

2008-01-28T20:57:00.000-05:00

We went up north this weekend for my sister-in-law's bridal shower. Yes, I already call her that and have for a long time, even though she's not married into the family yet.

Elicia at her shower:

And us how we normally act when we're together:

Driving Blind in the Suburbs

2008-01-25T22:25:00.000-05:00

We went out-way out-as in Anderson township for our eye exams yesterday. I must say, I don't remember ever having such a thorough exam before. I also feel compelled to say I couldn't see anything after it. With drops in our eyes to open the pupils, picking out anything close was out of the question. But I was seeing better than 5chw4r7z so I drove home. And they gave us those nerdy shades to wear. The ones that make you feel like you're 80 and should be driving a Buick in Florida.

Anyone who likes my funky glasses will be pleased to know I'm keeping the frames & just getting new lenses.

End of an Era

2008-01-21T19:15:00.000-05:00

To: Everyone

From: Sponsorship-happy corporate America

Jacobs Field will henceforth and for the forseeable future be known to all interested parties as "Progressive Field".

The 28x54 foot 'Jacobs Field, Home of the Cleveland Indians' sign came down piece by piece Friday morning. The word "Cleveland" will not be found anywhere in the new sign. A representative explained it, citing (Cleveland) "Just didn't fit the Progressive Field's sign's aesthetics".

Chief Wahoo is crying in center field.

Happy Birthday

2008-01-13T18:10:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!

I'm In, I'm in, I'm in!

2008-01-13T17:53:00.000-05:00

After several attempts and one success I'm finally doing another play in Cincinnati. I found out Friday I've been cast in the Tri-County Players production of "These Are the Days of Our Ives", a night of six one acts written by David Ives. I will keep it a secret as to what role I got, but it is one of the ones I was most interested in. After doing "Red Hot Lovers" a year ago and having done over a dozen shows back up north, where I come from, I thought it would be easier to break in here. But, bigger city, bigger pool of people to pick from.

27 Dresses

2008-01-11T13:44:00.000-05:00

Remember how when you were a kid your mom would say, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything"? 27 Dresses- 'nuff said.
Reminds me why I don't do romantic comedies.