Life in Ohio City

2007-09-23T20:09:00.000-04:00

A Smattering of Links

Quite often of late life in Ohio City has put off postings in Life in Ohio City, but no sense blabbing on about that when there are many posts on other blogs about our fair neighborhood:

A post that shows others are looking at Ohio City as a model for citizen-involvement.

This isn't exactly about Ohio City, but since it is on the west side of Cleveland, and it's about Chips Ahoy and a drug bust, how can I not link to it?

Tattoos at Voodoo Monkey on West 25th.

Light Bistro is dropping Saturday lunch and adding Tuesday lunch.

A glass of beer at the Bier Markt.

A zen garden in the OC.

Sentencings for a couple of taggers. They need to catch MiHo and Berf now, as they are ruining the Market Square area with their idiotic spray painting.

A chef returning to Cleveland, and the OC in particular.

Why do we not know these people? Life in Cleveland recounts an excellent pub crawl in Ohio City and Tremont.

This weekend featured a Police Appreciation Day this afternoon, which was well-attended by neighborhood residents, police, and some vagrants looking for a free meal; a keg party hosted by friend V with help from friend L (impressive, and not so impressive, beer pong skills were on display); a neighborhood potluck party; and a fun game night at J and M's that included Cranium, Fluxx, and good eats.

2007-09-06T21:02:00.000-04:00

Summer in the Neighborhood

We ended up having a nice dinner last week at Fat Cats in Tremont, but the start of last Saturday night was a bit more surreal as we rode our bikes down into Clark-Fulton and went to the 93rd St. Rocco's Fest. It was pretty chaotic on the streets with too many cars both moving and parked. Inside the fest, it was carny-city with rides and typical carnival games, and many people looking like they needed to shower sooner rather than later. I think we spent maybe 12 minutes at this kids and Nascar-fan event and then rode east on Clark to Tremont.

In Tremont we wound our way to College St. and walked up to the Polish Fest. It couldn't have been more opposite of the St. Rocco carnival tone. It was so quiet at the Polish Fest we seriously were not sure where to enter. We walked behind some rather old people in beige slacks and then up to the beautiful church. The inside of the church was truly stunning, and this comes from a heathen in gym shoes. Quite an amazing structure. We walked out of the cathedral and stood in a line winding out of the door of the hall where the food was being served. A wrinkled lady with falsely red hair and a bingo-loving look in her eye told us that Sokoloswski's was serving a wide range of dinners for $9.00. We looked at each other and decided we just weren't in the mood for a family style meal with people we didn't know and so we left that silent fest and rode down to street to Fat Cats where we had a fine meal highlighted by sweetbreads and halibut.

***
We got a first coat of paint, finally, on the front porch floor and it looks great. A second coat will make it stupendous.

The neighborhood has seen increased police presence at the library park, which is welcome. I have no problem with homeless people being there, but belligerent drunks can find somewhere else to hang out and hassle people.

Summer is hanging on with weather around 90. I am ready for fall, although an informal poll tells me that I am one of the only people with such an opinion in Cleveland. I guess I can deal with continuing summer if it helps the Indians to keep winning, right on through the playoffs.

2007-08-26T15:17:00.000-04:00

Happenings on the OC

This past Saturday was the 6th annual City Xpressions, which is a graffiti arts fest, hip hop MC competition, b-boys dancing (break dancing), and an open street market all in the Market Square park across from the West Side Market. The hosting MC, Q-Nice, did quite a commendable job keeping the event flowing smoothly, even when the sky opened and we all got soaked to the skivvies.

Down the block from Market Square park is McNulty's Bier Market, where they are serving the new Chimay White Trappist Monk ale. It is excellent.

City Buddha has decided to leave Ohio City after 10 years. Maybe people around here have decided they just don't want to decorate their house like a dorm room after all. I am sure the City Buddha that recently opened in Coventry will do fine with many college students in that area.

Fore Shoes also closed a month or so ago. I was always dubious about a place that sold any and every pair of shoes for $20.00. It seemed like a really large trunk of someone's car, if you know what I mean. Anyway, it has been replaced by an auto insurance place that, unless it is a front for something else, does not seem like it is the kind of business that will last, but hopefully I will be proven wrong.

Kan Zaman is moving, but just closer to the lake. It will be in the building just north of Lutheran Hospital on the west side of 25th. Not sure when that will be happening, but it is evidently in the works.

Most of the condo projects in the city (country even) have been put on hold with the mortgage market correction that is taking place (this had to happen eventually), and the OC is no different. The Jay Lofts and 3000 Bridge are stagnant right now. However, it seems as though the YMCA on Franklin is still being worked on.

Speaking of condos, a recent Grady Sizemore sighting in the neighborhood. He was pulling out of his parking garage in the Fries-Shule building and let N and I pass on the sidewalk before he zoomed off in his black Porche.

After days of rain, and a morning bike in the rain down by Edgewater park, it is sunny and beautiful outside. The heat and humidity have moved east. The Browns and Indians both won last night. Change happens, of course, but there's always a positive angle to every day if you just look for it. Today that angle is outside in the lovely late-August air.

2007-08-19T17:38:00.000-04:00

The Bachelor Weekend

With N out in NYC visiting GT, it was a bachelor weekend for me and the dogs. It started out with shopping, of all things, but it was solid man-shopping as I bought a new grill and a new TV.

The grill is just the size and type I wanted. Charcoal/wood with a side firebox for smoking, and a grill top big enough to cook a suckling pig. The TV is the price I was shooting for, $500.00, which these days gets you a 26" HDTV flat panel with a PC input. Steelyard Commons is where I threw down the cash, and let me say that I really like having the Home Depot, Target, Best Buy and other places so close to home.

I hooked up the TV and was amazed to find that this new one can pull in HD channels through our rooftop antenna. I thought you needed cable or a dish for HD, but you do not. So now we have more channels than before and the HD and DT (digital, but not HD) channels come in crystal clear. So, we now have even less reason to even consider a dish or cable, because we can get everything we need (not want, but need) out of the free air. The HD channels are also not just copies of the analog broadcasts, but there are also weather/news channels, four different PBS channels, and even a music video channel that actually plays music videos.

The grill required assembly, which was how I spent part of Saturday. It was actually not too bad to complete, and I was able to do so on a pretty much perfect weather day--sunny, mild, and breezy. While I worked on the grill, the fence guy installed our new fence out front, and will put up the gates on Monday night, letting the concrete set for a couple of days. The fence looks great, but it is pricey. Combined with the TV and the grill, it was debt-inducing weekend to be sure.

So, I tried to eat like a pauper/bachelor, heating up leftovers that N had stored away and even eating them right out of the pan to avoid having to do too many dishes. This seemed to amuse the dogs.

Speaking of the dogs, they had a celebrity moment today. It rained all day and they were in big time cabin-fever mode, so I walked them in the rain around the library. For some reason, I went one extra block and stumbled on the Doggie Dip day at the Studio Salon on Fulton. For $5 they washed your pup for you and also helped out the Animal Protective League with the profits. Surprisingly, Zoe really enjoyed her tea tree spa bath, while Sammy was not quite as interested, as I am pretty sure he has never had a bath before. Add to that the fact that the Plain Dealer was there taking pictures, and Sammy was freaked for a spell as he is quite afraid of cameras and electronics of any sort. Zoe, though, literally and figuratively soaked it all in, and might quite possibly have her picture in the paper with the seven ladies all around her scrubbing away. Amazingly, Zoe never let out one growl and even licked one of the girls, which is as shocking as anything I've witnessed in a while.

Despite the rain, I fired up the grill and burned off any dangerous Chinese-sourced chemicals prior to smoking some ribs for a good six hours. Gotta love the smell of hickory smoke on a cool, wet day. I also made chicken stock, which is just one of the best things ever to make your house smell great. Combine that smell with the hickory smoke and you have just about the best cologne ever.

The pups miss N, and I miss her every moment she is away, so it will be great to have her home tonight. When you've got a woman you love, the bachelor life just doesn't cut it. Hopefully she's in the mood for some chicken broth and ribs.

2007-08-14T21:52:00.000-04:00

Exercise is Fun. Beer is More Fun.

Tonight after work N and I decided we needed some exercise. Weights or yoga seemed pretty boring, so we decided to ride our bikes to Edgewater Park and throw the frisbee around. Edgewater is a great park and we are always happy to see how busy it is even on a weeknight with people biking and fishing and rollerblading. We tossed the Steal Your Face frisbee into the wind (with little success) and with the wind (more success), our aim being off just enough to cause us to run. This running, with the biking, justified a couple of beers at the Old Angle.

Usually we would feel bad about leaving the pups for the evening, but Zoe is pretty lazy anyway and Sammy spent the day at the Mutt Hutt and needed some good napping after playing with his best bud Gunner all day.

So, we biked to one of our favorite places, the Old Angle, and hung out with our favorite bartender, A, who must certainly be the sweetest bartender in Cleveland. I had the flatbread pizza (olive oil, garlic, artichokes, crab) and N had the roast beef sandwich, which featured the excellent fries and pickles at the Angle. Everything was splendid, especially when accompanied by Dortmunder Gold and Labbatt Blue. N and I always have a great time at the Old Angle--such a comfortable place with great people there--and we always enjoy our conversations with A, who seems like a friend of many years even though we have only known her a couple of months. Old souls mingling, I say.

We coasted the bikes home through the alleys and talked to G on the phone, the pleasant beer buzz making it all very mellow and fun, just like Ohio City itself.

2007-08-13T20:51:00.000-04:00

Saws

Tonight after N and the pups met me coming back from the train, there were a couple of drunks in the library park hassling a couple of women. Usually this is restricted to whistles or comments, but tonight we saw the man walk after the women, clearly bothering them. I called the police as I not only found this to be unacceptable, but we are also trying to get the police to recognize this as a nuisance site to get extra attention to it. I was pleasantly surprised that someone had already called and reported the issue.

Later this evening we walked to our friend S's to help her move in a couch found by our friend V. S was at work, but had determined the legs had to be sawed off of the discarded couch and so had borrowed a saw from us. But a bow saw does not work well on furniture, so I walked down with N, a wood saw in hand. I imagine that there were people who saw me and wondered what I would be doing walking down the street with a saw. Surely this could not be for an altruistic purpose (even though it was), but thankfully the police were not called (or never arrived).

Well, the legs came off, and the couch was hoisted over a deck railing on the second floor to enter the apartment, all with good safe intentions. Success was ours. Beers were opened. And we walked home with two saws in hand.

2007-08-12T20:16:00.000-04:00

Rich, Green, and Bloated

Sounds like a headline for a sleazy Elvis movie, but the title of the post today refers to this weekend's events.

Though this blog originates in Ohio City, we traverse the city of Cleveland and beyond, and on Saturday we drove out to the ridiculous world of Bratenahl, with mansions built back when there was no income tax. We went out to nose around the Gwinn Mansion, built 100 years ago for William Mather, one of the barons of Cleveland's gloried, grimy industrial age. The house is actually somewhat cozy, if you can say that about a place with no fewer than 12 bathrooms. No one has flushed a john here for 50 years, as that's when the widow bit the dust and none of the kids or grandkids wanted to live on these glorious 5 acres with a stunning view of Lake Erie. Oh, did I mention there are 30 acres across the street that also go with the house?

Well, I guess we are lucky to have visited because a young (24 years old) couple has purchased the place and it will no longer be open to the public after September 1st. This will disappoint anyone who likes to look into medicine cabinets because this place has the widow's medicine cabinet preserved as it was in 1957. But, purely for archiving and historical purposes, I have taken several pictures that you can see here (also the amazing gardens, the house itself, the seawall that has more concrete than Euclid Avenue--probably literally now that I think of the state of Euclid Avenue).

After this tour of excess, we drove back to the glorious West Side Market and then our little worker's cottage in the OC (we have two bathrooms, thank you very much, and one crummy medicine cabinet that you can snoop in next time you visit).

In the afternoon/evening we went to the Great Lakes Burning River Fest, down in Wendy Park on Whiskey Island. This is an environmental event where you can drink beer and eat good food at reasonable prices. They also had some decent (and not so decent) bands. It was pleasantly busy but not crazy-crowded, and we had a lovely time with friends J, M, and S who are just the best friends anybody could hope to have. We wandered around and soaked in some sun, paid a bit of attention to the folks who were earnestly trying to make an environmental point or sell some goods. I am not sure they had much success with our group, but S did have an amusing confrontation with a dork who was arguing that we should not vote on the taxes for the Medical Mart. Thankfully she is energetic and smart enough to keep us in the loop on this kind of stuff. We left with S as J and M floated off into the sunset for a cruise on a sailboat.

Midday today we had a Brunch Club event at the Parkview Nite Club. The eight of us who showed had a good time at event deuce of the Brunch Club. I must admit that I preferred our first brunch at the Touch Supper Club with the excellent DJ, cheap eats, and bloody mary bar, but the Parkview serves up a decent mess as well. The waitress was a bit too busy texting and not doing enough pouring/delivering grub, but it could have been worse. S and L worked out the pinball machine, and the rest of us did some excellent chair and jaw workouts, as my Mom would have said "chipping our teeth." Not sure what the next spot is for the brunch club, but the South Side and Lucky's are two good possibilities (look out Tremont, here we come), but right now I am still too bloated from brunch to think about another one.

Elsewhere, the Indians are tanking, the Browns actually won a game, and the weather is warm as August should be. Soon enough the leaves will start to turn, the ACs will go silent, and the schools will be abuzz with kids wondering what ever happened to the summer. Just wait until they get older and work all year, when they realize the game for adults is to cram a bit of that summer into every weekend moment--the eating, the naps, the laughing, the lying on the cool grass, the dreading of the coming work.

We're all kids to some extent, and we're sometimes green with envy for things we do not have, just as kids are, not always realizing the richness of what we have: a good place to live, great places to eat and drink, and friends who make the weekends a shiny summer all year long

2006-12-15T20:31:00.000-05:00

Putting it to Bed

The Life in Ohio City blog, like the Bacon Loving Heathen blog, is just not something that there is time for at this point in my life. I will leave the old posts here for historical purposes. Thanks for reading.

2006-12-06T20:30:00.000-05:00

Lights Out

They say that plenty of light helps to minimize crime, and I suppose there is some logic in that. The brighter the lights are on you, the more likely someone can see you if you are up to no good. We have not had any serious, or even minor, issues with crime since we have moved here, but an inventory of street lights within two blocks of our house (easily taken when out walking the dogs at night) yielded a count of six lights out, with four being very near our intersection. So, I suppose I will give the councilman a call and leave a message about those dark bulbs. It will be an interesting test to see how soon something actually happens to repair them.

When there is snow on the ground, of course, the lights that are still bright are able to boost their effect due to the reflection of the initially white snow. We are due to get between 5 and 12 inches of winter's white coating in the next 24 hours, so it will be brighter for our walks day or night.

Speaking of walks and inventorying things, of the 12 or so houses on our side of the street, only three people shoveled their walks after the last snow a couple days ago, which was about 5 inches of accumulation. Would it really kill these people to shovel snow off of their 20 feet of sidewalk? If it literally would kill them, then I am OK with them not doing it. Otherwise, I find it annoying.

All of this would be silly-talk up on Manitoulin island where we have our farmhouse. There the island prides itself on being part of the Dark Skies Initiative, where the infrequent outside light is of the sort that casts very little extra glow, also known as "light pollution." It is really amazing how many stars, planets, and satellites you can see in the night sky there. It is dizzying. It is humbling. It is literally awe-striking. Plus there are no sidewalks up there to shovel, and only the dogs of out-of-towners know what a leash or a couch is. The dogs there live outside and have at least one job if not many what with safety and cow herding, etc.

We can see a handful of bright stars here in Ohio City on a clear night, but not many. I've heard that the last time most Cleveland residents really saw a night sky was during the blackout in 2003. In fact, many people I have talked to found that entire experience to be ironically energizing--people gathering for feasts of food that could not be stored, to drink beer that would not stay cold long, to feel a sense of togetherness, and even to gaze up at the stars and reflect. This impresses me. It is comforting.

Maybe they should have the lights out en masse every so often just to remind people and give them the chance to look for themselves now and then.

2006-11-12T20:36:00.000-05:00

The Power of Cities

Cities congregate many people in small places. Sometimes this is good, and sometimes it is not. Usually it is a mix of results.

Today we took a bus from our neighborhood, Ohio City, to the east side of our city, Cleveland, and went to the Cleveland Museum of Art. In University Circle, which is an amazing collection of institutions and gardens in a wonderfully walkable area, the Cleveland Museum of Art is undergoing a huge expansion and renovation. Started this year, it will not be completely done until 2011! It is quite an undertaking, to say the least. We are sad to have to miss out on the amazing permanent collection for so long (next fall they will open up the first of the redone areas, so it is not like we have to wait 5 years to see any of it), but in the meantime, they are holding special exhibits. Right now, through January 7, it is a special exhibit on Barcelona.

Barcelona, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, was an amazing place. People moved into the city from across Catalonia for work in the textile factories, and many artists came together. Picasso and many contemporaries started the surge, and later Miro and Dali and many others continued the vibrancy. It is really an amazing show: large, comprehensive, informative, exciting, inspiring--all of the things you want art to be. If you are at all in the vicinity of Cleveland, you should make sure you check this exhibit out.

After the two hours at the museum, we got back on the 6 bus and waited by Cleveland State U for the 25 bus, enjoying the cold, crisp air. Within 30 minutes of leaving the museum we were back home with the pups. We made some stew, talked to a close friend on the phone, drank a couple beers, and relaxed. Sometimes we try to get too much in to our days, as if we are feeling like we are here just on vacation. But today we settled a bit, noting that this is where we live now. We can take things at a pace that suits us.

2006-11-04T18:33:00.000-05:00

Hallowe'en and Winter

Hallowe'en was great fun in the city. We bought six bags of candy that filled our biggest bowl and hoped for the kids to come by and take most of it. After an hour and a half, we were completely out and we had to give the last little girl a pencil. She walked away with the Charlie Brown-like phrase, "All I got was a pencil." Poor kid.

The kids were all polite, with many saying "thank you" and most saying at least "trick or treat." One even busted out the old-school "smell my feet" add on, which was superb. Many good costumes too, and we especially liked a kid who was a jester/mime who was totally in character, all hand gestures and an impish grin.

It was also "hot meal" night at St Patrick's, so we thought more people might wander down for candy too, but only one woman asked for anything. She was standing in the shadows on the sidewalk when I came outside at one point with the bowl of candy. She whined in a slow lilt, "I Want Sommmmme." So I walked down to give her a pack of Twizzlers to go with her 40 oz Gennesse beer. Yum.

November showed up the next morning and ushered in some cold weather and snow. We just got a dusting, but the east side got up to a foot in the snow belt. Pretty amazing stuff. Drive an hour east and get in the hills just off the lake and you are in one of the snowiest regions in the world, they say. We are expected to get about 65 or 75 iches of snow this winter on the west side of town. The snow belt will get near 200. Wow! That is winter, my friends.

The leaves have finally turned and started to fall. It was not a drawn out affair like we are used to. Instead, everything seemed to happen in a few days: green leaves to yellow, falling to the ground with the snow, the trees now stark, the sun getting through to the ground where all was shade a few days earlier, shining on the pumpkins that are still solid and smiling through the white dusting.

2006-10-29T16:53:00.000-05:00

Remembering the Dead

Too much time spent lately on things that keep me from writing, and that is just not acceptable. So, here's to getting this blog rolling on a regular basis. I have also decided to revive the Bacon Loving Heathen site to now focus on the food scene here in Cleveland, which is amazing. There's a new post out there too.

Friday night we went to hear the Preservation Hall Jazz band at the Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square. They were even better than we would have guessed. They played all kinds of great N'Awlins jazz for over two hours. Some of these guys are well into senior citizen-hood, so it was even more impressive. We thought of our former neighbors in Beloit who love this kind of music, and we thought of my Mom who would have been toe-tapping in the whole time and jiggling in her seat. We thought too of N's Dad, who would have loved the drummer with his quick smile and smooth brushes that scattered on the snare drum. We rode the RTA bus to and from, and the scene was calm and cheap (3.50 gets you everywhere all day long), didn't have to worry about parking and felt like we really are living in the city.

Saturday was the Day of the Dead celebration on the East side. It was lean-into-it windy out (65 mph for the gusts), and so the parade had to be held inside. But wow, what a parade! Pictures are provided in this posting and I'll get the rest up at Shutterfly. Held in an old church, it was quite a fest, and we thought of family members, friends, and pets long past. Next year I hope N will make her own puppet or ofrenda (offering to the Dead). There were Aztec-style dancers who moved around the hall to the rhythm of a thunderous drum that shook the floor. The parade itself featured huge shoulder-balanced puppets of all sorts, and others that were on leashes (honoring dogs, of course) and in shadow-boxes, etc. The mix of people and sounds and smells were things to put away on a permanant brain cell somewhere.

After the parade we went to eat at Superior Pho (see review on my BLH blog), which was a clean-flavored delight. We then took the bus home and encountered many of the characters that make this city what it is: a group of young girls all loud and giggling and confident, a silver-haired drunk who seemed to think he was speaking to a woman who was in an iPod sound-shield, a calm looking white guy who kept to himself until the old laughing black guy next to him stood up and walked to the front of the bus with his old full moon shining from above the top of his sagging old jeans. The white guy winced and smiled at us as N averted her eyes and said "that is way more than I need to see."

I could hear my Mom and N's Dad laughing away at that one, only our ears hearing their guffaws, as we hopped off the bus and walked a block to our house here in Ohio City, dodging puddles and downed branches and laughing with the ghosts.

2006-09-23T14:34:00.000-04:00

$1.99

Only a buck ninety-nine for a gallon of gas in Tremont. Sad to say how excited this made me.

2006-09-17T21:37:00.000-04:00

Home

Slowly but surely we are getting settled in here, feathering the nest, if you will. Today we bought a decent little shelf for our bathroom, some new knobs for the downstairs shower, and a new grill. The last one is exciting for me because the old grill we have been using is an old Martha Stewart grill that is about the right height for a cat. The new one allows me to cook without having to stoop down like I am working in a rice field. Tonight I cooked some "silver bass" on the grill, which was on special at the fish stand at the West Side Market. It was only 99 cents a pound. Our friend J would have warned us against buying it as it seemed a tad too fishy, but we are somewhat of gamblers in the realm of piscatory deals. To be frank, the fish was not very good. It was bony and sticky and a bit more firm than fish should probably be. So, we are out two bucks and the dogs get some exciting treats tomorrow.

Yesterday we went to the Great Lakes Science Center and watched a movie about the physiological demands of the Tour de France. It was on a 6 story IMAX screen. Let me tell you, I could not watch some parts--soaring over the Alps and soaring through the simulated neurons was more than the fright part of my brain could take. Still, the effects of this massive screen in regard to the speed of the riders and the insane severity of the climbs they make on bicycles was really amazing.

Today we went on a garden walk, which was all within about six blocks of our house. It was interesting to see all of the variety in the six featured gardens, and the tour we had of the B&B about three blocks toward the lake was impressive. A huge, ancient mansion that has literally more craftsmanship demonstrated on the door hinges than most new houses have in their entire structures. This place had a pot rack over the counter than was probably eight feet long and held cast iron pans and about a case and a half of wine. The highlight was the Kentucky Gardens, which is the community garden just a few blocks from the house. Entirely organic, holding probably 200 plots of vegetables, bees, chickens, fruit trees, and a greenhouse for the Great Lakes Brewery, it is really a jewel.

Friday night we also saw some jewels at a fashion show in the nearby trendy Tremont neighborhood. This was in a funky art gallery and there was a good crowd sitting in a triangular shape on folding chairs. The models were local bartenders, dancers, writers, real estate agents, and one freelance model who worked for ESPN. We saw some impressive clothes, jewelry and hats. And it was all over in less than an hour, so that everyone could drink and smoke. It was a pretty young artsy crowd, so this made sense. We downed our wine and hit the road before we sucked in too much smoke, drove five minutes to the house, and settled in for bed with the three city dogs, who are always waiting patiently for us to return to our new house, always making it seem more and more like home.

2006-09-14T21:21:00.000-04:00

You Should See My Banana Bill

Work has been rather busy of late, and by the time I get off of the work computer at 9:30 or so, I have no interest in writing. This is too bad, but this is also the way it goes in a new job that has many converging deadlines. But, tonight I am carving out a few minutes to get a bit up to date.

Actually, work is not the only thing that has taken up time. We have also had numerous visitors. Daughter G's best friend S visited on her route from KC to Baltimore. We had a fun night of bar-hopping in the neighborhood and we even found time to get some dinner in. This was also probably the first and last time our garage will house a Lexus.

Our neighbors from Wisconsin, J&C, visited to go to the Badger football game against Bowling Green State. We had a great time with them visiting the ethnic food stores and the awe-striking West Side Market. They loved the house, neighborhood, and city, which they got to learn about and experience on the bumpy Lolly the Trolley. For the poorest city in the country, there sure is a lot of money being poured into Cleveland projects, we learned. It was reassuring.

Then our daughter G visited for a few days. We packed in the events, including Scrabble and wine and dining and shopping and talking and dog walking and hugs and talking and more wine and more dog walking, etc. Pretty much what we do whenever we are together. It was great to see G looking so well and happy, and just shining about her promotion that has her in a big fancy office overlooking Manhattan. These 25 year olds from Beloit, I tell you, are a real testament to that school district. Oh, and good parenting too...

Since G left it has been work and play in a good mix. N has landed a job at the House of Blues as an art tour guide, so that is very cool. My job is going well--I am loving the work and the people and am enjoying the successes and challenges. The neighborhood continues to amuse and surprise. We have had a couple of excellent meals at Heck's just a couple blocks away. The Market Ave. Wine Bar has 40 or so wines by the glass, so that is also a fun spot. Yesterday we visited the Kentucky Gardens about three blocks away and bought organic beans, greens, garlic, and four vases worth of gorgeous flowers for 6 bucks. Total score there.

But really, it is the people who make the place. Tonight we were walking the dogs and encountered and older black gentlemen with well-cared-for silver hair. He greeted us and the dogs and assured us he was not afraid as he has five dogs...and a monkey. Now I am not a fan of monkeys as pets, but this guy seemed to hold his monkey in a reverential state, so maybe it is OK in his case. And this was his new monkey, only a year and a half old. His old one lived to be 20 before it died. N asked, "I know this sounds dumb, but what does the monkey eat?" He said, "Bananas." And then he unloaded the line of the week: "Man, you should see my banana bill."

Soon my sister L will be visiting and so we are looking forward to showing her the town. There is a lot to show, discover, enjoy, and share. But she hates nothing more than bananas, so our banana bill will be low indeed.

2006-08-26T09:03:00.000-04:00

Dogs' Night Out

Last night we took the dogs out to Clark Field, in the nearby neighborhood of Tremont. Tremont is known for having trendy restaurants and monthly gallery walks, the huge Metro hospital and the first turn-abouts in Cleveland (which are still being constructed). It will also soon be home to Steelyard Commons, which will be home to all sorts of big-box shopping. Cleveland did not want the big-boxes to be overt, but they were also wanting the money that was going to the suburbs with the big shopping areas. So, they agreed to put Home Depot and the like down in an old steel yard, kind of hidden away but still accessible to those who actually have a bit of money to spend.

Anyway, Tremont also has Cleveland's first dog park (some of the nearby suburbs like Lakewood already have them). It is a fairly good sized area that is fenced, has poop bag holders filled with bags, and a water fountain than has both a person height and a dog height. The ground is covered with a fine gravel that makes the whole thing feel like a giant litter box, and N and I discovered that we should avoid wearing sandals there unless we have some great desire to pumice our feet rather insanely.

The park was fairly busy, with perhaps 30 dogs and owners in there at the peak. We were there for an hour, and many of the people were there for about that long. With about a 1/2 acre of space, there is quite a bit of room for the pups to run about. We met all sizes and shapes of dogs, from shy greyhounds to the charming puppies, including one Great Dane pup that is only about three months old and is already bigger than all of our dogs.

One charming canine gent we met was Mr. Riley. He is about 12 or 13 and had that great grey in his black lab face, a little frosting on the eyebrows and chin. He and his owner spent quite a bit of time socializing with us, and we learned that Mr. Riley's dad is a lawyer who mainly works with the very young/just born kids of families who have addictions and other issues realted to those addictions. We are glad there are people who are willing to try to help the kids in those situations.

We mainly went to the park for Sammy Davis to burn off some of his 1 1/2 year old energy, and he did enjoy his time although I think we was a bit amazed at all of the dogs there and wasn't always quite sure what to do. Zoe was like the little kid who won't leave Mom or Dad's side at the party. She was polite an did not growl (which is amazing for her) but she expended only about 3 calories the entire time we were there.

The big star was Oreo. He was completely in his element, running around to meet absolutely every dog there. His eyes were dialated, his lips were curled in a happy smile, and his tail was dancing all the while. By the time we left, his back and head were completed coated in other dog's slobber, a sure sign of a good time being had. He was really something, our old Cary Grant in dog's attire.

After the park we all sat on the front porch and relaxed, watching the road and foot traffic go by on Bridge Ave. It was a fairly quiet night with the air hanging with fat humidity. A group of young black boys hung out on the corner singing and joking while waiting for the RTA bus. Old guys rode by on bikes. Women walked home from the park or maybe some friend's with their kids in tow. St. Patrick's stood silent, waiting for Sunday to arrive and for its bells to chime their charms into the air.

It was a good night to be a dog, and a person, in Ohio City.

2006-08-23T19:21:00.000-04:00

Usually when you need to buy something, you go to the store. You might also go to a garage sale, check the classifieds, look at craigslist, etc. But not many people can shop at Sanford and Son.

Yep, right here in Ohio City, just a literal stone's throw away from our nice, old brick house, is a small emporium called Sanford and Son. It is just as you would expect.

The owner appears to be a 20 or 30 something black guy who has a good sense of humor and seems to enjoy the occasional Bob Marley cigarette; we will call him Sanford. Another young guy who is recently from Detroit also works there. He is white, and is a husky chap, but nevertheless we will call him Lamont.

When you steps into the shambles of Sanford and Son, you are struck by the clutter and the sounds system. Amidst the dust and ugly 1970's lamps, is a gleaming set of four turn-tables. You really do expect Run DMC to jump out and break into "Walk This Way." That has not happened yet.

But Sanford loves to greet you on the mic. We will chat with you on the mic even if you are the only one in the store. Sometimes he talks without amplification. It throws you off a bit at first, but you get used to it.

Here are some items you can get at Sanford and Son right now: old records, a Pabst Blue Ribbon beer sign, a blue Vespa, various tables and chairs, a bed frame, TVs with knobs, coffee tables, barbeque grills. We do not know the origin of these items. I am sure they are all from estate sales and other respectable sources. Right?

Cash seems to be the mode of payment used here (note that preferred is not the word, cash only is more like it). I can say this from experience. We needed a TV stand. We found a lovely old table there with doors that hide the DVD player and amplifier for 20 bucks. It was made here and not in China. Nancy recently bought an easel for painting. Again, one Thomas Jefferson gets that for you, or rather, for Nancy. She bought that this week and walked it home. This is the usual mode of transport in Ohio City, BTW, for the locals, followed by the bus, a bike (which you may or may not own), the occasional baby buggy, and certainly the shopping cart.

In fact this past weekend I had to wait to turn from Randall onto Bridge because a small train of street folk with shopping carts were crossing by the dodgy beer store. They seemed happy and waved back at me and did not ask for anything. I guess all they needed they had in their carts. Maybe they were delivering something to Sanford and Son.

Anyway, who knows how long Sanford and Son will be there. It seems pretty recently opened and maybe the estate of Redd Foxx will get pissed much like Walt Disney's family did when they found out about the little Mickey Mouse tavern in Beloit. It had to change to the Mouse instead.

The best part about S&S, as we like to call it, is the song in your head as you leave the store: "doot, doot, do do, doot doot do do, do do do, doot doot doot do..."

2006-08-22T21:13:00.000-04:00

We have now lived in our home in Ohio City for just a little over two weeks. It feels like home already.

One of the reasons we chose to live here is because of everything being so close. We can walk just a few steps to a beautiful library funded by Carnegie in 1910 at 100,000 bucks. It is stunningly gorgeous. The surrounding park is also a Safe House for homeless people, so on most mornings we see people sleeping on the benches. One guy even normally has his dog sleeping on the bench next to him. We often see these guys when we are out walking our dogs and the BMWs and Lexuses are driving by.

Just across the street from the library is a dry cleaners, a French restaurant (Le Oui Oui Cafe), a "world cafe" called Johnny Mango, a high-end Mexican restaurant that serves a dozen kinds of guacamole, and soon to open is some sort of ice cream shop. A block the other direction from our house is already a fast food/ice cream joint, so the dairy dangers are growing in the neighborhood. This ice cream place is diagonally across Bridge Ave. (our street) from a dodgy looking little grocery/beer store where all sorts of odd looking people hang out. I first went there about a week ago and bought some Pabst Blue Ribbon, paying for it entirely with change--you know, just trying to fit in. While there, I noted that I could have Beck's or Guinness or Heineken too, so that is Ohio City in a nutshell: you can be rich or poor or in between and you are right at home here.

Today after work I rode my bike to Dave's Supermarket to buy dog food and sugar (not to be used together--we have not fallen that far from grace yet). Nancy had been there earlier to get some other stuff on her bike (it is only about five or six blocks away), but could not manage the bulky hound chow. While she was there, some little old white guy met her in an aisle and asked for a quarter. Since the police hang out in the front of the store, this is rather unusual; they usually hustle these guys out pretty quickly. Anyway, Nancy used our new favorite line and said "I only use credit cards." It works pretty well.

So, a few minutes later the same old man sees Nancy in a different aisle and asks for seventeen cents (maybe he found eight cents along the way). She says, "you just asked me, remember?" I suspect he was befuddled, but the credit card line sent him shuffling away.

As *I* left the store, a little old white guy asked me for change (the temptation to include my job title was strong here, but I held back on any funny business). I had not yet heard Nancy's story, so I did not know to be ready for him, but I understand now that he obviously was removed from the aisles of Dave's and relocated to the parking lot. As I unlocked my bike, I said "Sorry, I just use credit cards." He looked at me with bend in his neck and said, "Huh, a lot of people seem to be using those these days."

Welcome to Ohio City, our new home. We love it.