8/8/2015 - Our Flea Debut
Our friend and artist extraordinaire Jess from www.ilovesassyfrass.com and art shows and flea markets and arts and craft shops around NEO and prominently displayed in Gina's jewelry drawer was nice and kind and sweet enough to let me dip my toes into the Cleveland Flea water by displaying some of our furniture, pillows, and framed pictures at her booth. Honestly, I liked my finished little projects (or I wouldn't have done them) BUT I didn't really know how my style and art would be accepted by the masses that swarm to the flea to shop every month. I (and Gina too) would actually keep everything I've done so far for our future house but I needed space and most of all the cash...so out they went. We also grabbed some of my mom's stuff in order to round out our stock of goodies. She makes a lot of great stuff and is way more versatile artistically with her furniture, pictures, and pillows than I am. She's actually awesome and I know I can sell the $hit out of her stuff because it's that good.
Now I can put my furniture on Facebook and everyone can like it or comment "oooh" and "ahhhh" but when rubber hits the road and I put a price on it...crickets... It's similar to what I've heard people say about family. They love your work but anxiously await it as a free X-mas gift. You'd think they want to support someone in their own clan but that doesn't seem to be the case. I'm pretty sure after awhile they do end up getting gifted art although probably more along the lines of the "experimental pieces" that didn't sell. Hey, space is gold when you create and if I can dump something on you to free some up while fulfilling a social obligation to exchange or give gifts...win-win!
Hanging around at the flea and listening to people talk about your pieces is a totally different kind of feedback. There's no bias especially because no one knew that I did some of the pieces on display. I got to hear great constructive comments about color, style, creativity, etc... It's pretty awesome and I do think (from what I heard anyway) that our stuff was well liked. Most of the not interested comments I heard were things like "...but I don't know where I'd put it" or "I could put this in my future sons/daughters room" or "I wish there were more of these". Very nice people for the most part. There were no cross looks that I saw or negative comments about it really which was awesome!
Altogether we put out:
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8/13/2015 - The Browns Preseason Game 1
There's a great app out there called Gametime (iTunes | Android) where you can get your sports tickets and where I will be buying mine from now on. You find your ticket, purchase it, and the digital ticket is sent to your phone. No printing, no waiting for shipping, and no crazy fees. If you use my code SAM6551 you will earn a $10 credit which means the tickets are even cheaper! And it's not just for Cleveland fans either. Last second tickets are 2 clicks away with Gametime!!! Visit their site, download their app, use my code SAM6551, and follow them on social media.
Here's another game day tip for you. Are you an adult who acts like an adult? Ya, me neither but if you aren't the type to get drunk in a parking lot before the game and want to do it like regular people do in a pub, there's the Flat Iron Cafe! Of course that's not the only reason to go. They have booze. Their food is awesome and very very reasonably priced for the huge portions you get. You have got to try the wings! These things are huge and delicious. 6 of them is perfect. 12 of them is a great size if you know you'll be drunkinly getting into those cold left overs while laying in the trunk on the drive home. Here's the kicker though... save your receipt because it is your ticket to get on their shuttle that will drop you off right at the game. Any game really > Cavs, Tribe, and Browns! Park on the street in the flats (when it's legal), get an awesome lunch/dinner, throw back some dranks, and take the free shuttle to the game! I've not been the orchestrator of getting back to the flats from the game with the shuttle yet so you're going to have to ask questions but it's not like it's a terrible walk if it doesn't work out. Plus it's right next to some...fun places of questionable morality...to celebrate a win at. What a great idea to get people to your place for an awesome pregame or post game meal.
We sat in the nose bleeders and the Browns looked ok. Same bad run defense. Same dink and dunk passing game. Same 4-12 type season. Do you know that it's been almost 30 years since the AFC championship days? That was less of a difference in years than between those days and the '64 championship. It's been almost 30 years since Bernie Kosar slung a side armed miracles with every pass. Since we had (2) 1000 yard rushers in the same season. Since they coined the phrase "The Dawg Pound". I don't know if it's just football in general or if it really is our terrible front office but...if a team wins on avg about 4 games a year, do they really exist? I know they do a great thing for the economy of downtown 8+ times a year and even for away games but this team has done nothing in the sport of football in which they participate in almost 3 decades. Our tax money went to build and then 15 years later renovate a stadium where a team of millionaires coached by millionaires and owned by a millionaire plays but never fear because the escalators weren't turned on or working last night. Most of the food/drink vendor booths on the upper level were closed and you can't get to the nice new bar areas without a special ticket. There's no free WiFi and there's definitely no signal (except maybe AT&T) but that's ok because you can't bring in a certain sized purse and must lock it in our handy dandy lockers outside for $20. We don't have cheerleaders like other teams or a dome so we can host a Superbowl but don't worry because beer is $9.50 a cup. We have massive new scoreboards but who gives a f*ck when you have to look at them in sorrow for 30 g*d-damned years?!? Sometimes you just like the abuse because it reminds you that you can still feel.
I've basically given up on the Browns and the NFL in general. 10 years ago I would yell at the TV and had ESPN as a favorite link. Now I play fantasy football because it's fun to interact with my friends once or twice a week. I don't play Madden anymore. I haven't thrown a football in I don't know how long. I go to the games for the social aspect of tailgating but won't pay the price to park and don't really care if I have tickets. If you think about it and are honest with yourself, you might feel more like me than you think...but that's the thing with sports. Every once in awhile your team defies odds and overachieves just enough to get you hooked again...and the cycle continues. Like crack.
When one door is slammed in your face, urban adventurers, you may have to run into it with said face a few times before you try another door. That door may take you to more doors but you'll learn not to use your face anymore. Peace!
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