Family time & Saturday Sports Spectaculehhh...

Family Time

Thursday's in college were the official start to the drinking weekend. If you were smart, you didn't schedule Friday classes so you had a whole free day to re-coop before you got to start again on Friday night. You also didn't schedule classes after 4 pm on Thursday so you could be there for the 1st pop of a watered down can of light beer... unless you were me and had public speaking class until 7 pm. Then you got yelled at for saying "Um" and "Uhh" for 2 and a half hours and wet yourself at the very thought of speaking in front of any number of people including fractions of people. That 1 day a week painful reminder of my crippling shyness always properly prepared me for 10-12 cans of liquid courage which, unfortunately, would only bring me just enough confidence to allow me to mumble a weird misplaced pickup line to a group of sad chubby women. I guess it was my duty to give the herd something to say "no" to before I went to bed. Yes ladies... I was a catch. Yuck! Anyways, this past Thursday night conjured up the ghosts of college days of old... except Gina and I don't have that "Friday off" luxury. 

We invited my Aunt Fran and my Uncle Stan out to our beautiful neighborhood of Tremont for dinner and some bar hopping. Unfortunately in my myopic quest to "do Cleveland right" I have kinda lacked in the getting everyone together from any of our friend/family circles to come to our fair city for fun and general merriment. This is where Gina shines brightest. She picks up where I falter and gets people over to our place, plans nights out, and keeps this blog filled with fun group activities. I mainly focus of the big ticket events but only because I have a bucket list to stick to and a shit summer that has produced less 90 degree days than Brown's wins.

All that aside, we went from drinks and appetizers on Press's front patio to drinks at Treehouse's back patio to discovering that Edison's has a kick ass back patio in which to drink and have Pizza! The drink of the night was a mix of Redd's Apple Ale and Fireball Whiskey called Angry Balls at Treehouse. A close and less embarrassing to drink 2nd place is my favorite Fall beer, Southern Tier Pumpking! Food of the night was, as always, Edison's pizza. Just to show how much I love this pizza, I practically burned the upper part of my mouth off on the oven trying to get it in me as fast as I could. Seriously though, the roof of my mouth was destroyed... but it was well worth it for the greasy deliciousness.

You can't beat good family time especially when they want to get out and enjoy what you like to get out and enjoy! They live in Berea so they're more than familiar with the area and are close enough to know that there should be no trepidation when you come to any central Cleveland neighborhood, especially in Tremont. All we had to focus on was great conversation and what to drink next. By the time the fun was over it was already surprisingly past midnight and we all know that any good night out is measured by the old "Time Flies" adage. Thanks for coming over and hanging with us Stan and Fran! You are welcome any time.

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Cleveland Saturday Sports Spectaculehhh...

Billions of people were set to come downtown to be a part of a unprecedented sports night in the Land of the CLE. We have in no particular order:

1. An Indians home game -- Our winning record against one of the worst teams in baseball
2. A Browns home preseason game -- Johnny Football's 1st game at the Factory of Sadness
3. The Gladiators in the ArenaBowl at the Q -- A Cleveland Sports Championship?!
4. Kevin Love signing with the Cavs -- A reason to drink and celebrate!

Having been disappointed by the teams in 1, 2, and 4 in the past, I decided to go with #3 in a big way! I was 2-0 at Gladiators games this year so either Gina or I was a good luck charm right?! Right?! With that glimmer of hope in mind I decided to go all out and get a hold of tickets for the Key Bank (who in no way is affiliated with or endorses any ideas expressed in this blog) suite. Sure they were 5X the amount I usually pay but damnitt I was going to see a Cleveland sports championship! 6 generations of Clevelanders can't say that and they sure as hell weren't in a suite if they could, so suck it! 

OK, I can't say that I was as excited as I sound in this blog but I had hope... and hope it a terrible thing to have in Cleveland sports. Here's a summary of the nights events:

This was our awesome view...

We both got sick on what we think were the medium wings we had.

We still are awaiting that sports championship...

I broke even at the casino thanks to a 40 min free spin bonus on some game with apes in it.

The city ended up going 2 for 4 on the big sports day (I count Kevin Love as a victory). I do love the Gladiators and I'm proud of their season even if we didn't win the ArenaBowl. They gained a whole lot of fans this season (myself included) and I can't wait for next season to come. They give give us hope that one day, Cleveland can have a Football Championship... and they're the only hope we got because this year's Browns team stinks on ice. Wake me up when the season's over.

Love you Cleveland. Goodnight!

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ALS Ice Bucket Challenge... as Batman!

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Eli Kazimir, Jeremy Fulks, and Andy Walters... you have 24 hours!

And as a bonus -- here's Batgirl Gina Riley's!

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ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Videos

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Gay Games 9

In 2016, Cleveland will host the Republican National Convention and the Transplant Games of America. The mass of visitors and competitors will be able to zip in and out of downtown over the new Innerbelt Bridges or in the new trains cars on the RTA Red line from the airport. They'll be staying, among other places, at the new Hilton Convention Center Hotel which will be adding 600 new hotel rooms to downtown. They'll also have the opportunity to stay at any of 450 other new rooms that will be added to downtown as part of 3 other hotel projects. Public Square will have a totally new look with less concrete and more green space. It will be a relaxing central recreation spot for a downtown population that will have over 2000 new apartments to fill, that is if the occupancy rate stays over 95% as it has over the past few years. The 2nd Phase of the Flats, which will include 242 of those new apartments, 12 restaurants, and 1200-feet of boardwalk along the Cuyahoga River will be a year old and a cornerstone of that new and vibrant mixed use neighborhood. Sports fans will have a chance to see the Indians from a newly renovated Progressive field or can fight for a handful of remaining tickets to see a settled in Lebron leading the Cavs to hopefully another championship. The Gladiators could be pushing for a possible AFL 3-peat... and I can only hope that Johnny Football is still the last name on the bottom of the infamous Brown's quarterback jersey.

2016 sounds like it is going to be pretty great for the city of Cleveland but every day starting with today we need to prove ourselves as a city that not only deserves all of these great opportunities... but can handle all of the responsibilities that come with them. That's why this week was so important for the city. We had our first big test of our new found glory in the form of Gay Games 9. It was over a week filled with event coordination, visitors appreciation, and a bit of controversy to overcome. Did Cleveland shine on the big stage?

I decided to volunteer through work for the games. Why? Lots of reasons. Mainly because I have yet to find a way to make a lasting positive impact on this city. I've been racking my brain on how to leave my mark in a positive way on Cleveland in the time I'm going to spend here and haven't come up with anything yet. I know I have to start finding the right people and asking the right questions but until I get the nerve to do that, I figure volunteering is a great way to help out and where better to do so than at the biggest event of the summer... and anyone who doesn't believe that Cleveland being the host city for the Gay Games is a huge deal really needed to come downtown and see everything going on. There were people on the streets when there would normally not be. There were activities going on throughout the city. There were events happening in the stadiums, centers, and facilities. The city really was alive with activity! 

On Saturday I helped setup the festival village. It was a lot of manual labor but I was able to see and be a part of Mall C's transformation into the center of all of the Game's activities downtown. There were booths, tables, and a big stage area all going up at the same time in preparation for it's opening on Sunday. There were a lot of volunteers out and about doing various tasks. Actually, there were a lot more than I thought there would be. Definitely a pleasant surprise! The Terminal Tower was lit up in rainbow lights and welcome banners and flags were up all around downtown welcoming the athletes and visitors. The city looked great and all of the construction downtown made it look like we were definitely the up and coming city that we were expected to be based on all of our recent publicity. After my volunteer shift was done, I went to the casino and turned $25 into $90! I know I know... a casino so close to where I live is going to be great until it isn't. Until then though... whooohooo!

On Sunday I came back to help out some more at the festival village before it opened. This time, instead of manual labor, I was tasked with passing out flyers about the village to the athletes going into the Convention Center and really anyone who passed by. I got to talk to a lot of people from all over the globe about what the festival village was, were to check in, what was there to do, and how to get to places. This was right up my alley because all I do is keep up on everything Cleveland in my spare time. I was able to get people to where they wanted to go and give them some options on what to do. I loved it! I got people to go to the Rock Hall, East 4th, University Circle, the Casino, The East 9th pier... I was in some small way directly responsible for helping sell tickets and promote the city! This was truly a thrill for me.

Later on Sunday I worked the Key Bank (who in no way is affiliated with this blog or the comments expressed in it) booth at the festival village. We had a wheel to spin with prizes on it and everyone who spun won something. The village was rocking with lots of people and that one dance song base line that seemed to continue all through the night. It really was the place to be! Some of the spinners were not too happy that my scruffy beard and I weren't on the wheel as a prize... by the end of the night I was declared festival man meat and like a rock star had to slip out undetected when my shift was over to avoid my adoring fans... think I'm exaggerating? I'm not. It was a fun time!

Monday was my last day of volunteer work for the games and this time it was for an actual event... water polo. Why water polo? Truthfully it was all that was left really when I signed up. I've never played or even watched it before but that was good because I like learning new things. The water polo event was at Case and I'd never been there either so that was 2 new experiences in one night. Some call that a bonus! If you've never been to Case... go for the architecture alone! Especially if you're a dummy like me and wouldn't get accepted if you tried. Because I got there a tad late, I missed getting a chance to work the scoreboard or be a spotter but it worked out for me. They gave me a sharpie and put me in charge of updating the scores on the 2 schedule boards. Yup, sounds exhausting huh?! Seeing as I only had to do this between games, it gave me the opportunity to watch and learn a little about the sport. The matches were very entertaining and I even got a chance to see the hometown Cleveland team play.

I didn't get a chance to make it to any of the other events that week (except briefly to the rowing event) but I did follow it closely in the paper and on social media. There was only really great press. There actually should have been more in the Plain Dealer on the events in my opinion. Either way it was a success! The city came together and was a great host city for out new friends from the Gay Games. We couldn't have asked for a better group of people to come to our fair city and hope each and every one of you had a positive experience. 2016 is a long ways off but, if this past week was any sort of indicator, we will be ready for our future visitors. Bravo Cleveland and bravo to the Gay Games! What an amazing week it was.

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Gay Games experience

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Eat, Drink, & Be Merry in CLE

It was finally a "fun in the CLE" type of weekend last weekend! There were plans galore and they all took place in my city. We hit up some old favorites, some new trendy spots, and... bought a mattress. The best part about it was that we were able to experience it with friends and family. We love big plans and groups but we don't often get a chance to indulge in either. This weekend was a welcome exception.

Friday

Friday started with us hitting up the brand new extended patio at Barrio in Tremont with our friends Eli and Alexa. Barrio has a great outdoor fireplace and a fun little vibe to it. Unfortunately we couldn't take advantage of their great happy hour since it was packed but the tacos and margaritas are tasty at any price. Not much more I can say about the place that I haven't raved about before other than it's that much more fun to have great friends to enjoy it all with.

James Bond and Kevin Nash pose for a celebrity pic.

After we finished it was off to Hilarities on East 4th Street to see one of my favorite comedians, Jim Breuer! I've listened to him for years on the Opie and Anthony show and this was the 1st time I've seen him live. I can't lie... he did not disappoint! I'm pretty sure he told 3 or 4 stories but they were elaborate, animated, and hilarious. His impressions whether it be James Hetfield, his family members, or a pride of lions were over the top and comically accurate. It really was a laugh riot from the get go. Go to Netflix and check out his specials! You will not be disappointed.

Afterwards we couldn't pass up an opportunity to snap a pic
with the beautiful streetscape of East 4th as our backdrop.

Saturday

We finally bought a mattress! Poor Gina and I  have started walking like shrimp-back old fogies so we decided to bite the bullet and get ourselves a memory foam mattress. As I write this, we've been sleeping on it for a week and it's... much much different. We equate it to sleeping on a comfy slab of concrete but our backs are feeling much better.

We went right from the mattress place to TownHall in Ohio City to meet our friends Matt and Christine to catch up and grab a few (liberal term) drinks. They also have a great patio and beer list a mile long. Oh and if you haven't heard me rave about their bacon wrapped dates... is this your first time reading my blog? Christine and Gina decide to split a bottle of wine so the rest this blog may be filling in the cloudy blanks on the rest of the night.

From there we headed to Platform Brewhouse in SoLo (South of Lorian). This is a relatively new brewery so it was great to go check it out. The area it's in is kinda bare of businesses so the hope is that it becomes popular and attracts more investment. The idea behind the place is interesting as well. It's a brewery incubator which means they not only brew their own beer but it acts as a place for new brewers to come and try their hand at brewing. The beer that is brewed their is also sold there so you get to see how your recipes are received by the public. From there the new brewers can spin off and move to their own breweries. Although I don't know the details, there's usually some low cost rental, use, and possibly some financial investment, if the business plan of the new brewers is solid. I love the idea of business incubators! It gives newbies a chance to get up and running with minimal risk and lots of helpful resources. Good for business and good for Cleveland.

When you walk in there's a bowling machine and then a large bar and a lot of space. Gina and I got a flight of beers and went to chill out on their patio area. It was great to catch up with my former Parma Hospital running buddy and life coach, Christine. When it comes to being a great listener and cheerleader, she takes the cake. I can truly say that I wouldn't be the person I am today without her. I'm so proud of her and her boyfriend Matt. Their son is the cutest little man you'll ever see. They are also a huge part of Forest City Brewery which is currently in the planning phase and will call the Duck Island neighborhood of Cleveland home. I'm so excited for this and can't wait for them to clear up all of the financing and open!

We ended up the night at the most talk about bar in Cleveland lately, the Porco Lounge and Tiki Room. I know what you're saying... aren't there 50 or so tiki lounges in Cleveland? I mean our beautiful weather lends itself to Hawaiian shirts and coconut drinks right?!? That's what makes this place so awesome! It's unique and beautifully out of place. It's like it was picked up off the beach of a vacation island and plopped right on West 25th street. Be prepared when you go because the drink menu will blow your mind. It's stuffed full of delicious tropical rum drinks with the best names in the industry. The ambiance of the inside is dark but colorful. The decor is what you'd expect from a tiki bar but is so refreshing that you forget that the skys are grey here 85% of the year. The back patio is nice and the combination of a sunny afternoon and a fruity rum drink on your lips conjure up the comfortable sounds of waves breaking and seagulls squawking.

Great nights out are only as great as the company you get to hang with.
This was one of those nights where we got to enjoy every second because of these guys! 

Sunday

Yes we were hungover... but we were still ready to rock and roll! Gina's cousin Kerry joined us for Sunday brunch at Press Wine Bar to end our whirlwind weekend. We love hanging with Kerry as she slowly falls in love with Tremont. No better way to show off the neighborhood a bit like a Press brunch and their delicious and creative menu. There's nothing better on a non football Sunday than a great brunch conversation and Kerry never disappoints. The drinks were great and the weather was beautifully comfortable. The food was good but I think they kinda forgot about us. It did take a bit to come out and was a tad cold but we didn't mind too much. It just gave us more time to shoot the shit. I don't hold it against them and will certainly be back.

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Restaurants and Bars in Cleveland

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Taste of Tremont

As I sit here at the Coastal Carolina Regional airport waiting for my flight that was delayed to Atlanta, I have some time to blog away about the last Clevelandy thing I did before vacationing in North Carolina. The Taste of Tremont is a yearly neighborhood celebration of everything Tremont. They close the business strip of Professor Ave and all of the area shops, restaurants, and galleries set up stands on either side of the street. Some are as simple as an outdoor table with employees selling the same thing they sell inside their storefront. Others are elaborate beer gardens with a stage, sound systems, and a band playing. It really is a good ole neighborhood block party... except this one has 4 star food booths and designer boutique stands.

We were lucky enough to have the main beer garden and stage right outside our place. We got to drink our own beer on our own front porch and listen to some great local bands play tunes all day long. We did decide to venture off our porch out into the crowd... although I was kinda content right where I was. It really was an awesome spot!

Gina's cousin Kerry stopped out to enjoy the day with us. After listening to some tunes we all decided to venture out for some grub and to check out the shopping opportunities. Once we turned the corner and started on our way, I could tell that the ridiculous amount of people they had predicted were going to show up wasn't as far fetched as I had previously thought. Seriously, it was packed and I was so happy to see everyone come down to enjoy Cleveland! Tremont does a great job getting people into the neighborhood for some reason or another. Eventually you think (as I did) "There are so many reasons I come here, it would just be easier to live here and cut out the drive time!"

The food booths were hard to choose between. Not only did they all look great but there were some places there that Gina and I hadn't ventured to yet. Lines were long for some like neighborhood favorite Sokolowski's. Most others were at least a few minute wait. I got an italian sausage sandwich but from where I couldn't tell ya. It was good as I equate it to summer in my mind so it was perfect for the day. There were tons of other options such as gyros, burgers, pasta, pizza, and tubular meats a plenty.

In case you're keeping track, I'm now at the Atlanta airport. I got to spend the night at fancy hotel on Delta's $ since they made me miss my flight...

Gina and Kerry did the shopping and general goods browsing. There were the same kinda booths set up as you would see at a Tremont or Cleveland flea type of event. I don't mean to sound put off by it at all but it's the best way to describe it without spoon feeding you the experience. The main goal of all of this is to get you to come out and experience it yourself... or at least get you to go to the websites. I will tell you though that I got a bag of Chai Tea and a fancy drinking bottle from Gina. I love getting gifts!

Two places to note in our travels that day: 

1) Churned Ice Cream - Delicious and off the wall flavors keep us coming back to Churned for ice cream. We took Kerry there for what I suspect was technically dessert #3 of the day. Ya, we know how to party! It does me no good to pick out anything specific because everything we've had there is awesome... ok, Maple Bacon with French Toast. Get it and let it blow your mind.

2) Brewnuts - I'm literally going to start telling you every time I go to Brewnuts until you send me an e-mail that says you went! You don't know what you're missing! No more Giant Eagle dough circles of blah. Every time you get bakery from Giant Eagle you send money to Pittsburgh and it goes right into the pockets of people who love the Steelers... ya never thought of it that way huh? Yingling too! Stop it people! Support a local brewnut where the brew is also local. The one I had was made with Christmas Ale and it was delicious! Ya, Christmas Ale! You know, that thing you fight to get a hold of come December and then try to ration for the rest of the year until you can get your hands on it again.

Kerry enjoying her 1st Brewnut! I wouldn't be surprised if she was addicted after the 1st smell. We were!

I'm thinking it was Christmas in July or something... Get her Santa Shark!!!

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The New Flats

This past Saturday the remains of the old I90 east bridge were blown up in front of a crowd of onlookers at 6 am. This explosion did not mark the beginning but the continuation of progress. The flats has quietly been going through yet another transformation into a place for Clevelanders to enjoy. Unlike it's most recent incarnation as a bar filled "adult playground" and a cut through for the smart commuters to get to downtown, this most recent version it a place for everyone to enjoy. It's following the playbook that other Cleveland and rust belt neighborhoods are following. Due to mixed investments in residential, transportation, and recreation the Flats are slowly turning into a well rounded neighborhood right before our very eyes. A stark difference from the abandoned wasteland that it has been in years past.

Thanks to groups like the Cleveland Metroparks, the Clean Ohio Fund, and the dense neighborhoods that surround it the flats have become a very valuable area once again. The days of stone and sand piles, abandon buildings, parking lots, and burning rivers are slowly ending. Reinvestment in more diverse and well rounded projects have sparked a new day for this once industrial powerhouse. The key to remaking these areas is mixing their usage. Something for everyone. Don't just shove all of the factories in one spot or all of the museums into one area (University Circle). Treat your neighborhood as if it was a city in itself.

OK, if you've ever been on a river that wasn't in the dense wilderness you'll notice that people want to be by the water and they will pay top dollar for that privilege. Whether it be to live or to play, water is a huge draw. Not here in Cleveland though. Historically we like to keep people away from the water by putting up stadiums, airports, highways, and train tracks. Cleveland for some reason is traditionally anti water... until recently. Ya the sins of our fathers have made it hard but this generation is taking advantage of the little slivers of opportunity that we have been left with.

Gina and I went down to look at the newest addition to the flats last week. The new recreational trail follows the river and includes a small dock, some benches, little trees, and cut outs from the river for fish spawning... and geese. Lots of geese. It is really a nice escape from the concrete of the city and a great place to take a walk. The views of the bridges and the towers downtown create a wonderful backdrop. It forces us to remember that we have a river that adds to the beauty of Cleveland. It's always been here but hasn't been the most inviting place. Tourists may see it in passing as they go to games, conventions, or restaurants but the citizens of this city can use it as a place to relax.

We went to a block club meeting this week and one of the presentations was about extending the trail through our neighborhood. It's quite the undertaking as they are going to convert a whole street into the trail and build a bridge. The plans for the extension are beautiful and everyone was excited about it. The Metroparks are leading the project and will maintain it when it's complete. They really have run with the areas that the city gave to them!

Sure most of the flats still look like this but the momentum it has is undeniable. This large swath of land and its river has had its ups and downs but can no longer be ignored. It's potential as an area of growth is great and finally people are starting to see that. The east and west banks are on a comeback. The new trail has added some much needed beauty. The rowers and kayakers have given the area an extra functional dimension. Soon the abandon building will become apartments and businesses filled with people excited to take advantage of all the flats has to offer. Our time is coming... again.

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4th of July Week Part 2

More fireworks! I'll pretty much go anywhere it seems if they promise to show me loud exploding balls of light. That explains why I took a trip down ole memory lane with Gina and my rents to go watch fireworks on beautiful Atwood Lake... in the middle of what felt like Alaska in January! And if Alaska is somehow warm in January... I'm stupid but you get my point. It was freeeeezing! The day started out decently temperaturized which is par for this summer's shitty weather so far. At least it wasn't raining. After Gina got home from work and we went to pick up my rental's new dryer from North Canton, we met at my parent's place, condensed cars, and headed down the twisty road to Atwood.

Here's ole sour patch face and grumpy Bahama cat enjoying the 45 degree temps with the wind out on the lake. I complain but it wasn't that bad after you wrapped up in towels to keep warm. It was also great to spend time with my parents and reminisce about the days of my youth when I ruled over the one person kingdom which was Atwood. Luckily for me Gina didn't mind hearing most of the stories again... or she just didn't pay attention to me when I told them to her the first time. Either way they made the trip around the lake go pretty fast.

The fireworks were not as great as I remember them unfortunately but it didn't make the night any less fun. I guess I've been spoiled by Lakewood's display that will (if you let it) knock your socks off. We got a great spot... if the fireworks were wear they were in 1994. They changed the location on us! We could still see them but we were much less willing to navigate the lake once it got dark in order to get a better view. Boats have like 3 tiny dirty lights on the and are almost impossible to see once the sun goes  down. Remember that young adventurous kids...

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Gina's cousin Kerry's birthday was Saturday! She's the same age as us (you're welcome) and was looking for a fun night out and about in our little slice of Cleve-town. Of course Gina and I used this opportunity to A) do knew things and B) eat new things. So to accomplish both of those and get the most bang for all of our bucks, we made reservations for Lago on the East Bank of the Flats in the new E&Y Tower. Oh and for the gift we finally... FINALLY made it over to Tremont's own Lilly Homemade Chocolates. Foodies, this is going to be right up your alley.

People who don't even know where Tremont is know what Lilly's is and they can hardly get the praise out of their mouths without drifting into a drooling daydream. Needless to say I was ready to be amazed and to gain an uncontrollable 6-8 lbs. The first thing you notice when you walk in is that the place is packed full of craft beer and interesting looking chocolates. They really made it easy to pair the 2 and put together a box of delicious goodies. The staff was super helpful and willing to walk us newb's through the whole process. We got a variety box for Kerry and a chocolate bar for us with 2 bottles of paired beers. Spoiler alert... they were amazing and the beer matched and complimented the flavors perfectly! Lilly's deserves all the hype and more. This is definitely my new gift spot.

The East Bank is currently under construction building phase 2 of their project. We went from the parking lot right to the new E&Y Tower where the hotel and restaurants are located. The outdoor patio is the 1st thing you see and it's quite impressive! There are multiple seating options for groups of all sizes and there's even fireplace seating for these shitty cool Cleveland summer nights. We decided to eat inside but the front of Lago is pretty opened up.

The meals are quite pricey so be prepared but the food is definitely worth it. The portions are large and the seafood centric menu is quite diverse. The steak I got came out on a cutting board and was the size of a 2 year old child! It was delicious and obviously filling. The lobster gnocchis were excellent as well. The dessert was the 4 gold star winner of the night though. The tiramisu is smooth and the perfect combo of sweet and coffee flavors. It was by far the best I've ever had!

The kicker to this area was the clientele. It was a late 20's and early 30's paradise. Most everyone was dressed nicely and very good looking. Guys and girls. It is certainly a place to take a group of friends but if you're looking to head out for a singles night on the town, this is the place to get dinner! Of course I was already with the 2 prettiest girls in the place so all you guys will have to settle for 3rd place.

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The end of our whirlwind 4th of July weekend involved us eating chocolate, drinking beer, and relaxing in front of the TV... but before that we went to the Indian's game with my parents! It was the father's day gift I got my dad last month. That morning they actually made awesome time and didn't get lost once!... So they got here about 2 hours early while Gina and I were trying to get the house in order. We pointed them in the direction of Press to go get some brunch and quickly got ready.

So my dad is certainly not a fan of Cleveland as many who read the paper and don't live here wouldn't be so walking the flats to the Jake was completely out of the question. Now I can understand that a desolate, under developed, and almost forgotten area like the Flats we walk through to get to the Jake would seem like a great place to catch a bullet but during the day it's more of the Scooby Doo ghost town that Mike Polk talks about in the 2nd Cleveland Tourism video on YouTube. Irregardless, we drove... but I made him pay for it.

The day went from overcast and jacket worthy to beautiful and sunny at about the 3rd inning. We had pretty amazing seats courtesy of work and got to enjoy an Indian's win. I never realized how much I like watching a game with my Dad. He and I talk and watch the perfect amount to make a game go fast while still getting to enjoy it. The time flew by and before I knew it or got bored... it was 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th. It's been awhile since I went to a ball game with my either of my parents so it was great to do it again. Hopefully this is the 1st of many more to come. It's actually the first of 3 trips I'm making to the Jake for Indian's games this week. It sorta just worked out that way but I'm a super fan this week! Go Tribe!

On the way back to the car I decided to show off Cleveland a bit and walked my parents and Gina past the new GE Chandelier. I really think everyone should see it once in their life because it is such an awesome sight to behold. That whole Playhouse Square area is really impressive and other than a few street level vacancies, is almost a complete and total urban neighborhood and something that the other up and coming areas downtown should model themselves after. Transportation, residential, business, entertainment, walk-ability, trendy, and touristy all at the same time. Quite an impressive feat!

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4th of July Week Part 1

Huge week this week as far as things to do! 1st we'll start off in beautiful Cleveland, Ohio bouncing from place to place in Tremont with my brother John and his girlfriend Brooke. Next we head out to America's Roller Coast to get on the world's best rides at Cedar Point. Then we'll hit the Star Spangled Spectacular in Public Square to see the Cleveland Orchestra and some fireworks. Lastly to end this stretch (but certainly not this week), we mozzie out to my old stomping ground in Lakewood to have some dinner with our friends and my renters Stacy and Kevin.

John and Brooke came up from North Carolina to visit us in Tremont and have a little fun. Since they're both teachers, the lucky bastards have the whole summer free and we're happy that they do because it means that we can spend some much needed family time with them.  We started off with dinner right down the street at Parallax. It was our first time being there so we didn't know what to expect. First of all, bring your wallet because it's an expensive meal... but if you like sea food, it's worth it. The sushi is great! Our server was very nice and the atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable. If you have a date night coming up, I highly recommend it. Next we headed to Gina's favorite bar in the neighborhood, the Treehouse, for a drink. It's a great bar with a awesome patio and according to John, they have great drink prices too! To end the night we headed to Barrio for some delicious margaritas and to watch the Indians. My favorite times with my brother have to be when we are just sitting around bullshitting and having a few (liberal use of few) drinks. Since we don't see him and Brooke often anymore it gives us an opportunity to catch up and reminisce.  It was a great night but we had to get back and get some sleep in preparation for a long day at Cedar Point.

I haven't been to Cedar Point yet this year because of our Hallo-weekends nightmare where we rode 3 rides and then waited in the parking lot for 4 hours before we were able to get out. It was brutal but we picked a Tuesday this year so we wouldn't have to wait in long lines and could maximize the fun. The weather looked sketchy at the beginning and it did rain for about a half hour... BUT after that it cleared up and was a beautiful 90 degree day. We rode everything we wanted to ride -- even the Top Thrill Dragster!... even though it did break down while we were in line. Shocker, right? It was tons of fun as always and a great way to spend a beautiful day. When we got home we ate some delicious Edison's Pizza and watched Ted. The perfect way to end the perfect day!

On Wednesday John and Brooke headed home and I headed back to work. That night though Gina and I walked over to Public Square with our chairs to witness the Star Spangled Spectacular. The Cleveland Orchestra played a free show for the crowd and boy are they good! Not a surprise though. They are one of the many diamonds of this great city and a source of pride for all of us citizens. It was a flawless performance and very entertaining. Afterwards there was a wonderful fireworks display to celebrate the 4th of July. It was yet another great gift from the city to all of us in attendance. I love when the city comes together to celebrate as one! It shows the world that Cleveland is a great place to live and play. The city cares about us and is always there to reward us with wonderful 1st class entertainment.

We too this little gem on the way home.

Thursday night brought us dinner with our friends Stacy and Kevin at one of my favorite places in Lakewood, the Buckeye Beer Engine. The beer list is like 8 pages long and it's printed in a very small font. The menu is classic old world food mixed with some new takes. I've had some great meals there in the past and it keeps me coming back. We were there for 3 hours talking and having fun. The time seemed to fly by. They are great people and a joy to be around. I couldn't have wished for any better renters and friends. Stacy told us about a great idea for promoting neighborhoods and their small businesses. I won't get into too much detail but it's something that I'm very interested in getting going. Anything to promote our great city and the surrounding communities gets me excited. More to come on that one!

Well we have even more to do this weekend including fireworks, birthdays, and a father's day Indian's game gift but before I go, I want to wish everyone a Happy 4th of July!

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