The Best of My Trip to D.C.: 11 Things I Did While in My Old City

The Best of My Trip to D.C.: 11 Things I Did While in My Old City

Thursday, May 30, 2019

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I don't usually miss my life in Washington, D.C. Honestly, it feels like a long time ago - & it was. This fall will mark five years since I moved back to Ohio, & I've only been back to D.C. a handful of times since then. The last time was in February 2018 for a funeral, so it's not like I got in a lot of good visiting. 

I was excited, then, to be asked to staff a conference at my old office (which is an affiliate of the organization for which I currently work). Working a conference is no joke; I knew I wouldn't have any time to explore, see friends, or do anything but work. To get in some extra time in the city, I extended by trip by stay for two & a half extra days. I worked through two, then took a comp day on Friday & did some adventuring with my friend Arielle, who took off work to hang.

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Babes Who Brunch: The Outdoor Breakfast Picnic I Threw with Friends

Babes Who Brunch: The Outdoor Breakfast Picnic I Threw with Friends

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

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Spring is something special, especially in Cleveland. In a city of extremes – very cold winters & very hot (at least for me!) summers – it’s a rarity to enjoy temperate weather and sunshine all at once. When the weather’s nice, I try to maximize my time outside (more on the specifics in an upcoming post).

Because of my many recent & upcoming travels, I felt like I hadn’t seen much of my friends lately. What better way to get together than over an outdoor brunch picnic in the spring sun?

I’m not much of a cook, so I put together a “menu” that required very limited effort or culinary talent on my part, aside from some prep work. I knew my friends (Lilly, Erin, & Molly) wouldn’t mind, either, because our top priority was hanging out.

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My Favorite (Annual!) Way to Explore the CLE

My Favorite (Annual!) Way to Explore the CLE

Monday, May 27, 2019

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June 21st-23rd is Visit Me in CLE Weekend, when Destination Cleveland wants local residents to host out-of-town friends & family here in the Forest City - & I'm already working on a "48 Hours in Cleveland" post for any outside-the-CLE folks who are planning a visit.

But another exciting exploration event starts that weekend, too: the 6th annual Cleveland Young Professionals Week, hosted by Engage! Cleveland, is an opportunity for local twenty- and thirtysomethings to try out the best of what this city has to offer its younger audience.

Real-talk: I'm feeling sliiightly self-conscious because, at 34, I'm on the brink of no longer qualifying as a "young professional." Yikes, that feels weird! How did I get so old so quickly? But I do love YP Week, & I'm a media partner again this year, so I still count for now. (Get back at me next summer, though, when I'm a whopping 35 years old & feelin' reaaaal strange about life.)

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The Best Restaurant Experience I've Ever Had: The Tasting Menu at Rose's Luxury

The Best Restaurant Experience I've Ever Had: The Tasting Menu at Rose's Luxury

Sunday, May 26, 2019

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When I travel, I sometimes like to save up for one nice meal. That's not to say that the other meals I eat aren't nice, but we're talkin', like, money nice. I can't always swing it, but when I can, well, I want to try to eat something while away that I just can't get while at home. 

On my recent trip to D.C., that meal came from Rose's Luxury - & oh, what a luxurious meal it was.

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Lessons in Life & Cycling: Ride Like Somebody's Watching

Lessons in Life & Cycling: Ride Like Somebody's Watching

Monday, May 20, 2019

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I spent about 90 of my first 100 rides at Harness Cycle on the same bike: the one in the back corner of the room. Bike 36 is my jam. No one can see me, but I can see everyone, which means I can do my best to keep up, but if I fail, well, not a damn soul is watching me do it.

But at what point do I have to admit that I am sometimes just back there to hide?

Recently, I wanted to sign up a little late for a particular class, but the entire back row was booked. Instead, I took a bike in the middle of the second-to-last row - & I was surprised by how much it changed the way I rode.

I always think I'm giving my all, but now I think I might sometimes be fooling myself. 

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My Top 3 Most-Anticipated Series Finales of All Time

My Top 3 Most-Anticipated Series Finales of All Time

Friday, May 17, 2019

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As the series finale of Game of Thrones approaches, I'm thinking a lot about, well, series finales.

Overall, I tend to watch TV shows after they've already finished, to catch up & binge them when everything is already available online. That way, there's none of that "OMG what will happennn" anticipation or drama - just me trying to be sure I don't spoil things for myself on Wikipedia or IMDB beforehand.

As I prepare to watch the end of GoT in real-time, though (hopefully, given that I'll be at a hotel in D.C. for work at the time...), I'm thinking back on other series finales that gave me those "OMG what will happen" feelings - & whether they lived up to the hype.

Here are my top three.

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All the Fun Things I Did in NYC - & the Stuff I Didn't Get To (This Time)

All the Fun Things I Did in NYC - & the Stuff I Didn't Get To (This Time)

Wednesday, May 15, 2019

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It's now been a couple of weeks since I returned from my second April trip to NYC, & I was feeling like it was too late to blog about it - until I remembered that I'm still working on a blog post about Mike's & my one-year wedding anniversary trip to Ann Arbor, which we took in November. Guess this one is pretty timely, comparatively.

I spent nearly two full weeks in New York in April. Here's some of the best of the stuff I did while I was there - & some of the things I didn't get to.

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Why, Yes, I am an Adult with a (Dental) Chore Chart

Why, Yes, I am an Adult with a (Dental) Chore Chart

Monday, May 13, 2019

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Last month, I told you about my first trip to the dentist in… well, in an embarrassingly length of time that we don’t need to discuss anymore, now that I’m back on track & taking care of my dental health. Right? Right. Onward & upward.

I’m really proud, actually, of the way I’ve been taking care of my teeth & gums since that appointment, guided by instructions & product suggestions from Sandra, my hygienist at Hudec Dental. I’m planning a future post about what products I’m actually using, but for now, let’s talk about the sort of funny, very childish, but also extremely helpful way I’m keeping track of my new dental care routine.

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A Very Colorful Day in SoHo

A Very Colorful Day in SoHo

Monday, May 6, 2019

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When I was in New York City at the beginning of April, I desperately wanted to visit the Color Factory, but no one was available to join me - & it seemed like the kind of place that was pretty sad to visit alone.

Instead, I made plans to go the next time I was in town, when my coworkers Paige & Jenny & I had a Friday off. We met for brunch at an Israeli cafe called 12 Chairs before heading over to the Color Factory in a veritable monsoon. It was a good day to be indoors!

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6 Small Goals for May

6 Small Goals for May

Friday, May 3, 2019

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I did a pretty good job of April, except for the one thing that's literally life-or-death, so, um, let's not talk about that one. Here's what I did accomplish last month:

1. Get my airbags replaced. Shhhhh.
2. Look into volunteer work. Too much April travel addled my brain, & I forgot all about this goal! I'd like to try it again this month. 

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What I Read in April (Hint: A Lot of Harry Potter)

What I Read in April (Hint: A Lot of Harry Potter)

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

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April 2019 marked the first month in years that I read fewer than five books, but I have a good reason for it! At the start of the year, I vowed to focus more on quality than on quantity when it comes to my reading - to stop aiming for high overall numbers & quit skipping long, daunting books just because they'd make my numbers lower.

So in April, I finished nothing but Harry Potter books.

Is that really worth reviewing? I mean, listen, "worth" isn't the right word there: The Harry Potter books are always work reviewing, discussing, analyzing, dissecting, etc. But I think we all know how I'll review them: 10/5 stars, A+, would re-read again forever & ever, amen.

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