When you live in a city for 25 years you get attached to the place. Cleveland holds the history of my life; there are places I frequent, people I have become accustomed to seeing on a regular basis, my elementary school is here, my high school is here, my college, grad school and I just know where everything is. For awhile now I have slowly been bidding farewell to the people, places and things in Cleveland that fill my memories. I don't like saying goodbye, but come to think of it everyone says that. I don't think anyone likes goodbyes. There is something so finite and unknown about a goodbye. Like I might never see this person again or I don't know when I will be able to eat this pizza again I better scarf down five slices.
When Joe was still in town we tried to fit a lot of our Cleveland favorites into his last bit of free time. We went to Pizzazz and hood bar and ate too much salmon salad, drank too much and said adios to some bartenders that know our usuals and barely charge a dime. We dropped by La Fiesta and the Westside Market, rediscovering oldies, but goodies and gorged on guacamole and famed gyros. We finally visited my mom's office so she could show Joe off to her colleagues, whom she's been talking to about him for years. We went west to Joe's old hood for some last drinks with friends that are like family to Joe and I. Those were hard. These are the people we can only hope to find in Denver.
Joe's been gone for some time now, already on his third week of work and the goodbyes continue. Living at my mom's has been like a perma mom date and we have visited Pizzazz together more times than we should confess to. We have said farewell to many long time family friends, people that have been watching me grow into myself. People that treat me like their own children. People I will see at my wedding, but who knows after that. People I don't even know how to thank for the part they have played in my life, my family's life.
Mostly, from all of this, it has occurred to me the amount of things in life I have taken for granted. This sort of taken for grantedness is not wanton, but a sort of sneaky, silent taken for grantedness. In fact I don't really think in these moments of living you can thank people for the things they do for you, because at the time you don't know what they've done. I guess I just want to say that all of this farewelling has made me want to be more appreciative, considerate and in the moment.
As I get closer to my departure date, I am realizing more and more the person I would like to be in my new hometown and I only hope I can hold myself accountable to these thoughts that I've been sharing.
ttfn.
Monday, May 13, 2013
This One Goes Out to the Homeowners
In less than three days I will be jetting off to Denver (Momma and the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee in tow) to be reunited with my man and to renew my love affair with the Mile High City. One thing I am leaving behind is a house. This house was really my first home away from home and it has been quite an interesting learning experience. Sorta like that time I got subpoenaed for not filing my first ever year of taxes (How was I supposed to know to pay taxes?!). There are a lot of things that go along with owning a house that people don't really come right out and say.
I wanted to share a few items that popped up whilst I owned my house. These items are in no particular order, only that they occurred to me this way.
1. City Citations: The city in which I live must be in need of money, because they like to cite you for things as often as possible. Whether it be for an unruly lawn, less than new siding, or an ugly roof...homeowner's beware! I have been cited for all of the above plus a few minor things I didn't really even understand. But the moral of the story is homes take work and upkeep and maintenance and work. The lawn needs be mowed on a regular basis. You can't let your siding go to shit (even though mine looked fine just old). You have to weed and water and weed and water and fertilize and water. And it is just plain annoying. I am ready to live in an apartment where all of these things are not going to be my problem!
2. Garbage Disposals: If you live in a house that was not built yesterday a garbage disposal is another name for a drain. Don't put things down them, it'll get clogged or the food will just sit in the bottom of your disposal and rot. This rotting food will begin to smell pretty rank (especially if it was old cat food or egg shells) and if you ever leave your windows open you will develop a bit of a fly problem.
3. Trash Day: There is a reason trash day comes every week, especially if it is the summer. You should always force yourself to take the garbage out. Food scraps do not do well in heat and will eventually spawn maggots and you'll have another cause for a fly problem. P.S. don't think flies will be stopped by closed windows either, flies don't like the heat as much as you don't and they will find a way to partake of your air conditioning bill.
4. Plumbing: If you live in a house that was tended by a bunch of faux, easy fix idiots than things will go wrong. You might have to run around the house naked trying to figure out how to stop water from the shower from gushing through your basement ceiling onto your TV and Joe's PlayStation. Or you might find one day that the cabinet under the sink is breeding mold because the cabinets and kitchen sink were installed wacky and water has been dripping into the cabinet every time you've used the sink (and I don't have a dishwasher).
5. HVAC Systems: Restaurants have these great HVAC systems that just like suck smoke and stuff up in them and make it really hard for the fire alarm to go off every time you fry a burger. Sadly most houses do not. The first time I cooked an entire meal for Joe was to entice him to put my book shelf together and to make him my momma's brussel sprouts. My momma's brussel sprouts take a considerable amount of stove time so they can get extra crispy and create a lot of tasty burnt bits. In my house those tasty burnt bits cause the fire alarm to go off every twelve seconds until you take the batteries out. This led to me removing all fire alarms from my home so I didn't have a heart attack every time I cooked. This leads me to number 6 after I tell you to always cook with the doors and windows open when you make something with tasty burnt bits.
6. Fire Alarms: Don't remove all the fire alarms from your home because if you live in my neighborhood where house fires seem to be normal you will want that ear bursting noise to wake you the hell up in case of a fire. And don't think I am exaggerating. This past summer there were four houses on my block that caught fire...one was my neighbor and one was three houses down and there has already been another few this spring.
7. Talking Like a Homeowner: You've heard it before...That momma scold the second you lower a frosty glass on the table and she yelps, "Use a coaster!" Well when you have a home you begin to realize why people do things like use coasters. When you use coasters your tables look like new thus your home looks a little more civilized, a little less fratty and you get a sense of pride from keeping up your house.
8. Clean the Kitty Litter Daily: I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I clean the litter daily, but I try to and I know I should, because guess what? Unclean litter translates to an unclean house. You know what I mean? I'm not going to explain this one, but seriously just clean the litter as often as possible so your home does not become an extension of the box. You know what else you should clean often? Your sheets! Or they become on allergen rag and that'll make your boyfriend snore.
I hope a few of these rang true with you or at least made you laugh. I am definitely looking forward to some of the perks of apartment living...gah can't wait to move in!
Peace out.
I wanted to share a few items that popped up whilst I owned my house. These items are in no particular order, only that they occurred to me this way.
1. City Citations: The city in which I live must be in need of money, because they like to cite you for things as often as possible. Whether it be for an unruly lawn, less than new siding, or an ugly roof...homeowner's beware! I have been cited for all of the above plus a few minor things I didn't really even understand. But the moral of the story is homes take work and upkeep and maintenance and work. The lawn needs be mowed on a regular basis. You can't let your siding go to shit (even though mine looked fine just old). You have to weed and water and weed and water and fertilize and water. And it is just plain annoying. I am ready to live in an apartment where all of these things are not going to be my problem!
2. Garbage Disposals: If you live in a house that was not built yesterday a garbage disposal is another name for a drain. Don't put things down them, it'll get clogged or the food will just sit in the bottom of your disposal and rot. This rotting food will begin to smell pretty rank (especially if it was old cat food or egg shells) and if you ever leave your windows open you will develop a bit of a fly problem.
3. Trash Day: There is a reason trash day comes every week, especially if it is the summer. You should always force yourself to take the garbage out. Food scraps do not do well in heat and will eventually spawn maggots and you'll have another cause for a fly problem. P.S. don't think flies will be stopped by closed windows either, flies don't like the heat as much as you don't and they will find a way to partake of your air conditioning bill.
4. Plumbing: If you live in a house that was tended by a bunch of faux, easy fix idiots than things will go wrong. You might have to run around the house naked trying to figure out how to stop water from the shower from gushing through your basement ceiling onto your TV and Joe's PlayStation. Or you might find one day that the cabinet under the sink is breeding mold because the cabinets and kitchen sink were installed wacky and water has been dripping into the cabinet every time you've used the sink (and I don't have a dishwasher).
5. HVAC Systems: Restaurants have these great HVAC systems that just like suck smoke and stuff up in them and make it really hard for the fire alarm to go off every time you fry a burger. Sadly most houses do not. The first time I cooked an entire meal for Joe was to entice him to put my book shelf together and to make him my momma's brussel sprouts. My momma's brussel sprouts take a considerable amount of stove time so they can get extra crispy and create a lot of tasty burnt bits. In my house those tasty burnt bits cause the fire alarm to go off every twelve seconds until you take the batteries out. This led to me removing all fire alarms from my home so I didn't have a heart attack every time I cooked. This leads me to number 6 after I tell you to always cook with the doors and windows open when you make something with tasty burnt bits.
6. Fire Alarms: Don't remove all the fire alarms from your home because if you live in my neighborhood where house fires seem to be normal you will want that ear bursting noise to wake you the hell up in case of a fire. And don't think I am exaggerating. This past summer there were four houses on my block that caught fire...one was my neighbor and one was three houses down and there has already been another few this spring.
7. Talking Like a Homeowner: You've heard it before...That momma scold the second you lower a frosty glass on the table and she yelps, "Use a coaster!" Well when you have a home you begin to realize why people do things like use coasters. When you use coasters your tables look like new thus your home looks a little more civilized, a little less fratty and you get a sense of pride from keeping up your house.
8. Clean the Kitty Litter Daily: I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I clean the litter daily, but I try to and I know I should, because guess what? Unclean litter translates to an unclean house. You know what I mean? I'm not going to explain this one, but seriously just clean the litter as often as possible so your home does not become an extension of the box. You know what else you should clean often? Your sheets! Or they become on allergen rag and that'll make your boyfriend snore.
I hope a few of these rang true with you or at least made you laugh. I am definitely looking forward to some of the perks of apartment living...gah can't wait to move in!
Peace out.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Random Acts of Kindness
A few wonderful things happened this weekend.
My brother graduated from Miami University in a red-capped ceremony surrounded by bleachers of hollerin' people. I felt proud to be witness to my brother's accomplishments and proud to share it with my happy, little family. A day later I can still feel how special that day was. My family was together, dad included, in a peaceful and harmonious way and it felt honest and pure and like how a family is supposed to feel.
Hugh also happened this weekend. Hugh, a retired Miami teacher and acquaintance of my brother's from Kofenya*, insisted upon taking photos to commemorate Nate's graduate moment and that he did. Hugh took a lot of pictures. Hugh did this just because. Just because he enjoys Nathan as a person. And because he feels the need to do good things for good people; that is what gets him up in the morning.
I really haven't come across people like Hugh too often. I don't think many people do this in the iPhone era. It made me feel weird, to be honest. To witness something so simple and sweet as doing an exceptionally great thing for someone without a thought towards how it will benefit you. It made me want to understand it, to dissect it, to discuss it. It made me feel not enough, like in a beautiful kinetic motion sort of way. Like there are tremendous things inside me coiled like springs, waiting to propel forward in the name of bettering lives because that is what people should do. Good things.
This morning we ran into Hugh at Kofenya picture envelopes in tow. Envelopes full of the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen of my family. And we all sat and drank coffee, chatting away while looking through picture after picture of my favorite smiling faces as Hugh made sure we knew how to find each print on the disks he included.
It was another wonderful thing and it was a great mother's day gift to boot. Past years we've spent Mother's Day presenting brunch and mimosas to my momma and having planned plans. But this Mother's Day will go down in the books. No plans were made, just the intent to drive back from Miami, but one gesture from a stranger made it notable, impactful and I appreciate that altruism.
This world is sated with malevolence, but it makes me feel a little more secure, a little more unburdened to know that there are people still exercising their humanity.
It is a beautiful life.
*A local Miami of Ohio coffee shop.
My brother graduated from Miami University in a red-capped ceremony surrounded by bleachers of hollerin' people. I felt proud to be witness to my brother's accomplishments and proud to share it with my happy, little family. A day later I can still feel how special that day was. My family was together, dad included, in a peaceful and harmonious way and it felt honest and pure and like how a family is supposed to feel.
Hugh also happened this weekend. Hugh, a retired Miami teacher and acquaintance of my brother's from Kofenya*, insisted upon taking photos to commemorate Nate's graduate moment and that he did. Hugh took a lot of pictures. Hugh did this just because. Just because he enjoys Nathan as a person. And because he feels the need to do good things for good people; that is what gets him up in the morning.
I really haven't come across people like Hugh too often. I don't think many people do this in the iPhone era. It made me feel weird, to be honest. To witness something so simple and sweet as doing an exceptionally great thing for someone without a thought towards how it will benefit you. It made me want to understand it, to dissect it, to discuss it. It made me feel not enough, like in a beautiful kinetic motion sort of way. Like there are tremendous things inside me coiled like springs, waiting to propel forward in the name of bettering lives because that is what people should do. Good things.
This morning we ran into Hugh at Kofenya picture envelopes in tow. Envelopes full of the most beautiful pictures I've ever seen of my family. And we all sat and drank coffee, chatting away while looking through picture after picture of my favorite smiling faces as Hugh made sure we knew how to find each print on the disks he included.
It was another wonderful thing and it was a great mother's day gift to boot. Past years we've spent Mother's Day presenting brunch and mimosas to my momma and having planned plans. But this Mother's Day will go down in the books. No plans were made, just the intent to drive back from Miami, but one gesture from a stranger made it notable, impactful and I appreciate that altruism.
This world is sated with malevolence, but it makes me feel a little more secure, a little more unburdened to know that there are people still exercising their humanity.
It is a beautiful life.
*A local Miami of Ohio coffee shop.
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