Monthly Archives: May 2007

I’m gonna meet Bubba

Posted on by yllwdaisies

Ok, so the last post I did wasn’t supposed to be about Bill Clinton. I think sub-consciously it all came out b/c he’s been on my mind. Why, you ask?

B/c I’m gonna MEET HIM!!!

Yes, you read right. Well, kinda. Ok, so not so much “meet him“. Let’s not argue about the semantics. I’m gonna be in the same place as him. [said silently: Most likely hundreds of feet away]

My sister’s graduating & is about to take this world by the throat & shake it around a little. Is that violent? B/c she’s not that violent; she’s got an attitude (she gets it from my mom, just like me & my other sister do). But she’s not violent. Anyway, she’s super smart, & we love her, & are so proud of her. So, we were all stoked to see her gradumatate.

But now, we find out that Bill Clinton’s speaking at her commencement ceremony, so we’re even more excited now.

What? You say you wish you were there? Well, they’re having a live videostream, so there’s always that. And you can pretty much count on me posting about it w/ pics.

Now, before I leave you, be honest w/ me… Do you think it’d be a little much if I wore the shirt pictured to the left?

In Remembrance

Posted on by yllwdaisies

Today, we observe Memorial Day*. There was a time when Memorial Day was a big deal; not so much anymore. It was 1st observed in 1868 (officially); although it is noted that women in the south would form organized groups to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers before that.

Pres. Clinton did a lot for Memorial Day (as I believe he did a lot for many things). Before Clinton, the Presidents of the US did not routinely observe Memorial Day. In May of 2000, he put out a memorandum saying that while we should honor those who fought & gave their lives for us, we should especially honor them on Memorial Day. In December, he made it a resolution; that the entire nation should take a minute at 3:00 (local time) to honor those fallen defending our values.

In 2004, Washington DC held it’s 1st Memorial Day parade in over 60 years. DC, ppl, uh, the nation’s capital. Yeah. Bout time, huh?

This post is not supposed to be about Bill, it’s supposed to be about taking a pause in the day today. But I think my bias for Bill Clinton comes out whenever I say or write anything relating to him, huh? I do think he’s one of the good guys.

*actual Memorial Day is May 30th. It is observed the last Monday in the month of May.

Person of the Week: Joe Pa

Posted on by yllwdaisies

UPDATE (Nov. 10, 2012): I am now taking back this post. I’m leaving it up, b/c I once was compelled to hold his man to a higher standard. But for obvious reasons, I now take back this post. Original post:

I’ve decided that every week, I’m going to have a person that kicks ass. I’ll likely post this at the end of the week; Thurs, Fri, or Sat. But I’m not promising. I can’t handle that kind of commitment.

I thought of this b/c I read these stories about ppl who I think just rule in the best way possible.

Our 1st Person is Joe Paterno. Joe Pa, as he’s called, is not gonna stand for any BS. He is the coach of the Penn State football team. A couple of his guys were punks; so he decided that the whole team’s gonna clean up Beaver Stadium after each home game. Everyone. B/c they’re a team, & he will not have them called trash.

“We’re all going to do it, everybody. Not just the kids that were involved. ‘Cause we’re all in it together. This is a team embarrassment. I wouldn’t call it anything much other than that.”

“I just thought that, hey, we had 14, 15 kids – I don’t even know how many – that were involved in something embarrassing, and I think that we need to prove to people that we’re not a bunch of hoodlums.”

In addition to cleaning up the humongo stadium, they’re also gonna build a house for Habitat for Humanity, & volunteer over SUMMER for the Special Olympics.

Most football coaches let things slide. “Boys will be boys.” That sorta thing. But if you just let boys be boys, then how will they EVER become MEN?!

This is a man, a real man, to admire. He has character & principles & ideals. He knows right is right, & wrong is wrong. He will not have ppl talk trash about HIS ppl. He’ll chase down a ref if he thinks he’s wronged his ppl.

He will teach his ppl to rise above. And that makes him good ppl in my book.

Um, did I also mention that he’s 80, has been the coach or assistant coach there for 57 years. AND, Penn State has never been under NCAA probation, and has never been under any serious investigation for wrong-doing since he’s been there. Why? Uh, b/c he RULES!

why’s it gotta be good?!?

Posted on by yllwdaisies

You know that saying “With a name like Smucker’s, it’s gotta be good”? What’s that supposed to mean? If it weren’t for the jams/jellies, I never would’ve heard the name Smuckers, & then if I did hear it, I wouldn’t think, “Oh WOW, that’s gotta be good!”

I mean, I can understand if it was “With a name like Heaven, it’s gotta be good”.
Or, “a name like Angel…”.
Or, “Superhero…”

Or, “Pope…”. Oh, wait … no that wouldn’t necessarily mean it’s “good”. That may just mean that it’s tolerant of what they choose to be tolerant of.

brew-ha-ha

Posted on by yllwdaisies

So, you remember when I told y’all about the Magically Mystery Brewery Tour that I was part of? Well, this month’s stop was supposed to be the Northfield Park Brewery. Being the dedicated individual that I am, I went to their website to do some research. I needed directions, but I like to investigate what types of beers they have so I can prepare for the night.

In particular, 2 brews they had jumped out at me:
WINNERS WHEAT LAGER – A refreshing, unfiltered lager for those who know how to pick ‘em! It is made with kiln-dried, malted Belgian wheat and accented with domestic barley and imported hops. Winners Wheat is brewed in the German tradition with a light body and a fruity aroma.

…and…

SILKS CREAM ALE – As smooth and crisp as a new set of silks! Made with Belgian malts and domestic hops, this beer is brewed for the American palate. The rich, creamy head accents the bright, golden ale. Silks Cream Ale is lightly carbonated and has a mild taste with a clean hop finish.

Now, I do love Belgium-style wheat beers (like Blue Moon, or Hoegaarden, & Chimay- but that’s not a wheat beir, I don’t think), so I knew I’d like the 1st one. And the 2nd one brings to mind A&W Cream Soda (I know, only b/c it has cream in the title), but it made me curious.

So, I get to the website, & at the top it says in all caps:

“PLEASE NOTE — WE ARE CURRENTLY REVAMPING OUR MICROBREWERY STAFFING AND PRODUCTION PROCESS.
MICROBREWS ARE CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.”

What!?!

So, I shoot off an email to them to see how updated this site is. You know, maybe they’re back up & running. The email comes back to me as undeliverable. This is not a good sign.

Next step, I decide to call. Yes, I’m at work on Friday afternoon. But I had to scramble, the brewery stop was the following evening, & a mass # of ppls were going to head from all different directions for naught if I didn’t act fast*. I got this recording. Yes, that’s not unusual. Here’s the strange part…

Are you ready for this? (I can’t believe someone may still be reading this far down). The recording was a BRITISH WOMAN! Um, this is NE Ohio. Yeah, that’s all I’ve got. But it was weird.

Turns out I did talk to a couple of ppl there, & we’re going to have to re-schedule our beer stop cause they closed down the microbrewery w/ no plans to re-open soon.

Am I a hero for finding this all out in the nick of time? Did I feel like a hero? Well, I don’t really buy into the whole labeling thing, but….

*This may be a slight exaggeration.

Unavailable.

Posted on by yllwdaisies

Ok, so I was told earlier this week at work that our offices will be closed this coming Monday. My boss will still be coming into work, but that’s different (he’s just very dedicated). Well, I just went down to the kitchen to get my sammich outta the fridge; & I was talking to a colleague who was already in there. He said that it turns out that we’re going to be open on Monday after all. I told him that I wasn’t hearing what he’s gotta say, & that I want no part of his heresy.

I also decided that I need to be pro-active b/c I really NEED this day off. So, I’m changing my voicemail:

“Hello, I’m unavailable to take your call right now; please leave a message & I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.” [this won’t be until Tues, but there’s no reason to get into that]. “Please do not try to find me, I will get back to you when I am able. Also, do not go to any parks/beaches looking for me. Or Great Northern Mall, or Crocker Park; as I will not be there either. Oh, & don’t stop by my house in the early morn b/c I’m not there sleeping in since I don’t have to go to work.”

Think it’ll work?
~fingers crossed~

hokie nation

Posted on by yllwdaisies

Yesterday, I met someone from Virginia Tech. I had spoken with him on the phone a couple of weeks ago when he was thinking of moving here to Cleveland for grad school after he graduates from VT this month. He just showed up & told me how much he loved Cleveland, just having spent the day here. As y’all know, I just love this place. I love the ppl & the crazy beautiful weather. Yes, the weather is whimsical, but aren’t we all?

Anyway, today is May 4th. That means something to a Kent alum. I remember my years at Kent, going to the vigils in remembrance of that day. The day itself was spent on Taylor Hill, among the daffodils. Sitting or laying on the hillside, listening to musicians inspired by the event, or listening to those who lived through it talk. You could feel something in your gut when you heard them recount their stories. And that was 25 years after it happened; experiencing it through them.

This kid I met yesterday had been through quite a bit in this past month. He lost a friend in that shooting. He’ll be moving to Cleveland this July, & moving forward with his life. He signed his lease yesterday, & is ready to come here. He sees what Cleveland has to offer; & I have to admit, I was secretly thankful to Mother Nature for giving him such a gorgeous day to visit. His life is changed forever, but he is positive. All our lives are changed forever. Everytime some tragedy happens, it does affect all of us. We are all related to one another.

If you guys have never visited the Virginia Tech website, you should go to see the photo gallery. Click on ‘National Support’ & see those pics. I cried when I saw them, but I’m pretty much a baby anyway. They are very moving.