Showing posts with label CLE weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CLE weather. Show all posts

Sunday, December 4, 2011

reindeer run

Yesterday, I ran my first 5k that I signed up for all on my own, without the help of Girls on the Run. 

Since 2008 I have been part of this program and I love every minute of it.  I have run a 5k in the fall and spring every season with a group of girls and it is so rewarding.  Seeing 10 and 11 year olds cross the finish, which they never thought would be possible, is awesome.

Before I became a part of GOTR, I never, ever ran.  Like, never.  So it was a big deal for me to finish my first 5k.  Saturday, I participated in the 12th Annual Reindeer Run in Lakewood Park.  Melissa, Anthony, Ben and I ran the race (somewhat) together.  It was a little chilly at first but once we got going and the sun came out, it was the perfect weather for a race.

We all finished at just about 33 minutes, which isn't bad at all for me.  I was happy with my time and glad that I ran the entire time.  That is an accomplishment for me and I'm really happy that we all decided to run together.

We finished the morning with brunch at Borderline Cafe in Lakewood, which never disappoints.  What a wonderful little December weekend!

Monday, November 21, 2011

the lights are up!

This past Saturday, the afternoon weather was gorgeous.  It was sunny and warm...the perfect day for putting up Christmas lights!

I know, I know, Thanksgiving is on Thursday and Christmas decorations should not be up yet.  I (kind of) agree.  Let me explain.

No one really wants to put Christmas lights up in the freezing cold when there is a blizzard.  The best time to put them up is when the sun is shining and your fingers are not turning into little icicles.

Ben and I had the time Saturday before work and we got all the lights up outside.  I just need to get the wreaths put up and we are all set.  Don't worry, they are not turned on yet (but I really want them to be!)  To be completely honest, if we were not hosting our first Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year, I would probably have my tree up already!

Here's to the start of another happy holiday season!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

a day for family

What a beautiful weekend!  The weather we had in Cleveland could not have been any better.  The sun was shining, there was barely a cloud in the sky, and the air was the perfect crisp fall type of air.  It was wonderful and I could not have been more thankful.  Beautiful weather like that just makes you happy and puts you in such a great mood.  Especially when we know snow is just around the corner!

Ben and I spent the day visiting family.  This morning we got up and headed to the eastside to visit with his mom, grandma, and brother for brunch.  We took Breckyn with us and she got to run around on their property and play with his grandma's puppy Abby.  I like Abby because she is a bad dog, and she makes Breckyn look like a good dog!  I know that is so bad, but it makes me feel like I'm raising a half way decently behaved dog (is that really the right way to say that?)

His mom showed me some new knitting projects that she is working on and even gave me 2 pieces for the project that I'm working on with Knitting Club at school.  I can't wait to show the kids Tuesday and hopefully it will help to motivate them to get theirs going.

We headed back to the westside, ran some errands, and then headed over to my parents house for dinner.  We left Breckyn at home even though my sister's dog would have loved to see her.  She was plenty tired and could have used the rest. 

We caught up with my parents and had a delicious dinner.  Of course there is never enough time to sit around and talk and laugh, because we ALWAYS have something to do!

Ben headed to his Chapter meeting and I headed to JoAnn Fabrics for some crafting stuff that I'm going to motivate myself to work on, which means I have to get off this computer now.

Hope your weekend was wonderful!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Hello November! (How did you get here so fast?)

October is over and I can't believe it.  I love the season of fall so much and just wish it could last a little longer.  Today was a beautiful Cleveland fall day and you couldn't help but just have a smile on your face with all of that sunshine.  I even got outside after work and cut back most of the Hosta plants and all of my Mums.  It didn't even feel like work since it was so nice and I took Breckyn out to keep me company.

So apparently there is something called National Blog Posting Month.  I first read about it on Ashley's  blog and had to Google it because I thought it was a made up word.  Turns out, it's real.

Well, I thought this was the perfect time for me to really dive head first into the blogging world.  I am going to be a part of NaBloPoMo!  I know I am a day late, but I am not going to let that stop me.  Instead I will try my best to post everyday.  I'm following @nablopomo and @BlogHerBlogging on Twitter to help me stay on track and give me some writing ideas because sometimes at the end of the day, there is just nothing left up there.

I'm really excited about this and can't wait to see how it all works out.  Thanks again to Ashley for the idea!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

fall is in full swing

Fall is such a wonderful season, and even though it means going back to work for me, I still love when it is here.  I was thinking about all the great things about this fall and fall in general and decided that a list was in order.

Reasons to Love Fall:
  • Warm days and cool nights
  • Sleeping with the windows open instead of the air conditioning
  • Being able to turn off the air conditioning (means lower electric bills!)
  • Football and tailgating...go Browns!
  • Scarves and boots
  • Everything pumpkin...especially Pumpkin Spice Lattes
  • Fall decorations in the house
  • Burning fall scented candles
  • Girls on the Run, a little program I volunteer for that I love love love
  • Melissa is back in Cleveland! (for this fall and every fall)
  • Fall Festivals
  • Clambakes
  • Pumpkin picking and pumpkin carving
  • Apple cider, caramel apples, and candy corn
  • A new season of TV shows
I'm sure I could think of lots of other reasons to love fall, but this is what I've got for now.  I hope everyone has their own list of why they love fall, or anything really.

Here is proof that fall is for football and tailgating and I can't wait for next Sunday!

here we go brownies, here we go!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

ok cleveland, enough with the weather

Well school is back in full swing which means it is much harder for me to sit down and crank out a little blog.  Especially because not only do I have school but I also have work on the weekends because I am crazy.  Yep, I said it and admit to it.

Since it has been a few days, I have to recap what has been going on with the weather!

Tuesday afternoon I was almost ready to leave school for the day.  Almost everything was ready for the kids first day, just a few finishing touches on my room and lesson plans and then my last night of freedom! (which unfortunately began with a dentist appointment, but that's a whole other post)

All of a sudden I thought I was going to fall out of my chair do to a fainting spell or something.  I was so dizzy and the room was spinning and I was like what is going on?!?  One of my fellows teachers said, "I think the room is moving.  What could that be?"

Of course everyone in the room is like, no, no, the room can't be moving can it? Maybe it is! Oh my gosh it is moving!  We don't have earthquakes in CLE, someone must be on the roof. 

Then it was over and we went back to our work.  Until someone can on the PA and said we had to leave so the fire department could come check the pipes.  Yep, it was an earthquake.

Ugh!  Way to put a wrench in my day.  After sitting outside in the hot hot sun for 25 minutes we were let back in the building and all was well.  Everything was finished and the first day of school went as smooth as it could have.  Yay, success!

The second day of school began with getting called off because we had no power!  Awesome right?  Not really.  It was only the second day of school.  I much prefer these days in January, February, or March when no one really wants to go to work anyway.  Then I sat in bed and thought of all the stuff I could get done on my to do list if I was going to be home.  Ok, I said to myself.  I can deal with a day off.

Except I didn't have any power either.  for. the. whole. day.  Now, this should not have ruined my whole day because there are plenty of things you can do without power.  But, I surrendered to the power and decided the only thing I could do was enjoy the sunshine and read a book.  So that's what I did.

Now I'm trying to play catch up this weekend because I didn't get my chores done all week!  Procrastinating is never the answer!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

a wonderful little Sunday

The end of summer (at least the summer break that I am lucky to have) is never a very good day for me.  It is usually one of the worst cases of Sunday stomach that I get the whole year.

Today was much different though and I could not be happier.

We started the day with a delicious brunch at Luxe with two of my favorite people, Melis and Anthony.  Since Melis is still living in Cbus (but will be here soon!) we always try to see each other when she is in town.  Of course working the weekends at MGB makes that a little hard and that is why brunch is perfect.

We sat on the patio, even though it drizzled a little and had some delicious food.  They even have a 2 for 1 drink special from 11 until 1 on Sundays, which is awesome!  We had lots to talk about and catch up on and made sure to do so over a few breakfast cocktails.

The afternoon was spent lounging around in the yard with Breckyn enjoying the sunshine and relaxing.

We then met up with my dad and sister for an early (of course) dinner at the one and only Gene's Place which is so authentic it doesn't even have a website.  I can't even begin to count the number of times I have eaten at this restaurant and it never gets old.  I will take my children (which currently are not even in existence) there someday and absolutely look forward to doing so.  Nothing says family time like a family owned diner with delicious food and awesome staff.

Ben and I came home and have been relaxing ever since.  It was a wonderful little Sunday, and even though I'm never ready to go back, I feel pretty prepared to start work tomorrow.

Here's to another great, and hopefully quick, school year!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Taste of Tremont

Yesterday we rounded out a very busy working weekend with the annual Taste of Tremont.  It was the first time we've ever gone and it was awesome!

Besides the fact that it was 90 degrees and I was sweating the minute I stepped out of the shower and did not stop until this morning when I broke down and turned on the air conditioning, we had a great time.

There was a ton of great food and even more tasty beers had by all.  We were lucky enough to snag two seats at Flying Monkey where we ended up sitting for over 2 hours thanks to the great bartender we had who kept feeding up lots of delicious drinks.  Jenna ended up joining us there and as we were leaving we met up with Tony who we don't get to see very often. 

So we continued to eat and drink, ran into a few people from work, ran into old friends, and ended the night hanging out and tossing some bags at Tommy and Joe's new place.

All in all it was a great weekend.  I did however fail to take any pictures that are even close to being worth sharing.  I know, I know, I'm failing at my goal but oh well.  We all had fun and are looking forward to the next summer festival to attend!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Another Rainy Weekend

The rain hasn't stopped. 

Despite all the wet weather, I had a pretty awesome weekend.

Friday night I ended up meeting Melis, Anthony, and Mark out at Bar Cento for pizzas and drinks.  This is one of my favorite places, obviously because I enjoy visiting Ben while he is working.  We had a great time as always...the service was good and the pizzas were great!

Saturday morning I was up bright and early because I participated in the 16th annual Walk for Stronger Bones.  This is the second year I have participated in this event.  Last year I was invited along with my Girls on the Run group that I help coach.  This year we were again invited to walk, and although our group was a little smaller and it was "misting" the entire time, it was a very nice event.

Ben and I took a little trip to The Westside Market when I got home to get some fresh fruits and veggies and bagels and breads for the week.  We also had some delicious crepes from Crepes Deluxe.  We have never eaten here before and it was great to grab a yummy treat and stand outside the market in the sunshine and enjoy breakfast.

After the shopping trip we went to the second annual Hooley which is located at Kamm's Corner.  They shut down part of Lorain Ave and have lots of different vendors out with a band and even stuff for kids.  We took Breckyn and she did a pretty good job with all the people around.  The skies quickly got dark and we ran back to the car so that we didn't get soaked.  We made it home and lounged around for the rest of the afternoon before Ben went to work.

I grabbed dinner with the parents and sister at Two Dad's Diner (no webpage sorry!)  This is a great little diner that is run by two families and has great food.  We love to go there for breakfast or dinner.  There is never a wait and the food is always good.

I spend the rest of the night in and even got to bed early! (it's okay, I know I'm a big dork)

This morning we met Melis and Anthony at Market for brunch.  Yes, that's right, Market.  I have officially been there for the last 3 Sundays for breakfast. And for happy hour last Thursday. 

Overall, great weekend despite the rain.  At this point in CLE we don't have a choice but to just go out and brave the raindrops!

Friday, May 13, 2011

Can't Shake the Market

Is it wrong to eat at the same restaurant three times in three weeks?  Or maybe it just means I'm a loser.

In my defense the first 2 times I went for brunch, and last night we went for happy hour.  Since we can't do Friday or Saturday night dates, we try for Thursday and Sunday brunches.

After two great brunches we decided to try happy hour at Market.  Three dollars beers, four dollar glasses of wine, and five dollar apps sounded like a delicious night. 

We had a great time and the food wasn't that bad.  The ahi tuna won-ton crisps and mussels were delicious.  The salsa trio and brushetta were just ok, although I will absolutely be going back.

We enjoyed the rest of the night lounging on the couch watching The Office with Breckyn happy to have us home.

As for tonight and the rest of the weekend, not yet sure.  The rain is supposed to be on and off, but Melis is home for the weekend so there is bound to be some good times! 

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Happy to see the Sun

Well it was finally a beautiful weekend in Cleveland.  And guess what?  The weather has been nice the last three days!  That's five days of nice weather...I've about lost my mind!

I've spent as much time as possible outside, even if it is just sitting on the patio doing absolutely nothing.  It is so wonderful.  Living in Cleveland really does make you appreciate the seasons.  I am a lover of summer and the sunshine, so when it is nice I go out and do things because here in CLE we don't always have that chance.

But I love fall too and the leaves changing color.  The warm days and cool nights, sitting out by a fire. 

And then there is winter.  The first snowfall is always so pretty even if you aren't the biggest fan.  I always cross my fingers for a little snow on Christmas, and then of course I love having snow days!  What is better than getting a phone call that says you don't have to go to work?  Not much.

Spring though, it isn't my favorite.  I don't even know if I like it at all.  Yes it leads me to summer but there is far to much rain.  Ok, the rain helps my yard and flowers and vegetable garden, so I like it a little.  But if I was ranking the seasons, it would definitely be number 4.

Today though, I am happy with you spring.  Thank you for a few beautiful weather days in a row!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Cinco de Margarita

Well the sun in Cleveland finally came out.  At least for one day, but that is reason to celebrate.

So is Cinco de Mayo.  Why do we celebrate this?  What does it really mean?  Does anyone have the answers to these questions or are we just happy that we have an excuse to drink?

After a long day of work, a little running to practice for the next GOTR race, sitting outside in the backyard smelling the freshly cut grass thanks to Ben, we finally headed out to dinner.

Of course deciding to go to a Mexican restaurant on Cinco de Mayo at 6 is a recipe for waiting an hour.  And that's what we did.  Having worked in restaurants for a long time, we understand this though and have lots of patience.

After a pitcher of margarita's and a spicy burrito, I was a happy girl and the sun was still shining.

Today is a different story...the rain is back and it looks like it's here to stay.  Thanks a lot Cleveland.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Ok rain, now I'm angry

So I've been complaining a lot about the rain lately.  Yes I know it's spring and it's supposed to rain, and the rain is good for the flowers and yadda yadda yadda.

I can deal with all of that.

What I can't deal with is rain water in my basement!  Not cool rain, not cool at all.  When there is so much rain that the ground is completely saturated and it starts coming into my basement, I'm mad.

So let's make a deal.  Can you please stop?  I promise to plant lots of flowers and be good to Mother Nature if you would just stop.  I know you are forecasted to keep coming until Thursday but I can't take it anymore!!

Thanks so much...Rachael

Friday, April 22, 2011

Good thing I was alone...

I woke up this morning and was looking forward to enjoying the day off work, going out for the afternoon and shopping while the sun was shining.

Then I woke up in the real world (Cleveland in the spring time) and it was cold and rainy...again.  But I still had the day off, had some great coupons and knew of a few good sales.  So I put on my scarf and jacket and trudged out in the rain.

I made my first stop at Old Navy where I had a 50% off coupon for anything in the store!  After an hour of shopping and looking through the store at least 3 times to make sure I did not miss anything that I just had to have for this summer, I finally left.

I walked out to my car.  I pressed the unlock key and it wasn't working.  So I pressed it again and of course pulled harder on the door, as if that would actually help.  Then I noticed that someone had put some bags on my passenger seat that did not belong to me (how did that happen???)  Oh yea, it took me until then to realize I wasn't trying to get into my car...it was some other car!!!!

In my defense, it was my car, same color same style basically the same car.  So there I was walking away hoping no one was watching me like an idiot.  And then I found my car, right next to the one I was trying to get into!  So I told myself that it really wasn't my fault.  Someone parked right next to me in the same exact car and I couldn't even see my car because theirs was in the way.

I drove away laughing at myself because what else do you do when you do something that dumb?

I continued shopping in the rain and made sure to double check before I attempted to get into any cars the rest of the day.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Rain Rain Go Away

I miss the sun!  I am definitely feeling a lack of Vitamin D over here.  We have had so much rain the last few days I'm starting to feel like a wet mop.

What can you even do in the rain?  I can't take the dog for a walk...well I guess I can but it's very messy.  I cleaned the house which wasn't fun.  I just want to get out in the yard.  I want to cut the grass and smell that great smell.  I want to put the new ceramic pots out on the porch and get them ready for flowers.  I want to plant new plants and get the mulch delivered.

Soon Cleveland, very soon, you will be showing us what spring weather is.

I know this is just one big complaint, but it's my blog and I will complain when I want to.  Really, does anyone actually like the rain?

circa we heart it

Monday, April 4, 2011

April Showers

Ok, I have to be honest.  I have a huge case of the Mondays.  Having 6 days off work and having to go back  on a rainy Monday, well it really gives you a case of the Mondays.  I tried my best to be positive all day, and I think it worked as best as it could.

Besides going back to work, another reason it was so easy to have a case of the Mondays was because of all this rain!  Come one Cleveland, I know they say April showers bring May flowers, but sitting at work all day watching the rain pour harder and harder while keeping your fingers crossed that there is not water in your basement when you get home is not fun.  Luckily there was no water.  But the backyard is a mud puddle and the gardens are turning in to small ponds.  The daylilies are coming in nicely though, so maybe they are right.

Since the rain hasn't stopped I find the only solution to be to grab my book and being the nerd that I am, read for the rest of the night.

Hope you had a wonderful Monday :)

Thursday, March 31, 2011

A Wednesday Night Out

I'm not one to go out during the week, but it was the end of March, the beginning of spring, 30 degrees and snowing on my Spring Break, so I decided that I needed a night out.  It just so happens one of my good work friends felt the same way.

We met at a nice little spot downtown that neither of us had been to before.  Metro Bar + Kitchen had a nice happy hour with $4 martinis, so that's where we started.  We proceeded to spend the next 4 1/2 hours enjoying martinis and chatting away.

There is nothing like a good night out with a friend, even if you see that friend five days a week at work.  It's nice to get out of that environment and just catch up on everything you don't talk about with little ears around listening.  I have found that having those nights with friends are what keeps me sane, and I think everyone needs those.  Girlfriends are something that I appreciate and am truly thankful for.  And getting to go out on a weeknight, have drinks and dinner and a great talk, makes it that much better.

The atmosphere was great, the food was delicious, and I would like to go back when their patio is open.  I like patios and drinking outside....can you tell?