May 20, 2013 · 12:27 pm

Who wants to play tourist in #CLE with me and share it with the world?

I have been a resident of the Cleveland area for a majority of my life. Still, there’s a lot about this place I haven’t seen or done. I’ve always had a goal in mind of playing tourist in Cleveland for a day (or days!), and I have the absolute perfect opportunity to do it coming up.

Have you heard of @twkusa yet? It’s a pretty cool project inspired by @sweden — each week, a different American takes over the handle for a bit to do whatever they want with it. This sort of project is typically called #RotationCuration or #LocationCuration. Several countries have followed @sweden’s lead. @twkusa is the USA version of the project. Learn more at their website. (Nominate yourself to curate for a week if you want!)

On Sunday, June 23, I take over the account. For one week, I will get to tweet about my life in this little corner of the country. I’m pretty pumped about it, mostly because I want to see what sorts of conversations I can get into with the other #LocationCuration curators in other countries, and it’s also a chance to interact with people from around the U.S. that I wouldn’t otherwise tweet with.

One thing that’s exceptionally fun about it is that I haven’t seen anybody else from Cleveland or Ohio take on the handle yet. I am also conveniently on vacation for the entire week. What better way to spend my time off than to explore the city and share it with the followers of @twkusa? I get to play tourist AND share some neat things about Cleveland with a global audience.

I’m not even entirely sure what I want to do that week. Maybe check out the Rock Hall? I still haven’t been. Who has suggestions? Better yet: Who wants to join? I’m happily seeking volunteers to play tour guide or to get lost in town one day with me. Pick a day or an activity, and we can share our adventures with the @twkusa audience.

If you would like to join me, shoot me a line with a day you’re available or activity you’d like to do. If you’re up for some adventures with me that week, I’ll retweet you from @twkusa and give you shoutouts from the account. If you want me to share photos you take via Instagram or whatever, I’ll do that, too! Basically, just looking for fun staycation activities in CLE. Maybe at the end of the day I’ll buy you a celebratory drink if you’re game. Up to you entirely :)

If you can’t join me one day, I’m gladly accepting recommendations for activities or things to do in the area!

What do you think? Where should I go? What should I do? How would you spend a staycation around town?

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May 9, 2013 · 3:48 pm

I don’t really care about Charles Ramsey’s past crimes, and neither should you

Charles Ramsey captivated the Internet this week when he gave an interview outlining his role in the rescue of three women who had been held captive in Cleveland for the past 10 years.

Ramsey gave his account of what happened when Amanda Berry was able to get the attention of neighbors and escaped the house where she was held. After his apparently entertaining interview, he was lauded as a hero and the Internet went nuts meme-ifying, song-ifying and otherwise glorifying the man credited with rescuing Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight.

Some say his efforts were heroic. Some say he is taking undue credit and that Angel Cordero, another man who does not speak English, was responsible for freeing the women. Others now say Ramsey’s the scumbag of the planet.

Wow, what a whirlwind of comments for just one man.

Here’s what we know about Charles Ramsey to be true:

  • He lives near the house where the three women had been held since the early 2000s and knew Ariel Castro, the suspect in the kidnappings, on what seems to be a fairly casual level.
  • He called 911 to report Amanda Berry’s escape from the house, and requested backup and aid for the woman.
  • He makes for an entertaining interview subject.
  • He was arrested on a number of charges, ranging from involvement with drugs to domestic abuse.

It’s that last one that is causing a stir.

I understand that a man who has been thrust into the public eye is going to be under more intense scrutiny now. What I really don’t understand is why we’re making a fuss about his prior arrests.

First: I don’t want to make excuses for Ramsey’s previous crimes. He committed them, was arrested, charged, and served jail time. These things will always be a part of his past, and he knows that they will probably continue to tarnish his reputation. I do not condone any of the activities related to his charges, and all I can do is hope that he doesn’t partake in such behavior in the future.

However, I really don’t care that he committed these crimes. I mean, as a normal person who doesn’t like drugs or abuse or crime in general, I do. It just has nothing to do with his role in the rescue of the women, and I don’t understand why the media or public need to know about any of it.

Sure, arrest history can be made public record. But his past activities have nothing to do with his role in helping free the women.

Of course, I don’t agree with calling him a hero or glorifying him. He did a great thing, and we should all be thankful. From what I’ve heard, he also wishes to donate money to the girls and their families, which is also very generous. We have no reason to be anything other than appreciative for his help.

What I think is that it should stop there.

A simple “Thank you, Charles Ramsey” really would suffice. Do we need shirts adorned with his face? No. Should we treat him with respect if we see him around town, and perhaps offer our thanks? Yes.

Why today’s culture has us fixated on people like this is beyond me. He helped the girls, he aided law enforcement, and he gave a statement to the media to inform the public of what was going on. After that, he should just return to being a private citizen and the rest of us should hope and pray the women receive justice for the crimes committed against them, and that they are able to somehow reconstruct normal lives after recovering from such a traumatic ordeal.

In-depth reporting about Ramsey’s “sordid past” are nothing but muckracking attempts meant to sensationalize a person who is currently in the spotlight. The media knows this man is popular, so they know stirring up conversation about him will increase their followers/web hits/viewers/readers. So thank you, Cleveland media*, for turning a private citizen into a spectacle.

Let’s just move on, folks. Nothing more to see here. Thank Ramsey for his help, and keep praying for justice and healing for the women.

*I’d also like to thank the media in Cleveland and on a broader level for the ridiculous crowding of these women as they are trying to recover. Crowding around their homes, shoving cameras at them in the hope of getting a statement, etc. It’s appalling.

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April 30, 2013 · 7:48 am

Pinterest, Meal Planning and me

Ok, I’m back at it, as evidenced by the copious amount of sweat oozing out of my body.

I woke at 6 this morning, strapped on my running shoes, and hit the pavement. I jogged when I felt like it and walked when I felt like it. I didn’t want to push myself too hard, because I still have fears about the state of my back.

It was nice to get outside and breathe fresh air and be active, even if I’m still slow slow slow. Slow is better than immobile, right? Right!

Once I shuffled back to my apartment, I rolled out the yoga mat and got to work. I didn’t do any yoga, mind you. Instead, I dove straight into a workout I found on pinterest last night.

It was brutal. I think by the end of the day, my body is probably going to fail. Seriously.

 

Workout

I didn’t do the run part. And I threw in some pushups and dips, too. The fact that I retained enough energy to lift my arms to type this is impressive, quite honestly.

My back isn’t in agony, so I’ll call it a success. Even if I feel quite like death.

Considering I took a month off any sort of movement to recover from injury, this was probably a major win for me. But right now, I feel like the workout did me.

Send ice. And a nap. Thanks.

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April 24, 2013 · 8:17 am

Injuries, setbacks and frustration

I am often a patient person. I’m not one to lash out or have road rage or get worked up because I’m waiting in line or something like that. I have my moments, of course, where patience is harder to come by. In general, though, I think I’m pretty laid back.

But right now I am impatient. Frustrated, even.

My entire fitness regimen was completely derailed that day I was hit by a car. Of course, walking away with minimal injuries is a blessing, and I am incredibly thankful it wasn’t any worse. A month later and my back is still recovering. I shouldn’t expect anything different–I’m still getting chiropractic care, and serious sprains are no joke. The back muscles also support practically your entire body. Injuring those muscles, in a word, sucks. And you certainly can’t expect them to heal quickly.

So here I am. One month later, and finally back to the gym. Except… it’s like I had to start all over. Like I’ve never jogged in my life.

Aerobically, I don’t get winded very quickly, so I guess I retained some level of fitness. This is good. My legs, however, are like jelly. I can’t figure out why they’re taking this so hard. My back feels some strain, which I expect, and isn’t bad enough to make me feel like I’m pushing myself too hard. I have to assume that the general level of soreness is just made worse because my back hurts. Or something.

Well, at least I’m trying, right? I had to get back on the horse–er, treadmill–eventually. I just feel like it will be so far before I can reach any goals I had previously set. It frustrates me so much. I had high hopes of running a couple five-milers early this summer, but that doesn’t seem likely now. If I can run 3 by the time I had hoped to run 5, I’ll consider that a success.

And that ab workout I was doing? Try doing that with a sprained back. No chance. I’m afraid to touch weights, because any upper body workout I would attempt would be supported by my back as well. So, walking and jogging is about all I can manage–and it’s a slow walk and jog at that.

It’s disappointing, to say the least. And I wish I didn’t have to be patient about it.

Slow and steady wins the race?

Or something.

Oh well. Here’s to another C25K workout completed today. And even if I’m struggling, I’m still doing better than I was when I was laying in pain on the couch. So, progress.

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April 22, 2013 · 6:58 pm

S#!& on my mind

These are a few scattered thoughts that have been on my mind lately. Enjoy. Or not. Whatever. They are in no particular order, and dedicated to my friend Damien who told me I should blog more.*

–I wish I had thought of Shit My Dad Says first. The things that come out of my father’s mouth are simply amazing. I am rather positive that I could make entire stand-up routines based solely on what my dad says to me. Example: After dental surgery on Monday, these delightful passages were among some of the first he uttered through his swollen cheeks:

  • “I sound like an 80-year-old homo with a lisp.”
  • “Wait. No. You know who I sound like? THAT GAY SLOTH FROM ICE AGE!”
  • “I started watching The L-Word on Netflix for the tits. I was like, ‘Yeah! Tits!’ Now the tits don’t even arouse me and I care about the story. What? Am I turning into a chick?”

For the record: My father is not nearly as homophobic as those quotes might suggest. In fact, he once told me he LOVES gay guys because they leave more women for him, except for the lesbians. BUT, he loves lesbians, too, because they’re “way hot.”

–Last week’s constant stream of major news made me simultaneously glad and disappointed I no longer work in the news media. On the glad side, the news was so distressing that it would be pretty upsetting to have to cover in any way. On the disappointed side, I miss being in an environment where it is encouraged and necessary to absorb as many facts about breaking news as possible. I couldn’t turn away from the coverage, as tragic as it all was.

–I once told my boyfriend not to send me flowers at work, because being the center of attention would be embarrassing. Then he did it. I was mildly embarrassed for like a minute, but now I have really pretty flowers to look at so it’s OK now.** He also left a really funny card that I will probably keep forever.

Danielle,

Just figured I’d drop these off for you. It’s my way of showing I can occasionally be a decent boyfriend.

-Tony

–Speaking of my relationship, I must not be a horrible girlfriend. This thought actually came from my grandmother, as we were discussing Tony’s weekend work schedule; he works as a DJ every Friday and Saturday night. My grandmother said she thought most girls would get mad, and nag their boyfriends about how bored they are every weekend. I don’t do this. Partly because I really, truly do not mind being home alone on a weekend night. I’d rather have my boyfriend around, of course, but the alone time can be relaxing for me. I can be a homebody, so what? This Saturday I sat on the couch, read two books, and cuddled with my cat. It was cozy and relaxing and I loved it. Don’t judge me.

Anyway, I don’t like the idea of girls getting mad at their boyfriend because they’re bored when they’re not with him. Get a hobby. Make other friends. Whatever. In this day and age, there is no reason to be bored when you don’t have somebody else there to entertain you.

–What scares me most about Boston is that I imagine these scenarios before they happen more and more these days. Tony and I recently took a weekend trip to Buffalo and Niagara Falls. We went to a Sabres game in Buffalo, and there was quite a bit of construction happening around the arena when we were there. As we were leaving, the very large crowd was funneling through a pretty tight space between construction work, and there was a bit of backup and waiting as the crowd tried to squeeze through. The sad thing is, one of the first thoughts I had was, “Gee, this would be an opportune time for someone to bomb us or start shooting into the crowd.”

Depressing thought? Absolutely. But is the thought itself depressing, or the fact that there have been so many instances of people attacking crowds that I can picture something like that happening so easily?

This is a thought I had just days before the bombing at the Boston Marathon. So clearly I am not alone in picturing these scenarios–the difference being, of course, that I would never consider engaging in such horror. But if someone like me sees these situations and thinks it, obviously the enemy does, too.

The world is getting so much scarier.

–I wish I could escape the feeling that I’m a prisoner in my own body.  Call it “unlucky.” Call it “accident prone.” Whatever it is, I’m always hurting. Of course, I got hit by a car walking across the street (I had a walk, she drove away, I’m fine and seeing a chiropractor), so back pain is certainly expected. It still stinks when you’re getting into a good exercise groove and it is all derailed. Insert whining here.

*I have a feeling that Damien won’t even see this. Prove me wrong, Damien. I dare you.
**Wordpress wasn’t letting me add the photo, so I had to link to it. Dumb.

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March 15, 2013 · 10:03 am

Short Post: Pushups are hard

I’m about halfway through the March workout I mentioned once before, and I know my strength and stamina is improving a little. The workout is still a challenge, though. ESPECIALLY the pushups. Today I was supposed to do 20, and I had to take a 30-45 second break after 10 before pushing through the rest. I suppose taking that short rest is better than nothing.

Also, planking is rather difficult when your cat decides she should jump on your back while you’re on the ground. Especially when you’re planking for over a minute. Planking is no joke.

 

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March 12, 2013 · 4:17 pm

The childhood crush I never knew I had

When I was young, my dad used to make me watch Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

Well, he didn’t actually *make* me do it. It was pretty much the one show he watched, and if I wanted to watch TV on Sundays nights, that was it.

The show started airing when I was 7, and I absolutely hated it. It was sooooooooo boooooring to my young brain. Frankly, looking back I realize now that the adult themes were probably of no interest to me, even though I was a pretty mature young kid. Adult drama was over my head, and I used to complain all the time to my dad that I wished we could watch ANYTHING else. I often sat there and read instead, probably Baby-Sitters Club, Goosebumps or Fear Street books.

Even though I liked the idea of superheros–especially if they were, let’s say, crime-fighting turtles or even power rangers (particularly the mighty morphin’ sort)–this incarnation of Superman was just above my head.

By the time the show ended in 1997, a fairly mature 7-year-old Danielle had aged into an even more mature 11-year-old Danielle. And, believe it or not, I had started actually liking my dad’s favorite TV show.

Maybe it was the consistent exposure that did it. Maybe I had grown so used to it, and had picked up on enough of the story that the habit of watching Clark Kent and Lois Lane duke it out with Lex Luthor became less daunting. Who knows.

26-year-old Danielle has another theory. I think my younger self had a crush on the Man of Steel.

Let’s face it: Dean Cain was quite a looker in that role. Tall, dark, handsome, charming… exactly how Superman should be. Any incarnation of the consumate superhero I saw after that just didn’t *fit* the role. Example: I caught Smallville when it debuted, but I just didn’t buy Tom Welling as the young Clark Kent. He didn’t have the same dark features. He struck me as more quiet and nerdy and “average” than anything. Which is fine for Clark Kent’s back story, I guess. Still. Even Clark in ‘New Adventures’ was a total smokeshow.

Related: What employee of that newspaper wouldn’t think Clark was a total babe? I find men in glasses to be extraordinarily sexy. Yeah, the early 90s version of Clark Kent had pretty dated glasses, sure. That’s no matter. If I were Lois Lane, I would have been instantly attracted to Clark before finding out he was Superman. But that’s just me.

Also related: Time has probably been kinder to Teri Hatcher than to Dean Cain. Although I’d venture to guess the latter has had less work done.

Also, also related: Henry Cavill in this summer’s expected “Man of Steel” film? *drool* He certainly fits my expectations better than Tom Welling ever could.

In my earlier years, my main celebrity crushes were on Devon Sawa, and both Joey and Matthew Lawrence. (I did a mean Joey-on-Blossom “woah” impression back in the day.) I didn’t really appreciate the hotness that was Dean Cain’s Superman until later. Naturally I was more likely to crush on stars that were slightly more age appropriate at the time. Did that mean I was completely oblivious to the sexy star of the series? Probably not. He just was too old to be fully on my radar while I was daydreaming about the human version of Casper the Friendly Ghost.

I guess it’s never too late to develop a childhood crush? Or remember one, anyway. Maybe one day I’ll suddenly discover I had the hots for another 90s sitcom star. You know, other than the usual suspects*.

*Rider Strong on Boy Meets World, Jonathan Taylor Thomas on Home Improvement, etc

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