Vidstar Video

Where we were in Cali, I had a devil of a time finding anywhere to rent movies other than Blockbuster, who seemed to be relieving itself of any inventory that wasn't totally mainstream. We finally started borrowing videotapes and DVDs from the library.

The library system where we were was pretty good, and our branch had a really good selection of movies. Also, items reserved online usually got to our branch within a couple of days, and I don't think I ever looked forsomething I couldn't get.

We tried that with the library here, because I'm all for libraries and Dr. Jay is all for free (there were small fees at the library in Cali, both for borrowing DVDs and for reserving items, but they didn't amount to much) but our branch has a tiny selection and items on reserve can take weeks or months to arrive. (There are not, however, any fees associated with borrowing DVDs or putting items on reserve.)

So we needed another alternative, and we found Vidstar Video, a good, old-fashioned, hip, local video store over on Coventry. It seems like a tiny place, but they also seem to have everything.

We opened our windows today!

It was 70 today! My god, spring is finally here!

When we came home today after work, it was broad daylight, and warmer outside than in the house!

Spring really does feel better after an actual winter. Of course, I felt sort of hot and itchy and headachy today, but, as I recall from growning up in New England, I always got sort of sick when spring came. My mom called it spring fever, which is sort of funny because, a) the thing everyone else calls Spring Fever is a relaxed and positive thing, like Senior-itis; and b) I read somewhere that Spring Fever was originally actual illnesses that people used to have by spring in the olden days from not eating any fruits and vegetables all winter. And neither of these seems to apply to me.

Everyone says that it will get cold again and might very well snow, but I don't care.

Angela-Mia Pizza

My parents, Mom and Dad are in town, helping us work on the house. We were all busy today with house projects and needed something easy for dinner. So we decided to try a new pizza place. After a little searching online, I found Angela-Mia Pizza and decided to give it a try.

I didn't realize it was in East Cleveland in what might be considered a Bad Area until after I had ordered two medium pizzas and a large salad. So Dr. Jay and I piled into the car and went to pick up the food. It's take-out only, and the most remarkable feature of the decor is the thick plexiglass window protecting the employees from us. Anywhere there were holes in the window, like for passing pizza boxes, money, or cube-shaped objects such as salad containers, there were plexiglass doors that the woman behind the counter and I both got a laugh out of watching me try to navigate.

And the food? Everyone really liked the pizza. I found the canned mushrooms to have a metallic taste but the crust was very nice. Right in between "thick and doughy" and "thin and crispy." And the pizza was not at all soggy or greasy. The salad was iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, black and green olives, and peperoncini.

We were all very happy. I think we'd go there again, but we might think twice about going after dark. I felt very safe, but I guess the plexiglass must be there for something.

"Visitors bureau to promote city's rich arts scene"

Article from the Plain Dealer. (Will the link stop working in a couple of days? I hope not.)

Imagine. Promoting arts in addition to sports. What a crazy idea!

Visitors bureau to promote city's rich arts scene

Things that helped me get through the winter

Well, just two days till the first day of spring, and I seem to have survived the winter in good shape. I know, I know, we still may get more snow, and it won't get warm right away. But I feel pretty confident that I'll get through the rest.

So, how did I do it? Well, I'm glad you asked. I was so sure it would be horrible, that I was determined to do whatever I could to prevent becoming cold, wet, and depressed.

Right after the first of the year, I started a Pilates class at the local recreation center. I'm now almost done with my second 6-week class, and I love it!

Along with the Pilates, I walked the dog for 10 to 30 minutes every night. It was dark and cold, but it got me out.

My Muckers! Ok, so I just found out that they're actually called Derby. But anyway, they're made by Clark's of England. They're so comfortable, like slippers, and I wore them every single time I walked the dog and they kept me dry and happy.

And under them, I wore my SmartWool Expedition Treckers. So warm and dry! Thick and comfy! And green. Hurrah!

Then there's my GoLite "Portable Handheld Light Therapy Device". No Seasonal Affective Disorder for me! Dr. Jay's aunt got me this for my birthday, and we both use it. I think it's helped us both.

Oh, and Dr. Jay's sister gave me a long black wool coat from J.Crew that was delicious when it was cold and snowy. AND, my long underwear. A few different brands and models, but it went on every day after work and didn't come off till bedtime.

Anatolia Cafe

A few weeks ago we went out on a Friday night not really sure where we were going to eat, and we ended up at Anatolia Cafe, a Turkish restaurant with yummy, yummy food. (The link's a little wonky, but hopefully it will turn out to be the right one...)

I got some lentil soup, which was pretty good, and hmmmm. I don't remember. One of us got shish kebab, I think, and the other...maybe an eggplant thing? Whatever it was, it was awesome. Maybe stuffed eggplant? The eggplant was the one we really fought over.

This isn't a very good or helpful post, is it?

Well, what was definitely good was the custard we had for dessert. Very firm and unusual. But soooo good.

Eat at Joe's

Before we started our day of home-remodelling-shopping fun, we stopped at Eat at Joe's to try their breakfast.

I got an egg/cheese/bacon/kaiser roll sandwich. Very good in an almost fast-food kind of way. Dr. Jay got 2 eggs over medium, sausage, hash browns, and whole wheat toast. The sausage was delicious but sort of reminded me of McDonald's. The eggs and toast are basically what you'd make yourself at home; nothing special but fine. The hash browns (with plenty of Heinz ketchup) were plain but totally delicious in a french-fry kind of way.

I want to go back and try their pancakes.

Oh, and the bill came to $8-something for all that and OJ.

Famous Gyro George

We were out today looking at furniture, floor covering, bathroom fixtures, and lights, as well as getting shades cut for our windows. It was past time for lunch, and we were tired and hungry and looking for a place to eat other than Subway or Rally's. Dr. Jay suddenly said, There! and turned into what looked like a reclaimed Arthur Treacher's, a place called Famous Gyro George.

It was crazy inside, with all kinds of pictures of Cleveland, Marilyn Monroe, Greece, and boxing, as well as big signs announcing the menu all over the walls and ceiling and windows. They are open 24 hours and serve breakfast all day and night, normal stuff like "The Clevelander" (2 eggs, 3 sausages, and two pancakes, or something like that) as well as a gyro omelette.

We ended up getting both getting the "regular" which was a nice greek-style pita, lettuce, tomato, onion (well, we left off the onion), a huge pile of gyro meat, and a big tub of garlic sauce. It was really good. Juicy, delicious, definitely too big to eat as a sandwich.

Dr. Jay thinks it might be a great place to get pancakes in the middle of the night.

Peking Gourmet

Last night we went to Peking Gourmet for the first time. Apparently, everyone's crazy about their vegetarian dishes. (That's a link to Google Local. I don't know how it will work...)

We got a meat dish, some kind of sizzling something with three meats. It was really good. We also got a vegetarian dish, which we didn't really like, which is strange for us not to like something. It had some nice fried tofu, but then something, maybe called bamboo tofu? Or pate? and some other things, maybe they were the pate? Or woodear mushrooms? Anyway, there was a taste we didn't like, maybe sweet or liquid smoke?

Anyway, we found out they have Peking Duck, which we just had for the first time a few weeks ago in DC, and we're definitely going to go back and try that as soon as we can think of any excuse to celebrate. Maybe St. Patrick's Day?

Cross Country Skiing

We're apparently about to break a record for snowiest winter in Cleveland ever, but we put the snow to good use by running over to The Cleveland Metroparks Euclid Creek Reservation for a quick ski.

It's so cool to be able to ski for 40 minutes and come home. No waking up at 3 in the morning, driving 4 hours to get to snow, and paying for trail passes, then either driving 4 hours home or paying to sleep somewhere.

sniznank

My god, it's like it snows every night in March.

Davis Bakery

Oh...Corned beef! Hammentashen! Fruit tart! Bread! Yum, Yum, Yum!

The cakes look scrumptie and it smells great.

There are a few Davis Bakeries around. I've been to two, and so far I like the one at Cedar and Warrensville Center best, but it's moving. In fact, it's moving because that's where the Whole Foods (among other things) is going in. Hmph.

Mekong River

Mmmmmm. Mekong River.

We went on Friday because we wanted to try something new, and we were really impressed. I just said, "What was that place called?" and Dr. Jay said, "Uhhhhh. That was good."

They had a lot of things on the menu that I recognize from Thai restaurants, and then they have some Cambodian items. We got some Tom Kha Kai, and it was the simplest and most delicious version I've had. Chicken, coconut milk, lime, cilantro. It was fantastic.

Then we got Beef Macadamia. I was afraid it would be like cashew chicken, all gooey and sweet. But it was beautiful, nutty, slightly sweet, and lots of basil.

The waiter was surprised that we weren't done ordering, but we also got Cambodian Gumbo with chicken. This was sort of strange; I don't think I've ever had anything spiced like it before. But it was good, too. Papaya, pumpkin, green beans, baby corn, etc.

They were really nice and gave us extra rice to bring home with all our leftovers. We're definitely going back.

Snizzle

Yesterday all the snow was gone. On the way home last night, Dr. Jay pointed it out and said it must be about time for more.

I looked out this morning and there was so much snow. Blowing like crazy. And I just didn't feel the excitement I've been feeling all winter about it. It was still pretty, but...eh. Not magic. It mostly looked to me like some news footage of a snowstorm.

Maybe I'm just tired today.

But my few daffodil bulbs that the squirrels didn't get are still coming up, right through the snow.

Firehouse Grille and Pub

This is where we went last night: Firehouse Grille and Pub. We were under the impression that we were going to Marinko's Firehouse Restaurant, which had formerly been in that location serving Hungarian food. (We weren't the only people there surprised by the menu. A woman at the next table refused to order anything after her drink because there was no stuffed cabbage to be had.)

We decided to make the best of it, since we had driven all the way to Willoughby Hills. We discerned that their specialty seemed to be frying things. Dr. Jay and I try not to eat too much food that's been deep fried, but once we decided to take the plunge, we didn't hold back.

We shared two sandwiches. One was a battered and fried fish fillet on a bun that came with a tub of tartar sauce. Mmmm. The other was a battered and fried hamburger topped with the usual lettuce and tomato AND a few breaded and fried mozarella sticks. Wow. That was a good burger. The french fries were the battered kind and wicked good. Sort of krinkle-cut-steak-fries or something.

We topped it all off with, are you ready? We'd already gone crazy with the fried food, so we took a deep breath and ordered the deep-fried twinkie. It turned out to actually be TWO twinkies, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and raspberry sauce. It was...well...it was interesting. And sort of good for having no chocolate in it at all. The fried part was a little greasy and maybe tasted a little of hamburger or old oil or...Ok. We ate the whole thing.

Then we went to see Ocean's 11 at the $1.50 movie theater, the other big attraction in Willoughby Hills.

I guess the other remarkable thing about the Firehouse was that so many of the other people eating there seemed to know each other. And be related to each other.

CWRU Film Society

That's the Case Western Reserve University Film Society. Like they have at lots of colleges: films on Friday and Saturday nights for a few dollars. Sometimes very recent; sometimes classics.

We've seen a bunch of movies there, but we also went to a local filmmakers' night at the end of January with lots of shorts and lots of the people involved in making them. A glimpse into the "local film scene."

That's another cool thing about Cleveland. Like Austin, it's big enough to have a "scene" (music, film, dance, etc.), but small enough to have a "local scene." The San Francisco Bay area is so much on the national map that the scene there, at least the scene I saw, didn't feel very local.

Another snowy day

It snowed last night again. It snows a bunch, then melts, then snows, etc.

I took the dog out for a walk this morning, and actually thought, "The snow is so great. I can't imagine living ever again in a place where it doesn't snow!"

Then, and wind came up and got me right in the face, and it got even weirder. I thought, "God, that cold wind feels SO GOOD!"

My coworkers have made it clear that they are very ready for spring and don't care to hear my thoughts on the subject.