Living Out Loud

Are You Ready for the Fireworks?

We're coming up on Labor Day weekend and you know what that means here – fireworks! I'm kind of excited as this will be my first time living downtown to experience this. I'm looking forward to Sunday.

I really like to watch live fireworks but watching them on television does nothing for me and watching a YouTube clip is even worse – but the clip below doesn’t really show us that many.

The clip is from Labor Day - September, 1988. See if you recognize any of the faces. Also in this clip, they play a music video called “Cincinnati We Are Home.” I have to admit: I like it.

Enjoy the fireworks this weekend and have a great Labor Day.

- Larry Gross

(Photo from frontier.cincinnati.com)

Question of the Week

When was the last time you made love in the middle of the day?

- Teri Archer

(Photo found on Mr. Google)

Mom's Home Cooking: A Family Restaurant

On Sunday morning, I found myself in Price Hill again at the Alpine Laundry. After I put my clothes in the dryer, I decided to go across the street and have a little breakfast.

Mom's Home Cooking is on Warsaw Avenue very close to the Alpine. On the sign out front - right under their name it says "A Family Restaurant."

I don't think Price Hill residents take kindly to strangers. There were four older guys inside and they looked me up and down like I was a …..a…… well, I was a stranger, but I was hungry.

I ordered a sausage, egg and cheese sandwich on wheat from Cricket who was the waitress and the cook. She didn’t smile at me once.

While she was preparing my sandwich, I listened to the old guys there talk about their Navy days. “Fuck this,” “Fuck that,” “Fuck him” flying from their lips constantly while eyeballing me a lot. I don’t think they liked my hair. It’s a little long. While listening to their cursing, I couldn't help but think I sure wouldn't want my family in this "family" restaurant, but maybe that's just me.

Cricket brought over my sandwich. I must tell you: It was really, really good. Maybe she doesn’t know how to smile, but she knows how to make a damn fine breakfast sandwich and the price was pretty cheap.

After Cricket served me, she took out a cigarette from her pack lying on the counter and lit it with her Bic. Ashtrays were everywhere at this family restaurant and most inside were smoking. No smoking ban here! It occurred to me to light my own after eating but I had to get back to my laundry.

I tipped Cricket pretty well. She still didn’t smile.

- Larry Gross

(Photo from home.san.rr.com. No, the woman above isn’t Cricket)

 

The Football Widow

I was sitting in front of the television watching a pre-season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Houston Texans. Although it was only a pre-season game, it was still a great game. The NFL typically holds pre-season auditions for these young warriors as they work to earn their spot on an NFL roster. Unfortunately, many of them will be cut and become blue or white collar working stiffs like the rest of us.

The real NFL action starts in the fall month of September. It’s my favorite time of the year. The days are windy and the leaves have started to turn brown and fall from the trees.  It also signals the coming of Halloween and Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. I look forward to a great turkey dinner and watching the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions. A great NFL game is the perfect way to finish off a Thursday. If you are a true NFL fan, I just described paradise.

Now that I have described paradise, let me describe life in the abyss. The abyss is where the football widow will reside from September 9, 2007 until February 3, 2008.  According to the internet, the official term is for those who have a relationship with a sports fan (often a follower of football, soccer, or rugby) who pays more attention to the game than to their partner during the sport's season of play. Football widows are usually women who have little or no interest in the sport themselves.

These women are left to fend for themselves during the NFL season. If you don’t believe me, go to the internet and read some of the football blogs. These poor women are pouring out their souls to anyone who will listen. They are the abandoned and the forsaken. Sadly, just a few weeks ago, they were mothers, wives and daughters; they have now become America’s football widows.

They can be seen at the local grocery store pushing a cart full of kids, beer, wings and nacho chips. You will easily recognize them because there will be no sign of a husband or boyfriend. The men are busy at home warming up the couch and big screen television. I have seen these widows in the checkout lane purchasing the snacks that will eventually lead to their destruction.

Raped

Karen @ The Hood wrote this post back on October 25, 2006 - one of her most powerful. The last time we heard from her, she was planning on moving out of Over-the-Rhine to an apartment downtown - her and her sister. We haven't heard from her for a long time and e-mails that I send are always  returned - address unknown. I'm rerunning this post today hoping she reads it. Karen, I hope you're all right. Let me hear from you (Larry Gross)

My sister got raped this past weekend. She lives in the hood too just like me.

Kind of stupid on her part – forgot to lock her apartment door. You don’t do that in this neighborhood.

The guy held her at gunpoint, stripped off her clothes, then made her suck his cock. I’m sorry – don’t know how else to say it. Then he got her between her legs after which he hit her in the face. She passed out.

She woke up maybe an hour later or so she thinks and called the cops on her cell phone. She tells me they never did show up but maybe there wasn’t any point. Rape happens a lot here, you just don’t hear about it in the news. You think being black has anything to do with that?

I saw her this morning and she’s all right. Her eye looks bad where he hit her, but it will heal. I felt bad for her and thank god I got paid on Friday. I bought her some breakfast.

She didn’t get a good look at the guy, said it was dark and all niggers look alike. That’s what she said – her words not mine. She likes to use the word nigger – I have no idea why, she’s black too. Maybe it’s because she’s angry. Shit, wouldn’t you be?

- Karen @ The Hood

(Photo found on Google)

----continue on to read comments from 10/25/2006----

No Farting

I think it's over with this guy I've been seeing lately. He thinks farting is funny.

We went to a Mexican restaurant downtown last night and he had some kind of bean dish – a variety of beans, not sure what it was, not really paying a lot of attention.

Walking back to the car afterwards, he started laughing.

“Sorry, but I just have too,” he said – after which he farted right there on the sidewalk.

Did I mention there were other people on the sidewalk?

As if one wasn’t bad enough, he cut another one and then another one, laughing after each one.

I didn’t go back to his place, told him I had a headache. I may feel different later, but I doubt if I ever see this guy again.

I have no idea why guys think passing gas is funny in public, but I sure don’t. There should be a law: No farting in public.

- Carol Walters

(Warning poster found taped up in Carol’s office from allposters.com)

 

Monday's Lunch

Strawberries and cream.

- Teri Archer

(Photo found on Mr. Google)

Hey Cincinnati Panhandler: Leave Me Alone

I'm done with it. I can't walk to the bank downtown without getting hit up for money at least three times. I used to give out some change every once in awhile, but I'm starting to go broke.

I was in New York City for a couple days last week. I didn't get hit up for money not once - not one time, but here in Cincinnati? It’s getting really, really bad.

Now, some of the panhandlers are telling me the exact amount of money they need. What bullshit. Get a damn job!

Panhandlers: Your thoughts?

- Joe Locker

(Photo from www.strangecosmso.com)

That Was the Week that Was - In Blogs

Greg Flannery over at the Porkopolis blog was having some fun with flags last week but the photo used with the post is what caught my eye. Part of the photo was of Bob Marley – a poster that I got Greg for Christmas some years back. We still exchange Christmas gifts each year – my good friend and I – but lately the gifts have turned to more practical and useful items, such as alcohol.

In an effort to prove I’m not always cynical or negative when it comes to downtown, here’s a post from Jackie Danicki’s blog about groovy vibes in downtown Cincinnati. Sorry, I must have been asleep.

Mike Breen over at Spill It had a post last week called “The King, Still Dead.” He asked his readers where they were when they heard that Elvis had died. Well sir, I was sitting in my living room having a beer. My wife was in the shower and the cat was shitting in the litter box. The television was on and I was watching some dumb show when they broke it with the news of his death. Today, I don’t drink beer (vodka is much better), the cat is dead, I don’t watch television and I’m no longer married. Thanks, Elvis. Thanks a lot.

The Cincinnati Nation reported that newspapers are conceding that blogging efforts are not working out so well. Well maybe that’s true for some papers, but not here at CityBeat. This blog alone gets about 10 hits a week. When we put up nude photos, the stats go all the way up to 12!

Think I’ll play some Bob Marley music. Enjoy your Sunday.

- Larry Gross

(Photo from CityBeat)

Cincinnati Photo of the Week

An example of the kind of signs you find in Price Hill.

- Tom Anus

(Photo from google)