This is quite possibly one of my favorite billboards ever. Not only is it getting Cleveland completely PUMPED for the upcoming Cavs season but it's an ad for STARTER! When's the last time you saw one of those?
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There are days when I love my job more than others. Two Tuesdays ago was one of those days. My office brought in the Cleveland APL and Mason's Creamery for "Puppies and Ice Cream" in which we were able to enjoy a tasty sundae made from Mason's best flavors in exchange for donations to the APL. The APL volunteers brought in two adoptable dogs, Sissy Lee and Slinky, as well as a few kittens. I don't remember all of the cats' names, but I do remember an adorable little white one named Harold. I seriously love when animals have human names, by the way. Our company as well as the team from the Holiday Inn (we share a building) raised $1,000 for the APL and brought more awareness to these loveable fur friends. Check out some of the pictures from the event below. Some were taken by me and a few others were taken by my co-worker Maggie (you can check out her stories at Twin Parenting). I'm not sure if these animals have been adopted, but regardless you can visit the APL's adoption pages to see all of the pets looking for good homes. Note: the opinions of this post are my own and were not created on behalf of my employer.
In case you forgot, the Downtown Cleveland Alliance is trying to raise money to build a dog park in downtown. This would be a huge asset for the thousands of humans and dogs that live in the area. It will also be a great way to start bringing people to the Flats East Bank area and get a peek at some of the great development going on there. The organization currently only has reach 24% of its goal, so there is a long way to go. Please help spread the word and make this happen! To make a donation, click here. Woody already loves the view. Wow, do I have a lot to talk about this week. A lot happened recently and Woody and I went on some pretty long walks this weekend. So, you'll be hearing a lot from me in the next couple days. First thing to share is definitely one of the upcoming additions to downtown that I am most excited about: Barrio's new location near East 4th Street. If you aren't familiar with Barrio, they are a Tremont staple (also with a Lakewood location and a food truck) that serves amazing build-your-own tacos, plus their own monthly specialty tacos and delicious beverages out of mason jars. Every time I go to the Tremont location it is PACKED, so hopefully this will spread out some of the business while introducing it to out-of-towners and suburbanites that only come into the city for games and events. I'm not quite sure of the opening date, but it will be this fall and I will be a frequent visitor. Another new hangout that I've been long awaiting is Butcher and the Brewer, a new brewpub/butcher shop/speakeasy on East 4th Street. This place has been teasing me for about a year and it FINALLY opened this weekend. Curt and I stopped in for a drink Saturday night and ended up sampling all their in-house brews (it's $2.75 for a 5-ounce sample). We fell in love with the ambiance the moment we walked in the door. Some highlights:
These two places are just a handful of new hotspots opening before the year is through. Are there any new places in your neighborhood that are must-visit drinking and eating establishments? Let me know in the comments below! If you wander around Cleveland enough or attend any of the city's many summer markets and/or festivals, you may remember coming across one of these: Yes, that is a bicycle covered in plants and surrounded by flowers. It's part of the Bikes, Bees and Butterflies project, a public art/urban sustainability project that encourages biking and the creation of green spaces filled with plants that support insect pollinators. I first learned of these at the Gordon Square Arts Festival, and it wasn't long after that this one appeared in my neighborhood.
I'm truly loving the creativity and passion shown in Cleveland's public art scene, especially when it promotes more than just a catchy structure. And, I am slightly (no, horribly) terrified of bees after being stung in the air when I was 10, but I know that they serve a true purpose and love seeing people taking charge to provide them an outlet where they can thrive doing what nature intended. To learn more about the project, visit them on Facebook. P.S. Because this is a dog blog, I want to try to get Woody in each of my walking observations photos. As you can see though, this is not always going to work. In case you missed the news earlier this week, Downtown Cleveland Alliance is raising funds to "create nearly 4,500 square feet of fenced space at the base of West Superior Avenue for your furry friends to enjoy - complete with waste receptacles and seating for humans." This location is near Settler's Landing, across the river from Jacob's Pavilion at Nautica. The goal is to raise $10,000 from the Downtown dog-loving community, which DCA will match, dollar-for-dollar, to make this project a reality. If you love your dog, and you love downtown, please support the cause! There are over 1,000 dogs living in downtown Cleveland, and with all of the new green space for humans to enjoy, it's time they have somewhere safe to play, too. If you'd like to contribute, click here. The more you donate, the more "prizes" you will receive. This week's edition of Walking Observations took me over the Hope Memorial Bridge, one that conveniently connects downtown and Ohio City via Lorain and Carnegie Avenues and is famously protected by the Guardians of Transportation. For those who are unfamiliar, the bridge opened in 1932 and has recently undergone slight transformations to become even more pedestrian and bike-friendly. This was actually just my second time walking the bridge, the first with Woody. I've also run over the bridge during the Christmas Story 5K and the Cleveland Marathon 10K. My favorite thing about this bridge is undoubtedly the view. It's so awesome to just be able to sit back and take in the city. Many times, you will see photographers trying to capture the best shot from their perspective. Using my iPhone, I snapped a few photos from Woody's (sort of). If you haven't taken the time to go over the bridge, I suggest you add it to your "Cleveland Bucket" list. If you have walked over, let me know what you like most about the bridge and why both locals and visitors should make the trek!
So, this is a post that I've been meaning to share since June 18. Better late than never! On June 17, the Cleveland Indians hosted their annual Puppypalooza event. They typically do this in June and September, but it looks like this year June was the only one. I have been meaning to take Woody to this since we moved downtown 2 years ago, but something has always come up. Finally, I secured tickets ahead of time and cleared my schedule. I'm so glad I did! This is now one of my favorite Indians promotions. They truly ensure dogs and humans have a good time. Plus, they have a multitude of volunteers from the Cleveland APL and Banfield Pet Hospital to make sure everything runs smoothly. Curt, Woody and I arrived early because prior to the game there is a parade in which all the dogs and their owners get to walk the warning track. It's been unseasonably cool this summer, but I can say that this might have been one of the hottest days we've had thus far. The dogs were panting and the humans were sweating, and we waited about 30 min. before heading down to the field. Once we got out there, I could not believe how many dogs were actually in attendance. There had to have been at least 300. As we got out of the gate we realized that walking onto the field is forbidden and monitored by volunteers, but I didn't see anyone trying to push their luck. After walking the field, humans and dogs were able to pick wherever they want to sit on the Budweiser Patio. I was slightly nervous about this, given that Woody can be a little territorial when he's on the leash. But, everyone's dogs were really well-behaved and people followed the leash rules and gave other owners/dogs some distance to avoid mass chaos. Woody did decide to single out a husky and another larger dog in front of us that he just felt like he didn't like and kept growling and barking at them when they would look at him as if he was offended by their presence. I would give him a B+ for behavior skills. Another key thing that I think made a difference was that they did not do any fireworks during home runs like normal. This is a big deal since fireworks and thunder are sever anxiety inducers for dogs. All in all, I highly recommend this to dog owners next year. Check out my slideshow below and comment to tell me if you were in attendance and what you liked most about the event! "A tired Jack Russell is a happy Jack Russell" - some man I encountered on one of my dog walks.
This quote could not be more true, which is why I try to take Woody on a long walk almost daily. One of the neatest things about living in downtown Cleveland is that there is always something new to discover. There are fixtures in downtown that have actually been here for years that aren't always noticeable or understood until you open your eyes and pay attention to your surroundings. With all of the hype surrounding Gay Games 9, the RNC and Lebron's return, Cleveland is seeing the most positive worldwide attention it's received in decades. So, I thought this might be a great time to start sharing my firsthand observations from the walks that Woody and I take. Each week, I will highlight something we've discovered, whether it's something I noticed or something that attracted Woody's attention. From unique architecture (like The Arcade, which reminds me of the interior of the fine dining room in Titanic) to new bar and restaurant openings, I will share a little piece of the city with you. Hopefully you will enjoy learning through the eyes of a girl and her dog, and just maybe it'll make you want to walk around and explore on your own. Welcome to Cleveland! We hope you enjoy your stay. After what seemed like a never-ending winter, we finally had a full weekend that felt like spring in Ohio. How convenient that it came just in time for Mother's Day. By the way, I hope all the mothers to human and fur babies know how much they are loved!
A month ago, I was in San Francisco (which, by the way has more dogs than children under age 18 within the city limits!) and out of the blue experienced some severe pain in my foot. I'd been training for the Rite Aid Cleveland 10K so I was a little nervous that maybe I overdid it. I was right. When we got home from our trip, I went to the doctor and found out I have cuboid syndrome, which is essentially a misalignment of the cuboid bone, and was put in a walking boot for three weeks. Fast forward to Friday, and I finally got back to a boot-free life. First order of business was to purchase new running shoes (I went with Brooks Ravenna 5 & LOVE them!) that would help me keep any future injuries away. Second order of business was to test out the new gear, and let me just say, they are amazing. Meanwhile, the boyfriend and I decided to start experimenting with our own little indoor garden. So far, I have one tomato plant that I got from the Market Cafe and Wine Bar for $15. I'll likely get one more this week, and we are looking to pick up a few herbs this week, among other things. Oh, and I can't forget...we went to the Cleveland Flea this weekend. If you are in the area, I highly suggest this monthly event, which brings together local artists, designers, food trucks and more. From clothing to vintage furniture and unique art that lets you show off your city pride, there are so many treasures to be found. I will definitely be going back next month. Since it's outdoors it is dog-friendly, so I will likely take Woody with me next time. What are your favorite activities (with or without your dog) now that the weather is warm? |
AuthorI'm just a twenty-something female raising the weirdest dog I've ever met. Archives
January 2019
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