WHY IS IT SO PRETTY OUTSIDE? It’s 77 degrees, and I feel like I should be at the Romeo and Juliet part of the year instead of the research paper part. At any rate, the teenagers are ready for summer. And so am I. Ryan and I took the pup for a stroll in Lincoln Park after work, and I wore sandals. Who needs to go to Belize when Ohio’s this pretty?

WHERE TO GO FOR A FLAT TOP: Lately, I’m always on the lookout for a good place to take a break in the shade, so I noticed this cutlery-themed bench for the first time outside a barber shop by the park. Also, according to the sign in the window, they do flat tops. Win-win.

A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN: I might be more mentally prepared to discuss the end of the grand narrative than to take care of an infant, but nevertheless, we’re getting pretty excited for the small human who will reside in this room. Her middle name may or may not be Clementine, but one thing is for sure: she will be surrounded by books. Hopefully she likes to read, to0. It’s going to be one fun summer; I better pick up that zoo pass.  The countdown as of today: 32 days.

WINDOWS OPEN and YOU, YES, YOU: Somehow Cleveland missed winter this year. It might be global warming, but I’m going to take it as an auspicious sign of good things to come instead. Although Christine’s going to be in town soon, so there will probably be a blizzard this weekend. Christine, Melissa, Tim, Kyle, and Krystin – can’t wait for all of you to visit Cleveland in the next few weeks! Pasta and Allison – congrats on the big news. We’re super jazzed for you! Thanks to my adorable newspaper staff for throwing me my first ever surprise party and a better shower than any teenager should be capable of coordinating, and thanks to my mom for planning my shower for this weekend. Pete and Erin – we better wear the Kitty Kat Club shirts while we still can! Looking forward to a superfantastic end-of-season celebration of our mediocrity.

Ryan and I are back in Cleveland after a short trip to Oahu. We figured this might be our last trip for a little while, so we got in some good seafood eating, sunrise hiking, and beach sitting. I’m pretty psyched to spend the rest of my incredibly generous vacation time (seriously, 17 days???)  in C-town meeting up with family and some friends. On the list for today: baking some chocolate-raspberry cookies, last-minute record shopping for Christmas, and maybe some Prosperity Social Club. They have the best decorations.

Merry Christmas from Cleveland: This is Ryan and I hanging out at the lighting ceremony downtown.

And Hawaii: Where it smells like pineapple and flowers even at Christmastime.

EVERYONE LOVES CLEVELAND — Hey, Tim Pitoniak, Ted Mosby (and any other Ohioan at heart who lives in real or fictional New York), I have just the place for you: check out Tremont a new 45-person restaurant in New York City’s West Village. According to the owners’ Web site, “It was the trees, the beautiful brick and stone buildings and warmth of the passers-by that in the end made the name connect our hometown with this treasured corner in the West Village.” It’s great to see some Cleveland love in the big city. Thanks to Janean for sharing this stellar find! (Photo: Tremont’s Web site).

DOWNTOWN FOR THE HOLIDAYS – Ryan and I had the best night a few weeks ago. We went downtown for the 60-degree lighting ceremony, which was packed with holiday-lovin’ Clevelanders, and we stopped on 4th Street on the way back for what turned out to be a decent locally-run replacement for the long-defunct Higbees and May Company.  Dredger’s Union is decked out for the holidays, there was a guy slicing up giant cubes of ice out front, a crew of 20-somethings playing violins in the streets, and CLE Clothing has a shop open on the corner of Euclid. Packed with people, it was completely and entirely merry.

CLEVELAND LOCAL GIFT LINKS: Dredger’s Union, CLE Clothing, Room Service, Banyan Tree

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY – After we left downtown, we stopped at the newly open SOHO (short for Southern Hospitality) on W. 25th street to meet up with Pete and Erin. Between the honey lemonade, fried green tomato sandwich, and cheese grits, this place might have at least temporarily suppressed my desire to drive to Memphis for grits alone. Check out their Facebook page for upcoming events and super sweet happy hour specials (like a $7 pulled pork sandwich with Carolina slaw). I’m a sucker for anything with Carolina in the name.

CLEVELAND SHOPPING: Start Small Business Saturday a day early, get some Cleveland-made gifts, check out a DJ, and grab some drinks from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. tonight at the Made in the 216 Black Friday Holiday Kick-off Party. More than 60 Cleveland designers will have their wares for sale here until Dec. 31. One more reason to go to Ohio City and visit the last remaining business that doesn’t have the word “market” in its name.

“THE ROOT OF THE ROOT AND THE BUD OF THE BUD AND THE SKY OF THE SKY OF A TREE CALLED LIFE”: Temporarily usurping Civilization in my world is Lakewood’s Root Cafe, which is always book-shelves-on-the-walls cozy, has amazing coffee, and serves incredibly priced and delicious baked goods, salads, and other superfresh food. I first discovered this place a few years ago when Lee McKinstry, one of my favorite former students, was slamming some poetry here. Lately, my grad school class has been meeting here to discuss conjure in African-American literature, and it has replaced the tragically defunct Borders as a prime grading location with good-people ambiance.

ALMOST PIE SEASON: I’ve spent most of the fall asleep (fall asleep!) because the main side effect of pregnancy for me is excessive, ridiculous, I-just-fell-asleep-tying-my-shoes, hibernation-like drowsiness. But today, today was different. Since it was fantastically fallish outside today and I wasn’t alseep on the couch, Ryan and I went walkin’ around the neighborhood instead. The park was in full-form fall, and one of the food trucks was selling the best of non-alcoholic fall beverages: hot apple cider. Thanks to Sparx City Hop there were people trollin’ around everywhere kickin’ around in the leaves. Rock on, afternoon in the park. You were way better than watching “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” again.

LEAVE THE LEAVES:  One thing I always loved about OU was the bazillions of leaves that fell on the ground, but I always thought it was a shame that they cleaned them up so fast. Cheers to Cleveland, where, for various reasons, we leave the leaves for a little bit longer.

IS IT REGIFTING IF IT’S UPCYCLED?: Check out this cool little pop-up shop called Cosmic Bobbins that’ll be at 2406 Professor in Tremont until mid-December (perfect timing for made-in-Cleveland Christmas gifts). It’s an arsenal of recycled, redone, and upcycled goods by local artists and craftspeople that includes jewelry, bags, soap, and clothing. I bought myself some soap made in Lakewood that smells like summer.

WALDEN POND: Ann Marie, Jen, and I made the trek up to Walden Pond in Massachusetts to check out ole Henry’s favorite fall hangout. I mean, look at those clouds. I’d build a cabin there, too. This is seriously what English teachers do for fun. My students didn’t seem surprised at all. We also tried to go to Sleepy Hollow Cemetary late at night — it is literally a forest-like graveyard that houses the bones of Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott, Hawthorne, and other literary tyrannosaurus rexes (what is the plural of T-Rex?). However, we were deterred, and literally ran out of the iron gates after we heard a crowd of children giggling. Creepily, there were no people at all, let alone children, anywhere nearby. Also, for my grad school friends, Stephen Greenblatt was supposedly in town, too. He once said of why we read, we begin “with a desire to commune with the dead.” No kidding, Greenblatt, no kidding.

YOU, YES, YOU: Erin, Pete, Nicole, and John – it was great hanging out with you at the Beer Engine Friday. Congrats again on the new job, Nicole! I’m jazzed you two are back in Cleveland. Burns and Becky – thanks for heading out our way again! We’ll keep bulking you up on Cleveland food until your addiction forces you to move here. Congratulations to Kyle and Krystin on their shiny new engagement.  I’m still hoping for the Maid of the Mist, but I guess it’s your call, right? Congrats to Bryan and Emily and their second baby-on-the-way. It’s looking like we’ll get to see you, the Nolans, the DiFrangos, Drurys, Neibert, and hopefully a few others in Cleveland in January. It’s going to be freezing. And amazing. And in baby news, next week we’ll find out if we’re expecting a boy or a girl. Last call for clairvoyant attempts at guessing. Peace, friends. Have a fantastic weekend.

ORALE MEANS ORAL IN SPANISH: On a regular basis, I enter into a conversation with others in which we find we both love the mango-habanero salsa they sell at the West Side Market. Well, imagine if the salsa was free, could be followed by a creative, unusual dinner and a dessert that involved a tamale with sweet cream cheese and blackberries, and the entrance was a screen door.  Head down the street about 100 yards to Orale, the weeks-old restaurant by the owners of the booth with the same name in the market. Tiny, cozy, tasty and nestled into that area on W. 25th that’s going crazy right now (Ohio City Burrito, Joy Machines, and the newly sprouted Deering Vintage are among the current inhabitants). Though I am sad to see Deering depart from W. 14th Street…

THE NEST: This little Tremont store seemed to pop up overnight. I can’t even remember what was in this spot mid-Professor Street before it appeared. But this new shop/gallery sells pretty affordable local art, jewelry, and other items by local artists. And sometimes they have free wine.

SWEATSHIRT WEATHER: Ryan likes to tell people I made him buy his new favorite sweatshirt, but let’s face it, Ryan. We all know you like a good sweat-suit based clothing item.

TIMMY’S MAGICAL WATER AND RIVER HIKING: After we agreed with Burns and Becky to invite ourselves to camp on Timmy’s family’s land on Ohio and Pennsylvania’s border, we headed east for some off-road Jeep drivin’, knee-deep river hiking, forest-clearing camping, and hobo-pie making. Oh, and Timmy let us drink some of the mythical water from his grandpap’s spring. I’m not sure I can accurately convey the fantastic-ness of this weekend, but maybe I can sum it up by saying that they also have a tree fort and a homemade put-put course. Thanks again for having us out, Timmy. I’m still kind of surprised you don’t live here in a sleeping bag.

FIRST DAY OF FALL: We spent most of the Indians game inside eating from the free buffet partly because Pete’s goal was to eat 20 buffet items (total tally: 12 items) and partly because it was raining. We also managed to fit all four of us on one giant stool for this picture — a test that indicates it’s still OK for us to eat at all-you-can-eat buffets, I think. But we did make it outside in time for Carlos Santanta to hit a home run to win the game at the bottom of the ninth. Also, Jim Thome still wears tall socks, and I never pass up a chance to mention Cory Snyder, my one piece of sports information. Thanks again for the free tickets, Pete and Erin!

Earlier this summer, Ryan and I headed south to my ole stompin’ ground in Southern Ohio with everyone else our age for the WARRIOR DASH, which involves swimming in giant mud puddles with dead fish, jumping over fire, and throwing away your shoes. Kyle and Krystin met us later for some sweet rain campin’.

Warrior Dash also involves a detour to ATHENS because that town is like my Lotus Island, and I have to go (and want to stay forever) if I get within a few  miles.

My parents both retired in June, so my whole family took a boat to the BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS. We stayed on a boat for a week, which, apparently involves eating delicious food, going to islands that require jumping off the boat and swimming ashore, and sitting on the deck under a giant bowl of stars at night. That “bowl of stars” business is from a Counting Crows song that I almost always think of when I can see the sky touch the horizon all around me. Here is one of my favorite pictures from tiny, tiny island Jost Van Dyke.

Kyle celebrated America’s independence by JUGGLING LOGS. If you know Kyle, you’re probably not really surprised. Kyle also recently earned his master’s degree. Congrats on both parts, brotha’.

In what amounted to an informal family reunion, we went to the JIMMY BUFFET CONCERT with my parents a bunch of other lunatics from Cleveland.

My great friends Tim and Mike played at the Grog Shop that same week  in July with the rest of their band SCHOOL NIGHT. There was also a fantastic blackout in Tremont that knocked the lights out in Prosperity Social Club. The girl who was singing on stage just kept going, and everyone had to pay with cash like in the pioneer days. Here’s a shot of School Night, who covered Tracy Price’s old favorite “Steal My Sunshine” by LEN. I was kind of hoping for “Meet Virginia” or “Drops of Jupiter.”

OUT ON A SCHOOL NIGHT: Ironically, it was Friday, but I still like this pictures of us looking like a bunch of hooligans outside the Grog Shop.

MORE STELLAR MUSIC: We saw The Decemberists at Nautica, the new Tower City Amphitheater, last month. The Head and the Heart opened up for them, and they were really fantastic as an opening act. Thanks to Pete’s Music Supply, Ryan and I have been listening to them for the last few weeks. They’re pretty enjoyable, especially in North Carolina. Erin, it kind of looks like your arm’s in a cast in this picture.

Hands down the BEST PART OF THE DECEMBERISTS SHOW was when, during the encore, they played the song “The Mariner’s Revenge Song,” this hauntingly, pirate-like piece is about two men trapped in a whale’s belly after it eats their ship, one of whom has sworn revenge on the other. It’s about 8-minutes of creepy loveliness. So, as soon as they start playing, this massive ship starts rolling down the river directly behind the stage. The singer kind of looks behind himself like, Are you kidding me? The song kept kind of building up until everyone in the place was stomping on the ground so hard it felt like the bleachers were going to just cave in. It was pretty amazing and kind of reminded me of the end of Moby Dick, when everything gets sucked into that great maelstrom of doom. Maelstrom of doom!

Ann Marie and Darren came out to visit us for the TASTE OF TREMONT, which is kind of a funny ritual. Let’s wait until the hottest day of the year, make a bunch of pasta, and invite thousands of people to all eat it in a small space. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I still love it.

I also love this Taste of Tremont attendee who was trying to motivate people to register to  VOTE with some inspirational dance moves in front of St. John Cantius.

Welp. That’s it for now. I hope your summer involved some street dancing, too.

Lucky’s urban garden — is there a cheddar biscuit plant?

A pair of shoes on a stone ledge in Lincoln Park (whose are there? why did they leave them neatly behind?)

Professor Street right before dark