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Graveyards, apple cider, and sleeping through the fall

2011 November 12

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.

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