f8hasit

I live in Cleveland, Ohio.

Now before you start in with the Cleveland jokes (yes, we've heard them all I believe), I need to make something very clear. I wasn't born here.

Now some would argue, "You are here by choice?"
"Yes. Yes, I am."
"In God's name...Why?"

Well, let's see now....here are at least 10 good reasons.

1. The cost of living is outstanding in comparison to other urban areas.
2. We live on the lake.
3. The Iron Chef, Michael Simon, lives here and I can get a table in his fabulous restaurant.
4. There is a wonderful park system to enjoy.
5. We get all four seasons.
6. We have a fabulous orchestra.
7. We have a world renowned museum.
8. Most headliners stop here for concerts because of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
9. We have all the major professional sports teams.
10. We are all Witness's to the King of Basketball...LeBron James.

I'm not much of a professional sports fan. I LOVE the fact that they are here in town, but don't go to the games all that much...unless someone gives me a ticket. But I have been fascinated and engrossed in the entire post season series of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And it's killing me.

I'm staying up WAY too late each night watching the games. I'm anxious about each play. I'm on the verge of a heart attack the entire fourth quarter.

If anyone else has been following or watching said basketball....you know what I mean. Each and every game has come down to the last 30 seconds and most have been won by just one stinking point!

It's incredible basketball. The best I've ever seen. The best B-Ball played ever by many sports critics and analyzers. On one hand, I want to see Cleveland go on to the show. We deserve it. They've played well. It would be great for the city...especially since we haven't won a professional sports title in what, 42 years? C'mon. Patience is a virtue and all...but enough is enough! We've come close a few times...and then we trade our best players to teams that go on to win the titles. Odd. And horribly disheartening.

And on the other hand, I want us to lose Saturday's game so I can finally get some rest.
My eyes need some good, long, restful sleep. My intestines need to get back to regular food instead of the fried bar food. And my liver needs my brain to order green tea....

All that being said, I hope we go all the way. I started watching so I could raz my brother who lives in Detroit about how "My team beat your team". Now I watch because of proud to be a Clevelander.

LeBron, Boobie, Z, Varejao, Delonte and Mo Better...this Cleveland gal is behind you all the way. My eyes hate you. Not because of the view, you area all damn good looking big, tall men...but because of the bags I'm getting under my eyes. For the Cav's it's a Win or Go Home series of 3 games to 2. The same for the Denver Nuggets who also trail by one game; 3-2. I don't really want to see the Kobe/James faceoff....but I do enjoy the muppets commercials featuring them.

Go Cavs! One Goal baby, One Goal...Beat the hell out of Orlando.
We ARE all Witness's.
:-)

Update: 11:32pm Saturday 5/30/09

We are going home. I can finally get some sleep. The Cavs just couldn't get it together. Lack of rebounds and missed foul shots kept us from making it to the Finals. A very dissappointing show...

Now we must rely on the Indians to get us to the World Series. I'm not going to hold my breath on that one. :-)

For an self proclaimed ultimate optimist; things have a way of going terribly wrong for me as of late. I think it's my timing...or lack thereof.

Okay.

In my community, we have a weekly trash pick-up service. It's quite a good, thorough, wonderful community service. The trash guys are rather efficient and it's darn convenient as well.

They have guidelines from the refuse department as most communities do. They try to make it as easy as possible for the residents, and in turn, it makes it easier as well for the refuse collectors. Take your large trash items and recyclables out to the tree lawn after 6pm the evening before. If there is yard waste make sure that it is in brown bags or in a container with "yard waste' written clearly on it. If it's branches; make sure that it's bundled in lengths no more than 12 inches. We recycle glass and plastic up to #7 which has to be in a clear or blue bag. Cardboard and newspaper is also collected. And never, ever have your cans or trash weigh over 50lbs. (they just hate that...)

The rest of the regular trash is picked up by these little golf cart type vehicles. They zip up the sidewalks and into your back yard to collect it. (At least for the next few weeks...they have started a new system but have yet to distribute the new cans to residents)

Over the years I had to buy new trash cans periodically. You know how it is...it gets cold and they crack, over they get overloaded and they crack, you buy the cheap ones hoping they will work as well as the $100 version....and they crack.

So I have this cracked trash can and have been trying desperately to have the trash guys take it away WITH the trash. Maybe they won't take it because it looks like it may, at one time, have been a 'good' trash can. It has wheels on the back for convenience. It has long since lost the top that was hinged to it. It has a large crack down the front and several smaller cracks on the sides. Listed below are all the things I have tried to do to have them take the damn thing away...with no success.

• I've left it at the curb with NO trash in it with the rest of the trash. Broken side up, laying on it's side. They took everything else but the trash can.
• I've left it at the curb WITH trash in it with a note to take the trash can also. They took everything, including the trash inside...but left the can there.
• I've spray painted the side for them to take the trash can. It's still friggin' there...
• Made a huge sign to cover the top of the can to 'Please take trash can!"...and guess, what? They took the sign and the trash but left the can.

So today is trash day.

I normally don't pay much attention to collection day. I've taken the recyclables down the curb the night before. I go about my business for the day. But not today. Today I am watching the tree lawn like a hawk waiting for the tell-tale whine of the little trash buggies.

So far this morning I've seen the first recycle truck go by and they picked up the blue bag with the glass and plastics.

I've seen the cardboard recycle truck stop and get all the cardboard and newspaper.

I've been out there when the yard waste guys came by to get my grass cuttings and trimmed branches.

But I was upstairs in my office on the phone when the large truck came by for the other trash items. I heard him and was trying to get off the call I was on. I saw the trash collector get the other items off the tree lawn. Saw him look at the broken trash can with it's poster on it asking them to "PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take this can!" in bright red bold lettering. He picked it up, pulled it over to the truck and dumped the contents into the back. AND HE DRAGGED IT BACK TO THE CURB!

I practically hung up on the call I was on and ran down the two flights of stairs. Ran past the dogs out the back door and down the driveway. Grabbed the fucking broken, spray painted, poster plastered trash can and ran down the sidewalk with it flopping behind me toward the trash truck now parked three houses up. I was yelling to the trash guy as I approached. Although I guess I knew he wouldn't be able to hear me I was trying to yell at him to "TAKE THIS AWAY TOO!" It must have been quite the sight. Me still in my sweats from my morning workout, hair askew, mouthing words he couldn't understand, lumbering towards him dragging this broken container and probably looking a bit insane...It's no wonder he backed away rather than approach as I neared him!

Finally the whine of the compactor finished and I was able to ask him, now slightly out of breath, "Can you take this can as well....PLEASE?!"

"Uh...okay."

Maybe it was my handwriting. Maybe other people have similar beat up cans that they want to keep. Maybe it was because my sign was in English. Whatever the cause, my month long drama of trying to rid myself of said trash container has come to an end. I have accomplished my goal. The can is now gone.

May it rest in peace...

:-)

The worst part of going on vacation is coming back to reality.

It can also be great to return to all that is yours; your own pillow, your bed, your family and friends, that pile of laundry that didn't get put away before you left...