I love our home and wouldn't move out for the world. But there are so many nice places I dream about living, maybe in my next life! 'Til then, I hope people moving here enjoy these wonderful buildings. If you're from either coast (cough, hint, ahem!) you will be amazed by the low cost.

* Parkside condos: I love how these back up to Burnet Woods, are walkable to all over, right on a bus line, and have nice big porches. My son thought they were called the "Darkside" due to the fancy font on the banner. I used to deliver papers here back in the day and fell in love with the orange carpeting (hopefully no longer decorating the halls) and skylight. My friend's big sister lived here and I remember long hallways connecting the rooms, lots of space. Drawback: not much parking.

* Marburg Hotel: Not a hotel any more, but there is still a painted sign on the side wall. One review says management is shoddy but loved living there anyway. Again, close to everything, good grief you could eat Skyline at every meal, Graeter's for every dessert, and go to a movie every night if you wanted, w/o ever leaving a few blocks!

* My friends' house! It is beautiful! They are only the 3rd owners ever. We will miss them so much but you should see this house!

* Do you have a squillion dollars? If so, I've always loved this castle. My best friend used to live right next to it.

Lots to do! Don't get holed up in the house (though that can be nice, too):

* African Culture Fest: Food, music, dancing, culture! Museum Center/Union Terminal. Sat-Sun-Mon, noon-5.

* Grease on Ice: What better way to welcome Taylor "Teen Angel" Hicks and Co. to the Aronoff than with skating on the Square to the sights and sounds of "Grease!?" Saturday 7-10 p.m.

* Jazz Explosion: CCM students perform. Sunday 3-5.

Check out Nikki Giovanni's Presidential Rap.

("Clean the churn?")

What a surprise to find out I grew up (and again now live) just a few blocks from the oldest planetarium west of the Alleghenies!

I remember the planetarium at the old Natural History Museum on Columbia Parkway, I remember the Trailside Museum in Burnet Woods, but I do not recall a planetarium in the Trailside.

The old Trailside was pretty scant -- a few taxidermied animals (whose living relatives could be found in the area), and these creepy boxes. You put your hand through a hole in the box and you'd feel something prickly. I always thought something would bite me, though I knew nothing alive was in there.

They renovated the Trailside Museum and it is beautiful! Still have the creepy boxes, but now they also have a small aquarium, birdwatching area, photographs, and more. The garden outside (complete with rain barrel) is wonderful in spring and summer.

And there's a the Wolff Planetarium, which has always been there but was uncovered (for me anyway) only recently.

If you're homesick, check out Queen City Survey's post about Burnet Woods. There's even a video of the slide.

"Shop local" is all the rage. We've been doing it for years, at least in this town.

Some favorites, old and new:

* Park + Vine -- something for everyone! Truly! Kids, adults, outdoorsy folks, stocking stuffers, bath goodies, you name it!

* Suder's -- everything a budding or full-bloom artist could possibly have on their list! (Note that Suder's & Park + Vine are a mere 2 blocks from one another!)

* Hansa -- Ludlow shops have gone downhill. Tawana's is gone, replaced by a store for 20somethings (which I would have loved a decade or 2 ago, but not so much now). Michael's, the potteries, and other places have likewise bitten the proverbial dust. But Hansa rocks on! Perfect for winter gifts! So many great knits, none of which I could ever hope to make myself! Fabulous boots, slippers, etc.! They don't have a very good website (or maybe they don't have one at all) but I tried to link to something.

See also The Magical World of White Trash Intellectualism and Some Other Random Wacky Crap.

Haircuts from the Heart: Sr. Bonnie's idea of doing what you do best (even if it is as simple as giving haircuts) to help others is brilliant and simple. Volunteer in the salon (only licensed cosmetologists need apply! Trust me, you do not want me cutting hair!), help spread the word, or you can always send money. You can also drop aluminum cans off at St. Bernard's church on Derby off Winton Road, across from Spring Grove Cemetery. (Leave bags of cans by the side steps/ramp.)

Bethany House: You're too late for the annual wine tasting, but mark your calendars for next year! Meanwhile, here is their wish list.

Let's hope your family never has to benefit from services at Children's Hospital, but if so know you are in good hands! They have a million ways to give, from shopping in the gift shop to contributing new toys. Here's their in-kind wish list (with some very creative suggestions).

There aren't many (any?) Cincinnati museums on the Shop for Museums page. Add yours!

The all-famous (and rightly so) Original Italian Dinner, now in its 97th year, will be served at Sacred Heart on Sunday, October 19, starting at noon and ending when it's all gone (which may be sooner than you think).

If you've never eaten the spaghetti and meatball and/or ravioli dinners, well I shouldn't even be telling you about them. That's one more person in the line!

Carryout or eat-in, $9 adults, $4 children.

Rain or shine, there will be a line!

If you've never been to Baker Hunt, brave the maze of one-way streets through historic Covington and just show up on their beautiful doorstep.

I remember Baker Hunt from high school, when I took art classes there. Back in the day they were free -- materials and everything -- for students who were not taking art in their own schools. For some reason my schedule never worked out to include art except for a single semester, so I went to Baker Hunt.

What a breath of fresh air! High school was not incredibly stressful compared to real life, but in some ways it was -- grades, work, classes good & bad, college apps, boyfriends, weekend antics, troubled friends. Baker Hunt was a wonderful refuge. One thing I loved was that all youth classes were just that -- anyone between 5 and 18! So we high schoolers were totally free from the usual crap. Plus, no matter how good/bad we were, we got the undying praise from the younger ones! I learned so much. I still have my mixed-media fried eggs!

Judging from the recent course schedule, it looks like things are still this way. Today I went to an adult class -- of course adults are anyone over 18, so there's even more of a range :) Again, classes are stress-free, nobody is there to get a degree or try a new career. The instructor is great, he had everyone improving and thinking differently from the get-go. Materials for the class I'm taking are not complicated, and most courses are similar. You do have to pay for classes now, but assistance is available to those in need. You will not pay and arm and a leg, either -- I worked out the 12 weeks of 2-hour classes, and it's just $10/class!

Some classes are one-shot workshops. These are great if you don't have much time, or if you just want to try one new thing. I believe it was Eleanor Roosevelt who said she tried to do one thing that scared her every day. Baker Hunt isn't scary -- the grounds are beautiful, you will want to render everything you see! plus the people are so friendly -- but if you've always wanted to take a class now's your chance. Adult classes start this week; youth classes start later this month. And there are one-time workshops for adults and children throughout the year.

BONUS: Go to the wine-music-art event Twilight in the Gardens, September 20! It's just $20/person, which includes wine and tasty bites of food from local restaurants.

Jim Borgman is retiring his daily political cartoon!

That's right, no more of this to look forward to when you wake up in the morning! Next to coffee, I swear this is my "other" reason to de-bed each day.

Who's to blame? The Enquirer, who just bought out all of its experienced staff? Jerry Scott, who writes Zits (which Borgman draws), for eating up too much of his time with what is probably a more lucrative gig? The media in general, who places too little value on a genius who makes us laugh every time he draws little bats around Cheney's head? Or Borgman himself, who is being too human in not wanting 2 full-time jobs?

SIGH.

They've got wi-fi, great breakfasts, Madeleine Albright, and employees who treat you like royalty...now the Parkside Cafe is hosting a farmer's market each Tuesday from 4-7 in their parking lot.

According to an e-mail from Parkside:

"Back Acre Farms will be supplying fresh vegetables, cheeses, eggs, chicken and lamb every Tuesday through the fall harvest season. Next year we have commitments from two other farmers to also join Back Acre Farms in the Spring of 2009!!"

Will this market serve as an oasis in Walnut Hills, an area about to become a "food desert?" (Not "food dessert!") Lots of talk lately about the Kroger's closing up shop there. The Tasty Bird is no more, sadly; the owner retired and gained fame as one of two eminent domain holdouts in Norwood. He passed away in 2007. Many people in the neighborhood do not have adequate transportation to take them to Oakley/Hyde Park or elsewhere to shop.

Like Kermit, I "hope that something better comes along." Wouldn't that be great? Who needs Kroger's when you can have a better store (and most stores *are* better).

Sure a once-a-week market isn't enough to sustain a community, but it's a start...stay tuned.

After attending the Grandin Festival, we had hoped to grab a bite at Cilantro, one of our new favorite restaurants. Alas, Cilantro suffers from the same ailment as many other Cincinnati restaurants: it closes early. Nine p.m. on a Saturday! And this is across the street from a large university. Those students must have some curfew.

We walked down McMillan, which mainly made me long for restaurants of days past: Alpha, Inn the Wood, Mr. Yakatori's (now I'm dating myself!), and the middle eastern place that was there just a few months ago but which moved to a new location.

Hmm, I wondered, did Myra's Dionysus still exist? And if so, was it open?

Oh happy day, both were true! Myra's, across from old St. George's (which is now missing steeples and an owner), is open til 11:00 p.m. Saturdays! The patio was open but we opted for the a/c indoors.

The place was just as I remembered it: a barnlike main dining room, fresh flowers, small cozy tables, friendly waitstaff, extensive soup offerings, local art on the walls, and a relaxing soundtrack. The menu is straight from your old Mollie Katzen cookbooks, everything you cooked in college, only better. The dessert case is filled with to-die-for treats.

I had sesame noodles. The small was enough of a meal for me; the large must feed at least 2 people. Ben had the sampler, whole wheat pita wedges, spicy eggplant, and much more. Again, this was plenty enough for a meal. I had an adult beverage and we shared a slice of decadent cherry-almond-chocolate cake for dessert. Total: $20.

It's still open, and it's just as you remembered it from back in the day. They even have a new feature: hats on the wall, signifying the soups (or something) of the day. Each hand-knitted hat has the colors of the dish it represents. Cute! What more can you ask?

You know that class you thought would be boring, but an enthusiastic and fun professor made you love it? William Averill, emcee, host, and harpsichordist for the Grandin Festival, is that professor.

We had a babysitter lined up but not much to do. We wanted something different than the same old movie and a dinner date. Downtown seemed to boast a beer/comedy thing, which seems just a small step up from watching late-night comedians in the comfort of one's own home. Blue Wisp, maybe...but was there something right in the neighborhood?

The Grandin Festival was everything it promised to be: educational, beautiful, entertaining, close, and free. Oh and there was a small reception afterwards.

This was not your average wedding chamber music. It was chamber music with an attitude! The pieces were played by more than just your stock violin, cello, etc...instruments included bassoon, oboe, clarinet, and the aforementioned harpsichord, all accompanied by vocalists.

The theme for the program was The Muses' Feast. Polyhymnia, Erato, and the gang floated around delighting everyone, and stayed around for punch, cookies, fruit, and a watermelon-seed spitting contest afterwards.

The event was held in a recital hall in the beautifully (and extensively) renovated CCM building. The recital hall was just the right size -- not too large, not too small. Perfect acoustics, soft lighting, warm interior. Very classy, too: one side is lined with a row of box seats.

The hall opens into a glass-encased lobby semi-overlooking Nippert Stadium.

My only question: where was everybody? Several people performed the various pieces. I can count at least 15 off the top of my head. The audience mainly consisted of parents, family, and friends of the performers. This is the 12th Annual Grandin Festival. It was not in the Enquirer events, not on cincinnati.com, not in the weekly what-to-do-in-town rag I picked up at IGA. I found it on the UC events calendar, a place I might not normally look. There was a TV camera van parked outside, but it was there for the all-important Moeller-Princeton game playing in Nippert. CityBeat did run a nice (if brief) blurb. So next year, send out a few press releases to local media!

The festival runs through August 29th. If you can't make it try to catch it next year, as it is an annual event.

We checked out Stepping out in Cincinnati: Queen City Entertainment 1900-1960 from the library.

How totally depressing! There used to be a theater in every neighborhood, and downtown was liberally sprinkled with them. Movies, music, burlesque, comedy, and other shows were the norm. Now, any neighborhood that's managed to hold onto its movie theater (or other entertainment area) is considered a raging success (by me, anyway).

Why so sad? Most of the amazingly beautiful theaters have been razed, usually for parking lots. Keith's, the Albee, (oddly enough, there was a Keith-Albee in Huntington, WV), the Shubert, and many more are gone-daddy-gone, thanks to bulldozers of the 60s and 70s.

Now people here complain that there's nothing to do. They complain about this almost as much as they complain about parking. So maybe we'll raze a few more theaters, build a ton more parking spaces, and put up a drive-in movie screen. That way we can park AND watch.

(Oh, but no---most of the drive-ins in this town are gone, too. The Oakley one is now a pet salon.)

If anyone read beyond the cover of last week's New Yorker, they'd have read an interesting story about how E.B. White got around to writing Stuart Little.

In that story is a small tip of the hat to then-students at Clifton Elementary. Fun fact: the students wrote Mr. White to say how much they loved his book.

See The Lion and the Mouse: The Battle that Reshaped Children's Literature, Jill Lepore, New Yorker (July 21, 2008).

While we're on the topic, check out Jim Borgman's "satire-free" answer to the NYer cover.

It's Father's Day, which means bad poetry will be read on cards across the country.

The good news is that good poetry will be read, too!

Dick Hague will be reading from his Ohio River poems and short prose at Freedom House Gallery on Sunday June 15 at 2 pm. 309 front Street, New Richmond, OH. Also reading will be Mary Ann Napoleone (we believe Internet reports of her death are premature, or else there are two of her).

Free and open to the public.

Could I possibly post to this blog less?

Well, since moving back here the whole idea -- writing about my hometown while I'm away from it -- is over. Sure I can write about it now that I'm here 24/7 but now there's just so much. There are a ton of good Cincy blogs.

Plus I've been crazy busy with my wonky blog, court-o-rama. I post several times a day on a good day, and spend the rest of the time checking my stats!

There's also Annefesto! which I am not posting enough to, either. It's hard to tell where this blog begins and that one ends. Mostly I think just different people read them -- the ones here are more interested in Cincy stuff than the Annefesto! gawkers.

OH and there are the kids with their naps and swim lessons and meals, oh my! Plus the job hunt, house rehab, unpacking (still!), dealing with various tradespeople (do you have any idea how hard it is to find a living plasterer?), etc. Just a day in the life!

But I did update some of the links (to your right). I always have a few more in my mind I'd like to add, so I'm doing that bit by bit.

More later, with any luck! But maybe not too much more.

"Thanks for coming out in the cold," said Mayor Mallory.

We were confused because it was only in the 40s. I'd been to events on Fountain Square MUCH much colder. I remember freezing my face off as a kid, watching them flip the holiday lights on after Thanksgiving. Yipe.

This event was so unlike those memories -- it was not too crowded, not too cold, and lots of different things to do. My 7-year-old begged me to go, and as long as we left the little ones at home (it didn't even start until 8 pm) it seemed like a good idea.

We found parking at 6th and Race pretty easily. There was cheaper parking elsewhere but this was the first garage I found, and we just went in. I think it was about $5 for the evening, which will send suburbanites into shock but honestly, not too bad.

One bad thing: no place to eat! The only places open were the types of places requiring reservations. No Skyline, no Red Squirrel, nothin'! So we went to Arby's and stood in line for 1/2 an hour. This was not a fun start, but it got better.

We walked to the square in plenty of time to catch Team (sans) Lachey (who only sang 2 songs, but if you think about it, the show was only on for 4 nights! It's not as though they have enough material for a "best of" or anything!) Lots of fans, students, and family in the audience.

But they did their version of "best of" -- "Flight of the Bumblebee," of course, and "What A Wonderful World," which I heard on the way home from meeting baby Hadrian in the hospital, so always makes me think of that time.

Then--more standing in line! First we had to find the line. Then we stood in it. This was more fun than Arby's. For one thing, there was more to see -- the lights (tho none from the fountain, like they usually or used to have), the jumbotron with repeat clips of "Clash of the Choirs," the skating people, the fountain, and the non-skating people. There was a d.j. (DJ Pillo!), who was excellent. The parents of the kids in front of us and I pointed out the boxes of "records" under his table. Then...omg, he had 2 turntables! The kids were totally in awe of this!

"What's he doing?"

"Scratching. It's from the 80s!"

Wow. A real D.J.!!! And he played lots of old-lady music, thanks Mr. Pillo from all the moms!

We finally got to the skating. All free, one night only! (Normally it's only $2 to skate and $2 to rent skates, still not a bad deal!) The ice was very rough. Max fell about every 5 feet at first, but at one point he made it all the way around w/o meeting the ice too hard. Everyone was falling all over the place,"Ice Castles" it t'weren't. At one point I picked Max up and he said something I couldn't make out. I thought he wanted to leave. Nope! He said "This is so much fun!"

I told him just wait 'till roller skating, it will seem SO easy!

I can't believe I've been watching this.

There's nothing else on, my 7-year-old has a new & improved later bedtime and he loves it, and well, it's actually pretty entertaining!

Yay, Team Lachey!

First, let me note my clear bias when it comes to Alex Chin's food: I have been eating at Chin restaurants the better (in all senses) part of my life, starting in Clifton, then St. Bernard, then (gasp!) Montgomery, with a short stop at my mom's for our wedding reception! Now they're down at Newport on the Levee, an entertainment complex which seems to have cleansed Newport's name of any wink-wink-nudge-nudge.

That said, we were hesitant. The new place seemed more nightclub, less bring-your-kids-and-mom. Why I had doubts, who knows. There were a few sketchy reviews -- it's too loud, smaller portions, etc. But I'm here to tell ya: the new incarnation of Pacific Moon is awesome!

Barb has always been the interior decorating brain of the duo. She was smart to stay away from traditional red/gold/black from the getgo, in favor of hip finds you wouldn't expect from a Chinese restaurant. The new place is mostly blue inside, with sparkling lights and fun lanterns hanging all around. Windows are all around--you can see parts of the Levee from any seat in the house. Little touches like the cloth napkins tied in ladder yarn make you feel as though whoever put this together really cares. The restrooms are immaculate (here my mom-ness is showing!) The high standards to which they have always held for servers may have gotten even higher, if that's possible.

The food is still amazing! Lots of old standards -- I had the mushroom trio, which may date back to St. Bernard days. The appetizers, of which there were many, went quickly. The sushi bar is a new and welcome addition. The flak about smaller portions is unfounded. Yes, the food is served on just one plate (as opposed to the serving dish that is customary in most Chinese restaurants), but it's a pretty damn big plate! You can still share the goodies, or pack some up for later.

Is it too nightclubby? Depends. We went on a Sunday evening. Sunday starts at 10:00 a.m. with dim sum, and the dinner crowd was pretty family-friendly (we had a 7 year old, toddler, and baby). It seems as though Friday and Saturday nights might experience a different type of crowd, not that the 2-year-old wouldn't love dancing on tables. So pick your time carefully depending on your mood. (But whatever it is, go!)

There are many other nice restaurants on the Levee, and I'm half-sorry to say that I will probably not ever eat at any of them. If we're that close, someone we know will probably run out of Pacific Moon and see us and welcome us in. It's nice to be back...

(Said in our best Homer Simpson voice)

A slew of restaurants* have come and gone in the location that now houses Habenero. I can't believe I overlooked this place at first. It's so family friendly. Everyone in our group -- ages 6 months to 76 years -- loved it! (Well, OK, the baby didn't really care, but her toddler and elementary-aged brothers loved it).

They have veggie, vegan, and meat. They have water, smoothies, and great beers. The margaritas are reportedly excellent. You can get a pitcher of sangria for $11. Mild is mild. Medium has quite a kick. What's not to like?

(OK, the decor suggests posh Subway, but again with the family-friendliness...you can spill a smoothie and nobody cries.)

Here's a map. Go already!


*GJ's Gaslight, Darci's, It's a Wrap! (duh), Acropolis Chili, etc., etc.