Ok. So, the Cavs have pretty much lost the Finals. I’m ok with that, as long as we win tonight. We cannot be swept. And no, not just because of the embarrassment associated with being swept in the finals. This city needs game five in Cleveland. It is estimated that a championship game brings about $1 million in revenue to the city. This city needs that revenue. Besides, the dogs want to see if we can trip some more celebrities on our walks on Sunday night. Have you ever seen a disappointed beagle? They look much more dejected than usual. It’s heartbreaking. So save a beagle and root for the Cavs, will ya?

I am a little more in love with my city as the summer progresses. I really love living in this town. On Sunday morning, I walked my dogs before jumping on my bike and heading west from my apartment and continued all the way through Bay Village. The plan was to head back east and meet Aud at Edgewater for a sail, but I just *had* to stop at Liquid Planet on Clifton for an oatmeal, peanut butter, and banana smoothie, and so I just had him pick me up there. Once my twitching legs got off of that bike, they weren’t getting back on. We had a perfect sail that day as well. I was relieved that I didn’t get sick. Last year I struggled with sea sickness, yet two years ago I was fine. Perhaps I only sail well in odd numbered years. I absolutely love taking that boat out on the water. I’m trying to talk Aud into sailing to the islands next month, and I think all of my whining and nagging has finally got him convinced. I’ve never been to the islands, and taking the boat will actually make it super cheap (don’t need gas money, don’t need a hotel, don’t need ferry rides). Anyway, Sunday was just…a perfect day.

It is actually difficult for me to take my bike anywhere that isn’t the towpath, because that is such a beautiful ride. When corn is in season, I like to start riding at Frazee House (on Canal Rd. right by Sagamore) where the towpath pulls away from the road. I’ll ride about 15-20 miles south and stop at the market at Szalay’s. There is a stand that grills freshly picked corn on the cob, another stand that sells funnel cakes, and yet another with fresh lemonade. After some refreshments, I’ll head a little farther into Akron before turning back North and stopping in Peninsula. Peninsula is this tiny little town with two restaurants, an independent book store (that has great Harry Potter book parties, by the way), lots of boutiques with local art, a great bike shop, and a few antique shops (including an antique toy store). By the time I make it back home, I’m usually pretty exhausted and have a bit of difficulty going either up or down stairs.

I’ve started to appreciate, however, biking through the city. It’s different than driving, that’s for sure. There are still plenty of blighted areas in this town, but going through these areas on a bike actually gives me a lot of hope. There’s a lot of growth, there’s a lot of rehabilitation, and there’s a hell of a lot of cool people walking around. These rides have really made me think about what it is I want to do for this town, how to start rebuilding, and why I went back to school in the first place. This weekend I plan on riding from downtown south, on Broadway, and out to my parents’ house in Walton Hills. After visiting with the fam, I’ll take a different route home (or as close to home as I can get). It’ll be a tough ride. Note the word “hills” in Walton Hills. The people who named that village weren’t joking. To get home, I’ll head west on Alexander until I get to the bike and hike trail, which hits the towpath somewhere in Brecksville (a bit south of Route 82) and then head North until I get to Harvard. I’ll probably call Aud there for a lift home, because I’m guessing that this will be a 40-50 mile ride at that point. The farthest I’ve gone this summer is 25 miles, so I don’t want to kill myself yet.

I’m really enjoying my public administration classes. I’ve met some very cool people and genuinely like a lot of my classmates. They’re different than law students, that’s for damn sure. Our instructor, a public administrator himself, brings guest speakers in every week, and so I’ve had the opportunity to hear tons of Cleveland leaders speak. Last night we heard from Joe Cimperman of the Cleveland City Council (I live in his district). I was actually very impressed. The first time I met this guy, I was walking my dogs at about 7am. I was walking down Lakeside and was turning to walk through Mall B, and this guy in a suit comes practically running up to me to introduce himself and meet the beagles. He was very excited that I had a bag full of dog crap in my hand, and told me he loved responsible dog owners. The guy *got on the ground* to pet the dogs and told me all about his pets. Funny.

Back to work for me. Research. Whoo hoo! Another old lady about to lose her house thanks to a home equity loan with an interest rate that made me choke on my coffee. Yay mortgage brokers!! (Yes, that would be sarcasm.)