cyclocross

Cyclocross seems to be gaining in popularity lately, or maybe I've just started to notice it. Its a bike race taking place predominately in winter months and usually includes a water feature, some steep hills and obstacles that need to be leaped over while off the bike. Its been described as a "bike race mixed with steeplechase"
I imagine the idea was for riders to stay in shape during the cold months when the roads get bad.
When a popup race appeared as a tuneup to the 2013 UCI (International Cycling Union) World Elite Cyclo-cross Championships to be held in Louisville, KY it was an excellent opportunity to see what all the hoopla was about and get some(hopefully) cool action pictures.

I'm sure there was a technical name for this hill with its railroad tie steps, but I called it heckle hill, as you can see there is no other explanation needed.


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.... and the sky is grey

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Walk on Woodburn

One of the colder nights of the season but we wanted to check Kitchen 452 on Woodburn in the old Skinny Pig location. A limited menu for the evening which sometimes is a good thing as it keeps me from endlessly debating over 3 or 4 things that look good. Not that everything didn't look good but the ham sandwich with green apple slices jumped right out at me and I knew that was it instantly. Loved the texture the apple added to the sandwich, can't believe no one else has thought to do that. Or maybe they have and I'm just weird.
OH YEAH, and Shadeau bread!!
Kitchen 452 is open for lunch currently, hopefully one day they'll stay open later and do dinners.

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Avtar "Hat Man" Gills memorial at Findlay Market

The afternoon started out as a kind of light hearted gathering of people wanting to remember Avtar and his funky hats. Then I starting thinking you know, and I'm just as guilty as anyone, there are more cameras here than Avtar hats.
Interesting. Strange.
Then people started to step forward and talk about the Avtar they knew, he wasn't just a characture of a man, he was a living breathing person concerned with all the same social problems lots of others are. Councilmember Chris Seelbach remarked how Avtar came to every city council meeting but never spoke, his hats did all the talking.
It was all really moving, more so than I bargained for. In the end I thought about Avtar being out there, have his picture taken and his message of the day being spread, and thought this is OK, one last chance for Avar to get his message out.

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Sid Saturday

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downtown Cincinnati's best kept secret

Queen City Wine and Spirits has been open four weeks now who knew? I'm guessing the reason hardly anyone knows about it yet is the fact that this section of 5th is probably the most boring block in the city. That and you would never know by looking at the outside of the place.
I went in to check it out and was pleasantly surprised by the selection, almost everything we drink and the manager said he would carry anything requested.
113 E 5th people, go get your cocktail on!

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An open letter to Cincinnati officials on the streetcar

OTR resident, Derek Bauman has hit the limit with his frustration on the lack of progress on the Cincinnati Streetcar. He started contacting people Tuesday hoping to gather supporters in hopes of prodding Council into some kind of action. Derek feels the streetcar is Cincinnati's moonshot and its not unreasonable to think that it could be running by the All-Star game in 2015.

Having said that, it's high time for a 'buck stops here' moment over at 801 Plum.

— D Monet (@derekbauman) January 23, 2013

This is the email I've sent,

Dear Mayor Mallory, Council Members and City Manager Milton Dohoney,

After two hotly contested elections aimed at killing the streetcar and an election that saw an injection of younger more progressive people into city council I feel the citizens of Cincinnati have made it clear they want a streetcar built. We are losing patience with the foot dragging, excuses and lack of progress in the streetcars implementation. John Cranley calls the streetcar delays "embarrassing" and he is 100% correct. Surely the infrastructure for a streetcar could be completed in two and a half years if only someone would step up and show a little more leadership.

Major League Baseball has announced they will host their All-Star Game and surrounding festivities at Great American Ballpark in 2015. What a show Cincinnati could provide if along with all the other marvelous things happening right now Cincinnati also had a fully operating streetcar.
This is Cincinnati's moonshot, please don't waste this unique opportunity to showcase Cincinnati to the world.

Thank you.

If you too are frustrated about the lack of progress on the Cincinnati Streetcar please, email city officials and urge them to set a deadline and get it built.
I've make it easy for you, click the link, write your own email or copy and paste mine then hit send, its as easy as that.
Click here to email City officials.


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OTR portals

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life is funny

Sometime before Christmas I must have read a story or review, I can't remember, or a profile of the Jack Reacher author Lee Child. So I reserved a book at the library.

So the book comes in, I begin reading the preview and got to this paragraph. Wow, a week after my place is robbed, is it cosmic timing or what?
Lee is talking about how he developed the character, he wanted someone with no flaws since protagonists with flaws seem to be in vogue now. Jack Reacher runs around, every tight spot he gets in, the ball always bounces his way. The good guy does win. A little bit of escapism just like Mr Child intended.
of course all that has nothing to do with us ending up at a birthday party for a cat!
a super hero party no less at the 'Nomerati's place.
p.s. Nick Fury is a stick in the mud at parties.
with Pizzabomba pizza. I guess because they're bombas, Pizzabomba would be a villain but their pizza was kick-ass!
what was that? can't hear you over the pepperoni and sausage!
it all settled down later with a triple chocolate cupcake and homemade ice cream from Adorkandhispork. That dude is an ice cream making genius!

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati

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Avtar, the OG downtown blogger

If you think about it Avtar's hats were his blog posts, if there was something happening in Cincinnati, or even anywhere in the world you would see Avtar walking around downtown proclaiming it on his hats.
Cincinnati will be just a little less eccentric after today, Avtar was found dead over the weekend.
I always had to laugh, I'd snap a picture of Avtar, and he'd say "let me see, let me see!" and then he would ask me to frame it different, take it like this now turn your camera and take it like that!
Looking back at pictures of Avtar he was a huge Obama fan, too bad he didn't make it a few more days to see Obama's inauguration.
Godspeed Avtar! Cincinnati will miss you.







[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati

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Sid Saturday

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d00mball!

What can you say about Fountain Square Broomball that hasn’t been said? I can always say one more thing, its action packed, its slippery and its cold.
The anticipation leading up to my first game of every season is something else, there were high expectations for The Little Kings this year and I wish I could say something good about this game. At first it looked like it was going to be a game between two defensive powerhouses until Kung Pow went on an unstopable scoring rampage that The Little Kings were powerless to stop.

Kung Pow's goalie spent the game texting freinds.
I'm just gonna go ahead and blame it on the announcers, those dudes cheat. big time.
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The Genius of Watrer

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Race St has a view!

Goodbye ugly skywalk to nowhere.




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