OH-IO

Just another sunny day in Cleveland and I can’t help thinking there is an extra spring in my step after watching the Ohio State Buckeyes serve up an exciting win over #1 seed Syracuse (sorry to my Orange friends, but if it’s any consolation you were selected by E! News as having one of the best uniforms due to using a very trendy spring color, tangerine).  After mourning the loss of my bracket that exploded into tiny bits with the fall of the Tarheels (pairing another spring favorite color, baby blue, with a classic argyle detail), I quickly rebounded when I realized I could now cheer for an Ohio team on their way to win a championship.  

For years I have fought the battle with many crazed fans donned in scarlet and gray and supporting a neck full of poisonous nuts on a string that Ohio State is simply a large university within the Ohio borders and is not the official team of Ohio.  However, I admit today I am tempted to purchase the very cool OH-IO scarlet T-shirt worn by Jared Sullinger during an interview with CBS yesterday.  Why the sudden change of heart?  I pondered this awhile before I realized it’s not just because this is an exciting team to watch with Aaron Craft’s spunk and determination, but also it’s because I’m usually not in a position to cheer for any of my teams post season.  You see, I’ve always been and always will be a Cavs, Indians and Browns fan and while they have had post-season thrills in my lifetime, those are now distant memories.  The Cavs are finishing up another so-so season where young Kyrie Irving has been forced to lead a team of inconsistent players with big contracts and little drive.  We are getting ready for another exciting season of Indians baseball which one month in will no doubt be considered another “rebuilding year”.  And when I’m tired of lack luster games at Progressive Field, I will dream of late summer Sundays in Cleveland Browns Stadium where I will count the minutes to the first mention of a quarterback controversy.  

So now I get it.  It’s tough to be a fan in this city that I love, but if you find a team that gives you something to cheer about you reach out with both hands and grab that sacred Buckeye necklace, thrust it high in the air and yell, “O-H!”  Hang on Sloopy, because this could be a wild ride.

There is balanced, imbalanced and somewhere in between you'll find Kimbalanced. 

Timing is Everything

The bus came to a careful stop in the town center of Macroom, County Cork, Ireland one sunny afternoon in late August.  Frank, who served as bus driver and tour guide, quickly alerted us there was a problem with “the old horse” and that he had placed a call in to the tour company to send a new bus, but it would take an hour or so for them to reach us.  He apologized over and over for the unexpected stop as we exited the bus and started off to explore this quaint little town.  

The first stop directly ahead of the bus was Macroom Castle which was built in 12th century by the O’Flynn family and later given to Admiral Sir William Penn.  The admiral’s son William lived there awhile before moving to America and founding the state of Pennsylvania.  I guess if you’re going to leave the good life behind exploring and founding a new state is pretty cool.

Splitting off from the pack I decided to explore the town on my own, peeking into store windows and just getting a vibe for the area.  I spotted the Guinness sign with familiar toucan and “Lovely day for a Guinness” tag which I paused to admire and photograph.  Apparently it was a lovely day for a Guinness for when I walked a little further I bumped into one of my bus mates who informed me that everyone was over at Dan Buckley’s Bar across the street.  We made our way to the pub in time for the first round of pints, a few orders of chips with brown sauce and delightful conversation between people that for the most part had been complete strangers a few days earlier.  

After a few pints and discovering I really like Smithwicks, our fearless leader Frank reappeared to let us know “a new horse” was awaiting us and he again apologized for this great inconvenience.  I later told Frank that it was no trouble and we all enjoyed our unexpected stop in Macroom as the difference between leaving us along the side of a road and leaving us in a town with a good pub made all the difference in the world.  Our breakdown meant we got to explore a new town (OK, we really only explored the pub) and discover some things about each other.

My first full day of being released from corporate cubicle confinement was the start of March Madness which meant instead of wondering what to do with my time at home I was able to log a few (or close to 8) hours on a barstool with my brackets in hand.  This unexpected stop in my life’s adventure has proven to be a good time to explore, spend a little extra time in pubs meeting new people and discovering some things about myself.  This stop may turn out to be another good memory.  So as the Irish say with their Guinness saluting the heavens, Sláinte!

There is balanced, imbalanced and somewhere in between you'll find Kimbalanced. 

For more information about the lovely town of Macroom visit www.macroom.ie

My new office

I’m enjoying my new office with windows and desk with a Boobie Gibson bobblehead that nods with each word I type as if to say, “Yes, I agree with that.”  I tell him to leave this to me and he better work on those 3’s, pal.  There is also a lazy cat who purrs affectionately and then curls up in a sunbeam to catch up on her rest.  My other office mate is a Raggedy Ann doll like the one I carried everywhere as a little tot.  The story goes that she was never far from my clutches until she lost her stuffing so I leave this one on the shelf to smile and watch over me.  Thanks, Annie.  

I find these new office mates comforting and very similar to those I’ve worked with in the past.  There’s always a bobblehead in the office to agree with everything the boss is saying like they’ve just lectured on how we can turn plastic bottles into fuel and eliminate our reliance on foreign oil.  Always a beautiful cat in the office who purrs to the boss then flips her tail, saunters back to her cube and does absolutely nothing the rest of the day.  And I always find an Annie as well.  She is that sweet person who brings in brownies just because she felt like it, is never affected by anything happening around her and wears a smile as if it were painted onto her cloth face.  She’s never in a bad mood and always says the right thing to get you back on track with her positive words.  Yep, these new office mates are making me feel at ease and Annie is letting me know that everything is going to be alright.  Thanks, Annie.

There is balanced, imbalanced and somewhere in between you'll find Kimbalanced.