Leave room under the tree for gratitude

Our Friday Hemingway gets pensive for the holidays.

Because The Morning Man is generally a lazy sloth, he’s pleased to delegate all the brick-busting on Fridays to his able elves. Guest Hemingway Matthew Cox returns for his first post-Enquirer edition of The Morning Line, followed by the fun-espondents bearing mirth. Whatever mirth is.

Um, Doc, isn’t lazy sloth redundant?

Why yes it is, Johnny Grammar, but I’m too lazy to correct it.

Take it away, Matthew:

The holidays should be about gratitude. I’m grateful for our communities and opportunities to positively channel our differences. Sports is one of those outlets. More on that in a second.

First of all, thanks to Paul Daugherty for the opportunity and platform.  This has been one of the toughest TMLs I’ve drafted, and not just because it’s not under the banner of cincinnati.com. (does that mean we can write swears now?).

GET ME REWRITE ON THE TOPIC..

I’ll admit, I pitched this column to Paul as a different subject over a week ago – the Veteran’s Committee modern era Hall of Fame ballot, which eventually elected slugging first baseman Fred McGriff.  But the overarching theme was what it said about the placement of several of the recent past’s most notorious players (Bonds, Clemens, et al.) alongside a few of the game’s quieter statesmen (Dale Murphy, Don Mattingly, McGriff) as almost a media-generated morality play and what that might eventually mean for any future candidacy and the rest of The Damned. Former Post writer Joe Posnanski details all of that much better than I could hope to here.

Doc already had an excellent piece about the Crosstown Shootout in the chute, so I changed my focus. The last thing Mobsters needed on the eve of an event representing the best of Cincinnati was just another Whataboutism, starring Pete Rose.

“Best of Cincinnati, Matt?  Community? Like that fantastic display of brotherhood and sportsmanship 11 years ago?!” Zip ‘em (up), and stay with me here.

Between the holiday corners of Thankfulness and Commerce, I wanted to express something about gratitude and community. I’m from Indiana and I don’t have Cincy ties, but I watched the Shootout like always and watching the spirit and passions of the fans ebb and flow always gives me giddy-little Muncie Sectional flashbacks. While emotions sometimes overheat, I think it’s better to be shouting to each other across a court or field than screaming over barricades and cops.

Events like the World Cup and Olympics bring us nationalistic flavors every four years, but that seems a lot more positive and fun than the “intra-nationalism” that’s going on across the country. We’re a bunch of angry cats these days.

COMING TOGETHER..

My day job is performing outreach within the spectrum of healthcare and promoting healthier lifestyles. So I’m something of a “community organizer,” (and can hear you laughing while I hunker over a pub pizza and beer). In short, I’m charged with making my town a better place to live, regardless of whether you look, think or act like me. Improved health and access to (public) healthcare should know no color, background, income, ideology or orientation.

I don’t usually get reflective during the holiday season, much less over sports. But I turned 50 this month and my son turns 18 tomorrow. He’ll become an official adult and the last of his siblings still splitting time between my house and his mother’s. Our kids have mellowed me out considerably through the years.  Families and friends are our own little communities, and they’re the best things we know, to paraphrase a tune.

A lot is made of those who are alone or isolated this time of year.  Almost anyplace can be a community and own a sense of place if you look hard enough. In college I was once assigned an ethnographic study. It could literally be a synopsis of any place people gathered. Culture is a lot like character, it can’t be created, it needs to develop over some time. Like a lot of 20-year olds, I blew it off and chose the easiest possible outlet I didn’t have to immerse myself in, and made sterile, distant observations of the people around me. My work and experiences today remind me instead it could have been one of my coolest educational experiences.

Even a “virtual sports bar” like TML can have a sense of community. It brings together folks of all backgrounds and stripes, talking over things we all love. Occasionally we disagree, and the discussion spirals. Don’t get keyboard- drunk or personal, and we can work through our differences.

MY HOMETOWN..

A community like this one might introduce us to something unexpected. One of my newest friends Nate Shadoin wrote the electric vehicle column in the first-Hemingway edition of this new-format TML. Despite several years apart in age, our fathers once worked together in the same town of Muncie, Indiana. It’s unlikely our paths would’ve crossed again had they not in this space a few years ago.

Like many midwestern manufacturing centers, Muncie is not what it used to be. I’ve said in official introductions that I sometimes have a love/hate relationship with my hometown. Both Nate and I left for colleges in other locales. I’ve returned to Muncie twice. It’s been a good place to my family. So that “love” part of the equation that inspires me to try and make it better for others.

Enough earnest, rose-colored idealism for today? Probably.

TUNE O’ THE DAY: 

I recently picked up a remastered commemorative copy of John Mellencamp’s career-masterpiece, Scarecrow. Mellencamp’s (no “Cougar” here) following in Indiana has bordered on cliché at times, but he’s always repped his home state honestly and positively, regardless of how some feel about his sociopolitical stances. The album contains the dedication, "The highway between John's house and the studio where these songs are recorded cuts through a stretch of Indiana where the land is fertile and full of growth. It is from this land and its people that these songs are born, and though it is not necessary to know this to enjoy and appreciate them, it does lend a certain understanding for those who care to think about such things."

This is arguably the best-written song on the album. There was never a video recorded for it, leaving the emphasis on its words and music. This version features his original band and JM before his voice grew weary.

Be the best you can. Happy Friday.

AND NOW. . . Hey Michelle makes your weekend merry and bright.

Fun & Festive in Cincy

City Flea Holiday Market at  Washington Park ~Summer may be over but we’re still shopping outside! Saturday 4-9 and Sunday 11-5 

10th Annual OTR Raildog Parade starting at Queen City Radio Saturday 4 pm. Dress up those furry friends and stroll around OTR 

Every Christmas Story Ever Told 2022~ Seriously one of my fave shows for the holidays. Always funny, current, interactive and a good time. So much fun you’ll love it! Cincinnati Shakespeare Company running now thru Dec 31st. 

Egg Nog Jog 5K run/walk ~ Saturday 10-2 start at 940m Pavilion St. in Mt. Adams.. Nothing says holidays like a little Nog Jog 

FIFA World Cup Final ~ 10am Molly Malone’s Irish Pub in Covington.. Perfect place for watching and cheering on a little soccer! 

Coney Island Night of Lights ~ Now through January 2 from 6-10 you can just sit in your car and drive through this fun synchronized holiday light show with music. 

WinterFest at Kings Island~ Now through December 31st roam around the Winter Wonderland  of skating, live entertainment, parades, rides and so much more. This over the top experience is sure to put magic in everyone's Christmas. 

Newport on the Levee and the Aquarium are decked out for the holidays ~ The Newport Aquarium is celebrating 20 years with Scuba Santa now through the 24th! After having fun with the Water Wonderland out walk around the Levee and do some shopping, visit Santa, eat at the new Shiners BBQ restaurant or grab a drink in an igloo.. 

Follow along on HeyMichelle1 on Instagram to find great local gift giving ideas and giveaways ! 

Hey Michelle,
Do you want to know where to eat, drink and have fun in Cincinnati? Check out my page  
https://heymichelle-help.com

IMBIBER DAVE DOES MEXICO IN TEXAS

Had a unique trip to the country of Texas this week. Now if you’ve ever been to Houston you know it’s absolutely enormous, and you’ll undoubtedly leave with a funny story about how you missed your exit and got to enjoy a seven mile do-over, which is better known as the Texas u-turn. For some reason these people hate left turns and make you circle endlessly until your destination ends up on the right. But I digress.

We are here today to discuss the lesser-known border town of Laredo.

Laredo is a Mexican city that just so happens to be located in the United States. I’ve traveled a decent amount to Mexico, and this really hammered it home to me. I absolutely love the culture, focus on family, and the imbibing requirement it appears everyone lives by.

We ate at the humble blue collar Palenque Grill, more similar to La Mexicana here in Newport than one of the fancy Mexican places we have sprinkled across the city. They bring you chips and salsa, but with slow roasted, Smokey pinto beans that have been puréed. The salsa has a similar smoky flavor and is also served warm. I had two margaritas, but could have drank a dozen they were so perfect.

The absolute star of the appetizer menu is their chicarrón de ribeye. If you’ve had your fill of tequila, switch to an ice-cold Indio, one of my favorite Mexican beers.

For dinner we ate parrillada, which I can only describe as how fajitas should taste. The Americanized version doesn’t begin to do them justice. After consuming a couple pounds of shrimp, chicken, and flank steak, it was time to move onto one of my favorite cocktails, one that friends in Monterrey introduced me to several years ago.

The Carajillo is an espresso cocktail that incorporates a shot of Cuarenta y Tres, which means Licor 43, and is a literal explanation of the number of ingtedients in the bottle. Mixing these ingredients isn’t difficult, it’s basically equal parts, but I was impressed how the bartender pulled shots of piping hot espresso, chilled them without adding a ton of water, and served our cocktails with the signature crema from the espresso still intact. I’ve tried at home and this is tough to recreate.

Now that espresso martinis are making a major comeback, timing is perfect to impress your friends with this version.

Cheers!
cincybeerguydave@gmail.com