As 2011 comes to an end, 100 things I am thankful for

It is not an easy feat to come up with 100 things I am thankful for.  Here's my list and they are NOT ranked in order:

1.  Dudo
2.  World wide distribution of Guinness
3.  Gap jeans that make me look skinny
4.  Fresh Fork Market
5.  My Pontiac Vibe
6.  Moell's Auto Repair
7.  My cloche hat and a pair of sunglasses
8.  My company on my late nights out
9.  Online shopping
10. Baby Cheapskate on Facebook
11. Hinkai
12. The ocean
13. Cigars (specifically Cohibas)
14. Officer Whitehair
15. Mitchell's Ice Cream
16. Fall leaves and pumpkins
17. The Get-Go Station on my way to work
18. Bullet proof vests
19. Lou Malnati's The "Lou"
20. Otani's sushi
21. skirt suits
22. Trader Joe's
23. courage
24. Pearl Jam
25. WVIZ PBS
26. Lilly Handmade Chocolates
27. Best boss ever
28. Sunnyside pizza from Bar Cento
29. My brother Bryan and my sister-in-law Kandra
30. Upromise and Ohio 529 accounts
31. Christmas clearance sales
32. Finally buying a house
33. Dr. Brian and Gateway Animal Clinic
34. Malley's Chocolates
35. A good baby daddy ;-) and a good mate
36. retailmenot.com
37. Moving Ahead Solutions moving company (one of the best finds of the year!)
38. God
39. My guardian angel who I keep very busy
40. Southwest Airlines
41. Memories of Washington D.C. trips
42. West Side Market
43. Ergo baby carrier
44. My sissy
45. text messaging
46. Saigon Cafe on East 4th Street
47. Danny's Deli
48. Sharing buried feelings
49. Gino's Shoe Repair
50. Kohls' sales stacked with coupons
51. DV Christmas party
52. My high heel knee high boots in black and brown
53. Hartzler Family Dairy and Snowville Creamery
54. Dodge Charger rentals
55. Beabe cooker
56. covered attached parking
57. Clients who are respectful and appreciative
58. Bick, Flick, Rich, and a handful of caps
59. Data plan on my cell phone
60. My imagination
61. Yearly cookie and ornament exchange
62. Memories of my mom
63. Aunt Tina and Uncle Jim
64. Sherwin-Williams paint
65. My sarcastic nasty sense of humor
66. Long coffee breaks at the CC
67. Curious George
68. Rodes (for my freedom and for booze)
69. SouthLAnd
70. My bitchy attitude
71. Menage a Trois Merlot
72. Dudo's laugh when I tickle torture him
73. The Cleveland Indians
74. True Blood
75. League Park
76. baby resales
77. Elizabeth Videc Photographer
78. Jackie Stripes and his willingness to join me anytime I ask
79. That we are employed
80. Being a Scorpio
81. Adam, Judie, Jenn dinners
82. Baby Signing Time
83. ARF's Monster Mutt Dash
84. Payton dog
85. Candy Cane Joe Joe's
86. The truth (is there such a thing?)
87. Sonicare Toothbrush
88. SB 5 smackdown
89. Facebook to keep in contact with friends near and far
90. Community, the best comedy on TV
91. My ipod (and hopefully Apple sends my replacement soon)
92. Michael Symon
93. My colleagues on a long list of federal cases
94. Squeeze packets of baby food
95. Bittersweet Symphony
96. Sokolowski's
97. Kielbasi and sauerkraut
98. yellow mustard
99. Others' good judgment when I drink mine away
100. The pursuit to find what's missing

Happy New Year everyone!  Make 2012 the best yet!

Chocolate, Chocolate, Amazing Cleveland Chocolate

I LOVE chocolate.  I cannot stress this enough.  If you want to get me a present for any holiday, occasion, or just to say "thinking of you, thanking you, or just to say hi" then chocolate is the gift to give me.  My intern, Jackie Stripes, took me to a little place called Lilly Handmade Chocolate in Tremont several months back.  I am in love with chocolate all over again.  I have been there several times, but I will tell you about one particular visit.

 All rights reserved JMB 2011.  A small visual of JS's tie.

On Friday afternoon in celebration of Cleveland Beer Week, Jackie Stripes and I went to PUMPKIN A’ PALOOZA at Lilly Handmade Chocolates located at 761 Starkweather Ave. in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland.  Owners Amanda & Joshua Montague hand made four of their chocolate creations to pair with four pumpkin beers.  The chocolates were phenomenal and the beers were great to taste side by side.  As I have mentioned previously, I love pumpkin beer, but having the opportunity to sample them without slugging down a whole bottle is priceless.  I did find my favorite pumpkin beer of the season at Lilly's: Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale.  Unfortunately, it was in short supply and I could not purchase an additional bottle to take home.


What? what? what? Do you ask?  Yes, Lilly also sells different fine craft beers and wines.  I try to stick with just chocolates since that's what makes my heart sing.  But the combo of chocolates and alcoholic beverages makes a man's gift giving job a lot easier, don't you think?

All rights reserved JMB 2011.

Lilly Handmade Chocolates is amazing.  Their little pieces of chocolates are a creation to see and taste.  Each is a combination of a different shape, color, and pattern.  Some of my favorites include: After Midnight (bitter stout and dark chocolate), Cinnabunny (Vietnamese cinnamon, ground ginger, clover honey, dark chocolate), and Shweetie Pie (vanilla bean butter caramel, roasted almonds, white chocolate).  I am so glad I do not live in Tremont, because I would be there all the time.  I plan to buy my mother-in-law a small sampler for Christmas...just so I can be justified buying one for myself!