According to Forbes, anyway. The magazine has put out its annual Best Cities for Singles issue, and we've moved up to spot 26 out of 40 (last year we were 30). Somehow, we even landed in the No. 1 spot for nightlife. I think we have a good nightlife for a city of our size - but the best in the country? I had no idea!!

I was also briefly interviewed for this article and am not happy with the way my quotes turned out. I had a lot more to say than the article includes, and the sentences they used aren't exactly the way I said them.. And I definitely didn't call Beluga "Luga." (I've e-mailed the editors to let them know...)

Anyway, still a fun article to read. Yay for us (but not yay for my quotes)!

UPDATE: The nice people at Forbes cleaned up my quotes a little bit. I feel a little better.

Have you seen?

The Ohio Supreme Court just ruled that your friendly local government doesn't have the right to take away your house and put, say, a Target in its place.

I love Target, but I'm still going to mark this down as a "good thing."

I have a mouse in my house. It's negatively affecting my work here at CiN Weekly. I cannot concentrate and find myself jumping up at anything that makes a faint squeaking noise.

The mouse issue is disgusting. I saw Mickey TWICE. Once he was doing the macarena in my kitchen. Then he decided to watch television in my living room. He was huge, a huge mouse. I had an accomplice try to catch him (while I was standing on my dining room chair screaming to him that Mickey was to the left...TO THE LEFT! Mickey was too swift for the Swiffer and missed the blow to the head by a hair.

I then decided to buy a trap. Well...ok, I bought 4 traps. They were the traps that have a dial on the front indicating a trapped mouse. This would be less traumatizing to me than actually seeing a dead mouse on a piece of wood with a crushed head trying to grab a hunk of cheese. A nice little red indicator shows up under the "Mouse Caught" and you throw the trap away without seeing anything horrible.

Mickey has busted two traps. Busted right through to get the Jiff and Sugar Cookies. Mickey has turned into Mighty Mouse, or must I say Mighty Mice.

I am creeped out. Mice belong OUTSIDE, they are so not invited in my house. Go back outside, Mickey and take your little friends with you.
Cripes!

Since it was released last October, I had listened to Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine a few times, very casually. But in the past month, I've become absolutely obsessed. I know all the words, and even though my voice is no match for Fiona's, I'm usually singing along. The album is on constant rotation in my car, and I'm listening to it at work right now too.

I recommend checking it out. Give it a few spins and just try to not get obsessed. My favorite songs: "Extraordinary Machine," "Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song)" and "Window."

For now, start with the videos for "Parting Gift" and "O' Sailor" and this live performance of "Extraordinary Machine."

Get more info and fun stuff here and here.

Have fun! Now I'm on the search for a favorite CD for August ...

They're Mary Jane-style, they've got an open toe, they're semi-sparkly and they're actually semi-affordable ($75).

Introducing the Carlen by Nine West. The shoes also come in a black, red and white patent (though those are on back order right now). So, these shoes would be very similar to those Manolos I want, but will never have.

Since I'm a sale kinda girl, I'll probably wait for a lower price.














And now, back to the nonstop action of production day!

Ballad of the Bengals

Sort of long, but worth it.

So I went to the Goo Goo Dolls/Counting Crows concert at Riverbend tonight. Great show, despite the wet grass. (The look for the night could be known as "wet butt.")

I'm not a huge music expert ... I leave that to Kari and Tabari ... but I enjoy a good concert especially during nice weather, and the rain cleared up in time for perfect concert watching weather.

So we were getting ready to leave as the Counting Crows said good-bye, but their encore featured several guests: openers Augustana, the Goo Goo Dolls ... and Bronson Arroyo! He sang the final song and was featured on the Chilivision TV prominently (we were way back in the lawn). Kinda fun. Guess he had his busy day at the All-Star game yesterday. So for his day off he came to Riverbend to surprise the crowd! Anyway, thanks Bronson for coming and jamming with the bands. Much fun, and we hope to see you do that again!

And now a random question for all you concert goers out there on something I just don't get ... the trend of wearing super short skirts to concerts. Maybe I'm getting old, but there's no way you can sit on the ground in those things, and who wants to stand for 4+ hours? If you were one of those girls, why do you wear those skirts to Riverbend? Just wondering.

I really want these beautiful, shiny Manolo Blahnik peep-toe Mary Jane heels. There are just three problems:

1. The shoes are exclusive to Neiman Marcus, which only has them left in sizes 10 and 11 (I'm a 6).
2. They have 4-inch heels. Kinda scary.
3. At $535, they are not exactly in my "range."

If anyone sees any good knock-offs out there (Nine West? Steve Madden?), let me know.