Calloddie

Smoldering campfire

I just turned my head, and despite washing my hair this morning, I still am getting just the tiniest whiff of campfire smoke….  Ahhhhh!  I love the smell, and fortunately, so does Mr. B.  In fact, he sticks his nose in my hair and inhales deeply, he adores it so much.  I don’t know why I can’t wash out the smell with the first shampoo, but I really don’t mind, and I hope you won’t think the worse of me for it.  I have just pulled the last load of clothes from the dryer that had been suffused with that heavenly smell, and they now just smell like lavender and eucalyptus, thanks to my Seventh Generation laundry soap.  Bummer.

Mr. B and I did a quick camping trip this past weekend, staying at Stonelick State Park near Cincinnati, OH.  This was a return trip, as it was the very first place we took the new trailer last year.  We were so busy trying out all the mechanics and figuring out our packing and unpacking routines and roles, and then running around exploring bits of Cincinnati, we didn’t really feel like we’d experienced Stonelick.  So we decided to go back and do it at a little slower pace….  And it was just what we needed.

Stonelick State Park offers seven miles of hiking trails, fishing, swimming, boating, and summer nature programs, and is near some other attractions, including the Crooked Run State Nature Preserve, a river estuary that attracts some rare and unusual birds.  And, it’s only 28 or so miles from the heart of Cincinnati and, undoubtedly, many other activities.  However, except for a small arts festival and a jaunt out to find a hearty breakfast, we eschewed all of those temptations and settled in at the camper to just relax.  We are getting adept at setting up and breaking camp now, and since it was a short trip, we traveled light and easy, leaving us plenty of time to just sit.

Camping space designated for tents

When Mr. B and I met, I was excited to have met someone to go camping with at long last.  I am still an urban girl at heart, and I love spending time with my urban friends doing urban things, but I also love camping and getting back to nature.  Mr. B has been camping many years, however, and was ready to upgrade from his tent.  At first I was disappointed.  No tent?  No sleeping bags?  No listening to the birds, the water, the rustlings of the night through very thin walls?  No ‘ziiiiiiip’ of the tent door?  It was his dream to get a camper though, and being assured I could sleep out in a tent next to the camper if I so desired, I supported his quest.  We went looking…  I leaned towards the pop-ups.  It’s a camper that still has canvas and zip out screens!  But one look at Mr. B’s tall frame filling out the door of those pop-ups, I realized why he’d be so uncomfortable in them.  In the end, we found a great 20′ trailer that is perfect for the two of us and the occasional stow-away – not too big, not too small.

Our mini home on wheels

Tiki lights on the camper awning. We didn't hang them up this trip, to keep it simple, but they are fun.

How many times have I opted for the tent so far?  Um, not yet…  What, and give up the private commode and shower facilities?  Give up the ability to shelter from rain storms without having to uncomfortably prop myself up on an air mattress in a tent I can’t stand up in?  Go back to that “wow, I can tell I’ve been sleeping on the cold, hard ground for a few nights” feeling?  Okay, I’m not saying that I’ll never opt for that tent, but right now, I am certainly enjoying camper life.  It’s like a tiny house on wheels, one that we must keep tidy so that we can still move around and find a place to set down our cup of tea or book.  If you know me, you know I jump at the chance to organize things, so I’ve had fun figuring out where everything will go and how best to utilize every little cubby and corner.  There are options in the camper that make it very much like a miniature home.  We have electricity, running water (did I mention I don’t have to shower with the wasps in the bathhouses anymore?), a 3-burner gas stove, an oven, a microwave, a refrigerator, heat AND air conditioning, a radio/CD/DVD player (built in), and sometimes Mr. B takes along a little flat screen TV.  For our longer trips, especially when it’s been raining for the third afternoon straight, it’s nice to have the option to pop in a movie.

I like it best though when we get a chance to really unplug.  Okay, we leave the camper plugged in so we can turn on a few lights in the evening and to keep the frig humming.  But this past weekend, we never set-up the TV or pulled out the movie we’d rented.  Cell phone signal was spotty, at best.  Mr. B did get out his laptop to review some work items while they were fresh in his mind from training, but sitting outside under a tree in the quiet of a Saturday morning made it a little more enjoyable.  I even put down the camera for most of the trip, hence a couple of these pictures are from other camping trips.  And while Mr. B was working, I worked on a knitting project – which doesn’t seem like work at all, really.

Knitting a scarf

After our foray out for brunch Saturday afternoon and the stop at an arts festival, where we admired some wood pieces in particular but again resisted bringing anything home with us, we returned to the camper, relaxed awhile, and then started a campfire.  We’d picked up one bundle of wood, and it turned out to be just five logs.  We were quick to put on our steaks for dinner, for fear we’d not have enough cooking time if we waited.  The steaks cooked up fast enough though (and were pretty good, even with the odd side of blueberries as we’d forgotten to pick up a proper vegetable side), and that fire surprised us by lasting until 10:30 that night, some four hours or so.  We sat by it, talking some, being quiet some, poking at the fire to keep it going.  Mr. B got a hankering for popcorn and we had one of those aluminum containers that you shake over a stove to pop the kernels.  With his grilling glove, he was able to pop corn over our campfire.  We sat some more, munched on popcorn, watched our neighbors’ fires too, listened to kids running around and shouting to each other, playing with glow in the dark toys, and even watched a game of Cornhole down the way (that uniquely Ohioan beanbag tossing game, in case you’ve not heard of it).  It turned out to be perfect weather for our trip – the heat and humidity had subsided  again, and we even got a little chilled in the evening air.  I was glad to have a jacket with me, but the the fire kept me warm too.  When our five logs were burned down to just small clumps and ashes, we retired and slept soundly, even sleeping in fairly late, we were that relaxed.  And we left the windows open so we could still hear nature all around us.

Trailer in side mirrors

It was our weekend to have odd foods at odd times, and we had a leisurely breakfast of pumpkin pie – my favorite! – before we broke camp in record time.  We drove most of the way back to Columbus with the windows open all the way, which made my hair look hugely disheveled, but the air felt just great.  We talked some, were quiet some, observed the small towns and farm scenery as we drove by, and let the good, unplugged weekend sink in as deep as it could.  Just what we needed.

Downtown Columbus

If you haven’t heard, we’ve been having a bit of a heat wave in Ohio.  It’s been in the 90′s, but with the humidity, the heat index – what it feels like – is up in the 100′s.  We finally had a bit of a break this past Sunday, with temps just in the high 80′s and a nice breeze.  A good day for some great eats and music at the Columbus Jazz & Rib Fest, an annual tradition going on thirty plus years.  We headed downtown very late in the afternoon, but there were still plenty of ribs for the tasting.

The festival was in the Arena District again this year, with lots of green lawn spaces to set up chairs or blankets to relax and listen to the rotating jazz bands at several stages throughout the grounds.  We walked around for a awhile, checking out the sites, smells and sounds before settling on a spot overlooking the river with a sweeping view of downtown Columbus.  After all the heavy days of hot humid weather, the breezes by the river were quite refreshing!  Just as in Pittsburgh the weekend before, we saw a bunch of boaters paddling the river waters.  This time, however, we decided to join in.

Paddling about the Scioto River

For just $10 each, we were able to suit up in stylish life jackets and hit the high seas – ehem, I mean the shallow Scioto river –  in a canoe.  We were advised to not try to stand up in the river should we tip over and fall in.  Though it is that shallow, it’s apparently very mucky on the bottom.  We had a whistle in the pockets of our life jackets and were instructed to float on our backs and blow the whistle for rescue.  Fortunately, no such drama occurred, which was also good for the sake of our phones we took along for the ride to take pictures.  I forgot to take my real camera, so all these shots are from my phone’s camera, except for the one of me in the boat, taken with Mr. B’s camera, hence the color difference.  Not too shabby!

Being out on the water afforded us impressive views of the city buildings with the dramatic clouds blowing overhead.  The breezes were fantastic, though the river stayed pretty calm.  It’s been awhile since I’ve been in a canoe, so I had to get used to steering since Mr. B stuck me in the back of the boat.  We paddled within the allotted boundaries, drifting under bridges, getting close to the old Santa Maria at it’s permanent dock, and watching the train go by on one of the bridges.  I liked getting the different perspective of the city.

Bridge view from the river

View from the canoe

Train Bridge

Banners proclaiming past wins at Porky-N-Beans

After expertly steering our canoe back to dock, we headed over to the strip of rib burners to do some taste testing.  Mr. B chose Porky-N-Beans, the defending champions of “Best Ribs” from last year’s contest, and waited in line a good long while.  The guy next to him in line was eating ribs, apparently from another contestant, and was finished with that half rack before he got to the front of the line to order another half rack.  He was quite serious about his tastings!  Mr. B and I found a wall to sit on and dug in, though I was less famished, so really stuck to lady-like bites, which admittedly is not quite appropriate for the setting.  The ribs were delicious.  Fall off the bone, finger-licking good.  Mr. B thought they were some of the best, if not the best, he’s ever had.  I can honestly say I felt the same.  As we finished up our half rack, a big wind kicked up and blew the elephant ear off the plate of the couple sitting next to us.  Powdered sugar went everywhere, and Mr. B and I were speckled white – a funny sight.

Unfortunately, we must have timed our visit poorly as we never did hear any bands take the stage for a full set.  We passed a couple of stages as they were transitioning between bands, and were perhaps out on the water when live bands were playing.  I did hear Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” on loud speaker at one point, so we did get some jazz with our ribs.

We still had a good time and will look forward to next year’s festival.  And the cooler weather has stuck around for the most part this week – something to celebrate!

Downtown Pittsburgh

I’m a bit of a planner.  For example, I measured all of my furniture and diagrammed how it would all tetris into the two moving cubes I’d rented for the move from Washington to Ohio, trying to fill every crevice to minimize shifting.  I’m proud to say, it all fit as I’d planned, and nothing was severely damaged over the 2400+ mile trek.  However, I do have a spontaneous side, and when Mr. B suggested on a late Friday a quick road trip to Pittsburgh after our planned visit with his parents in Zanesville, I readily agreed.  Mr. B is all about spontaneity, by the way, so it’s a good thing I have this streak!

Fort Pitt Tunnel

I hadn’t been to Pittsburgh, PA since I was very young, on a family vacation.  Mainly, I remember the tunnels of Pennsylvania – I found it very fascinating, if not a little scary, to be zooming through these long, long tunnels under big mountains in our Ford Pinto.  And back then, I didn’t know the dangers of a Pinto (though ours was a station wagon, and probably a little safer), so I was just concerned with all that earth over top of us.  To this day, I’m not such a fan of one of Seattle’s options to bury it’s highway along the waterfront in a tunnel behind the seawall.  In an earthquake zone?  I’d vote for a surface solution or another alternative.  Anyways, I was curious to check out Pittsburgh anew, especially as I’m a Pittsburgh Steeler fan.  And I was ready to see some elevation!

Steel bridge over the Allegheny

While Columbus, OH is located on the gently rolling hills of the Till Plains formed by the movement of glaciers long ago, Pittsburgh, PA, three hours to the east, is quite hilly, and considered the largest city in Appalachia.  The downtown area is located where the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers join to form the Ohio River, the largest tributary that feeds into the Mississippi.  We did our mini exploration of the city from Point State Park, or “the Point”, which unfortunately had large portions closed off for renovation.  We crossed over the Allegheny on foot bridges, built in alongside busy roadways, and walked by Heinz Field and PNC Park where the Pirates were playing an afternoon game.  There were a lot of people out on boats, listening to the game, and perhaps hoping for a ball to be knocked out of the park.  There were also kayakers out and about on the water, and we spotted a place it looked like you could rent a kayak, but we decided to stay on foot.  It was a very hot, sunny day, so we took our walk at a leisurely pace for the most part.

Another bridge over the Allegheny. One of the city's nicknames is City of Bridges.

Heinz Field from a distance

Steelers!

You may remember from a past post that Mr. B is a Cleveland Browns fan, but he was very sweet and allowed me to take my time getting photos of the stadium the Steelers play in.  We even did a self-portrait of the two of us in front of the stadium, though he has since forbidden me to share this photo.  But before heading downtown, we’d eaten at the “almost famous” Primanti Brothers, where we had a chance at winning Steelers tickets, and he  said he’d go to the game with me if we won.  Of course, I think he may have been just swooning over his roast beef sandwich, and promising me anything if I’d let him get back to pure savoring.  Their signature sandwiches come with the cole slaw and french fries piled right in the sandwich, a very efficient, and apparently delicious, system.  By the way, Primanti Brothers is on several “Top 10″ lists of things to do in Pittsburgh, and Mr. B would definitely vote in favor of a stop here again.  Interestingly, a tour of The Mattress Factory was also on the list.  Hmm.  Oh, wait, it’s an old factory building that now houses installation art.  And when we got back to the truck after our long walk, we found that, per our GPS, “Space” was only 1/2 a mile away from where we were.  Space, as in the final frontier type of space?  Turns out it’s an art gallery too.  Turns out Mr. B and I may be geeks who’ve watched too many movies/shows with the prefix of Star (Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, etc.).  Since it was late Sunday afternoon by this time, we weren’t able to check out these hot spots this trip.  In fact, it was a pretty quick tour of the Steel City, but still well worth the drive.

As a side note, we also stopped by IKEA and REI before hitting downtown.  I was accustomed to having these stores local to me in Seattle, but we have to venture out a few hours from Columbus to find these particular shops.  I’ve missed them, for sure, but ironically, I’d just received my long awaited package from REI the morning we left for the road trip.  I’d ordered two insulated stainless steel bottles, and Mr. B patiently waited for me to rinse them out so we could try them out on the trip.  Boy, am I glad we did!  I poured ice water in them at breakfast and lunch, and we sipped from one as we took out walk around the river.  When we got back to the sun-baked truck, the second bottle was waiting for us – still ice cold, ice cubes barely melted.  I also ordered “cafe lids” for them so we can use them for coffee when we are camping, but we’ve already been using them all week, we’re such fans.  I may have to do another mail order…

Zanesville High School demolition

On our way back home, we stopped again in Zanesville, this time to pass by Mr. B’s former high school, which is being torn down.  A new high school has been built on the same site, a building Mr. B hadn’t seen before, but his focus was on the rubble of his old stomping grounds.  Even though it was a Sunday evening, with storms threatening and lightening in the distance, demolition was still proceeding.  Mr. B rummaged through some of the ruins to gather a few bricks for mementos, outlining for me where rooms used to be, such as the band room, auditorium, and gym.

Twisted Metal

As we were loading some of these bricks into the truck, a car pulled up next to us.  Mr. B had wondered if he’d run into other alumni he knew from his high school days, but it was even better than that – it was part of his family, including his two cousins who had also attended ZHS in the old building!  The cousins did some reminiscing and gathering of more bricks, with Mr. B grabbing a whole section of wall – wish I’d gotten a picture of him carrying that on his shoulder.  It was a sad sight, as the building was only built in 1954, but mostly because lots of memories were formed at that site, memories formed during those formative years of high school.  This makes me very curious to revisit my old schools.  Looking at Google maps, it looks like they are still there, though my middle and high school have new additions to them.  I think we have another road trip in the making…

On the road again...

Ever been on a motorcycle?  Seeing the world go whizzing by, feeling the wind seemingly move through you, being surprised by those suddenly cool and warm spots you zoom in and out of, and really taking in all of the smells of the season?  I love motorcycle rides with Mr. B, as I mentioned in my last post, and we got in two rides this past week – one on the Fourth of July, as we made the trek to Zanesville to spend the holiday with his family, and one this past Saturday.

On the Fourth of July, in addition to inhaling the intense smell of freshly cut grass, as we wound our way along country roads, we also caught whiffs of backyard BBQs and glimpses of family and friends gathered for parties.  We’d definitely worked up an appetite by the time we got to our own family gathering.  It was as delicious as we’d anticipated, and we had to work off some calories playing Cornhole – a beanbag tossing game, that is rumored to have been invented in Ohio, around the Cincinnati area, and is really popular around here.  We played until it was so dark, no one could really see where they were throwing, which created some good natured disputes on whether the beanbag landed just so… or not so much.  The final toss put out a candle we’d been trying to use to illuminate the playing field, and with that, and the mosquitos chasing us, we headed indoors to cap the night off with cake and ice cream to celebrate Mr. B’s dad’s birthday.  We had a great time…

Game of Cornhole - homemade by one of Mr. B's uncles

Uptown Westerville

Yesterday’s ride was to another arts festival, this time the Westerville Music and Arts Festival.  Westerville is a small town just a few miles northeast of Columbus, and home to Otterbein College.  While we were there, a bluesy-jazz band was on stage, and we grooved along while browsing through paintings, pottery, jewelry made from sterling silverware, gourds painted up like penguins, and too many other art mediums to mention.  It was a bit hot when the breeze wasn’t blowing, and we reveled in the shady spots by the lake.  We are starting to recognize booths from past festivals now, which is fun in its own way – we can see what’s new and rethink some passed up opportunities.  Mr. B and I are on a “we don’t need more stuff” bent though, so we were able to resist and only came away with a unique present for Mr. B’s Mom (her birthday is coming up, too).  I’d love to post a picture, but, just in case, I will hold off.  Of course, she still has the hint that it fit into a saddlebag on the bike…

You may notice the first picture above was taken from my vantage point on the motorcycle, as a passenger.  When we were on the bike a couple weeks ago, I saw lots of old farmhouses, barns, and mills that have been abandoned, and are quietly sinking into the landscape, which made me think of some recent photographs my friend Andy has taken.  He does the most artful shots, and though I’ve always been drawn to old buildings full of character, I was now also seeing these buildings through his eyes.  I mentioned as much to him, and he chided me for at least not having my smart phone at the ready to take my own pictures.  He was right!  Although I won’t ever approach his level of talent – check his work out at www.tillo13.com – I decided it was high time I at least captured some of those images that stick with me.

Me & the camera reflected in Mr. B's helmet

Longaberger Office Building

So I lassoed my point-and-shoot camera to my wrist, and attempted to take photos from the back of the bike these last two rides.  It was a little bit of a challenge, being in full gear.  My leather gloves don’t make it easy to work the small controls on my “fits-in-a-pocket” camera, and with my dark-visored helmet on, it’s hard to even see the LCD display for aiming and framing.  Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten any good shots of the buildings that inspired me in the first place (yet), but I did snap a picture of the Longaberger building in passing.  If you aren’t familiar with the company, just take a look at the picture, and I’m betting you can deduce their main product without much problem.  I also have yet to get a picture of the corn fields, which are definitely ahead of schedule and were much taller than the hoped for knee high by the Fourth of July goal.  In the end, I did manage to get a couple of interesting shots from my perspective on the bike, and I am looking forward to trying again.  It will definitely be a little easier once I get a backrest, and don’t have to pay as much attention to hanging on.  The one we are ogling also has a luggage rack attachment, which will make bringing home cukes & onions and other veggy goodies from Mr B’s mom’s garden easier.  Not to mention art festival finds!  And a backrest will let me shift around a bit when my bum gets a little numb from my little seat with a great view.

"Welcome to Ohio" sign, taken on the road trip moving from Seattle, WA to Columbus, OH.

As most of my friends will know, I’ve been a bit homesick for Seattle since I moved back to my home state of Ohio about a year ago.  Yes, I realize I just called two places “home” there, but it feels about right.  I lived in Seattle for 13 years, which is most of my adult life, and formed a family of friends and learned a way of living out there.  Though I am homesick for my family in Seattle, and for the city itself too, there are some great things I can remind myself that I’m enjoying here in my new place of residence.  I thought I would share, so that all my friends know that, though I may cry over missing the rain (yes, I still love rain – it’s not a coincidence I moved to Seattle…), I am discovering some great things I enjoy about being in Columbus, OH too.  It would not include the humidity – my poor hair – but thunderstorms, rare in Seattle, really put on a show here in the heartland and I had missed them!

Less traffic.

I knew I was not going to miss the gridlock of Seattle traffic, the waiting to cross the bridge at rush hour, the random complete stops on the highway when absolutely nothing was going on, not even a merging lane or a broken down car on the shoulder.  I’m still amazed when people in Columbus call a decrease in speed, from say 65 mph to 50ish for 30 seconds “traffic.”  It’s just a momentary blip of what I used to experience in Seattle.  I do, however, wish the bus system was more robust in Columbus.  I used public transportation a lot living in Seattle, and was excited to ride the newly opened light rail from the airport to downtown on my quick visit back in January.  I know my dad has used the bus to get to the airport, and perhaps when I’ve moved to a different area of Columbus, I’ll get to try out the bus system a little more.

The OSU Marching Band in the famous script "Ohio" formation. Look at that sea of scarlet in the stands!

Football

I very much missed football while living in Seattle.  I know – there are the Seahawks, the Huskies, and the Cougars in Washington state, but I’m sorry, you have nothing, nothing, on the fans of THE Ohio State University Buckeyes.  People have their automobiles done up in scarlet and gray, and I wish I’d been able to catch a picture of the car that was painted as if it were an OSU football helmet, complete with the Buckeye leaf stickers.  On game day, stores broadcast the game over the speakers.  Everyone talks about the game – guys, gals, old, young, very young….  It’s a fever here, and it’s contagious.  Mr. B and I were fortunate enough to get tickets for the game against the Navy, and it was a spectacle!  I got tingles as everyone cheered, each of the four sides of the stadium yelling “O – H – I – O!” in turn.  I’m a band geek (guilty!), and watching the marching band was a great highlight too.  And professional football seems more tangible here too.  I’ve been a Pittsburgh Steelers fan since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, and when I wear my Steelers jersey (given to me by Mr. B, a Cleveland Browns fan – I knew he really, really loved me then!), I always get some comment.  Football rules here and you are never lonely for another fan to talk to (or banter with).

Lower cost of living

Like I’ve mentioned, I’ve been in Ohio almost a year now, and I still get a little taken aback by prices.  The prices of blueberries, the prices of houses, and just doing tax in my head, I always estimate way too much and am pleasantly surprised at the checkout stand.  It’s definitely helping me go a little further with my savings, since I’m among the job hunting population, and for that, I am thankful.

At Cup O' Joe in Clintonville

Coffee

There are Starbucks in Columbus OH – no surprise there – but they are a little more sparse than in Seattle, where, literally, I was able to tell a tourist she could head in any of the four directions one block and find a Starbucks.  However, I was delighted to discover, there are independent coffee shops here too.  I became an addict (that’s not too strong a word) when I was living in Seattle, starting out with mochas, so the chocolate would curb the bite of the espresso, and ending with my now standard Americano with just a little half & half.  When moving here, I wondered if I was giving up good coffee and the cool coffee shop vibe.  Stauf’s, their affiliated Cup O’ Joe locations, and a Harvest Moon Coffee House out in Canal Winchester have surprised me, and I seek them out when I need a place to write (or, sigh, work on my job search).  It is good for my fellow beings that I can still get my fix.

Fireflies

With the bad, comes a little good…  I am not a fan of bugs.  Actually, I’m fine with spiders, lady bugs, and dragon flies – for some reason, they get a free pass with me, and I live and let live.  Centipedes – oh no.  They are too fast, and all those legs?  Anyways, back to subject.  In Seattle, there are blessedly few insects, and I adapted quickly to living in apartments with no screens.  But one bug I did miss while out in Seattle, was the firefly.  Now I’m fascinated again with just staring out into dusk or dark, catching glimpses of them lighting up here and there.  Takes me back to good times, running around catching them with my siblings.  I am working on my acceptance of the centipede….

At the 2010 Columbus Arts Festival

Festivals

I am sure Seattle has a lot of festivals, some that I’ve never heard of even, but it seems Columbus, and Ohio in general, has a ton of festivals going on every weekend.  You have your choice.  Want a festival to celebrate Strawberries?  Asparagus?  Tomatoes?  Check, check, and check.  There are several Jazz & Ribs Fests, the North Market Food & Ohio Wine Festival is coming up (yum!),  The Columbus Arts Festival was in early June, and ComFest (Community Fest) was just this past weekend.  This is just a sampling – there are too many to list.  Mr. B and I like walking through all of the artists’ booths, and we pick up gems here and there – like a handmade birdhouse with a fire alarm pull for a perch.

Small Towns

Ok, there are small towns in Washington too, but living in the metropolis of Seattle, where the borders run into other big cities (Tacoma, Shoreline, on up through Edmonds, Lynwood, etc.), it was more rare that I got out to the small towns.  Now, Mr. B and I go for motorcycle rides through the country side, and yes, we see lots of corn fields, but we also go through small towns, stopping at one or two lights, seeing the similar courthouses every town seems to have, and passing by our neighbors on their front porches.  I have to admit, some of the towns look a little depressed, but many are full of proud home owners with grand gardens, and spotless houses.  I love architecture and old buildings, so I never get tired of these jaunts, much to Mr. B’s delight, since I’m just a passenger on the back of his bike.

Signs at the Delaware Arts Festival.

Neighborhoods

Despite my forays into the small towns, I am still an urban girl at heart, and have really been enjoying discovering the neighborhoods of Columbus.  There are some very walkable ‘hoods around the city, with strips of local shops and eateries, and have I mentioned the coffee shops?  Currently, my favorite is Clintonville, and when I get an urban hankering, I go hang out at the local Cup O’ Joe’s and/or take a walk around looking at the great old houses and gardens.  I will write about the neighborhoods of Columbus more, as I do further exploration.

Family & Friends

Of course!  And the reason I moved back in the first place!  Being back in Ohio, I’ve gotten to catch up with my family and local friends in a way that’s hard to do remotely – weekly dinners, spontaneous get-togethers, and sharing significant events, included.  My sister had her first baby a few months after I arrived, and it’s been a joy to be a part of his young life.  Mr. B and I have gotten to babysit a few times and we love making him smile and giggle – definitely not a hard task.  I’ve been making new friends too, and getting to know Mr. B’s family better.  In fact, we’ve been so social lately, we had to take this past weekend off to recoup.  A nice problem to have, I’d say.

And that’s my round up, as I approach my one year anniversary back in Ohio. It’s not in any particular order, and not everything is exclusive to my new city, but these are just some aspects of Columbus, OH that get me closer to my happy place.  I’m sure I’ll be adding to the list…

Hmm, now what to say….  Perhaps it’d be easier to start writing on my “about” section first.  Yea, that’s a plan.