René of the Day // 11.30.11 // The season in review

We celebrated the season for the I'd Hit That softball team at El Rancho Grande (AKA "The Big Nasty") and enjoyed margaritas, chips + salsa and queso sticks (served with ketchup - WTF?!) Of course, what's an event for our office without the commentary of our former "Two and a Half Men" copywriter??? I had to share his intro and my bio so I can capture it for always:

The year in review: copy-only collector's edition


How does one define "victory?" With "runs?" With frivolous little "points?" We often tell ourselves that the team that "scores the most" is the team that "wins" - but is this really the case? We of the 2011 I'd Hit That softball team think otherwise. We say that victory belongs to those who dominate in the fun department. And in this regard, we never knew defeat. Our roster included the following all-stars:


René "René Brunelle" Brunelle:
René was often seen wandering around in the outfield, leisurely weaving daisies into chains, or perusing magazines in search of the latest news on corn refiners. But this lackadaisical facade belied the heart of a ruthless competitor. When anything was hit in her direction, she'd strike like a deranged cobra before instantly returning to her private happy world.


I have to say, it made me giggle. I did not in fact futz around in the outfield - I was proud of some of the plays I made and enjoyed the comments on how fast my little legs ran to first base. It was a hell of a season - but I just realized, we didn't have a mascot....

René of the Day // 11.7.11 // NashVegas

Yet another wonderful weekend in the south. I will truly miss it when MR moves back up this way, either to Louisville or Cincinnati in the next year (fingers and toes crossed). Friday we had a nice dinner at Mauricio's, perhaps the nicest restaurant we've found in Cookeville. The restaurant is in a beautiful old home and the service was great. The food was alright - not bad Italian but again, we're in Cookeville. It's just really enjoyable to have dinner together - sadly, this may only happen once or twice a month for us. The fabulous thing about CookeVegas is the quite alone time. We have a blast at home seeing all of our friends and family, and I'm sure you've read this before but we're always drunk, stuffed or tired lol It's never just "normal" - running from friends to family to this event or that party. In Cookeville we can relax and turn our phones off without feeling guilty or like we're missing out on anything. Then Saturday, we usually go to Knoxville (football games at UT) or to see friends in Nashville... which we did!

Saturday morning we drove to Cool Springs to meet Missy and Baby Ellie Rose for lunch at the Cool Springs Brewery for lunch. We had so much fun playing with the little cutie, having a few beers and watching football. She had a grand ole time with MR and his BlackBerry "toy" (see below). After a long lunch, we went to Kenny's to relax and watch the big LSU/Alabama game and ordered pizza. It was a hell of game... but I needed a nap so I missed the end, dammit.

Then we went honky tonkin'. I hadn't been out downtown in months so it was a blast. We went to the Trailer Park and then Legends. The Bengals game was this weekend so I bumped into a ton of friends from Cincy on the streets and in the bar so that was a fun surprise. I was not impressed that MR gave his tickets to the game away to a customer but I understood he didn't want me to have to drive home so late after the game... Next year! :)

Sunday morning MR kept his promise to take me to the famous Pancake Pantry. I always wanted to go when he lived in Nash but we never woke up early enough to brave the hour-long line around the corner... It was SO worth it! We met a really nice couple who actually went to Vanderbilt right near MR's old apartment and actually now live right near his parents in Cincinnati! They were visiting for the game - the husband is a pilot and was doing the fly-over at the game. The restaurant looked like a Cracker Barrel inside and the service wasn't great but the food certainly was! I had the Village Smitty Santa Fe Cornmeal Cakes - with bacon, cheddar, and roasted green chiles inside, maple syrup, hot picante salsa and sour cream on the side - wow!! MR had classic chocolate chip, of course.

Then as we sat down he asked if I saw who drove by in the black Bentley as we were waiting outside... NO?! He replied, "Well, since you're not really into celebrities I didn't want to say anything, but Keith Urban rolled right past us." WHAT! Ugh. I said to tell me next time, for sure. So many celebrities live in Nashville because of the country music scene and he's seen tons of them but I never have. I asked if Nicole was with him and he said she wasn't.

After breakfast I decided to go to Green Hills Mall - I'm not a big fan of shopping BUT they have Z Gallerie (which closed in Cincy), a Kate Spade store, Tory Burch and Kiehl's. He was driving back to Cookeville and once we got on the street I was stopped at the light behind him texting Kenny to say thanks for letting us stay at his place. MR called and asks why I didn't see him waving his arms out of the window of his car like a fool to get my attention -??? Evidently Keith rolled by AGAIN and this time Nicole Kidman was in Bentley, too! AHH! Are you kidding me? Totally missed them... #fail

But it was a really fun weekend... I know I'll miss these when we're finally in the same place.

René of the Day // 10.30.11 // Café de Wheels @ Dutch's

Could it be - one the best bars + the best burgers @ brunch = hell yeah! I'm not sure if this secret has been circulated so I had to share. Café de Wheels AKA The Burger Truck is now serving at Dutch's Bar & Bottle Shop in East Hyde Park on weekends for brunch! Order on the curb and take it out back - they have a great patio with bocce ball courts (my fav!)

I love the Wheels burger (ooh, balsamic onion marmalade) with sweet potato fries. Does this not sound like the dream savior for the worst G&T hangover ever? Yes. Yes, it is. Add a Pellegrino Limonata, spend a few hours in the sun and you're ready for a nap. Perfecto.

René of the Day // 10.19.11 // STRONG Challenge

Now I'm stronger than yesterday... Now it's nothin' but my way....

Kidding. I'm sure that is not what Crossroads had in mind for this year's journey. Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend the services but if you'd like to learn more, click here to watch or listen (the website with all of the cool cards I'll tell you about is no longer up.)

The experience encouraged members in Community to meet with a group of others to discuss their faith, growth, lives and ideas over a course of 6-weeks. (I truly enjoyed the Freedom journey in early 2010 which had the same premise.) I met with one of my best friends from college, Becca, two good girlfriends from high school, Beth and Elizabeth and a new friend that Beth invited to join us, Holly. It was a wonderful group of women - all strong, smart and on different paths which made it really interesting to share each other's perspectives. Two teachers, two mommies of two, two single career women, one who just bought a home on her own and one who's preparing for her wedding next fall.

Each week we were tasked with 5 "cards" that were action items to challenge and build our strength. The "homework" was certainly a challenge - I struggle to find 20 minutes for myself many evenings when I get home from post-work obligations or social engagements, let alone to focus. Mind you, I do pray every evening but taking the time to think through these was a fantastic idea but I admit I wasn't always obedient with completing them each night - this is certainly one reason why I feel I didn't get as much from this journey as the last.

Each week had a theme: Play, Pray, Study, Train, Serve and Live. To provide an example, here are the five Strong Challenge I chose for the first week, Play:

1. Fill 'er up - Make a list of activities that energize and refresh you
2. Be grateful - Write down 10 things to thank God for
3. Plan a Sabbath Day
4. Share something you love
5. Rest from worry

I truly enjoyed taking on these challenges. Thinking of things you love to do really fills your heart with joy and it's always a great thing to remind ourselves what we're thankful for.

The Sabbath Day was accidental and amazing - MR surprised me and moved his Monday morning meeting so that we could have a quiet night together (something we rarely experience since our time together is always jam-packed weekends.) We had brunch with my extended family, went to the pumpkin patch with them, visited his sister and brother-in-law, had a dinner date at Dewey's, took an evening walk with the dog, he read a book for work as I watched DH and we went to bed early and got ready for work in the morning together before we drove home. I was so thankful for this day because it showed me how strong our relationship truly is and that this long distance thing is so worth it because we will have many, many days like this in our future when it all pans out.

Enough insight on my experience with the challenges. I was really disappointed that they didn't host the Prayer Experience like last time - I'm sure it was cost-related but it was an amazing opportunity with numerous rooms designed with activities for listening, praying and reflecting on the Freedom series. The Strong experience was just audio and I wasn't excited so I skipped out on it - perhaps I should've just given it a shot.

The best part of this experience was the sense of community I received from the girls in the group. They are amazing with their spirituality and I learned so much from the way the pray, think and act. I'm looking forward to re-grouping with them this spring for a bible study every other week, to continue growing together.

René of the Day // 10.18.11 // New York Times Visual DNA

Take the quiz: http://nytimes.visualdna.com

My results:

CULTURE CURIOUS

You are culturally adventurous in all walks of life and love to explore different avenues of tastes and trends. Because your body is also important to you, you look for flavors that are unusual but still healthy and delicious, and you are constantly on the lookout for the next food trend. When all is said and done, you are a bit of an intellect with a tendency to do a spot of soul searching from time to time.

You're sophisticated and inquisitive with a real passion for art and culture. You pride yourself on being an early adopter of the latest music and films and always like to have a good book on the go. Your ability to bring together very diverse and even dissenting opinions is rooted in your appreciation for all points of view. You believe in immersing yourself in interesting experiences that make you look at people, places and opportunities from new angles. Being sensitive and creative you want to feel connected to the world around you and actively seek out opportunities to explore it. It's all about broadening your horizons and living life to the full. Anything else would not fulfill your curious nature. You'll love the list of The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made, the Critics' Picks and Arts Beat.

Collage computed from my choices

René of the Day // 10.16.11 // Blooms + Berries

Going to the "pumpkin patch" is one of my favorite fall festivities! I have memories of going as many years back as I can remember... My mom and aunt would plop us on piles of plump orange gourds and snap our photos as we rolled off and petted goats and ran around with burrs grabbing onto our white rolled-down socks. As I've gotten older, I love taking my niece and seeing her doing the same things. Although we go to a different farm now, it's still a special tradition. It's so funny how three years ago we were sweating in summer clothes and the following year we were bundled up for the winter. Ohh, midwest weather, how you surprise us.

Blooms and Berries in Loveland hosts Fall of the Farm and is a wonderful experience for kids of any age... They have a massive corn maze (Kylie called it a "corn puzzle" a few years ago) that we get lost in. There's a hayride, a gorgeous field of sunflowers and tons of free as well as inexpensive activities and games for children. This year MR joined us and we had a so much fun... He didn't think my pumpkin was pretty - he called it "weird" - but I think it's very "Martha Stewart," and he bought it for me anyway :) I've suggested B&B to numerous friends, co-workers and others, especially people who Cincinnati transplants, and everyone seems to love it! 

My jack-o-lantern and the "Martha" pumpkin

Kylie hiding in the corn maze.

The best photo of the day!

http://www.bloomsandberries.com/

René of the Day // 10.8.11 // Camp Champs

Early autumn is the perfect time to trek it to the woods with friends for fun around the fire, warm boozy beverages and becoming one with nature, peeing amongst the trees. As I've said before, MR' high school pals are such a great group of people and they always invite me to join in their adventures, especially on weekends like this when I haven't seen him for a month - it's nice to be with other people who miss him and get it, too.

On Saturday afternoon we drove about 45 minutes northwest to Hueston Woods State Park, right past Miami University in Oxford. Gorgeous day - turning leaves and cool breeze, sunshine. We set up our site, had a beer or two and headed to the beach on the lake for some sand volleyball. The water was blue, the leaves were all changing colors across the way and sailboats were out... very picturesque - too bad I left my iPhone in the car! After an hour of intense competition and dancing in the sand to Angie's portland iPod speakers, we headed back to the campsite to grub. I hadn't camped there since my freshman year of high school and the site was quite different than I recalled. I sort of felt like we were in a trailer park... gobs of children, RVs, loose dogs and camo-clad adults, each site just 20 feet from the next, with cars lined up inbetween. So much for the quiet, great outdoors! (Note: I would highly recommend the drive to Athens to camp at Hocking Hills. You do have to hike your stuff a long way from the car to the site but it's much more secluded.) We really made the most of it... The boys bought weinie roasting sticks - so much better than an untrusty long twig dug up from under a log. We also had loads of snacks, coolers of beer, cider to heat over the fire and Knob Creek to make it all feel alright.

The boys started playing French Darts and most of us girls decided to take a walk in the dark to the "Haunted Trail." We never made it there... As we climbed the hill, we came to an RV park decorated like the Nightmare Before Christmas - for reals. It was like The Griswold's haunted hood. And there was a big shelter with great music blaring - so we put down our drinks and went to explore. We entered a massive family fun party with a hell of a DJ. Naturally, we joined the dance party and stayed for an hour, dancing with kids and going wild, having a great time. Everyone back at camp didn't know what they were missing!! There were two people dressed like... well, either swamp things, Captain Caveman or Cousin Its - literally, just furry creatures head to toe with nothing showing - ahh! Afterwards we walked past the haunted scenes and I SCREAMED when a witch figure started talking to me - then I turned and saw a man with a microphone and remote control - yikes - these people are intense about their holiday decor. And then most importantly, we found a toilet with a flusher.

When we returned to the camp site, not to anyone's surprise, there had been an accident with the boys. Dave is the most accident-prone person I've ever met. While playing French Darts, Sanker's frisbee hit Dave's pole which is good - except the glass Corona bottle came crashing down right into his mouth, busting open his lip and knocking out his front tooth. He looked like he got jumped. This is why we girls can't leave the scene ha. The rest of the night was long, fun, safe and the weather was wonderful. We heated the cider over the fire, chatted and had some interesting conversations between trips to the woods.

The next morning we gorged ourselves at Bob Evans and spent the rest of the day doing absolutely nothing. Fabulous weekend, if you ask me.

René of the Day // 9.24.11 // Gators vs. Wildcats

For my dad's 60th birthday and Father's Day this year, I surprised him with tickets to the Florida Gators versus Kentucky Wildcats football game in Lexington. He grew up in Gainesville, Florida and has been a diehard Gator fan since he was a kid. I don't believe he's been to a game since he moved to Cincinnati when he was 17 and I knew he'd be thrilled... We've anticipated the day since the early summer and I was so excited to take him. I really enjoyed riding down together, catching up, laughing and realizing we have the same favorite current country songs in common ("You and Tequila Make Me Crazy" and "Dirt Road Anthem") - I thought he still listened to classic rock all the time. But he's a good ole Southern boy so no surprise really. We had an early dinner at Pazzo's in Lexington, a pizza place a friend who's a UK alum recommended. We sat right in front of a 70" TV and watched the Alabama/Arkansas game which was great. The pizza was delicious but the wait was ridiculously long, considering they weren't slammed. But we did have some time to kill. But the ole boy wanted to get into that stadium to watch the Gators run out, even if we just sat and watched cheerleaders for a half hour til they were ready (okay, Dad, I get it, you're not dead.)

After dinner we drove to campus and searched for parking... He sure as hell wasn't about to pay $40 to park at a fraternity so we pulled down a residential street and a bunch of college kids were tailgating in their front yard and had a handwritten sign in the driveway: "$20: Spot and a Shot." DONE. Dad worried the kids would screw with his car since we were Gators fans but I told him we'd be good. A super nice kid helped us out and three of them offered us a drink as we walked from behind the house. They were clearly making bank on this parking situation so handing out a cheap drink to their customers was a great sell. Dad asked him if he was in business school and he said, "Yes sir." Dad replied, "Alright then good, because that's where you belong." I pulled out my Gators coozie, slipped it over the Bud Light a random girl handed me and we walked just down the street, over a little bridge and through the parking lot tailGATORs to the stadium. Granted, we sat damn close to the top but he was happier than a pig in sh-t. We had a great time watching Florida kill it. Their running back/track star Rainey is just impossible to catch. There was a group of six young dads behind us with their sons at their first UK game - they were super cute and entertaining throughout the game. Dad knows the game really well so it was enjoyable to talk through the plays and see how pumped he got. At halftime he grabbed us drinks and came back with two blue Powerades (of course, Wildcat Country.) He said a guy looked at him and said, "Shouldn't you be drinking Gatorade?" and he said "Y'all don't have any!" and he replied "That's how we do it." He got a kick out of that.

I was laughing all night because Dad and MR were going back and forth via my texts. Dad asked how he took Florida beating Tennessee the week before. I told him I didn't talk much smack. He goes, "I would've. I'd call him and say, 'This is your future father-in-law. CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP!" LOL Later he said, "At least one of the son-in-laws likes football." Then MR text me to say he was dressing up as the Tennessee Tech University golden eagle at halftime. Pepsi put on a big tailgate for their employees and their colleagues at Tech have been teasing him to do it for quite a while - thought that night would be good to show off for the employee's kids. Dad said, "Yeah right, golden eagle? It's probably a vulture costume." Ha. He said he shook his tail feather, posed for pictures, hugged randoms, cheered with the cheerleaders and took a knee for an injured player. He's a total ham so I know he loved it. They told him he can come back to do it anytime haha!

The Gators killed it and I'm so glad I decided to buy those tickets and take a day trip together. A few days later I called Dad to chat and asked if he had a good time. He said, "Honey, it was one of the best times I've had." That statement makes it all worth it. Go Gators!

Commonwealth Stadium

René of the Day // 9.8.11 // Quack

On New Year's Day, MR went duck hunting for the third time in his life. Cliché as it may be, third time was a charm. The first two trips, he and Elrod and Vale came home without any game. But on the first day of this year, they were successful.

I love duck and I tend to think of it as a "special" food. It's not going to end up in a gunky casserole or flash fried on a fast food menu. It must be prepared and cooked carefully. We had decided to stay in for New Years Eve at MR's new apartment in Cookeville, TN (superbly classy) and just enjoy the evening without waiting in line for drinks with drunks or paying an astronomical amount for a glass of cheap champagne and a sparkly blower thingy. woo-hoo. So I went to Findlay Market and bought duck breasts and towed them to Tennessee in a cooler... along with a fabulous yellow bottle of Veuve Cliquot. We made a maple orange glazed duck breast with homemade beer bread and mashed sweet potatoes - it was a wonderful meal to ring in the new year. Then we finished our champagne through a Wii tournament - which I won and am patiently awaiting my prize - dinner at The Celestial in Cincinnati.

But I digress - I spent a nice amount of money on duck and the boy turns around and kills them for free the following morning! Perhaps the meal fueled his victory. I find it ironic. But we had driven to our friends the Elrod's house and spent the night and the boys got up at the ass crack of dawn to go hunting. A few hours later, the sun was up and I could hear the boys in the backyard. I'd stayed in bed, careful not to wake Missy, who was 11-months pregnant. I looked out the window and saw feathers flying by the stone wall in the backyard so I got dressed and ran downstairs to congratulate them on their manliness. Elrod showed them how to cut and clean the breasts and they packaged them up for freezing. I've been telling MR for months that we need to cook them before they get funky in the freezer - I wasn't going to eat any foul fowl... so this past weekend, we decided to pull them out and enjoy them before the next New Year rolls around.

Originally we planned to make the classic duck recipe, a la orange. But after a full work week and a 4 hour drive, I didn't feel like spending 3 hours making a meal. We love to sit on the deck with drinks in the evenings and I hoped to spend most of my evening doing just that. We used a Bobby Flay Food Network recipe for Asian-spiced duck breasts with ginger-chile glaze. MR was a great sous chef and took care of the grilling and made the chili-garlic noodles as I mixed the spice rub and concocted the spicy glaze - ooh, was it spicy! It paired well with cold Yuenglings. I was thrilled with how much he enjoyed it and honestly, it was the best cut of duck I've ever tasted. It was natural from the woods of Tennessee so it wasn't oily or greasy... lean, not tough. We make quite the team - he kills, I cook. We'll see if the boys' next hunt is as successful! (I've never cooked a turkey before.)

I snuck a photo of the boys cleaning the duck from the bedroom window.

René of the Day // 9.6.11 // Otto Armleder Park

One of our favorite places in Cincinnati is Otto Armleder Park. When Fin finished all of his puppy shots we used to go to the dog park there - it was fun but I didn't love it. You have to deal with yappy dogs, humpers, biters, toy-snatchers and weirdos who have one-on-one conversations with their pooches - not my cup of tea - or yard of shit. Just sayin'. But there is a beautiful 2-mile nature trail at the park. If it's a quiet time of day, I can let him off his leash and he roams on his own unless I call him - and he stops and cocks his head or runs right back to me - good boy! It's very therapeutic and quiet and a great workout. He's a really good runner but a lot of times I bring my iPhone and listen to This American Life podcasts. It's our little happy place... one path takes you to a little overlook and bench by the river. I'd love to rollerblade there - the pavement is smooth but I'll have to investigate... a friend recently told me she has taken it up and it may make you laugh since it was such the awesome thing to do when we were younger, but it's fun and great for your buns! It would be the perfect place to train for a 5k (yes, I need to get back to that).

There are pretty little bird sanctuary areas and it's amazing how the plants and wildflowers change every few months... from high grasses to beautiful wildflowers, it's always different. Earlier this year the entire park - dog park, soccer fields, playgrounds, everything - was flooded for weeks. See photo below taken from the overlook at Ault Park - one of our other favorite places.

But the Otto trail is my favorite place to clear my mind, get away and really enjoy Findlay's company and I love how he sacks out so hard for the next few hours when we return home. Truly a cleansing opportunity for us both.

Mr. Fin on the trail

View of Otto Armleder from Ault Park after the flood

René of the Day // 9.3-5.11 // Lazy Labor Day

Going into Labor Day weekend, I rarely ever make plans. Riverfest and the WEBN fireworks are such a cluster and my groups of friends are all over the place - so many people go out of town and some of us are dating, married or single and none of us really have great places to throw big parties, so things are usually up in the air. Generally, making plans on the fly makes me a nervous wreck. I worry I'll sit at home alone and bored - this never happens, so why I fret I do not know. It's my nature, I suppose. But the weekend turned out to be one of the best I've had during that holiday...

Saturday after brunch with Lindsey, I enjoyed a long nap and although MR was stuck in Tennessee working all weekend, his friends are wonderful and pulled me along with them to a BBQ. Our friends Eric and Katie had two 50" TVs set up in their living room with the TN game and LSU game and made homemade gumbo, which was delicious! We had around 15 people hanging out, playing corn hole and Beersbee in the backyard and watching the games, grilling out, enjoying drinks and then playing board games until 3am. Then Sanker, Dave and I walked to Dave's parents house to crash - they've been biking across the US this summer so the house was empty but sleeping without AC was a bit brutal. And per usual, they just rolled the party into the next day.

I had plans for brunch at nada with Lori. I'd been dying to go there for brunch and I was so pleased - the huevous rancheros was creamy, spicy, crunchy and lovely. We had bloody Marias (tequlia!) and caught up - and she asked me to be in her wedding in April! :) After that I took another nice long nap... Then Dave picked me up and we made it across the bridge the Newport to our friend Steph's amazing place. Ironically, she lives just a few houses down from our friend Danh who used to host Labor Day every year, but he's recently moved to Chicago. But he still has the house so I was able to walk down and see him like old times!

We had a phenomenal view from Steph's rooftop and played flip cup and darted inside when the rain started... we met some very entertaining and interested Kentucky characters and enjoyed showing our friend Caroline and her sister visiting from Connecticut a great time. Side note, but Caroline went to UVA and moved here in February and it's been a blast including her on a lot of great times over the past few months like Opening Day and canoeing. This year, the fireworks were a bit of a bust - literally. The music wasn't rock and roll, there were long pauses between bursts and the weather was crummy so they weren't as bright and beautiful. But the food and company were fantastic!

The next day, we woke up and decided brunch was in order... But it was a Monday and Labor Day so a lot of restaurants were closed and none of them were serving brunch. So we defaulted to B-Dubs. OMG - their new Thai curry wing sauce on boneless is so yummy (and I rarely use that phrase)! It was a chilly day so we spent the afternoon around a fire pit in the boy's backyard in sweats and made s'mores and just chilled our beans - it was so relaxing and random - I loved it. I need more days like this in my life.

Our lazy Labor Day bonfire

Soggy fireworks!

Our view

See us up on the rooftop? :)

Eric & Katie's delicious gumbo

René of the Day // 9.2.11 // Kings Island with KP!

It smelled the same. But it didn't look the same... I hadn't been to Kings Island in 5 years. My friend Pinzi from Scotland and I went 5 years ago when we returned from our summer in the woods of Connecticut. The evening we arrived in Cincinnati after a 12 hour drive and 3 months in open platform tents, I learned my grandmother passed away the night before and we spent the evening drinking champagne. And the next day I vommed on a kid on the Vortex.

Following my vow to make the most of summer hours and taking advantage of the big half day commencing Labor Day weekend, I received free tickets from a friend at work and was thrilled that Kristin was off work at 1:00 and has a Gold pass - w00t for free parking! We tried on silver shoes to match my bridesmaids dress for her upcoming wedding, shared exciting new news and downed a few Captain + Cokes before hitting the amusement park.

We had a hell of a time! It's amazing how many of my childhood and teenage memories are wrapped up in that place. So many recollections of when my parents were still married (until I was 6 years old) and riding & getting soaked on the log flume, the Smurf ride and scarfing blue ice cream. It took years for me to grow tall enough to ride the "big kid" rides and a few more years to muster up the courage to actually get strapped in and go for it. And spending the time summer in lines, sweating through spaghetti-strap tank tops with Bubba and Danni in junior high. I think we all had a running pad of paper with boys numbers and dead end puppy romances from those days - ha. "Hey girl, what's your screen name?"

Without Paramount, I do think it's lost a lost of the luster. Although I love the Peanuts & Snoopy, nothing will ever top Hanna Barbara land. I'm gutted that the old fashioned cars and the taller log flume are gone... Those were the days! So anyhow, the rides now have lame names and all of the pomp and circumstance that decorated the rides and faded into chipped paint and sagging set ups. For example, Top Gun, my old favorite, is now called "Flight Deck." womp womp. I loved that we didn't stand in any lines longer than 10 minutes but it almost seemed like the place doesn't attract the crowd that it used to. But we rode almost everything I'd had my heart set on - starting with Amazon Falls to get a little wet because it was a scorcher, Top Gun, Adventure Express, skipped a few that didn't really appeal to me (Drop Zone; The Racer and the Beast because they knock the hell out of you); the ride that used to be Tomb Raider isn't half as cool as it used to be without the movie parphenilia - it almost seems like they don't have the funding to keep things up like they did under Paramount ownership. I hated that Rivertown has been replaced with a garb shop for Diamondback - which was an amazing new coaster that luckily doesn't have hills (I didn't vom this year but I did need a break after the Vortex) but it's so neat how it dips down into water in the last dip. And of course we ended the day with blue ice cream - it's tradition! 

I definitely feel like I made the most of summer hours and I'm so happy I got to go to Kings Island because it was on my list all along and I wasn't sure I would be able to go - and for free at that! But to be honest, I think the next time I'll go I'll be pushing a stroller :) 

René of the Day // 9.1.11 // Happy Birthday, L~ers!

Happy birthday to one of my best friends, Lindsey! Many of my best college memories are with this gal. {Wake up, wake up, wake up, it's the first of the month!}
We celebrated her birthday over a few Dude vodka cocktails at Becca's house then went to nada and enjoyed my fav mango chile margarita - tangy, sweet and spicy - perfect! From there we walked to Mainstay, met batman in front of The Palace and drank big ass beers upstairs to the "Betty Bar." After that I split off with Julie to meet up with some of her radio personality pals who were quite the characters and hit Skyline in Clifton - I wished the other girls were still with us because all my memories there are SO college! As we get older (gasp!) it's more and more difficult to get the whole kit-and-kaboodle together so it was great to go out together.

The next morning Lindsey and I had brunch at Enoteca Emilia - a fantastic new Italian tapas and wine restaurant in O'Bryonville. We had wonderful service and loved the proscuitto, pear and goat cheese flatbread sandwich, "cheesy" bread (a little loaf, sliced, with cheese oozing through all the cracks) and little fried balls like beignets or donuts, dusted with powdered sugar and served with chocolate sauce and an orange marmalade. Divine! I'm really looking forward to going back for dinner and Sunday brunch.

Wishing a wonderful 25th year and avoidance of the quarter-life crisis to my favorite lil veggie!

Mango chile margarita at nada

René of the Day // 8.13.11 // Goin' to the zoo, zoo, zoo!

Continuing in my quest to make the most of summer hours, and taking advantage of MR having a Friday off of work, we spent Friday afternoon at the Cincinnati Zoo! I hadn't been since last summer when my sister took my mom and I to Wild About Wine for our birthdays. I don't think he'd been there since grade school and we doubted there'd be many more opportunities to go without a stroller and we had a great time!

Although the weather was much nicer than it has been lately - it was under 90 and there was a breeze - most of the animals were sleeping - lazy bones. MR's favorite was the white tiger - he had memories of when they used to bring them to the Bengals game in a cage when we were kids. I loved a little baby monkey who kept running up to the glass and entertaining us - so cute! He was trying to interact with a little toddler boy and his stuffed monkey - really neat to watch. Unfortunately we didn't get to see the giraffes, who our friends got to feed when they went on Sunday! - or Gorilla World but it was a really cool way to spend our afternoon together - something we rarely get to experience. He got stuck on a few work calls - typical - so I teased him because he was still pointing out animals to me that I couldn't spot, he was like Crocodile Dundee - and I made a game of our visit - 10 points if you spot an animal sleeping, 50 points if they're doing it, etc. LOL My favorite - the polar bear - was asleep, facing the other way - big ole lug.

After the zoo we went to A Tavola in OTR - a fairly new pizza place with a massive brick oven that was imported from Naples. Loved the bacon and goat cheese bruschetta although I'd expect more than 2 pieces for $8. The fig spread, proscuitto, fontina and arugula pizza was delicious. We'll definitely go back to try the bacon and banana peppers - MR drooled when he saw that one, I'm sure. After dinner we relaxed on our buddys deck and enjoyed his craft beer kegerator... I let the boys chat late and I snuck inside to nap on the couch until we went home. It was nice to have that extra half day together - that must be what it's like to be a "normal" couple ;)

Our baby monkey buddy!

Straight chillin'

MR's favorite

Endangered white lions

René of the Day // 8.6.11 // Fish Pedicure

I'd heard of fish pedicures somewhere, months ago - most likely on Twitter. When we were in Southport we saw one in a spa window and decided we had to try it! I knew I'd never seen it in the States... and now I know why. It's been banned! Evidently they don't find it to be hygienic. So of course I had to get an illegal spa treatment, right? When in Rome...

We went to a little place in Bolton called Funky Fresh. They have a special until the end of August for $5 for 30 minutes so I treated Pinzi (who came all the way from Scotland to spend the day with us & go shopping at Trafford Centre), Andi and myself - Vicki hates feet and was not interested in partaking so she was our fabulous fish foot photographer ;)

The gal examined our feet then we stepped into a tub of fresh water then settled on the cushions above the tanks and let our feet rest on top of the water for a moment. Once we were ready, we submerged them into the lukewarm water and fish began to feast! At first it really freaked me out - such an odd feeling, almost like pins & needles when your foot falls asleep. I was grilling the girl with questions and she was very knowledgable and friendly - she opened the salon with her mom and friend around 8 months ago - we actually found it because we Googled for fish pedicure spas and found their previous Groupon, which did really well.

The fish don't have teeth - they nibble the dead skin which exfoliates, and it goes out through their gills - they don't actually consume it. The tanks have around 150 garra ruffa fish and they constantly filter the water and change 20% of it a day so every week it is completely refreshed. Each night they're given a few blood meal pills for sustenance. After a while you get used to the feeling but we got squirmy when they've dart between our toes. If you stick your legs in a bit further they'll work on those too! It was so hilarious to watch our faces and hear the girls shriek - Andi had a group of bigger fish so I think it was a bit more intense. Afterwards, you rub lotion on them and you're done - no polish or nail maintenance, just fish exfoliation.

Andi is planning to take her Mum and Alan so I'm looking forward to hearing their thoughts. I'm so glad we found this clean, cute little place - I would highly recommend trying it if you find yourself in a place that allows it. It's become a huge trend in Europe. She said like many beauty regimens, the more you go, the better results you'll see.

My view...

Can you believe that little guys gapper?!

René of the Day // 8.3.11 // Liverpool, The Beatles Story & Lambananas!

Although the photos below are out of order - Blogger isn't the best with allowing for well-organized photo uploads - they show our tiring and tremendous day in Liverpool with the "scousers" (a term for Liverpooldians). How lucky that we were there a week before the riots broke out! Alan and Andrea's mum are from Liverpool but they'd never gone around as "tour guides" - it was quite fun - see the photo below lol! First we went to the Everton shop at the football stadium (Alan's team) and then we went into the city center and walked through the mall to go to the Liverpool store (Sue's team). From there we walked to the harbor to The Beatle's Story - a museum that tells the tale of their start at The Cavern on Mathew Street in Liverpool through their short years of success from 1963 to 1970... I learned so many things that I didn't know about the beloved band but we were surprised that there were not more relics and actual items from the Fab4. I suppose they were only together a short time and a lot of things are probably in private collections.

We had lunch at Jamie Carraagher's (Liverpool footballer) Café Sports England and sat ouside - he was actually there but we didn't bother him for autographs. Then we walked to the Church of England cathedral and the Catholic cathedral, which was surprisingly modern. We also saw Super Lambananas - created to call attention to GMO food, the fused animal-fruits are all over Liverpool, decorated in funky artistic ways, just like the flying pig statues in Cincinnati and the cows in Chicago. Andi & Alan bought me a little yellow replica for my desk! Hr has been named Lambert :)

Next was the Bombed Out Church - destroyed during WWII, the walls contain a 'secret' garden where they now host movies, art exhibits, concerts and more. It was actually closed as they prepared for a showing of "The Wizard of Oz" but Alan had the guy let us in... We played on the metal tire "drums" and sat in the Compassion Tepe and tied little wishes to the pole - really neat space. From there we walked to the Mersey (mare-zee) River and saw the building and balcony where they announced to the world that the Titanic had sunk - how incredible. We probably walked 6+ miles that day...

We went back to Dave & Sue's and Andi's friends came around for her wonderful homemade chicken curry (tiki masala), naan, chutneys, samosas and other little Indian bites - quite popular dishes in Britain. We had drinks in the garden until we all practically fell asleep sitting upright! Another successful day of travel in England - and the week was only half spent!

Inside the Bombed Out Church

Bombed Out Church

Our fabulous tour guides! ;)

Super Lambanana!

Church of England cathedral

Birthplace of The Beatles

The Cavern - where The Beatles got started

Chinatown - Liverpool

Catholic cathedral

Tying on a note in the Compassion Tepe in the Bombed Out Church

René of the Day // 7.30-31.11 // UK Trip 2.0

Welcome to the commencement of the UK Trip 2.0 blog post series! Last night I returned from an incredible 10-day stay with our "British family" - the Bond's & Bailey's.


To capture all the memories, I'm breaking out the trip into separate blog posts to follow, all including our wonderful memories, funny happenings and quirky differences between the UK & US:

• Andrea & Alan's wedding 
• Southport
• Liverpool, The Beatles Story & Lambananas!
• Chester
• Ingleton Falls in the Yorkshire Dales
• Trafford Centre & Fish Pedicure

We left Friday from Dayton in the early evening and flew to Philadelphia. There was inclimate weather over Philly so they circled for a while - we expressed our concern to the flight attendant about making our connection for an international flight with a short window of time that was crunching in... she said we should be fine and they soon decided it was safe to land. We landed at the end of Terminal F and had to take a tram and run, "Home Alone" style, to Terminal A. We missed the flight to Manchester by 7 minutes! I blurted out profanities with which Mom was less than impressed, but I was so heated. Evidently they left behind quite a few people - you'd think with international flights and being able to monitor that connection fliers have landed they would wait. But I suppose if they always waited, everything would be thrown off. The four girls at the service counter seemed to take their job less than seriously but one was helpful and re-routed us through London so we left less than an hour later.


The 7-hour flight wasn't bad... Went fairly fast. I was in the very back row with an extra seat to lay down. Watched a funny movie with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston and made friends with the flight attendants who kept me stocked on free gin & tonics - which I regretted when we landed in London and I was exhausted. I was by the bathroom door so it was impossible to get proper rest. Landing in Manchester is really neat - there's a special park on the side of the runway where people gather to picnic, play and watch planes come, such a fun concept!


 Rather than arriving at 8:30am we landed in Manchester at 2:30pm so it wasn't a tragic loss of time except it didn't leave us any time to relax or nap before the evening's event. But of course, they left our luggage back in Philly! Evidently this happens a lot - they said they'd send it the next day on the flight from Philadelphia and would deliver it to Andi's parent's house.


The first thing that grabbed my attention in the Manchester airport was quite the spectacle - two men - without shirts! drinking beers! carrying a baby! For the love... in America their asses would be arrested lol. 


Andi & Alan took me to Matalan - a members-only discount shop to grab a dress for her "Hen do" (bachelorette party) that evening. In less than half an hour, we found a cute one-shoulder summery dress for £10 which is a steal! It was a little big but we made it work - wasn't going to wear the jeans and top I'd been in since 10am Friday, that's for sure. Then we just sat on pins & needles hoping the luggage came in time for the wedding Monday since my bridesmaids dress that was perfectly-tailored by MR's mom was in my bag!


We went to a lovely little restaurant in the country called The Yew Tree - sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the sprawling English countryside and had drinks then a delicious dinner in the old stone house - quite charming. We shared a few dishes for starters - that's one of my rules, everyone gets something different so you can share and try as many things as possible. The traditional Bury black pudding with mustard & tarragon cream sauce and crispy bacon was incredible - once you get past the fact of what black pudding actually is (ultimately, a cake of blood and guts)! I ordered paté with mint jelly - fabulous combination. The double-baked cheese soufflé with emmental cheese & krisch cream sauce was very rich and flaky. We also enjoyed the crab cakes and mushrooms stuffed with Lancashire cheese and bacon - anyone who says British food is bland has not eaten there properly. 


For "tea" (dinner) I ordered the stuffed chicken filet (fill-ET as they say), with cream cheese, safe, proscuitto, asparagus and a spicy red pepper sauce. Andi's chicken Anderton with spiced rum & tomato cream sauce was incredible - I'm tempted to email the restaurant and ask for the recipe for the sauce! By the end of the evening I was literally falling asleep on the table... my eyes were in pain as I fought to keep them open, going on 36+ hours without sleep. But the boys had been hanging out all night so when we got home I put on her pink Snuggie and we hung out with their friends and didn't get to bed until 3am - I was knackered!!! 


Sunday Andrea & I went to downtown Preston to shop for my shoes for the wedding. We had lunch at an adorable café - I had a duck wrap, quite yummy but a bit oily and messy with the hoisin sauce. Found fabulous shoes at Debenham's - very similar to Macy's - very high cream silk stilettos with an open-toe and a flat-pressed bow on the heel. That evening we had a BBQ at her parents - ribs, sausages, burgers and plenty of Scrumpy Jack, mom's and my favorite cider - much less sweet than ciders here like Woodchuck. Then the girls drank cocktails and played with the hilarious slang flashcards I brought for Vicki, the other bridesmaid and slept over since it was wedding-eve and the boys when back to Andi & Alan's. Oh - and our luggage finally arrived around 6pm, less than 24 hours until the wedding - ah! They were so laid back - if it didn't come, they said we'd go to the bridal shop in the morning and find replacements - Andi showed me a cute purple dress in the window that was the "back-up plan." It made it so much less stressful that they were calm. Thank God it came - they thought MR's mom did a wonderful, professional-looking job on my dress. Andi and I slept in her brothers room and giggled like we were 13 again, shocked that her wedding was the next day.


We had a fast, busy, fantastic great first weekend in England catching up... and then, the excitement began. And so the series UK 2.0 series continues... 

All the ladies in the garden before Andi's "hen do!"
See £10 one-shoulder dress ;)

René of the Day // 7.29.11 // Featured Friend: Andi

So how I met my British bestie... Once upon a time, I was a 13-year-old student ambassador with People to People and spent 3 weeks traveling through England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This trip around the UK was many things - my first out-of-country adventure, the longest I've ever been away from home and a time when I met two friends who are still very near and dear to my heart.

We learned of our assigned homestay families in Ireland and England a few weeks before the trip. Mind you, this was 1999... we still paid-per-minute for AOL usage, dialed up and hoped the crackling sound would connect to a ::ding:: and "You've Got Mail!" and not everyone had it yet. The Bond Family and their daughter Andrea sent me an email through their friend Craig who had email and we chatted a few times before my arrival.

Thirteen years later, I am honored (ahem, honoured) to serve as her Chief Bridesmaid (as the Brits call the Maid of Honor) on August 1. It's always funny because I'm so girley and she's more of a tomboy - I chatter without coming up for air and she's a bit quiet - we balance each other well. Hell, she convinced me to spend a summer in the woods of Connecticut during college! It makes me feel terrible to think that I'm only now returning, but it is quite expensive to travel from this side of the pond to that, as compared to the other way around. Absolutely thrilled to meet her fiancé Alan - my parents met him in Barcelona with the entire Bond family last year and he seems like a fantastic "lad." I am also thrilled that she's arranged for one of my good friends from Scotland to come spend a day and night with us! It's going to be an unforgettable trip with 50 bottles of wine awaiting consumption... Cannot wait for a proper English breakfast and Sunday roast! There will a few posts coming from the wedding and our adventures over the next 10 days.

It's mind-blowing how now we can easily chat every day via Facebook, Twitter or text via the What's App on our iPhones. Oh how that times have changed - for this I'm ever so grateful.

Ta-ta for now!

My British sibs - Andi & her brother Stevie

René of the Day // 7.27.11 // Wasson Way Project

This incredible idea was first brought to my attention on Facebook - how amazing would it be to have a trail similar to the Loveland Bike Trail that I grew up on, here in the Hyde Park area? With the multitudes of people walking their dogs, running with their jogging strollers and walking with friends around the neighborhoods, it would surely receive high foot and bike traffic. What better to do with 6.5 miles of unused railroads? This would be perfect for Bob Ronnecker's runners training for races...

"Like" it and learn more about turning these abandoned tracks into a recreational trail! A project of this magnitude needs all the local support it can muster up.

UPDATE: My step-dad, Chip, just told me about the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - perhaps they can link up with them to continue rolling it forward.

René of the Day // 7.25.11 // Canoe x 2

Only on the Little Miami River....

This has shaped up to be a hell of a summer! I was lucky enough to go canoeing two times in one week earlier this month... Post has been pending pictoral evidence, presented below. On a Tuesday we went canoeing for a work inspiration event and celebration - we had Panera and a few drinks and jumped on the bus with our branded bags, towels, water bottles, coolers and such - and hit the Whitewater River. I'd never been on this river before so it was an exciting new adventure - it's much more shallow and has less surrounding woods than the Little Miami but it was an easy route to relax and have fun along. Julie was my coxswain and she was fabulous, of course. We had a blast cruising down the rapids and stopping at the numerous rock beaches to "play" in the water with co-workers and bronze, as our canoe team name was "License to Chill." One of my favorite parts of the day was when the whole team docked and floated in the water and each person said why they got into "the business." Pretty interesting answers. Perhaps the most fun day of work, ever.

Cabrew Crew

Then on Saturday we went cabrewing on the Little Miami with a group of 12. It was a fantastic mix of my friends. Little did I know, MR is no canoeman. As soon as we left the shore, we literally crashed into the other... I got bush-whacked and laughed so hard I cried and couldn't get us out (see photo). We untangled and the a tree brand rest on the bow as evidence then crashed into more rocks under the bridge... we finally got into the center of the river and started floating with the other 5 canoes and again, we began veering towards the banks. I mean, really? After an hour of hilarious bickers (his Southern curses are hilarious - "God dog!" "Shit fire!") and blaming me for our wayward meanderings, I made him trade spots so he pouted in the front and drank beer as I steered us smoothly down the river. Loved hearing everyone's comments about how we didn't have any trouble once we switched places and "didn't he know he had all the control in the back - it wasn't René's fault." HA. I didn't mind - we had more fun this way and I do enjoy rowing. On this trip I learned that if you get in to pee, you must put your arms up and flex (like field goals) to let everyone know what's up - good tip for fellow river waders. 

In the middle of the 8-mile trek, MR jumped off a rope swing from the top of a massive tree - if the sun was still shining I would've joined him but I was spent and it was shady... I didn't want to be freezing with a fading buzz at 5:00pm. It looked like a blast and I had to hold my breathe until he came up for air with all limbs in good shape. Of course we brought Mingo, the pink plastic flamingo we stole from Luke's old neighbor before our last canoeing adventure (he flaked out this time because he was hung over - punk) but I don't think he made it into any pictures. It's fair to say I've had my fill of the local waters for the summer but two full days are more than a city girl could ask for!

Thanks to George for capturing all the awesome photos!

Cruising with MR before he was banned from steering the canoe ;)

Action shot of our first crash - laughing so hard I was in tears!

With Haley in our amazing matching "Lisa Frank" shorts!

The entire office posing as river rats! :)