My kind of (baseball) town

It’s great to be living in another baseball town. With the Cincinnati Reds clinching the NL Central Division last night, I remember the excitement of a postseason berth from my Boston days. Of course, right now, I have the song Tessie (the Red Sox unofficial fight/victory song) playing in my head.

My first Reds game in August 2010

I’ve been meaning to write a post on the Reds. I don’t have any real good reason why I haven’t yet. However, last night’s big win has proved to be a catalyst to write that blog post.

I don’t intend to offer any major comparison to the Red Sox here. Instead, I simply reflect on a tremendous and exciting season, slightly reminiscent of the 2004 Red Sox World Champions. A young team with a variety of stars all contributed to the 2004 World Series win. I was lucky enough to attend Game 2 with my Dad, uncle, and brother. Remember Curt Schilling and the bloody sock? Yes, that one. It was thrilling, to say the least, given that the last time the Sox had won the World Series was in 1918…as Yankees fans loved to point out.

But back to the Reds. I’m excited for them and hope for the best. I look forward to the fervor that will soon envelop my new town. I didn’t realize that Cincinnati’s last appearance in the postseason was in 1995 so I can understand the crazy celebrations on television last night.

One final thought. I love the fireworks that crown Great American Ballpark throughout the season. At my first game, I quickly learned that fireworks are deployed on two occasions during a game. First, if a Reds player hits a home run. Second, if the Reds win the game. I made a glib comment months ago that the Red Sox could never maintain that policy as they were always hitting home runs and winning games…until this season. How fitting that last night’s fireworks emerged over the Ohio River to celebrate a home run AND a victory at the same precise moment, courtesy of Jay Bruce!

Happy Postseason, everyone!

Autumn Musings

Today is September 21, 2010. My grandmother would be 90 years today, and I only wish that I could pick up the phone or drive up to Glendale to say “happy birthday”. I know that she would love the fact that I live in Cincinnati and that I plan to marry the grandson of one of her childhood friends. I’ll have a Dewars on the rocks in her honor tonight.

Today is also two days before the official start of autumn. Like many of you, I am asking that same, old question: Where on earth did summer go? Instead of searching for an answer, I plan to look ahead and not “fall back” although the time change will be here before we know it.

Having lived in Boston for three years, the advent of fall always brought a feeling of beginnings. I attribute that to all of the colleges and universities in the greater Boston area that welcome back students in September. The feeling of starting anew permeates the air, even for those who are not in academia. I always found myself thinking about resolutions and goals in the fall, and this year is no different. The way I see it, you can look at it two ways. One, fall is an opportunity to put the rest of the year behind you and embrace life in a fresh way. Two, we now only have a few short months before the end of the year. Time to dust off those resolutions we all made for ourselves back in January and see if we can meet those goals before December 31. For me, that means dusting off my blog and making the most of what Cincinnati (and life) has to offer.

This fall is particularly meaningful as I celebrate one year of Cincinnati living. Forget summer...where on earth did this YEAR go?!? Things have certainly changed since September 2009. Aside from creating an often-neglected blog, I’ve developed a sense of belonging in Ohio. Everyone I’ve met over the past year has been gracious and welcoming, and there have very few moments of homesickness. The the chance to learn more about my family’s history in southwestern Ohio and the opportunity to visit some of the places that featured prominently in my ancestors’ lives has been engaging and rewardng. I've reveled in the comparatively affordable cost of living in Ohio - a living that certainly doesn't sacrifice the good things in life for the sake of lower prices.

September 2010 and beyond excites and energizes me. Cultural events in Cincinnati, dinner parties and dates with good friends and family, wedding planning and celebrations, and more fun activites yet to be discovered. I hope that everyone out there will also seize the opportunity to enjoy all that is out there and embrace the final months of 2010.

NE meets MW...the restaurant??

Here's why impromptu roadtrips are so much fun...you never know exactly what you are going to find.


On Saturday, I spent the majority of the day in the car, driving all around Southwest Ohio as well as a tiny sliver of Indiana. We drove by the Pier 27 Beer Garden & Grill, just outside of Hamilton, Ohio, and I immediately asked my travel companion to turn around when I saw this building in the rearview mirror. Tip: Always bring a camera on roadtrips.

While we didn't have a chance to go into the restaurant (it was only 11:00 am), I did find the the Pier 27 website which makes me want to head back there as soon as I can. Apparently the owner is a native of Maine and his motto is "Northeast Meets Midwest". The restaurant is also billed as a taste of New England in Ross...according to a review in The Oxford Press.

Who knew that a taste of Maine is only 30 minutes away?

What happened??

I had a realization last week as I drove up to Middletown (about 45 minutes north of Cincinnati) for dinner. I have always had a fascination with history, historical spots, people, you name it. When I moved to Cincinnati, I continued that love of history but with a certain zeal. The history of my family could be found in Cincinnati! There are unpublished blogposts in my head about all the interesting tidbits I've found, but for now, I had one of those real moments in which you understand something about yourself.

I am an observer. Over the past few months, I've found myself looking at maps of the area, surveying the landscape, and reading up about the area as much as I can. There's not a moment when I'm driving that I don't turn my head to see a rusty train track, a forsaken canal, or an abandoned factory and think "what happened"? My realization (or generalization?) was this: In New England, anything historical is either preserved or used. Call it New England frugality, but there isn't anything out there that we DON'T use. Yet, Cincinnati is a veritable graveyard of "things that were good at one time no longer seem to be useful". I've had these feelings for a long time but it wasn't until I drove across the now-defunct Miami-Erie Canal in Middletown that I was able to put words to these sentiments.

Is it a New England superiority complex? Maybe. Is it the fact that so many industries that once formed the backbone of Ohio life have left the area for greener and cheaper pastures? DEFINITELY. In any case, it was interesting to come to that realization. There's something about Cincinnati that pulls at the heart-strings. Surely a region that saw such an economic and social boom must still have something to offer to the masses, right? And even if those industries are no longer in town, isn't there a way to better preserve the history of the area outside of museums and historical societies? Being somewhat new to town, there's a really good chance I haven't spent enough time focusing on what the area does have. Yet, I can't get the sight of neglected railroads and buildings out of my head.

More thoughts on this issue are sure to emerge. In the meantime, I would love to hear from the native Ohioans out there.

Rocked!

Finally back from my adventures in Northern Michigan and looking forward to the future more than ever. Many of you probably know that I answered "yes" to a very important question that was asked of me on our dock at precisely 8:45 pm on June 24. Here's a picture of the idyllic setting.



Definitely a blogpost for another day but for those who aren't familiar with Northern Michigan...think Cape Cod, the Islands, Maine, etc. Now picture something 10 times more beautiful. Now you have Northern Michigan.

Looks like Northeast TRULY meets Midwest...stay tuned.

The 20's are winding down

At approximately 5:30 pm, I'll be cruising down this road...



Happy birthday to all the other 22ers out there!

Hello summer...and blog

Summer is here although with the weather we have had thus far in Cincinnati, I feel like we are in the middle of August. It is HOT here!

Life has been busy. Work has been busy. This poor blog has been somewhat neglected. With the advent of summer, I hope to be a bit more diligent in my posting and will try not to complain about the weather too much. It is HUMID here!

June 2010 highlights:

Housewarming party
Tornado sirens (not a drill this time) and subsequent panic attack
Learned how to tap (and untap) a keg
New spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A
Birthday dinner in Cincinnati with a CT friend!
Drove by the remnants of Big Butter/Touchdown Jesus in Monroe
Business trip to Boston with a special trip up to Salem (my birthplace!)
Dinner in Beacon Hill with two very close friends
Family research at Cincinnati Historical Society

Next stop: Walloon Lake, Michigan for 12 days! For those back east, northern Michigan is THE spot for a summer respite. Pictures and posts to follow.

Even Poppy the dog from CT loves Walloon Lake!

A Downtown Oasis

After some terrible weather last week, I was absolutely delighted to finally enjoy some sun this past weekend, which has continued through this week. I decided that Sunday was the perfect day to take a long overdue trip to Findlay Market.

Located downtown, in historic Over-the-Rhine, the market is the continuously operated public market in Ohio. This is definitely not Quincy Market for those of you in Boston but more along the lines of Eastern Market in DC, although not as big. The market is open year-round and features a variety of merchants that sell everything from basic produce to bison meat to quail eggs.

I purposely held off on having breakfast at home so that I could head right to Taste of Belgium, this absolutely phenomenal store that sells, well you guessed it, Belgian waffles. I'm usually quite content to have a plain Belgian waffle but this time I decided to spring for the ham and gruyere crepe, which was bigger than a Chipotle burrito but 10 times better. It was impossible to eat and walk, which prompted me to sit, eat, and indulge in some people watching. College students, young children with their parents, tourists, musicians, and more pervaded the area that day. As the market is located in Over-the-Rhine, it attracts a very diverse group of people. OTR has a rich history as a German neighborhood back in the 19th century. However, over the past 100 years, the area has seen a significant decline and many of the beautiful buildings have fallen into disrepair. The good news is that there are many efforts from several organizations to redevelop the area, and from what I've read and seen, it seems like those efforts are working. Here's an interesting photo I took of one of the doors. Note that both pets AND handguns are not allowed in the building.



It should be interesting to see what happens in the neighborhood as Findlay Market truly is a diamond in the rough.

A trip to Kentucky: Maifest 2010

On Sunday, I traversed the Ohio River and found myself in Covington, KY. Cincinnati readers may be shocked (or not) to hear that many outsiders do not realize that Kentucky (aka The South) is immediately adjacent to Cincinnati. Meaning, right across the river. Here's an analogy - Cincinnati : Covington as Boston : Cambridge. Make sense?

There's a great area of Covington called MainStrasse, an historic district with obvious ties to the rich German heritage of the area. When I have a free weekend and the weather is better, I'm going to make a more substantial visit to MainStrasse. Like Cincinnati, the village is home to many annual festivals, including Oktoberfest and Maifest - the latter is the festival I visited on Sunday. As you probably guessed, Maifest is an annual festival held in May to celebrate the beginning of spring. Too bad that the weather was more reminiscent of the beginning of winter! Like any festival, food is the main attraction (at least for me), so I thought I would share the menu and some pictures (please forgive the photo layout and quality). Bon Appetit!

What I ate/drank at Maifest 2010:

Fried Goetta balls
Crawfish with lots of seasonings
Boneless barbecue ribs
Kentucky Ale
Christian Moerlein IPA
Deep Fried Oreos

Here's the scoop on ice cream

I always love finding new and fun websites and here's what I found today: Cincy Favorites. This site is dedicated to all of the best foods the Queen City has to offer. What's more, the site features online ordering and delivery so that you can enjoy all of these comfort foods outside of Cincinnati. Considering that so many Cincinnati ex-pats are very attached to some of the local food, this is a great idea. Two of the featured products were ice cream so here goes...

The two ice cream companies with which I am most familiar are Graeter's and UDF (United Dairy Farmers). Both stores are located all over Cincinnati and their products are available in grocery stores, so there's no hiding. Graeter's brands itself as having perfected the traditional French Pot process, utilizing lots of eggs and cream. The result is a very creamy ice cream with lots of flavor. During Cincinnati visits when I was younger, a trip to Graeter's was always on the itinerary.

In the other corner, you have UDF ice cream. They, too, boast of their heavy use of cream which also lends itself to a smooth and decadant consistency. What always threw me about UDF is the fact that it's part ice cream parlor, part convenience store. I have yet to find a UDF that didn't have a gas station attached to it, and I can't think of any gas stations/convenience stores in the Northeast that serve premium ice cream! As such, I didn't have my first UDF ice cream until after I moved here...and realized there was a UDF a stone's throw away from my apartment. So I HAD to go there, obviously.

To the non-Cincinnati readers, you may enjoy a side-by-side comparision (just the facts) of Graeter's and UDF. Here's my chart. I had way to much fun making this. Note: I used a 5 mile radius of my neighborhood.



As for taste, there are some differences. This is probably going to sound contradictory but Graeter's, with all of the creamy texture, is actually very light and airy compared to UDF. It's as if the ice cream had been whipped, so the richness comes from the particular flavor. For example, my all-time favorite ice cream is peppermint stick, which is often only available during the holidays. Graeter's has a delicious version that packs a ton of pepperminty taste but it's not heavy. UDF also has a peppermint stick ice cream, and while I also enjoy it (particularly in milkshake form), it is more dense than its counterpart over at Graeter's. However, dense can be good, like the Vanilla Fudge swirl at UDF. If I had two cones in front of me right now, I would quickly reach for Graeter's but finish up with UDF. There's no need to limit myself to one ice cream cone, right?

To the Cincinnati readers, I want YOUR feedback. Don't be shy. If I'm totally off the mark here, let me know. If you're mad that I left out Aglamesis', speak up. In my defense, I have yet to try the latter.

Until then...Happy Ice Cream Season!

Shall We Dance

"You see, every once in awhile I suddenly find myself dancing" - Fred Astaire


Not really about Cincinnati or Boston but I do want to wish Fred Astaire a happy birthday on what would have been his 111th!

I've been hooked on Fred ever since that first viewing of Top Hat years and years ago. I fully give my Dad credit for making that introduction particularly as it was a tough sell, initially. A black and white movie with singing and dancing isn't exactly at the top of an elementary student's movie list. However, Dad successfully coaxed me into watching when he promised that Ginger Rogers would be wearing some dresses that could "twirl". They did.

I've done a lot over the years for Fred, including the following:

1. Scoured used book stores and Ebay for out of print Fred-focused books, including his autobiography.

2. Treked up to Chatsworth, CA (aka The Valley) from Los Angeles this past summer to find his grave. After combing the desert-like cemetery for about 45 minutes, we finally stumbled up on it. Thanks, Jenny!

3. In pre-DVD days, I would study the New York Times TV schedule and record all Fred movies on VHS...no matter what time of day! I'm happy to say that I probably captured about 25 of his 30 musicals on tape. I'm sure they are collecting some major dust back in Connecticut right now.

What can I say, he was the best! A singer, dancer, actor, father, husband, golfer, humanitarian. You know that question that people always ask? You know, the one where you can have dinner with anyone (dead or alive)? Yup, I never have to think twice about that.

I leave you with a picture taken this past summer in Hollywood. Fred and I aren't dancing cheek to cheek here, but rather, palm to palm.

Derailed!

I had hoped that this post would be an exuberant recap of the adventure I alluded to earlier this week. Alas, the trip was derailed. Here's the story.

On Tuesday, I had the tremendous opportunity to travel from Cincinnati to Washington, DC on a private railcar called The Chapel Hill, originally known as Hussar, was built in 1922 for Marjorie Merriweather Post (familiar with Post cereal brands??) and E.F. Hutton. This was a different time when train travel was THE way of traveling for prominent Americans. If you had private railcar, you would use it the way people use private planes these days - for business or pleasure. The Hussar was no exception. This couple would use the car to travel between New York City, the Adirondacks, and Palm Beach. Tough life, right?

Almost 100 years later, this car, renamed the Chapel Hill, is now available for charter trips and excursions. The railcar can go anywhere in the country that Amtrak travels to and has traveled extensively throughout the continental U.S. That said, the Chapel Hill is at the mercy of the Amtrak schedule, which is quite limited in the Midwest. The Cardinal Route, which travels from Chicago to NYC, only passes through Cincinnati three times a week...and arrives at Cincinnati's Union Terminal at 3 am! Here was our proposed itinerary for the trip:

Tuesday night: Cocktails and dinner on the train after which we all adjourned to the private bedrooms on the car.

Early Wednesday morning around 3:00 am: Hook up to the Cardinal train coming down from Chicago and start the eastbound journey through Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia. Wake up to breakfast in the formal dining room and enjoy the ride for the rest of the day.

Wednesday evening: Arrive at Washington's Union Station and enjoy cocktails and dinner on the train, followed by post-dinner drinks with friends in DC.

Thursday morning at 7:00 am: Delta flight 2081 to CVG from DCA. Back to reality.

We managed to get through Tuesday night but early Wednesday things went awry when Amtrak decided not to bring us to DC. Politics and bureaucracy stood in our way, and when we woke up on Wednesday morning, we were not cruising through the countryside of West Virginia. Instead, we were still in the train yard in Norwood, Ohio! Disappointing, to say the least, and there was no Thomas the Tank Engine to pull us to Washington.

That's the story. I don't completely understand the reasoning behind Amtrak's decision, but it certainly highlights an organization that seems to have some MAJOR issues. Another thing to point out - the Cardinal was slated to arrive in Cincinnati around 3 am. As it turns out, it was running late and wouldn't be picking us up until closer to 6 am!

In the end, I have to say that I'm lucky to have enjoyed about 30 hours on the Chapel Hill. I also should mention that I did get to ride up in the engine prior to dinner on Tuesday night (for about 100 yards), and the railcar did travel a couple of miles down the track before being denied by Amtrak. I immensely enjoyed the company of my fellow travelers so the trip was not a total loss. I do look forward to another opportunity to travel on the Chapel Hill; hopefully, we'll be able to make it out of Ohio!

A little R & R on the C & O

Birthday parties, horse races, and work have all kept me occupied over the past couple of weeks. It's not a great excuse for not blogging; in fact, the busier I am, the more I should be documenting these activities.

The good news is that I have a mini-adventure this week that will prove to be a fun blog post with lots of accompanying photos. I won't spoil the surprise but I will say that the next post will be TRAIN-tastic!



All Aboard!

Happy Birthday Mrs. Jack...and Libby MacVeigh!

There are a number of things I miss about Boston. Aside from close friends, I miss the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The museum is a real Boston gem and is sometimes overshadowed by the neighboring Museum of Fine Arts and others.

During my last year in Boston, I was an information desk volunteer at the Gardner. I worked at the museum several times a month, helping visitors acclimate to the museum. My favorite part was interacting with them in the galleries because the questions almost always had to do with the history of the museum…which is what makes this institution so remarkable.

In a nutshell, the museum was founded in 1903 by a prominent Bostonian named Isabella Stewart Gardner. The picture to the left is a well-known portrait, painted by Anders Zorn and rests in the museum. She built a Venetian Palace in the Fenway area of Boston to house her vast collection of art. Upon her death in 1924, “Fenway Court” became the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Mrs. Jack, as she was known, stipulated that nothing could change in the museum. As such, the art in the galleries is placed in the same exact manner that she intended. Any violation of this agreement and the contents of the museum would be sold at auction with the proceeds going to Harvard University. Talk about a tough cookie.

Today is Mrs. Jack’s birthday – she would be 170 years young! It’s easy to remember as the museum’s courtyard always features hanging nasturtiums (her favorite flower) in April. I wish I could be there to pay homage to this remarkable woman but also to wander through the galleries and view one of Rembrandt’s self portraits, Titian’s famous Europa, and John Singer Sargent’s El Jaleo.

If you appreciate history and a good mystery, you may want to educate yourself about the famous “Gardner Heist” that took place 20 years ago. Thirteen works were stolen in the middle of the night, including several Rembrandts and a Vermeer, and have yet to be recovered. An excellent book was published last year called The Gardner Heist, written by a longtime investigator of the crime. Even if you aren’t an art aficionado, you will enjoy this book but will be dismayed that such priceless works are still missing. To learn more about Mrs. Jack herself, check out the aptly named Mrs. Jack, a wonderful biography on an amazing woman. To those who are in Boston, or are planning a visit, I wholeheartedly recommend a visit.

This all reminds me that I need to pay another visit to the Taft Museum here in Cincinnati. Like the Gardner, the Taft is a collection housed in a private residence and its existence is owed to former citizens who believed in the sharing of art and history with the public.

Happy Birthday, Mrs. Jack. Thank you for leaving such a wonderful legacy.

Off to the races

This post is dedicated to the "Keeneland 5"


Saturday marked my third visit to Keeneland, a Thoroughbred racetrack located outside of Lexington, Kentucky. My past two visits were in October, so it was nice to be out there on a beautiful spring day.

Oh boy, is this place heaven or what! While the drive down from Cincinnati on I-75 leaves something to be desired (at least immediately outside of the city), the area around Lexington is wonderful...green hills, blue skies, and horses. Seeing as we sat in traffic for a good hour outside of the gates, I got the chance to really admire all of those things. And to watch planes departing and arriving at Lexington Blue Grass Airport. The wait was worth it.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I'm not well-versed in horse racing...at all. I attempted to read some of the literature that they make available at the track to see if I could understand anything about racing and betting, but to no avail. So while I didn't make any bets (I know, I know), I did get to enjoy the sun, lots of Miller Lite, and delicious Kentucky Burgoo.

I marvel at what a big deal Keeneland is to Cincinnati residents. The Kentucky Derby is obviously big as well, and since Louisville is less than 2 hours away, that race is easy enough to get to. Speaking of which, New Englanders take note - do not try to pronounce Louisville phonetically. Instead, try saying "Looavuhl". Most towns in Massachusetts have crazy pronunciations (Ayer, Worcester, Billerica...to name a few), so we have absolutely no right to pass judgment!

While at Keeneland, we ran into several fellow Cincinnatians, proving that it can be quite the social event. Another interesting observation is the demographic. In the clubhouse area, you had men in suits and bow ties, coupled with ladies in dresses and hats. On the general admission side, you had the same...as well as a substantial amount of denim and miniskirts. Keeneland also has a great gift shop, and with the Derby in a few short weeks, there was a Christine A. Moore trunk show with hats galore. I tried on a big red hat, similar to the one below, but figured the price tag of over $500 was a bit out of my range. However, the hats are beautiful, and if I ever do go to Churchill Downs, I would consider purchasing one...at a lower price point.




So while I didn't walk away with some winnings or a big, fluffy hat, I can easily say that it was a fun way to spend a Saturday. Obviously, the company was infinitely more enjoyable:)

Next horse extravaganza: Foxfield 2010 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Giddyup!

Welcome to Tornado Season

Over the past week, I’ve scratched my head about what to write on Northeast Meets Midwest. Blogging is harder than I thought!

Today, at approximately 12:00 pm, I found my new post. Or rather, I HEARD my new post. At noon, the monthly tornado siren blared through the streets of my neighborhood, Mt. Lookout. These drills are deployed the first Wednesday of every month, and if you are curious to hear one, check out this site. Since I work from my home office, I have heard these alarms before, but it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I actually knew what they were. In previous months, I immediately looked out the window to see if a fire truck or ambulance was blazing up Delta Avenue. The emergency vehicle never appeared, so I continued with my day. Turns out I should pay attention.

To a native New Englander, tornadoes were almost a fictional type of occurrence with my only exposure to them being from movies like Twister and The Wizard of Oz. In fact, I had to Google tornado to determine the spelling of the plural form - was it TORNADOS or TORNADOES. It appears to be the latter. Instead of funnel clouds, we get hurricanes or nor’easters. In the Midwest, tornadoes do happen, and I’ve noticed that local news stations will often mention that “tornado warnings are in effect for the tri-state area”. Toto, we’re definitely not in New England anymore.

To find out the likelihood of a tornado visiting my neck of the woods, I did some research into the history of Cincinnati tornadoes. Apparently the area was hit by two devastating storms in 1974 and 1999. If we keep with that 25-year gap, we're up for a big one in 2024. Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about meteorology and tornado systems (obviously) so don't take my word for it.

While on the subject of weather, I saw that this weekend's forecast is promising. This bodes well for my tentative trip to Keeneland on Saturday aka horse racing heaven in Lexington, Kentucky. Like tornadoes, horse racing is a new thing for me, even though it certainly exists on the East Coast. Anyone heard of the Preakness or Saratoga Springs? I'm sure to have some good commentary and pictures after this weekend and hopefully a fatter wallet.

The 20-Day Drought

Today is March 31, 2010 and I have officially gone 20 days without a post. I guess my vignette about family history was tough to top.

It has been a busy couple of weeks with work, travel to Boston and CT, work, birthday parties (everyone in Cincinnati is turning 30 or 60!), and more importantly, beautiful weather. Spring is here, and thankfully, we have only had a little rain...as opposed to my water-logged friends in Beantown. The days are longer, thanks to daylight savings. Many people don't realize that Cincinnati is on the western edge of the Eastern Time Zone and Boston is on the opposite end. I get comments all the time with the assumption that I live in the Central Time Zone. As such, here's what you have:

Cincinnati - March 31, 2010
Sunrise: 7:24 am
Sunset: 7:59 pm

Boston - March 31, 2010
Sunrise: 6:29 am
Sunset: 7:07 am

I don't know about you, but I'll take the later sunset time. As we approach the summer solstice, the sunset times in the 'nati will go past 9 pm! On my birthday (June 22nd), I can play outside until 9:07 pm. Save the date!

A Northeast Girl Goes A Huntin'

roots!
the funny limbs that grow underground
that keep you from fallin' down
don't you think that you'll need 'em now?
"Your Redneck Past" -- Ben Folds Five

I’ve become more and more nostalgic about family history. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins were scattered in other areas of New England and beyond, so I didn’t have the experience of growing up with kin in my backyard. Interestingly enough, many of my childhood friends were in the same boat. My wonderful hometown truly was transient.

Now that I’m in Cincinnati, the nostalgia has grown even more. My mom grew up in the area and both of her parents were raised in southwestern Ohio. Very different from my upbringing! Not only were both sets of grandparents within a short driving distance, but cousins and aunts and uncles WERE in the backyard. Many of the people I’ve met in Cincinnati of my generation had the same experience. I marvel at this, and while I wish at times that I grew up with extended family nearby, I am definitely grateful for the immediate family that I had with me at all times.

This past weekend, I decided to dig up roots with some research and exploration. My first stop was the Cincinnati Public Library to attend the monthly workshop focused on genealogy research. The resources available at the library and online are limitless. It was daunting and definitely genealogy overload! I decided that the best course of action was to target a specific lineage – starting with me (which is what you do) and going through my mom, to her father, to his father, etc. Prior to this research, I had a general idea of names, professions, locations, but all of this was information that I had heard from someone else. Being in Ohio, I now had the chance to actual visit the places that my ancestors knew and loved. I was in the cradle of my family’s history! Before I knew it, I was in the car, headed north on I-75 to Hamilton, Ohio to see the spots frequented by my grandfather’s family. I could go on and on and transcribe all of my notes here, but for brevity’s sake, I’ll narrow down my conclusions to a few bullet points and photos.

Here’s what I learned:

Finding an obituary for a grandfather you never knew, while emotional, can fill you with absolute pride, respect, and love.

Tracing your middle name back several generations and seeing where it first appeared in the family line is cool. On Saturday, I was able to trace my own middle name back to the mid-1800s although I’m confident I can go back further.

Sorting through census records can shed light on where people lived and who lived with them…once upon a time. Ancestry.com and Family Search Labs (maintained by the Mormon Church) are excellent online sources. Just don’t let the handwriting bother you!

Scouring databases and publications is helpful, but at the end of the day, nothing beats “oral history” and getting the stories from the people who lived them. That's next on my to-do list.

And here’s what I saw:

Hamilton on the banks of the Miami River

My grandfather's childhood home in Hamilton

Farmhouse outside of Hamilton where my grandfather and his family lived in later years

What a day and I just scratched the surface.

All of this research makes me circle back to the quote at the very beginning of this post, which comes from a Ben Folds Five song. I’ve always been aware of my Ohio roots but being here has made me feel even more connected to, and appreciative of, those underground appendages. To answer Ben Folds’ question, I do think that I need them....and I want them more than ever.

Choo Choo Choo...aka Ohio's 3C Corridor

This past Wednesday night, I went down to The Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. This is quite a place and once my Northeast friends start to visit me (cough, cough), I will be sure to take them to this landmark.

The Museum Center is truly one-stop shopping. You can visit three separate museums housed in one grand old building. I remember stopping at the Museum Center years ago when visiting my grandmother. The two lasting impressions I had were of the amazing art deco façade and the murals in the huge rotunda depicting scenes from Cincinnati’s rich history.


The grandeur of both the exterior and interior really hits you. Every time I drive by Union Terminal, I have that “wow” feeling.

The reason for my visit was not to tour one of the museums but to attend an All Aboard Ohio Cincinnati Chapter meeting. In this previous post, I talked a bit about public transportation and the issue of Cincinnati-Columbus-Cleveland rail travel. I ended my thoughts with a picture of Thomas the Tank Engine, so clearly my post was a tad on the whimsical side. On Wednesday night, however, the conversation I witnessed was anything but whimsical and the reality of increased and improved train travel in Ohio was tangible.

I was absolutely blown away by how much the attendees knew about trains – the history, the politics, the actual mechanics, and more. The members of this growing chapter represented all facets of train travel and spoke so passionately about the importance of this initiative in our local economy. Like anything that costs money, there are very vocal opponents. I’ll readily admit that I've looked mainly at pro-train information on the internet and have only talked with the pro-train people. I may not completely know and understand all of the logistics and politics of trains, but I do understand just how great an improved rail system in Ohio would be. I am biased, having grown up in a region where train travel is a daily part of life. We certainly take it for granted out there, and I hope that all of you cherish ever moment you spend on the MBTA or Metro-North…yeah, right.

The exciting part of the meeting was that we not only met in Tower A – the old control tower during Union Terminal’s heyday – but that we received the promising news that the Cincinnati City Council passed a motion declaring its preference of Union Terminal as the local stop in Cincinnati instead of building a new station outside of the city. To paraphrase notable Cincinnati resident Neil Armstrong, it’s a small step for Ohio trains but one giant leap for Cincinnati trains.

I, for one, am excited to stay on top of All Aboard Ohio’s work and to have that “wow” moment when I walk through Union Terminal’s rotunda to board a train to Cleveland and beyond.

Important Links:

All Aboard Ohio

Linking Ohio

3C is Me!

Environmental Benefits of Ohio Passenger Rail

Get Your Chili On!

The post is dedicated to my New England friends who probably know very little about Cincinnati chili. During my last business trip to Boston, I talked to a small group of friends about this chili, but in a slightly inarticulate way. The following is my attempt to paint a very chili picture for all of you.

Chili is big business out here. According to the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cincinnatians consume more than two million pounds of the stuff each year! It’s quite different from the chili I knew growing up. I should preface this entire post by saying that I never really ate it as a kid. It’s not that it wasn’t available but more because I was a VERY picky eater and the contents didn’t really appeal to me. To this day, I’m still cautious about chili as most recipes include beans which I don’t like. This is why Cincinnati chili and I are soul mates.

Cincinnati chili, to quote this wikipedia article, is a “regional style of chili characterized by the use of unusual ingredients such as cinnamon, cloves, or chocolate”. Most notable is the consistency which I find akin to a sauce. As a frequent visitor prior to my move here in September 2009, I rarely dined at any of the “hot” chili spots (more to follow about those establishments), given my lack of interest in the dish. When I finally had the opportunity to visit Skyline Chili, I was somewhat horrified that the popular items on the menu were chili on spaghetti (weird) and chili with cheese on hot dogs (gross). My solution was to simply order a bowl of chili, which nearly gave the drive-thru attendant a heart attack. Apparently anyone in the know doesn’t do that. As soon as I got the order, I discovered that I was essentially eating soup. But it was GOOD! There was not a bean to be found and the taste had a surprising, but not scary, kick to it. I was hooked.

After I moved to the area, I decided that it was time to branch out during my next Skyline visit. The thought of chili and cheese on a hot dog still freaked me out, but I rationed that I could handle a 3-way (spaghetti, chili, and heaps of cheese) seeing as I liked all of those ingredients separately. I was hooked again. There was something comforting about the hot chili over the spaghetti…something even better than a hearty Bolognese sauce. Was it the chocolate or cinnamon that is allegedly included in the top secret chili recipe? Or was it the fact that I could refresh each bite with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and oyster crackers? I’m not entirely sure but I do know that it felt right. It was Skyline Time!

Ever since then, I find myself headed to Skyline more than I would like to admit. I recently jumped over to Gold Star Chili to test the greasy waters of Chili Cheese Fries. Oh. My. God. Those are amazing. What I like about the Gold Star chili cheese fries is that you have nice, crinkle-cut fries which withstand the gobs of chili and cheese better than shoestring fries can. Genius! I also tried a chili cheese sandwich which is a coney minus the hot dog. That was pretty good too, and unlike the 3-way, you can enjoy while driving a car. I need to get a grip...on the steering wheel and not on the sandwich.

It’s time to wind this down but how apropos that my longest post thus far is about food?!? Let’s hope that the length of this post does not correlate to the circumference of my waist.

I'm still here...

It's been a busy week for me, hence very little action in blogging land. Work-related travel always throws a wrench into the week but it was productive. If I had been willing to cough up the money for wi-fi on AirTran, perhaps there would have been a blog post from 32,000 feet.

I did come up with a number of topics for future posts, which I hope to start on over the weekend and next week. Here's a sneak preview of what's in store:

* Cincinnati chili (yum) - preferably before I start working out with a new trainer next week

* Family history tidbits

* Cultural organizations in the area - this could help motivate me to actually visit some of them

A few people have made remarks about my blog, both on this site and in person. I would love to have more and would welcome any comments about topics on which I should address. You don't need to have an account so speak up!

Let's Bake!

Breaking news from the culinary world – Easy-Bake Oven inventor, Ronald Howes, dies.

Did you know that he was from Cincinnati? I didn’t.

The Easy-Bake Oven, as my parents can attest to, was the #1 requested item on my Christmas list for about 5 years. Needless to say, I never got one. To this day, I’m not entirely sure why I was denied this “classic light-bulb” oven. My parents might need to post a comment here to give proper justification.

Why did this toy pull at my heart-strings? Obviously the goodies that you could produce were appealing – chocolate brownies, yellow cupcakes, and frosted cookies…oh my! Perhaps it was the sense of control that a child can yield with this toy. As opposed to cooking in the big (aka adult) kitchen, little Abby would be able to manage all aspects of the cooking project, including oven control, recipe, bowl/spatula licking, and the finished product. Maybe it wasn’t control as much as it was feeling like an adult. It makes me think about all the other times when I was growing up that I wanted to actually BE grown up. Another toy I wanted, but only asked for a copule of times, was an electric car similar to the one here:
I would have lovingly baked some cupcakes in my “oven” and taken a drive down Oak Crest Road in my convertible with American Girl Kirsten Larson in tow. If any of my Oak Crest playmates are reading this, I'm sure they will smile fondly.

Flash forward 20ish years. I have a real car and a real oven. Sadly, Kirsten is hanging out in the attic at my parents’ house. Yet, here I sit, longing for the carefree days when all you wanted out of life was as simple as an Easy-Bake Oven.

Thank you for the memories, Mr. Howes.

The White Death Continues...

Apparently I jinxed the Cincinnati region when I created this post back in January about Cincinnati natives' panicky reactions to snow...aka the White Death. In their defense, the snow has been quite something this winter although not nearly at the levels of the Northeast. According to this article on Cincinnati.com, the area has seen over 23" of snow in February alone! Here's a great picture from CVG yesterday - glad I wasn't flying!



With all of this snow, I am really looking forward to Saturday's tubing extravaganza at Perfect North in Indiana!

How to beat the high cost of living...

...move to Cincinnati, where the living is good AND cheap!

It is refreshing to live in a place where my paycheck can cover more than just rent, utilities, and the occasional night on the town. There are statistics about cost of living indexes and such, but I'm simply going to highlight some real-life data here:

1. Rent: My last apartment in Beacon Hill was less than half the size of my current apartment in Mount Lookout. The rent in BH was also more than two times the price I pay now. Granted, I did choose to live in one of the priciest areas in Boston, but the experience of living in the heart of the city and next to John Kerry was priceless...I think.

2. Dry Cleaning: On my first trip to the dry cleaners out here, I dropped off one bedspread, two sham pillowcases, one dress, one top, one pashmina, and one pair of trousers. The cost? A whopping $17! In Boston, that order would have pushed $50. Makes me want to get dirty!

3. Parking: There are meters outside of my ML apartment, and when I occasionally park there, one quarter will get me one whole hour! A quarter in Boston will probably only buy you 15 minutes. Incredible!

I realize that with the exception of #1, these are somewhat trivial. However, I can't hide my excitement and surprise when accustomed to paying more. It's the little things, right? And boy are those little things little...cost-wise.

Hope everyone has a very nice Presidents' Day weekend. Given ALL the money that I'm saving on living expenses, I'll try to go out and pump some $$$ into the local economy. Hello Prez Day weekend sales! With such a big apartment now, I need to buy more furnishings, accessories, and nick-nacks.

Wait, did I just defeat the purpose of living in a more affordable area by adding a new and costly line item to my monthly expenses - Decorating?

Public Transportation

One thing I miss about Boston is public transportation. Sure, there were plenty of times that I would gripe about the T (the transit system in Boston for those who aren't familiar), particularly if I was on the very fickle and antiquated Green Line. However, the price was right - $59 a month for unlimited use on the subway and buses. I didn't have a car for the last two years in Boston so the savings on transportation were great.

Another plus was Amtrak. I could easily jump on a train from South Station (right across from my office) and head down to Connecticut for a long weekend. I always like to say that train travel is very civilized. And it is! You can take a nap, have a cocktail, read a book, work on your laptop and more...all without having to deal with the annoyances of air travel like security screening, checked bags, getting to the airport at least an hour in advance, etc. Also, the ride along the scenic Connecticut coast was always a treat.

I bring this up to share some of the exciting initiatives in Ohio train travel, which has been virtually nonexistent for years. Of particular note is Ohio’s 3C “Quick Start” Passenger Rail Plan. Here's the gist: trains from Cincinnati to Columbus to Cleveland with some stops along the way. Apparently it will be the first time in about 40 years that these cities will be connected with a passenger train system! Given that 6 million Ohio residents live within 15 miles of these stations, it's about time that there was a way to connect them with regular and reliable train service. The exciting news is that the state just received $400M in federal funding so we are well on our way. All aboard in 2012!

Getting comfy with comfort food

In preparation for more snow, I thought I would share one of my favorite things about cold weather living: Comfort Food! As I type this, a batch of hamburger noodle bake is cooking in the oven and will provide sustenance for several meals this week. With the temperatures taking a nosedive tonight, this meal is the perfect way to stay cozy and full. Best of all, it reminds me of home and my family...comfort food, indeed!

Hamburger Noodle Bake
1 lb ground beef, lean
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp garlic salt or powder
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 cup cottage cheese
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup green pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Brown meat and onion until meat is lightly browned and onion is tender. Drain fat. Stir in tomato sauce, sugar, salt, garlic salt/powder, and pepper. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, cook the 4 cups of noodles in boiling water according to package instructions. Do not overcook! Drain and set aside.

Combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream in small bowl. Cream together with chopped green pepper.

Assembly
In a casserole dish (I like using this 2-quart souffle dish from Crate and Barrel) spread 1/2 the noodles in the bottom; top with 1/2 the meat sauce. Spread all of the cheese mixture on top. Top with the rest of the noodles followed by the meat sauce. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes...or until warm and bubbly. Depending on who's eating this, you can get 4-5 (heaping) or 8-10 (more modest) servings. Great for dinner parties and wonderful with a simple green salad, crusty bread, and your favorite bottle of red wine.

What's YOUR favorite comfort food?

The White Death Approaches

Growing up in New England and attending college in upstate New York, snow was always called "snow". When there was lots of snow, it was called a "blizzard", and some of my best memories growing up happened on "snow days". Who didn't love hearing that cancellation announcement on the radio and then spending the morning and afternoon sledding, making snow angels, and eating snow cones with maple syrup??

Out here in Cincinnati, I've only heard snow referred to as the "White Death". This term absolutely captures just how people feel about snow...they HATE it and live in FEAR of it. What's worse, and I realize this is a very broad generalization, they often don't know how to handle it. For example, last night, the breaking news on a local website was "Cincinnati Road Crews Brace For Snow". More than 12 hours later, we haven't seen a single snow flake, but I guarantee the snow plows and salt trucks are ready to start their engines.

Sadly, the salt trucks probably won't have to spend much time in my neighborhood due to a layer of salt still remaining on the road from a major fire last week that consumed a local market - the Beacon Food Mart.


An electrical fire started on the left side of the building late Thursday night. I happened to be dining at this great sushi restaurant next door (a future post will be dedicated to this cuisine in Cincinnati) when everyone rushed out to see the flames engulfing the store. It's always sad to see this happen to a locally-owned, family-run business. The reason for all the salt is that several fire trucks flooded the area with water and there was a deep freeze that night. I'll call it the "Ice Death". Up until this morning, before we got the rain (NOT SNOW), there was salt everywhere. Sodium City!

So as I sit in my office, waiting for the snow to fall, I wonder just how the natives will react. I also reminisce about those fun days of sledding down a neighbor's hill. Finally, I think about my friends and family in the Northeast who are bracing for their own blizzard. Have a great weekend and stay safe and warm!

And we're off!

In just a few hours, I'll be headed to CVG to jump on a 3 hour flight to DEN followed by a 50 minute flight to HDN...that's right, Steamboat Springs here we come! Keeping with my goal of comparing and contrasting Cincinnati and Boston, one great thing about Cincinnati is the central location, making domestic travel SLIGHTLY easier. Denver is a 3 hour (and a few minutes) flight from Cincinnati (or rather Kentucky where the airport lies), whereas Boston is a 4 hour (and several minutes) trip. The downside is that flights in and out of CVG are becoming few and far between. In terms of food options, it's a toss up. BOS has several Legal Seafoods throughout the airport; CVG has Chick-fil-A. Sadly for this traveler, I won't be in the Chick-fil-A terminal today.

Happy weekend, everyone!