# 8 Run or Dye

*made it through the blue zone*

I specifically made doing a color run a list item instead of any old 5K because they look like so much fun! I really hate running and needed a big motivator to do another 5K. My plan was to get into running shape before it, but a broken toe less than two weeks before the event changed those plans. I was not quite up for running it, but I was able to jog for parts of it. Ahh the wonders of Tylenol. Despite that set back I had a great time at Run or Dye Cleveland!

*waiting at the start line and fellow bus riders love the tutus*

 W and I decided to make our day even more adventurous by using public transportation...we thought we would be so clever and this will help us get around traffic and avoid paying outrageous prices for parking. Oops with track construction on the red line and wrongly marked trains for the waterfront line the travel time more than tripled. In the end we had fun attempting to navigate our way onto different buses and trains throughout tower city, even if we took a short east side detour. Besides the looks we got were priceless as we were covered head to toe in dye!

*the before and after shots*

Speaking of dye 3 days later I still had green (then blue) armpits ugh. At least the weather was cooler and I could cover them up!  

*view of the yellow zone*

It was so nice to see families walking together and all the different costumes of teams. Thank you for the tip to wear sunglasses it was a lifesaver! I for sure want to do another color run again. Who's with me?

*the after party*

Just Have a Little Faith

I was looking for fun and unique date ideas when I came across a Groupon for a couples massage class with a Quiet Spirit Massage. I thought "couples" massage now that could be interesting or really awkward depending how the class was set up, but I thought what's the worst that could happen. So with a little faith I bought it anyways and took our sore muscles south to explore Barberton. 

If you are looking for something to do this weekend it's Mumfest in Barberton. I'm not sure what it entails but could be a nice fall event.  There will be free chair massage with a view of the lake and mums! 

*Lake Anna, Barberton Ohio*

Our adventure started with a few directional setbacks the GPS sent me to drive into a glacier created lake. With no signs for the place we ended up circling the block over and over. All we could see was a church, houses, sketchy allies and overgrown parking lots. With 5 minutes left to our appointment I gave up and called...no answer, great. The voice mail mentioned it was in a gym but no more information. hmmm ok we decided wander up and down the street.  In front of a church was a sign: "FAITH GYM featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not"...what did I get ourselves into? 

We skeptically entered the doors and could not believe our eyes. It  was a church turned into a gym! The theme was really cute and the message throughout was all things can be done with a little faith. The choir loft is turned into a cardio room, the nave into the weight room and the narthex a smoothie bar. I'm still not sure why it's in Ripley's Believe it or Not though.  

*Faith Gym weights area, lounge, and ceiling*

 The massage class was great. It was to learn the basics of massage and techniques to work on trouble areas (phew) and was a private lesson (double phew). It was a little odd to be constantly asking is this better or this? I felt like I was in an eye exam. HA I will say this experience has ruined me for any future massages. It was heavenly to have two people giving you a hand and foot massage at once!

After the massage we attempted to geocache in a few locations nearby but failed miserably. Two separate Did Not Finds (DNFs). There was one listed on the gym property in the bushes. I spent about 15 minutes looking like I was swallowed by a bush on a street corner....nothing to see folks move along.

*I'm sure I looked at lot worse than this*

photo traveling with whippets

 The second fail was an Earthcache (a geological feature and with some education gives you a task). This one proved to be a bit more intense than the tools we had on hand so gave up.  

It was fun to learn a little bit of geological history of Barberton. Lake Anna is actually classified as a “kettle” lake. A kettle lake is a lake which is formed by a piece of glacier breaking from the front of a glacier and being covered by dirt. As the glacier melts, the sediment sinks into the water leaving a hole which is usually circular. Lake Anna is fed by a natural water spring and is about 34 feet deep. 

source: Lake Anna Earthcache

The view  of the lake was beautiful and a nice walk around the perimeter too! The local fire department was testing out their newbies and doing water rescue training today so it was fun to watch them dragging (or attempting) dummies in and out of the water. 

When I told family I had been to Barberton everyone asked if I had stopped at White House Chicken. Apparently Barberton Chicken is famous. I guess it's like KFC but better. 

White House Chicken has been around since the 1940's and claims that Barberton is the "Chicken Capital of the World serving over 7 1/2 tons of chicken per week". Hmm not being a huge fried chicken fan maybe the next time I venture to Barberton I'll check it out. 
source: White House Chicken

It was a great  unique date and we had a wonderful time exploring the area. You'll never know what you'll find on an adventure. We are looking forward to test out our newly learned massage techniques after a long day of work.

Happy adventuring!

#3.4 Dragon Pasta

*yum*

I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to spicy foods and typically stay far far away from the heat. I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs: Budget Bytes. I recently sampled Sriracha for the first time without dying so I figured it was a must try recipe. Also woo hoo it helps complete #3 list item: cooking 20 vegetarian dishes!

 This is a great dish with just the right amount of spice. It's quick and easy to make with few dishes to clean up (bonus). It took me longer to get the store and back for fresh cilantro than it did to make. This pasta is a great base and additional ingredients can be customized to your taste. I think next time I'll add shrimp and some veggies to give it a crunch mmm maybe a little lime too! 

*few simple ingredients for this quick dish*

Dragon Pasta

time: 15 minutes

serves: 2

Ingredients

• 4 oz.noodles  (lo mein, soba, fettuccine, linguine)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 large egg 
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar 
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce 
• 1 Tbsp sriracha 
• 1 handful fresh cilantro 
• 1 sliced green onion 

Instructions

1. Begin to boil water for the noodles. Once the water reaches a full boil, add the noodles and cook according to the package directions.
2. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, soy sauce, and sriracha.
3. In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add the red pepper to the butter as it melts. Whisk an egg in a bowl and then add to the melted butter. Stir gently and cook through. Once the egg is done cooking, turn off the heat.
4. When the noodles are tender, drain the water and then add them to the skillet with the cooked egg. Also add the prepared sauce. Turn the heat on to low to evaporate excess moisture, and stir until everything is coated well with the sauce. Sprinkle the sliced green and cilantro leaves (whole) on top and serve!

source: Budge Bytes 

sauce-this little goes a long way!

I used fettuccine noodles since I had that box on hand opened already. While waiting for noodles to cook I mixed up the sauce , I used only 1/2 Tbsp of Sriracha and it was plenty spicy for me. I also cut the green onions and prepped cilantro. You don't need to cut cilantro just pull leaves off stems. 

mmm don't you just love the smell of  fresh cilantro!

When noodles are close to done melt butter in pan and add pepper flakes. Whisk egg in bowl and then add to butter. If you do this too early you'll get cold eggs EW! When egg is cooked turn down heat and drain pasta. 

eh the eggs I could take it or leave it, but I guess it's a good bit of protein for now

Add drained pasta and sauce to eggs, keep on low heat to evaporate moisture. I really didn't have to keep dish on heat long there was very little extra moisture. 

Sprinkle in green onions and cilantro and enjoy! This dish reminded me a little bit of pad thai (my favorite). I will for sure being making it again as it was super quick, easy and tasty!

such a pretty dish too!

PS Happy International Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Argh! you didn't know that was today well check out this page for all the details and ways to celebrate

Play Me I'm Yours- Art Exhibit

source streetpianos cleveland 
Outside MOCA

Play Me I'm Yours is an interactive piano art installation that has toured internationally since 2008. There has been over 850 pianos placed all over the world. Next up on the tour is Boston September 27 - October 14th where the 1000th piano will be installed! Each piano is creatively decorated and available for the public to play. There is also a website that allows user to upload videos, pictures, or view maps of current pianos.
check out the homepage here

source streetpianos cleveland
Pianos at: Cleveland Art Museum, Severance Hall, Natural History Museum

Starting in August, 25 street pianos were placed around down town Cleveland, Case Western Reserve and University Circle. There are currently 15 still available to play until September 30th. Play Me I'm Yours invites the public to engage with and take ownership of their urban environment. Most pianos are personalized and decorated by local artists and afterwards are donated to local community groups.
check out the Cleveland page here

I got a chance to listen to a gentleman play at the Rock Hall and my dad played outside University Hospital one evening. Watching someone play live coupled with all the pictures and videos posted to the website I think it is such an ingenious art idea. I look forward to following this installation in the future and hope to see a few more before the pianos leave. Man now I wish I played the piano.

piano ready for patients and students to play at UH

Why you may ask did Cleveland get this exhibit .... when so many exotic and larger cities such as Sao Paulo, London, Paris, and New York City have been previous exhibition spaces. It was all about timing and the fact that Cleveland does a lot of really cool things. 

 Did you know that Cleveland hosts the biennial International Piano Competition? For twelve days in August 28 elite young pianist travel to Cleveland and compete. It is a very prestigious competition, the Cleveland Orchestra even plays along with the 4 finalist. The public are welcome to buy tickets to all stages of the competition. It really is an extraordinary event.  Be sure to check it out in two years!  Just one more reason Cleveland rocks!

#22 Night at Blossom x2

Enjoying Train, Gavin DeGraw, the Spirit, Phillip Phillips, & John Mayer!

To complete list item #22- attend a concert I went to not one by two concerts at Blossom! Blossom Music Center is an amphitheater  located in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The pavilion seats 5,700 people, with space for about 13,500 more on the lawn. It is the summer home for the Cleveland Orchestra. 

There is something magical about seeing a concert outside and I will always prefer to be outdoors than inside in an arena. I can't put my finger on why exactly I feel much more involved in the experience. Usually I'm further away than an indoor event hmmm. Maybe it's the grass between my toes, dancing beneath the stars or the thrill of winning the lottery of good weather for the event you planned 6 months earlier. I think the main reason I enjoy  Blossom or any other outdoor venue is these events remind me of summer days gone by when I was younger. Those times when you had no cares in the world except having a great night out with friends. 

*Those were the days*

I always love live music and have the best times when listening to new or little known artists to me. Maybe it's  the thrill of recognizing a song  or greater appreciation for the artists. Or the excitement to explore their work after concert or going to a concert without heightened expectations. This certainly was the case between the two concerts I attended. 

I am all about an artist trying new things to grow, but was a bit disappointed with John Mayer. I have been to one of his concerts before and there was nonstop dancing and singing along. This time around I've never seen so many people sitting at a concert (other than an orchestra concert). Yikes, best of luck John with this new style! 

On the other hand I haven't really followed Train for years and had never heard of the Script before. As soon as songs came on I kept saying oh they do that. All three artists made it a non stop dance fest even though Train played a lot of covers...a bit odd but it worked!

Thanks to all my friends and family members that helped me complete this list item I had a blast! Here's looking forward to another season  of outdoor concerts next summer.

What I'm Reading

I have always been an avid reader,  this year I had set a goal to read 55 books. I was  on track in April completing 27. Then progress came to a screeching halt as I started summer classes. I begrudgingly gave up any free moments to read for pleasure to study bones and molecular orbitals.

After pulling an all nighter reading Finding Colin Firth  I realized reading was "the something"  missing last in the few months. You could say reading in my guilty pleasure and once I start a good book it is so hard to stop! I love nothing more to get lost in the pages of a good book. Every now an then time really flies I look up and realize it's 3 AM. oops!

I vow to keep up the pleasure reading while in class this coming semester. So I'm adding a series of what am I reading posts to the blog. Feel free to give suggestions and read along with me! Here is my past, present, and future of what I am reading. 


Finding Colin Firth 
I found myself giddy with excitement when I saw this title and that is what drew me to this book at first. I love Collin Firth movies! Plus the Cuyahoga County library suggested it as a hot new read...why would they steer me wrong? I really need to stop starting books after 9pm as I had a rough book hangover then next day, but well worth it. Good suggestion BV library!

Finding Colin Firth was a light, fun, feel good story full of hope. The story follows three women one summer in a small town in Maine, where a Colin Firth movie happens to be filming. The three women one way or another are forever entwined in each others lives. One who placed her baby up for adoption 22 years prior returns to her hometown, another recently found out she was adopted goes in search of her birth mother and the last a recently unemployed journalist is  struggling with impending motherhood. Each women finds new ways to come to terms with who they are as a person, woman, and family member. I really liked how each chapter alternated a characters view point and I quickly got engrossed with each of the women's lives. I was rooting and hoping for the best for each of them as the story progressed. 

I closed the book with a smile on my face and it was just what I needed before starting a new semester. After reading I now want to have a Colin Firth movie marathon and check out the author's previous book! There are also questions at the end of the book to assist in book club discussions. Even though this book is on the lighter side touches a lot of topics that almost anyone can relate to and would be a great choice for a book club. 



For my current read, I going a totally different directions and trying a nonfiction. As August marked Curiosity's one year anniversary I thought this book would only be fitting.

Red Rover: Inside the Story of Robotic Space Exploration, from Genesis to Mars Rover Curiosity

Wiens paints the portrait of one of the most exciting scientific stories of our time: the new era of robotic space exploration. Beginning with the Genesis mission that launched his career, Wiens describes the competitive, DIY spirit of these robotic enterprises, from conception to construction, from launch to heart-stopping crashes and smooth landings.

An inspiring account of the real-life challenges of space exploration, Red Rover vividly narrates what goes into answering the question: is there life elsewhere in the universe?

source: amazon.com

Next on the reading shelf is a historical fiction, more my normal style. I love the impressionist artists especially Degas so knew this was a book I would have to try. I picked multiple copies at the library in hopes that all the girls in the family could do a mini book club. Only my mom has read it so far, so if you want to join in I hope to have this finished by the end of October. 

The Painted Girls:  A Novel

A heartrending, gripping novel about two sisters in Belle Époque Paris. 1878 Paris. Following their father’s sudden death, the van Goethem sisters find their lives upended. Without his wages, and with the small amount their laundress mother earns disappearing into the absinthe bottle, eviction from their lodgings seems imminent. With few options for work, Marie is dispatched to the Paris, she will be trained to enter the famous ballet and is soon modeling in the studio of Edgar Degas. Her older sister, Antoinette, finds work as an extra in a stage adaptation of Émile Zola’s naturalist masterpiece L’Assommoir.

Set at a moment of profound artistic, cultural, and societal change, The Painted Girls is a tale of two remarkable sisters rendered uniquely vulnerable to the darker impulses of “civilized society.” In the end, each will come to realize that her salvation, if not survival, lies with the other. 

source: amazon.com

I Wanna Go Back to Ohio State, to Old Columbus Town...

source americanpostcards.info

I must say there is nothing like the smells, sights, and sounds of a crisp fall football Saturday at the Shoe in Columbus. Go Bucks! I am so excited to be heading down there this weekend to watch my dad march in the Alumni Band. While in school I spent 5 great years living in Columbus and it always feels a bit like a homecoming when I visit. 

Columbus has a lot to offer (besides being the state capital) if you want a night out on the town, a bit of culture, or rooting on a sports team it's here.  Here are my top not to be missed things in Columbus. 

source osu.edu

*Ohio State University
There is something magical about this place for me. Maybe it's all the traditions (who doesn't like jumping in a lake in the middle of November), the fact that myself and other 8 family members attended, or the electricity of being with  100,000+ people wearing Scarlet and Gray. The campus is beautiful just to take a stroll around. Some highlights are Mirror Lake, Wexner Center, the library (go to the top floor for a fantastic view), and my personal favorite Orton Hall (check out the geological museum). OH-IO

source experiencecolumbus.com

*Franklin Park Conservatory

This is a botanical garden and conservatory located just to the east of downtown. Chihuly glass is embedded throughout the gardens and  as you travel through each room you feel like you are transported to different lands. In the spring is the ever popular butterfly exhibit. This is a great spot for weddings and photo ops, when you visit it is easy to see why!

source en.wikipedia.org

*Sports
Blue Jackets NHL, Columbus Crew pro soccer, Columbus Clippers minor league baseball, and OSU Division I you want it they got it no matter what the season!

COSI's Ocean Exhibit
source roto.com

*COSI
Formally known as Center of Industry and Science this is a hands on science museum that is fun for all ages. I love the ocean room and walking through the halls of yesteryear. There is also Extreme Screen movie, outdoor fun park, and tons of demonstrations to keep your interest throughout the day!

source tripadvisor.com

*Schmidt's
Nestled in the heart of historic German Village is this authentic German sausage house. It's notorious for the Bahama Mama sausage and Jumbo Cream Puffs. When they say jumbo they aren't kidding each are 1/2 lb! If you walk out of here still hungry there is something wrong with you. 

*North Market
This is Columbus' only public market (think Westside Market but smaller). It hold dozens of merchants supplying fresh produce, meats seafood, ethnic specialties, and gourmet groceries on a daily basis. It's a great place to stop and get lunch or that unique ingredient or beverage for dinner later. 

source onu.edu

*Gallery Hop
The first Saturday of every month over 40 galleries and venues along the Short North strip stay open late till 10 pm and entice all  to explore new artwork. It's a great evening to enjoy the sights, maybe some wine and people. Around the holiday months there are usually a bit more to do like carolers and horse drawn carriages.   

* Comfest (Community Fest)
This annual weekdend long celebration taking place in Goodale Park and brings together hippies, potheads, music lovers, free hug givers, rights activists, and trinket sellers from all over. There's live music, crafts, yoga, arts, and demonstrations going on constantly. This event is SUPER busy and is always the last weekend in June. This is by far my favorite people watching event of the summer. I would not consider it a real family friendly outing though. For example lots of women opt to be painted insted of wearing tops and you may get hit in the head with lube being tossed from a float during the pride parade (true story). 

source tripadvisor.com

*Thurman Cafe
This restaurant is also located near German Village and is voted Best Burgers in Columbus. I couldn't agree more, make sure you are super hungry before you go because these burgers are HUGE! Be ready to wait as it is a tiny hole in the wall bar, but well worth it. You'll see this restaurant featured on many food shows for the Thurmanator, created to fuel the body builders during the Arnold Classic.

Reading Room at Columbus Commons
 source streeteatscolumbus.com

* Parks
Columbus is constantly updating it's parks and has a plethora to choose from. Some of my favorites north of campus are the Park of Roses, in Clintonville and the 14 miles of bike path called the Olentangy Trail. 

A newer park directly in downtown  is called Columbus Commons.  There is movies,  live music, yoga, food trucks, and many more events going on all the time. Check out the event calendar here  My favorite thing about this park is called the reading room. The Columbus Public Library (which is fantastic) has carts of books for children and adults that you may borrow and read outside. So cool!  

* Columbus Zoo
I know I already posted about this and didn't want to repeat too much. But it's really any awesome place to visit. My favorite event is Wildlights running Nov-Dec!


If you need any more tips check out this link before the next time you are in town: 33 things you need to know about Columbus. Happy adventuring!