High School Basketball

This evening I went to see a friend place basketball at his High School.

I couldn't get over the size of the sports hall, the professionalism of the umpires, the electronic scoreboards and running commentary of who performed a foul!

Unfortunately the team I was supporting lost, but it was a very good game.

Festival of Lights

Spent Sunday evening at the Cincinnati Zoo enjoying the festival of lights.

It was an amazing experience. Firstly, never gone to a zoo at night (the penguins were asleep and the chimpanzees were rolling into their blankets ready for a good night's sleep!). Secondly, never seen so many Christmas lights (at times I felt I was on the set of the Avatar Hollywood film!).

SUPERB.

Snowing in Cincinnati

This morning I woke up to snow. It's no where near the amount that fell on the UK, but Cincinnati has had some.

I drove to Ault Park and took a couple of photos and then headed to Kenwood shopping mall where I took another one (lovely to see a Christmas tree with snow on!).

Christmas Is Coming To Mason Ohio

Tonight I went out with friends for dinner. Had a wonderful time.

When we left the restaurant we drove through a housing estate and saw some quality Christmas lights. Seemed that there was healthy competition going on between next door neighbours!

Here's a photo of one house with an array of outside lights and a "classy" (not) blow up snowman. Nice...

Christmas Comes Early in LA

My brother felt that I needed more help in getting in the swing of Christmas. After all, it was November!!

The top photo shows the quantity of Christmas decorations that came down from the garage ceiling. I can publically state that it's much more than our Father's (and that is saying something).

Bottom photo shows the front of the house in splendid glory at night. Ah....

Spot The Birdie

Yes, it's very small (hence the arrow)!

A hummingbird was often found feeding from the nectar outside the back of the house.

A wonderful sight.

Getting In The Mood For Christmas Disney Style

After leaving Huntington beach we drove to downtown Disney.

My brother felt that I was becoming the Grinch that stole Christmas (or I didn't believe Christmas should come this early!).

So, we went to Disney Land's downtown and saw the lights and listened to some Christmas songs!!

Baywatch Here We Come - Huntington Beach

Today we went to the beach.

Had a fantastic time. Starting off with a paddle in the Pacific Ocean, making sand castles, watching the babes play beach volley ball, the dudes surf and seeing a 1960's car suspension go up and down.

Can't believe it's nearly December and I' was getting a sun tan. Dude....

Shopping on Black Friday

It's tradition to get up at the crack of dawn, the day after Thanksgiving, and queue for hours to get a bargain in the sales.

I didn't quite do that, but I did go to Target at 9.30am and managed to get a few bargains.

Happy Thanksgiving

This year I was fortunate enough to share Thanksgiving with my brother and his family.

According to Wikipedia, Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the US & Canada. Traditionally, it has been a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. In the US, it falls on the fourth Thursday of November.

The food was plentiful (I even helped make the stuffing!). The table decorations of the turkeys were made by my niece and nephew.

Due to eating too much, I couldn't swim in the outside swimming pool BUT I did find time to enjoy the jacuzzi the next evening.

T-Shirt Weather in November

Having left a very cold Cincinnati I arrived to the warmth of California.

This photo of the San Gabriel's mountains, North East of Los Angeles, shows the contrast in weather.

If you look closely you can see the snow covered mountains.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree ...

Would you believe it? I leave my desk for lunch and I return with a Christmas tree decorated with lights. Nice hey!!

Apparently someone knows me too well. I never put up the Christmas decorations until the week before Christmas Day.

The tradition in America is to put it up around Thanksgiving.

At least I can say my apartment will be decorated.

Walking With The Turkeys

Yesterday the company had a 5K run or walk in an effort to keep the workforce healthy (especially before Thanksgiving).

I managed to influence a number of colleagues to enter. Over 10 of us walked (some quicker than others).

Had a great time. D idn't realise how competitive a 'social' event would get though!

Tailgating

This was my first experience of watching an American Football game.

After getting up at the crack of dawn and driving friends 3 hours to Bloomington, Indiana we arrived at the Memorial Stadium.

Before watching the 12pm Indiana ("The Hoosiers") vs. Iowa ("The Hawkeyes") game, we joined in the tailgating. I've never heard of tailgating, but this is where people drive to the ground and set up BBQs, tables/chairs, drink beer and just generally have fun before the game (note: not match, as I was continually reminded!).

I couldn't believe the size of the stadium and number of people attending the college game. It is amateur and people travel hundreds of miles to see their college teams. The stadium can house over 50,000 people (attendance for the game was around 42,000)!!

The game started with fireworks and lasted 3 hours (for a game that consists of 15 minute quarters.... go figure!). I saw two touchdowns and "The Hawkeyes" won (which was good, as one of the friends I was with came from Iowa college).

After the game, we walked through the Indianna college campus and found an Irish pub to warm up and eat. Didn't get back home until 10pm!

A fantastic day out.

The Windy City

After returning from home, I flew to Chicago for consumer research.

Stayed at the Westin hotel, opposite the John Hancock tower. Was told that I was upgraded to a lake view. When I arrived at the room, I realised that the view was predominantly another skyscraper with some lake!

Had a wonderful time. Brought back memories of a family visit to Chicago in the Summer. Only difference now was that the weather was considerably colder and it was very windy!!

Colour of Autumn

This morning I drove an hour to Yellow Springs (a village in Greene County, Ohio).

Yellow Springs was one of the final stops on the Underground Railroad and the village was known for its racial tolerance.

I was struck by the Autumn colours of the hundreds of trees around the village. There was even a local artist out on the corner painting the reds, oranges, browns, ....

Also, everyone seems to be going crazy on the pumpkins, ghosts, ... Halloween is not far off now (thank goodness I'm out of the country then!).

Stating The Obvious!

Only in America!

Due to Health & Safety, this is what is written next to the car park 'man-holes' at work.

Ohio Renaissance Festival

This is the 21st year of the 16th Century England experience (it’s upon for 7 weekends this year). It is situated in a permanent mock-up of a 30-acre English village.

There are about 100 shows daily on 11 stages with lots of arts/crafts shops and games. In the Medieval Marketplace there was glassblowing, stone carving, blacksmithing, leather tooling and boot making.

Not only were there over 150 costumed characters welcoming you to the village, but a lot of the public dress up too (spot the rather large American Vikings in the photo)!

Had a great time with friends. It was very sunny and warm (around 27 degrees C).

The One That Got Away

Last night I received another text (I'm either becoming popular or people are worried I'm turning into "Billy no mates"!!), inviting me to the Rusty Bucket (American bar) to watch the 2nd game of the National League Division Series between Cincinnati Reds and Philadephia Phillies.

The Reds flitted away a four-run lead in a comedy of errors, with the Phillies winning 7-4. As the Reds have lost the first 2 games, this Sunday's game is make or break (best of 5 games).

Chilling Out In The Evening

Received a text from a friend at 7pm saying "do you want to come round for a cold beer on the patio?". Well, it would've be rude to say "NO" so I said "sure, be round in 5"!

Had a great time, laughing the night away.

Still can't get over how warm it is during the evenings (my friend was wearing shorts!).

The 5K Reggae Run

I entered the local 5K run/walk last night. Apparently it was the first time that it rained, but that didn’t stop any of us doing the run and partying the night away! It was a hilly circuit, starting and ending in Ault Park, and I crossed the line as the digital clock turned 28 minutes (although I had to walk the first 1-2 minutes because of the large amount of people at the starting line!).

The Reggae Run was started in October 1994 by family and friends of Maria Olberding to commemorate her life (she was killed in May 1994 while running near her residence in Mount Lookout). The Reggae Run quickly established itself among runners in greater Cincinnati. In only its third year, the Reggae Run became the largest 5K race in the Tri-state. Last year, more than 8,000 people participated in the event.

Proceeds from the Reggae Run go to a charity help fulfill the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions in greater Cincinnati.

Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

I visited Woodford Reserve Distillery in time for a tour, and of course a sample of their finest Bourbon.

Woodford Reserve is a brand of premium small batch bourbon whiskey and is a product of The Woodford Reserve Distillery. The distillery is in the heart of central Kentucky's bluegrass region, around the famous horse breeding farms of Woodford Country.

We were told that distilling on the site began in 1812 and the distillery building itself was built in 1838, making it the oldest of nine working bourbon distilleries in Kentucky. In 2000 it was granted National Historic Landmark status.

Apparently by law Bourbon has to meet a list of requirements. Some of them are: it must be made of a grain mixture that is at least 51%, it must be aged in new charred oak barrels, it must be entered into the barrel at no more than 62.5% alcohol, may not be bottled at less than 40% alcohol!

One of the notable features is the numbering system that is used; every bottle is individually numbered with the batch and bottle numbers. Woodford Reserve's alcohol content is 45.2%.

Yes, before you ask, I did buy a bottle.

Meet Me In Midway

As the local flier says!

I stopped off at this very small town (note that the locals call it HISTORIC Midway Kentucky) on my way to the distillery.

Midway was founded in 1835 by a railroad company in need of a "midway" point between Lexington and Frankfort. As this part of the country is known for its thoroughbred horse farms, there are a lot of horse racing designs.

Dinner At Newport on the Levee

Had a very enjoyable meal with wonderful friends at Bravas (Italian restaurant) on the Kentucky side of the river Ohio.

I can't believe how warm it still is out here!

The Land Where Dreams Are Made

I was invited to a house warming party by a colleague who joined the company a few years ago in the UK and decided to transfer to the US.

All I can say is WOW! My colleague has moved from originally sharing a flat in Egham to an 8 1/2 acre plot with a double garage, sit on mower, tractor and stables which house 2 horses. Only in America!

Had a wonderful time around the camp fire. A perfect evening.

Country Applefest

I decided to return to Lebanon Ohio (after passing my driving test a couple of days ago) to have a look round the historic town.

The town is named after the Biblical Lebanon because of the many juniper (or Eastern Redcedar) trees that are similar to the Lebanon Cedar. It’s known today as “The Cedar City”.

I didn’t realise that today the town had an Applefest, where the streets are filled with homemade crafts, food and entertainment. It’s a very relaxed and country-style town.

The Annual Fireworks Were Cool

This year's Cincinnati Bell/WEBN Fireworks was the finale of the Riverfest 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio & Newport, Kentucky.

The annual fireworks display occurs on the Riverfront on Labour Day weekend with the Rozzi family supplying the famous fireworks.

The show is set to music broadcast by the WEBN radio station. There were quite a lot of older people who had to put up with quite a bit of rock / heaving metal!

Apparently the first WEBN fireworks show happened in 1977 as a one-time celebration of the station's tenth birthday, but it was so well-received that it has been repeated every year since. The event draws over 500,000 people to the Cincinnati Riverfront.

Getting Ready for the Fireworks

I was invited to a 'Scouts of America' fund raising gathering at Mount Adams on Sunday evening.

The view over downtown Cincinnati was superb (note that I've put together 3 photographs, so the view may appear wonky!).

The marquee was 2nd to none and I got into the swing of things: bidding for a signed Amercian football - I was pipped to the post after offering $175 for a minimum $75 bid - entering a raffle which I didn't win either.

I couldn't resist taking a picture of the Sunny D camper van. The seats were cream leather with the Sunny D logos stiched in. Crazy!!

On The Razzle In Hyde Park

Not quite! One of my colleagues invited me out for dinner at a local bar/restaurant. As the weather was perfect we decided to eat outside on the 2nd story patio.

The Hyde Park fountain was illuminated with a large number of people hanging out in the square. Unfortunately my photograph doesn't do the scene justice. I had a wonderful time.

Girls Soccer

Last Saturday I was invited to see a girls soccer (football) match.

My colleague's daughter was in goal for the first half (keen goalkeeper), but in the second half played as a forward and scored within 5 minutes! Very exciting to see.

Birthday Celebration at Trio's

This evening we celebrated a birthday at Trio's restaurant.

Afterwards a snowie was in order before heading home.

Going to the Pics in the US of A

This was the first time that all the family had gone to the cinema in America.

Although we asked for small lemonade the cups seemed to be more like UK's extra large, and the popcorn was massive! "Only in America"

Toy Story 3 was very funny.

Belle of Cincinnati

Friday the 13th was spent sailing up and down the river Ohio on a paddle steamer.

We had a great time. Not only were we amazed by the size of the boat, but we had entertainment ranging from a banjo player to playing Bingo!

I didn't realise that over 1000 paddle steamers were built along the Cincinnati banks of the river Ohio.

Wright Patterson Air Force Base

Today we travelled North towards Dayton on I-75. The weather was extreme (97 degrees and very humid).

It's incredible how many exhibits there are in the museum. Again, a very interesting visit.

A Historic Castle in the USA!

Yes, I know what you're thinking I'm having a laugh. But no, it's true.

Chateau Laroche is located in Loveland, Cincinnati and was built single handedly by Harry Andrews.

Harry served as a medic in World War I, contracted spinal meningitis, and was declared dead. By the time that he was declared undead (six months later) his fiancé had married another man. Harry seemed not to have minded, he stayed in Europe, visiting castles. Having more than 50 marriage proposal later in life, he turned all of them down!

Apparently Harry attributed his long life to not drinking, not smoking and not being married!!

Local Italian

A late lunch was had at Buca di Beppo.

The shrimps were enjoyed by all. Again, too much food so we had to ask for it to be boxed!

Cincinnati Museum

Today we spent a few hours in the Children's museum of Cincinnati.

We had been at the Museum complex in May, but only entered the Natural History museum.

Anyone for a Chicken Tikka?

We were all craving for an Indian meal so went to the local restaurant in Oakley.

A fantastic meal was had by all. The children really enjoyed the Chicken Tikka and Lamb curry.

Another Trip to the Zoo

When the family were over in June we went to the zoo but didn't manage to do it all. Therefore, we returned!

We saw the Kamodo dragon and felt very sorry for the three polar bears (they're not equipped for 94 degrees).

The family pass allows for free rides, so we went on the animal carousel a few times! Also had United Dairy Farmers' ice-cream (completely didn't realise that their Mr Whippies were four times the size of the English ones).

Daily Swim When in Cincinnati

We've been making the most of the weather (sunny / in the 90s) and the apartment's facilities by having a swim in the morning.

Generally we are the only ones there, which allows for a lot of messing around!

A Romantic Dinner for Two

To celebrate 15 years of married bliss, we went to Primavista to enjoy Italian cuisine.

It was very special to spend quality time on our own and overlook the view of downtown Cincinnati.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center - Cincinnati

Today we spent time understanding the slave trade within America and more importantly how many people put there lives at risk to save lives.

During the 1800s, estimates suggest that more than 100,000 enslaved people sought freedom through the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad is the symbolic term given to the routes enslaved Black Americans took to gain their freedom as they traveled, often as far as Canada and Mexico.

Free Blacks, Whites, Native Americans and other slaves acted as conductors by aiding fugitive slaves to their freedom. This 19th century freedom movement challenged the way Americans viewed slavery and freedom.

Sunset in Chicago

This was taken from our hotel room on our last night in Chicago.

We have lots of wonderful memories of our city-break.

Navy Pier

Wednesday's weather was pretty awful, but it didn't stop us enjoying Navy Pier.

The Children's museum was very good and we also managed to fit in 18 holes of crazy golf!

A Couple of Memorable Images

Before we arrived at Chicago I was told of the recently created eyeball. Apparently it appeared on the BBC Newsround children's television programme.

Chicago Museum of Science and Industry

Tuesday was spent as an educational day.

The U-boat 505 was an excellent exhibit. We went on a tour which allowed us to go inside and see how 59 Germans spent 90 day missions underwater with no bathroom facility and 2 small toilets!!

I must admit the Amercians are excellent at bringing museums alive. Great day had by all.

American Portions

I asked for onion rings for starters and received a meal for a family of 5! Look at the size of the rings (huge)...

The children made their own pizzas which was very cool to watch.

Chicago - What a City

Monday we drove from Cincinnati to Chicago.

It took about 5 hours and with the 1 hour change in time zone we had time to walk some of the city and go on an architectural boat tour.


What a wonderful place. Absolutely stunning.

I Had to Do It... Double Burger at Zipps

My father in law said that the Zipp's burgers were the best he's ever had.

That's saying something as he's 75!

Views from Kentucky

First trip out with the family during their Summer holiday in the US of A was Newport on the Levee.

We walked the Purple People's Bridge, enjoyed watching the entertainment on the Levee and bought many books in Barnes & Noble!