OH yeah!

I always have a hard time answering the question, “Where are you from?” Which is a bad thing, because it seems like a human requirement to ask that very question about 3.5 minutes or less after you meet another person.

It’s a toughie for me because I was a nomad growing up; the fam moved every 3 to 5 years with my dad’s job.  So I have mini roots in Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Ohio, Colorado and now Arkansas, but don’t consider any of them “home.” Which is ok, because even more than physical home, my fam and friends shaped the lady I am today. And I have wonderful family and friends.

But even though I don’t love answering the question, asking about someone’s hometown makes sense. Not only does it provide better meeting-you small talk than “Great weather we’re having, huh?”, but knowing where someone is from is telling. A person’s home effects everything from the rhythms (and volume) of their speech to how they see the world.  It always gives me more insight into a person when I know if  they grew up on a farm, in the burbs or in NYC. And no, I don’t have a single friend who grew up in NYC that was just an extreme “urban environment” example. Forgive me. Or deal with it.

All of this is a longwinded intro to share that I went to Cincinnati over Labor Day weekend. Why? To see college pals, Eric and Nicole Mount. Yes, you’re right. Eric Mount is the other half of The Coasts – go buy the album if you haven’t. **Not-so-subliminal message OVER**

After a few weeks of mulling the trip over, (yes, I missed another post last week – SORRY, I have no excuse) I realized that I got a lot more insight into Eric’s character because I got to see where he was from. I admired how excited he got showing us record-breaking covered bridges, local restaurants and a legendary firework show. He loves OH. Not just because it is cool, but because it is home. You can just tell.

I’m very happy with the way I grew up and all the places I’ve seen, but I realized I don’t have that home town to show off. Yet, I can appreciate someone else’s enthusiasm for his. And in the case of Cincinnati (and nearby Lynchburg and Lebanon) I don’t think the passion is misplaced.

Why yes, I do have a couple reasons.

Graeter’s Ice Cream is Delicious

We kept things local over the weekend, which I love to do to (pats self on back). So one night we went to a Graeter’s Ice Cream. I got a flavor with the word “Buckeye” in the title because I think it is impossible to have too much peanut butter and chocolate in a lifetime. It was decadent. And even if you can’t make it to Cincinnati anytime soon, you can buy most of their ice cream flavors at Kroger (also an Ohio-started thing). I’ve heard that their raspberry chocolate is to die for.

Skyline Chili is Also Delicious

Spaghetti noodles + Chili +Extravagant amounts of cheese = surprisingly delish. Skyline Chili playfully calls this iconic combination a “3-way.” You might feel funny ordering it, and it might sound like a weird combo, but it wasn’t. It was good. In fact, I want some RIGHT NOW. Sigh, I wish OH wasn’t like 10 hours away.

The drive was beautiful

Honestly, I was not looking forward to driving 20 hours in one weekend, even if it was a long one. But my frustration melted as I noticed the natural rugged beauty of my surroundings ala Kentucky. I loved it! Plus, with a Harry Potter book playing, time nearly flew.

Well, that is that for today. I hope to see you back here sooner rather than later. Enjoy the weekend!

Jillian Michaels: 6 Week 6 Pack*

*Ouch

First, I will apologize for missing my post last week. Ready for the sad part? I totally forgot about it, mostly because I fell asleep at 9:00 pm-ish last Thursday. Although I have no solid excuse, I bet I was exhausted from having guests in and out of Casa (apartment) de Peters for about a week. It was wonderful seeing the fam (and meeting the sister’s new boyfriend), but somehow it drained me.  I hope that is a valid excuse. To make it up to you I’ll try to do a two-post week sometime soon, give or take forever.

On to the main event…

You don’t have to tell me, I know I’m a little obsessed with Jillian Michaels’ workout DVDs. And I recently suffered through her 6 Week 6 Pack program. It has been a roller coaster ride that I’m personally relieved to get off. This workout was no joke, but I’ll get to that later.  On the positive side, I’ve had a little bit more fun going through this program because somehow I convinced Ike to go through it with me. I honestly never thought I’d see the day.  But I did. Go figure. With the purchase of 6 Week 6 Pack, you get one tough 30-minute workout and one BRUTAL 30-minute workout. Read on for all the gruesome and delightful details.