I found Ditmars Wine Run in 2023 on RunSignup when I was searching for a mid-summer tune-up heading into a September marathon. I ended up getting a cross-country-level workout -- and somehow won the race! Planning my Running & Racing Calendar Ah, January. Start to a new year. The opportunity to commit to resolutions: to... Continue Reading →
Spurs' Diss Misses the Mark In the realm of this Dad's favorite eats Skyline Chili stands alone. We've spilled the sauce on Cincinnati's famous chili spaghetti a couple times in this space. And though I'm a big fan of grilled burgers, and brats, and New Year's pork and sauerkraut, and pizza glory in several permutations,... Continue Reading →
Three cheers for Penso's Pizza, oldest and best in my hometown of Dover, Ohio. Which is saying something, given the abundancy of old Italian family pizzerias I grew up on. In Praise of: Tuscarawas County, Ohio Pizza This past Christmas, as the middle of our three sons (my youngest teenager) steadfastly refused to let us... Continue Reading →
Ready, set, build! I don't know that every Lego set I have to build has to be of the 1,500- to 2,500-piece level, but... OK. Yeah, it helps. Here's a final montage for your brick-clicking pleasure: of the Lego Porsche 911 set I chose as a reward for completing a marathon last year. I opted... Continue Reading →
Midlife Fantasy Included Probably the first toy I collected was Hot Wheels. By the time I was 5 or 6, I had a few dozen of the mini diecast cars, and I'd send them zipping around the red linoleum of our kitchen floor, or winding up the ramps or down the elevator of our prized... Continue Reading →
What’s more fun than your friends rowing up in a canoe to your secluded cabin and drinking all your coffee (scotch) and maxing out your couch space? Putting together a 2,300-piece Lego set instead. Blocking Time I never had proper Lego sets as a kid. Now, I don’t mean that any other way than literally.... Continue Reading →
Though not a view you're likely to get from a home telescope (let me know if you do!) this screen capture from Space Engine of Saturn as viewed on a clear night by a methane lake on its moon Titan sure does fire me up for astronomy! Cultivating Appreciation for the Cosmos OK, so my... Continue Reading →
Words to live by…. I didn’t become a regular coffee drinker until I met my wife and settled into a lazy AM routine of sunshine, catching up on news, and plenty of cream and sugar in my cup. Add kids to the brew, and stir in a unhealthy shot of constant, crazy world events, and... Continue Reading →
In Praise of 5th Avenue, Best Intersection of Peanut Butter & Chocolate As a man in his (early) 40s, I've put quite a few of the bad habits of my youth behind me. Never one to guzzle pop in the first place, it's such a rare presence in our fridge at home, the kids don't... Continue Reading →
In Praise of Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue I've devoted a fair bit of digital space here praising barbecue, and meats, and smoke, and especially, smoky barbecued meats. Whether giving due props to the men who made me into a man who makes meals; or sharing the tricks I've picked up to prepare killer crock pot... Continue Reading →
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