The Best Thing That Can Happen To Anyone

Last we left off I was leaving Lafayette, Louisiana for a layover. This took place in ATL which is where I planned out just how I would make a corn cob out of candy corn. Keep reading.

ATL decked out the gates. Moose and B's houses were together.

Rachel, our head of wardrobe, took part in the Inktober and the 31 Days of Mehron Halloween challenges. On Mischief Night (aka Cabbage Night in Cincinnati) I was Rachel's canvas for four hours.

The next morning Dianne and I got brunch at Maplewood to prepare for our night out.

This omelet was stuffed with tiny mushrooms.

A real sign at the register of a corner store

I had a make up challenge of my own which included green party store lipstick, goopy body glitter, and no plan. The result was this make up.

Let those who worship evil's might
Beware my power, Green Lantern's Light

Wednesday on a Wednesday.

Our company's spooky, rainy Halloween night began with quesadillas at O'Malley's, segued into a costume contest at Below Zero, and ended with PAC-MAN at 16-Bit.

The following are nom noms from Sleepy Bee.

Sexy bathrooms

For a limited time (through December 2, 2018) the SkyStar observation (ferris) wheel will be at The Banks. This was my first glimpse at autumn's colors this season. Happy November 1st!

The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge isn't paved! Drive on these metal grates. Walk underneath the bridge to see cars from a whole new angle.

We crossed the bridge to check out the neighboring Kentucky town Covington. This small city has a subdued, turn of the century feel. One of our stops included Roebling Point Books & Coffee, which is equipped with a cafe, cozy seating surrounded by books, and multiple shelves stocked with local history (including Harambe.) While I didn't attend, I am told that the mac and cheese at Keystone defies all space and time. It's so incredibly rich that you will definitely need a to go box.

Most of the Covington sidewalks tell you to look.

If you believe in yourself, and with a tiny pinch of icing, all of your dreams will come true.

One day over lunch I stepped into the Ohio Book Store to check out their four floors of books, some of which are first editions from the early nineteenth century. I could not touch these. Among the stacks was an enormous collection of National Geographic.

Taste of Belgium has six locations (most in Cincinnati) where you can get tasty, tasty eats all day. I went for dinner which started with poutine and ended with a free strawberry pop tart and strawberry, whopper, and raspberry filled chocolate macarons. I grew up eating pop tarts every day for breakfast in the 90s, and I loved them, but I loved this Taste of Belgium pop tart more. WOW.

I got free dessert again at MidiCi. The quote on the kitchen wall read, "People are the best thing that can happen to anyone." Also, someone in the restaurant was celebrating a birthday, but his birthday balloon was a giant zero. How old was he? We'll never know. 

Nutella Calzone

Under a tree

The Ohio River Trail in Smale Riverfront Park is gorgeous and winds like a helicase. The trail is divided into sections devoted to various regions of the world. The vegetation changes with each region, and if you look down you'll see different animal and leaf prints in the concrete path. I took the following pictures while running:

Small hydrant

Hello

The flying pigs in Cincinnati pay homage to the city's meatpacking industry of years past. There is also a Flying Pig Marathon annually. 

You'll find this flying pic statue/puppet in the park! Climb up and rock to move the wings.

If you walk along the river behind the U.S. Bank Arena you'll find the Steamboat Hall of Fame
(on a series of poles in the sidewalk) adorned with pictures and blurbs about the ships of Ohio River's past. 

Before moving on I'd like to note that Cincinnati has streets named Race, Vine, and Walnut, all in a row, just like Philadelphia. I can't escape Philly and maybe it's a sign.

Hey, Lexington I'm back.

Three years ago I played a dog at Lexington Children's Theatre. Each day I would cut through the shops at Rupp Arena to get to work, and this week I did the same. A major difference in my experience this year was the accommodations. We stayed at a resort outside of town, which allowed me to soak in an abundance of golf course foliage. I took this time to rest, but I did end up visiting Saul Good for dinner downtown (I had cocktails with my mom here when she visited in 2015.) From my brief time in town it seems that not much has changed in Lexington. My hair has grown to the length it was back when I lived here, and the outfit I'm wearing in the photo above is one I wore every other day back then. The experience was like a time warp. Speaking of, three Halloweens ago I attended my first Rocky Horror viewing in Lexington.

Hey, Cape Girardeau I'm back. Like last time I was here (Fall 2014) I have no photo evidence other than venue pictures. There is a beautiful conservation center a few miles from the hotel, but there are no safe running roads or available Ubers/Lyfts that would allow me to get there, so I did not leave the vicinity. Our hotel was next to a Target, which I visited at least once a day, and an Outback Steakhouse, which I visited twice. CG, thank you for the bread and for the bread.