Oh boy! Have I been busy! After my
disastrous site in San Diego, work sent me to Cincinnati. Let me tell you, there is a big difference between California and Ohio!
I'd never been to The Buckeye State - still not too clear on what a buckeye is- so I was actually looking forward to this trip.
My hotel was a swanky little number in the heart of
downtown called The
Cincinnatian Hotel. It is a historic property, built in 1882, and was once the tallest building in Cincinnati. Today the site is surrounded by skyscrapers, but the charm of days gone by is still
ever present. I don't often get to stay in hotels like this, so I took full advantage of all my amenities!
As I mentioned at the start of the blog, I stayed pretty busy while in The Queen City. Thanks in part to work, and part due to the close proximity of Indianapolis and Fort Knox. On my first weekend in town, my new friend, Stephanie, invited me out to watch Michigan State play in a playoff game down at her favorite bar - RP
McMurphy's. I had so much fun! Plus, the Spartans won, so everyone was in a festive mood! That Saturday,
Steph picked me up from the hotel and drove me
arou
nd Mt. Adams then we grabbed a late lunch/early dinner. It was so nice to have someone from the site take the time to show me around and get me out of the building. As much as I enjoy playing "Dora the Explorer" when I'm somewhere new, that experience is so much better when shared. Sunday was spent just doing a little exploring on my own. I walked over the Purple People Bridge into Kentucky to check out the little town of Newport, and then back to Ohio for a stroll along the river.
That Wednesday, I decided on a whim to attend the Michael
Buble' concert. I was so glad I did! I have been a fan for years, but to see/hear him in person is a real delight! I highly recommend it, should you be presented with the opportunity. That
weekend my friend Amy from Indianapolis drove down for a visit. She and I last saw one another in 2008 when we met in NYC for my birthday, so I was thrilled when my trip worked out with her schedule. On
Friday night, we went to an amazing steakhouse called The Precinct. It was the best steak I've ever had, hands down! We didn't even have room to finish off our shared piece of Opera cake (which says a lot for those of yo
u who know how much I love dessert)! On Saturday morning we dined on room service (Amy's first experience at this treat!) before heading to Fountain
Square where we participated in a 5K walk to benefit the American Heart Association. We then decided we deserved pedicures to refresh our feet and threw in manicures just because it was fun! At the recommendation of my concierge, we found a cute local place called Zip's Cafe for dinner then headed to The Cheesecake Factory for dessert! It was a fantastic weekend!
After another long week of work, I was ready to get out of dodge for a bit, so I took off after work on Friday to the Circle City (AKA Indianapolis). I accepted an offer from M
ark who works for the property to use his vehicle rather than rent a car, and man was that nice! He is an IT person, so wouldn't you know his car had more bells and whistles than any band in the nation? I was in heaven! I even called Mom to talk about this fancy
smancy car I was driving that didn't
even have a key. Yep, I was spoiled and was loving every minute! After a slight delay due to a call from work, I made it to Amy's house just shy of midnight. We stayed up gabbing into the wee hours of the morning while enjoying a tasty tr
eat of chips, dip and red velvet cupcakes. Amy learned only the week before of my fondness for red velvet, and I could tell she was tickled by my enthusiasm. She even had a little Easter basket waiting for me overflowing with goodies! Yes, I am aware that I'm spoiled by my friends, but at least I admit it, right? That weekend also happened to be Final Four, so I rode in to work with Amy and then visited with a few old friends at the
Westin before heading inside to watch the games. I know, I know... most of you probably have no idea why I'd want to go, but there were actually many
reasons I attended. 1. I played basketball, have always liked it, just seldom get to attend games. 2. The Michigan State Spartans were playing, and I felt like I should continue to show support to my new friend's
alma mater. 3. It was being held in the Lucas Oil Stadium, and I left Indy before getting to go inside, so I was curious. 4. It was the FINAL FOUR! and lastly 5. When in Rome
... So for the first game, I rooted for the Spartans, and although they didn't win, I was still pleased with how well they played. In game 2 of the evening I was pulling for Duke. Most people would believe that was because, well, it's Duke, but my reasoning w
as far more...
ummmmm... shall we say "girlie"? That's because I actually had the opportunity last fall to visit the Duke campus and simply fell in love with it's beauty. Especially the gardens! So, yeah, I cheered for Duke because the campus is pretty. Maybe if I'd been to West Virginia, I would have thought their campus was prettier and cheered for them.... After a quick round of good-byes to my friends from
CSC and my friends at the
Westin, I loaded up my (Mark's) car, and headed back to
Cincy.
On Easter Sunday, after doing a little work, my friend Emily came up from Fort K
nox with her little family. Emily is an Army friend with whom I'm in constant contact, but rarely get to see, so we were both elated to be in the same area (you know, for me that means anywhere within a 3 hour radius). Emily, Chris (her new hubby), Trevor (her son), and I went to the lovely Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical
Gardens for a few hours then out to dinner at
P.F. Chang's and then dessert at, you guessed it, The Cheesecake Factory. Emily and Chris recently wed, so I asked the waitress to write congratulations on their plates, and she took it one step further and had them feed one another the first bites. It was very cute, and I was able to score some brownie points to boot! They are expecting their first child together in the fall, and have asked me to be the Godmother. I was touched beyond words. Little Squishy (total term of affection) will definitely be spoiled rotten if I have my way!
My remaining days in Cincinnati were boring by
comparison. Although I was in town for Opening Day (the Reds if you weren't sure), I was too busy working to enjoy the festivities. I departed for home on Friday; ready to go, and oddly not at the same time. I was very impressed with this city and hope to return soon. I loved all the bridges that span the Ohio River, the way it has all the amenities of a big city without feeling like a big city, and the fact that it is home to Macy's, Inc. (AKA the
Mother ship).
Oh boy! Have I been busy! After my disastrous site in San Diego, work sent me to Cincinnati. Let me tell you, there is a big difference between California and Ohio!
I'd never been to The Buckeye State - still not too clear on what a buckeye is- so I was actually looking forward to this trip.
My hotel was a swanky little number in the heart of 
downtown called The Cincinnatian Hotel. It is a historic property, built in 1882, and was once the tallest building in Cincinnati. Today the site is surrounded by skyscrapers, but the charm of days gone by is still ever present. I don't often get to stay in hotels like this, so I took full advantage of all my amenities!
As I mentioned at the start of the blog, I stayed pretty busy while in The Queen City. Thanks in part to work, and part due to the close proximity of Indianapolis and Fort Knox. On my first weekend in town, my new friend, Stephanie, invited me out to watch Michigan State play in a playoff game down at her favorite bar - RP McMurphy's. I had so much fun! Plus, the Spartans won, so everyone was in a festive mood! That Saturday, Steph picked me up from the hotel and drove me arou
nd Mt. Adams then we grabbed a late lunch/early dinner. It was so nice to have someone from the site take the time to show me around and get me out of the building. As much as I enjoy playing "Dora the Explorer" when I'm somewhere new, that experience is so much better when shared. Sunday was spent just doing a little exploring on my own. I walked over the Purple People Bridge into Kentucky to check out the little town of Newport, and then back to Ohio for a stroll along the river.
That Wednesday, I decided on a whim to attend the Michael
Buble' concert. I was so glad I did! I have been a fan for years, but to see/hear him in person is a real delight! I highly recommend it, should you be presented with the opportunity. That 
weekend my friend Amy from Indianapolis drove down for a visit. She and I last saw one another in 2008 when we met in NYC for my birthday, so I was thrilled when my trip worked out with her schedule. On Friday night, we went to an amazing steakhouse called The Precinct. It was the best steak I've ever had, hands down! We didn't even have room to finish off our shared piece of Opera cake (which says a lot for those of yo
u who know how much I love dessert)! On Saturday morning we dined on room service (Amy's first experience at this treat!) before heading to Fountain 
Square where we participated in a 5K walk to benefit the American Heart Association. We then decided we deserved pedicures to refresh our feet and threw in manicures just because it was fun! At the recommendation of my concierge, we found a cute local place called Zip's Cafe for dinner then headed to The Cheesecake Factory for dessert! It was a fantastic weekend! 
After another long week of work, I was ready to get out of dodge for a bit, so I took off after work on Friday to the Circle City (AKA Indianapolis). I accepted an offer from M
ark who works for the property to use his vehicle rather than rent a car, and man was that nice! He is an IT person, so wouldn't you know his car had more bells and whistles than any band in the nation? I was in heaven! I even called Mom to talk about this fancy smancy car I was driving that didn't 
even have a key. Yep, I was spoiled and was loving every minute! After a slight delay due to a call from work, I made it to Amy's house just shy of midnight. We stayed up gabbing into the wee hours of the morning while enjoying a tasty tr
eat of chips, dip and red velvet cupcakes. Amy learned only the week before of my fondness for red velvet, and I could tell she was tickled by my enthusiasm. She even had a little Easter basket waiting for me overflowing with goodies! Yes, I am aware that I'm spoiled by my friends, but at least I admit it, right? That weekend also happened to be Final Four, so I rode in to work with Amy and then visited with a few old friends at the Westin before heading inside to watch the games. I know, I know... most of you probably have no idea why I'd want to go, but there were actually many 
reasons I attended. 1. I played basketball, have always liked it, just seldom get to attend games. 2. The Michigan State Spartans were playing, and I felt like I should continue to show support to my new friend's alma mater. 3. It was being held in the Lucas Oil Stadium, and I left Indy before getting to go inside, so I was curious. 4. It was the FINAL FOUR! and lastly 5. When in Rome
... So for the first game, I rooted for the Spartans, and although they didn't win, I was still pleased with how well they played. In game 2 of the evening I was pulling for Duke. Most people would believe that was because, well, it's Duke, but my reasoning w
as far more... ummmmm... shall we say "girlie"? That's because I actually had the opportunity last fall to visit the Duke campus and simply fell in love with it's beauty. Especially the gardens! So, yeah, I cheered for Duke because the campus is pretty. Maybe if I'd been to West Virginia, I would have thought their campus was prettier and cheered for them.... After a quick round of good-byes to my friends from CSC and my friends at the Westin, I loaded up my (Mark's) car, and headed back to Cincy.
On Easter Sunday, after doing a little work, my friend Emily came up from Fort K
nox with her little family. Emily is an Army friend with whom I'm in constant contact, but rarely get to see, so we were both elated to be in the same area (you know, for me that means anywhere within a 3 hour radius). Emily, Chris (her new hubby), Trevor (her son), and I went to the lovely Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical 
Gardens for a few hours then out to dinner at 
P.F. Chang's and then dessert at, you guessed it, The Cheesecake Factory. Emily and Chris recently wed, so I asked the waitress to write congratulations on their plates, and she took it one step further and had them feed one another the first bites. It was very cute, and I was able to score some brownie points to boot! They are expecting their first child together in the fall, and have asked me to be the Godmother. I was touched beyond words. Little Squishy (total term of affection) will definitely be spoiled rotten if I have my way!
My remaining days in Cincinnati were boring by 
comparison. Although I was in town for Opening Day (the Reds if you weren't sure), I was too busy working to enjoy the festivities. I departed for home on Friday; ready to go, and oddly not at the same time. I was very impressed with this city and hope to return soon. I loved all the bridges that span the Ohio River, the way it has all the amenities of a big city without feeling like a big city, and the fact that it is home to Macy's, Inc. (AKA the Mother ship). 
