Kings Island -- September 2009

The company picnic for Limited Brands -- where Mike works -- was held in Kings Island, which is toward Cincinnati from Columbus. Although we didn't see anyone from his work there, it was nice because Mike and I got free tickets, and two of my friends, Jason and Brandon, got a really good reduced price on their tickets. Here are photos of our fun amusement park day. I do have to say, though, that I've become less brave when it comes to roller coasters; I couldn't go on any of those that go upside down. Strange thing is that I used to LOVE that kind of roller coaster! Age, I guess, or I have a better sense of my own mortality. Jason and Brandon went on them, and Mike and I waited for them.

Here are Brandon and Jason (left to right).

Mike and I went to the top of the 1/3-sized replica of the Eiffel Tower. It gives you a nice view of the park.

I did go on the Beast, which I remember hearing about when I was a kid living in Celina, Ohio.

It was a great day -- the weather was perfect, and the company was super-fun!

The Wilds -- August 2009

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted here. I'm currently on Spring Break, which gives me some time to catch up on stuff like this. These photos are from a day trip that Mike, Steve (Mike's brother), and I took to The Wilds, a conservation place for all sorts of animals. Steve had just moved to Youngstown, Ohio for his first post-Ph.D appointment as Assistant Professor of Music at Youngstown State University, so he met us in Cumberland. If you're ever in central Ohio, I really do recommend it, as it supports wildlife conservation, and plus, you get to see all sorts of cool animals: http://thewilds.org/

At The Wilds, you basically go on a safari on a vehicle to see the animals. We decided on going with the open-air one, as it wasn't too hot that day. On a couple of occasions, we made some stops so we could get a tad bit closer to the animals. I thought many were soooo cute, and I took many, many photos. Here's a sample.

We all agreed that these catfish were pretty creepy, especially since they seemed like big bugs with their mouths opening and closing, begging for food.

It was a great day trip to the Wilds. Now that it's March, it seems so long ago, much longer than six months. Fingers crossed for spring to come!