Hanging Out In Ohio (Trip Report Part 3)

After the craziness of Las Vegas, I headed to my hometown, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The Falls is a suburb of Akron, Ohio. Not exactly the most exciting place in the world, but my home. I had about two weeks to hang with the family and spend some quality time with my mom. I spent a lot of my time doing odd jobs around my mom's house. The basement and the yard needed a good spring cleaning and I love to do that kind of stuff in small doses...lol.

The following are some photos of the goings on in the Buckeye State.

My mom hanging out in the front yard with my sister Jill and her kids. You can see the winter was pretty rough on the yard. I needed at least two more weeks to really get the place up to shape.

My niece Grace. She is a cutie. Not terribly happy that Uncle David was pointing the camera at her.

A shot of 19th Street while standing in front of my mom's place. It was mid-April and the leaves still weren't on all of the trees...not a fun winter!

The family threw a little shindig for me. It was a fun time with lots of good eats. My sister Shelley made a few of her favorite dishes, they were delish.

My nephew Adam mugging for the camera. He is growing up so fast. Seems like he was just in kindergarten.

Jami, my niece, brought over the video game "Rock Band". It's a pretty crazy game where you follow the cues from the TV and actually play the music on the various instruments. The selection of music was cool. The game included stuff from all kinds of good rock bands, quite a variety. Jami is the crazy chick in the middle jamming the guitar. Lauren, another niece, is doing her best to bang out on the drums.

The back yard. As you can see, lots of work to do. This was after a few days of work. There are several huge trees in the yard so it's in constant need of upkeep.

Standing in the driveway trying to capture some images for posterity. Mom is probably going to sell the house in the next year or two and I may not make it back to the States by then.

Adam playing Wii. He needs to be surgically removed from the game...lol. You know Uncle David is home because the room is cluttered with junk food!

Shelley, Mom and Jill. Shell & Jill are half of the sister contingent in my family.

I miss my car! My niece Jami took ownership of it when I moved to Taiwan. It was great to see it again. I really miss road trips in the Maxima.

Last but not least, Bubba. This guy is my buddy. Mom has done a wonderful job of taking care of him in my absence. He is a remarkable animal and I'd love to have him here with me but it's just not possible. He is experiencing some health problems and I trust mom to do the right thing for him. He is a monster!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Gold

I got two packages in the mail this past week. Both of them were from my Mom and both of them were chock full of Reese's Cups!!


I couldn't have been happier if the packages were stuffed with money...lol. As many of you out there know, I am a chocoholic and Reese's are my favorite form of chocolate delivery. We have many of the same candies here that are available in the States but not Reese's. I have been meaning to write a pointed letter to the Hershey Company about this...lol.

On a more serious note, Mom sent these to me in order to help me quit smoking. The peanut butter cups are meant to take the place of nicotine. It's been a struggle. Mom is a great motivator and I will do my best to conquer the beast.

V.I.P. Birthdays Coming

In the next week or so, three very important women in my life will celebrate their birthdays. My mom, my sister Shelley, and Catherine have their big days coming up.

My mom is celebrating her 29th birthday for about the 40th time...lol. I am bummed that I can't be there for the fun. I am sure that all the fam back home will see to making her day special. I recently sent her a package full of pictures and stuff from my time here. She always tells me not to buy her anything, so I think the pics will make her happy. I have ranted before about grateful I am for her support and love, no need to rehash that stuff...thanks mom.

Shelley, my crazy North Carolinian sister, has her big day the day after my mom. Shelley is the kind of sister everyone should have. She has always been a stabilizing force in our family. She is a fine example of how to live...the polar opposite of me! I hope your birthday is a special one Shell.

Finally, Catherine's day comes just a few days after the above. I have been dating her for about 4 months now and she has brought so much happiness and love into my life. It's kinda crazy to think that two people from such incredibly different cultures/backgrounds have come together. I think we are a good fit. She has a remarkably calming effect on me. I love her...she is my sunshine.

Happy Birthday Ladies!!

Postal Heaven

I got a nice care package from home yesterday. It's great getting stuff that I can't normally get here, including Reese's Cups!! There is a place that carries Reese's here, but they want about $1.50 American for a pack!...not gonna happen.

Included in the package was some good deodorant, pics from home, a letter from mom, and of course, the new Black Keys CD...it's fantastic!

The requisite pics of my crazy cats are great. Also, a lovely pic of Gracie, my adorable niece. She is a little ballerina. Mom on the back of a motorcycle was a bit of a shock. My Aunt Dorothy & Uncle Charles are nearly 100 years old, excellent to see them together in the picture. If I had a scanner, I would've posted these great shots on here, sorry.

Had one of the Reese's Cups for dessert at work last night. Everyone in the office couldn't figure out why I was drooling and nearly brought to tears...simply scrumptious!

P.S. I know my sister Jayne was the one who made the effort to get the CD, you're the greatest. Also, thanks for taking the time to read this silliness...love your comments.

Mom's Birthday

My mom's big day is this week. I hate being so far away on her birthday. I called her over the weekend and she sounded great...she has a policy of not acknowledging her birthday...lol.

We discussed a possible visit home. It's not easy making the big trip back the US, very expensive. I'm gonna shoot for sometime in November, we'll see.

Every time I talk to mom it recharges my batteries and helps me focus. She is such a driving force in my life. Everything I do here has a little bit of Karen-inspired motivation in its core. As much as I would like to be home and spending more time with mom, I know I am doing the right thing here and she is 110% behind me.

She has made it through much more difficult challenges than I have and knowing this has enabled me to conquer many of my inner-demons.

I love you mom.

My Mother, The Pilot

Had another earthquake last night. Since I arrived here there has been a quake about every 5 or 6 days...crazy, eh? Last night's was intense. It lasted for about 20 seconds, the whole building was swaying. I've gotta believe a big one is coming. I hope I'm here to experience it.

Life here has been interesting, to say the least. I went out to get some food today at a local market. It's remarkable how machine-like this city runs. While walking to the market I had to dodge countless crazy drivers and scooter-driving madmen. The traffic is outrageous, but at the same time I have yet to witness an accident.

I'm sad I can't be back home to cheer on mom in her adventures in the cockpit. In case any of you don't know, my mom is currently getting her pilot's license. I think it's a great idea, what a cool accomplishment. If any of you have an occasion to speak with my mom, be sure to wish her luck with the flying stuff.

Looks like I may be teaching a composition class soon. The school is considering starting a comp class for adults and I am in a good position to teach it...we'll see. I can picture Perry reading this and rolling his eyes. My abilities are pretty shoddy compared to his, EVERYONE'S skills are lacking when held up against Perry's writting savvy.