Off the Beaten Path

I'm sure most people are expecting pictures of a certain adventure, a place I said I'd visit this week. I would have gone to Union Terminal, but I got completely distracted by something I didn't even know existed in Ohio. I found a real castle about 20 minutes north of Cincinnati.

I don't really remember how I found it, but when I knew I had to see it. Chateau Laroche, otherwise known as Loveland Castle is a historical castle that sits in Loveland, Ohio. This medieval
castle was built by hand by a man of the name of Harry D. Andrews. Legend says that Harry used to bring his friends, Boy Scout Troops  and Sunday school students to the banks of the Little Miami River. He must have decided this was the perfect spot to built his European castle.

Work was started in 1929, and he spent his whole life until 1981 working on the project. He willed the castle to his Boy Scout troop, The Knights of the Golden Trail. Today, admission is a cheap three bucks. Admittedly, it doesn't take long to walk through. Some of the rooms are closed off, as is the top terrace of the castle. It's worth a trip though, just to say you got to see a real castle. If you stand quietly enough, you can imagine why it's rumored to be haunted.

The office was quiet Tuesday, well quiet for the interns. With Cincinnati Wedding shipping next week, there was a lot of last minute editing for the editors, but not a lot of fact checking or research to be done. The best part of Tuesday, Sue asked if I wanted to see what my personnel essay will look like when it runs.

I didn't know whether to jump up and down or cry as I read my story, there on that glossy page. Admittedly, it's a short piece, but it's mine. Someone will read that, and maybe make the decision to go to college. It's proof that I'm starting to arrive, and headed in the right direction.

Wednesday started off quietly enough. I browsed magazines looking for things that are currently trending, and that could be used in Cincinnati. I also got to work in InDesign, for a few quick moments, thanks to Kara. I admitted to her that I'm terrified of the design programs, but have plans to conquer it.

At lunch, Shelly and I walked quickly, making attempts to avoid Fountain Square, where I'm pretty sure I heard an evangelist on the microphone, and an anti-abortion rally seemed to be going on.  There were pictures of fetuses set up. I try to keep politics off here, but I'm firm believer that a woman has the right to choose what happens to her body.

On the way back from lunch however; I couldn't avoid Fountain Square. See, several years ago on a night where I was the designated driver, one of my friends (whose name I have promised to never publicly out until he has grandkids) drunkenly stripped, and ran across the street to climb and hump Big Boy. There getting ready to leave Fountain Square, stood Big Boy! I knew I had to get my picture with him, to send to my mischievous friend. "I'm cracking up laughing." came the reply.

Thanks to all the storms, I received a text from my boys letting me know the power was out. Being three hours away, I wasn't quite sure what they wanted me to do. I called to make sure they were okay, and reassured them I'd put in a call to the power company to find out how long the outage would last.

Little did I know, those storms were about to affect me too. Interstate 75 north was closed, due to high water, as I looked around I realized I-71 was at a complete standstill.

"Hi, my favorite human navigator system!" I said a little too brightly, as I called Grandpa to explain my precarious position.
"I think you're in trouble." He replied, and when Grandpa can't figure it out, well, there isn't much that can be done.

A few minutes later when Grandpa called me, with his map in hand to help me find a route, I had already established a route out of the city that led directly to route 4. I guess I've got some of Grandpa in me after all.

So there were no fountains this week, but I think the castle more than makes up for that. There are only a couple more weeks of Cincinnati adventures. I'm looking forward to each one.

Traffic, storms, and homesickness

"How many speeding tickets have you gotten so far?" My grandpa asked me when I called him Monday.

"None, Grandpa," This is how conversations with him normally go. I've always taken it for granted that my Grandpa would always be here, and that I'd always be his baby, but recent circumstances have forced me to stop taking him for granted.

There wasn't a large adventure Monday, partially because I stopped to have lunch with an old time friend and used-to-be boss. I was happy to see the "Old Buzzard," as I fondly call him.  We discussed his new grandbaby, and the upheaval and drama of the Paying Job, we also discussed all the cool things I'm learning.

I admit, that lunch with that Old Buzzard made me anxious to talk to my Grandpa. There's a similarity in the two men raised in the same generation, in the same region. The phone call to my Grandpa left me homesick to talk to my other family, and of course I had to call my Aunt.

"I just feel bad that I'm not around as much this summer." I told her, even as she said she understands, they all understand that what I'm doing is important to me. There's a little homesickness and a little loneliness too. That left me wondering, how do I make friends in the city?

Before I could answer that, I was back at the office and once again learning new things. As I learned how to "cut copy" this week, I got a few minutes to actually sit in my editors chair, and I can admit I thought "This is what power is."

When my editor gave me my first real writing assignment, I felt that surge I always get when it's time to get in front of the paper. It's a little hard to describe a place I've never been just from photos. I admit that I was tempted to call and see if I could get a quick tour, because I want my copy to show my real talent, I wanted it to be perfect. For now, pictures will have to suffice.

I questioned this week, with my limited hours whether I'll get to go on a real photo shoot, and if I'll be able to be there to see an edition of a magazine "Sent home". (Sent to the printers, I'm picking up the lingo).  I love that phrase by the way, it's so appropriate, all of the hard work that goes into every edition, knowing it's going to a printer is like sending it to it's rightful place.

My Weds was going very quickly, when one of the other interns popped her head into my office, "Hey, do you want to go to lunch with us?" I jumped at the chance. One, my stomach was rumbling and two, I haven't really talked to anyone besides the editors since I got there.

Talking to the two young ladies was nice. We went across the way for lunch, to Fountain Square. We stopped at a sandwich shop called Potbelly, and I got to see Downtown Cincinnati having lunch. The Square is filled with business people chatting, reading, and just generally taking a few minutes out of their busy lives for a quick bite. Afterwards, the ladies took me to local Cincinnati favorite, Graeter's Ice cream. My mocha chip ice cream was delicious, and the chips are huge.

As we chatted at lunch, bonding over our shared English majors, I felt a little silly confessing my actual age. "Wow, you're really dedicated." They said after I explained how my weeks are going. These girls are the age of Justin, but it gives me someone to talk to, and they've agreed to take me to another local favorite, Skyline Chili. I also got in touch with a Zumba instructor, and was able to pin down the hours for a local class. I was also able to look up a local place to go horseback riding, I'll have to give it a  try soon.  I guess maybe I've started the ball rolling on making friends.

As the big talk today was the huge storm that is supposed to be hitting several states, my editors let me leave a couple of hours early.  The drive home was only a couple hours with no rush hour traffic to deal with. Of course I came home to a list of things to do for the kids tomorrow.

So what should it be next week, horseback riding?, another park? or a contemporary art museum?