Things I Took for Granted in CA

1. Toilet Seat Covers - As a SoCal resident you would expect these in every public restroom but sadly, they seem to be a California luxury. You know how you're shocked if you walk into a restroom that doesn't have seat covers and you think to yourself, "Man, now I have to hover." Well, that's an everyday occurance in Ohio. Be grateful for those thin pieces of paper!
2. Driving 80mph on the Freeway - The average speed limit here is 65 (sometimes 55). Unlike the CHP, Ohio's PD takes speed limits very seriously. You can do 5mph over AT MOST! I've been informed to not even try 5mph over if it's near the end of the month. You would think I've just been misled by Derrick but no, drive anywhere in Ohio and you'll see these people take their speed limits seriously.
3. Predictable Weather - You know how in CA you can look at the weather on Monday and say, "Hey, it's going to be 85 on Friday, I think I'll go to the beach." Well in Ohio the weather can be sunny, raining, snowing and then clear and sunny all within 8 hours. This makes planning outdoor activities slightly challenging.
4. Fast, Fast Food - When I lived in CA I could decide I wanted a burrito at 9pm and have at least 5 places to choose from all within a 15min round trip. In Ohio (at least where I'm currently living) if I want a burrito at 9pm my best bet is to get a microwavable one from the Super Walmart which is about a 30min round trip. This is probably a blessing in disguise but you have no idea how much I miss Del Taco and El Pollo Loco (both of which are not located in the entire state of Ohio).
5. WaMu - I love Washington Mutual and I miss it! It's weird to go into a bank where everyone is wearing suits and seem way too uptight. Luckily, the only place I've seen uptight people have been in the bank.

Thats all for now. Thank God for the MetroParks!

Warm Day in the Park

It reached 70 the other day which was totally exciting! I celebrated by taking pictures of Zoey in the park. I love simple pleasures.

It's A Beautiful Day!

Today was a gorgeous day in the park! Derrick and I did a 3 hour hike and saw tons of animals and insects out enjoying the sun. I was even able to wear a tank-top today :)
Derrick has turned out to be quite the woodsman. He leads me on these crazy hikes where we jump over streams and climb fallen trees. Today we went trudging through the woods trying to get closer to some deer so I could take some pictures. We're waiting to see if we ended up with poison ivy from it but so far so good. We were walking along the trail and Derrick was like, "I wonder where all the deer are hiding?" and then I said, "Wouldn't it be crazy if we turned a corner and there were deer walking across the trail?" Well, we turned the corner and there were deer crossing the trail. (Look closely at the middle of the picture above). So off we went, through the woods, stalking the deer so I could take pictures.

During our hike today we saw: deer, American Robins, a Great Blue Heron, woodpeckers, Daffodils, other wildflowers that I don't know the names of yet, these little birds that I also don't know the name of yet that move really really fast, fly fishermen (and the fish they caught!), waterfalls, black spiders, geese, ducks, a butterfly, seagulls (and one eating a fish), Turkey Vultures, hawks, people with their dogs (one looked like Turbo) and lots of budding plants.

The other day we were in the park and out of nowhere Derrick told me to put my camera away. I was confused and as I was putting it away I asked him why. Before he could answer it started raining. He said he could hear it coming. I seriously had no clue. We ended up walking through the woods during a thunderstorm. It was totally cool but I was glad we made it back to the car before it really started pouring because these little creeks come out of nowhere and flow into the river which moves fast!

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Zoey

Derrick and I watched Zoey again last night. Derrick taught her how to squirt a squirt bottle. We are totally getting her a watergun when it gets warmer! She was so excited I thought she was going to pee her pants (Acutally, she might have since I changed her diaper a little while later). Luckily, she didn't squirt the camera.

Huck Finn Ain't Got Nuttin On Me

Today Derrick and I went to Rocky River to go exploring. We crossed part of the river to play on an island and skip rocks. The mud was so squishy that I couldn't stop laughing. It was so gross it was funny. Plus, the rocks we were walking on when we weren't in the mud were slimey. It was cool to see so many deer tracks by the water. I saw 5 deer today.

A couple days ago I was bummed out so Derrick took me waterfall hunting. We had a really great time and saw 2 big waterfalls. Here's the 1st one we saw in Cascade Park.

Updates!

Several things to write about tonight! I'll start with today and then move backwards. Today we went to the Westside Market. The Market is amazing! It's basically a giant farmers market that's held 4 times a week. There are two buildings, one with produce (it smells great in there) and one with meat, grains, bread and everything else you can think of. I bought 2 lbs of pinto beans :)
Here's a picture of the cinnamon bread they have down there. That's Derrick's hand next to it to give you an idea of how big it is. It's just as good as Cinnabon.

After the Westside Market we went exploring downtown. I saw a beaver! It was totally cool! At first I thought it was a groundhog because I saw one yesterday in the park. I had no idea what it was when I saw it and had to look it up online to find out. Downtown has some really cool architecture. We found an old fire station on the river. Docked behind the Station they have a fire boat. I've never seen anything like it before. I'm not sure if they actually use it or not but it was pretty cool to look at.

Next it was off to babysit Zoey. She is hilarious! When she needs her diaper changed she gets out a diaper, brings it to you and lays down so you can change her. We had dinner at Derrick's Grandma's House which was very tasty. By the time we got to Stacy's house it was Zoey's bedtime but all she wanted to do was show me all her toys. I thought there was no way she was going to go to sleep but as soon as I put her in bed she quieted down.

A few days ago Derrick took me to the Metroparks to see the toboggan shoots. Those things are crazy! I can't believe they're legal. It's interesting the kind of fun people can have when people aren't constantly trying to sue everyone. The shoots are much taller and steeper than they look. They're kinda like the Giant Yellow Slide at the LA County Fair but icy. Kids (and adults) pay to take a toboggan up tons of stairs and then ride them down these icy shoots. No seat belts or harnesses. Madness.We went to Opening Day for the Cleveland Indians on Monday but I still have to upload the pictures so I'll talk more about that later. Goodnight!

Lakewood Photographic Society

Derrick and I went to the Lakewood Photographic Society meeting tonight. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the people. We're definetely going to be going back! They informed me of all kinds of places to explore and photograph, plus, I now have a list of the local camera shops. Hooray!

After the meeting Derrick and I went to a local coffee shop and then to visit his sister. Lakewood is a pretty cool city. There are all kinds of little shops and places to walk to and hang out at. I'm pretty tired right now and I'm having a hard time getting my sentences to flow together so I'll update more later. Tomorrow we'll be going to the Westside Market and then back to Lakewood to babysit Zoey. There will definetely be some fun pictures!