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| Eagle Creek Park |
By the end of the trail, Sirius drank water like crazy and lay down in the back of the car for the whole ride home :)
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| Tiny toad among the rocks |
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Monday, May 30, 2011
Memorial Day Weekend 2011
By the end of the trail, Sirius drank water like crazy and lay down in the back of the car for the whole ride home :)
Louisville KY/Madison IN weekend trip
It's been a while since I blogged. I have been getting over a pretty bad cold. Now I'm feeling better and ready to blog again!
Last weekend, we took Sirius to see some state parks around Madison, IN. We left Friday early afternoon and were able to take a look around the Falls of the Ohio State Park. Since it had been raining quite a bit that week, the water level of the Ohio River was very high. It was a breathtaking sight. I probably would have enjoyed it more if my cold had not really bothered me. After a little hike on one of the trails (I can't believe how much poison ivy there were on this trail!), we decided to cross over to Louisville, where we reserved a room at a Red Roof Inn. Since the sun had not set yet, we went to the Louisville Waterfront Park. The scenery reminded me of the scenery around Ashbridges Bay Park and Ontario Place in Toronto. One interesting thing is that while there are many structural bridges for vehicles to cross, there was one that would be eventually built as a pedestrian bridge.
That night, we checked into our hotel (one of the great things about the Red Roof Inn is that they are pet friendly and do not charge a pet fee). We keft Sirius in the room and went out to dinner. After driving around, we eventually settled on Macaroni Grill. There is a Macaroni Grill near my workplace i
n Carmel, but we just never tried it. Although a bit pricey, the food there was decent. Unfortunately, neither of us could finish our entrees because we had too much bread!
The next morning, I felt much better from the cold and was ready for more hiking. We crossed back over the KY/IN bridge to the Indiana side towards Madison. Our first stop was Charlestown State Park.The hiking trails here ranged from moderate to rugged. The trail we took was a rugged 2.9 miles. By the time we were done with the trail, we were both tired and ready for lunch. Next stop was Clifty Falls State Park. This state park is a must-see with picturesque scenes of little and big waterfalls. The trail we took led us to a rock that looked very much like a piece of cake. Hence, the name of the rock, "Cake Rock".
Our last stop was Versailles State Park. This was the park where RR had much success with fishing. He had brought his fishing pole in hopes of having a few casts, but did not have much of a chance to use it. Here, however, he was able to catch two fish. We are not sure what type of fish these are, but we think they might be small mouth bass. There is a law in the Indiana State Parks that unless the fish are 14 inches or greater, they have to be thrown back into the water.
At the end of the trip, we were all very tired, including Sirius. It was his first road trip of 2011. Now that summer is here again, I'm sure he will be looking forward to more of these!
Last weekend, we took Sirius to see some state parks around Madison, IN. We left Friday early afternoon and were able to take a look around the Falls of the Ohio State Park. Since it had been raining quite a bit that week, the water level of the Ohio River was very high. It was a breathtaking sight. I probably would have enjoyed it more if my cold had not really bothered me. After a little hike on one of the trails (I can't believe how much poison ivy there were on this trail!), we decided to cross over to Louisville, where we reserved a room at a Red Roof Inn. Since the sun had not set yet, we went to the Louisville Waterfront Park. The scenery reminded me of the scenery around Ashbridges Bay Park and Ontario Place in Toronto. One interesting thing is that while there are many structural bridges for vehicles to cross, there was one that would be eventually built as a pedestrian bridge.
That night, we checked into our hotel (one of the great things about the Red Roof Inn is that they are pet friendly and do not charge a pet fee). We keft Sirius in the room and went out to dinner. After driving around, we eventually settled on Macaroni Grill. There is a Macaroni Grill near my workplace i
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| Falls of the Ohio State Park |
n Carmel, but we just never tried it. Although a bit pricey, the food there was decent. Unfortunately, neither of us could finish our entrees because we had too much bread!
The next morning, I felt much better from the cold and was ready for more hiking. We crossed back over the KY/IN bridge to the Indiana side towards Madison. Our first stop was Charlestown State Park.The hiking trails here ranged from moderate to rugged. The trail we took was a rugged 2.9 miles. By the time we were done with the trail, we were both tired and ready for lunch. Next stop was Clifty Falls State Park. This state park is a must-see with picturesque scenes of little and big waterfalls. The trail we took led us to a rock that looked very much like a piece of cake. Hence, the name of the rock, "Cake Rock".
Our last stop was Versailles State Park. This was the park where RR had much success with fishing. He had brought his fishing pole in hopes of having a few casts, but did not have much of a chance to use it. Here, however, he was able to catch two fish. We are not sure what type of fish these are, but we think they might be small mouth bass. There is a law in the Indiana State Parks that unless the fish are 14 inches or greater, they have to be thrown back into the water.
At the end of the trip, we were all very tired, including Sirius. It was his first road trip of 2011. Now that summer is here again, I'm sure he will be looking forward to more of these!
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| RR caught a fish that we think is a small mouth bass! |
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Rock Climbing!
RR and I decided to go rock climbing yesterday at Climb Time Indy. We had two Groupons to use up that allows us to go several times. I have never gone rock climbing before and RR had done some during his time in boy scouts. Since last night turned out to be a rainy night, we felt it would be great for us to do it.
First, they had us put on these rock climbing shoes that had to be tight at the toe part. Then we had to put on a harness that is enough to give anyone a wedgie! There were many rock climbing walls available in this place that varied from easy to medium to hard. The easy climbs were marked with black tape. These were the ones that act like a handle that you can easily grab onto and pull you up. Since I had never done this before, the guy tending the store gave us some instructions on manipulating the rope and lever for the partner who is climbing. The hardest part for me to get was the belaying part. Since RR is twice my weight I was more worried about getting him down safely.
At first, all this seemed very intimidating. Seeing all the walls and steps that we have to take to climb up and grab onto scared me a little bit. However, once we got going and tried climbing several easy walls, I got the hang of it. I was even better at belaying RR. After about 1 1/2 hours, we were both pretty tired.
Overall, it was a great place. I would highly recommend anyone who enjoys these activities. I am so excited to go again. Of course, next time I will remember to bring gloves (the rope can be a little bit rough on the hands).
First, they had us put on these rock climbing shoes that had to be tight at the toe part. Then we had to put on a harness that is enough to give anyone a wedgie! There were many rock climbing walls available in this place that varied from easy to medium to hard. The easy climbs were marked with black tape. These were the ones that act like a handle that you can easily grab onto and pull you up. Since I had never done this before, the guy tending the store gave us some instructions on manipulating the rope and lever for the partner who is climbing. The hardest part for me to get was the belaying part. Since RR is twice my weight I was more worried about getting him down safely.
At first, all this seemed very intimidating. Seeing all the walls and steps that we have to take to climb up and grab onto scared me a little bit. However, once we got going and tried climbing several easy walls, I got the hang of it. I was even better at belaying RR. After about 1 1/2 hours, we were both pretty tired.
Overall, it was a great place. I would highly recommend anyone who enjoys these activities. I am so excited to go again. Of course, next time I will remember to bring gloves (the rope can be a little bit rough on the hands).
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Finally...some rain in Indy
Well over the past week, we have had a bit of a drought in Indy. Temperatures soared into the 80's (almost 30C) and there was not a drop of rain in sight. The storms that seemingly were supposed to hit us the last few days actually ended up missing us. So day after day, we were in extremely humid weather. Don't get me wrong, after all that rain we had previously, I liked the fact that we didn't have rain. I also enjoyed wearing skirts and dresses to work again (in spite of being cold at work all the time, but that's another story).
Now, we finally have some much needed rain for a cool down. RR was a little worried that it wasn't going to rain. He had spread some poison to kill some of our weeds in our yard and he was hoping that the rain would seep into the dirt. We could not let our dog, Sirius, out in the yard for a couple of days because of that.
Anyway, some rain always makes the yard nice and plush!
Now, we finally have some much needed rain for a cool down. RR was a little worried that it wasn't going to rain. He had spread some poison to kill some of our weeds in our yard and he was hoping that the rain would seep into the dirt. We could not let our dog, Sirius, out in the yard for a couple of days because of that.
Anyway, some rain always makes the yard nice and plush!
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| Tulips in our front yard |
Bug season again!
Well, it is very warm around Indy right now. This whole week, temperatures were around the high 70's to low 80's (25-30 C). It was all hot and muggy, which means that it is also the season that the bugs like to come out. I really hate bugs..well, more scared of them actually. Now, there are some bugs that I don't mind. Ladybugs, for example. They are actually kind of cute. It's kind of sad that they are very short-lived. They often come in our house during the winter and die.
Another bug that we often find are these furry brown bugs that look a little bit like caterpillar-silverfish cross. I just found out by Googling that these bugs are called Firebrats. They are a real nuisance as oftentimes, they pop out of nowhere and scurry along. I have never seen these except for in Indiana.
Finally, there are bugs called cicada killers that often come out in June and are gone by August. They burrow themselves in your yard and fly out and start buzzing annoyingly. They, of course, got their names because they actually prey on cicadas.
The bugs I have mentioned are generally harmless. Hopefully, we will not get the dangerous ones, such as bees and wasps.
Another bug that we often find are these furry brown bugs that look a little bit like caterpillar-silverfish cross. I just found out by Googling that these bugs are called Firebrats. They are a real nuisance as oftentimes, they pop out of nowhere and scurry along. I have never seen these except for in Indiana.
Finally, there are bugs called cicada killers that often come out in June and are gone by August. They burrow themselves in your yard and fly out and start buzzing annoyingly. They, of course, got their names because they actually prey on cicadas.
The bugs I have mentioned are generally harmless. Hopefully, we will not get the dangerous ones, such as bees and wasps.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Neighborhood Movie Theater opens!
While RR and I were out shopping at our favorite Wal-Mart, I noticed that there was a sign that said "Movie Buff Theatre". At first we thought that it was the old one that was closed down. It turns out it was the old theater with a new name. It's in the same plaza as the Wal-Mart on 86th Street. The price i
s great! Tickets are $5 Mon-Thur, $7 Fri-Sun all day long. The movies they show are also fairly recent. For example, they are now showing "Thor" and "Water for Elephants". We have not checked it out yet, but we will soon! Perhaps it will become our favorite movie nook!
Will write a review once we have the chance to experience it!
s great! Tickets are $5 Mon-Thur, $7 Fri-Sun all day long. The movies they show are also fairly recent. For example, they are now showing "Thor" and "Water for Elephants". We have not checked it out yet, but we will soon! Perhaps it will become our favorite movie nook!
Will write a review once we have the chance to experience it!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Answer to yesterday's trivia questions!
The Riddle
A coffin!
The Fun
Fact:
"Far" is the adjective and "farthest" is the superlative!
A coffin!
The Fun
Fact:
"Far" is the adjective and "farthest" is the superlative!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Some Trivia!
RR and I were listening to NPR and there was a show called "A way with Words". So here is a riddle and a fun fact:
The Riddle:
The maker does not want it,
The buyer does not use it,
The user never sees it.
What is it?
The Fun Fact:
There are several adjectives when you put "est" in front of it, it becomes a superlative (i.e. pretty becomes prettiest). There is one adjective that requires five additional letters to make it a superlative. What adjective is this?
Feel free to comment or stay tuned for answers tomorrow!
Roller Skating day!
RR and I went to an indoor roller skating arena yesterday. The place is Skateland Roller Skating by 38th Street in Indianapolis. We had a Groupon that we had to use up, so we decided that now is as good a time as any. When we got there, it was like a trip down memory lane. I haven't roller skated since grade school when we used have these roller skating parties in the multi-purpose room and back when side pony-tails were very popular. RR had not roller skated since he was a young boy. My skates were very comfortable and look like the one in the image below. I wish that my ice skates were that comfortable (they are figure skates and I feel like my toes are squished every time I wear them. But I digress.Anyway, the environment there reminded me of the disco 70's when they have millions of disco balls hanging off ceilings. The website claimed that they were playing Top 40 mix, but I had not heard of any of the songs. We had plenty of fun anyway.
If anyone who is living in Indy and has not roller-skated for a while and want to go down memory lane or has kids, I recommend this place. It is also a place that caters to birthday parties. I definitely would take this place over Chuck E. Cheese's!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Cinco de Mayo!
So RR and I had dinner yesterday at a Mexican restaurant in honor of Cinco de Mayo. At first we wanted to go to Cancun Mexican Restaurant on 86th Street (partly because we have a coupon for it). However, it was too crowded and the wait time was about 35 minutes. It seemed like even non-Mexicans had a reason to have Mexican food, and not to mention, drink! We later opted for the restaurant that we went to last year and noticed that it had a new name. It was formerly La Hacienda but it was now a new restaurant (I forgot the name but will update this when I remember or see it again). The food there was decent. I ended up ordering a shrimp dish with diablo sauce (it was not a good decision, as I can no longer handle extremely spicy food). Needless to say, I did not finish my meal and we took it to go. RR had ordered a mild beef dish with tortillas. He could not finish his food, either, and since he can handle spicier food, we decided to take each other's leftovers for lunches the next day.
In Indy, there is a pretty big Mexican population (I am not certain why that is, but apparently the Indy environment suits them!), so there are many nice Mexican restaurants and grocery stores. Some of the restaurants we have been to and like are:
- La Hacienda (there is one on Michigan Road past 71st street, but I'm not sure of the exact address. The owner of the restaurant is a nice guy and gave us a sombrero as a Cinco de Mayo gift).
- El Rodeo (5501 W 86th St # A, Indianapolis)
- Cancun (1268 86th Street West, Indianapolis)
- El Meson (8920 Wesleyan Road)
- Oaxca Mexican Restaurant (2958 Dr Martin Luther King Jr) - pronounced "Wa-ha-ca" and they make their own tortillas!
More later. For now, ciao!
In Indy, there is a pretty big Mexican population (I am not certain why that is, but apparently the Indy environment suits them!), so there are many nice Mexican restaurants and grocery stores. Some of the restaurants we have been to and like are:
- La Hacienda (there is one on Michigan Road past 71st street, but I'm not sure of the exact address. The owner of the restaurant is a nice guy and gave us a sombrero as a Cinco de Mayo gift).
- El Rodeo (5501 W 86th St # A, Indianapolis)
- Cancun (1268 86th Street West, Indianapolis)
- Oaxca Mexican Restaurant (2958 Dr Martin Luther King Jr) - pronounced "Wa-ha-ca" and they make their own tortillas!
More later. For now, ciao!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Osama bin Laden is killed and other news........
Well, when I first heard the news of bin Laden's death, I heard it on the radio going to work. At first I did not believe it. I mean, they had said this before, but he had still been alive back then, they had never located a body and they had no idea which cave he was in. Now, however, he is dead because he was shot in the head and chest at close range. Also, I got a note from 680 news that the DNA confirmed that it was indeed Osama bin Laden. What can I say, DNA trumps all! And yes, it's amazing that I live in Indiana, but I still subscribe to 680 news! As a Torontonian, I think it is still a very good source of news.
Another piece of news is that we just received the special commemorative issue of TIME that was especially focused on the Royal Wedding on April 29. Maybe it's just me, but did TIME just really have to devote almost 90% of the issue to this? When Diana and Prince Charles were married, was it a huge bustle as well? I don't know, but then again, I was not born then. The point is there are more pressing issues at hand, much MORE important than a Royal Wedding! Of course, the majority of the pressing issues are not really happy ones. Given the overall state of the economy, disastrous worldly weather, we all need to keep our minds from going berserk. If TIME editors feel that reporting on the British royalty makes them happy, then so be it.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Shopping (Garage sales/Borders/Wal-Mart, etc.)!
So yesterday was pretty much a shopping day. It was nice and sunny, 70F (or 21 C). RR and I started our day cruising in our car around our neigborhood in search for garage sales. It was our chance to find some deals and get to know more of our neighbors. Also, it didn't hurt that our main goal was to find some dining chairs, fit for either our dining room or kitchen table. We found some chairs and other deals during our trip. One of them was a beautiful 1940's 12-piece dining set with flowery patterns (great for parties when we have one), a complete set of silver-plated cutlery (again, good for parties) some lawn furniture (a love seat, chair and a table for some taking breaks in the yard), and an antique school desk with a chair attached to it (this one was more RR's idea). Needless to say, this part of the day was productive - we met some more neighbors and got some great deals.
Our next stop was at the Borders that was closing at the Fashion Mall. We had come here before, but the discount back then was only for 40% off. It was now increased to 50-70% off and they were including the sales of their furnitures and fixtures. The main point was to see what sales we could get for the furnitures and fixtures. We ended up buying two sturdy cafe chairs (will serve as extras at our dining table), small filing cabinet, office chair, two huge bags of coffee beans (now we will need a coffee grinder) and two big bottles of hand lotion (we'll have clean hands!). I did not find many other sales, except for another Josh Groban CD and a couple of DVD's.
Since it was one of the few days when it was not raining, RR wanted to do yard work. I was therefore left to do the food shopping. The cheapest food shopping place for us is the super Wal-Mart near our house. Now I know of some people who refuse to shop there because they claim Wal-Mart to be pure evil. It may be evil, but we like to shop there because it is cheaper than the other grocery stores nears us (e.g. Kroegers and Marsh). I think the Wal-Mart prices here are comparable to No Frills and possibly some cheap Chinese supermarkets in Toronto. Perhaps the only time that has made me think twice about shopping was when a woman was recently carjacked in broad daylight. Of course, this incident happened during a weekday when most people were at work - I usually shop on weekends when there are often more people around. The point is, after seeing how much food you have in your cart, you often estimate how much it would be. I am always amazed how much lower it really is.
Overall, it was a tiring but a happy and productive day. I would have written this blog yesterday, but I have been trying to get over a bad cold that started a couple of days ago. I do feel much better today, especially having drank some hot ginger tea and taking some cold medicine.
Our next stop was at the Borders that was closing at the Fashion Mall. We had come here before, but the discount back then was only for 40% off. It was now increased to 50-70% off and they were including the sales of their furnitures and fixtures. The main point was to see what sales we could get for the furnitures and fixtures. We ended up buying two sturdy cafe chairs (will serve as extras at our dining table), small filing cabinet, office chair, two huge bags of coffee beans (now we will need a coffee grinder) and two big bottles of hand lotion (we'll have clean hands!). I did not find many other sales, except for another Josh Groban CD and a couple of DVD's.
Since it was one of the few days when it was not raining, RR wanted to do yard work. I was therefore left to do the food shopping. The cheapest food shopping place for us is the super Wal-Mart near our house. Now I know of some people who refuse to shop there because they claim Wal-Mart to be pure evil. It may be evil, but we like to shop there because it is cheaper than the other grocery stores nears us (e.g. Kroegers and Marsh). I think the Wal-Mart prices here are comparable to No Frills and possibly some cheap Chinese supermarkets in Toronto. Perhaps the only time that has made me think twice about shopping was when a woman was recently carjacked in broad daylight. Of course, this incident happened during a weekday when most people were at work - I usually shop on weekends when there are often more people around. The point is, after seeing how much food you have in your cart, you often estimate how much it would be. I am always amazed how much lower it really is.
Overall, it was a tiring but a happy and productive day. I would have written this blog yesterday, but I have been trying to get over a bad cold that started a couple of days ago. I do feel much better today, especially having drank some hot ginger tea and taking some cold medicine.
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