Birthday Adventures

The fun began last night when Gary, Mandy, FD, and myself went to the my fav Mexican Restaurant to got our eat on before a fierce game of Mini-Golf. Gary, who actually golfs, won. (No surprise!) And he got a hole-in-one on Hole 6! As for yours truly, it was an up-and-down game--on par and then why-even-bother-counting. What matters most is we had a great time! It was really nice catching up and being silly! Thanks, you two!

And today the fun continues! This morning FD and I went on the Wood County Driving Tour; he got it for me for my bday. (I bet you didn't know I actually am interested in history--and more so inspired by it.) And just in case you're wondering, driving tours are where you drive around and listen to a tour guide CD. You should see if your county has one; they're fun.

Here are the highlights sans photos (I had no idea digital cameras ate up batteries as fast as they do!):

The Start: Pemberville. My fav: the Pemberville Town Hall and Opera House where "the hundreds of holes from cigarette burns of famous, nervous performs are still burned in the stage curtain."

Pemberville's Most Legendary Citizen: James Andrews who stole a train to try and raid the Confederate Army. He stole a train! WHAT?!?! That's awesome! It was not awesome, I bet, when he was hung by the Confederate Army...

In one green farm field we saw one little freshly sheared sheep. He was very cute as he (or she?) frolicked around.

Fostoria: A much bigger city than I thought it would be. The driving tour dared to mention a Fostoria Mummy and just move on like it was nothing. A Fostoria Mummy! I have to research this mummy business! And we saw some crazy mansions in the middle of farmland. Like really crazy. For some reason it really blew my mind.

Then we got lost. The map wasn't really clear so when Rt. 18 split we didn't split with it. All turned out well, though, because on our detour we found Love's (replace the apostrophe with a heart for it's true name). We love Love's the Truckstop. Of course, by now I had to pee, and the bathrooms were better-than-average clean. As a memento, FD bought a Love's straw hat. Hot! (Or not...)

North Baltimore: Had 9 (NINE!) fires downtown. As you can imagine the downtown was not booming (for fear of another fire...?...)

Pottertown: Another community totally wiped out by the railroad not fulfilling its contract to go there and by a fire. It was truly in the Black Swamp. We heard the blurb on it, but didn't go through it b/c we wanted to get to Grand Rapids for lunch--we were starved. The blurb, though, was enough to inspire us to go back on another day (hopefully one that is rainy and foggy) and visit this ghost town. And that narrator made it sound ghostly and scary...

Grand Rapids: The end of the line for us. We had already done 2 hours and needed a lunch break and get home so we could read while I lay out and FD sat in the shade. Laroe's Restaurant was a nice pit stop. Very quaint and old timey. Bonus: I was carded without even asking the waitress to card me! Carded on my 30th bday! Ha! I still look card-able! It really made me feel not-so-old at all!

A closing scene: While on the river walk in Grand Rapids we saw a blue heron soar into the river for a landing, trot around, and flap away.

Tonight: FD cooking up some filet mignon and a fire to read by.

Tomorrow: My fam is coming in for a party.

30 is good times. As Stokes said today, "You're at the top of the hill, baby. Enjoy it."