EMG: Food Critics

Here at the agency, we've started a new tradition of going out to lunch on Fridays at a different restaurant in the Newport area. There are a lot of cute places around here, and we wanted to get a taste for them all.

Our first stop was the Blue Star Cafe, which just had it's grand opening. This cafe/soup&sandwich shoppe was well done inside--keeping the details of its historical home intact.

They're just starting out and their menu was a bit small, but there are still plenty of choices. And I'm sure they would allow you to build-your-own. I got the Wild Rooster, a spicy chicken sandwich. Unfortunately there was nothing on the menu without meat (It's Friday...it's Lent...) so I had the chicken and vowed to say an extra prayer at mass on Sunday. :-)

Overall, a nice place with friendly people. A gold star for the Blue Star Cafe!

March Madness: Dayton Flyers

Today is a big day for UD...they tip off against West Virginia this afternoon. We have a bracket challenge at the office, where an extra vacation day and $100 is at stake. So far, we're all pretty close in the standings.

No, I don't have Dayton winning the tournament. But I had to write them as a win for the 1st round....go Flyers!

Website Launch for Wangler Hardware!

We've launched a new site for Wangler ACE Hardware: http://www.wanglerhardware.com/. This is something that Angela and I have been working on for quite some time, and I'm proud of it.

The site is actually for my parents, who own the store. They've never had a website before and we wanted to showcase all the history behind our 4th generation hardware store.

One of my favorite features is the timeline that outlines my family's store since it's establishment in 1916. We included old historic photos of my grandparents, great grandparents and great, great grandparents at the store. I remember when the store was just a two-aisle, creaky wooden floor place with nuts and bolts. Now that it's evolved into a large, modern, Vision 21 ACE store, it's fun to relive that history through the website. Check it out!

My Reflection on Daytime Television

On Tuesday, I caught a nasty 24 hour flu bug and was couchridden for the day. I came to a conclusion: daytime television consists of 3 things--Snuggies, ShamWOW's, and Amish Fireplaces.

These horrendous infomercials are so bad you just can't tear your eyes away. The Snuggie (which I thought was already invented in the blanket and the sweatshirt) is simply a blanket with sleeves. The commercial shows a happy family cheering at a baseball game, each one wearing a snuggie. Let's be honest. This family looks ridiculous. In a different scene, there's an older woman who is trying to reach for the remote but would have to take her hand from underneath the blanket to do so. This causes her terrible angst. Unspeakable discomfort. Like it is so cold outside that blanket, her arm will instantly freeze and be rendered useless. Plus, these things make you look like a Buddhist monk. Really. The Snuggie is proof that people will buy anything.

Let's move on to the shamWOW. Does anyone else think this guy looks like an ex-crack addict? We were talking about the shamWOW at work, and one of my coworkers bought one at a Walgreens in their "As Seen on TV" section just to test it. The thing doesn't work. ShamDISAPPOINTMENT.

And finally, the Amish fireplaces. Everyone knows the Amish are master woodworkers and builders. These fireplaces are supposedly crafted by the Amish. This is all fine. But in the last shot of the infomercial, there is a buggy with two fireplaces in the back. The announcer declares that they are of limited availability because "they can only ship two at a time!" Like they are going to box them up and deliver them to you in a horse and buggy. Best part: they are officially called "Heat Surge Amish Built Electric Fireplace." Perrrrfect.

Back from the Beach

I'm a little late in getting this posted, but I've had a busy week!

Here are a few pictures from Gulf Shores, AL. I saw some really...say, interesting sights on the way down. This one for example, says "Go to Church...or the DEVIL with get you!" The south in the nutshell.

Each morning I took a nice walk on the beach and enjoyed the ocean view from our balcony. Since it was the off-season, I think we were the only ones in the entire condo complex. It was a relaxing and refreshing vacation!

Destination: Gulf Shores, AL

Before dawn on Saturday morning, I will be leaving the wind and flurries to migrate south for the week.


I'm taking a 12 hour road trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama to soak up some sunshine and warmth.


While there, I plan to eat fresh seafood for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don't know where they serve seafood for breakfast, but I intend to find it.


I'll post the pictures when I return!

Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem

On Friday and Saturday, the May Festival Chorus performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. We sang Brahms' German Requiem, which is a brilliant seven-movement requiem.

The performance received lofty reviews in the Enquirer, and I must say that I really enjoyed being under the baton of Paavo Jarki (conductor of the CSO). He is an impressive leader with rare musicality. Truly an honor to work with such outstanding musicians!