Fountain Square for Spring and Summer

I was walking downtown this weekend and remembered how much I love Fountain Square.
Hey everyone. Rob here.

The square was packed for Cincy Cinco. There were people doing the samba (I think) in front of a live band. There were entire families enjoying the weather, music and food. There were all kinds of mobile food vendors, including one that was selling arepas. Those are a corn cake that can be stuffed with cheese or meat. Very popular dish in Venezuela and the rest of Latin America. If you missed Cincy Cinco don't worry. There are events planned on the square all summer. Coming up this Friday is Bella Vita. Its a wine tasting event that will feature $1 tastings. You can choose from 60 types of wine. You can also listen to live music as local bands offer free performances. If that's not your thing, what about the "Fish Toss." This event is inspired by Pike's Place Market in Seattle. Teams of four people have 60 seconds to toss whole, raw fish from person to person down a 50 foot course. After watching or taking part in that you can check out one of the restaurants nearby. My suggestion the tuna crudo at Palomino or the wood fired pizza at Vie Vite. There are a ton of things happen on the square as the weather gets warmer. Thought this blog could be a good jumping off point. Find out more http://www.myfountainsquare.com/

Mother's Day / Warming Up

Good Morning...How was Mother's Day? Marzullo Here...I hope you all had a great day with mom, my mother Ruthie came down to visit and we had a really nice day with temperatures warming to near 70 degrees it was a great day for some brunch and the zoo! No I did not get her a pumpkin for Mother's Day this is just the only picture I have on my computer here at the office. Speaking of brunch you must try the banana foster french toast at Tellers in Hyde Park! Sooooo Good!!! My mom is great and has supported me in everything I have done and want to do so I thank her so much! She has even been a good sport with some of my high maintenance behavior!! HAHAHA .... After a wonderful weekend we are looking at a really nice week with temperatures warming into the low to mid-80's by Wednesday. Our average high is 72 degrees, so after a chilly week last week in the mid-50's Mother Nature is giving us a break this week. So make plans to get outside in the evening and after work this week you will not regret it. However, we do have a rain chance especially Tuesday morning and then late on Thursday otherwise not a bad trend this week!

What's really important?....FRIENDS!

Good Friday morning Dan Wells writing! The average person strives for a lot in their life...Right?

Landing a great job, meeting Mr. or Mrs. Right, living in a great city, buying the house of their dreams, driving an amazing car.

People work hard to achieve these goals. Some are lucky enough to even have all of them. But when you really sit down and think about it, is all this 'stuff' really what matters the most?

Unless you have been under a rock for the past few months, you too are aware of what has been happening around the world lately. Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, etc. Destruction has uprooted people from their everyday lives in the matter of seconds.

With all of that said, life is clearly unpredictable, in every aspect, but through the good and the bad chances are, you'll always remember who you were with, who supported you and who was there to break a fall.

We have recently found out that we are going to have to say goodbye to close friends who are moving out of town. They were a big part of the reason we moved here. They were our family on Christmas mornings. We celebrated babies being born, 1st birthdays, and promotions. And as we wish them all the happiness and luck in the world, and are certain we will see them many, many more times to celebrate more milestones, it makes us realize how important friends(aka: family) are.

Everyday life gets so busy and we try and fill it up with so many things to do that we often take for granted the most important 'things' we have in our lives.

You may have that big corner office. You may have the biggest house on the block. You may drive the fastest car on the road. You may be dressed from head to toe in the latest trends. But when you take a minute to think about how easily that 'stuff' can be taken away from you...what do you have?

Hopefully it's friends like these. D & C, you will be missed.

Happy Friday
Dan

Happy Mother's Day Mom

Good morning, and happy Thursday, Katy here! Mothers Day is just around the corner, and hopefully the dry weather will hold out to be outside enjoying the day with your mom! (Partly cloudy and low 70s for Sunday as of this morning!) Funny that Mother’s Day is the same time of year that high school and college graduations are. In fact, if I remember correctly, I think Mother’s Day WAS my college graduation day. What better gift for a mother than to see her son/daughter succeed in education? I was thinking back to my high school graduation, and how proud my parents were of me… but it was also around that time that my mom and I’s relationship became much stronger. I was going to college 16 hours away from my family, so it was a big step for me. Some of my friends wondered how I could stay so far away from home. Sure it was hard to say “good bye” when my family was dropping me off for the first day of college.. I think my mom and I cried an hour before we parted ways. But to me it was ok, because she was always just a phone call away. I still talk to her every day, mostly about wedding stuff right now! We’re having a blast and can’t wait for the big day in October! Love ya, Mom.. Happy Mother’s Day!

Shoe Guru

Everyone loves a bargain, but cheaper prices and lesser quality could mean the end of an art form.

Sheila here, and I'm talking about shoe repair shops. You might ask, art form? In the case of Bert Hanlin, I say yes. The guy is artist. He opened up Hanlin Shoe Repair in Florence more than 30 years ago. I don't remember anymore how I found the place, or how long I've been going there, but Bert has repaired a ton of shoes for me and a few handbags too.

Bert's named for his dad, who has the first location of Hanlin Shoe Repair in West Virginia. Bert and his brothers learned the craft from their dad, growing up in Huntington. He's a quiet guy, who mostly can be found in the back of his store on U.S. 42, repairing tears, replacing heels and soles, and buffing shoes to a high shine. I love smelling the mix of leather and cleaners when I walk in the door.

My friend Jan is the ultimate shoe addict. She will describe a new pair of shoes as if they are made of the finest gold, or perhaps as if they are her new children. She goes into great detail about her new treasures, and her eyes light up like a child's on Christmas morning. Jan recently told me this story about Bert Hanlin.

"My favorite Stuart Weitzman shoes are maroon patent leather platform pumps. Yes, they are to die for! I tore up the leather on the heel and took it to Hanlin's on my way into work. I wanted to wear them that day, but knew I needed to just drop them off to get them fixed, so I wore another pair. When I showed it to him, he said he wasn't sure what he could do with maroon patent leather. He took them to the back, and I swear it wasn't 2 minutes, he came back out with my shoe looking brand new. I was shocked! I asked what I owed him and he said, 'Just have a nice day.' WOW - who does that anymore?! What a way start to my morning - plus, I got to wear them to work that day. I have taken my shoes and handbags there for years, and I am never disappointed with his work. I've even bought shoes that I wasn't all that wild about, knowing that I can take them to him and he will remove straps and make them look like a completely different shoe. I don't know where I would go if he wasn't around anymore."

I was thinking the same thing when I was in Bert's place recently, and I asked him if he's training the next generation to take over Hanlin's. He's not. Bert says he has about 10 years left in him before he retires, and his brother Dennis may take over, but he may just fade into the sunset, a lot like the shoe repair business. Bert told me customers travel hours to his store because small shoe repair businesses are closing right and left. I believe it's not just because shoe repair spots are closing left and right, it's also because of the price and the customer service. At a time when it seems like everything costs more, but you can get your shoes repaired or re-soled and shined up for just a few bucks. It makes so much more sense to me than paying for a new pair. Don't forget your claim ticket if you go. It's the only way Bert can find your shoes! And, ala The Soup Nazi, he might grumble at you if you forget. But like my girlfriend Jan said, Bert's just as likely to make your day, not just with a service we don't see so much anymore, but with a kindness we could stand to see a little more too.

"Why Are You Limping??

I got that question all day yesterday.

Hello everyone. Rob here.

I ran my 11th marathon on Sunday. My hometown marathon; the flying pig.

It was rough. Fun but rough. I thought it would be easier. If you asked me how training was going in February and March, I would have said, "Fantastic!" I had some great 18, 19, and 20 mile runs. In fact, I have never had this many long runs so early in my training. I felt stronger and faster. Confident that I would post a faster time than the Columbus marathon which was a personal record. Then came April. I was over trained and mentally beat up. I was also injured. My hip was killing me and it wasn't healing. So on Sunday, I decided to pull back a little. I will just run with the 3:15 pace team. That's doable right? Ah, No. Can't keep up. The same thing happened with the 3:20, 3:25, 3:30, 3:45, and finally the 4:00 pace team. Each step becoming more painful. This was a different marathon for me. Usually, I running out of gas is the problem. This time the tank was full, but the car was broken. Honestly, I was thinking of giving up. Luckily (or Unluckily) I had a friend waiting for me at mile 22. Ironically the same person who trained me for my fastest marathon, was waiting to bring me to the finish line in my slowest marathon. You may remember him from my previous blogs: "2:39 Boston marathon" Actually had it not been for him, I probably would not had finished. I did though with a time of 4:08. My slowest marathon ever. 30 minutes slower than my first marathon. More than an hour slower than 6 months ago when I ran Columbus. I'm fine with it. My goal was to complete my 11th marathon in 2011. I did that. Now I'm resting. That is until I train for Boston but that doesn't start until November.

One Flag...One Country...One Historic Day...

"The Death Of Bin Laden Marks The Most Significant Achievement To Date, Against Al Qaeda "...These were the words of President Barack Obama has he addressed the nation Sunday evening on the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Frank Here...When I woke up this morning my phone was lit up with texts and voice mail from friends and family you were awake last night as the news came down, sharing the news of the killing of the master mind behind the 9/11 attacks. As I and you will always remember where we were on 9 /11 I will always remember when I heard the news on the raid of the compound and the killing of Bin Laden. In away this morning reminds me of months after 9 /11 when as Americans we came together and gathered in front of the Red, White, and Blue and stood unified as a country. The difference this morning is a much a more joyous and celebratory mood as our neighbors have gathered from Washington D.C., New York City, and to Boston waving flags and chanting USA...USA...USA! Many of you have made comments on the FOX19 Facebook Page and while this is a joyous day in our nations history many of you have said what many are also thinking we must continue to stay on guard and vigilant...in the coming days and weeks. You share your thoughts and stay on top of this DEVELOPING STORY as http://www.fox19.com/ .