Goodbye To A Music/ Pop Culture Icon

When I heard Michael Jackson had died, it occurred to me that this will be another day forever etched in my memory like 911, the death of Princess Diana and the Space Shuttle explosion. I always will remember where I was when I heard the news.

I actually feel a tad melancholy over his death. Yes, I know there was most likely some depravity going on with him, but there also was major talent. Look at your pop stars today such as Justin Timberlake and tell me he hasn't borrowed a lot from Michael's vocal and dance styles.

For me it goes deeper than that though, back in the day Michael's stardom transcended race. It was cool to see that, as well as ironic, given the changes Michael made to himself over the years. At a time when there was more segregation in music, I felt like Michael's songs were embraced by nearly everyone. If you didn't like Thriller, there was the quite catchy, older hit A-B-C or the disco-inspired Don't Stop 'til you Get Enough. My personal favorite album by Michael is Off The Wall and for song, it would have to be Rock with You. (Video might take a moment to appear).




I knew people in my youth , male and female, who were obsessed with Michael. You could not say a negative word about him without having to deal with their ire. I never understood their devotion, but I appreciated and respected his talent and mass appeal.

Road Trippin'

Last weekend, my friend LKM and I decided to visit Kings Island (her idea), IKEA (my idea) and a couple of locations in between. Kings Island was in a word.... sweltering. The temperature in the Cincinnati area was in the 90s. The temperature recorded at the park was more than 100 degrees. Perhaps the rides and concrete were the cause of the extra hotness. The benefit of this is that lines for rides were short. It appeared anyone with any sense (and a swimsuit) escaped to Kings Island's companion water park, Boomerang Bay.

LKM and I decided to visit this area and I can report that those seeking a tan, a swim or thrilling water slides will be fulfilled. My only unsolicited advice would be for those who are parents to teen girls. Pay attention to what they are wearing to the park. The "anything goes" vibe in today's swimwear seems to be embraced by visitors of the bay. I believe this is fine for women. However, it is troubling to see those under 16 in clothing more befitting a Playboy Playmate or rap music video hoochie.

On to the rides.... LKM enjoys a good roller coaster so she could not wait to try out KI's newest offering, Diamondback.

She sat in the very front of the coaster, while I stood on the ground observing because I am not a coaster fan. She also rode the Vortex. After the Vortex, she declared the she was done and was ready to go back to the car and sit in front of the air conditioning. She was joking (sort of). We went to a cooler location, had pricey soft drinks then continued on our journey of amusement. I rode the Grand Carousel and experienced Dodgem, the bumper cars(twice). We both rode the K.I. train, went on the Scooby Doo Haunted Castle ride (FUN!) and hiked for what seemed like 2 miles through the woods to get to Whitewater Canyon. I believe I never experienced this ride in my previous K.I. visits because I never knew exactly where it was located.

For those familar with KI, this ride features the circular rafts encased in what look like giant tires. The rafts forcefully travel down a "river" for 5 minutes. Water seems to pour from everywhere and riders get drenched. Thankfully, I was prepared when it came to my hair. I bought a swimming cap from Target.
Much to LKM's dismay, I actually put the cap on. I looked goofy as hell but I was fine with that in this instance.

LKM visited the K.I. tower and afterward we left the park thoroughly exhausted from the heat and activities.

The next day, we visited IKEA's location in Westchester, Ohio. This was LKM's first visit, but not mine. http://moorewrites.blogspot.com/2008/07/amusing-thing-happened-on-way-to.html

I purchased several packages of IKEA ground coffee and Espresso (I'd rate this coffee a 9), pasta, large hazelnut and milk chocolate bars, scented tea lights and potpourri. LKM purchased some silverware.

Of course, no visit to the Cincinnati-area would be complete without stopping for Graeters, which I believe is the best ice cream in the United States.

Hanging With The Girls Might Never Be The Same

I enjoy spending time with this group of fabulous girls (or ladies for those of you who do not appreciate the term girls). We go to movies, concerts, nightclubs, and also travel to nearby cities/states in search of shopping and whatever other adventure we can find. We usually have a blast.

All was well within my crew...until one of the members contracted bicycle fever.

http://candaceadventures.blogspot.com/2009/05/biking.html

Oh, I saw the signs, she'd pedal off somewhere alone for a couple of hours and then later, delirious from her miles-long trip, she'd blog or talk about how much fun it was. I wasn't worried because unbeknownst to this friend, I was immune to bicycle fever and most other outdoor activities. I was safe right? Wrong.

One of the other members of my crew ended up accompanying the Bike Happy One on a ride, and she was sold on it as well. So now I had an issue, two of the friends with whom I spend the most time were pursuing bicycling and planned to continue to do so!

Let me make it clear that I have nothing against bicycling. I even enjoyed it in my youth when apparently the sun, sweating, messing up my hair, wearing bike shorts, and the possibility of encountering a loose dog did not faze me. (Actually I think the possibility of encountering a loose dog always fazed me, but I just forged ahead regardless).

But now is a different story- I'm older, I weigh more, my love for central air conditioning and my Danish Modern sectional only has intensified.

So what's a girl that enjoys the indoors to do? Well, in my case, I retrieved my first and only adult bicycle from a time machine

and took it to the The Bicycle Hospital, one of Indy's oldest bike shops, for repairs. It is now repaired, and the technician assures me that it is road ready. So far I have ridden it in my driveway and the nearby cul-de-sac in my subdivision. But soon I plan to accompany my crew and expand my route to include slightly more challenging (but hopefully still flat terrain). I'm not promising multiple trips or anything, but I'll try it at least once.