RichC | July 20, 2017
My son Taylor posted a few photos of his weekend with friends in Vermilion, Ohio and the background canals and homes triggered a Throwback Thursday #TBT memory for me. Before kids, Brenda and I owned a beautiful sailboat we named Brenich and kept it in Vermilion for the first year (subsequent in Huron) and haul […]
RichC | July 13, 2017
Having a CCW license is just one more expiration to creep up on you if you are not paying attention. I’m not sure how I remembered, but glanced at my 35 day past expiration on my Ohio Concealed Carry license are realized it has already been 5 years. Wow, it seems like just the other […]
RichC | July 6, 2017
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RichC | July 2, 2017
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RichC | June 1, 2017
After searching through directories of a couple older computers looking for a document unrelated to the photo above, I ran across this picture of our family on our sailboat Tulla from the miid-1990s. I may have posted something (???) in a sailing related post years ago, but don’t think so? Anyway ia #TBT (ThrowBackThursday) post […]
RichC | May 9, 2017
Rarely do I endorse many establishments on the blog, but Spinning Fork in Fairfield, Ohio is not a problem for me. The casual family owned Italian restaurant has been our favorite since 1995, although it was in a different location a bit further north on Dixie Highway/ Route 4. Besides the excellent food, the friendly […]
RichC | May 2, 2017
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RichC | March 20, 2017
It was dark for a panoramic iPhone5 photo, but while doing my "last bag" garbage run this morning, I couldn’t resist a photo of the sunrise while the lightning was cracking to the west. Within an hour it was pouring rain and became a dreary, damp day. On a social networking technology note, it is […]
RichC | December 8, 2016
Godspeed, John Glenn. Astronauts were heroes to kids like me in the 60s. I remember it well when he visited our flooded Ohio home on Lake Erie in 1973. He was on a PR stop and making a run for the U.S. Senate … yet took time to talk and inspire impressionable 14 year old me […]
RichC | September 24, 2016
We are humbled to call Tim Ellison of Mr. Godwrench our friend. A few years ago when he started his automotive repair business I knew his unabashed and outspoken Christian "modus vivendi" was attractive to me, so I quickly promoted his automotive services and did as much business with him as I could. Due to […]
RichC | September 2, 2016
My brother and I closed our final chapter of "Our Life in Sidney, Ohio" this week after finalizing the sale of my parents home. The "young" new owners have some great plans for their first house and I’m sure will be very happy; it is a great place. They will return life back into the […]
RichC | August 13, 2016
No I didn’t forget my wife’s birthday … I just didn’t post anything on the blog until my son Taylor requested a photo of “both of us when we were his age.” After sending him this one for his Facebook page, I figured that I might as well archive it here. We regularly sailed and […]
RichC | August 12, 2016
Change can be depressing, especially when it comes to losing a longtime client that I now think of as friends like the folks at SummitSWCD in Akron. In this case there isn’t anything I can do since as voters in Summit County approved expanding the county’s data center and information technology department. They will now […]
RichC | July 29, 2016
It has been a while since I’ve seen one of these, but once I figured out what it was, the memory of Jerusalem Elementary School and Mrs. Fell came rushing back. I still remember her taped up wooden paddle as it slammed intimidatingly on the the desks at the front of the class in order […]
RichC | June 16, 2016
It looks like a farewell “again” for Neil Zurcher from WLW in Cleveland. I remember ‘One Tank Trip’ from our 13 years in the Cleveland area as we often looked for things to do when our time off was short (well it still is!) His trips were a highlight of things to do when our […]
RichC | June 13, 2016
The death of an in-shape friend and someone who is my age, really hit me when I read Bill Gordon had died on Facebook Sunday afternoon. He was one of my Ohio Northern University roommates and according to closer friends, he was on a ride Saturday morning and collapsed. How can that be??? He was an avid […]
RichC | May 14, 2016
I love glancing at old photos especially when looking for something to add to a birthday wish — here’s a photo from about 10 years ago when Katelyn was in med school and living in an apartment with her roommates in Kent, Ohio. As you can tell by the "tiny toys" on the address sign, […]
RichC | March 14, 2016
If you are voting for another Repubican candidate … I get it … but if you are voting in Ohio, be sure you weigh your selection carefully. A wrong vote for the right reason could very well mean Obama’s policies, SOTUS picks and a weak economy for another 4 years. I have #NoRegrets casting […]
RichC | January 14, 2016
This weeks trip back and forth from SW Ohio to NE Ohio was the first with slippery road and winter snow in 2016. There are sure to be a few more winter days this year, but glad to already be into mid-January. This drive was also the first winter driving for the BMW X5 35d. […]
RichC | September 1, 2015
Three small Ohio cities made Money Magazine’s list of Best Places to Live in 2015. Having lived in neighboring communities to Mason (currently Liberty Township) and both Solon and Twinsburg, Ohio (previously Hudson), I agree that both areas are great places to live and raise a family. Commonalities are that they are growing upscale small […]
RichC | August 24, 2015
It is not one of the better quality photos, but my brother Ron (right) sent me a “guess who this is” photo from a trip he took this past weekend. At first I didn’t know who was in the photo with him, but after a close look at the background I deduced that it was […]
RichC | August 14, 2015
As if the past couple of weeks were not challenging enough, my dad’s body finally had enough. He didn’t want any further medical miracles … or poking and tweaking to keep systems going AND had previously put in place a detailed “Living Will” in regards to what measured he did not want. After last weeks […]
RichC | August 5, 2015
If you are in Ohio and are looking for an interesting weekend drive now that gasoline prices are down (diesel too), take a drive to the Village Bakery and Café in Athens, Ohio. (of course that seems as counterproductive as Al Gore flying in a private plane if you are really thinking “green”?) They are […]
RichC | July 30, 2015
The above is a pretty innocuous photo: pine trees, a tree trimming pole and a ladder on the ground. It was the beginning to a difficult week as my wife Brenda started to trim a couple larger white pines (as she often does with magnolias and other smaller trees and bushes around our home). She […]
RichC | July 27, 2015
Small business owners who regularly collect sales tax on their goods and services might not be quite as enamored with the “economic rebound” being boasted about in Ohio. While I do support Gov John Kasich and realized he does not have direct impact on counties needing to find more tax revenue, the tax shifting in […]
RichC | May 19, 2015
My “prodigal son” returned to Cincinnati Monday night. Taylor is only home for a day and we will be moving him into his own East Walnut Hills apartment as he gets ready for his new position as a Clermont County Planner. He is excited to be back in southwestern Ohio after nearly two years in […]
RichC | April 20, 2015
I spent Sunday afternoon with my son Taylor while he was back home visiting from North Dakota on a cloudy and rainy afternoon. He was my tour guide and gave me the updates on the projects and investment that is helping to revitalize Cincinnati. As a suburban guy, I was impressed to see “our home […]
RichC | April 17, 2015
I don’t think many of us are properly prepared to make the decisions that are needed to care for elderly parents. Even though my brother and I have been through medical needs, nursing and then hospice care for my mom, we were still not knowledgeable when it came to handling dad. Thankfully, if you have […]
RichC | March 13, 2015
It is the time of year I need to pay the $54.88 (ST $31 + Local $20 + service fee) to renew my Ohio registration fee for each vehicle and affix the tiny stickers to my aging metal license plate. The process in recent years is far easier with the online registration (so long as […]
RichC | February 22, 2015
As predicted, we pick up our share of snow in the Cincinnati area on Saturday. I was hoping to make it through the winter without having to put the chains and snowblower on the old John Deere, but realized Friday night that it was not to be. Thankfully all operated as it was suppose […]
RichC | January 17, 2015
While visiting my dad in Sidney, Ohio this week I could help but catch the headlines in the local paper – Honda invests $340M in AEP (Anna Engine Plant). The area has certainly changed since I was in high school … and Honda’s manufacturing investment and jobs starting in 1985 has been a real boost […]
RichC | January 8, 2015
The answer is YES if ProMedica’s President and CEO Randy Oostra has anything to say about it (video below). The company plans to move their corporate headquarters to the abandoned historic Toledo Edison Steam Plant property on the Maumee riverfront in a bold move which will play a significant role in boosting the local Toledo […]
RichC | December 13, 2014
Wow … just couldn’t believe the lower gas prices this week as oil continues to tumble down under $60/barrel. The abundant supplies and inventory along with the recession in Europe and slowdown in China has really put pressure on world prices. I’ve seen news photos of gasoline selling under $2.00 out west and while driving […]
RichC | September 30, 2014
Residents and businesses in Ohio “choose” which companies provide the energy used by their utility company, which can in most cases reduce their bills. This competition should be a good thing, one would think, but each year consumers go through a multi-step process to confirm our energy provider choice … and each year it is […]
RichC | September 28, 2014
I hate thinking it is an Indian summer, but the weather in SE Ohio has been beautiful. Besides working around our yard (many projects) I was up to Sidney and helping my brother work on dad’s out-building. The combination workshop/garage/barn is showing its age with a few areas under the rear west-facing eves decaying. Ron […]
RichC | September 20, 2014
A aerobatic bi plane, an Acro Sport II, crashed in a friend’s neighborhood a few mile to my north towards Monroe, OH but still in Liberty Township (thanks Tim). There were two people on board and there was an immediate fire on impact. Damage can be seen to a house and yard (click for […]
RichC | August 13, 2014
As both an automotive enthusiast and budget minded “frugalist,” I regularly grumble and complain about the cost of owning a car cars. From insurance and registration each year to the ever rising price of a new car and the fuel pumped into it, there seems to be no end to forking over dollars. Recently both […]
RichC | July 26, 2014
It is pretty easy to be cynical as a squeezed taxpayer seeing the waste and excess by those who manage public money. I regularly deride the inefficiencies in publically funded programs … particularly those highlighted in the news. (ie. VA, IRS, quirky grants and crony project contracts like Solyndra or “the bridge to nowhere” – […]
RichC | July 9, 2014
Cable and phone companies generally get the bad rap for arranging questionable appointments and providing disappointing in-home service. Well a third company is in contention for the top spot: AE Door & Window. Last week we had another spring break in our garage door (different one) and since we could drive a different car, this […]
RichC | April 18, 2014
Let’s call this a follow up post on tracking fuel economy (or “non-economy”) as I took the opportunity to fill the 1982 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel with B-20. My station of choice between Mansfield and Columbus Ohio is a Sunoco at the I-71 exit 151 and has carried a variety of domestic renewable fuels including […]
RichC | April 15, 2014
From weekend spring brush clearing to snow. It doesn’t look as if the 2013-1024 winter wants to leave? I was out feeding Tootsie this Tuesday morning in just a sweatshirt, and although it wasn’t necessarily springtime warm, it wasn’t really “wintery cold” either. The fresh overnight snow was wet enough for packing so it gave […]
RichC | April 10, 2014
The 2014-2015 Ohio hunting season calendar and new straight-walled cartridge rifles option for deer gun season were announced on Thursday 4/10/2014. Ohio Wildlife Council Approves 2014-2015 Hunting Regulations COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Wildlife Council approved new white-tailed deer hunting regulations at its meeting on Wednesday, April 9, according to the Ohio Department of Natural […]
RichC | April 10, 2014
AN HOUR! Who likes sitting 60 minutes at the DMV just to renew a driver’s license … there must be a better way? Waiting aside, I must be recognizing I’m no longer young, because when the clerk asked me, “how many years have you lived in Ohio?” … I decided to answer with “my whole […]
RichC | January 8, 2014
According to Ohio River watchers, the “formation of river ice is rare” and has happened in only 14 winters of the last 140 years of record keeping in Cincinnati. For some the recent cold temperatures has triggered memories from 1977 and 1978. Photos from the past and stories of the river freezing over due to […]
RichC | October 28, 2013
I arrived home Monday afternoon and realized my Freedompop 4G LTE hotspot was still turned on in the car (device I use to connect my computer and iPad to the Internet while traveling). When I picked it up, the “LTE connected” light was still on and I thought, "hmm, that can’t be LTE 4G in […]
RichC | October 18, 2013
Deadspin‘s Albert Burneko is not fond of Cincinnati style chili … be it on a hotdog or on pasta … and isn’t shy about dissing it. Something tells me if he ever visit Cincinnati again that he’ll be wearing chili. A word of advice if you ever come to town Mr. Burneko … don’t wear a […]
RichC | September 8, 2013
My dad and I enjoyed the day together doing something we both enjoy – looking at cars and being together. As usual, he took his 1958 Packard Hawk to the Shelby County Applefest in downtown Sidney Ohio on Saturday and wondered if I was going to enter my Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel this year. I […]
RichC | September 6, 2013
When I first started my company, I had the privilege of learning about “taking care of customers” from Earl Gerber who was a long time business and sales professional in northeastern Ohio. Earl passed away at 92 in Cleveland this past week, and even through all his age related ailments, I never heard him complain. […]
RichC | August 14, 2013
Way to go Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel. Let’s keep the pressure on reforming Ohio and to make our state a model of openness and transparency. For those in SW Ohio … watch to the end when he compares Cincinnati to Detroit. Concerning?
RichC | August 9, 2013
A friend of mine (thanks Tim) mentioned that it looked like Sprint was testing their LTE setup along I-75 in and around Cincinnati. I’ve been trying to remember to check it when in West Chester after hearing it was on north of the I-275 outer belt. so, while in town this we I remembered as […]
RichC | July 15, 2013
There are now 570 miles of Ohio roads where we legally can drive 70 mph (below). The following sections will allow 70 mph travel … • Interstate 76: From outside Akron going east to the west of Youngstown. • Interstate 77: From outside of Canton south to the West Virginia border. • Interstate 71: From the Jeremiah Morrow […]
RichC | June 28, 2013
My condolences to the Collins family on the passing of Gary Collins after his accident last week. Gary’s love of aviation (EAA Chapter 174) and his passion for Corvair conversions was an inspiration to all of us who loved antique and grass roots experimental aviation. He was enjoyable to be around and our EAA284 chapter […]
RichC | June 25, 2013
When a deal seems a bit too good, there is probably a reason to be skeptical. Now to be fair, I knew that for $25 I was not going to get my yard completely treated, but was expecting this Cincinnati area Groupon deal to be a way for Weed Man to demonstrate their professionalism and […]
RichC | April 23, 2013
After the big wedding weekend (4/13/2013), my daughter Katelyn and husband Drew, no longer fiancé Drew, left the Savannah Center in a helicopter for a short flight looping counter-clockwise from West Chester, Ohio. They circles south over downtown Cincinnati, the Ohio River and then looped back north over Kings Island, Mason, our house in Liberty […]
RichC | April 20, 2013
While stopping at our local Tractor Supply today I felt I had a somewhat close call to an accident at the corner of Liberty-Fairfield and Hamilton-Middletown (Rt 4) today in Liberty Township – a few minutes sooner. I said a prayer for those being helped by the paramedics they were extracted from their upside down […]
RichC | January 18, 2013
Although retail unleaded gasoline is down 25 cent per gallon since last year at this time in SW Ohio, we remain just above $3.00/gallon in most areas. (I paid $3.09 and $3.07 this week while traveling in north east Ohio) Since I’m thinking about a new diesel car this year, it is be frustrating to […]
RichC | January 7, 2013
My travel schedule this week was modified slightly to include a couple more cold calls in the Cleveland area that I’ve been putting off until the new year … not really my choice … but it works out so that my son Taylor will be able to go to a seminar and workshop while he […]
RichC | November 5, 2012
One more post before election day as we’re finally on the home stretch to 11/6/2012. Thankfully a presidential election, and the ridiculous amount of money being spent, takes place only once every 4 years. Let’s hope we can shift this same kind of energy to governing our country and dealing with the enormous fiscal problems. […]