Blue Limestone Exploration

A ten minute walk from campus is a lovely place called Blue Limestone Park. A nice stream (the beginnings of Delaware Run) cuts along one edge and at the other side are houses. You enter the park next to the Sanborn building (OWU's music building) and can walk until you reach the wall that the railroad tracks sit on top of. In the middle of the all this is grass, a baseball diamond, picnic tables, basketball courts, and a lovely quarry, where blue limestone was once mined. It's said that the blue limestone that Merrick Hall is made of came from Blue Limestone Park.

Friday night, Ryan, Zoe, and I went on an adventure to Blue Limestone. The sky was gray and rain threatening but the evening, temperature wise, was so lovely that you just had to go walking. So we went. Zoe had never been before and she had the camera. I must interject a thanks in here to Zoe for the use of her pictures. Thanks so very much!

We explored everywhere, including the haunted Blue Limestone tunnel. Ghost hunters of all ages should come check it out. Even un-haunted its still creepy. I hear rumor that if you are able to get through the tunnel there are beautiful lakes and grassy areas on the other side. I've not been through.

And after the exploring we all laid in the grass until it started raining. It was a great evening. I encourage you, wherever you end up to explore all the areas on and surrounding your campus. You find a lot of really neat places.

Pictures: First is of Zoe, on a rock, by the quarry. It has a pretty view and all so I thought ya'll could get a good idea of what the park was like. Second is me, jumping off the side of the bridge and Ryan, trying ever so hard to stop me. Third is me, on a rock, and the I just thought ya'll could use a good laugh. Fourth and final is the haunted tunnel of Blue Limestone Park. Spooky, I know.

Have a great, great, week.

Race Day

Welcome to the day after race day which is actually a few days later. On Saturday, after the ever amazing junior (in high school) visit day that I gave tours for, I jumped in a car and went to Columbus Speedway to watch cars make left turns. This was my first time to the track, a track for that matter and the crowd was in rare form. It was comforting to hear the yelling and see the arms waving as the cars continued to drive in a big circle. I of course involved myself in the activity. Through scientific processes and days of hard core research I picked my favorite drivers (based upon the most important factor, car color) and while none of them came close to winning, I was still satisfied by the beautiful color blurs.
We blended into the crowd nicely until the intermission (yes, races do have intermissions like all high quality shows) where we pulled out a camera and started snapping random photos of ourselves and the track. Apparently camera usage at a race track is unheard of unless you are in the middle of the track where you have to dodge cars bailing from the race and still manage to photograph a car moving at speeds that kill dust mites. Dust mites are living creatures, yes.
There were accidents but the true excitement came when the four tow trucks positioned in the dangerous center would all rush to the one car that sat stalled and backwards on the track. I'd never seen so many eager tow trucks. I was hoping they would race, but alas, tow truck racing is not something serious race goers enjoy. I did discover that they enjoy bus races though, which I must admit, does sound intriguing.
All in all the evening was a success, a smokey, asthma concluding success. I learned a new culture and realized that I might fit in better than I ever imagined . . .
Pictures: Okay, so these are all from the race track. Do notice the time changes, we were there for a very, very, extremely very long time. Picture number one is of the cars, making a left turn and then at the other end of the track they would make a left turn, followed by another left turn. "Their making a left turn. Their making another left turn" (kudos to ya'll who can identify the quoted quote.) Picture number two is the most unblurry picture of the four of us. I think we took twenty group pics, all blurry. We were only running away from the cars, oh well. Picture number three is of Megan and me. Last picture of me, half me, some of me.

A Mind Before Finals

It has been a week of planning for next year; schedules, rooms, and next week the planning continues; activities, interviews, along with planning for exams this year. I feel a bit twisted with now verses then verses now, again. We officially have a bit of time left. I believe it's two weeks-ish with a week-ish of exams. I have two, maybe three exams and I'm not complaining. Other than that, it's similar to last semester where I will be writing papers, and more writing papers. As an English major I am both excited and anxious. I want to finish them but the actual starting . . . well . . . we'll see about.
I am watching a show about donuts. mmm, donut. Speaking of, the watching not the donut, rumor has it that cable will be included in tuition next year. Cable, not a necessity, but on the nights when you just need a break, its a good mind relaxer, at least for me.
Did you know that twelve donut holes, lined up, they should equal eighteen inches, I didn't know that.
Continuing on, yes, cable, that is just one of the entertainment perks that is offered at OWU.
Did you know that white "M" on the M&Ms wasn't printed until 1950 and it was black? I'm really an M&M fan but I find that interesting.
So I suppose this was a bit of a hodgepodge. Fun, though.
Have a good weekend.

Pictures: Hodgepodge

Fresh X

I would like to take this blog and dedicate to a wonderful OWU program called the Freshmen Experience or Fresh X. Fresh X is a trip that happens the week before Freshmen Orientation. New students, student leaders, and adult leaders go out into the wilderness for a week of fun and it enables new students to meet their peers as well as older students. The idea is to ease freshmen into their college career by introducing them to people before they get onto campus.

I participated in Fresh X. It is awesome and I have to admit that without it, I think I would have been lost on campus. It felt good to know people when I got back and made everything very smooth for me, especially since I was very hesitant and scared about going to college. But I conquered that fear by throwing myself into college from the beginning by going on the Fresh X trip.

This year Fresh X is traveling to Seneca Rocks, West Virgina. That's where my trip went too. When I went, I was on the backpacking trip. Four days out in the wilderness, no experience necessary. There is also hiking, rock climbing, rafting, and service work. The trip might have changed this year so please don't hold me to too much detail on the 2007 trip but I know there is going to be one, so check it out.

In order to do the checking, just return to the OWU homepage and in the search bar type in Fresh X. That should link you to some basic information and possibly an application, assuming it has been updated.

If your looking for an example of how Fresh X impacts life on campus, Mery went on Fresh X too and we are rooming together next year. Steve, one of the student leaders on my trip helped me get my job as a tour guide. Great experience, great fun, check it out.

Pictures: All of this pictures are from the backpacking trip because that's the one I participated in. In the past there have been other trips, but I hope you enjoy these. First is of the entire backpacking crew standing on an overlook in Seneca Rocks. Second is me cleaning off a dinner spoon, sumping as we called it. We could leave anything out in the wilderness so it had to be all cleaned, or put in the stomach, in this case, my stomach. Third is another picture of the overlook. The view is really, really nice. Fourth is a picture of Mery, me, and Julia on the bus back to OWU. Great part of that picture is all of us are four days without a shower and on a bus with all the Fresh X kids. Total backpackers: fifteen. Total everybody else: near forty. It was a lovely ride.

Frisbee Fun Fun

Today is cold. Cold as in snow flurries are flitting around and being pretty, but cold, cold. It wasn't cold yesterday, or a few days ago. Those few days ago were spent playing Frisbee.

We dined outside and then started a game of pick up Frisbee on the grassy lot between Beeghly library and the Corns building and across from the alumni center. There was just enough space for a large circle, crazy throws, lots of yelling and laughing, and I believe some falling down. We threw the disk for a good forty minutes before tiredness took over and it was great fun.

Frisbees are very popular on campus. A nice day doesn't go by without one flying around. They fly across the JAYwalk. They fly through Ham-Will. They fly across Sandusky Street and all over the grassy spots between dorms. I nearly got a tour group hit by one . . . talk about a real look at college life. At least it wasn't a car, right? Anyway, there are always pick-up games of Ultimate happening.

Ultimate Frisbee is a competitive non-contact sport played with a Frisbee. The object is to score points by passing the disc into the opposing end-zone. That is a simple definition for those unfamiliar with the game. It is also called Frisbee Football and should not be confused with Frisbee Golf.

Enjoy these pictures and have a great, great weekend.

Yay Friend From Home

So my best gal friend from back home came up here to visit last Thursday. Katie and I have been friends since . . . junior high-ish. We have played on the same soccer team, enjoyed many a class together, as well as the always caused mayhem of the Cincy crowd. We have spent New Years together, breaks together, and I've visited her a couple times in Cape Cod, where she works for the baseball team and I "scout" the players.

Katie is a freshman at Colby College in Maine so our time spent together over the past year has decreased just a bit. So, when she decided to spend a day at OWU over her sprint break I was ecstatic.

of exploring. She met the crew at lunch and tastedShe arrived on campus mid morning and we spent the day exploring campus, exploring lunch, exploring Delaware, lots the food. Both were delectable. As far as exploration of campus; we ran up crazy stairwells, walked through the science center, visit the sulfur springs and played with the moving bookcases in the science library.

Then we went into Delaware and took pictures of the city. After that we have ices at Rockys. It was my first time and Katie's first time and the consensus: very, very good. And then Katie had to leave. So very sad, but it was such a lovely day I think I can wait until May to see her again.

Have yourselves a lovely week.

Pictures: Picture number one is of the ceiling in Slocum Hall. Slocum is the building shared by our Admissions office so, if you get the chance, please come visit, then run and up and see the ceiling. If you want a real workout got up the third floor and put your knowledge of historic people to the test. Picture number two is of the sulfur springs. Again, please come visit and go sniff/see out sulfur springs. They made OWU happen and hold a very special place in all of out hears and noses. Third is a sign Katie and I saw while wondering Delaware and we both thought it was hilarious. Fourth is of the gal and me. Yay us!

Have a wonderful week.