Driving balls and Date # 3

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This past week I drove golf balls with my girlfriend and we ate at a restaurant that I hadn’t been to. It had been a couple of years since I went to a driving range and too many years since I’ve been golfing. I was surprised at how well I did.

I had dinner at my dates home, he made a delicious steak and I made a side dish. The red wine was tasty.

Here are some of the flowers I planted yesterday.

Today I’m doing a newborn photo shoot for my friend’s daughter. I have a fourth date this evening. Have a great weekend everyone!

Dates and dining out

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I’ve had three dates in the past week. The first date was a second date with a gentleman. We dined at a Korean restaurant in Covington, the food was very good. Then we went axe throwing. It was the second time I’ve done this. It’s somewhat frustrating because it’s difficult, reminds me of golf because you have to do it a lot to get good at it.

My second date was with a friend I’ve known since December. We dined at the Knotty Pine on the Bayou. It was my first time here and the food was delicious! I love raw oysters. The restaurant has an outdoor seating area also.

My third date of the week was a third date with a gentleman. He’s Italian, and we had dinner at Mama’s on Main in Covington, I had never been there before. The food was excellent! We even split tiramisu for dessert. The decor, as you can see is very nice.

Last night my friend came over and I made a chicken dish with ancho chili, and a cucumber and avocado salsa on top. The weather was nice so we sat on my outdoor patio and had fun drinking wine and dancing!

Life has been good! Have a great weekend everyone!

Solo camping and hiking

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I returned yesterday from a two night solo camping trip. I camped at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park in Kentucky. There was one other couple tent camping, they were very nice and helped me put the rain fly on my tent. I haven’t camped in 10 years and I haven’t solo camped for 16 years. I forgot how much work is involved. It was beautiful weather, it did get down to 46° the first night, but I slept better there than I did at home. I hiked 3 trails in 2 days, for a total of 11 mi. Cumberland Falls is called the Niagara of the South.

I prepared my dinner at home and had enough for both nights, it’s called black bean, zucchini and rice casserole. Of course I had to have some s’mores. I met another couple around my age who had a VW camper. I took my chair down to their area and we talked for an hour or two. It was nice to have company. Both couples thought it was brave of me to camp by myself.

One of the hikes is called Eagle Falls. It follows along the shoreline of Cumberland River with a beautiful view of Cumberland Falls on the way to Eagle Falls. I decided to dip my feet in the ice cold water, it was very refreshing.

One of the hikes was 5.5 mi and there was no one on it. There was no phone service, so it was a little creepy, but I only thought about the possibility of bears, snakes, and injuries for the first mile 😊

I drove 25 minutes to an area called the Natural Arch Scenic area (image above). It was pretty. When I got home yesterday, I unpacked, vacuumed my car, and ordered pizza. It’s good to be back.

Springtime activities in Cincinnati

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Since I wrote last, I’ve gone to an event at the Cincinnati Zoo called Blooms and Tunes. The Zoo is filled with tulips and there’s live music.

I also led a hike and went on another hike at Spring Grove Cemetery and Devou Park.

I went bicycle riding with a friend and had a bite to eat afterwards. I went to another friend’s home for dinner one evening.

Last night I took my brother and his wife to Playhouse in the Park in Mount Adams, next to downtown Cincinnati. They have a brand new theater and we saw “A Chorus Line”. It was their Christmas gift.

I have a second date this evening for dinner and then to see the butterfly exhibition at Krohn Conservatory. Hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather.

Dates, Hiking, the Gym & Cooking

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My activities for the past week have included meeting two new potential dates, hiking, working out at the gym, cooking, and meeting a new girlfriend for happy hour.

I drove an hour north to the historic Clifton Mill for my first date, had lunch, a short hike along the Clifton Gorge, and browsed the shops in a quaint town called Yellow Springs, Ohio.

There’s a weekly hike at Spring Grove Cemetery through a hiking group I belong to. As you can see from the photos below, it’s a beautiful place to walk. It’s mostly active people in their 60s.

I can tell my body is responding to my workout regimen at the gym. I’m getting some guns on me 😅. In my quest to eat healthy, I made homemade roasted minestrone soup, and then treated myself to a root beer float.

I had a first date (now I call them meet and greets) yesterday for a bite to eat in Covington, Kentucky and then a walk along the river front in the Licking Riverside Historic District. When you get to be in your 60s, many people don’t like to have their photo taken, but I always say today’s the youngest you’ll ever be, and in 10 years, if you’re still alive, you’ll think gosh I really looked good.

I met a new girlfriend through hiking. She’s a nurse. We met for happy hour and appetizers last night. It was nice getting to know her better. As we left, the setting sun was beautiful.

I have another meet and greet today. Tomorrow for Easter I’ll be spending it with my brother, his wife and others that are like family.

Hope everyone has a Happy Easter! 🐰

Keeping busy during Retirement

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In the last couple of weeks I’ve been out on four first dates. One was for lunch and a walk along the Ohio River in the Licking Riverside Historic district in Covington, Kentucky. That’s not my date. 😊

Another was for dinner and the Leo Sayer concert at the Ludlow garage venue.

There was another one for lunch and a walk along the Ohio River in Warsaw, Kentucky. The most recent was the Contemporary Art Museum in downtown Cincinnati, followed by an early dinner nearby. I did a mini photo shoot with my phone of my date at the museum.

I also played indoor sand volleyball, racquetball, and worked out at the gym a few times per week.

I went on two hikes. One was at Spring Grove Cemetery and the other in the wooded section of Devou Park.

I saw a movie with my brother and his wife. I went out with a girlfriend. She and I took a short urban walk, stopped at a brewery and then had an early dinner in the Dayton/Bellevue, Kentucky area.

My friend Sherry

The pizza was yummy!

Saint Patrick’s Day 2023

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For St. Patrick’s Day this year my friend Linda and I went to a few bars in Covington, Keystone, Blinkers Tavern, and Smoke Justis. They were situated close together so we weren’t out in the cold too long. I asked random people if I could take their photo, everyone seems to love to have their photo taken.

We had a drink at Blinkers Tavern, the least busy of them all.

Next we drove 20 minutes to a party at my brother’s house. There were about 30 people there. That’s my brother and his wife below.

It was a nice time, but I prefer one-on-one versus parties nowadays.

My last day in Mexico City

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This morning I went to Starbucks and purchased a croissant sandwich along with some sweets to go. I found a bench to sit on to people/dog watch.  Some were in a hurry, some taking a leisurely stroll. There were solitary walkers and couples. Most had dogs.

I’m tired of Mexican food. Yesterday I went to a restaurant that a blogger recommended and it had been 6 hours since I’d eaten breakfast. They brought some chips and three different varieties of salsas.  They were all spicy but one in particular was very oily and had large chunks of something in it.  I began to feel ill. They brought my food, a salad and I’m not sure what the other dish was. I asked them to box it up to go, went to the restroom and vomited. On the walk home I was sweaty and vomited a few more times. Once home, I felt back to normal.

Paramo Restaurant

Although I have seen beautiful places and had some amazing experiences, I’m not cut out for city life.  When you’re gone from home in a foreign country for extended periods, you become more grateful for what you have at home. I miss taking a shower that doesn’t run out of hot water. I miss being able to brush my teeth with regular tap water. I miss my cat, and I know he misses me. I purchased some cameras so that I could check on him while I’m gone. I didn’t realize that when I clicked on one of the buttons that he could hear me. I thought it would be comforting for him but it just confused him.

I miss my patio, my dishwasher, and the ability to hop in my car and go somewhere. I miss being understood… not having to use Google translate.  I miss the quiet.

Guillermo Tovar de Teresa Museum and Skulls & Art Exhibition in Mexico City

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On my quest to see as many museums as possible (within reason-there are 150) here in Mexico City, a few days ago I cycled one mile to the Guillermo Tovar de Teresa Museum. It’s very small, but the entry is … Continue reading →

Airbnb Experience: Sights, smells and tastes of Puebla on two wheels

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Yesterday’s Airbnb experience: Sights, smells and tastes of Puebla on two wheels was okay. There were four other people on the tour, grandparents with a 12 and 9-year-old. The bicycles were a bit wobbly, with no gears, and initially there was a lot of time spent adjusting the seats for the children and also myself. My seat wasn’t able to be adjusted high enough. The two tour leaders were very accommodating and sweet. The pedal came off of one of the participant’s bicycle, photo below.

We made a number of food/drink stops. I wasn’t feeling well, Montezuma’s revenge, ugh, so I ate part of each meal. I forgot to take photos of the last two food stops, one of which was churros. I had them make it “to go” for me and had it for dinner.

A few of the sites we saw…

The walk back to my Airbnb, after the tour ended, was only 7 minutes. I took a 3 hour nap. I’m feeling about the same today, I have some Cipro at the Airbnb in Mexico City so I will take it when I get back today.

Two nights in Puebla City

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I planned a two night trip from Mexico City to Puebla City, located 2 hours south of Mexico City, via bus. I arrived at noon, ubered 3 miles to my Airbnb, dropped my bags and went out to explore. I … Continue reading →