Indianapolis, IN

Wed 20 June 2007
So, I’m thinking about small towns. I recently went to a wedding down in southern Indiana in the town of Bloomfield. Here’s how you get there: Go 37 south to Nowhere, then take 54 to the middle. No, I’m just kidding. (Those directions describe most of the Midwest.) It’s actually the county seat of Greene County, located on State Road 54, about 45 minutes west of Bloomington, IN. See, I grew up in a town, similar to Bloomfield, called Morgantown. Except Morgantown isn’t as large as Bloomfield. (Bloomfield at least has a Dairy Queen.) Living in the city for three years now, it’s sometimes nice to get out in the country and drive around in the fresh air. But could I move back there? I just don’t think so. I really enjoy telling people where I’m from and people know it right off the bat. (Even in other countries, people know Indianapolis.) I like being close to grocery stores and restaurants and shopping. I like being close to malls and specialty stores and movie theatres. I like being close to attractions, such as the zoo and museums and concerts. I like knowing that there are 17 Starbucks within 5 miles of where I live. (It’s true—I checked with the Starbucks website.) I like knowing that a Borders, Barnes & Noble, Half-Price books and a Books-a-Million are within a 15 minute drive. I like the diversity (and the restaurants that go with it!). I like knowing there is a hospital and a fire station 5 minutes from where I live. Could I move back to a small town? I’m afraid not. I guess I’m an asphalt-loving city slicker at heart.

Bloomfield Indiana, Morgantown Indiana, small towns, city life, Indianapolis

Tue 19 June 2007

So, I’m thinking about the Formula One Race. My husband received complimentary tickets to go to the race, so we decided that we’d go, being Father’s Day and all. Well, after paying $20 to park somewhere near Canada and then having a coronary over the price, we made our way to the track. My husband carried our daughter on his shoulders while I struggled with a cooler. So, we ended up finding our way to our seats, only after hiking through the Sahara, and then up Mt. Everest to get to our seats. But once we got there, there was a nice breeze, and there really weren’t a lot of people in our part of the stands, and of course, we were right in front of the huge television monitor. I really enjoyed the international atmosphere and spent much of my time trying to identify the plethora of national flags that hung from the stands, from poles, and draped around people’s shoulders. The enthusiasm and pride of the Brazilians who were nearby was entertaining. Members of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra entertained us with some jazz, which I was really enjoying. (I’m a huge jazz fan, although I wasn’t able to make it to Indy Jazz Fest this year.) I know we were very excited that Lewis Hamilton won. He’s the rookie black guy from England who also won the previous race as well, and he’s always finished 3rd or higher the entire season. They say he’s the first black guy to win for Formula 1. I think it’s absolutely great. (I don’t think Europe has the same hang-up over race issues that America does.) We watched some of the races that were held before the F1 race, but when it actually came time for the F1 race to begin, we suddenly realized that these cars were much louder than the previous races. So, we left after about 8 or 10 laps. By the time we got home, we watch the last 3 laps on television (the most important laps, I think). The only thing I got miffed about (besides paying $20 to park) was that there were some people who worked there that came up into the stands to watch the beginning of the race. There were about 20 rows of EMPTY bleachers in front of us, about 25-30 feet of EMPTY bleachers to the sides of us all the way down and they decided to sit RIGHT IN FRONT of us. Come on, now. Right in front? Were we that attractive that they were drawn to our presence? I felt that my space was invaded. But luckily for us, they left after the first lap. And then we got packed up to hike back down Mt. Everest and then back across the Sahara to get to our car. Now, the big talk is whether or not the F1 race will be held next year. Everyone wants the US Grand Prix to remain here in Indianapolis. That is, everyone except the owner of Formula 1, Bernie Ecclestone. He doesn’t think Formula 1 needs to have a race in the US at all. Tony George, the owner of the Indianapolis Speedway has given a July 12 deadline on a decision to be made on keeping F1 in Indianapolis. I really hope they do sign another contract, because it is such a huge economic boost for the city and international acclaim. So, now we just wait and look at our pictures, and hope they won’t be the last.

Formula 1, Tony George, Bernie Ecclestone, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ESPN,

Mon 18 June 2007
So, I’m thinking about (Indiana) Governor Mitch Daniels’ push for the state-wide fitness challenge. It would be nice to have everyone try to go for it. But… (Now here’s where the conspiracy theory fits in.) We don’t have much of a choice but to be fatty-cow patties. It’s like this. Take me, for example. I had a baby in 2005. It took me a while to get myself together, but then I was determined to lose the weight. Here’s the first problem: exercise. My husband was working full time and going to school full time, so I needed someplace to watch my baby. There was a YMCA that also had a daycare to watch her, but in order to utilize that service, I had to pay more, which was over $50 per month. For people who are on a tight budget, it was kind of tight for us. So, then I thought of walking, but it’s kind of hard when there aren’t sidewalks for you to walk on. Later on, we moved to the north side, and I had access to the Monon Greenways Trail. But then again, there have been a couple of robberies and attacks on the Monon as well. So, what have you… Next problem: food. Why is it more expensive to buy healthy food than junk food? Just step into any health or natural foods store and look at the prices. Oh, and don’t forget all the organic foods! I wouldn’t mind buying organic and natural foods, but it’s a lot more expensive. What have I learned about the first step to getting fit? Start saving your nickels and dimes.

Mitch Daniels, YMCA, Monon Greenways, Monon Trail, health food

Fri 15 June 2007
So, I’m thinking about dog attacks. There has been a rash of dog attacks lately. It seems like there is an attack at least once a week or more in central Indiana. The majority of these are from pit bulls and other large breeds, such as Rottweilers and German shepherds. I think that Mayor Bart Peterson wants to put a ban on dangerous breeds which is just fine with me. I know what some are thinking: But my little Fido wouldn’t hurt a fly. Well, listen up Norman Bates, your little Fido may not hurt a fly, but he just drug the little neighbor girl into the woods by her arm for his afternoon snack. Now, I think that if you are going to live within city limits, then you cannot have these breeds. How many more children and babies need to have their limbs chewed off before they get it? These breeds do not need to be in areas where there are a lot of people and definitely not around children. And I also think that if you do have or want to have one of these types of dogs, then there should be a mandatory class on how to deal with your dangerous breed dog. But then again, where would we get the money to fund something like that? We can’t even get money to fund the police and fire departments, animal control or even put sidewalks in areas. I hope the mayor passes his proposal on the dangerous breed ban. I think he’s as sick of it as I am. I guess that’s why I’m a cat person.

dog attacks, pit bulls, dangerous breeds, Bart Peterson

Thu 14 June 2007
So, I’m thinking about organized teenage drinking parties. There seems to be a growing number of neurotic parents who think that their teenagers are going to drink regardless of the fact they are under 21 (which is probably true). Their thinking is that, “Well, if they’re going to drink, then it might as well be in a safe environment that I can control.” So, is this a better alternative? Is this really safe? All I can say is…Hell, no. According to the Indianapolis Star, former Colts quarterback Jack Trudeau invited a bunch of recent high school graduates to his Zionsville home where there was drinking. He supposedly made a list of all who was there, and took their car keys and required that they stay the night. I can see how he thinks he’s trying to be responsible, but I just don’t see how that’s accomplishing it. (Although he wasn’t being responsible: he withheld the list, and now he has a felony count of interfering with an investigation.) On one hand, if you are old enough to die for your country, shouldn’t you be old enough to have a Killian’s? But since that’s not the law, then you can’t just do what you want, because YOU feel like it should be (vigilante). It would be different if he had only offered them one beer with their meal and that was it. But it’s probably more like, open up the bar, sit back and say, “Bottoms up!” That’s not teaching these kids how to be responsible. These are going to be the same kids who get into college and drink until they pass out and then wake up and either find out they’ve had their wallet stolen, they’ve been raped or are in a hospital or jail because their car has been wrapped around a tree or upside down in a ditch. Dr. Phil had Dr. Dan Siegel on his show a number of weeks ago who wrote a book about how the teenage brain is not fully developed (until about their mid-20s), and therefore cannot make the same decisions as an adult. So, even though an adult may think that he or she is making the right decision in controlling the environment (except the government), the teenager doesn’t see it the same way. Here’s my message to these parents: Quit smoking crack and start acting like a parent before I come smack you in the head.

teenage drinking, Jack Trudeau, Dr. Phil, SADD, MADD, Indianapolis Star

Wed 13 June 2007
With the gas prices as they are, many people are planning on spending vacation time seeing sites within Indiana. Here is a list of cities and towns that share the same names as other notable cities and countries, with a few sprinkled in that just have interesting names. (Still just as exciting, but closer to home!)

NORTHERN INDIANA
Akron, Angola, Athens, Bourbon, Bunker Hill, Camden, Ceylon, Delphi, Denver, Disko, Flint, Fulton, Galveston, Geneva, Hebron, Klondike, Kokomo, Lisbon, North Manchester, Mexico, Miami, Monterey, Monticello, Montpelier, Morocco, Mount Etna, New Haven, New Paris, Nevada Mills, Norway, Ontario, Oxford, Palestine, Peoria, Peru, Petroleum, Plato, Rensselaer, Roanoke, Rochester, Rome City, Salem, Santa Fe, Sidney, Sitka, Syracuse, Topeka, Toto, Trenton, Urbana, Valparaiso, Vera Cruz, Warsaw, Wheeling, Young America, Zulu

CENTRAL INDIANA
Alamo, Albany, Alexandria, Annapolis, Antioch, Arcadia, Arlington, Atlanta, Attica, Avon, Bath, Boston, Brazil, Brooklyn, Carbondale, Carthage, Cuba, Dover, Dublin, Edinburgh, Florida, Frankfort, Geneva, Germantown, Hamburg, Hindustan, Hollandsburg, Jordan, Lebanon, London, Manhattan, Marietta, Mecca, Mechanicsburg, Michigantown, Montezuma, Morgantown, Moscow, New Brunswick, New London, New Lisbon, New Palestine, New Salem, Nineveh, Perth, Poland, Raleigh, Russiaville, Samaria, Sandusky, Saratoga, Spartanburg, St. Louis Crossing, St. Paul, Tangier, Toad Hop, Trafalgar, West Lebanon, Yorktown

SOUTHERN INDIANA
Alert, Algiers, Aurora, Austin, Bethlehem, Bono, Buddha, Canaan, Chelsea, China, Cincinnati, English, Ferdinand, Florence, Floyd’s Knobs, Frenchtown, Gnaw Bone, Grammer, Hanover, Hitchcock, Holland, Huron, Lancaster, Lexington, Lyons, Memphis, Milan, Montgomery, Mount Vernon, Napoleon, Nebraska, New Albany, New Amsterdam, New Pekin, New Philadelphia, North Vernon, Orleans, Rome, Santa Claus, Scotland, Siberia, South Boston, Sparta, Tampico, Troy, Utica, Vernon, Versailles, Vevay, Vienna, Vincennes, Washington, Westphalia

tourism, map of Indiana, vacation ideas, being fuel efficient

Tue 12 June 2007

Welcome to the Indianapolis I-465 Speedway, a 53-mile loop around the Racing Capital of the World. You don’t have to wait for the Indy 500, the Brickyard 400 or the Formula One race to scratch your racing bug. Now you, too, can race anytime of day, where the starting line is wherever you get on and finish line is wherever you get off. You don’t even need to go out and buy an expensive sports car, like a Corvette or a Porsche, or even a Yamaha R-1 motorcycle. Some of our fastest drivers are in minivans and SUVs and the family sedan. Racing on the I-465 Speedway is better than racing on a track or other road course, where you only have to deal with the other racers. Here on the I-465 Speedway, not only do you compete with other drivers, but other traffic and the police, making it more challenging. (For practice, check out Need for Speed: Minivan Extreme on X-Box 360 and PS3.) There are no rules like in traditional racing. Here, you can enjoy the freedom of changing CDs while driving, browse the radio stations, eat a Big Mac, talk on your cell phone, surf the net, yell at your kids, read the newspaper, or put on makeup. You don’t even need to use turn signals or abide by the speed limits. We term it “The Autobahn of Indy.” So, get out there, be as reckless as you want, and maybe, just maybe you, too, can be the next Danica Patrick or Jeff Gordon. (IN CASE YOU DON’T GET SARCASM, I wrote this to warn people to slow down and drive with some sense. Leave the racing to the professionals. Use turn signals and chill out with the aggressive driving!)

safe driving

So, I’m thinking about the Indianapolis Zoo. The last time I went to the zoo was my freshman year in high school. Basically, I had two objectives: 1) to do a worksheet required by my Biology I teacher to justify the educational importance of the field trip and 2) try to get my friend Josh to notice me. Well, at least I finished the worksheet by the end of the day. Anyway, I heard they just opened up a new Oceans exhibit. I can’t tell you how it is, because the line was REALLY long, and we didn’t feel like standing there for 3 days to get in. But the dolphin show in the dolphin pavilion was neat. At least they entertained my 21 mo. old daughter. Actually, she was more interested in the plants and fences than most of the animals. But it has really changed since I was younger. Now it’s almost like walking through a park to get to the different exhibits. With the exception of the prices (A medium Sprite cost an arm, and a bottled water cost a leg. The entrance fee was your first born.), it was a pretty enjoyable day. I would recommend it to anyone with or without kids. (For more info, visit www.indyzoo.com).