Troy, Tesla & the Tire

The Beautiful courthouse in Troy, ohio.

 

I know I normally talk about the things I have seen and done. The tone is always about fun, travel and happiness but things don't always go according to plan. After a wrench is thrown in your plans, how do you respond? I had one of those situations this past weekend. I was looking forward to going to Troy, Ohio to see Tesla in concert. For those who aren't familiar, Tesla is an 80's rock hair-band.  The tickets were a gift from me to my guy for Christmas. We left early enough to check out the city of Troy.

The shredded tire.

We headed to Troy after a stop at one of our favorite burger places, Culvers for a bite to eat. We were five minutes away from downtown Troy when the tire of our SUV blew out on the freeway and the scent of freshly burned rubber hit our noses.  Expletive! We realized that we loaned out the tools we needed to retrieve the spare under the car and change the tire. Expletive!  We slowly rolled off the closest exit ramp and were never so happy as we were Saturday to see a GM dealership just ahead. It was not the brand of the SUV but we knew there was a great possibility that we would find the tools we needed. Wrong! They didn't have what we needed nor did they seem that interested in helping us. We spent the next hour and a half calling tow truck companies, Walmarts and tire companies. Finally after many busy tow truck drivers and many businesses who didn't have what we needed; a manager getting off work at Grismer took pity on us and saved the day. He came with tools to retrieve the tire and called a tow company to swap the tires out. We were back in business and on our way to downtown Troy. 

All smiles as the Tow Truck driver changes the tire. See the red truck in my lenses.

I was so happy to be out of the GM parking lot that I didn't care that we missed the opportunity to explore the city, which happens to be beautiful and very clean. We had just enough time to have dinner and get to the concert venue. I previously did some restaurant research on tripadvisor and found The Caroline, a fine dining establishment with American food and great ambiance. The tilapia I had for my entree covered with apple pecan relish was so good,that I made a version of it today for my mom and me.

The Caroline Tilapia with apple-pecan relish

The concert was great! I am not a hard core fan of Tesla but I know more than a few of their songs. I was surprised I knew more than I thought. My guy enjoyed himself and so did I. It was a great place to people watch. There were dancing and falling drunks and tee shirts with sayings that I will keep to myself. 

Tesla at the Hobart Arena

All in all the trip felt worth it at the end. The flat tire was an inconvenience but we were safe and we did not miss the show. Everything doesn't always go according to plan and you are allowed to be disappointed, but in the end, it is important to remember that things could be worse. Blessings counted!

Be blessed! Be free! Be Adventurous!

Kris,

Me in front of The Caroline

Lunch today! My take on the tilapia with apple-pecan relish The Caroline

The Cure To Boredom

The Cure to Boredom

Honda Indy 200 2012 at Mid-Ohio

We have all been guilty of claiming boredom from time to time.  These days I understand being bored is usually my own fault. At least that is what I learned some time ago. I haven't really been bored very much since.  What changed? I decided to develop a habit of  saying yes to trying new things. Because of this I have gone to a Honda Indy car race, many 80's rock band concerts and learned that I really love Tom Yum. We get into the habit of doing the same things over and over and expecting something exciting to just present  itself.  I remember going out with my girlfriends every weekend to the same club, sitting in the same section peering down at the people on the dance floor while drinking the same drink, Patron on the rocks.  We were always doing something but complaining about being bored. One day we began planning activities that took us away from the clubs with a core group of women . Now once a month we meet to have girl time and try new physical activities, food experiences and more.  Since we started six or so years ago, we have attended a pole dance class, tried laughter yoga, and met out for sushi with a side of karaoke. This past weekend we had a belly dancing lesson which was so much fun, by the way.

Along with being busy planning activities for the group, I created some lists for myself of  things I want to do, see, learn or eat. Once I cross off an item, sometimes more items get added to the list. I would like to try squirrel meat, real absinthe, go zip lining and take a helicopter ride.  These things on my various lists aren't just things I want to experience, I WILL experience as many of them as I am blessed with the time to do so. Some of you would call my list a bucket list but I see it as simply a cure for boredom.

If you find yourself bored often, think about some things you would like to be doing and grab a notebook. Make a list of things you want to try then make an effort to do something at least once a month. It could be as simple as trying a new restaurant, visiting a park you have never been to in your city or go bigger if you have the money to do so .  A lot of things require research and just looking up information in preparation for your experience can be exciting. Remember the important part is to actually MAKE IT HAPPEN! It could be really fun and you will learn so much about yourself.

Be blessed! Be free! Be fashionable!

Kris,