List #16 STUFF TO SEE IN COLUMBUS, OH

Interesting topic for today! I'm going to list the places I always take friends when they come to visit me. This may not be a typical list, but I'm not a typical tour guide!

If you were to visit Columbus, I'd show you:

• Main Library of the 2010 Library of the Year! Built around a refurbished building originally built with money from Andrew Carnegie, it is truly a beautiful library.
  
• The Deaf School Park and the Topiary Garden of the Seurat painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte
  
• The Village Book Shop
  
• The Book Loft in German Village
• Drive or walk through some of German Village
• The Linden Branch Library (that I helped design), and whichever branch I'm currently serving
• Thurber House where my son, an official docent, can give you a private tour
  
• The Zoo (rated #1 in America by many)
• The Old King Cole statue in the Brewery District
• Drive down Broad St, going East out of downtown to see the old buildings
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream
• Barley's for great craft beer
• Knitter's Mercantile (although if you're not a fiber fan, I'd try to restrain myself from making you go there with me)
• Franklin Park Conservatory

Those of you who live in or near Columbus - where would YOU take people?

Baby Heffalump!

I finally have some pics of the baby elephant at the Columbus Zoo that we saw a week ago! Mom and Dad were with us, but then they went South to visit the Smokey Mountains for a week, and weren't able to send me the pics before today.

He doesn't have a name yet. They've run a contest, and over 9000 entries were submitted! One fact I remember is that he is gaining around 4 pounds a day, and when we saw him he weight 360+ pounds. Amazing!

These lovely pics were taken by my mom, of course. (Happy now, Suzie? I imagine you already saw the pictures at Mom's house, though)


Here is his official video, from the first time he was brought into public view. Isn't he adorable?

Henna and embarrassment

I got the coolest henna tattoo on Saturday at the kick-off party for Summer Reading Club at one of my branches! It looked even cooler before I did Wheels on the Bus while it was still wet and smeared it. LOL Now I'm BRANDED!

Why am I embarrassed? Is it because I have an armload of henna that will take 2 weeks to wash away? NEVER! It's because the young people in Columbus were obnoxious to visiting knitters at TNNA and one of my fave bloggers wrote about it:

Columbus is plagued by roving bands of young men driving up and down the main drag by the convention center yelling rude things at innocent conventioneers in the crosswalks like "Hey bitch, could ya walk a little slower?" Columbus needs to invest in some midnight basketball leagues and a few good traffic lights.

Anyway - Knitter's Connection starts tomorrow, and I have 2 classes! Yay! Last year I spent a load of money on yarn, and I still have some left. This year, I'm spending money on classes (knitting backwards and double knitting) and avoiding the market. Why avoiding the market? 3 reasons:
1. I still have a huge stash that will take me years to knit up.
2. My husband's job is . . .umm . . . well . . . ambiguous at this point, so spending money that isn't already spent seems indulgent, especially considering point #1.
3. I've decided that time spent with my parents and kid sounds more appealing than spending money I don't have on yarn I don't need (see 1 & 2).

Stop me before I become a grown-up!