Dedicated To My Brother

 

 

I have never really written about my brother and wanted to take the opportunity to do so on this very difficult day. I hope the story can shed some light as to why I feel it's so important to get out and live life to its fullest.

 

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should - Desiderata

This quote was my brother Nick's favorite line of his favorite poem (Desiderata). Now that he has passed away, it takes on a whole different meaning. I can't help but think that God knew that we would need that quote to help cope with the loss of my brother. It helps us to move on with our lives in the best way we can and allows us to accept that what has happened is part of a greater plan.

It's tough to find the best words to share about my brother. He passed away 8 years ago today: October 12, 2004. Whenever this time of year rolls around, I can't help but be reminded (even more so than normal) of the terrible tragedy that me and my family went through. The smell of autumn leaves in the October air, especially when it rains, reminds me of the morning I heard the horrific news that my brother had died.

I was away at Ohio State, living in the dorms with my roommate Austin. It was way too early in the morning to be getting a phone call, yet both my cell and dorm phones were ringing. Austin and I rolled out of bed and I saw that I had missed a call from my Dad. I called him back immediately, with an intuition that something bad had happened. My grandfather had Alzheimers at the time (something I previously blogged about), so my mind went straight to thinking that he might have taken a turn for the worse. However, nothing could prepare me for what I was about to learn.

I don't quite remember the exact way in which my Dad told me, but he let me know that my brother Nick, freshly out of college at the age of 22, had passed away in a car accident. I dropped to my knees, bawling my eyes out, letting Austin know through the tears what had occurred. My dad said my uncle would be coming down to Columbus to get me, as I did not have a car on campus and was 3 hours away from my grieving family. Plans soon changed, however, thanks to my great high school friend, Kelly, who lived down the hall in the same dorm. She immediately offered to drive me to my hometown of Hubbard, no questions asked.

The car ride was surreal. It was gut wrenching to not be hugging and holding my family members. But, thankfully, I could find solace in Kelly, as she was practically the one and only person in my dorm and on campus that personally knew my brother. While I knew that everyone in Columbus was overwhelmingly supportive, the condolences weren't the same coming from people who had never met my brother. It was quite the opposite in my hometown. Everyone knew Nick - and I mean everyone! He was an amazing person who touched so many people's lives - so much so, that I had learned that his funeral broke records in our hometown in terms of how many people attended. He affected so many people in such positive ways, that it was actually a joy to see the overpouring of compassion and sympathy from the community.

Being reunited with my family at this time was one of the most catastrophically beautiful times in my life. Over the next few days, which were a giant blur, I found myself surrounded by love and sadness coming from the hundreds of people who were a part of my brother's life and my family's life. I remember putting together a photo board of pictures of my brother throughout his life to have displayed at the funeral. Going through those shoeboxes of pictures really helped me in my grieving process, providing smiles and laughs as my cousin Sara and I reflected on all of the good times in Nick's time on earth.

I was told that I was one of the strongest of my family members at this time. Losing my closest of kin was by no means easy, but I was able to be a rock for my other brother and my parents as we suffered through these days (and years) ahead. Perhaps it was because Nick and I shared such a special and close bond that I was able to handle the blow a bit better -- because, Nick and I understood each other and I knew that he wouldn't want anyone to be miserable due to his absence. It was my job to help people in this dark time. Nick wanted us to keep living our lives to the fullest. And he would want us to understand that this was his time - things were unfolding as they should, as the poem indicated.

I always have valued life and lived each day fully. However, Nick's death at such a young age (22) made me embrace life even more than ever before.

It made it clearer to me that there is no way of knowing when your time on this planet will be up, and being young doesn't mean you have decades more to live. It sounds morbid and depressing in a way, but I feel it to be encouraging and profound.

You can't hold off on living out your dreams, working to better yourself, exploring the world around you, and showing others how much you love them. You must always do good for others, create a legacy, and never stop growing and learning.

It is why I have taken the liberty to create a blog to share my passion of adventuring and scratching items off of my ever-growing bucket list. I want others to do the same, I want others to never cease to challenge themselves. I don't want anyone to miss out on the beauty of life.

I feel that whenever you are taken from this earth, whether you are 90 like my great grandfather, or 22 like my brother, you have lived a full life. Your purpose has been served, and your physical life on earth is no longer needed. Heaven will take over from there, granting you an eternal spiritual life.

My brother's soul lives on. I will always love him as the best friend I have ever and will ever have. Even 8 whole years after he has passed away, his message to me and to the world lives on as well:

Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should

RIP NME 9/10/82 - 10/12/04

 

 

Winemaking Part II

Photos by OHventures

At the end of June of this year (which was Ohio Wines Month), I decided to embark on a journey in winemaking. Rather than purchasing hundreds of dollars of equipment and brewing my own wine at home (like my father does), I opted to take advantage of the handcrafted winemaking experience offered locally at Camelot Cellars Urban Boutique Winery in the Short North in Columbus. My first visit just over three months ago involved many steps to get the red stuff going! I had to sample a variety of wines, choose the kind I wanted to concoct, mix together the grape juice, and add additional ingredients (such as oak chips, yeast, benzonite, and grape skins). Part 1 of my winemaking experience was documented on the blog. Now, after 12 weeks of fermentation, it was time for me to start Part 2!

I will admit that Part 2 of my winemaking process was much more enjoyable than Part 1! There were 5 major steps involved: cleaning, bottling, corking, capping, and labeling.

1. Cleaning: The very first step (after throwing on a snazzy Camelot Cellars apron, of course) was to clean and sanitize the bottles in which my wine would be going. It was a rather basic process: I placed the empty bottles on nozzles that squirted water and a cleaning chemical into the bottle, and then I placed the bottle on a rack to dry. It was a simple, but very necessary step to get rid of any dirt, dust, or germs on the bottles!

 

 

2. Bottling: Next, Rick from Camelot Cellars hooked up the huge glass container that held my wine (a South Australian Single Vineyard Shiraz) to an impressive looking machine for bottling. The contraption (pictured above) had four tubes running from the container of wine to four separate dispensers. Pushing the wine against the dispensers would essentially suck the wine from the container, through the tube, and into the bottle, stopping at just the right spot so that it didn't overflow. I am not sure of the exact science and mechanics behind this fancy invention, but I knew it was much simpler than pouring and funneling each bottle of wine by hand!

3. Corking: Probably the coolest and most fun of the five steps was the corking process. Another fancy machine helped achieve this with ease and perfection. I individually corked each bottle by taking Camelot Cellars cork from a bowl of cleaning solution, and placing it in the top of the cylindrical device (pictured above). I then placed a bottle in the bottom part of the device, closed the door, and watched as - like magic - the cork was shoved into the top of the bottle. The machine was probably rather simple, but it still was fun to watch!

4. Capping: Capping the wine was next. The caps are the plastic material (or in some cases, an aluminum-type material) that are placed over top of the corks on the neck of the wine bottles which are peeled or torn off before opening. I was given a variety of cap to choose from, and I opted for a traditional red-colored "sleeve" with golden grapes. I placed the caps on each of the bottles, inserted the bottle in a apparatus with red-hot coils, and swifty and quickly removed it from the coils. In a split second, the plastic had melted onto the bottle. I had to be careful, as holding the plastic near the hot coils any longer would cause it to burn!

 

5. Labeling: The absolute final step in winemaking at Camelot Cellars was labeling my bottles. I had earlier (at home) drawn my very own label (and had it touched up in PhotoShop). I then emailed the image to Rick at Camelot Cellars, who then printed off the design onto stickers for me to place onto the bottles of wine. I had chosen the name The Red Mime Red Wine for my creation. This was because my childhood nickname with my family (that has stuck over the years, for better or for worse), was "Mime" because at a very young age, I had trouble pronouncing my name "Mike." I thought this was fitting, as most of the wine would be going to family and close friends familiar with the nickname. I was proud of the artwork I had created and admired it as I applied the label to each bottle.

I walked out of Camelot Cellars with a crate of 15 bottles of wine. It took time, patience, creativity, and some money, but I can proudly say that I made my very own wine from start to finish!

 

Olive: An Urban Dive

Photos by OHventures

 

 

Olive: An Urban Dive

416 E 3rd St
Dayton, OH 45402
(937) 222-3483

 

Cruising into Dayton, I had nearly everything planned for a fun and exciting day trip: a visit to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, a stop at downtown's RiverScape Metropark, and a stroll through the PNC 2nd Street Marketplace. The only thing missing was a fun dining experience that would send my tastebuds on an adventurous ride. A bit of research online, and chatting with my local pal Amanda led me to Olive: An Urban Dive located in what was once a Wympee Burger.

 

A true Dayton original, Olive: An Urban Dive is refreshing, eclectic, and surprising in a very good way. Its motto is: "local over import, labor over convenience and service over everything else." It discretely blends in with the metropolitan backdrop of Dayton's downtown roads and humbly presents total knockouts on every dish.

 

Right out of the gate, it was evident to me that Olive wouldn't be boring when I spotted a freezer full of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams in the front of the restaurant. To me, this meant that it would understand food and know how to deliver exciting flavor profiles. It was also evident to me that this tiny diner was a huge hit when the waitress asked me if my two friends and I had reservations - at 11:00 AM! We did not have reservations, however, they managed to "squeeze us in" by taking us to a "community table" on the back patio, where we (happily) sat with strangers.

 

Lining the edges of the fenced in patio were tomato plants and other herbs and veggies that took the meaning of "local" ingredients to a whole new level! The waitress soon arrived with my order of coffee, which happened to be a small $5 pot of French press goodness! A bit pricey, but worth the extra TLC that goes into brewing this smooth blend of Joe. Further impressing me was the fact that the coffee grounds (along with almost every table scrap) are sent right into a compost pile on site.

 

 

 

My friends and I dove right into this dive by ordering brunch, starting with an a la carte side of cayenne maple sausage. It was mouthwatering and the perfect blend of sweet and savory. Amanda ordered a hearty French toasted croissant, which is what I describe as being a "grown up" pancake (pictured above), with over-easy eggs (from cage free chickens) and pancetta. I ordered the special of the day, which was what I'd describe as a "grown up" and amped-up BLT (pictured below) complete with a fried egg and a side of crispy fried leeks (or, you guessed it, "grown up" onion rings)! It was fun to know that the tomato found on that BLT of mine was plucked from the plants growing right within reach of my table!

 

Everything found at Olive: An Urban Dive was flavorful, fresh, and fantastic (how is that for alliteration?). The restaurant prides itself in all of these things, along with the fact that they don't even own a microwave or can opener! They have an abundance of gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, and kosher offerings without sacrificing taste. The feel of the diner also adds to the overall experience.

 

I can't wait to head back to Dayton and try Olive for dinner in the near future!

 

 

 

 

Oktoberfest Brat Trot Recap

Photos by OHventures

When one thinks of Oktoberfest, the first things that come to mind are probably sausage, lederhosen, and stein after stein of cold, frothy "bier." The Columbus Oktoberfest is trying to add "running" to that list by incorporating a four mile (vier meiler) run known affectionately as the "Brat Trot" into the opening day of the festivities. What's best is that after the run, participants get to experience all the fun and tasty German amenities late into the evening. My friend Matt and I (pictured above) eagerly signed up for the Brat Trot, in part due to all of the great perks that came along with it! 

The Columbus Oktoberfest mimics (on a much smaller scale) the original German celebration that takes place every year in Munich. Oktoberfest in Munich spans a 16-day period in late September and early October and is a vital part of Bavarian culture, existing as far back as 1810. Dozens and dozens of cities across the globe have since adopted their own celebrations (Cincinnati Oktoberfest, for instance, happens to be the third largest in the world with approximately 500,000 visitors). The 46th Annual Columbus Oktoberfest took place September 28-30, 2012 at the Ohio Expo Center (the site of the Ohio State Fair). Previously held in Schiller Park in German Village, the event changed locations in 2009 to better accommodate the growing crowd.

Coinciding with the official keg tapping, the Brat Trot kicked off Columbus Oktoberfest at 6:15 PM with coverage on the local news and a presentation of both the German and United States national anthems. The course took us on a double loop around the Ohio State Fairgrounds (course map here). While it was not the most scenic of runs, it was pretty humorous seeing folks dressed in lederhosen (like my other friend Matt, pictured above), breeches, and (oddly) chickens on their heads. 

Matt and I completed the race side by side with our final time of 34:48 (or 103rd and 104th out of 500 runners. official times posted here). This was a fantastic time for the both of us (approximately 8 minute 30 second miles), especially given that we had never run together, and that we both have a history of knee problems. It felt great to complete the race in such good personal times, and great to have fun while doing it!

Following the race came the real fun, where Matt and I got to cash in all of our coupons we received for signing up to run. Not only did a portion of our registration fee go toward a great cause, Charity Newsies (whose primary goal is to clothe poor and underprivileged children), we also got some "free" goodies! Aside from the awesome technical shirt and finisher's medals, we got to scarf down on some congratulatory cream puffs and sausages from Schmidt's (pictured above), and wash it down with our choice of authentic German brewed beer!

After perusing the rest of the Oktoberfest, grabbing another bier, listening to the alpine horns (pictured below), and chatting with other friends (such as former Featured OHventurer Jason Warner), Matt and I called it a night. It was a successful Oktoberfest run and we look forward to next year!