Starting last Tuesday evening, Liz and I enjoyed a summer staycation. We were excited to spend some time together and away from the obligations of the office or the daily squeal of the alarm clock. As such, we dreamed big. We planned on hiking, getting massages, riding the ducks on the Ohio River, catching a World Choir Games friendship concert, and eating whatever the hell we wanted. After all, the word “vacation” comes from “vacate”, and we were itching to vacate our diets for a few days. Unfortunately, not everything went as planned.
Here is a daily rundown of our Skinnyfat staycation.
Tuesday, July 3
We kicked off America’s birthday with foreign food. After Liz’s work day ended, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Nada, for their delicious baked tortilla chips, mini sliders, and margaritas. The chips are so warm and salty, they make me want petition Congress to annex Mexico. When we left the restaurant, we watched a magnificent fireworks display at Fountain Square in Cincinnati. The fireworks added a magic to what was already a fantastic night. Another pair of couples joined us, and we hit another bar before heading home for the night.
The fireworks on Fountain Square.
Wednesday, July 4
We did not wake up for the country’s actual birthday until around 11:00am. Happy Birthday, America. Sorry we were late to your party. Not feeling our brightest, we spent the day in our apartment. We caught up on our DVRed shows, and watched the entire season of the HBO series Girls. That’s right, the whole season. We decided the Fourth of July would be the perfect day for our monthly pizza ritual. Each month, we split a large pizza and a large order of bread sticks. We opted for a pepperoni pie this month. My mouth is watering just typing about it. I can’t wait until August.
Thursday, July 5
Following a day of resting up and downing Advil, we were ready to hit the city. Unfortunately, the sun hit us first. Temperatures reached triple digits around the Queen City for the remainder of the weekend. We quickly crossed hiking off of our staycation wish list. We tried to see a World Choir Games friendship concert at the Cincinnati Art Museum, but apparently so did the rest of Cincinnati. There was nowhere to park our car, and from what we saw on the news, nowhere to sit and watch the show. We made lemons out of lemonade and looked at the plants at nearby Krohn Conservatory and took a short walk on a shaded path in Eden Park until we felt too hot for comfort.
We split a BLT at Bar Louie at Newport on the Levee. After lunch, we went to see the movie Moonrise Kingdom. It was a sweetly quirky movie that moved Liz to tears. Director Wes Anderson outdid himself. After the movie, we rode an amphibious vehicle on the Ohio River. It was a blast! We learned a lot of interesting facts about the Ohio and its bridges, and we quacked at pedestrians and bystanders when the wheeled boat hit the downtown streets. This was the unquestionable highlight of the week.
The Skinnyfats blowing in their quackers.
Friday, July 6
On Friday, the heat was especially stifling. It was so hot, I broke a sweat on the one block walk from our apartment to our car before we drove to Cincinnati Premium Outlets in Monroe, Ohio. The merchandise selection was underwhelming, but we stopped in nearly every store just to take a break from the brutal humidity. We had dinner at the Melting Pot that evening. Liz brimmed with excitement to take me to this upscale fondu restaurant for the first time. Her excitement turned to disappointment when they sat us in a dark corridor that was little more than a glorified closet. We asked them to turn the lights up, but we still struggled to read our menus. The food was good, but dessert was, without a doubt, the best part of the meal. We dipped strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows into a bowl of melted chocolate and washed it all down with s’mores martinis.
Between the heat, having to miss the choir concert, and the pitch black restaurant, staycation was starting to feel like a bust. In need of laugh, we went to Go Bananas comedy club. The headliner was a local product so the house was packed, but the crowd did not stop us from getting some laughs at just the right time.
Saturday, July 7 and Sunday, July 8
This was it, the last weekend of our summer staycation. We could not avoid the gym any longer, so we did the Spartacus 2012 workout just to feel human again. We spent our Saturday night playing Nintendo Wii with friends. We dueled in a virtual game of doubles’ tennis, and managed to avoid elbowing each other in the face even though we were flailing our arms around a small living room. The four of us snacked on sweet potato and apple chips. They were really tasty, and a healthier alternative to Doritos, Fritos, or the normal snack fare.
We spent that Sunday like any other; we relaxed and enjoyed each other’s company. The afternoon was punctuated by naps and we caught up on laundry.
Liz went back to work yesterday and we dropped right back into our workout and food routines. In the moment, staycation was not all we had hoped, but it is people who make life interesting. We’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
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