Summer Vacation - Part Three

There are some simple pleasures about staying with my parents. One is having breakfast out on the deck. Although the temperatures reached 80+ degrees nearly every day, it was still cool and lovely in the mornings.

But after a relaxing breakfast, there were always ways to fill our days. Philipp usually logged on to MSN to try and chat with family members. We had errands to run, stocking up on essentials (contact lens solution, favorite kinds of toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) essentials-for-Philipp (Reece’s Pieces, Oatmeal Creme Pies), and a few not-to-be-named electronics items. (in case there are any customs officials reading) ;)

Most of all, Philipp and I were excited to spend time with my parents. The first day of our trip, Philipp and my Dad went to see an air show. Apparently it was quite impressive ... especially since the aircraft were all remote controlled! They weren’t dinky little toys, though. Some of them had a wingspan of several feet.

The airfield was on the north side of Cincinnati, not far from the brand new IKEA store. So ... as you can probably guess ... Mom and I opted to do a little browsing instead. She had never been to an IKEA before, and was quite impressed. We especially liked all the kitchen cabinets and drawers that close themselves, and enjoyed testing them throughout the store. (Although the ones without this feature tended to make an awful BANG!)

Before heading back down to Northern Kentucky, we had to visit our favorite international grocery store, Jungle Jim’s. It’s famous around here. And definitely unique. It’s just plain huge, and it carries things you’ve never seen before. And some things you’d never dream of eating!

In our first week, my parents planned a little get-together with friends in the park near their house. On Tuesday nights in the summer, there are free outdoor concerts there. Two years ago, Philipp and I discovered a really fun band, Robin Lacy & DeZydeco, when they performed there. (What’s zydeco music? find out here. I even found this clip on YouTube.) Knowing we were excited to see them again, my parents invited some people for a picnic in the park, the concert, and then dessert back at the house. It was fun to catch up with people, the concert was a blast, and I made my first vacherin. (Philipp’s mother’s famous frozen custard and meringue dessert ... everyone loves it ... only a privileged few have the recipe.)

Dad, Mom, Kerry and Philipp at the concert in the park

Philipp and Robin Lacy

Kerry and the vacherin

It was a fun first week, but before we knew it, it was time to start out on our road trip to Vermont! Check back for the next installment. (coming soon ... promise) :)

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