Birthday Celebrations and Spreading the Cycling Joy

This past weekend my BFF Kelly invited me to go to The Big City (Columbus, Ohio) to celebrate her birthday with her, her husband and her family.  Another very good friend of ours, Angel, came along with her husband.  Kelly, Angel and I have been super close since our Sophomore year in High School.  Even though we only get to see each other a few times a year because of life, etc., we're able to pick up where we left off every single time.  Then, we have awesome fun.  Kelly is into cycling and so is her aunt that attended the birthday celebration.  We had a great time talking about bikes, gear, electronics, routes, speeds, times, etc.  As a beginner to cycling, I really eat this stuff up.

I'm not going to lie, this post is going to be a picture whoring post.  Why?  Because I took a ton of pictures, so I'm going to use them, damnit.  I'll narrate and let you enjoy my super elementary photography skillz...

As always, click the pics to make them bigger.

RoadQueen and Kelly at El Vaquero restaurant, Columbus, Ohio

Country Bumpkin that I am, I have a low tolerance for the hussle-bussle of Big City life.  Therefore, when I do venture out of the hay fields of home, everything in the city is pretty novel to me.

Downtown Columbus

More Downtown Columbus

After supper at El Vaquero, we made our way through downtown Columbus towards the Huntington Park Baseball Stadium to watch a Clippers baseball game.  Kelly works for a really huge company downtown, so she was able to secure parking in her work garage.  Once we ditched the car, we walked the rest of the way to the stadium.

Kelly, Husband Brad and Angel on our way to the baseball game

Random Greek Archway in front of a very small inner city Park on the way to the stadium

We knew when we reached our destination, because there were tell-tale signs:

Columbus Clippers Giant Blow-Up Mascot

Our seats were pretty sweet.  Right behind Left Field, 3rd row up.  

More Huntington Park Signage.  In case you forget where you are.

Kelly's dad ended up catching a home run ball.  Now Kelly's niece has a pretty cool souvenir.

The big TV-thing

Around the 4th inning, the unthinkable happened...a member of the Bachelor Party sitting right behind us SPILLED HIS BEER ON THE GROUND.  It ran under my seat and got on the soles of my shoes.  Humph!

So, I did what anyone in my situation would do.  I turned around and fixed the no-good scoundrel with my best looking-over-my-glasses-stare.  (I look eerily like a stern elementary teacher when I do this look.)  He apologised profusely (AS HE SHOULD!) and I said, 

"You should buy me a beer for having to put up with you."

So he did.  :-D

"Apology Beer"

I guzzled my free-to-me $9 beer with enthusiasm, and enjoyed the rest of the game, mostly listening to the drunken shenanigans going on behind me.  I suppose if I were more adventurous I could have joined them at the dueling piano bar after the game, but meh.

Kelly and RoadQueen

Angel, Kelly and RoadQueen

Oh!  Bike Vendors!!!  This was a first for me.  (Bumpkin, remember?)

"Working hard for the money" ?

After the game were fireworks.  I can almost always dig some fireworks.

After the game AND the fireworks, we all loitered around this statue for more pictures.

Harold M. Cooper

Who the hell is Harold M. Cooper?  ^This^ is who.

RoadQueen, Kelly, Angel

Tired RoadQueen, Kelly, Angel

I learned that Columbus has a bike share program.  Who knew?  Not I.  If someone were to rent a bike from the share program, they would have fairly ample infrastructure in which to ride said rental bike:

Downtown Bike Route Signage

Downtown Bike Route

Not related to the weekend birthday celebration, I talked my mother into going on a short bike ride with me.  We had a great time for about 2 miles...then we got where we were going.  But hey, It was way more fun than driving. 

You Go Girl

So, I have nothing profound to say about any of this other than, "Pretty Pictures".  Ride safe, all.

~The RoadQueen