Local Art 4-Sale in Cool Place

What are you doing Friday night?  Hi, it's Meghan Mongillo. :-)

Some of you may have heard of ‘Final Friday’ in Over-the-Rhine. As part of the event, this Friday August 27, 2010 from 7-10 p.m there will be a unique artistic experience at Venue 222.

The urban event space will have local art for sale. It'll feature works by some of the artists who work at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC).

Some might be surprised to learn that the people responsible for putting those CAC shows together are artists in their own right. You'll get to see and buy art from a diverse group of people who work in different media.

This picture is of the show being set up and two of the paintings for sale.

I Scream for Ice Cream!

Which do you prefer, soft serve or hard scooped ice cream?
Hi it's Meghan Mongillo, AKA one of Cincinnati's biggest fans of soft serve ice cream. :-)

Don't get me wrong, I love scooped ice cream too. But not as much as a soft serve chocolate and vanilla twist cone. Mmmmmm. It's arguably my favorite dessert (and I do love desserts!).

I've been to soft serve ice cream stands all over the Tri-State. The Creamy Whip in Norwood is within walking distance of my home so it's one of my favorites. (That's where the picture was taken. I sometimes get my cone dipped in chocolate) Putz's Creamy Whip is also great -- there's a reason it's been a Cincinnati tradition since 1938!

I put on my investigative reporter hat to do some research on soft serve ice cream and found out some cool facts about this old fashioned treat. Not surprisingly, soft serve got its start at one of the most popular ice cream chains, Dairy Queen, back in the 1930's. What you may not know is that it's served at a higher temperature than scooped which gives it the creamy texture and allows your taste buds to detect the flavor better. I didn't know this, but when you eat hard ice cream, your taste buds are chilled to the point that the flavors aren't as easily detectable.

Oh and here's the best part -- soft serve is made with less butter fat, which makes it a bit healthier. That's just what I was looking for, another reason to enjoy this amazing summer time treat! :-)

Tennis Love

The top tennis players in the world are in Mason right now... and I’m excited! :-) Hi, it’s Meghan Mongillo.

Cincinnati is very fortunate to host the Western & Southern US Open Series. I was there Monday night when the ladies kicked off the event. "Wow" is the one word that comes to mind. These women are exceptional athletes. Watching tennis on TV is not the same as being there. We sat at the one end behind the players and watching the speed of the ball and how close it came to the top of the net was incredible.

I wasn’t familiar with either player I watched, but still I was really into it. Victoria Azarenka, who was the #9 seed in the tournament, took on unseeded Ana Ivanovic. Azarenka dominated the first set 6-2, but underdog Ivanovic won over the crowd. She stepped up big time, winning the wild 2nd set in a tie breaker and then taking the 3rd set to win the match. Azarenka had a bit of a melt down during that tight 2nd set, slamming her racket to earn a warning from the official and throwing her towel. Seeing her passion just added to the excitement! :-)

(By the way...Ana Ivanovic won her 2nd round match up as well. She moves on to meet Elena Vesnina in the third round today)

If you have a chance to go, do it. The tickets prices are from $24 to $44 and believe me, it’s worth it!
https://shop.cincytennis.com/pricelist.asp

It's Fair Time

Where can you see a goat show, a 5-year-old kissing a snake, and a demolition derby? The Clermont County Fair!

Hi, Meghan here. I grew up in a small town in northern Ohio, near Youngstown. Believe it or not, I was in 4H and every year my parents, sisters and I looked forward to the county fair. I miss those days, so last weekend I convinced my friend to go with me to the Clermont County Fair.

I really just enjoy the people, sights and sounds of a the county fair. We met several really nice folks, including Jacob of Newtonsville, OH who showed off this pig that won a grand champion prize. Check out his picture. He and his sister raised 11 pigs and sold some at auction.

After wandering through the stables of goats, pigs, horses, and cows, we stopped for a show by the Kent Family Magic Circus. The Kents tour four months of the year and both parents and all seven of the children get in on the act that includes magic, juggling, and several other random acts of skill -- like balancing a wheelbarrow on one's chin while climbing a step ladder (which, incidentally, was also previously balanced on the same chin).

Believe it or not, the highlight for me though was the goat show. Those goats were really stubborn about navigating the obstacle course! None of them seemed to want to walk across the seesaw or jump over the barricades. The competitors showed great poise, patience, perseverance and strength to get through it though.

We capped the night by witnessing a wild and crazy demolition derby in the grandstand. I'm not sure who ended up winning, but it was entertaining! That fair is over but the Boone County Fair is going on through Saturday. You should check it out!