When I threw it out to my writing group, "So, who here is a blogger?" Carol Nowlin didn't hesitate. Her blog, "carol's blog-o-rama" is proof she's a blogger with a brain--and a fine writer besides. Unlike most folks I know, Carol lives in Plain City. With her roots in smaller town Ohio she has an off -the-beaten-track take on things to do. If you're passing through her part of Ohio some day, slow down and look for the landmarks she mentions--and definitely plan on a meal and picking up some baked goods for the trip home.

1) You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity? Me and Plain City. I'd say it's a marriage of necessity, since I moved (back) here to rent and mooch off my parents for a while. I'm growing to love it too, though, but mostly in secret. I love the weathered brick buildings of uptown, and the plain-talking locals who wouldn't know how to put on airs even if they wanted to. I love the clock tower, and the new coffee shop, and the quiet, leafy homes on Chillicothe Street.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you do? Spending seventy-five dollars in Plain City would take a while. First thing in the morning, I would stop at Der Dutchman to fuel up on the breakfast buffet, being sure to get there early for fried mush, home fries, bacon, and long john donuts. With tax and tip, that would be about ten bucks. Then I would head next door to the Plain City Lanes for a couple games of bowling, using the bumper lanes of course, because I stink at bowling. That would be another ten bucks. Then I guess I'd saunter over to the Country Closet, an MCC Thrift Shop, and pick up a lemonade pitcher or denim skirt. Five bucks. Then I'd hope in my car and head a couple miles out of town to pick up provisions at Yutzy's Farm Market. They've got bulk foods, fresh produce, and best of all, deli meats and cheeses that are cheap, cheap, cheap. If I tried really hard, I could spend twenty bucks. I'd take my booty to Pastime Park and enjoy a late picnic lunch, and then head over to the Pioneer Coffee Company to wash it all down with some fair trade coffee ($1.45). If it was the second or fourth Friday of the month, I'd finish my day by heading over to the Plain City Auction to spend my remaining twenty-odd dollars. People from near and far crowd into this red-brick building on Main Street to munch popcorn and bid on everything from retro sectionals to old farming journals.

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the one place you show visitors? Okay. Two places. For better or worse, Der Dutchman is our town's biggest attraction. So I would have to head over for a meal in the buggy, knick-knack browsing in the Gift Barn, and consumption of some oversized pastries from the bakery. In the summertime, Ralph Miller offers free carriage rides to people waiting for a table. For other places, see my packed itinerary above.

4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan? Sans kids, I would definitely head to Cleveland for a long weekend of shopping, sightseeing, and good eats. I'd buy some greasy olives and stinky cheese at the Westside Market and then visit Coventry, where I'd enjoy primo veggie fare at Tommy's. After Tommy's I'd do some shopping at the eclectic stores and take a few rides down the giant slide at the nearby neighborhood park. Then I'd head south for a long ramble on the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Of course, I'd have to dedicate an afternoon to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and also spend some time hanging out at the Lake Erie shore. Okay, so since I can't quite imagine three days sans kids, I'm running out of ideas. I'd probably work in some naps. And I'd cap my visit with a trip to Little Italy for some vino and pasta with sidewalk views. After dinner I'd sip a cappuccino with my pinky sticking out and browse some of the local art galleries and shops.

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want. The idea of state pride is a little weird to me. I guess you are who you are, and there's not much point in being proud, or for that matter, ashamed of it. However, we as Midwesterners tend to wallow in a bit of local embarrassment. Shucks, it ain't New York, and we know it, but who died and made New Yorkers the only arbiters of cool? I hereby renounce Ohio-shame. We helped decide the last election (which, depending on your leanings, is a source of pride or shame), and we have a great sense of particularity, of history, and by golly, we've got more Amish folks than any other state.

Neil Miller is responsible for The Columbus Movie Guy blog, as well as a couple others. Neil was nice enough to let us ask him our Ohio 5 questions and talk a little bit about what he likes about living in Ohio and where he likes to hang out and how much he likes Columbus.


1) You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

My relationship with the great city of Columbus began as a marriage of necessity, as I was relocated with my "real" job here about a year and a half ago. Since then it has been a pairing that has blossomed into a lovely union, as I have completely fallen for the heart and soul of the Capital City. Being from Cleveland, I had always thought of Columbus as being a world away; just a small town that sat next to a big college. I have learned though, that there is a much greater community of youth and culture here than anywhere else in the entire Midwest. Living here has captured both my love of being a part of a big metropolis and my affection for the spirit of the Midwest. Needless to say, I am hooked on living here in Columbus.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you do?

I would take an afternoon downtown, in the Arena District. I would start with catching a movie at the Arena Grand, which is the best theater experience in all of Ohio. I would then grab a bite to eat, probably down at Gordon Biersch (where I could enjoy a fresh brewed glass of greatness). After dinner I would walk over and use the remainder of my money to purchase a ticket to see my beloved Columbus Blue Jackets play at Nationwide Arena. But then again, I don't need a benefactor to give me $75 to do that... I do it all the time anyway.

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

Oh what a tough question! There is just so much to do in this town. I would most likely take someone down High Street, through campus and all the way down into downtown. We would swing by the Capital building, breeze through the Arena District and end up down in German Village, at Thurman's for the World's Best Burgers. It would be a wonderful drive that would show off a lot of what Columbus has to offer.

4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

This mysterious benefactor is beginning to sound like someone I should call more often. $500 would easily buy me a trip back up North to my hometown of North Olmsted, which is just southwest of Cleveland. There I would round up all of the friends and family whom I miss so much and take them downtown for a day. We would hit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, maybe catch an Indian's game, and swing on down to the Warehouse District for some drinks. At the end of it all I would make sure that I had enough money left over to put a tank of gas in my car and make it home, right back here to Columbus.

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

Once you get over the shame of being the state that messes up just about every Presidential Election, there is a lot to be proud of being from Ohio. We may not have the greatest professional sports teams in the world *cough* the Browns *cough*, or the biggest cities, but we have a lot of heart. There is no place in America where people work harder to support the ones they love most. Ohio may not have the glitz and glamor of California, but we still know how to have a good time. It is a great place to raise a family and an even better place to have been brought up. In all of my travels, I have never once had any ounce of shame telling someone that I am from Cleveland, Ohio... Even after they make fun of our football team.

We'd like to welcome the newest member of our team to BloggingOhio.com, Tom Barlow, and will let him introduce himself to everyone here at our latest Ohio 5:

I'm Ohio born and bred, originally from the heart of the steel belt in Canton, but a resident of Columbus for (mumble mumble) years. I was lucky enough to work as the original director of The Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure for ten years, so I was paid to travel the state's back roads looking for the most interesting locations. For another seven years, I was Membership Director of the American Motorcyclist Association, and spent many a pleasant day on my scoot tooling around our state.

Don't look to me for info about the big cities, but for small town Ohio, I'm your guy. Other interests- fiction writing, sports, bicycling, outdoor rec, music, Ohio history. MWM. I love long walks at sunset, tea in front of a roaring fire, and... oops- wrong site.

1) You and your town; a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

Momentum, mostly. I went to college at Otterbein, in Westerville, and for a long time I intended to move to a sexier location such as Colorado, but never quite got around to it. Then one day I woke up and realized Columbus was a pretty darn good home base. It's not too expensive, it's seismically stable, the traffic usually doesn't suck, and I can get almost any ethnic food I want. The library is first-class and the sewer system superb.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you do?

I'd head to the zoo first, to watch the manatees. They make me feel svelte by comparison. Then I'd stop by the North Market for a dish of Jeni's Fresh Ice Creams. In the afternoon, I'd buy the best seat in the house at a Clipper's baseball game (but only if the Indian's farm team was in town; I hate the Yankees, the parent club of the Clippers). Next would be a stop at Areopagitica Used Books to restock my reading shelf.

I'd take my new finds to Cup O' Joe's coffee house for a Café Americano. The rest I'd blow on Fish and Chips and a few bottles of Old Peculiar with my S.O. at the Bag O' Nails restaurant in Worthington.

Yeah, I'm a bit food motivated.

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the
one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

The outdoor sculpture, "Field of Corn" in Dublin is a must-see for any visitor. Then a walking tour of German Village, a bit of old Europe built by German immigrants just south of downtown, and gentrified over the past 20 years.

4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

Yeehaw! First, a night at the Inn at Cedar Falls, in the Hocking Hills, and an evening walk through the gorge from the falls to Old Man's Cave. Then, to compare hospitality, I'd head south to Adams County, near the Ohio River, and the beautiful Murphin Ridge Inn tucked away in the hills. A walk to Buzzard's Roost Rock that afternoon would also be on the agenda.

The next morning I'd head north, stopping for a dip at the beach at Caesar Creek State Park and a rum raisin cone at Young's Dairy. I'd visit the newly- renovated Frank Lloyd Wright house in Springfield, before ending up for the night at the Inn at Versailles.

Obviously, I'd blow most of my $500 on gas.

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

Libraries. Fresh water. The secondary road system. The contours of the fields at harvest in Richfield County. Paint Creek gorge, just below the dam. Quarry swimming holes. Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. Enthusiasm. Diversity.

I wish I didn't know that Ohio takes over one million tons of New York's trash each year.

One of the host of Toledo-area bloggers, you can find Jeffrey Smith at his blog Just A Comment where he takes a look at life in Toledo, and anything else that strikes his fancy. He was nice enough to take the time to answer the Ohio 5.

If you are interested in being interviewed for the Ohio 5, drop us your blog's name, URL, and location and we'll be happy to check it out!

1. You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

All of the above. I came here to visit a friend for a week and liked the place so much I decided to stay. Job and relationship issues had me wanting a new environment, so love, convenience, and necessity all came together in Toledo.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you do?

I'd head straight for the Superior Antique Mall and drop the lot in about ten minutes.

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

My first thought would be the Toledo Museum of Art, which is world class. However, I would have trouble getting out of there in less than a few hours. There's too much to see. If time were really short, I'd go to the plaza next to One Seagate. It gives a good introduction to the beauty of the place. Good buildings to look at, impressive view of the Maumee, a fantastic fountain to lower the blood pressure, easy walking distance to other places if time permits. It's the best place to start falling in love with Toledo.

4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

Right over to the antique mall. But $500.00 might take half an hour.

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

I'm proud of the fact that Ohio has plenty to offer visitors and residents, no matter what their interests happen to be. History, the arts, nature. Ohio has it all. I'm ashamed of the fact that too many Ohioans just can't seem to accept the truth of that.

Christopher Geidner is better known as Law Dork. Blogging via Law Dork he covers a wide range of Ohio issues, and is a well trafficked Columbus blog. Christopher took the time to answer five of our questions about Ohio.

If you are interested in being interviewed for the Ohio 5, drop us your blog's name, URL, and location and we'll be happy to check it out!

1) You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

I love Columbus. I grew up in Youngstown and spent three years in Washington, D.C. Columbus is the perfect mix of the young, vibrant, diverse, political capital that is D.C., and the warm, friendly, supportive environment that is the Midwest.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you do?

My friends and I head to the new South Campus Gateway at OSU; we get dinner and then head to the Drexel for a movie.

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

The Statehouse . . . and the Shoe - the two, constantly competing centers of the universe in Columbus.

4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

Cedar Point, again with friends, and a stop over in Youngstown to see Mom.

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

he people of this state. There's a lot not-quite-great about Ohio these days, but it's clear that there are dedicated people who want to fix this state. Watching and joining those people at work - be they politicians, lawyers, teachers, volunteers, or people doing any of the many things that people do to help others and create change - makes me proudest of this state.

Shannon Okey, aka 'knitgrrl,' is a Cleveland area blogger. She writes, spins yarn, and is involved in several different business and has recently started her own publishing company called Anezka Media. Shannon blogs at her website about knitting and Cleveland and anything else. Shannon was  kind enough to answer our five questions below.

If you are interested in being interviewed for the Ohio 5, drop us your blog's name, URL, and location and we'll be happy to check it out!


1) You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

Necessity. I moved back from Boston to be with the man I love; being back in my hometown came with the deal.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you do?

Phnom Penh for dinner (Dennis Kucinich is a regular!), that's about $30 if you splurge...then River Color Studio or Birds of a Feather for yarn...which I'll knit up at Edgewater Park while watching the waves.

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

If it wasn't under renovation, my first choice would always be the Museum of Art, particularly our amazing Asian collection...one of the best in the country. Barring that, a trip to the Coventry/Shaker Square area for dinner & book-shopping at Mac's Backs is always good. (Vintage toys at Big Fun! a movie at the nearby Cedar-Lee! Hungarian food at Balaton or Little Budapest!)

4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

Athens, Ohio, where I went to college. Basil bagels with sundried tomato schmear, some of the prettiest forests in the world to wander (I like hunting morels), and lots of friends to visit nearby. There's Casa Nueva, southern Ohio's best worker-owned Mexican restaurant and cantina, a fantastic library, great coffee, and lots of little shops to receive aforementioned mysterious benefactor's largesse.

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

Ohio in general has a lot to offer in terms of affordability/good living conditions (the mortgage on my old house cost as much as renting one bedroom in Boston ... not a one-bedroom apartment, ONE BEDROOM), an enthusiastic artists' community and more. If I was a startup looking to hire good people, I'd move my business here ... it seems the most talented people I know in this state are chronically underemployed.

Midwestgrrl is an anonymous blogger based out of Cleveland who answered a series of our questions about Ohio.

If you are interested in being interviewed for the Ohio 5, drop us your blog's name, URL, and location and we'll be happy to check it out!

1) You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

Right now it's a marriage of love, but there is necessity, too. I love my job, and my boyfriend is here. But in addition, I'm an only child and my parents are getting older. I'd like to stay fairly close to them in the years to come.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you do?

Is shopping considered "not productive?" If so, I'd peruse vintage shops like Chelsea's, Flower Child and Suite Lorain in Cleveland and The Hidden Pearl in Akron, which would make quick work of that $75. If that's too productive, then I choose to go to dinner at Lopez in Cleveland Heights -- on Tuesday or Thursday, when margaritas are half-price. Or I'd go to the 50/50 show at 1300 Gallery, buy a piece of art, and get drinks at Snickers afterward.

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

I don't know that this is highly imaginative or groundbreaking, but if I have limited time, we're taking a quick driving tour through downtown -- to point at things like the Rock Hall, the sports venues, Warehouse and Gateway districts, the lake and Playhouse Square -- and then to the West Side Market. If someone's never been to Cleveland, I feel that's the best bang for your buck (or for no bucks). The languages, the cultures, the food, the people, the sights of Cleveland are all there. I feel like the old and new in the city blend there very well. Plus, you can buy cupcakes at Cake. I've taken a lot of people to the Market.

4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

I find someplace on the lake shore where $500 will buy me three days' lodging, a few groceries and one or two bottles of wine. I love to be by the water.

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

You know, I really like the fact that I'm a Clevelander. There's a lot to be proud of. What shames me, if you want to put it that way, is that we basically stink at working together. Success, especially on a national level, is viewed with suspicion; and I think we fail to see the benefits of reaching out, sharing information, and working toward a common goal. We're insular, and it can work against us. Obviously there are people in Cleveland that don't fit this mold, but a little more cooperation would pay dividends, I think.

The Glass City Gourmet is "is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio" and has become one of my favorite Toledo blogs to check into. I've already bookmarked a restaurant review of her's to check out the next time I'm visiting family in Toledo.

If you are interested in being interviewed for the Ohio 5, drop us your blog's name, URL, and location and we'll be happy to check it out!

The Glass City Gourmet Ohio 5 interview:

1) You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

Love and necessity.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you do?

A mudhens game! Every seat has a great view of the game and the skyline.  It's the best park in minor league baseball!

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

Toledo Museum of Art/Fifth Third Field
 
4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

Friday:
Stay in Toledo!  Spend the afternoon catching a Mud Hens game and enjoy lunch in the ballpark or up the street at Grumpy's deli or Tony Packo's Cafe.  In the evening, go to the Toledo Museum of Art for "It's Friday". Admission is always free at TMA and the museum stays open until 10PM on Fridays.  Have dinner downtown at the "Docks" to see the skyline from an outdoor patio at any one of the restaurants there.
 
Saturday morning:
Go to Star Diner, another local favorite with many locations, for the best breakfast in town. Then head to the Toledo Zoo to check out the new African Safari and the other animals from around the world.  Head back down to the river for a sunset cruise on the Sand Piper.  The owners know the local history and point out all of the historical homes, businesses and marinas along the river.  Head toward West Toledo for dinner at the Beirut Restaurant.  This local favorite features Middle Eastern cuisine.  The fresh baked pita arrives at your table still inflated like little pillows!
 
Sunday:
Get an early t-time with a member of Inverness Club.  This Donald Ross golf course has hosted several PGA tournaments (US Open) and more recently a Senior PGA Tournament.  Enjoy an early lunch on their patio facing the greens and gorgeous flowering bushes. Don't know a member? Try the Ottawa Park public course. It is still one of the most beautiful public courses in America.  Spend the afternoon at one of our outstanding Metro Parks.  I like the Toledo Botanical Garden and Wildwood Metro Park is an in-town favorite that features tea time and tours of the "Manor House", once lived in by the Champion Sparkplug founding family.  Sunday evening, if you are not totally wiped out, head over to Blue Water Grille on Dussel Drive in South Toledo for an early dinner. This is a locally owned restaurant that features fabulous seafood and steaks and will never disappoint. If you have the strength, head back to the Toledo Zoo for an outdoor concert in the beautiful stone amphitheater built during the WPA.  There are concerts all summer long and this year's line up includes Ashlee Simpson and Paul Simon.

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

Nothing makes me prouder than having 4 major cities in one state (The Three "C"s: Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati as well as Toledo), access to Lake Erie, and a proud heritage of distinguished births (More presidents than any other state, Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, Neil Armstrong, Gloria Steinham, the list goes on and on). 

Christina McMenemy is the face behind A Mommy Story. Christina is an Ohio native who is currently living in Columbus, Ohio. She is a student advisor for a local university, and as the title of her blog suggests, a mother. Christina blogs about raising children and various local items in her blog.

1) You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

I'd have to say love and convenience for me. Columbus is a beautiful city with lots of opportunity, the real estate market is reasonable, and there are plenty of kids activities. Both my husband and I have family here also, and so it is convenient for them to watch our daughter so we can work.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you
must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you do?

With $75, I could spend the day out at Easton shopping center, having lunch at BD's Mongolian BBQ and playing some games at GameWorks. Anything left over would be used for shopping.

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

I would first take visitors to COSI. Even if you don't have kids, COSI has so many interesting hands-on activities, and best of all, the Star Wars travelling exhibit will be there this summer. After that, we'd head up to the Columbus Zoo to check out the new Asia Quest exhibit.
 
4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

First I'd go to the Hocking Hills for a hike at Old Man's Cave, staying the night at Ravenwood Castle.  Then I'd travel north to spend the remainder of the time and money at Cedar Point.

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

I think I am most proud of the people of Ohio. They are generally down to earth, good-natured people. As for shame, I think the crazy amount of highway construction and the poor funding system for our schools rank high on my list. There's a reason people say the state animal is the Orange Barrel.

Josh Smith is a Findlay resident and blogger at www.imJosh.com. Josh is probably best known about the World Wide Web and blogs in general for his 33 logged hours of playing hard and studying the rates of swearing and vulgarity in Halo, the videogame.

Josh took time out to answer the Ohio 5:

1) You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

Living in Findlay is a definitely a marriage of convenience.  It is located close enough to work (about 20 minutes), close enough to family (30 minutes) and close enough to bigger cities such as Toledo, Ft. Wayne, and Columbus.  Findlay is starting to expand so the romance could be rekindled, it all depends on who moves in.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you do?

Well I can get a new Xbox 360 game with that but we'll go ahead and be reckless.  I would take my wife out to La Charitas a Mexican place down the street and follow that up by shooting some pool at Miscues and a movie at Carmike 12.  That should about finish out the $75 and give you an idea of how much there is to do in Findlay.

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

After much debate and mulling it over I would take my visitors to Dietsch's Brother's Ice Cream Shop to get the
best ice cream in the area.  Other places in Findlay to visit include Riverbend park or the Findlay Reservoir for various outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking etc.

4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

I would head down to the Mohican area in Central Ohio and rent a cabin for the extended weekend.  Go Canoeing, Fishing, ride some Go karts, go horseback riding, a round of mini golf, and chill out by the campfire.  If you haven't disconnected from your PC and relaxed outside in a while, it is a great activity to try.  Should I be getting the $500 in the mail or via paypal?

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

I am proudest of Ohio for the people who live here; on the whole Ohioans are "good people".  I am also proud of the State parks and other recreational areas in Ohio.

The shame I have as an Ohioan is that our governor seems aloof about education and was ranked in the 5 worst governors by Time Magazine.

Well, here it is -- your long and eagerly awaited introduction to me! Believe it or not, I don't spend all of my time drinking in bars, although you might get that impression from my blogs. Lots of my time, yes! But the rest is spent playing in my bands, writing, riding my fixed-gear bike, and trying to generally enjoy life. Here are my answers to our questions:

1) You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

I'll be honest. I never considered living in Cleveland. While I was at Oberlin, I spent most school breaks interning for various New York music companies. I always planned to move there when I graduated. But plans have a funny way of charting their own courses, sometimes, and I found myself living in Cleveland. Soon, I became involved with numerous local bands, and now those bands keep me happily ensconced here, at least for the moment.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you do?

I'd go to the east side for a day. I'd grab a mocha at Algebra Tea House, eat lunch at one of the restaurants in Little Italy, go to the art museum, maybe the Botanical Garden, and see a movie at the Cleveland Cinematheque. Then I think I'd be out of cash. Another option is to go record shopping all day long. I'd go to Music Saves, My Mind's Eye, and Bent Crayon.

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

The West Side Market, definitely. I've had many friends in from bigger cities who say they wish they had something similar back home. One more? I guess either the Beachland or the Grog Shop, assuming there's a good band playing at one of those that night.

4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

Oh, $500 -- I could pay this month's rent with that! No, really? Okay... First, I'd get tickets to the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall. Next, I'd go to Parker's for dinner. Parker's is one of the top restaurants in the city; they specialize in local food, and make things that taste really, really good. Finally, I'd rent a sailboat and sail Lake Erie for a day.

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

Honestly, I'm proud of living in a town that can be quite gritty and tough at times. I'm not alone in feeling this, although I might be close to alone in admitting it. I'm also proud of the fact that I've really discovered and embraced a city that takes some work to accomplish both of those. Many big cities sort of present themselves to you; in Cleveland, you have to search for and seek out the gems. They're there, certainly, but they don't just introduce themselves. Finding the amazing places to go and the amazing things to do requires stalking them, hunting them down, cornering them, and finally sticking your hand out and demanding an introduction. For people who don't actively try to find the coolest galleries, bars, restaurants, venues and shops, I imagine this would be a horrible place to live.

(Thanks to Lou Muenz for the photo.)

A few days ago, Weblogs Inc. editor Brad Hill approached me about blogging for BloggingOhio. I couldn't wait to say "yes," because Ohio is a place I cherish. This is a beautiful state with diverse landforms, climates, cities, and industries. And the people who live here absolutely love it. Ask any Ohioan how they feel about Ohio, and you'll more than likely get the same response. For my part, moving to Ohio eight years ago was the best move I've ever made.

Let me tell you about that. I grew up in Detroit, and by Detroit I mean the city of. Crack houses, casinos, and what I considered to be, at the time, a complete lack of a future for my young family (those are my kids Maddie and Jake in the photo).  Fortunately, one day in the spring of 1998, I landed a job here in Cleveland, and I've been a Clevelander ever since.  The thought of moving back home doesn't appeal to me any more, because Ohio has become my home sweet home. This place grows on you.  I didn't even mind when the Buckeyes pounded the snot out of the Wolverines last fall, because, hey, I'm an Ohioan, after all. (Now let's just hope the Browns pick up A.J. Hawk in the draft, huh?)

Today, I am an independent consultant working in the fields of advanced networking and Voice over IP.  I've been writing blogs for Weblogs Inc.'s voipfan.com for a year now, and O'Reilly Media has published two of my books about the subject of Voice over IP. 

I'm especially interested in local music, the local publishing and radio industries, fine dining, and, naturally, local technology stories. As part of the "Ohio 5" series, here are a few questions I'd like to answer, so you can get to know me!

1) You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

I call Elyria, OH home. This is a very quirky town indeed. The mayor never had a full time job prior to being elected, and he lived in with his mom well into his adulthood. Local politics are frustrating, economic opportunity is limited, and my house hasn't gained one red cent of value since I bought it three years ago. But this is a very affordable town, and I live near I-90, so zipping onto the freeway is a snap, and heading east to Cleveland is only a quick thirty-minute affair.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you
must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you
do?

Maybe I am a glutton at heart. Or maybe I just like gourmet food better than a trip to a Cavaliers' game. Either way, I think I'd take my wife to the Nemo Grille in Avon, Ohio, for a cheese plate, a filet mignon, and a chef's presentation of seered salmon.  OK, maybe that's *slightly* more than 75 bucks.

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

I'd probably take my guest to the Stocker Center at Lorain County Community College for a stage show or concert (especially if the Elyria Fiddlers are playing), and if it were a Friday night in the fall, I'd head over to an Elyria Pioneers or North Ridgeville Rangers high school football game.

4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

Day one, a Tribe Game at Jacobs' Field followed by drinks at Cooperstown, the joint owned by aged rock star Alice Cooper across the street from the Jake.  Day two, eighteen holes at Spring Valley Country Club. Day three, prepare an all-organic meal after stocking up on fresh produce goodies at Trader Joe's at Crocker Park in Westlake. Too exciting for you, isn't it!

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

I'm actually quite proud that such great opportunity exists in Ohio for a technical businessperson like myself. Believe  me, doing Silicon Valley work at Black River Valley costs is a heck of a lot more economical than living in a shoebox apartment in San Francisco, where tech jobs are in abundant supply. Here in Ohio, it may be tougher to engage in my line of work, but I have a four-bedroom house for a fifth of what it would cost to buy one in tech central.  Of course, the local political process in Cleveland is often shameful. But I keep reminding myself: it isn't Detroit.  Oh yeah--it sucks having to drive all the way to Columbus or Pittsburgh to see a pro hockey game!

Hi everyone, this another in our series of posts letting readers get to know us a bit, as well as point out that yes, we do actually live in Ohio. We'll also be asking some of the same questions of other Ohio bloggers, so stick around for more of The Ohio 5.

I'm not Ohio born, I'm actually from the Caribbean. I grew up in Grenada and the US and British Virgin Islands. My stepdad is from Akron, so he moved the family here after a brutal hurricane season back in 1995, after which I went to college in Ohio (an English Major, where I learned the proper grammar for 'would you like fries with that?') and then was offered a job in Bluffton. I'm also married to a Toledo native, so it looks like I'm fairly well wedded to the state now.

In my spare time I'm a writer, with short stories in various magazines and anthologies, and my first novel out this year. I'm sadly over-addicted to technology, RSS feeds, and any kind of information that I can consume.

1) You and your town: a marriage of love, convenience, or necessity?

I live in Bluffton, Ohio, a small town of maybe 5,000 between Findlay and Lima, about an hour south of Toledo. It is a marriage of convenience. I was moved to Ohio from the Caribbean my senior year of high school and I attended college here, and was offered a job here when I graduated.

Eventually I would like to live closer to Dayton, Columbus, or Cleveland. I think Ohio's small cities strike a great balance between interesting environments without being overwhelming, and affordability that other cities just can't give you.

2) A mysterious benefactor gives you $75, with the condition that you
must do nothing productive. Where in town do you go, and what do you
do?

I'd probably travel down to Lima to catch something at the Crouse Performance Hall. Lima has a full time orchestra that does performances all throughout the year, which is amazing for a small city of 20 or 30,000, and it often has visiting Broadway shows and events.

But the beauty of small town life right here in Bluffton is that I could also go for frozen custard at a converted train depot, then watch a movie in the local theatre, with popcorn and drink, have a small meal at a bistro, and then top it off with coffee at the coffee shop and still have not made much of a dent in $75. And that's probably what I would end up doing too...

3) You are your town's tour guide, on a tight schedule. What is the
one place you show visitors? OK -- two places.

I hear the Allen County Museum has a pretty good steam train exhibit I'd love an excuse to go see. But even I realize, just writing that, how lame that sounds.

Lunch would be at the 'The Thai Garden' which has the best Thai food I've had yet in all my various travels. In Lima. It still boggles me a bit.

4) The mysterious benefactor is back, this time with $500, three days off, and the condition that you must not leave the state. What's your plan?

Cedar Point baby, all the way! The biggest, best roller coasters and elephant ears in the world. Though waiting 2.5 hours to get on the Top Thrill Dragster, probably not the best use of time ever.

5) You're an Ohioan. What about that makes you proudest? The flip side of pride is shame; go there too if you want.

What I love is the affordability in general of living here. I'm in my 20s and I own a house, and I pay less on it than just about anyone my age is paying in rent who lives in any given metro area of the country. With the money I save, if I want to go somewhere, I can just go fly there.