#7 - AOA-PAC

Number 7 reason why I love being out here in Columbus is AOA-PAC. Last year I did this, and this year was even better, because I got to go on some Utah visits (Senator Hatch, and Congressman Chaffetz).

We were pushing HR bills 1219 and 1195 to put optometrists on equal grounds with the other primary health care doctors on medicaid (like we already are on medicare), and to include optometrists on the National Health Services Corps bill so that we can get student loan forgiveness for providing eye care to underserved populations. Call me if you want an explanation of all this.

Or you can watch this video... maybe it will help. See if you can find me at time 5:10 of the video. I'm wearing a purple shirt and a blue lanyard.

#8 - AAVGC

Reason #8 why I love Columbus is the African American Voices Gospel Choir. I saw an ad for this student organization on campus, and decided to join. :) We have rehearsals Wednesday nights, and last night we had auditions for Edify, the elite choir... results were in this morning and I made it! Search for my name here.

#6 - Living Creatures

This past year I have been continually fascinated by all the close contact with Columbus' native fauna, many of which I never really saw first hand in Utah. (My theory is that since there are no mountains/valleys here we tend to bump into the animals a lot more).

Here are some highlights of animals I've seen over the past year:

GRAY SQUIRREL

There are a bajillion of these guys running around all over Columbus. They are all over campus and in the parks, and any tree in the city (including the tree that we tie our hammock to at our home... just try taking a nap when one of them is munching on nuts right above your head).

As a side note, I was driving about 2 minutes away from home and saw one of these scurry across the road...

Only to be eaten by one of these...

It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my life.

Other birds of note:

TURKEY BUZZARD

CANADIAN GOOSE

Ohio shares a maritine border with Canada. I can only assume that's why we have so many of these messy birds in our parks.

CARDINAL

The cardinal is Ohio's state bird. They are so beautiful and I see them all the time right outside my kitchen window.

Also in my back yard:

HARE

The last two creatures were uncomfortably close to home:

OPOSSUM

A few weeks ago we talking by the hammock at night, and heard some rustling noises coming from the underbrush. I ran and got my flashlight and saw these glowing eyes staring back at me. My first live opossum experience.

SKUNK

A couple days ago we spotted one of these prancing across our front porch as we were saying goodnight to guests. Of course the goodbyes were delayed for a couple of minutes as we made sure everyone was safe to leave the house.

#5 - Football Season

Yesterday was the Marshall game, which marked the beginning of football season here at OSU. Anyone that has visited Columbus soon discovers that the city breeds fanatical football followers. Football season is a HUGE part of city life here in Columbus, especially for a student, so I decided to get season tickets this year. You just can't attend OSU and never experience this:

So, I'm going to at least one game this season, and I'm allowing myself to get excited for it. I just need to figure out which game will sell for the cheapest on craigslist, go to that game, and sell the others. :)

As a side note, BYU announced it's independence from the Mountain West Conference on Sept 1st. I happened to be with Burke when he found out. This lead to an hour-long sports history lesson about the whole ordeal. It was surprisingly interesting. Burke let me keep the visual aid he produced during our discussion. (All the numbers are in millions of dollars):

Bottom line - college football is corrupt, and BYU is now one of only four colleges who have freed themselves from the imbroglio. We even made a spiritual analogy: Just as each constructed temple decreases Satan's power on earth, so each independent college decreases the BCS's power. (If you don't know what the BCS is, talk to Burke).

Going independent from any conference, though, is apparently a very risky thing to do, so we are praying that the Lord's football team doesn't fall off the face of the planet.

#4 - The Ohio Theater / WICKED

#4 reason why I love Columbus is the Ohio Theater. It is an amazing architectural piece of history that is used for events such as the symphony and, oh yeah, WICKED!!!!


That's right folks. Last Wednesday I was inside this theater with tears welling up in my eyes as I saw songs like "Defying Gravity" performed in front of my very eyes. Jackie Burns is my new hero. Her voice was indescribable! I couldn't stop smiling. My first real professional show (on or off broadway) was absolutely worth every penney (4,000 pennies to be exact).

#3 - Free WiFi at CMH & Friends

This morning my good friend Brandi took me to the airport to make my morning flight to SLC. During check-in, I realized my phone was missing. (It was sitting in the passenger seat of Brandi's car). I blame my shallow slippery shorts pockets. I should KNOW by now not to wear them during travel.

First order of business was to call my phone (thank you random airport employee lady for lending me your phone). Since it was on vibrate, Brandi didn't hear it.

Next item was to get checked in: SUPRISE! My flight is delayed several hours. (side note to never pick a layover through Detroit again).

On the positive side, and my reason #3 why I love Columbus: the Columbus airport has FREE WiFi throughout the entire airport. I was able to contact Brandi on facebook, and she was willing to drive all the way to the airport again to drop off my phone. Here is a picture of me on the internet in the airport writing this blog (you can see my culpable shorts in the pic):

In conclusion, I LOVE that we have free WiFi at our airport (a novel idea!) and LOVE having awesome friends who are willing to help me out on occasions that I admit that I need help. Thanks Brandi! And thank you CMH for giving me the opportunity to blog and watch my favorite shows on Hulu while I wait for my delayed flight!

#2 - Red White & Boom

Last night was Columbus' annual Red White and Boom celebration. Me and 499,999 other people gathered for the parade, the fireworks, and other festivities in downtown Columbus. I did a half-way decent job of documenting the event via my phone camera. Enjoy:

A few members from the singles ward arrived at noon to stake out a position on a hill right by the point on the Olentangy River where the fireworks were to be set off. You can see Curtis playing his guitar:

We were very close to the full-size replica of the Santa Maria.

The parade started at 6 pm. I think the Freedom Festival parade in Provo is better than the parade here, even though there were more people. I caught a picture of Jim Tressel, our famous OSU Football coach. He received more applause from the crowd than our mayor. One lady standing next to us referred to him as Columbus' "Walking Jesus". (Sorry the security officers block the view of Tressel, but it's the only shot I got):

After the parade, we walked around the crowded streets and ate gyros and fresh squeezed lemonade (Mmmm!). A few crowd shots:

After a long parade and walking the streets, I was tired, so I took a nap on the lawn in preparation for the fireworks.

Beautiful sunset by the Santa Maria.

FIREWORKS!!! The fireworks were incredible! Of course a picture could never do them justice. To compare, they were at least as good as Stadium of Fire. Maybe it was company, my general attitude towards life, or simply being in a new place... but this was one of the most enjoyable firework shows that I can remember.

I LOVE Columbus' Red White & BOOM!

#1 - Columbus Water

I LOVE Columbus water!
I love having to filter all the chloride out of it before drinking it.
I love how it rains all the time, and then rains some more.
I love walking down the street in 80% humidity 84 degree weather.
I love the Olentangy, Scioto, and other large rivers that dissect the city and make for interesting road connections.
I love how people in Columbus drive in a light rain at noon like Utahns drive in a heavy snow storm at midnight.
I love how I did a 180 off a slick freeway exit and got my first flat tire and car tow in Columbus:

100 Reasons Why I Love Columbus

Dear Family and Friends:

In my battle to become a better blogger, I've decided to focus on frequency through my new series... (drum roll......)

100 Reasons Why I Love Columbus

This new series is designed to inspire me to blog more often about daily life here in Columbus, and to give you guys a chance to learn about what's going on in my life a little more often. Aren't you all so excited!? I know, I know, you all just can't wait for this series to get started... Get ready to hear some amazing things. Look for my posts with the "100 Reasons Why I Love Columbus" label.

Love,
Kyle