Weekend Update

It's true. I've been morose a bit lately, but that ends today. Mrs. Merryman and I just wrapped up an excellent weekend together. Saturday we had mom come over and we headed over to the North Market. For my two out of state readers, the North Market is an institution in CBus. It's a combination outdoor Farmer's Market (all organic, grown by local farmers) with an indoor market with dozens of vendors selling everything from Vietnamese groceries, fresh baked bread, fresh fish (never frozen and from sustainable sources), and restaurant type food. It's an amazing place.
I bought Jen some Corkscrew Grass (weird grass that's as twisted and bushy as After-Sex Hair). We also bought some fresh salad greens, two big bundles of asparagus, some organic Pumpkin Apple Butter and some salmon steaks. We're getting a bit like hippies when it comes to food, but we're trying not to get carried away. We're digging the idea of clean eating, but the thing that I really like is supporting the local farmers. The prices are decent, and you know you're helping someone stay independent. Good stuff.

After heading back to Merryman Manor, we grilled up and tossed together our lunch, grubbed down and then Jen and I headed out to see The Strangers. It really was a decent movie. I was on edge most of the film and it was fun, but it's yet another horror movie with sketched characters and very little story. Yes, I get that it's kind of the point...random violence can happen to anyone without a reason or backstory, it's just not the most engaging story telling. Still, it was a bit disturbing, and very tense, so we had fun.

When we got back to the house we decided we didn't want to be inside yet, so we grabbed some water and headed over to Sharon Woods Metropark to walk around for a bit. It's a nice enough place, and it was cool because there were so many families out for graduation parties. Every picnic shelter was full of people. Kids swarmed around volleyball nets and old men played horseshoes. Normally, we like going to the park for some quiet and to be left alone, but there was something infectious about all the activity, and the five mile walk was over before we knew it.

Sunday morning was all about the Bike Gang. We got up early and headed out to do a trail that stretches between Johnstown and Newark. It's about 30 miles round trip, and we about died halfway back. It was so fucking hot. So hot. Still, it was fun. It's a great ride through the country and it's mostly a shaded ride. We saw some small animals along the way (baby raccoons are pretty cute, ya'll) and survived, so we were proud of ourselves. Of course I was useless the rest of the day and did very little else, but still...

The Great Outdoors

Tonight I rushed home, got the bike rack on the back of the Jeep, loaded the bikes and boogied over to one of our many Metro Parks for the first ride of the year. It was pushing 60 degrees but was pretty chilly in the shade and there was the occasional pool of melted snow to spash through, but man it was just great to be outside.

We just got our bikes a couple of weeks ago and have been dying to get out get on some trails. We weren't out there too long, but it was nice to just get a feel for the new bikes and be outside. We made good time but stopped for a bit to watch four deer about 75 yards out as they stood around doing deer stuff.

Looks like it's going to be shit outside for the next two weeks. Lots of chilly wind and rain. Spring can't come soon enough.

Kurt Cobain was wrong. Mother Nature is not a whore, she's a tease.