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Activated Spaces is back.

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My last adventure got me out of the car and exploring the region via bus, bike and good ol’ fashioned walking. And you know what I saw? Well, in addition to the random shopping cart and dude who was arguing about drugs – I saw great local art! And not by seeking out a gallery (although I recommend that, too) – but by just walking around.

The Activated Spaces team (powered by the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan) worked with local property owners and invited artists to share their work with the community while focusing on our region’s assets. It was a great success and resulted in 17 vibrant art displays filling downtown windows and the selection of Amanda Sue Allen as the People’s Choice award (work currently on display at the Cannery Art and Design Center). Everything from photography to quilt-work and paintings to cloth and pottery to cellophane was represented (and much, much more!) It was a great, diverse and eclectic celebration of Dayton’s professional and amateur artists.

Serida checks to make sure the QR code is working on the Dayton Creative Syndicate's installation featuring the Culture Works festival.

So – they’re doing it again! They have put the call out to local artists to submit work for a second round of storefront window art displays to be unveiled at the September Urban Nights. The fall 2011 installation theme, “Spotlight Dayton,” challenges artists to focus on our many downtown neighborhoods and highlight favorite places. They hope to include aspects of all areas of downtown–neighborhoods, parks, organizations and various community assets may be featured. It may be a challenge to remain strictly faithful to the theme, but the emailed prospectus states that they welcome artists’ interpretations of the theme however loose or literal it may be; if the artwork is not an exact demonstration of the theme, the artist statement may tie the work to the theme.

Details of the project and submission guidelines are available online. Submissions are due by Friday, August 12, at 5PM.

Check out the Activated Spaces web site for more information.

Trimming the Fat – “Lean Dating”

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Conversations with friends this week seemed to be all about when to cut your losses and walk away in dating. Determining a toad from a prince. It’s become a apparent however that a loss cause is not so obvious in matters of the heart. The signs are all there but instead of realizing a situation for what it is we make excuses to justify the road to nowhere we’re traveling down. A long list of common excuses or guy types which I will address in a few seem to be more common then I had thought. Earlier this week, I made a decision to eliminate my gaggle. A concept I learned about earlier this year which essentially just describes a group of men in your life who you “sort of” connect with but get no where with. They’re a good distraction while you sort out your wants but in my opinion at some point you have to walk away.

A Pack of Nothing.

Over the past couple of years I have cultivated a group of men who seemingly would be great dating prospects but for whatever reason I or they never pulled the trigger. The men in my gaggle are ones which I can talk to about everything, that are generally really good guys, have taken me out from time to time and feed my ego with flirting and really just boost my confidence overall. So what’s the problem, right? Well I started to think about two factors which I hadn’t realized. One factor being that with a great amount of testosterone goodness in my life, the search for something a little more meaningful wasn’t such a priority. All of my needs were being met so why would I take dating seriously? Don’t let your imagination run wild on the needs thing, emotionally I was covered..but only “sort of.”  They were nothing more than a distraction hindering me from finding the real thing.  The other factor is that a lot these guys were typically using me as well as some sort of crutch too. So in my eyes, it was mutually beneficial to call it quits. I’m the “IT” girl and not the in the meantime type of gal. I know and believe this.

If you don’t think you have a gaggle, perhaps this next part will make you rethink this select group of men in your life.  Here is where I discuss the excuses. A lot of my females friends seem to be going through the same thing right now and it’s odd but we all generally make the same excuses about why we decide to linger and hold on to something that really isn’t going anywhere.

Do You Know This Guy?


I Still Want You in My Life – This is the guy you broke up with ages ago that you still remain friends with.  A part of you secretly feels as though somewhere along the line the universe will land you both back together. That the love you had with this guy is strong enough to bring you back together at some point. You talk often. He complains about his new love interest and you complain about how you just can’t seem to find someone new. It’s going no where and it’s unhealthy. Pull the plug.

Digital Dice Clay. – Hopefully he’s not as dirty as Andrew Dice Clay, but you know this guy. The one who always has something a bit risque to say about you or your derriere. He makes you blush and you like it. You know nothing will ever happen with this guy but you look forward to his texts, dms and emails. He puts you in a good mood, but never really seals the deal. This guy is a permanent tease, nothing more. He talks a big game but really you need to send him out to pasture.  There’s a huge different between attention and affection.

Mr. Unavailable – He’s been in many bad relationships and just hasn’t seem to get passed them.  He likes you and it’s obvious but for whatever reason nothing ever happens. You hold to Mr. Unavailable because it makes you feel good about yourself that you can eventually swoon him. He’s like a prize of some sort but the reality is you’re wasting valuable time pining over someone who is just not that into you. Don’t get me wrong, we never know what the future holds but if you’re putting your life on hold for this guy you may find yourself with a lot of valuable time lost. You know you’re a looker, a real find and he does too..it’s all in the way he looks at you but looking is all he does. He’s on the outside looking in and you’ve tried inviting him in. It hasn’t it happened. There’s a good chance it won’t.

I Don’t Want to Ruin the Friendship. – This guy is my favorite.  He’s the guy that has something to say about every guy you date. He thinks you’re better than those guys, that they aren’t on your level. In short, he thinks you’re awesome..he’s even said, “I wish I could find a girl like you.”  Good luck, there’s no one like me. This is what you should say as you shut him out of your life. This may be one the most unhealthy situations I could address, because as erroneous expectations goes this guy will have you on a roller coaster. You’ll be analyzing his every word. Thinking he feels more than he really does and in actuality you’re just his friend. For now anyway..again it could change but why wait?

Hot and Dry. – The guy you like horizontally but doesn’t fit anywhere else in your life.  Yeah, I said it.  Everyone meets someone they just can’t resist. We’re human. This guy is fun, he’s all about living life spontaneously and not being tied down to anything. He as the ability to make you forget that ultimately you really do want to settle down. This guy is not going to settle down and if he does, he’s not going to do so with the girl that has been readily available for months on end. The dynamic of your relationship doesn’t extend further than between the sheets. You’re not a challenge and men tend to be all about the hunt. Though it could happen, I’ve yet to see it. I’m not telling you not to enjoy it though but in my experience these situations tend include one person who feels more than the other, usually it’s us..the ones who act on emotion not well you know. This guy won’t think twice about leaving you hot and dry if it isn’t convenient for him, make no mistake.

The Good Guy. – This man is always there for you. You’ve dumped all over him, lead him on and have generally just been all that you complain about when it comes to men and how they treat you to this guy. You’re a total douche and he stays. He’s pretty much the ideal guy but you’re just not that into him. Now, I’ve thought about this one for a really long time and wondered what it is that keeps me or a gal from wanting more with a guy like this. Well, it’s simple. We women like that hunt as well and this situation is just to easy. We know at any given moment with one look this guy will be in the palm of our hands. Easy street isn’t so hot.

These Guys are the Gaggle. ( Not a pack of wolves, not anyone you really want)

What DO You Want?

Well isn’t that the real question? What the hell do we want? If you take a look at the men in your life you’re bound to find a few with the right things you’re looking for. For me, I want a little of all of the above, cocktail if you will. Just the right mixture to keep you on your toes and wanting more, but for the right reasons. He’d be accessorized with a beard, somewhat tech elite and passionate about music , if I had my way as well. Here’s the thing about dating, you really have to have a clear mind and heart to actually see something good when it is in front of you. Wasting your time making excuses about the guys in your life now  is really just a waste of time, deep down you know it. Perhaps you’re not really ready to date and the distractions right now are good, which is fine but have an expiration date on distractions before you find yourself in the face of some really great missed opportunities.  If you really find one of these guys and feel in your heart it could develop into something more, give it a shot. However, if you find yourself making the same excuses over and over and nothing really seems to change…that is a sign to move on.

I always say, “It’s easy to get me on the hook. It’s an entirely different thing to reel me in.”

Think about what you want and deserve. Focus on that.

The Power of Once

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Photo credit: Anna Skinner

(The following was submitted by Anna Ritchie from updayton)

Starting your own business can be a terrifying thought. In 2004, Christian Prince set aside those fears and went full speed ahead with his dream. He started Acclimate Technologies, a supply chain software design company that allows data transmission between businesses with no human interaction. The software Prince has created with his colleagues enables other corporations such as Walmart and Honda to move data efficiently and cheaply, using fewer resources with the lowest number of human errors. Since starting his company, Price has proven his software data and materials can get from one place to another more efficiently without human interaction. He wants to do data the right way, the first way—coining the phrase, “The Power of Once.”

Prince has developed two pieces of software since his beginning. A devoted and loyal Ohio State football fan, his Simplic IT Software Suite, which works as a translator, is code named “Brutus” after Ohio State’s mascot. Additionally, his shipping software is code named “Tressel” after the (former) Ohio State football coach, Jim Tressel. These two software systems are vital to the existence of his company and how well it functions on a daily basis.

Although Prince can build a software application with ease, the financial aspects of starting Acclimate were challenging to understand. Prince jokingly stated, “I am a geek, not a businessman.” Unfortunately, he was rejected from The Entrepreneur Center (TEC) five times before they allowed him to set up his company within the firm, which teaches entrepreneurs the values and skills they need to succeed. With continuous hard work, he learned what he needed to begin his business and turned his technology expertise into a revolution in software data systems.

A leader at heart, Prince believes he wouldn’t do well working for other people. Fortunately, he does have a board of advisors to keep him from running into the ground. Although he enjoys running his own business, with all of the responsibility on his shoulders, he doted that he’s married to Acclimate. Prince, who calls himself a “workaholic,” begins his typical workday at 8:30 a.m. and doesn’t quit until he picks up his children at 6:00 p.m. Once he is home, he takes time to be a husband and father, cooking dinner and assisting his wife, Shannon, with putting the children to sleep. After spending time with his wife, he works from home, troubleshooting systems, answering phone calls and developing new software. Some days end as late as midnight. Although his workday can be as long as 18 hours, he has a passion for what he does and truly enjoys his job. He feels privileged to do something he loves.

Continuing to explain, Prince said 70% of becoming a young entrepreneur was passion and having his values intact. Mr. Prince believes that skills will only get you so far, bringing the entrepreneur to a brick wall. He explained that passion gets you past that brick wall. He created his value system in the form of a pyramid, putting God first with wife and family coming in second and third. With this pyramid he is able to achieve his goals without losing his morals and obligations.

Along with his devotion to his family, Prince is passionate about what he can do for future entrepreneurs in Dayton. With the rich history of entrepreneurship in Dayton, such as the Wright Brothers, Patterson, and Paul L. Dunbar, Prince feels we have an obligation to keep the reputation of intense entrepreneurs afloat. He wants to inspire young individuals to start their businesses in Dayton. For potential young entrepreneurs who are striving to start their own business, he has several tips for taking the initial leap. First, he explained, digging deep into your contacts is crucial to starting up and being successful. Prince had several contacts from working as a consultant for other data systems before he began Acclimate. These contacts became his potential customers. This taught him that reflecting upon and relying on prior experience is vital to beginning a new business venture.

After looking to the past, he emphasized the importance of identifying a target market of potential customers in order to adapt your product or service to that person’s wants and needs. Prince used this principle, basing his concept on potential customers’ user stories, developing software that suited everyone. Lastly, he said, “Do something you love for now, don’t let other side pockets get in the way where you think you can make some extra money.” Princes shares that their were several times when colleagues would seek him to start other ventures but he learned to decline to continue his primary focus on Acclimate.

In addition to personal tips, Prince thinks local leaders should focus on supporting and promoting young entrepreneurs in the Dayton region. Dayton could be a city of confidence, encouraging young entrepreneurs to chase their dream, he explained. The city of Dayton is filled with simple people with great ideas, but he thinks we fail miserably in inspiring entrepreneurs to take that next step. Prince suggested a solution could be offering young individuals a place where entrepreneurial resources can be found, instead of sending them away with false hope. To do his part, he is creating a radio spot that provides young entrepreneurs the leads and contacts needed to start their dream. With Prince’s devotion to Dayton’s young, talented citizens, the groundwork is being laid for a community of youthful, bright entrepreneurs to bring our city back to the top.

Volunteers Still Needed for CityFolk

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I’ll be volunteering all weekend as a Beverage Supervisor and last night we meet and found out we are short about 20 beer pourers, especially for the 7-11pm shifts.  So, why not sign up, hear some great music and meet some fun people!

Here’s the official volunteer info from CityFolk:

Volunteers are the heart of the CITYFOLK Festival. Here’s your chance to pitch in and help make the state’s finest multi-cultural festival a success while having fun and meeting new friends!  Volunteer NOW!

The Cityfolk Festival will run Friday, Saturday and Sunday July 1st, 2nd and 3rd. There are a number of volunteer opportunities being offered.  Please select the date you would like to volunteer and complete the registration form.

Note: You can volunteer for more than one job by clicking the checkbox next to each of your desired jobs/shifts. To volunteer for more than one day, go back to the day selection screen after submitting your entry.   You may also register family and friends by following the same steps. Please use your email as the contact for those registrations. Volunteers must be 21 years and over to serve beer. Other volunteers must be at least 18 or can be age 15 to 17 when they are accompanied by an adult working at the same location.

Slow Down Fast: How to Give a PK Presentation

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Pecha Kucha Dayton Volume 7 is at Yellow Cab, 700 East 4th, next Thursday, June 30 at 7:30pm. It’s free. Our sponsor, Dragonfly Editorial, is providing the beer. Eight speakers will present their

creations and ideas using the fast-paced 20×20 presentation style. Twenty slides that roll by at 20 seconds each, forcing the speaker to be brief but intense. Like a shot of espresso. You should try it.

PK has been called “beat the clock performance art,” a “chaotic culture mash with a relaxed vibe,” and “both an art form and competitive sport.” If the presenter tries to say too much, the slides can get ahead of them, “like they are being dragged down the street by a big dog chasing a squirrel.”

Strangely, despite the strict 20×20 rule, there’s freedom to innovate. It’s one of those things artists understand: you can be adventurous within tight boundaries. Which is maybe another reason you should try it.

PK Night 3 at The Cannery

The goal of Pecha Kucha is to highlight the energy of ideas in a party atmosphere. PK speakers are thinkers and doers from all walks. Designers, artists, writers, activists and anyone passionate about their work who can tell a story. Storytelling is key. Architects don’t just show pictures of their work. They reveal their inspirations, the creative process, their mistakes, their epiphanies and their hopes. Or gourd art. Or funk, as has happened. And it was fascinating.

Your topic can consist of anything that has grabbed your imagination and compels you to share. At Volume 7, artist and art professor Kevin Harris has titled his presentation “Tread.” Kevin creates drawings and prints combining traditional and digital art media, mind and body, eye and hand, camera and computer, printer and press. Writer J.T. Ryder will tell how he ended up producing the “Dirty Little Secret Variety Show.” Idea guy/politico David Esrati presents “The end of coin flip politics” or how to put the people you really want in charge. Actress Megan Cooper will tell of life without a car, restaurateur Kimberly Collett will share the ongoing saga of Olive, Kidtee Hello will treat us to her strikingly beautiful photography and Jeff Opt, Creative Circus, will explain how we all ended up at the Yellow Cab building listening to him and drinking beer.

Pecha Kucha Night is one of those things that feels different every time. It’s dependent on the space, the speakers, the beer (beer is the other PK rule) and the zeitgeist. So you never know. But seriously? You should try it.

The worldwide phenomenon Pecha Kucha (Japanese for “chatter”), devised in 2003 by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Tokyo‘s Klein-Dytham Architecture, has gone around the world virally. Today, PK nights are 418 cities worldwide. www.pecha-kucha.org. Dayton was granted its own PKN via a handshake agreement with Klein-Dytham for four volume per year minimum. Matt Sauer, architect with Rogero-Buckman, serves as Dayton’s PK coordinator with the help of Jill Davis, a local freelance writer. Jason Sheets, architect at Moda4 Design is the MC, which seems to be a more agreeable term than smartass. They’ve all tried it. It was fun.

This post submitted by guest columnist Jill Davis, one of the driving forces that brought Pecha Kucha to Dayton, and who continues to recruit, promote and nurture the presenters that make each PK night a unique sensation.

Grants for Grads and other mortgage assistance programs for Ohioans

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Congratulations to everyone who met a graduation goal this June! Whether it was high school or some level of college, hard work is always to be commended. What is your next move? Staying in Dayton Ohio, we hope. Buying a home? If so, you might want to take a look at the Grants for Grads program. If you have graduated within the past 18 months, there is a down payment assistance program called Grants for Grads and it’s being offered through the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, aka OHFA (pronounced Oh’-fuh). From the OHFA site:

Recent college graduates can now receive down payment and closing cost assistance and a favorable mortgage interest rate from an OHFA participating lender through the Grants for Grads Program. Eligible borrowers can use the grant to reduce the out-of-pocket expenses associated with buying a home.

If you are an income-eligible first-time homebuyer, graduated from an Ohio high school and have earned an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate or other postgraduate degree within the last 18 months, you can take advantage of the Grants for Grads Program.

* OHFA will issue a grant in an amount for 2.5% of your home’s purchase price.
* You can use the grant to pay for the down payment, closing costs, or other prepaid expenses incurred prior to closing. Keep in mind that while the grant will help cover some of your up-front costs, you may still be required to contribute some money as well.
* The grant will be issued as a second mortgage with a 0% interest rate with no payment due. The loan is forgivable after five years. However, if you move out of Ohio prior to the five-year mark, you are responsible for paying a portion of the grant back to OHFA as indicated (on their site).

Find out all the details about Grants for Grads, here.

What if you don’t qualify for Grants for Grads? There are several other programs through OHFA that are always worth looking into: First-time Home buyers, Target Areas, Ohio Heroes (for police, firefighters, teachers, healthcare workers, veterans).

Details are available on the OHFA site, or contact a participating lender. And best of luck to all 2011 graduates!

This communication is provided to you for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon by you. Teri Lussier and Exit Realty Central are not mortgage lenders and so you should contact your own mortgage lender directly to learn more about mortgage products and your eligibility for such products.

Photo credits:
Graduate: Andrew Mackenzie
Fire fighters: Brett Gustafson

Courthouse Square performers add entertainment to lunch hour

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Free pizza is served to the crowd in the square.

Now that the rain has finally stopped, Courthouse Square is the place to be weekdays at noontime.

Starting June 21 and lasting through Sept. 15, The Square is Where … will feature a variety of performers. Entertainment booked to date includes belly dancers, jugglers and a saxophonist.  The festivities will occur around noon on most Tuesdays through Fridays.

Spectators can enjoy the show while grabbing lunch served by food vendors. Additionally, the YMCA will be hosting practice yoga and Zumba classes, perfect for those looking to recharge during their lunch breaks.

The Square is Where … is inspired by Affair on the Square, an event that took place more than a decade ago.

Now the Downtown Dayton Partnership and Montgomery Country are presenting The Square is Where … is a part of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan to encourage growth and development in the city center.

“We’re trying to show there is a thriving, vibrant downtown during the work day,” says Krystal Luketic, special event coordinator for the Downtown Dayton Partnership.

As details become available, a complete schedule will be posted on www.DowntownDayton.org and www.mcohio.org. Any local performers interesting in entertaining on the square should contact Ashleigh Nunamaker at 937-224-1518, ext. 235 or [email protected].

RTA Talks Back

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G'bye, bus! I barely knew thee. But I'm sure we'll meet again.

Provide your feedback to RTA by taking their strategic plan questionnaire. They want info from riders AND non-riders to improve their service.

Thanks to everyone who offered comments, advice and recommendations on the best way to bus and/or bike to get around Dayton! I really appreciate all the support. I had a great last day – bike/bus combo to work, bike to meeting, bus to event up north, bike the AWESOME trail from Wegerzyn to Riverscape and catch a night bus home. And finally – on my last day – I felt as if I had a solid grip on a lot of it.  I recommend that you consider giving up the car for a trip or two and seeing how it works out for you.

Now that this little adventure is over, I think about how I may go car-less in the future. And again, strategy and choice are two concepts that keep coming up. Would I take the bus to/from work? I think so – especially with my bike on board. Would I try the bus for a night out? Sure – cheap transportation to the city and I can always cab it home if it’s a late night. Would I allow the bus schedule to affect something like grocery shopping? Most definitely not. Is my bike a viable option for a work commute or errands? I think it can be. As I get better at this, it’s likely that my routine could blend better with the routes/schedules and it wouldn’t be so challenging. So, that said – I’m what you’d call a consumer of “choice.” I don’t have to ride the bus, but when it makes sense for me, I can choose it.

Find the right pass for your needs

I started out this little adventure with some concerns about negative aspects I’d heard about RTA. And overall, there was a mix of myths busted and confirmed. Is the bus limited in area? Although some have lamented the lack of a bus that goes to the airport (a valid concern), for my purposes, the routes went everywhere I needed to go. Is the bus dangerous? I never felt threatened or scared. Some experiences were uncomfortable (when strangers – emphasis on strange -strike up a conversation) but never dangerous, even on my evening rides. Is the bus difficult to navigate? This is a mixed bag. It’s tough in the beginning to get a grasp on how the routes work and the best places to get on and off and what buses to take. But that’s life and with experience, it gets a lot easier. It’s also a little frustrating that if you miss one bus the whole schedule may be thrown off, but that’s a personal challenge. As people advised in the comments – you’ve got to get there early enough to not miss the bus. Is the bus expensive? Well – it depends. I have a fairly easy commute, so on an average day with a few errands, I may use about $6 in gas. If I were to bus everywhere, it would cost about $5.75 if I paid cash ($1.75/ride + $0.25 transfer). But, a monthly pass for unlimited usage is only $55 (less than $2/day), a weekly pass is $19  (less than $3/day) and you can purchase a 10-pack of tokens for $1.50 each. So – the value is really based on how much you use it. If you don’t want to deal with parking or the dangers of drinking and driving, is a bus to the city for a festival cheaper than a cab? Heck yeah – that’s value.  Is it worth it to take the bus to run numerous errands on a day? Maybe not.

So, that’s MY opinion on some of the myths I heard before I started. But I wanted to reach out to RTA to seek some official thoughts on what I experienced, the comments you posted throughout the week, plans for the future of RTA, and any recommendations on what I could have done for an easier week.  I spoke to Sabrina Pritchett, the Marketing Manager for Greater Dayton RTA for her thoughts.

First things first – some of the issues readers brought up:

Q: I ran into some issues with the trip planner and there were some concerns expressed in our comment section. Can you provide recommendations to make it easier or is there a possibility it may be changing?
It’s a great question because it is a continuing issue. The one thing about the trip planner – we’ve all be really conditioned with Google to be specific. Ours is the opposite – you want to be as general as possible. If you do that, it will give you consistent results each time. The trip planner will give you choices that fit your selection. Do not use the quick planner – the expanded version provides better results.
In terms of the Google trip planner, that is something we are looking at as an agency to be able to implement. It is our hope we may be able to implement in the future, but there’s no timeline on that.
Q: Would RTA go to the airport?
We survey, survey, survey our customers on a regular basis and we just haven’t gotten a lot of requests for that. It has been something that has been discussed, but it’s not anything that really has registered with our customers or even non-customers when we survey.

Q: One of the concerns I’ve heard is the long wait time in between buses – for example, the challenges that arise if you miss a transfer and have to wait a long time before the next bus. Is there a recommendation you have for riders to overcome this? Do you see this changing at all in the future?
When I think about bus riding in most mid-sized cities, it’s a partnership experience. When you’re driving, you manage that process on your own. When you’re riding the bus, you need to be mindful of your schedule. The bus can’t veer off of the route because there may be a back-up in traffic. So, the bus doesn’t have that kind of flexibility – it has those time points to meet. Especially if you’re taking the bus during off-peak hours. When you’re talking about off-peak it can be especially challenging when you do miss the bus.
Because of the economy and the funding cuts at the state level, we cannot add additional service. We had more service and new service that was going to be implemented in June, but it got cut.  When those cuts happen in funding, it really does adversely affect the kind of service we can offer on the street. We’re not seeing anything in the immediate horizon in which we’ll be able to add service. We’ve been very creative to adjust existing service so we could address some of the requests we’ve gotten from customers to go to new areas and service new businesses. Even though we haven’t been able to add new service, we’ve tried to work to augment what we have.
And a few questions based on my experience:

Q: I appreciate you letting me learn through trial and error this week. But were there any experiences that I had over the week that you would have been able to correct or provide better information when I ran into a challenge?
If I were a new customer, the first thing I would do would be very familiar with my schedule and my route. As a choice rider, you may find you may not be able to take the bus everyday, but it could work 3 days a week and work very well for you. Our schedules are very precise and very detailed and available online – so use them. Second, sign up for alerts. Because we do send out alerts to our customer through PDAs, cell phones and email. That’s going to let you know if there’s anything taking place on your route, and you can make adjustments. Third, when you go to the RTA homepage, there’s a box that says “New to RTA” that truly gives you everything you need.
When you are new, that’s when the call center really comes in handy. They have the tools that we weren’t able to put on the web site to look at the whole service. Especially when you are a brand new customer, it’s beneficial to make that initial call to the call center. Certainly you can go to the Web site and get everything you need, but the call center is very helpful.
Q: Are there changes coming to RTA in the near future that may affect rider experience?
We don’t really have anything on the horizon in terms of programs, but there are some things out there that can affect rider experience.
  • In the last few years, we’ve gotten over 100 new buses. We don’t have an aged bus fleet. Even in extreme weather, riders have a more consistent experience without bus breakdowns or stalls.
  • Our maintenance team has ramped up a program in which they are focused on the appearance and cleanliness of the bus (inside and out). When those buses come into the garage, they are working diligently to get them clean and ready to go.
  • The third thing we have in place is the Customer Service Promise. Unless it’s really a glaring issue, it’s hard to spot a trend, but customer feedback helps. The Customer Service Promise is an accountability tool – if there’s a problem, (customers) can go right to the top and let the decision-makers know that there’s an issue. We have customers that will call in directly about bus stops and placements and we work so hard to be able to address those issues directly. We have a very heightened sense about customer service – from our Executive Director to our grounds crew.
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
It was a very cool experience for us to go through this with you. Some of the issues you had encountered, we’re working on the back end to be responsive (i.e. trip planner). A last thought would be that RTA tries to be very responsive to our customers and the general public. Interact with us; if you have ideas – give them to us. Our chief is very visible and he’s very open to talking to people and trying to be responsive to what people need in their riding experience. Our Transit Ambassadors are there to help you out with anything and make sure your experience is safe. They are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. We are your RTA – access us, use us, contact us. Even if you’re not a rider, you may have some ideas.
We have our strategic questionnaire available now and the first part is geared toward people who aren’t currently readers. We are trying to get as much feedback from the community as possible. It’s just as important to us to have feedback from the general public as it is from our customers.

In addition to the “challenges” we as riders see, Ms. Pritchett also shared some great aspects of RTA. Did you know:

  • RTA has been awarded “Ohio’s Greenest Fleet” status by the Clean Fuels Ohio’s statewide Ohio Green Fleets Program
  • RTA is one of only 5 cities in the US with electric trolleys (down for the summer due to construction – they’ll be running again this fall)
  • RTA’s Operator Training program was a Top 3 Finalist in the country by the American Public Transit Association
  • RTA was the first transit system in the country with a bus fleet equipped with bike racks
  • RTA was recognized by the Governor’s Council on People with Disabilities for our Operator’s Disabilities Training program

Thanks to everyone who rode along with me by reading. Want your own bus adventure? RTA has offered three additional 7-day passes for a lucky DaytonMostMetro.com reader. Check out the details below for how to win.

The People in my Neighborhood

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Who are the people in your neighborhood?
…in your neighborhood?
…in your neighborhood?
Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood?
The people that you meet on the bus…

As I’m wrapping up my week on the bus and bike routes, I’m thinking about the people. Some people I had conversations with. Some people I overheard conversations. Some people I avoided. Here are some of the highlights.

  • First things first – the driver sets the mood, and the drivers all had a great attitude. Every time I got on or off a bus – the driver was welcoming and friendly and always wished people well when they left the bus.
  • Good start to my week: Conversation with dude on my first bus when we got off at the same transfer stop. Guess what – new to town! Moved here from Baltimore two weeks ago to start a new job, and RTA is his main source of transportation. He wasn’t a fan of the B-more mass transit; he considers the Dayton system to be comprehensive and easy to use. Already he’s a pro and was totally helping me and giving me advice on how to catch the right bus and not to get stuck in “alternating routes.” Super nice.
  • When I climbed onto my first really full bus, I slid to the back and tried to get out of the aisle. A gentleman offered me his seat. Now, I’m not limping or on crutches or with multiple bags, but I am a girl in heels who’s trying to hold on. And he offered me his seat. Not turning this into a ‘Giving Tree’ moment – I know it was just a seat on a bus – but I was grateful for the simple demonstration of courtesy. Three cheers for Midwestern politeness, because you don’t always get that.
  • On one ride, I decide to be a snoop; I’m wondering what people are doing on the bus. Lots just sitting, lots reading, multiple ipod buds in ears. Right in front of me is a lady reviewing her daughter’s writing assignment (yeah, I looked) and there’s woman with a toddler playing across the aisle. People just doing their thing and getting where they’re going. As an older guy got on, a 20-something girl proactively moved to the back to give him her seat. He passed it by and wandered toward the back where someone else made the move and stood for him.
  • You already know that the grocery shopping wasn’t an easy experience for me. But what made it better was help from the people who were waiting at the stop with me. As I started to pick up my bags, the young guy waiting offered to help carry them. Then, a woman (who already had her hands full) said she could rearrange and take a bag or two. It wasn’t necessary, but it was so incredibly nice.
  • When the intention is good, but the delivery fails, those acts of kindness can be tougher to see. That’s when it becomes a challenge to give someone the benefit of the doubt. I got off the bus at the hub downtown, and I got hit on with the fancy line: “You make me wish I was taller. You’re real pretty.” I’m an independent woman, don’t hit on me, you can’t demean me like that way, I want to say, “of course, because the only reason we’re not dating is because I’m taller than you.”  But I resist the urge to be a big jerk and I say, “Thank you.” That simple acknowledgement solicited “It’s hot today, you be careful and have a nice day.”  And he walked on…  He wasn’t aggressive. He didn’t want money, he just wanted to (politely, albeit awkwardly) compliment a girl who was walking by.
  • Of course, sometimes what could be uncomfortable turns into something slightly humorous when you’re sharing it with other people. On one crowded bus, a rider was speaking loudly into his phone. He was explaining that he had purchased food (“a fish sandwich and fries… and it smells good”) with his paycheck and not drugs. A little weird? Yup. Kinda funny? Yup – especially if you consider the woman across the aisle from me who was offering commentary under her breath.  He wasn’t threatening anyone; he wasn’t even addressing anyone on the bus. He was having his own conversation and we just happened to be present. It was one of those events that bonds you to other people who are experiencing it.
  • There was also the woman at the bus stop who really, really wanted to talk to me. She shared personal tidbits about her medication and conversations she has with her doctor. She talked about her family. She talked about which bus she was going to take. And she talked about a few other things that I couldn’t catch. My response? I listened and talked with her for a bit and then decided that I was done, so I picked up my cell phone and excused myself b/c I had to make a call.

    Those friendly bikers! (Photo from Five Rivers Metroparks Web site)

  • I also got to enjoy a handful of musical interpretations. Hanging out at the hub, there are plenty of people listening to music via earbuds. One particularly boisterous teenager included some dancing and singing as he was enjoying his music. He was doing it for himself – perfectly content to feel the music and let it come out. We just happened to be honored and/or annoyed to witness it.
  • AND bike related: I don’t know if cyclists follow the rules of the sea, but everyone I passed who was on a bike when I was on my bike either nodded or said hello or somehow acknowledged that we share a common bond. I almost felt like a fake (“I’m not really one of you”), until I embraced it and decided that regardless of what comes tomorrow – I’m a cyclist today!

So, what am I getting at? I think when my car is my main source of transportation, I lose that personal interaction. And some of that interaction is creepy. And some of it makes you uncomfortable or compels you to hold your purse closer.  But some of it is just someone wishing you a nice day and wanting to offer a smile. Some of it is a person offering a total stranger a seat. But, even when it was weird, it was okay. For good or bad, those are the people in my neighborhood.

“Excuse me, sir – what is your job in the neighborhood?”
“You’re kidding me.”
“No, really – what’s your job?”
“I’m an elephant trainer…  Look at me – I’m driving a bus!”
“Then you must be a bus driver.”
“Oh, you’re brilliant.”

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRi92cH3V7w&feature=related’]

A strategic game of chess… err – Bus riding

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Friday, Friday, Friday. Half workday, half weekend. And enough travel for both. Getting to work and getting home with my new friends Bus and Bike were golden. I even coordinated a perfectly timed bus/bike trip home over my lunch hour! Excellent. However, end of Friday = going out on the town. And of course, a First Friday falls right in the middle of this little experiment. So, I get home in plenty of time. Get ready. Get the dog fed. And get out the door with my guy (who is a trooper again!). And as I’m steps away from the bus stop …  It rolls right past us. Drat! (And I can’t even blame the bus for being early; this is another case of user error.)

So, we think about our options. 1) We can wait 45 minutes for the next bus. Nope – that would get us into the city too late to meet up with our friends. 2) We can go to the bus stop on the other side of the neighborhood to catch a different route. Feasible – but checking the schedule – both buses pass by opposite ends of the neighborhood at the same time. If we missed one – we’ve missed them both. 3) We can bike into the city to get around and plan to bus home. Unfortunately, we’re a one-bike household, and hopping on the handlebars doesn’t work as well as it did when I was 8 years old. 4) I, still personally car-less, can ride-share with someone else who is going downtown anyway. We rationalize it enough and I hop in the passenger side of the car.

We park centrally and get walking – hitting up RiverScape, the Cannery and the Oregon District in the course of the night. Passing by many, many zombies (and a few friends) on the way back to the car. Good thing we had the car – no buses were running by the time our night came to a close. We would have cabbed it home or ditched out early. That’s life without a car, but I was car-pooling!

So – back to being 100% car-less for Saturday. Ready to work and make up for Friday night’s carpool. Started the day off right with a nice walk for some coffee. And then planned to spend the afternoon cleaning, doing laundry and grocery shopping. Oh – cripe! Grocery shopping.  And I’ll tell you – it was worse than I thought. Checking the online trip planner, they recommend taking a bus a few miles in the opposite direction of where I’m headed in order to grab a transfer and come back to be dropped off directly next to the store. However, I decide that being family able-bodied that I’ll take a direct bus down to a stop less than 1/2  mile from the grocery and walk over. No problem.

Except now that I’m in the store, I’m feeling the pressure. As readers have advised, I need to be at my bus stop 5 minutes early.  I usually can enjoy grocery shopping, but with the pressure of the bus schedule on my mind, there’s no cruising the aisles and finding something new to try or comparing prices for me. I’m in the store feeling the stress; I’m rushing up and down aisles, grabbing just what I need, and getting up to the check-out line within 30 minutes to catch the next bus back out. I’m even making the choice NOT to buy some heavier objects because I’m thinking of how to carry everything. I get out to the bus stop, unload my bags from the cart, rush the cart back to the parking lot, and get seated 5 minutes early. And I wait. And I wait. And the bus is 10 minutes late.

Finally, as the bus is pulling up, nice guy next to me on the bench offers to help load my bags onto the bus. I’m ready to set them on the floor by a seat, but he kindly points out the lil’ area up front specifically designed for this stuff. Yay for help! Since I made the decision not to buy the heavy stuff on this trip, I opt to take a direct route to my neighborhood. Then I walk the 0.3 miles to my home. Longest walk of my life. Even without that case of beer, the groceries are making their weight known. The crazy heat and humidity that rolled in Saturday afternoon didn’t help either.

Lesson learned: Strategy is important. I’m being somewhat fast and loose with my decisions because I’m experimenting through trial and error and checking out all sorts of different options. If this were my life, both experience and necessity would lead to specific choices. Grocery shopping on the bus requires making the right choices: a smaller trip with manageable bags is walkable, a lil’ foldaway cart to roll groceries home can help, or a careful selection of products (i.e. not ice cream) allows you to take the bus that requires a 45 minute trip.

As afternoon turns to evening, I’m heading to church. Even though there’s a church within walking distance, we’re members somewhere a bit further off. And there’s a perfect bus to get us to our church at a decent time, but not so much to get home. And lo, another slight inconvenience of this adventure: an unfortunate lack of choice. Now, is there anything wrong with this local church? Of course not,we just don’t happen to choose it. But Saturday, we didn’t get the luxury of choice.

After church, it’s time to plan for the evening. Since I just did grocery shopping, I wasn’t anticipating dinner downtown, but with the bus schedule being what it was – I had no choice. There was no option for dinner at home and catching a bus for the show. So – we rode.  Zoomed right down to the front door of the restaurant, had a relaxed dinner and then picked up a different bus about an hour later to get to the hub. It was a short walk from the hub to the Victoria Theater and we were on-time for the concert.

Post-concert was more of a challenge. It’s that need for strategy coupled with the lack of leisure time. By the time we got out of the show, there was only one bus we could catch to get us back home. We had an hour to kill, but it wasn’t quite enough time to join the crew for the official after-show party. Plus – it was raining. Hard. So, we ran next door to Uno’s, hung out at the bar to kill some time, and then we ran for the hub and waited for the bus. I usually down-size the purse when going out for the evening, but again – the bus requires strategy. I should have packed a larger bag with a sweater and umbrella, instead I just got cold and wet.

Sunday – was an “off day.” Not for any reason than I’m designating this adventure about being car-less in Dayton. ‘Tis the season for graduation parties, so I headed to Columbus for the family. I suppose I could have bused to the airport, flew to Columbus, taken the COTA out to the party and then reversed it all to get home. But I didn’t. And I’m okay with that. Hope you are, too.

Up next – my last days car-less and learning more about the people who ride the bus.

Will You Help Fund the 5th Annual Horror Movie Marathon?

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Since 2007, the Little Art Theatre, now a nonprofit cinema, has hosted a horror movie marathon each October. The marathon has featured at least seven feature-length films annually, in addition to dozens of classic trailers, a costume contest, concessions, and more. Films have included classics as varied as Psycho, The Shining, Jaws, Videodrome, The Evil Dead, Evil Dead II, The Thing, Re-Animator, Repulsion, Night of the Living Dead, and Eraserhead. In past years the lineup has also included an area premiere, examples being Black Sheep, Splinter, The House of the Devil, and Best Worst Movie.

The cost of classic film rental and/or licensing is increasingly prohibitive. Each year, this event has grown its audience, but it’s always a struggle to break even while still putting on a worthwhile event. Though our preference would be to show 35mm prints of all the featured films, in the last couple of years we’ve turned to projecting films digitally in high-definition in an attempt to reduce costs. The event is always staffed by volunteers, and is often understaffed in critical areas like concession sales and projection.

We want this event to survive. We have a ton of fun putting it on, and we always get great feedback from our audience, who have come to look forward to the event each year. Yet each fall it becomes more and more difficult to plan the event with little feel for how it will perform, and weighing the very real risk that the event will lose money.

We need your help. We’ve set a goal of $2,500, which is the minimum cost to put on the marathon we’ve all come to know and love each year. In exchange for your $25+ contribution, you’ll be able to reserve your seat(s), and at the $100+ level you can also get a limited edition t-shirt, designed especially for the marathon.

If we exceed our minimum goal, every dollar you contribute above that will be invested in the event, too. We don’t just want the event to continue, we want it to be better than ever. That means:

1) More 35mm prints. See classic horror flicks in the highest possible resolution, in 35mm, on the big screen.

2) More films. Imagine a super-sized lineup — more than our usual seven or eight films. We’ve always reluctantly dreamed of putting on a 24-hour marathon, with a wide variety of classic fare — from suspense to hard gore. If you help us raise the money, we’ll summon the stamina.

3) More staff. Keeping a massive crowd well attended in a venue as cozy as ours for more than half-a-day is a challenge. If we can bring on more of our regular staff (in addition to our excellent volunteers) for the marathon, we’ll have the person-power to keep a better eye on the auditorium for disruptions like talkers and cell phone-abusers; to keep the concession stand fully stocked and operational throughout the entire event; and to tend to running projection more smoothly than ever.

This fest will only continue if they can reach the $2500 goal in funding by Wed, June 22nd.  As of this morning they had $575 raised.  If you’d like to help  click on the green button to the left.

4 Quick and dirty tips for making the most of an Open House

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This Sunday, June 5, 2011 is the big Nationwide Open House Weekend. The National Association of Realtors hosts one every year and the Dayton Area Board of Realtors has offered up some incentives for you to visit at least one Open House. This year, as in the past, when you sign up at an Open House, your name will get placed in a drawing for a $100.00 Lowe’s Gift Card- not too shabby? Even if you are not part of the DIY Nation, who doesn’t need light bulbs and batteries? Winners are notified by phone so you will have to leave a name and phone number, but you are not obligated to leave any other information.

Let’s talk honestly. Sometimes buyers are a little wary of visiting Open Houses because they assume, rightly or wrongly, that they are going to be accosted by pushy Realtors, so let me give you some tips for making an Open House trip more productive, less painful.

1) Don’t try to avoid the Realtor. We do need a record of who is visiting the home, it’s something we are obligated to do for the sellers.  You wouldn’t want random folks walking in and wondering around your home, would you? No one does, and an Open House doesn’t change that. We know there are a plethora of reasons why people visit Open Houses- we are okay with that, but realize you are a guest and will be expected to sign in with at least a name.

2) About the reasons you are there? Whatever they are, it’s fine. The best thing to do, as always, just be honest about why you are there: You are a neighbor and always wanted to see the home; or you are looking for decorating tips; or you are looking for a home for yourself or a family member- whatever your reason, it’s okay for you to admit it up front. The Realtor will appreciate the honesty, and then she can be helpful. If you are there for decorating tips, the Realtor can find out where items were purchased, what the color the master bedroom walls are painted, and who does the landscaping.  

3) If you are working with another REALTOR, tell the hosting REALTOR upfront. Realtors have cooperating agreements with each other, which means that even if you are working with another Realtor, we will be happy to give you details about the property, because ultimately we are there to sell the home. Just remember that hosting Realtors work for the seller, so be careful about what you say- it could be shared with sellers.

4) If you are not currently working with a Realtor, you can use Open Houses to interview them. When an Open House is busy, you may not get the time to talk in private or indepth, but you will certainly get a good indication of whether or not you want to have that Realtor help you with such an important transaction.

Don’t pass up a great Open House just because you don’t want to talk to a Realtor. Understand the dynamics of situation, be clear about your goals going in, and above all, have fun!

For a list of Open Houses on this or any given Sunday, try this link.

I feel happy of myself…

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The bike is a great way to get to lots of downtown destinations

(Note: Thanks to Five Rivers MetroParks pal Valerie Beerbower for a little extra inspiration and the title this article. See video below for insights.)

As you know, on my first day of this adventure I was not at my best. A very promising start got me a little cocky about the ease of bus riding and I let down my guard. Okay – so you can’t just show up at the bus stop and hope a bus is there within 5 minutes each time. Lesson learned –  when busing, I will respect the time table.

Today, I added the bike into the mix. As I’ve shared, I’m not what you would call an expert biker. I actually imagine that this is what I look like to observers seeing me cruise by. (AND I really want a basket.)

So, what is a muppet to do? Fake it!

Where am I?

Morning commute: I coasted to the bus stop right by my house and waited the few minutes until my bus arrived – clean, pretty empty (maybe 8 people?) and on-time. Got my bike on the bike rack easy breezy. (But I probably would have been confused if I wasn’t a nerd who appreciates a good how-to video; I recommend watching it if you’re going to bring your bike on the bus.) Traveled to a stop about 3/4 mile from work where I hopped off the bus and hopped on the bike. Enjoyed the smell of fresh cut grass the last few minutes of the trip. Total travel time – 15 minutes. Are you kidding me? It takes 10 minutes to drive. It’s another good start to the day.

Lunch errands: This is when the appreciation for bike riding really hit. I had to travel the 1 mile into downtown to drop something off, I wanted to buy my tickets to the Dayton Gay Men’s Chorus concert (save $5/ticket by buying in advance), and I had to pick up lunch.

Quick stop for lunch

I headed out of my work parking lot and there goes another biker gliding by. We give the obligatory nod/smile (which translates to “look at us out here being awesome while all those people are still in their cars” or maybe it just means “hi,” but I’m taking it to mean I’m part of a club now). And since he’s going in my direction, I follow behind.And I quickly lose speed. And although I’m trying to follow all the rules (riding in the street, signalling turns, etc) – I realize that I’m not the kind of biker that cars can feel confident near. I know you “real” bikers will be disgusted with me, but I cheated. I rode on some sidewalks. Some of it was to make me feel safer, some of it was to let the cars know that I wasn’t going to topple into their line of traffic, and some of it was because it was convenient. But, however I got there – I did get there  – and it was better on a bike!

Shopping cart on the Merc - a sight you don't see speeding by in a car.

  • Errand one: Locked up right in front of the Key Bank building (which you can’t do in a car).
  • Errand two: The box office was moved to the Victoria Theater due to an event in the Schuster Center, so I unlocked, coasted the 2 blocks down Main and locked up again right in front of the theater (another one you can’t do in a car).
  • Lunch: the lovely day inspired me to hit Second Street Market for some yummy carry-out.

Total distance: 3 miles.  Total elapsed time: 45 minutes.

And I loved it! And I appreciated going slowly enough to enjoy the sunshine and cool art in windows and the general city sights. But I know myself well enough to know why I really loved it – it’s an easy ride. Dayton is FLAT.  Sure, getting to the central business district is easy from every direction, but going away from the CBD means you’re riding up hill no matter which direction you’re heading. But there’s a great 3 mile (ish) area right across downtown that is flat and easy. So, I bus into town – bike around town – and bus home. It’s perfect for the non-athlete. Plus, the bus schedules being what they are – my errands are on my time.

The doorstep of the UD campus is as far as I go. Since my Hills and Dales experience, I take Far HILLS seriously.

So, next up – after the end of a work day, I coast over to an RTA stop that will take me directly home. That’s the beauty of the bike. Normally, I would catch the convenient stop right in front of work. But with two wheels, going a different direction for about a mile makes a lot of sense to bypass the need for a transfer. And when I got there – I kept going! It was a nice day. I had on a decent pair of shoes. I just kept rolling right along until I could roll on flat land no longer. Chilled on a nice stop with a bench and waited for my bus.

Evening Activities: And guess what? It’s my wedding anniversary! Me and my guy had dinner plans to check out the new Meadowlark location. He offered to drive, but since this is the definition of “for better or for worse,” he rode along with me.  Straight shot there and back. First bus was about five minutes late, but on a nice day hanging out with good company – that’s no big deal. Now, I did have to keep an eye on my watch a little more than I would have if we would have had a car in the parking lot, but the way the schedule worked, we got there around 7 and were able to enjoy a couple hours of dinner and drinks before being outside to catch the next bus. Not too bad at all! And the final bus back home? Just fine.

So, overall: a very nice carless day. I will grant you that the weather was ideal and I can’t count on that all the time, but I was happy to enjoy it. Days like today make me think I can do this more often. I’m going to have to experiment more with RTA and my bike, but if the weather is right, the financial cost isn’t too much, and the schedule is open – I could make this a thing once or twice a week. I’m giving two thumbs up (for today) to the RTA/bike combo. We’ll see what tomorrow brings, but for today – I feel happy of myself. Rock and roll…

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaIvk1cSyG8&feature=player_embedded’]

Night of the Living Dead …. in Dayton?

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Yes you read right! Tomorrow at midnight The Oregon District will be swarming with zombies. Don’t be frightened it’s for a good cause. The Dayton Zombie Walk Zombies should gather at the parking lot by Omega Music on East Fifth Street.

DMM's Shana Douglas, Zombie-Style

If you need help with your makeup, a pre-party at Vex on at 4th and St. Clair hosted by Foy’s will be held for dead things to prepare themselves to crawl The Oregon. For Zombies who want to dance the night away there is also a  after party. See flyer. Makeup artists and other experts will be onsite from 7:30 to 10:30. If your skilled enough to do your own makeup, stop by Foy’s for the best supplies.  It’s where I go .. to get my Zombie Face on.  Yes, that’s me.

Zombies apparently are also philanthropists, well tomorrow they are. A canned and nonperishable food drive for the Dayton Food Bank will also be part of the night’s festivities so if you’re walking you can also bring your donations to the post-walk party at Vex. If you’re a Zombie, you have no use for canned goods anyway so you might as well hand them over. Stick to flesh, there are people in need.

In 2009, the Zombie Walk in Dayton was rather a small affair with only about 30 Zombies gathering. Since, the event has grown dramatically and 500 are expected to walk here in Dayton. How cool is Dayton? Young Professional friendly and Zombie friendly. It doesn’t get much better than that.

So, come out and be free with your undead self. If you’re relatively scared of dead things, consider yourself warned because if you’re partying in The Oregon tomorrow night you’ll have company. More information can be found http://www.daytonzombiewalk.com

Oh, and hey..bring you’re little dead things. The Zombie walk is stroller friendly. 🙂


You had me at “hello” (and lost me at “goodbye”)

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You can’t escape karma. It’s true. I’m guilty of trying.

We’re all busy people; we all have volunteer organizations, meetings and committees to attend on top of work requirements. But when I first starting planning for this little adventure, I conveniently planned all my “extra-curriculars” outside of this week.

Until karma slapped me with an 8 AM meeting, the need to drop off some files at a satellite location, and a couple additional errands. So much for just going to work and home.

But you know what – that’s life. And this week is my life on the bus.

So, I woke up earlier than I like to catch the pre-7 AM bus from my home in the ‘burbs to get downtown.  Got off at my transfer site right on time, and after a short wait, jumped on the second bus to arrive at my meeting by 7:40. Good start! Unfortunately, due to an “alternating route,” I couldn’t use the same stop when heading back into the city, but I had prepared for that (thanks to the nice dude on the bus who gave me the warning) and I packed the flip-flops just in case a little walking was required.

Things got a little more tricky once I got back downtown. I took a quick jaunt over to Kettering Tower from the Wright Plaza hub to deliver some files. A slight change in the schedule makes a major difference; now my timing was off. I made it back to the hub and realized that I had just missed the bus that would take me to work. Thought process: I can sit for 25 minutes and wait or I can walk the mile to the office. Thank God for the flip-flops. I was hoping to see a yellow bike, but alas – no relief. So, I walked until I made it back to the office. Just then I started to realize that, although comfy, flip-flops are not the walking shoes of choice.

Waiting for the bus, your mind can wander. After this stop I had Feist's "One, Two, Three, Four..." on my mind for a while.

Overall, I was really pleased with my morning. Safe, reliable transportation. Friendly people. Good times. However, at lunch I had to run an errand which was about 3/4 mile from work – not so far that the bus is needed, but I really didn’t want to walk it.  My boss (thanks, boss!) kindly offered to “carpool” to help me out, but I’m trying to stick with the spirit of the adventure and see if I can make it happen. Not in a walking mood (although Kristen is inspiring me*), I grabbed the bus right outside my office for the short trip. Errand done, I had time to kill and lunch to eat. So – I headed into Yummy Burger. And what did I have?

Thai food, of course (and it was yummy). Here, friends, is a benefit of going car-less. If I had run my errand with my car, I most likely would have gone to a more familiar (and further away) place for lunch. But being that convenience was key, I tried something new and it paid off. Plus – I killed just the right amount of time to grab my bus back to the office for a less than 60 minute lunch hour. Sweet!

All is sunshine and roses. Good travel day, good work day. Time to pack up a bit after 5 PM. I shut down and head out to the ever-so-convenient bus stop right outside work, and I notice that I’m walking out 1 minute after the bus is supposed to be there. Please, God, let it be 2 minutes late. It wasn’t.

I know, I know – you warned me that I need to be early for the bus. But here’s the catch. In the morning – that’s okay – I’m only cheating myself out of sleep. But at lunch or in the evening, there’s not as much flexibility. Because for every extra minute I get to the bus stop early, that’s a minute I’m taking away from something else.

Patience is a virtue, but it’s not one of mine. I sit at my bus stop and review all my little maps to determine if there’s a different bus or different route near by I could still catch. I call the RTA line, but no one answers after 5:30 PM. Finally, the next bus came (after I’ve walked a good long way to find a bus stop with a bench).  This bus takes me to my transfer stop, but the schedule is off now and I just missed my bus home and have to wait another 45 minutes. AUGH!

After all my crazy planning, THESE are my shoe options for Day 1?!?

Luckily, there’s a bar with a fine patio down from the stop. But my once-smart idea to pack some flip-flops proves not good enough and I’m wishing I had some better walking shoes. So, after a drink and flipping through a

couple local newspapers, I make my way out and wait the final 15 minutes for the bus. Which takes me 4 blocks from my house – a convenience I was really excited about early in the day, but had lost its luster after the end of the day. I make it into the house 1 hour and 50 minutes after walking out of work (usually a 15 minute drive).

So – what did I learn after one day? If you can work within the time schedules – the people are nice, the routes are convenient, and the bus can work out pretty well. But as soon you miss that one bus, plans go out the window and it’s tough to get back on track. I’ll also claim some “user error” on this one. But that’s why it’s a week adventure and I’m not giving up after a day.

Up next, my bike is coming with me on the bus. I am *hoping* that this results in the best of both worlds – convenient rides for the distances and quick trips for the errands. Famous last words…

* Reference to the lovely Kristen Wicker and her piece on walking as a primary means of Dayton travel. Check it out!

Once Upon a Time – Where the Unrealistic Expectations Began.

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Over the years I’ve held onto some pretty intense grandiose expectations of love and relationships. The hopeless romantic in me has sent me on voyage of unmet fantasies. Now, with most things I would tend to feel that I am unique and that others aren’t as delusional as me but fortunately I have friends who are just as misguided about love as I am.  How can this be? When did it all begin? I didn’t grow up with June and Ward Cleaver that’s for sure so my parents or upbringing had nothing to do with it. I’m sure my mother will read this and be ecstatic that I’m not blaming them for this too. No it wasn’t my family or watching my parents marriage so what really lead to my thinking that “Happily Ever After” involved a night shining armor and lifetime of singing birds, candy and roses?  

I wondered about this for a few days as I found myself once again with a head riddled with wild fantasies.  Then started to think about the movies I’ve loved throughout the years, the books that have had me enthralled for weeks, the shows on TV that turn me into a wishy washy mess. The sugar coating from otherwise sources of entertainment that really have just filled my head with a bunch of bullshit that doesn’t apply to the reality I am living in. The Real World.

With that said, I thought it would be interesting to examine some of the rubbish I grew up on, read and even watch today.

Fairy Tale Princesses – What a Crock.

I admit it, I dressed up and pranced around like a magical fairy tale princess when I was kid. Who didn’t?  With movies like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White heck even Aladdin it was very easy at a young age to let my imagination run wild, problem is I still tend to do it. Let’s look at Sleeping Beauty for example.  Asleep for 100 hundreds years waiting on a kiss to bring her back to life?  So, there is a man out there that has the capability of wakening her from a curse and with one kiss she finds herself awake from death and living happily ever after?  Hmm. This to me would mean that no matter what has happened in the past, out there is a man who is so remarkable he has the ability to lift a gal out of years of endless bullshit from one guy after the other, or sadness, or just plain boredom in my case. Who knows, but I just don’t think it happens that way. Which is probably why I started watching Horror movies at such a young age, perhaps at a young age I knew Disney was nothing but BS.

Molly Ringwald – Hope For Awkward Girls.

I loved every single one of her movies.  Why?  Because for some reason they made me think that awkward and somewhat socially inept gals could find themselves in the arms of a hunk.  With the exception of the rather creepy Andrew McCarthy,  Molly kind of managed to land the awesome guy all the time. I have to tell you, I spent four years in high school, a red head even at times and never once seemed to pull off being somewhat geeky, awkward and also attractive.  The weird girl in high school doesn’t have allure and never once did I actually end up with some boy I had a crush on. Great movies and I still to this day love them but they kind of gave me false hope.  I think my parents even forgot my 16th Birthday and frankly I would have rather ended up with Bryce (John Cusak) anyway. High school was far from any John Hughes movie frankly.

Nicholas Sparks

I won’t lie. I own and have watched The Notebook over a hundred times I’m sure. I’ve read it and several of his books. He’s become my nemesis of sorts because I think he, more than anyone contributes to my twisted contorted views of love and romance. I can’t help but get sucked into to any story that involves people growing old together though. I cry like a baby and then I walk away wanting that very thing, which really I do. Don’t get me wrong it’s a goal of mine to be that old couple you see holding hands in the park. I still believe that true love lasts forever, I just wish he wasn’t so damn good at painting that picture because sometimes it doesn’t exactly happen that way. It doesn’t help that close friends have often compared me to Rachel McAdams in that movie, either. Though I’ve yet to stumble across a guy who finds my irrational temper tantrums cute enough to fall in love with me, not one that looks like Ryan Gosling anyway. Side note, his beard in that movie is marvelous.

Even Vampires Find Love

Am I wrong for being a little bitter that even a corpse and an allbeit nerd find their way to love?  The Twilight Series, maybe you’ve heard of it?  Another awkwardly clumsy dork “Bella” ends of up with this GQ looking vampire and they live happily ever after. If you haven’t read the books, please do though.  They’re great. Thing about it however is that love sometimes doesn’t conquer all. I know couples that can’t even get passed the guy not putting the toilet seat down yet these two manage to stick together  one obstacle  after another. I also know couples that have been through hell and back and are still together, but the numbers are diminishing.  Life is hard and it’s difficult to find a person that will still hold your hand through all of life’s trials and tribulations, really difficult.

The Truth

I think life is more like romantic comedies where the weirdest situations sometimes land you in love. I am a bookworm which means I will more than likely not stop reading this nonsense, a girl has to have some guilty pleasures. The “love” in my life has lessoned my belief in finding “the one” though. Nowadays I’m just hoping one out of five guys I meet is half way decent. I have crushes but I try not be unrealistic about them, I mean whatever happens happens. I don’t think I am going to end up with some guy who I’ve been pining over for months anymore then the possibility of meeting someone while spilling coffee on myself at Starbucks. However, I’m more inclined to think that some random moment of awkwardness will lead me to this guy I’m supposed to end up holding hands in the park with, because if he likes me after that we’re meant to be.  My point here is that sometimes the things we see on tv, movies or read in books can leave us hoping for unrealistic things or worse, doubt our current situation and wanting more. I remember after reading Twilight  and thinking that my boyfriend at the time wasn’t being romantic enough, that he should be more like that pasty Cullen kid. Sad right?  But we do it..well, ladies do anyways.

I’ve probably lessoned my chances of love after this rant.

I wonder what guys read or watch that gives them false expectations, I bet Weird Science would be on the list. I guess I’ll have to wait on my rival columnist Jason Webber from The Dayton City Paper to see what he thinks about all this.

Till next week, thanks for reading.