An ending and a beginning.

When I started this blog back in 2009, its purpose was originally to...

1. recount my adventures at festivals
2. deal with my relationship with food (as well as staying fit).

Well, by the time 2011 rolled around, my Ohio Festivals website launched and all my festival adventures migrated there.

And, although this blog did deal with other travels, food adventures and the like, the blog title continued to only confuse people...

...is this guy really 300 pounds?

Therefore, I've decided to put this blog to rest and give birth to another...

 

...called man-gi-am-OH!

The name plays off the Italian word mangiamo ("let's eat) with a little Ohio (OH) reference and it will more clearly deal with my food-related adventures in Ohio and beyond.

There will still be plenty of foodie fun pics, fantastic writing and that good-feeling sensation you feel after each of my posts.

It will just be under a blog title that will be far easier to remember.  :-)

So please subscribe and check in regularly.

I'll be waiting for you! (Vi aspetto!)

- Kristian

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Heaven in Hell, Michigan

After visiting the Latomia del Paradiso (quarry of Heaven) in Siracusa (Sicily) and the church of San Michele (also called Purgatory or the Church of the Souls of Purgatory) in Tropea (Calabria), one Italian cousin told me I had only one place left to visit...

...Hell.

So, during this past weekend in Michigan, Julia and I took a very quick side trip so that I restart with a clean slate...

...and it was heavenly.



Named way back in 1841...



...this unincorporated community is currently popular with both bikers (who love the Dam Site Inn Restaurant/Bar)...



...and tourists with a budget (check out the price).



There's also a chapel...



...where couples can get married...



...and start a new life together.

Of course, there are also a lot of people who come all this way for the simplest of reasons...

...like a Hell postmark from the little post office inside the ice cream shop (Scream's).



But, for me, I fell in love with all the decorative touches...



...including the creative bean bag toss boards...



...and the various photo-ops.



It was difficult not to participate.


(For more info, click HERE.)

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Why and How to Enroll Yourself into the Cancer Prevention Study 3

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In these upcoming months, the American Cancer Society is launching a new research study to better understand and prevent cancer.

It's called CPS-3 (Cancer Prevention Study - 3) and, like its predecessors, it will follow a generation of adults through periodic surveys (of every few years) to see if there are links between cancer and our lifestyle choices.

Whereas CPS-1 and CPS-2 helped the world understand the dangers of tobacco use, hormones and obesity (among other things), CPS-3 will more closely look into environmental and lifestyle exposures that may be negatively affecting us...

...because knowledge is power and that powerful knowledge can save the lives of both us and our loved ones.

But if you want to better understand this study before continuing, please click here.

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There are certain criteria set for this study.

To enroll, you must...

• be between the ages of 30-60 years old

• be willing to complete a survey every few years over a period of 20-30 years

• never have been diagnosed with cancer (not including basal or squamous cell skin cancer)

To enroll, you will simply need to schedule an appointment (see below), fill out an enrollment survey (online version explained below) and show up for your appointment in order to give a waist measurement and a small blood sample.

Also, I should let you know that there is no cost to take part in this study and all information supplied is strictly confidential.

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If you qualify and are considering enrollment, you can find a location throughout the United States by clicking here for a list.

If you are in Lorain or Cuyahoga County, you can click here.

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In order to help make the enrollment process easier, I have decided to give you a step-by-step on how to schedule an appointment and fill out your online enrollment survey.

I really recommend doing this online so that you don't have to do it during your appointment. In fact, if you do it online, your scheduled appointment may take only 20 minutes. Then you'll only have to wait a few years for your next survey.

The online registration deadline for Lorain/Cuyahoga County is July 23rd!

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Okay...now if you don't mind, I can guide you on how to schedule your appointment and do your survey.

You can thank me later!

........................................................

Go to the main page and select your location: Lorain/Cuyahoga County volunteers can go to http://acsgld.org/clevelandcps3/ while all others can click here to find their location.

Once here, you will notice various locations on the right-hand side...



...these locations should have a link you can click.

The link will take you to this page where you will have to click "Schedule an Appointment" up above...



...or down below.

Now you are given the available locations, which you can mark before clicking "Continue."

Once at the next page...

...you can fill out the form, click "Save & Continue"...

...and an email will be sent, confirming your appointment.

If you wish to do the enrollment survey during your appointment, you are done until then.

BUT, if you wish to fill on the enrollment survey online, carefully look to your email confirmation...

...and click the link found here.



You will be brought to this page that's titled "Participation Setup Process" and you want to click that link in the middle of that spiral.

Basically, what it will do is magically fill the 7-digit participant Login ID...



...which you can almost see added here.

Afterward, the process is self-explanatory...

...making all these red incomplete categories...

...eventually become green complete categories before submitting the questionnaire...



...and getting your own bar code and number to print out so that you can bring them to your scheduled appointment.

I truly hope you will consider taking part in this rather important study.

I know I am.

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Our Big Day in Put-in-Bay - June 24, 2012

With plans to visit the Pyrate Fest in Put-in-Bay (blog post here), Julia and I decided to head out for a full-day mini-babymoon...

...grabbing a Miller's Ferry in Catawba (Port Clinton)...



...and cruising across Lake Erie.

As we enjoyed the cool air off the water and the warm sun from above...

...we were near South Bass Island within a half hour...



...and docking shortly after.

We were equipped with a fancy electric golf cart...



...which we used to check out interesting accommodations...



...a wooden carousel...



...restaurants with awesome names (Goat Soup and Whiskey)...



...and the cart-filled town of Put-in-Bay.



After taking some time to experience the Pyrate Fest...



...we walked around town to find a place to eat.

Put-in-Bay is filled with tons of restaurants and bars to enjoy...

...including Pasquale's...



...the Boathouse...



...the Beer Barrel Saloon (with the world's longest bar)...

...and many, many more.

In the end, Julia and I decided to get lunch with a nice lake view...

...here at the Boardwalk...

...where a rich lobster bisque almost makes you forget that Lake Erie is not the ocean, after all.

(Although all those lobster and seafood dishes keep making you think otherwise.)

Afterward, we drove around some more until we eventually found our way...

...to the Perry's Cave Family Fun Center...



...where visitors toured the cave underneath this shop...



...mined for gems in the running waters...



...and tried their putts at some miniature golf.



Julia and I decided to try our navigational skills at the Fort A Maze'n...

...but couldn't find the "A" in the end (you punch a card with hidden letter punchers to spell "MAZE") and eventually gave up.

Fortunately, any disappointment brought on by our unsuccessful letter punching...

...was soothed by the Butterfly House...



...where caterpillars slept soundly...



...until reborn as beautiful butterflies...



...only to spend the rest of their lives playing, fluttering...



...and eating.



A handy guide even helped you learn who was who...



...like this Owl Butterfly, for example.

And although it was really warm inside, we stayed there as long we we could.

Because it really was an amazing experience to be there...

...as all those butterflies flew around you...



...and sometimes rather close.

I should also point out that the Butterfly House gift shop sells Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies and Star Crunches for $0.50 each.

They brought a nice babymoon finish to the day to say the least.

***Author's Note: A special thanks to Miller's Ferry for helping with the transportation and activities. If it wasn't for you, we could have possibly missed out on such a great time on the perfectly weathered day. Thanks again!***

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