2016: Зміни та пригоди

I entitled my annual "year in review" post with the Ukrainian words for "changes and adventures", which is a good way to summarize this past year. I went into it hopeful for improvements in my life and as it comes to an end, I can say I've seen some, though there are still ways I can improve myself and my situation. My year has been filled with quite a few adventures, highlighted by my visit to Ukraine in March and April, and has seen quite a few changes from the addition of a new niece in April and a new nephew in September to the pending loss of my grandmother as I write this.

Changes
Let's start with some of the changes! While change is inevitable, that doesn't mean it's convenient or welcome. This year, a lot of the changes that happened were expected, but a few happened far quicker than we ever thought. The biggest, as I mentioned, is the pending loss of my Grandma Derby (age 83), who is in her final days as I write this. Grandma has been in poor health for the last two years after suffering what appears to have been some kind of stroke. Even so, she was still able to attend church, join us at dinner, and spend time reading emails and playing games on the computer. In October, though, her health took a turn for the worse and she was in the hospital for a few weeks and a week in physical rehab before coming home just before Thanksgiving and being on Hospice. It's been a steady, but expected decline since then to the point now she's barely communicating anymore and is showing clear signs of internal shut down. It's been quite a change having her the way she was for 2 years and now like this for the last 2 months, but even so, it will be quite a change to not see her at all anymore soon. I'm almost 35 and all 4 of my grandparents are still alive, so I consider myself pretty fortunate in that regard.

Extended Ridinger family in July, our traditional (and final) five year photo
Photo by Laura Ebie

My immediate family with the spouses and kids in July, just before Isaac was born
Photo by Laura Ebie

With my siblings in July
Photo by Laura Ebie

My other grandparents had their own changes as they moved to an assisted living facility in the area after 50 years in their home. It all happened in a matter of about 2 weeks after Grandpa (age 92) had some health issues and Grandma (age 86) realized she simply could not handle them on her own. I ended up living at their house for about 4 months (end of July-mid November) until my aunt and uncle could move in. Seeing that house, which hadn't changed much at all my entire life, change so much in the time I was there was truly surreal, but still quite the experience. I was still living over there when Grandma Derby first went to the hospital, so lots of changes all at once. And yes, I did enjoy having their house to myself for a few months. It was a nice change of scenery along with some wonderful solitude!

Seeing as this room had almost no changes my entire life, seeing it empty out and then be repainted and re-carpeted was surreal! It was like I was living in some kind of alternate universe. 

Not all the changes have been negative, though. In April, my newest niece Samantha was born in Indiana, followed in September by a nephew Isaac in Tennessee. Of course I have been able to see both of them (as well as their siblings) several times already this year, both in Indiana and Tennessee, and even here in Kent!

First time meeting Sammi in April...she was about 2.5 weeks old here

First time meeting Isaac in October. He was just over 1 month old here

Adventures
My 2016 was full of adventures, many of which were my typical road trips to Indiana and Tennessee to visit my siblings, nieces, and nephews. Those trips are always fun, and the trips this year were no exception. I also visited my sister Katie while she was living in Alexandria, Virginia, this summer, which included a side trip to Philadelphia. During my time visiting Katie, we had lots of time to visit the sites in DC, including a day where we "re-enacted" several photos from our visit there in 2008. And yes, it was blazing hot while I was in DC...nearly 100 degrees fahrenheit and humid.

One of the MANY photos Katie and I got in DC...and yes it was ridiculously hot (97 F that day)

Got to finally meet Chris Zimmerman in person during my side trip to Philadelphia! We've corresponded on Facebook for awhile, so I was glad we could make the connection while I was in town. Great guy and does awesome photography and clothing for his company Violate the Dress Code

My biggest adventure, though, was at the end of March when I was able to visit my sister Katie in Ukraine as she concluded her service in the Peace Corps. It was my first time out of the country since I visited the UK in 2007, so I was pretty excited, on top of seeing Katie for the first time in almost a year. While in Ukraine, we visited the capital Kyiv twice, as well as the cities of Lviv and Ternopil, where we got to see some incredible history and meet many of Katie's Peace Corps friends and associates. The main visit was to where Katie was stationed in Berezhany (Бережани) where I got to meet many of her students and her friends and associates at the Berezhany Internat (orphanage and school). It was a trip I will never forget and had an absolutely incredible time on. Hopefully in another year we can return to Berezhany to see all those wonderful faces and beautiful places!

View of Berezhany from Katie's apartment

Some of Katie's students from the Berezhany Internat

In Lviv

My other big adventure was in October when I sang the National Anthem for the Cleveland Indians. Yes, I've done it many times before, including twice previously in 2016 (July 8 and August 19), but at long last I was finally asked to sing at a playoff game when I sang for the American League Division Series opener against the Red Sox. Not only was the crowd revved up, but it was an over-capacity crowd. The cheers when I finished were so loud; something I'd never experienced before. It was an absolute thrill and I'm hopeful it will lead to additional opportunities in music and life in general. The morning just before I sang, I was interviewed by Channel 19 and Channel 8 in Cleveland as part of their respective morning shows, and the Kent State Alumni Association did a feature article on their website. I'll be featured in their alumni spotlight in the printed Kent State Magazine which will come out in March.

Being interviewed by Tia Ewing and Brian Duffy from Channel 19 at Progressive Field

Being interviewed by Kenny Crumpton from Channel 8 at Progressive Field

You can see where I sang in relationship to the players...I'm near the upper right corner

And yes, as I mentioned, I was able to sing for the Indians twice during the regular season, singing for the July 8 game against the Yankees and the August 19 game against the Blue Jays, where I did both the US and Canadian anthems. The Yankees game was my first time singing for a sold-out crowd and the Blue Jays game was my first time doing O Canada for the Indians (I've done it twice before at other venues). The other cool thing about the Yankees game was being able to have my two nephews on the field with me. It was their first time ever at Progressive Field and the team had these awesome gift bags for them. It was an all-around awesome night and experience! And seeing the team get to the World Series was awesome...hope it continues in 2017! I was also glad to sing several times for Kent State in several sports, including the Akron-Kent men's basketball game in February.

With my nephews Ryan (age 4) and Nate (age 6), just before I sang in Cleveland on July 8

I was also able to check off four more ballparks from my bucket list! As part of my visits to DC and Nashville, I visited Nationals Park in Washington and took a side trip up to Philadelphia (where I also got to meet Chris Zimmerman in person at long last...pictured a bit earlier in the post!) to see the new Philadelphia LDS Temple and a game at Citizens Bank Park. During a trip to Nashville, I took a side trip to Atlanta and saw a game at Turner Field. I'm hopeful to get another visit to Atlanta in 2017 to see the new SunTrust Park, as well as get at least some of the east coast parks done (New York, Boston, & Baltimore). I also made a short trip up to Toronto at the beginning of July (which included a visit to Niagara Falls) and saw the Indians play the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, my first time in Canada since 2000.

Rogers Centre in Toronto! Special thanks to the Blue Jays fans who offered to and then took this great picture!

Nationals Park, Nationals vs. Pirates

Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Phillies vs. Marlins

My Philadelphia trip also included a quick stop at the new Philadelphia LDS Temple, which was nearing completion at the time!

At Turner Field in Atlanta, Nationals vs. Braves (I moved around to several different seats during the game for different angles)

2016 was by no means perfect and had its share of disappointments and setbacks, but overall, I feel like I made some good personal progress and that some things are in motion to make 2017 a good year as well. In the end, a year is an arbitrary measurement of time, so good or bad doesn't just disappear because the calendar suddenly rolls over, but it sure seems that way. And even with death looming for a family member as 2017 begins, I'm hopeful for the new year. It's certainly given me an additional perspective on all the celebrity deaths (which I can't say affected me at all...sure I appreciate and enjoyed their talents, but in the end, they're people I don't know personally and likely had no idea I even exist...). That said, on to 2017! Happy new year!

Back to the future!

Every year I go into the new year with resolve to do more regular blogs, thinking my low amount of blog posts can't possibly get any lower than it was in the year ending. Well, after several successive years of blogging decline, I hope 2015 marks my "bottoming out" as far as blog posts go. Counting this post, I had all of three posts the entire year, with this my first post since May. As I've mentioned before, because of my daily journal writing, I guess I have a limit of how much I want to write in a day, though I've also noticed a general decline in that feeling of need to express myself on every issue I come across. There are plenty of posts I've started, but just never had the motivation to finish! That said, here's my 2015 in review for those who are interested. I definitely can't say I've had a dull year by any stretch!

Nieces in Tennessee

Niece and nephews in Indiana!

Probably my most significant "story" of 2015 was what I covered in my last post: my weight loss. I started it in late November 2014 and when I posted in May, I had just passed my 6 month mark and had lost 50 pounds. Well, fast forward to late December now and I'm still going strong in the program! I ultimately lost about 70 pounds total, bottoming out at 156.8 pounds in early September. Since then, I've been maintaining and "bulking", i.e. adding some muscle mass through workouts and continuing to monitor my macronutrients. The difference now is I'm not trying to lose weight, so I obviously have a much larger "budget" during the day. I'm holding steady right around or slightly above 160 pounds, which was my initial target weight. The new target is going to be around 170.

It's been a fascinating experience watching how people react to my weight loss. Just the other day someone remarked how I was "disappearing" even though I haven't really lost weight since September. Perhaps I looked leaner or it's just a case of having clothes that fit me better. Anyone who knew me before I started is fairly surprised to see me now, to the point some have politely asked if everything is OK, thinking perhaps I lost weight because I was sick. 

As for me, I definitely feel more confident in how I look and feel, but the real sense of accomplishment is that I actually did it and continue to do it. I had been thinking about doing something like this for years and just could never do it, so being able to look back and realize I did it is still a bit surreal. But yeah, that's certainly been the main highlight of 2015. At the onset of the year of the year I had just started the program and had lost 15 pounds.

Just before Christmas last year...I had lost about 10-15 pounds by then

Early December 2015 in Cleveland...got new glasses this year too!

Professionally, 2015 was much the same as 2014. I continue to sub regularly for two local school districts and a STEM academy, plus I worked the 2015 season for the Cleveland Browns up in the press box at FirstEnergy Stadium (still one more home game this coming Sunday!). While I have continued to keep my eyes and ears open for other opportunities (and applied for many), I have still, overall, enjoyed my time at all the schools I work for and with the Browns. The one change with the Browns this season was getting on the special events crew, meaning in addition to the regular home games, I also work special events at the stadium, mostly receptions and meetings that use one of the various club areas in the stadium. We also had two major concerts, one of which I won "Top Dawg" (best employee) at!

In "teacher clothes" 

At church I was called as Ward Mission Leader at the beginning of July. It's the first time I've ever had that calling, and has brought a lot of mission memories back. Overall it's been an enjoyable experience. Basically, I'm responsible for coordinating the efforts of the full-time missionaries serving in our ward (congregation) and the members of the ward.

After my first correlation meeting. We have one companionship of Sisters serving in the Kent area, and one companionship of Elders serving in the Ravenna area.

After a correlation meeting, they came to hear me sing the National Anthem at a KSU women's basketball game

Like 2014 and many years before, I have had several opportunities to sing the National Anthem at sporting events, and was even able to once again do "O Canada" before an ice hockey game in Cleveland. During the 2015 season I sang for three Cleveland Indians games. The first was on Mormon Night in June, then two weeks later I sang for the 20th anniversary of the 1995 team, so I was on the field with several members of that team. It was pretty cool right afterwards since we were all in the elevator together. My inner 13-year old self was absolutely thrilled. The 1995 team was one I followed very closely and knew every player, so getting to meet them...sweet!

June 19th game with the 1995 alumni behind me!

September 29th game

Lake Erie Monsters game on Halloween

As always, I had my share of travels to Indiana and Tennessee to visit with my siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews, and even extended family! I also enjoyed some "random road trips" with my good friend Michelle, one to Cedar Point, one to Ann Arbor, Michigan, one to Detroit, and another to Indiana! My "big" trip in 2015 was driving down to Orlando and Tampa, Florida during Spring Break. I went there via Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and came home via Montgomery, Alabama, and Tennessee. I was able to visit Disney for the first time since 2006, but more importantly was able to see some of my family in central Florida and some friends I hadn't met in person before, including my trainer Josh in Tampa. It was quite the whirlwind trip, but so worth it and so much fun! Another fun trip I had, which my random road trip to Detroit was part of, was a quick trip to East Lansing, Michigan to see Air Force play at Michigan State with my former missionary companion and friend Will, who came from Oklahoma to see the game. Always great to see Will and I got to see another major college stadium in the process. Double win!

With Michelle at Cedar Point on July 4th!

 

With Mom and Michelle in Ann Arbor!

With my friend and trainer Josh in Tampa in April

With my cousin Bryce at Epcot!

With my Kirtland friends the Nowaceks, who now live in the Orlando area!

With Bryce at Epcot

With high school friends Lyniece and Sharice when I stopped in Montgomery, Alabama!

With Will at Spartan Stadium

In some of my trips, I included a visit to the local Major League ballpark to add to my list of MLB parks I have seen games at, though some were special trips just to see the game. This season I saw my first games at Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay), PNC Park (Pittsburgh), Comerica Park (Detroit), Great American Ball Park (Cincinnati), and Miller Park (Milwaukee). The trips to Cincinnati and Pittsburgh were with my dad and were just for the game, while the other visits were part of trips I was already on. I'm hoping to add Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia) and Nationals Park (Washington, DC) to the list in 2016, if not more! And of course, I had plenty of visits to Progressive Field in Cleveland! Also, my trip to Milwaukee to see the Indians play the Brewers was my nephew Nathan's first MLB game ever!

With my dad at PNC Park in Pittsburgh after a lengthy rain delay

With Michelle at Comerica Park in Detroit

Brother-in-law David and my nephew Nate at Miller Park in Milwaukee

With my dad at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati

Overall, I can't complain about 2015. Sure, I'm still looking for that seemingly elusive full-time job with benefits, but in the meantime, I'm making do with what I have and taking advantage of the time I have to explore my interests and spend time with family and friends. I had to deal with my car getting hit just a few days after having it repaired for another accident where someone hit it, but I also enjoyed having visits this year from my brother and his family for Thanksgiving and my uncle and his family from Washington during the summer. Definitely excited for 2016 with at least one exciting trip planned in May, a new niece set to arrive in April, and more opportunities to develop myself professionally!

After my car was REAR ENDED and smashed into the car in front, which had a wheelchair lift. Geez. It was the third issue with the car in about a month, with this happening just 5 days after I got the car back from getting damage repaired from hitting an animal on the highway. Took a bit to get it all fixed, but eventually it was all taken care of

My grandpa and I enjoyed being tour guides in Kent for my uncle (who grew up in Kent but hadn't been back in years) and his family. So great to see them again!

And then there was but one...

Well, here I am at the end of another year. I came into 2014 with grand aspirations of doing more blogging and was actually doing OK for the first half of the year, but that seemingly vanished for the remainder of 2014 on all of my blogs. As I've said before, perhaps my regular journal writing exhausts some kind of writing limit I apparently have. At least I've kept up on that!

Moving on, though, is it really going to be 2015 tomorrow? For real...I remember watching Back to the Future II in the late 1980s thinking it was so far away, and now, here we are about to start it. My nerdy side is quite excited about it and at some point this year (most like on or around October 21, 2015, the date Marty goes to in the BTTF2 movie) I will do a Back to the Future marathon. Great Scott! Are we supposed to see flying cars, auto-dry clothing, hover boards, and "neo-80s" style clothing? I guess we're about to find out. Considering that the current "contemporary" style in homes is just a rehash of the 1960s with different colors, it's not a far reach, at least as far as the "neo-80s" style coming out (though I realize that any vision of the future always reflects the era in which it was produced...see Star Trek in the 1960s and even The Next Generation in the 1980s).

That said, I have to say 2014, while not the extraordinary year I was hoping for, was a good year for me overall and was definitely an improvement over 2013 even without any major changes or upheavals. My hope at the beginning of this year was to finally get that break with a full-time job or other opportunity, but that never came despite my best efforts. Instead, though, I was able to take advantage of some other opportunities, and have been subbing significantly more than I did in most of 2013. My decision to switch to Rootstown, Streetsboro, and the Bio-Med Science Academy in Rootstown in the fall of 2013 was, at least up to this point, a very wise decision. I've enjoyed my time at all three overall this past year and have especially appreciated the increase in work I've received at all of them. Even so, like every year before it, I enter 2015 still on the lookout for something permanent and stable as far as a job or other occupation.

Speaking of jobs, one of my highlights of 2014 was working for the Cleveland Browns this season in Guest Services. My specific title was Suite Attendant, though in reality I really didn't spend much time in the suites themselves. For some of the games I did the pre- and post-game checks of four suites, but that wasn't every week. I initially started out on the far end of the south side 400 level just monitoring the exit to the ramp and answering any questions and addressing any concerns from fans in my immediate area. By the third or fourth game, though, I was moved to the other side of the level at the other exit to the ramps, this one on the Press Box side of the south 400 level. Monitoring this door was a tad different since it was unlocked due to the freight elevator right outside that was frequently used during the games. It was not uncommon for fans using that ramp (the southwest ramp) to walk in the door either mistakenly looking for something else, with a legitimate question for me, or to try and get in the Press Box itself (suite ticket holders rarely tried to do that, but they weren't allowed to). As such, I did see many of the coaches from both teams each week as well as the various media members we all see on TV or hear on the radio.

Overall I really enjoyed the experience of working for the Browns because I enjoy going to sporting events and have always been interested in stadiums, so being able to go in most of the stadium was really neat for me. The other thing was that I was an actual employee, so I was authorized to be in most of the stadium with no questions asked. I remember during the very first preseason game I had to go back downstairs to pick up my dinner and no one blinked when I went through places off limits to most fans since I had my ID. It was a simply, yet gratifying experience for me since, as a substitute, I don't have an ID (several schools give me a generic "Staff" tag that identifies me as a sub that I wear for that day). At the Browns games, I wasn't a sub or just there filling in for someone else; I was doing my job. Later in the season I came up during the week and helped get several suites ready for Sunday and again, because I had my ID, no one thought anything of me walking around the stadium by myself. It was cool being there when it was mostly empty too. There's something therapeutic about being in a building that a lot of people use when it's empty (same goes for church...I love cleaning it because it's empty when I do it).

Really, though, it certainly wasn't about the money (it didn't pay all that well and even if it had, I only worked about eight hours for 10 total games), it was about the experience. The schedule fit perfectly into my plans for that time (no games on holidays and away games on the dates I actually needed to be elsewhere, plus the last home game was before Christmas) and was something I wanted to try. Hopefully the 2015 season will work out for me too (and hey, as a fan I wouldn't mind if the team improved too!).

No year would be complete without travel for me. Despite my limited means, I was able to make several trips thanks to a good car and free, or reasonably priced, lodging. Most of my trips were, as usual, to Valparaiso or Nashville, where my sister and brother live, respectively, which is typical. Both are well within a day's drive and I have a place to stay with people I enjoy being around! In fact, the year started in Valparaiso as I was there for the birth of my niece Lorraine on December 30, 2013. I returned to Valpo several times during the year, including a surprise visit during the spring. During one of my trips to Valpo I was able to attend a minor league baseball game for the Gary Southshore Railcats and then I was finally able to see a game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. So much fun for me!

Nathan and Lorraine in Valpo in July

Historic Wrigley Field!

Becky and me at Wrigley for the Cubs vs. Padres game in July

Evelyn and Olivia during our Christmas trip to Nashville

With Ryan in Valpo this past July

With Olivia during our August trip to Nashville for Evelyn's 2nd birthday

My two long trips were also this spring. In March during Spring Break for most of the schools I sub in, I went down to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for two nights. I was able to find a beachfront hotel room for about $30/night. While brief, it was well worth it and much needed after a particularly long, gray, and brutal winter (even for Ohio). In May I made a marathon trip to the Shreveport, Louisiana area for the wedding of my good friend and former missionary companion Will Graff to Megan Rikert. I made the 32-hour round trip in 4 consecutive days, stopping in Nashville on the way there and back since it's right near the midway point. Not only was it great to see my sister-in-law and nieces (albeit briefly), but of course very nice to see Will and Megan tie the knot. I even made a stop in Little Rock, Arkansas on the way back to see the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.

Myrtle Beach in March

Will and Megan's wedding in Louisiana in May

Historic Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas in May

In addition to traveling, it was nice to have family visit here in Kent on several occasions. Twice this year I had all my siblings in the same room at the same time, which is actually pretty rare. I see all of them on a regular basis, but obviously at separate times. My brother and sister came to visit in March just after my birthday, and then were all here again for my grandpa's 90th birthday in October. Of course my sister and her family visited a few additional times, as they're only five hours from here. I love to travel, but it's always nice when people come here, so I very much appreciated and enjoyed it all!

With the siblings in March here in Kent, just after Katie returned from Ukraine!

All the siblings, nieces, and nephews here in Kent in March

Our traditional "Katie and the group" shot in Kent this past October

Family photo in October

2014 was also not without my share of singing, though I was not in any shows this year since This is Kirtland! is on hiatus (doesn't look like it will be back for 2015 either). I was particularly excited about some firsts in singing: in February I performed the Canadian National Anthem "O Canada" in public for the first time when I sang at the NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships at Public Hall in Cleveland. Later this year, just last month, I finally sang for a football game when I sang prior to the game between Kent State and Akron at Dix Stadium here in Kent. I've been wanting to sing at a football game since high school and have never had the chance. Even though the crowd wasn't all that big (it was 27 degrees F at game time during Thanksgiving Break and the game had been rescheduled), it was still fun and a good experience!

Pictures from KSU photographer David Dermer from my National Anthem performance at Dix Stadium in late November

I once again sang for the Cleveland Indians, Toledo Mud Hens, Akron Rubber Ducks, and Columbus Clippers at various times during the baseball season, as well as several other Kent State events (men's and women's basketball, gymnastics, wrestling), and I even got to sing at the 2014 Mid-American Conference Wrestling Championships since they were hosted in Kent this year. Now, if only I could get a Cleveland Browns and/or Cavaliers game. So far, no luck there, the Cavaliers in particular.

MAC Center at Kent State prior to a men's basketball game

At the MAC Center again at KSU prior to the Mid-American Conference Wrestling Tournament in March

With Julie and Michelle at Fifth-Third Field in Toledo after singing for the Toledo Mud Hens in May

At Huntington Field in Columbus after singing for the Columbus Clippers in June

With my dad and sister at Huntington Field in June

Just before singing for the Akron Rubber Ducks at Canal Park in Akron in June

Another very enjoyable event I've been a part of this year has been the Fan Advisory Board at Kent State. It's a group of athletic staff, KSU faculty, alumni, and just general fans who meet quarterly and discuss issues related to attendance at KSU sporting events, mainly the big moneymakers of football and men's basketball. Not only have I been able to make connections with various people in athletics and at the university, but I've also learned more about what it really takes to run a Division I athletic department and the various challenges that KSU and schools like it face related to athletics. The meetings themselves are all very enjoyable and go by way too quickly. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one coming up in January.

Lastly, I am most excited that I finally got a personal trainer and joined a local gym, mostly to lose a little bit of extra weight. I had been wanting to start that for some time, but money or other issues always seemed to prevent me from doing it consistently or really getting started. Well, I finally did it just before Thanksgiving and have already lost close to 20 pounds without having to make any major dietary changes. Instead, I've been more carefully monitoring what I eat and how much. That way, I can still enjoy many of the sweets and treats I like on a daily basis and not feel the need to binge on them because I completely abstain. My trainer is grounded in reality and is someone who has actually studied diet and exercise in college, so it's been a good experience so far and one I hope to continue. My main goal? Lose some weight so I don't have to buy progressively bigger pants and so the ones I have fit just a little bit better. So far so good!

Some other highlights or random occurrences in 2014:
In June, I tried out for The Voice when they held auditions in Cleveland at Public Hall. While the wait ended up being about three hours, they kept the lines moving and had everyone go to progressive sections, so it didn't seem like that long. Obviously nothing came of it, so all I got was experience. I thought I did OK, but really made me think about who actually gets on the show and why and how many truly talented people are passed over in that screening round.

Waiting in line for The Voice auditions in Cleveland

Some of the line at Public Hall in Cleveland for The Voice auditions

I was interviewed by a newspaper article in western Virginia for an article about the role I played in editing the Wikipedia article on Stephens City, Virginia, which I did back in 2010. I also did my first paid Wikipedia article, evaluating, writing, and publishing a small article about the play "Dear Mother and All".

As I mentioned a bit earlier, in October we celebrated the 90th birthday of my grandpa Ridinger. I made a quick trip to his hometown of Miamisburg, Ohio (just south of Dayton) the week before his birthday and saw a football game on the very field he played on and got some pictures of important places in his personal life and my family history.

Harmon Field in Miamisburg, where my grandpa Ridinger played football in the late 1930s and 1940

With Miamisburg High School Athletic Director

One of these two houses on Sycamore Street in Miamisburg is where my grandpa was born. The house on the left was where his mom's family lived, and the one on the right was where his dad's family lived.

I attended my first Ohio State home game since 1997 in September when OSU played Kent State. I was obviously conflicted since I'm a KSU alum and fan as well as an OSU fan, so I wore a KSU hat and shirt with an OSU fleece. It was a one-sided affair (OSU won 66-0), but I had fun with my sister Katie and enjoyed seeing the stadium again! It was all thanks to the Marsh family at church who gave us the tickets. It was quite the unexpected surprise!

With Katie outside Ohio Stadium in my "conflicted" gear :)

View from our seats. Not bad!

This year had its share of Cleveland Indians and Akron Rubber Ducks games too as tickets were easy and inexpensive to come by! It was fun to get out every once and awhile and gave my sister Katie, who was home unexpectedly from her Peace Corps duties in Ukraine because of the unrest there, something to do!

April 22 game I sang at and got my first foul ball!

Mormon Night at Progressive Field in late May!

Rubber Ducks game in June. We always had great seats!

In August, Katie and I attended a Cleveland Gladitors game at Quicken Loans Arena, the first time either of us had ever been to an arena football game (the same day we also attended the Ukrainian Festival in Parma!). Not only was it exciting (Cleveland won on a last-second field goal), but we won free passes to Castaway Bay in Sandusky after our picture was chosen as a finalist on the scoreboard and fans voted. We sent out a call to friends to text our code in so we'd win and it was readily answered and we garnered about 97% of the vote! HA! Oh, we also got free pizza coupons with the passes!

At the Ukrainian Festival in Parma with my new hat :)

Photo that got us on the scoreboard at the Gladiators game back in August...

Here we are on the scoreboard...at this point we had 94% of the vote

We went to Castaway Bay a little later in the year when Becky visited with my nephews and had a GREAT time! It was so much fun and even better because it was free!

We all had a great time at Castaway Bay in Sandusky in August!

Here's to 2015 continuing the good I had in 2014 and improving my life where needed. Happy New Year!