We are taking this week and doing some catching up.  We are in Akron for the six month dentist and doctor appointments.  We are only here for five days, so the days are pretty full with seeing family, friends, and keeping our appointments.  But it doesn’t leave me much to write about.  No interesting hikes (35 and raining – yuck) – no interesting bike rides (same reason as no hikes).  No new places to go or things to do here.  No great pictures even though the sunset is amazing tonight – mainly because it is the first time I’ve seen the sun in a week.

There are, however, lots of people we love in this area, and we are trying to see as many as we can.  We are eating at our favorite places.  Did you know that Bob Evans is a regional restaurant?  They are everywhere in Ohio, but much harder to find when you leave the state.  We also enjoy Fiesta pizza, which is even more local than Bob Evans.  Tomorrow we are hitting Old Carolina, which – in my opinion – has the best barbecue of anywhere we have been.  Love that Piedmont #5 sauce.

Grocery shopping at Acme and picking up stuff at CVS:  it feels like we never left Akron.  We were gone for four months, but everything looks pretty much the same.  Winter is as cold as I remember and the people are as warm and friendly as I remember (making up for the freezing temperatures – they only call it southern hospitality because it is warm most of the time in the south).

We got our hairs cut at the usual places.  Tom loves to go to the barber in Mogadore and I always see Kenetha at the Macy’s Salon.  Kenetha is awesome, and I think this is the first time I’ve ever had her cut my hair where I didn’t have to tell her to take more off the bangs!

It is good to be among familiar things for a little while.  There is warmth and comfort in well-known surroundings.  We will be in Ohio through the end of December and look forward to more time with family and friends.  Time to get the Christmas cards out – as soon as we get a new printer!