Hello, Muncie!

Just several hours after stopping in Muncie and I've already made friends. Kind of. As I was exploring downtown and taking photos like a tourist, I made a couple friends. I have no idea who they are, nor was I able to get their names, but they gave me a warm welcome.

Muncie is the home of Garfield the lasagna-eating cat. I can't wait to hunt for all the Garfield statues scattered around town. I got to see a little bit of the downtown Muncie night life -- last night the town had its Art Walk, which featured local art sales all over the downtown area. I got a taste of all the things I can do -- from painting pottery to sipping beers from all over the world. And the architecture was just beautiful, with some buildings dating back to the early 1900s.

I discovered that Indiana thin crust pizza is all toppings and. Delicious, but not quite what I expected. Oh, Chicago stuffed pizza, I will miss you so.

The fall colors in town were also just stunning. I wish I could spend more time in town -- two days wasn't enough. I didn't get a chance to hit the parks or check out the weekly farmers' market. And I didn't have time to check out Ball State University. So much to do, and so little time ...

Boatloads of sushi

Sushi tastes so much better when you have great company. Friends from Evanston, Ill., took a little day trip to the wilderness of Beloit and were pleasantly (I'm hoping) surprised. Shogun, in Rockford, Ill., made quite an impression with its boatloads of scrumptious sushi, sashimi, dynamite scallops and teriyaki-drenched slices of chicken and beef. It was totally unexpected, as Rockford is basically in the middle of nowhere.

Finally, a taste of summer

This little guy wasn't enough for a salad, but it did taste like the sun. Aww, my baby tomato plant is all grown up ...

Market play

The local farmers market is great for dog-watching. Goldie almost put me in cute-overload. And she was just chewing on a sugar snap pea pod.

Speaking of furry fun, felted soap has made it north of the border! I have heard of the concept. I've seen it online and in magazines, but I've never had a chance to pet a felted bar of soap. It basically eliminates the need for a washcloth or pouf.

I would have tried some out, but I'm still going through the stash of soap I bought from The Flower Guy in Janesville. Thanks Karen Mahr, of Willow Creek Soaps, for bringing felted soap to the Beloit Farmers Market. And for someone who's been making soap for six months, she has quite the variety of all things bath-related.

Singing the Praises of Print

What's more therapeutic than shopping? Or sipping a cold drink on a warm sunny day?

Reading a book.

And I don't mean an e-book or an iPad or a Kindle. I'm talking paper and ink, here. I just got back from the library with a heft stash of summer reading. I picked up a nice mix of fiction and non-fiction, plus an LSAT prep book.

After two weeks of absolutely no visits to the library, it was like going on a shopping spree -- without spending the money.

Unlike most 20-somethings, I don't think I'll ever be happy reading off a screen. You can safely fall asleep with a book and not worry about mistaking it for a pillow and crushing its screen. It's okay if a book gets tossed on the floor or crammed into a purse. A book slips right past airport security whether it's on your carry-on or checked luggage.

A book won't fry your eyeballs the way a computer screen might. There's no off-chance risk that it'll set fire to your bed or desk. And if you drop that paper copy of "Pride and Prejudice" into the pool or tub, it's an easy fix: Air dry it or shell out a a couple bucks for new one.

Maybe I'm just biased. I do work for a newspaper. Or just plain weird. I like the smell of new books and old books. Sometimes, I think I detect the scent of cedar and burned marshmallows. I like watching the pages and cover wear. And the creases along their spines tell you were the best parts are.

Anyway, the most notable tenants on my book shelf are "Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History's Most Notorious Women" by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon; "Kosher Nation: Why More and More of America's Food Answers to a Higher Authority" by Sue Fishkoff; and "Kate: Kate Middleton: Princess in Waiting" by Claudia Joseph.

Can't wait to dig in!

Looking good?

Thought this blog needed a facelift. That is all.

I'm still stuck in vacation mode. Wish I could have visited Siesta Key Beach in Florida. According to the Associated Press, it's one of the top beaches to visit in the U.S. Darn it. I drove right by and headed over to Venice, which lured me right past Siesta with its promises of prehistoric shark teeth washing up on the beach.

She's baaack

When the plane took off in Tampa yesterday morning, it was sunny and humid. When the plane landed at O'Hare two hours later, I was greeted by clouds and showers. Talk about irony.

Well, the vacation has officially ended. Back to the pain and suffering of the norm. Gotta do laundry, grocery shopping and general apartment maintenance. Oh, it's not that bad, but I'll really miss the beach.

Couldn't get enough of my escapades? I'm not even going to try to cram photos into this post. But I have uploaded my photos to Facebook, and for those who are Facebook-challenged, I posted them here.

Well, now that my brain has had the chance to freshen up at the beach, stay tuned. Farmers market on Saturday, maybe a trip to Milwaukee ... the possibilities are endless! Let the battle against boredom resume.

Poor Harry

Who knew that I'd be a screamer? I sure didn't. Screaming apparently helps me through roller coaster rides. I felt sorry for the guys who ended up sitting next to me -- I'm pretty sure they went temporarily deaf for a couple hours.

I wanted to save babbling about my trip to Universal's Islands of Adventure on Wednesday for last because I needed time for my brain cells to recover from the three consecutive roller coaster rides I ended up hopping on. That's in addition to the two I rode at Busch Gardens. Would I chalk it up to masochism? No, not really. I walked through the park, took plenty of pictures, stowed away my stuff, then hopped on to whatever rides were open.

They were all absolutely terrifying. I struggled to keep my eyes open and silently chanted all the passwords I knew ( yes, even the ones from work) to prevent myself from chickening out and heading to the closest exit.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was the best part of the theme park. From sipping a butterbeer to taking a photo next to the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 and 3/4, it was pretty incredible to see the books transformed into reality. I browsed my way through Ollivander's, Honeydukes, Dervish and Banges, and Zonko's. The place was packed.

I hopped on two rides here: The Dragon Challenge and Harry Potter and Forbidden Journey. The latter was pretty impressive; it made you feel like you were actually in the Triwizard Tournament alongside Harry. The former just made me feel sick. I was pretty sure something in my brain came loose, too.

I couldn't resist trying my luck on a water ride -- it looked like so much fun. Stood in line for an hour at Ripsaw Falls. It wasn't as terrifying as the other rides, but I did get soaked. Rather than pay $5 for a cycle inside a people dryer, I opted to walk around until I dried out.

I ended the day by hanging out with all my favorite Marvel superheroes -- Wolverine, Cyclops, Captain America, Spiderman, Storm and Rogue. I posed using some of the moves I learned in kickboxing class. See that fist? Haha.

But what's more frightening than rides? An 8-ounce gummy bear. How gross. Who would eat that? And imagine all the stuff it would pick up if you dropped it. I just had to take a picture:

Bubba, Hogwarts and the Beach ... yes, again.

By the time I get back to Chicago, I'll be burnt beyond recognition. This is more than just a tan I'm working on. It's turned into a nice dark roast.

Made a two-and-a-half hour trip to Daytona Beach. The drive was absolutely worth it. I got in a nap, got through all of "1984," picked up a nice pile of seashells, splashed around the pretty teal water and even got some sunburn to mark the occasion -- it was my first time to see the ocean, which made the locals gasp and gape. To make the deal even sweeter, I got a photo taken with Bubba, a 20-year-old parrot (I got to put him on my arm!), and stopped by the Daytona International Speedway.

Leaving at the end of the day was very, very difficult.

Of Buschs and Beaches

Finally made it to the "real" beach. Took a trip to Venice yesterday afternoon. Wow. It made for the perfect afternoon. Tottles and I spent hours there. I whipped out "1984" for a bit and then ventured out into the waves. Got a good bit of the Gulf up my nose. Of course, I couldn't resist hunting around for some seashells.

I think I spent a good hour walking up and down the beach collecting shells. There was a nice breeze and the sun wasn't shining too much. But once it hit noon, Tottles and I took off. It was hard to leave, especially as I saw more beaches on the way up to the outlet mall in Ellenton, which totally beat out the the outlets in Chicago. There's something about that 6.5 percent sales tax...

Finished the day off with dinner at a hibachi grill with my aunt and uncle. Had some yummy sushi, steak and shrimp.

The day before, I spent the day at Busch Gardens. Hung out with the wallabies, lorries and hippos. And of course, I fawned over the palm trees. I just can't get over them...

But no more roller coasters for Erika. Hopped on two coasters -- I tried to be brave. What possessed me to even consider riding on another coaster when the first trip reduced my legs to jelly, I don't know.

The day ended with an ice cream bar and an impressive show done in the style of Cirque du Soleil. I was totally wiped.

There's just not enough time in to see everything. Daytona Beach, Universal Studios and Magic Kingdom are next! And maybe, just maybe I'll sneak back to those outlets.

Adventures in Florida

Spent the last three days lazing around, but now the action begins! I'm off to Busch Gardens today; Sarasota tomorrow, then hopefully Daytona Beach.

Tottles, my stuffed animal traveling companion, and I started our epic journey on Thursday morning.

It's been exciting so far. I saw real palm trees! I know it sounds crazy, but I'm still in awe of them. So, I made my uncle promise to take a photo of me near a tiny one before I leave. I caught up on sleep Friday, did a little exploring and got to know the family pets, who include five cats, two dogs and a hen named Bessie. My absolute favorite is a little Yorkie puppy named Maisy. She's a little ball of fluff and energy. Saturday, we went to Orlando for a law school

graduation.

I missed the Endeavor's launch this morning (I'm about three hours away from Cape Canaveral; I woke up when I should have already been gone for an hour and a half!), but for a good reason!

Went kayaking yesterday afternoon on the Lacoochee River with my aunt -- and I have proof! Tottles had to stay home for this one; couldn't risk him floating off if I tipped over. I cooked dinner for my aunt and uncle afterward, so I knocked out right away and got up pretty late.

And so, here's the proof that I really did go kayaking:

And no, I never tipped over.