When Wendi and I were on what we believed to be the final leg of a 10-day vacation to see our nephew get married, we each were thinking as we drove through Cincinnati: You want to get LaRosa's Pizza for dinner? We had a somewhat late lunch in Lexington, Ky., with my brother from another mother, Shawn, and his wife and son, but LaRosa's was just too tempting. So, as we were making our way up Interstate 71, I asked, "Do you want to get LaRosa's for dinner?" Lo and behold, Wendi informed me she was … [Read more...]
Revisiting Penn Station East Coast Subs
When Wendi and I were students at what is now Cincinnati Christian University, one of the places we enjoyed going to grab a bite to eat was Penn Station East Coast Subs. We lived in Cincinnati in the early 1990s, and at the time, Penn Station made all their subs on a grill. They were known for their steak-and-cheese subs, fresh-cut fries and fresh-squeezed lemonade. A number of years ago, we stopped in to get a steak-and-cheese sub at the Penn Station in Fairlawn, and I noticed something … [Read more...]
Owney Travelogue: Cincinnati and Beyond
When my dad, Bobby, told my mom, Wendi, that a guy named Richard Osterlind was doing a magic lecture in Cincinnati on Saturday, March 25, 2017, I was sure that meant I would be visiting my family in Lodi. That is usually what happens when they go away on a trip. I appreciate their concern for me and wanting to make sure I am not stuck in the house the whole day, but sometimes I wish I could go with them. Well I don't know if Dad can really read minds or if they couldn't find someone to watch me, … [Read more...]
The Day I Shared the Stage with Richard ‘Freakin’ Osterlind
One recent Monday night I called my good friend and magical mentor, Leland Pennington. Normally, one of us will call the other on a weekend, but this was a Monday night, we had moved into Daylight Saving Time, it was a little warm, a little light, I was feeling good and decided to give "Pennington the Wizard" a call. Come to find out, it was great timing to give him a call for a couple reasons: One personal, the other magical. Let me get to the magical reason: Leland let me know that a … [Read more...]
The Best Bagels I Ever Had Came From Chelsea, Mass.
Growing up in the shadows of the Boston skyline, I developed a fondness for bagels. While I am sure my mother got us bagels, what I really remember is having the best bagels at my friend Jay's house. When I was 13 years old, my family moved out of Revere, Mass. I said good-bye to friends, and my life was set on a new path. Over the miles and over the decades, I never forgot those bagels. My friend's mom, Linda, recently connected with me on Facebook, and we "talked" about those bagels. I … [Read more...]