Monday, December 12, 2005

More Adventures in NW Ohio

On Saturday, Tirithien and I braved the World’s Scariest Mall, Franklin Park Mall in Toledo. It’s BIG. And it’s SCARY. It’s so big it has parking garages! And like any mall at holiday time, it was too warm and too full of perfume scents, and FAR too crowded. Malls are not my friend! But we had to go there, because it has the best movie theatre in Toledo. We saw The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Oh wow. Oh wow. It was done incredibly well. It was extremely true to the book, with the exception of a few minor details that must needs change to make a book flow as a movie. Nothing at all that detracted from the original, though. The CGI was absolutely beautiful. The casting was just about perfect. They made no changes whatsoever to the Christian allegory; in fact, it seemed even more pointed by seeing it rather than reading it. I absolutely loved this movie, and highly recommend it to anyone!

After the movie, we tried to shop for a special ornament to hang on my Christmas tree, but we didn’t find anything which we particularly liked, and the mall crowds were grating on us both, so we went to dinner.

Then after dinner, we went to see the “Lights Before Christmas” display at the Toledo Zoo. Oh, so very beautiful! Millions of points of light, shining out over the snow. There was this one particular gigantic pine tree absolutely dripping in colored lights. It defies description.

But then we had a problem. We wanted to buy some fudge from the candy vendor there. I wanted chocolate-peanut butter fudge. Well, apparently in Ohio, pretty much anything of chocolate-peanut butter flavor is called “buckeye” flavor. Now, as a Michigan resident, I can tell you that the idea of eating anything with “buckeye” in the name grated awfully. But…. it was chocolate-peanut butter fudge.

But it was Buckeye Fudge.

Tirithien seemed highly amused by my consternation. (Yes, let’s see how it is if we ever find some tasty treat called Wolverine Fudge. Then you’ll see!) “Oh, I want to hear YOU order it,” he said. Thanks a lot. :-P

So I ordered it.

And I ate it.

I ate Buckeye Fudge.

And it was as tasty as it looked.

I felt so dirty. :-P

Then on Sunday, I was sick most of the day. Hmm. Coincidence? Or can people from Michigan simply not eat “buckeye” items without ill effects? (And never mind that Tirithien claims this is the beginning of my “Ohio assimilation!” That’s just crazy talk.)

10 comments:

clew said...

As a native of Ohio State Town, I can attest that anything that can be dubbed "buckeye" indeed will be. But yes, chocolate and peanut butter is the classic Buckeye combo of flavors... Have you actually had Buckeyes, the candy? Peanut butter cookie dough-like globes dunked about 2/3 into chocolate, so that they look like the famous nut. They are the greatest confection ever created. I gave some to my niece and nephew a few years ago (Colorado natives) and they were mesmerized.

Most people not from this area don't even know what a buckeye is. But I know you Michiganians do ;). If you get over the name, it's worth the struggle.

Go Blue! (Yes I live in Buckeye country, but I'm a troublemaker!)

Michelle said...

If it is chocolate and peanut butter I don't care what it says on the label! :)

Martie said...

I'm with naive-no-more. Doesn't matter what's it called if its chocolate and peanut butter, I'll eat it. YUMMY!

Bainwen Gilrana said...

It was highly excellent fudge. And the candy buckeyes Clew described sound SO good! But don't tell Tirithien I said so.

I mean, never mind that he'll come read this himself later. :-P

Tirithien said...

You can't beat a real chocolate buckeye. Storeboughts are fair, but a homemade one... mmmm...

Anonymous said...

Don't feel dirty, Sweetie! Mama has eaten Buckeyes till my real eyes fell out! Mmmm, mmmm! You're not cheating on Michigan; Ohio is our friendly neighbor when it comes to food, just not usually when it comes to football. I would say "Go____" so I could join Clew in merry troublemaking but I can't remember Ohio's colors. Red? Uh oh, I think I'm in trouble for sure, now.
So, Tirithien, care to delight us with a truly delicious home-made Buckeye or twenty? Mmmmmmmmmm! And fudge, too?

Tirithien said...

*cracks knuckles*

Hard or soft fudge? :-)

Bainwen Gilrana said...

If we name them chocolate horse chestnuts, which is what they actually are, they shouldn't cause any damage to state identity. :-P

Bougie Black Boy said...

out of all people i know YOU'D be critical of the Narnia stories. . . :) So I will trust you 100% that it is good. Now, I gotta go see it.

Bainwen Gilrana said...

The movie was about as perfect as a book adaptation can be when put to the screen. I highly recommend it to everyone!