Me & My Muse – Day 3685: Twins Days Festival – The Recap: For REALZ this Time – 2023 Edition!

Having had the chance to rest a couple days, I have taken the liberty to think and reflect on my memorable vacation.  Twins Day Festival 2023 was an unforgettable experience for me.  But don’t just take my word for it.  Instead, gaze upon the 11,782 word account and all the words and pictures that really made this convention a memorable one.  I will do more than just describe everything to you.  Instead, I am taking you back to the event, and you are going to relive all of my memorable moments with me again.  Sound good?  Then follow me, as I take you through the recap of Twins Days Festival 2023.

6:31 a.m. Thursday morning.  I get out of bed and turn on the coffee.  Well, not quite.  The coffee wasn’t ready, so I filled the carafe with water and I put four scoops of Starbucks Mocha Coffee into the rewashable coffee filter.  I pour the carafe of water into Mr. Coffee and let it do it’s magic.

Sadly, I couldn’t leave for Twins Days right away, since my brother had to work a half shift at the post office.  So, what do I do to kill the time?  I go for a practice 5K walk, of course!  Not run, mind you.  I will be doing that on Sunday with my brother.  Over the course of the week, both of us managed to get some good times.  Our best practice time was a 25:51.  My practice WALK, however, clocked in at a leisurely 45 minutes flat.

After my practice 5K walk, I had my breakfast.  My probiotic with 20 raw almonds, a strawberry Ratio Keto Yogurt, and a Mint Quest Bar.  I washed that down with the Starbucks Mocha coffee in a Super Mario Bros. Pipe Mug with a Truvia packet and a splash of MCT Oil.  I drank it black, since I’m still on Keto.

I then took a shower and did my devotionals afterward. I packed up everything for Twins Days 2023.  Toiletries?  Check.  Matching clothes for the weekend?  Check.  I packed everything up and put it in the car.

I then did a fluid check on my car.  Oil?  Check.  There’s plenty of oil, since it’s past the full mark.  After checking the windshield wiper fluid, I realized that I really needed some.  So, I went to the gas station and bought a gallon of wiper fluid.  I put nearly a gallon in the reservoir and it was full.

With that done, all that remained was to have my lunch.  I ate my lunch, and spent the rest of my time waiting for my brother to come back home.

My brother finally came home around 12:43.  After he got home, I went and put my laptop in my car.  My brother then had a request: get his charger from his car.  So I fulfilled his request while he went and got a shower.

After he got a shower, it was time to get going.  For his things, everything needed to get into the car – fast.  We get everything in there just in time for us to capture the perfect Kodak moment.  Me and my brother stood there in matching shirts from last year’s Twins Days Theme, shorts, socks, and red shoes, and I took a selfie before driving down to Twinsburg, Ohio for the Twins Days Festival.

 

After the pictures were taken, we were off at around 1:36 in the afternoon.  I got onto US-10 and we were Twinsburg bound, jamming to BZRK by Family Force 5.

After Auburn, I merged onto I-75 South, towards Flint.  After that, I took the right fork onto US-23 South, towards Ann Arbor.  When we go towards Ann Arbor, we ended up going the wrong way down I-94.  After that, we were routed onto I-275.  Then I-75.

Finally, we crossed the Ohio border.

Ohio’s slogan was “Find it Here”.  What I found was the speed limit going down to 65 miles per hour.  After I-75, we went down I-280.  We then went on the I-80/I-90 Ohio Turnpike.

The Turnpike was an enjoyable ride.  With the speed limit at 70 miles per hour, I felt right at home.  I cruised down it, listening to John Reuben.

And then at 4:38, we stopped at a Service Plaza.  Time for the first rest stop.  After some Instagramming, it was time to resume the trip.

After exiting the Turnpike, I paid $7.25 for it.  Finally, we were on I-480 East. We got off on the Great Northern Boulevard exit, because it was time for some dinner.

We entered North Olmstead and stopped at a Chick-Fil-A.  I was so happy there that I took a selfie.

After that, it was time to order my food!  The food you ask?  It was a mouthwatering spicy crispy chicken deluxe, three chick-n strips, and a medium order of waffle fries.  And why don’t we include every single kind of dipping sauce that they have?  There we go!

Now Midland has committed a terrible sin in not including one of these wonderful restaurants there.  I mean, we have plenty of burger places, but how many chicken places do we have?  Instead of getting this place, Midland gets a Popeye’s, and Flint gets a Chick-fil-A?  That makes no sense.  It’s true that just about every fast food place serves chicken, but not like this.  I would consider this place Colonel Sanders’ cousin.  But no buckets.  No biscuits.  No wedges.  No mashed potatoes.  Just the waffle fries will do.  Plus we’re on our way to Twinsburg.  We don’t have time to sit down for a home-cooked meal.

And what do we do with the trash?  Let’s not forget to throw it away.  In a regular dispenser this year, since those fancy automatic disposals were too expensive.  I’m going to miss those ones a lot.

The Automatic Dispenser from 2022 and earlier.  You will be missed!

The ordinary dispenser today

 

After we got our fill of Chick-Fil-A, we left North Olmstead, Ohio and got back on I-480 East.

Before long, we arrived at Twinsburg and got off on Aurora Road. Since this was Thursday night, we went right to the hotel.  We got off on Aurora Road, and turned right onto Wilcox Drive.

Upon entering the Hilton Garden Inn, this is what i saw.

 

After checking in, we took the elevators to Room 522.  Inside was a very nice room, as you can see here.

 

 

 

I loved this room.  There was two queen beds, a sitting chair and a desk for the computer.  There was even a Keurig coffee machine.  I unpacked everything and I went downstairs to get my glasses out of my car.  That’s when I met the very first set of twins for the whole trip.  Tess & Tabitha, identical twins from Austin, Texas.

This set of twins were talking to Karen & Sharon, identical twins from Cincinnati, Ohio.

After that, Ronald & Donald, identical twins that I met last year from Baltimore, Maryland.  They took everyone’s picture.  I also met Sara & Anna, identical twins from Duluth, Minnesota.   We all got a picture together.  A’s on one side, and B’s on the other.

After going back up to my room, I decided to take a short swim.  So I went down to the pool and checked it out.  While I did this,  I saw a set of twins come in to use the exercise room across from the pool.  I ended up swimming with my brother and then using the hot tub afterward.

After that, I went back upstairs, hoping to catch some more action in the lobby.  When I went downstairs, I found some more twins.  This was Heather & Christina, identical twins from Charlotte, North Carolina and Cincinnati, Ohio.  They were the same twins that I saw when I was swimming!  They ended up talking to Karen & Sharon.  They wanted to take Tess & Tabitha to the Bertram Inn (which I found out is still standing, as of this year).  As fun as the Bertram Inn was in 2019, I was tired tonight.  I had some other plans for tomorrow morning.  A nice hearty breakfast at the Fresh Start Diner!  I got a Life Water and went back up to my room.

Now tired, I put on my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and went to bed.  This was a good first night to unwind.  But Twins Days hasn’t even begun yet.  Can’t wait for the festivities to begin tomorrow…

 

6:00 a.m. Friday morning.  I spring out of bed at the sound of my 6:00 alarm.  With Fresh Start Diner opening at 7 a.m., it was high time that I got ready.

It didn’t take too long.   I got a shower and it was then time for some breakfast.  Since my mom and dad wanted to go, I decided to wait a little longer.  I got all my devotionals done and we all went in my car to the Fresh Start Diner.

Before we get to the Fresh Start Diner, let me provide you with my history with this place.  For two different Twins Days Festivals, I have been trying to eat at this place, but was unsuccessful.  At my first Twins Days Festival in 2019, I couldn’t go since I was supposed to meet my aunt, uncle, and cousins at the Cheesecake Factory.  Last year, I couldn’t go since the Fresh Start Diner was CLOSED on Monday.  That brings us to this year.  Will the Fresh Start Diner be open?  Is third time the charm?

Very excited, I drove my brother and parents there in my 2017 Toyota Camry.  On the way there, something didn’t sound quite right..  I checked all of the my tire pressure on the digital display and the rear passenger side tire was reading 0!  So, I finally get to eat at the Fresh Start Diner, and I get a flat tire as a result?

Very upset, I manage to take a few pictures of the place before entering with my brother and parents.

Upon entering, it seemed like a pretty simple diner.  Old style style seats with a long counter.  Or your standard booths if you prefer.  Still distraught, I order my food.  A coffee for the drink.  The meal?  A Leisy’s South of the Border Omelette with cinnamon toast and a side of potatoes.

While I’m sure that all the food that I ate was pretty good, it was hardly enjoyable for me at that point.  The only thing that I could think of was how to fix my flat tire in Twinsburg, Ohio.  Our waiter suggested that we take it to Goodyear to get it done.  After doing some searching, I found a Discount Tire located in Macedonia, just 4.1 miles away.  I wolfed down my breakfast and hurried outside to call Discount Tire to schedule an emergency appointment.

When I called them, I needed the earliest appointment possible.  Registration for Twins Days begins at 2:00. They could get me in at 12:15.  I had no other choice so I took the appointment.  After my dad and brother finished breakfast, we proceeded to change the flat tire and put on the spare tire.  To make a long story short, we got that done…at the expense of my red tank top getting all covered in tire grime.

I take my brother and parents back to the Hilton Garden Inn and change into a different shirt.  A 2019 Twins Days Festival shirt (Home for the Holidays).  My brother does the same so that we can match.  I drive over to Discount Tire and my dad follows me in his 4Runner.  We drop off the car and make our way back to the hotel.  For some quick details, I bought new tires a year ago and had hazard protection on all four of them.  This meant that they could replace the entire tire at no extra charge.  The estimated time to complete it?  1:00 p.m.

We make a brief stop at GetGo so that I could get some waters for the weekend.  I buy three 1 liter Aquafinas and one Twix bar.  After that, I make my way back to the hotel and take some pictures.  My mom tries to remove the tire stains from my red tank top by washing it and drying it.

At 12:31 p.m., I get a text from Discount Tire.  My car was already done a half hour early!  My tank top was also done, but still a little damp.  My brother and I put our tank tops on and we pile into the 4Runner with our parents.  Since the Friday events were closed to the public, mom and dad would explore Twinsburg and the parade route while my brother and I would go to Twinsburg High School for all the fun.

We get to Discount Tire in Macedonia and I pick up my car.  I drive back to the hotel to get my stainless steel water bottle (remember that for later….).  I check the digital display to make sure the new tire was displaying 35 instead of 0.  It was.

After getting my water bottle and everything that I needed, my brother and I go to the high school.  We cruise down Aurora road and approach the turn.

Unlike 2019, we did not miss the Twin Hills Highway.  That took us to Ravenna Road.  We turned left on Ravenna Road and then left on the Joshua T. Miktarian Memorial Parkway.  We arrived at Twinsburg High School, only there was one problem. Like last year, we were super early. It was 1:32.  Registration didn’t begin until 2:00!  To kill time, me and my brother took another awesome selfie.

After that, I went with my twin to a line that was forming in front of the high school.  A line of twins from all over the country and world.  A line of twins all waiting to check in for registration.  While we waited in line, I met some familiar twins that I met last year!  This was Hrefna & Hrönn, identical twins from Hveragerði, Iceland.  Next to them were Hafsteinn & Kristjen, identical twins from Hveragerði, Iceland.  Here’s a shot of both of them!

After that, I met some more twins.  I met Aislinn & Leah, identical twins from Dartmouth, Massachusetts.  Another set that I met from last year!  After that was Brittany & Brooklyn, fraternal twins from Eddyville, Iowa.

A few minutes later, they let everyone in a little late.  It was after 2:00 when the doors opened.  Learning that the pre-registration was at the auditorium this year (like last year), We all followed the line of twins that were headed there.  I waited until registration before I met any more twins.

After registration, it was time to meet some more twins.  I met Remington & Reagan, fraternal twins from Wilmington, Pennsylvania.  I then met Conner & Cooper, identical twins from Green Bay, Wisconsin.

After that, we met the following twins:

Geneva & Lena, fraternal twins from Wooster, Ohio.

Isaac & Joseph, fraternal twins from Greensboro, North Carolina.

After that, I met a set of twins that made me star struck.  This was Skylar & Spencer, identical twins from Chicago, Illinois.

When it comes to Twins Days Festivals, Skylar and Spencer don’t miss a single one.  For this year alone, it will be their 29th consecutive convention!  Even during COVID when Twins Days wasn’t held in person, this dedicated duo made their pilgrimage to Twinsburg to keep their streak of attendance unbroken.  They are well known among the regulars that attend and they consider the annual congregation of twins meeting at the beginning of every August to be their family.  After saying hi to Skylar and Spencer, my brother and I continued meeting more twins.   We met the following sets of twins with my brother:

  • Jerry & John, identical twins from Massillon, Ohio
  •  Nicole & Natalie, fraternal twins from Port Huron, Michigan
  •  Isabella & Austin, fraternal twins from Bowling Green, Ohio
  •  Micah & Mira, fraternal twins from Twinsburg, Ohio.
  • Dawn & Denise, identical twins from Houston, Texas
  •  Missy & Mindy, fraternal twins from Terre Haute, Indiana
  • Wesley & Sloan, fraternal twins from Sheffield, Ohio

After that set of twins, I met three more sets of twins with my twin before leaving Twinsburg High School:

Jessica & Miranda, identical twins from Charleston, North Carolina

Maura & Hannah, identical twins from Kenah, Texas and Marlene & Darlene, identical twins from Arlington, Virginia.

Why was I leaving Twinsburg High School so early?  After all, it was only 3:15!  This was because I had reservations for four, on the 4th, at 4:00!  And my, is that a lot of 4’s…

My brother and I make it back to the Hilton Garden Inn, and we walk to our reservation with our parents.  Well, my brother and I run to it so that we could make the 4:00 deadline.

Phew!  Just made it!

Now, if you have read any of these entries in the past, let me review.  The Blue Canyon is an upscale restaurant that I had reservations for.  The restaurant was situated on a bluff, which overlooked the hotel.

We had a wonderful waiter that assisted us that night.  His name was Michael, and he would be looking out for us.  I wanted to order something similar to the Lobster Linguine from 2019, but they had the Lobster Cannelloni listed as a special instead.  I ordered that with a bowl of Lobster Bisque.

The soup came first, of course.

After that was the delicious dish I was waiting for.  The Lobster Cannelloni.

The lobster was pretty good.  When it was gone, I shared dessert with my brother.  A Chocolate Bomb.  A layered chocolate dessert with filling, cake and covered in chocolate.  A round, delicious chocolatey ball of goodness.

After the food was done, and 20 minutes of waiting, the scary part came.  The bill.  But that’s nothing that my Meijer Mastercard can’t handle, right?

When the bill was paid, I said goodbye to the restaurant with my brother and parents.  Blue Canyon Kitchen & Tavern, you fed us well tonight.  You will be missed.

After we left the Blue Canyon Grill & Tavern, it was time to head back to Twinsburg High School.  Remember the water bottle that I mentioned earlier?  When I left for the reservation, I seemed to have left it at the high school.

After getting back to the high school, the rest of the night turned into a full blown search for it.  It was a Takeya 24 ounce stainless steel water bottle with an air tight rubber top.  I searched high and low for it, but alas.  I could not find the water bottle anywhere.

When I finally gave up my search for the water bottle, I managed to meet a few more twins.  Meet Sunnie & Bonnie, identical twins from Los Angeles, California.  They were dressed up as school girls and were a lot of fun to be around!

After that came Tom & Tim, identical twins from Munich, Germany.  I joined them with Sunnie & Bonnie for another shot:

Ken & Kris were next.  They are identical twins from Anaheim, California.  One of them gushed about the 2022 blog that I posted.  Here is another kodak moment with them! (With Sunnie & Bonnie, of course!)

It was now time to leave Twinsburg High School to get ready for Saturday.  I met Taunasha & Jaunesh, fraternal twins from Hanover Park, Illinois before leaving:

After getting back to the Hilton Garden Inn, I did a costume rehearsal with my parents in my room.  I found that notches needed to be added to all my belts for the costume to work.  With my dad’s trusty knife, he added those notches and the costume was perfect.

I then went downstairs, hoping to met a few more twins.  I met the following before calling it a night:

  • Natalie & Michele, identical twins from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  •  Mike & Chad, identical twins from Nashville, Tennessee
  •  Kendra & Brenda, identical twins from Greenville/Belding, Michigan

After meeting all the sets of twins, I went with my twin to Room 522.  We brushed our teeth and got ready for bed.  It was going to be a long and fun day for both of us tomorrow.

 

6:00 a.m. Saturday morning.  I spring out of bed at the sound of my 6:00 alarm.  Having done most of my routine last night, all that remained was my devotionals.  I put on yesterday’s clothes, quickly grabbed my almonds and white chocolate raspberry quest bar, and went downstairs for a delicious breakfast buffet.  I didn’t want to get my costume all messed up so I ate first.  Time for the buffet!

At the buffet, I grabbed four strips of bacon, two sausage links, one pancake, a little bit of eggs, and a small bit of potatoes.  There was no room for fruit, so I would get that on the second round.  While I was eating breakfast, I met Natalie & Rebecca, identical twins from Troy, Ohio.  As I was finishing, I met Esperanza & Susana, identical twins from Mesa, Arizona.  I met them last year, but this time, they knew what kind of twin they were.  They were identical.  I managed to get a picture of them before I hurried up to my room to change into my costume for the day:

I hurried up to room 522 with my coffee that I got from breakfast.  I added my Truvia packet and began to change into my costume.  Who was I going to be this year?  With this year’s theme being “Shiver Me TWINbers!”, I was going to be none other than Captain Jack Sparrow.  This costume had a lot to put on, so I hurried, putting on all the layers.  After I had the costume on, it was time to go downstairs.  I grabbed my laptop bag filled with my essentials (this would serve as my pockets today, since my costume had no pockets!) and went downstairs with my brother.   There were some other pirates downstairs, so we took some pictures with them.

My parents then got a shot with me and my brother.  Splendid!

After the picture, it was time to board a bus for the Twins Days Double Take Parade.  And not a moment too soon!  It was already after 8:00 so we needed to get down there, and fast!  My brother and I boarded the bus and we had the whole bus to ourselves.  As we approached the the parade site, I heard “Living on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi playing on the radio.

Minutes later, the shuttle dropped us off at the town square for the parade lineup.  Now in this new port of call, I had a mission.  Having already secured the Black Pearl, I now needed a crew to help serve on it. And with 34 sets of twins, I already had quite the crew!  But the more, the merrier, right?

My brother and I walked around and we the following twins:

Gina & Tina, identical twins from San Francisco, California

Anthony & Elijah, fraternal twins from Hudson, Ohio, Riley & Emily, identical twins from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Pam & Barbie, identical twins from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In the middle of all that, I also met Kanna & Kara, identical twins from Twinsburg, Ohio.  My brother and I then recruited three more pairs of twins to serve on the Black Pearl:

Emily & Erica, identical twins from Utica, New York

Aaron & Chris, identical twins from Los Angeles, California

Kathy & Karen, identical twins from Elmore/Norfolk, Ohio/Virginia (right)

So far, the recruitment was going great!  With this much crew, I had enough for two ships!  But the recruiting continued.  My brother and I continued meeting some more twins.  We met the following twins as the time inched nearer toward the Double Take Parade:

  • Daniel & Sam, identical twins from San Antonio/Colcord, Texas/Oklahoma
  • Mark & Eric, identical twins from Spring Green/Colorado Springs, Wisconsin/Colorado
  • Kathy & Karyn, identical twins from Buffalo, New York
  • Lorrina & Karla, identical twins from Kent, Ohio
  • Lessa & Ivy, identical twins from Detroit, Michigan (Triplets, third one didn’t come)
  • Eva & Johanna, identical twins from Howell, Michigan

I then met another set of twins.  Sophia & Alexia, identical twins from Hocking Hills, Ohio.

After that, I found another Jack Sparrow!  A third one?  Where was the fourth one?  Anyway, I gathered the information from the person who was guilty of being innocent of being Captain Jack Sparrow.  This was Scott, and his brother was Jason.  Both of them was from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.  We found two women posing as giant bottles of Captain Morgan rum.  One of them “poured” their contents onto the one who called himself “Captain Jack Sparrow”.  This was the result:

Why is all the rum gone?

While I let that Jack Sparrow recover, I had to continue meeting some more twins.  I met the following with my twin:

  • Jody & Jenny, identical twins from Kansas City, Missouri
  • Katie & Maddie, identical twins from Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Morgan & Courtney, identical twins from Rochester, New York
  • Adam & Zachary, identical twins from Asheville, North Carolina
  • Paige & Bailey, identical twins from Grand Rapids, Michigan

After those twins (or new recruits for the Pearl), I met Rajvi & Rijul, identical twins from San Francisco, California, Michelle & Mindy, identical twins from Akron Ohio, and Alex & Ted, identical twins from East Rutherford, New Jersey.  For posterity, I got another picture with them:

Following that, the recruitment continues!  Check the new recruits (new twins I met) below, my mateys…

  • Lauren & Megan, identical twins from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Brook & Beth, identical twins from Finger Lakes, New York
  • Jane & Janet, identical twins from Ames, Iowa
  • Avery & Elina, fraternal twins from Chardon, Ohio
  • Claudia & Luzilie, identical twins from Lady Lake/Yeadon, Florida/Pennsylvania

At this point, the parade was about to start!  I met Victoria & Claire, fraternal twins from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

I then met two more sets of twins after that.  Tommy & Timmy, identical twins from Canton, Ohio and Jay & Neil, identical twins from Boston, Massachusetts.

I then met Ruby & Willow, identical twins from Rochester, New York.  I got a picture with them next.  Only two minutes left…

I then managed to meet five more sets of twins before the parade started.  The twins that my brother and I met included the following:

  • Nathan & Scott, identical twins from Moore, Oklahoma
  • Matt & Chris, identical twins from Topeka, Kansas
  • Laura & Rebecca, identical twins from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Margaret & Monica, identical twins from Columbus, Ohio
  • Carolyn & Marilyn, fraternal twins from Hartford, Connecticut

With that, the parade was now officially underway. It was time to set sail!  We followed directions and began our march behind the large ship float.  I then got these shots as I walked down the parade route with my twin brother.

As I walked the parade route, I heard Daft Punk’s “One More Time”.  But for Captain Jack Sparrow, this song needed the perfect parody.  The solution?  “One More Rum”, of course!  In a merry tone, I sung “One More Rum”, and The Lonely Island’s “Jack Sparrow”.

One More Rum!

And a selfie with my First Mate, of course!

As we were continuing down the parade route, I saw what looked like two Wendy’s from Peter Pan.  It turned out to be Shannon & Shelby, the identical twins from Lancaster, Pennsylvania that I met in 2019, and last year!  While the parade was still moving, I managed to get a shot of them.  And no, they can’t fly since they don’t have any pixie dust!

The parade started at 9:00 and lasted about 45 minutes (longer for all the other bystanders watching the entire parade).  It was fun watching all the people on the street smile as we walked on by.  We waved at all the onlookers and smiled, since the weather was a lot nicer.  No rain this time!

When the parade was over, we marched into the Festival Grounds.  But first, a group wanted to take a picture of us with a few twins.  But, of course!  Captain Jack Sparrow would be more than happy to do this!  So this is how it turned out:

After the picture, my brother and I went right to the festival grounds.  Since I had everything that I needed, no trip back to the car was necessary.  My wristband wasn’t too tight, so no trip to the registration was necessary, either.  I then entered the festival gates…

What was the first thing on the agenda?  Before Twin Pops, I wanted to take care of the things that I didn’t do last year until the end of the festival:

1. Play with the mirror with my twin.

2. Put a pin on the U.S. map where I’m from and the world map at “Put a Pin on It!”

Number 1 was first.  After waiting in line, my brother and I played did some different poses at the Twins Days mirror:

Number 2 was next: Put a Pin on It!  I placed my pins and I was good to go!

Put a Pin on It!  at a glance!

Number 3 was next: Twin Pops!  My brother and I looked everywhere for the coolers but we couldn’t find any.  My excitement was deflated when I found out that there wouldn’t be any Twin Pops this year.  To this, I have a message for the committee:  Bring back Twin Pops for next year! I know the company had some problems but I surely hope it’s worked out next year.

Twin Pops Circa 2022 – Hopefully, we’ll get them in 2024!

Maybe…next year?

My brother and I bought our 2023 souvenir shirts and my brother heard the breaking news from the information booth.  He also heard that there wasn’t going to be any Fried Oreo’s, either.  Since the amusement companies want longer bookings, two days is not long enough for them.

While we couldn’t get Twin Pops or Fried Oreo’s, we did have Sunnie and Bonnie!  No longer schoolgirls, they were now dressed in their pirate garb now.

My brother and I then met our parents at the festival gate.  With the festival having just started, there was plenty to see.  We walked around and found the Captain Jack Sparrow copycat once again, but he was hanging out with fool’s gold!

Following that, I met some more twins and we watched some contests at the amphitheater.  My brother and I participated in one, but like 2019, we didn’t make the cut.  We did get white ribbons for participating!

After some contests, I met some more twins and we watched some talent shows.  After a few numbers, I met some more twins.  Since the beginning of the festival, here were all the twins that I met so far:

  • Tara & Jordan, identical twins from Columbus, Ohio
  • Karen & Cassy, identical twins from Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Julia & Maria, identical twins from Los Angeles/New York, California/New York
  • Hailey & Tiffany, fraternal twins from Whitehouse, Ohio
  • Christie & Katie , identical twins from New York, New York
  • Charlotte & Bridget, identical twins from Eatonville, Washington
  • Alexis & Emma, identical twins from Houston, Texas
  • Lexi & Laci, identical twins from Bullhead City, Arizona
  • Marley & Coral, identical twins from Los Angeles, California
  • Ronna & Donna, identical twins from Dallas, Texas
  • John & Jack, identical twins from Las Vegas/Rockford, Nevada/Illinois
  • Stephanie & Monica, identical twins from Seattle, Washington
  • Denise & Deanne, identical twins from Buffalo/Toledo, New York/Ohio
  • Asher & Rylan, identical twins from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Emmitt & Owen, fraternal twins from Geneva/Wilmington, Ohio
  • Sarah & Bonnie, identical twins from Greensboro, North Carolina
  • Garrett & Stefan, fraternal twins from Howell, Michigan
  • Julie & Amy, identical twins from Rockford/Beloit, Illinois/Wisconsin
  • Elva & Elsie, identical twins from Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  • Natalie & Nicole, identical twins from Wananchee, Washington
  • Kevin & Ken, identical twins from Los Angeles, California
  • Celeste & Cierra, fraternal twins from Gambier, Ohio
  • Andrea & Laura, identical twins from Windsor, Ontario, Canada
  • Jo & Jackie, identical twins from Wilmington/Ocean City, Delaware/Maryland
  • Lenore & Pauline, fraternal twins from Hudson, Ohio
  • Assia & Daja, identical twins from Cleveland, Ohio

After meeting all those twins over the course of the late morning and afternoon, it was time to meet my 100th set of twins.  Who were they?  They were Hannah & Haley, identical twins from Buffalo New York!  Erin & Kerry and Stephanie & Bridget, identical twins both from Chicago, Illinois were were all there, too so we all got a picture.  This was the result:

 

Since my parents wanted to see a few more shows, I went with my brother to look for the Royal Court.  From what I gathered from the information booth, they moved into the woods by the ampitheater.

Since it was between 1:30 and 2:30, we were within the time that we could see the Royal Court.  Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the 2023 Twins Days Royal Court!

First up is the king and queen.  The kings for this year’s royal court are Rich & Dave, identical twins from East Brunswick and Hillsborough, New Jersey.  The queens?  Dana & Delanie, identical twins from Toledo, Ohio.

Next up are the prince and princesses, who are both fraternal twins this year!  Max & Rose from North Ridgeville, Ohio are the first set of prince and princesses for this year.  Grace & Noah from Middlebranch, Ohio are the second prince and princesses for this year.

And let’s not forget the grand marshals!  The grand marshals for Twins Days 2023 are Hannah & Sarah, identical twins from Twinsburg, Ohio.  Let’s give it up for our 2023 Royal Court!

After that, the plan was to head towards the beer garden with my brother and parents, but it was getting close to 3:00 by the time we did this.  After all, we couldn’t miss “We’re Twins”, or Skylar and Spencer’s “You Got a Friend in Me”.

With a slight change of plans, I got to the football field where the picture was being taken and I met a BUNCH of twins.  I was meeting them up until the appointed time to take the group picture: 3:30.

Meanwhile,  my mom and dad were having a drink with another set of twins.  This was Foster & Clark, first timers and identical twins from Columbia, South Carolina.

Back at the football field, the picture was being taken.  Is everyone ready?  You better be!  They’re about to take it!

Everybody say cheese!

After the group picture, it was time to shed the Captain Jack Sparrow costume.  We started getting pictures on the way out.  I had to check the “Put a Pin on It!” before leaving.  With it being almost 4:00 in the afternoon, how many pins do we have now?

With my last moments in the Captain Jack Sparrow costume, I had to take a few more pictures with my twin.  We took another one in front of the Twins Days sign.

And let’s not forget the attendance!  Just how many have registered so far?

2005?!  Not bad for 4:00!

After getting some more pictures, we left the festival grounds and went back to the 4Runner.  My parents drove back to the Hilton Garden Inn.  I went to Room 522 and shed most of my Captain Jack Sparrow costume: the coat, the vest, the sash, the wig, the mustache, the belts, and the sword.  All that remained were the shorts, the white shirt, the tricorn hat, and the boots.

With my reduced costume, I went back out with my brother and we drove back to Twinsburg High School.  I paid the $5 in parking and we took a shuttle back out to the festival grounds.

My first mission was to have something that would serve as a replacement for the fried Oreos.  The next best thing was a chocolate funnel cake.  Before we get to that, I give you the Fried Oreos from last year!

Can you PLEASE bring these back in 2024?!

And now, the yummy (and not so exciting) chocolate funnelcake from this year!

(Psst!  I’m pretending it’s a Fried Oreo!)

After I ate the funnelcake, I carefully washed my hands and then met some more twins, up to the point where it was time to leave to meet mom and dad at Sushi En for dinner.  Since the Royal Court from earlier, I met the following twins this afternoon/evening:

  • Aven & Jaren, identical twins from Parker, Pennsylvania
  • Garrett & Michael, identical twins from San Jose, California
  • Kim & Melissa, identical twins from Richmond, Kentucky
  • Lorene & Lora identical twins from Chicago/Nashville, Illinois/Tennessee
  • Jackie & Jenna, identical twins from West Palm Beach/Flint, Florida/Michigan
  • Austin & Aaron, identical twins from Louisville, Kentucky
  • Lukyan & Dante, identical twins from Middletown, Ohio
  • Ashleigh & Brianna, identical twins from Streetsboro, Ohio
  • Sarah & Emily, identical twins from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Courtney & Brittany, identical twins from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
  • Brooke & Taylor, identical twins from Cleveland, Ohio
  • Daniel & Samuel, identical twins from Houston, Texas
  • Abi & Katelin, fraternal twins from North Bend, Ohio
  • Ned & Fred, identical twins from Hollywood, South Carolina
  • Cathy & Mandy, fraternal twins from Warren, Ohio
  • Tyler & Cruz, identical twins from Twinsburg, Ohio
  • Maryanne & Trish, identical twins from Melbourne, Australia
  • Emily & Allison, identical twins from Buffalo, New York
  • Alison & Margaret, identical twins from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  • Maggie & Dorrie, identical twins from Saratoga Springs, New York
  • Kristin & Meagan, identical twins from Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Katie & Liz, fraternal twins from Royal Oak, Michigan
  • Sandra & Heather, identical twins from Scranton, Pennsylvania
  • Michael & David, identical twins from Louisville, Kentucky
  • Emma & Jessa, identical twins from Cleveland, Ohio
  • Caitlyn & Jessica, identical twins from Cleveland, Ohio
  • Isaiah, Kaiden, and Trevor, identical triplets from Lancaster, Ohio
  • James & Oli, identical twins from London, England
  • Auden & Everett, fraternal twins from Liberty, New York
  • Grace & Carol, identical twins from Philadelphia/Manhattan, Pennsylvania/New York
  • Harley & Markeith, fraternal twins from Akron, Ohio
  • Matt & Mark, fraternal twins from Cleveland, Ohio
  • Jason & Austin, identical twins from Tampa Bay, Florida
  • Lauren & Emily, identical twins from Chicago, Illinois
  • Alexandria & Alexis, identical twins from Louisville, Kentucky
  • Bridget & Brooke, identical twins from Seattle, Washington

After meeting many twins,  my brother spotted a set of quadruplets!  Their names were Mina, Ally, Claire, and Lauren, half identical and half fraternal quadruplets from Pepper Pike, Ohio.  Here’s a shot of the Fantastic Four!

After taking a picture of the quads, it was time to call it a day and have dinner with my parents.  I left the festival grounds with my brother and we met them at the Hilton Garden Inn.  I then drove them to Sushi En.  When we got there, we got a table.  We then sat down and ate.    I split a shrimp and vegetable tempura with my brother.

After that, I had a Hot Mama roll and a Drunken Tiger roll.  The food was amazing!

Hot Mama (left) and Drunken Tiger (right)

And let’s not forget dessert!  They didn’t do a free dessert this year, but my brother and I wanted to get one anyway.  We settled for the mochi ice cream.  Two chocolate and two strawberry.  That too was yummy.

After that, I took us all back to the Hilton Garden Inn. My parents retired to the room for the night.  My brother and I on the other hand decided to get ready to go to the fireworks that would be at the festival grounds.

To kill some time, I met some more twins.  I saw who I thought was Esperanza and Susana.  Instead, it turned out to be Cassandra & Clarissa, identical twins from Billing, Montana.  They were both wearing their Doodlebob shirts!

Me Hoy Minoy!

After that, it was time to go to the fireworks.  There was only one problem.  My brother couldn’t find his wallet!  When this happened, I prayed that we would be able to find his wallet.  I prayed that it would be in the car.  When Ryan searched the room and then called Sushi En, I told him that I would check the car again.

I went out to the car, and carefully searched it.  I then saw it!  It was sitting tucked in the cubby on the front passenger door!  I thanked God and called my brother from my car and told him that I found it.  Minutes later, my brother came out and we were on our way to the fireworks.

We got to the high school around 8:40.  We went to the festival grounds on a shuttle and met some more twins.  I met Alexa & Cailey, fraternal twins from Mandiville, Louisiana and Alexandria & Selene, identical twins from Chicago, Illinois.  After meeting those twins, I hurried to the vendors with my twin.  We got a mini size cookies and cream Dippin’ Dots.  After that, I saw some triplets!  It was Hannah, Laurena, and Casey, fraternal triplets from Ashtabula, Ohio.  Here is a shot of them, enjoying their Dippin’ Dots:

After talking to them, it was time to go to the Twinless Twins lantern lighting ceremony.  25 lanterns were lit, each representing a twin that is no longer with us (but will always be with their twin!) I teared up as I heard all the names read.  The lanterns were all lit and would stay lit all night until they go out.  Here is a shot of the lanterns.

Right after that, the firework show started immediately.  It was put on by Meijer and the show was spectacular.

The fireworks show ran from 9:30 to 9:45.  When the show was over, I walked the parkway back to the high school. With the firework show over, it’s now time to live it up at the Bertram Inn right?

Wrong!  With there being a 5K to run in the morning, there was no way that I was going to head to party central when I had a race that I wanted to be rested up for with my twin.

We drove right back to the hotel and I called it a night.  It was 10:00 when I got back.  I managed to meet one more set of twins before I turned in for the night. I met Gianna & Dera, identical twins from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  I then got ready for bed.  The fourth day awaited us, starting with a 5K race tomorrow morning.  Having that said, the recap is not done yet…

5:30 a.m.  Sunday morning.  I spring out of bed, waking up a half hour before my alarm.  Fortunately, everything was done the night before.  Except for my devotionals and the dream that I needed to record.  I got ready for the race and ate my almonds, Fage Yogurt, Quest Bar, and Kind Bar.  I put on my running clothes and did my devotionals.  I then went down to breakfast and prepared a small plate of fruit.  My brother did the same.  I then saw Esperanza and Susana again.  They too were running the 5K race (as the Tammy Twins, as I later found out).  I wished them luck and left with my brother to go to the race.

There was, however, one problem as I went to the parking lot of the Hilton Garden Inn.  I couldn’t find my car keys!  I searched everywhere for them!  I searched my room, and then I went down to the front desk.  When I told them that I was missing keys to a Toyota Camry, they opened the drawer and handed me my keys!  Phew!

Now with my keys, my brother and I went over to Dodge Intermediate School for the 5K race.  With all the practices that I have been doing with my brother, I should be ready for this race.  I saw Hrefna & Hrönn (pronounced Schefna & Trenn), the identical twins from Iceland also running the race.  My brother and I were the team the Waterfaring Walkers.  Hrefna & Hrönn were Fire and Ice.

Finally, the race began and I was off with my twin.  Throughout the race, my pace was pretty good, since my brother was tracking it with his Strava app.  We managed a 5:30-something as we started, which I knew was unsustainable.  As the race continued, the pace was more familiar.  A 7:50-something.  That was more like it.  Eventually, the pace evened out to a 8:30-something, and then an 8:40-something.  This was the normal pace that we had.  After the halfway point, I saw Hrönn passing both my brother and I.  Moments later, Hrönn slowed down and my brother and I passed her.  Ice was starting to melt.  I started feeling sick towards the end of the race, but it wasn’t as bad as last year.  It was cooler and we were getting onto the track.  Only a quarter mile to go…

Then I crossed the finish line with my brother on the race track.  I finished with a time of 26:15.  For my age group, I placed 6th out of 8 and my brother placed 7th out of 8.   I placed 61 out of 173 and my brother placed 62.  My pace averaged 8:27 per mile, a 27 second improvement from last year.  Upon finishing the race, I was doing my cool downs for a few minutes.  Here are a few photos from the race.

Before the race!

After the race!

And let’s not forget the results!

With the race over, I got a group picture with all the other runners and saw the awards ceremony with my twin.  That’s when I found out my competition for next year.  For my age group, 3rd place was a Jordan.  2nd place was a Jordan.  1st place was a Jason.  With that knowledge, I have two Jordans and one Jason to beat for next year.  We then got one more group picture with everyone else that was wearing the 5K shirts for this year.

Before leaving, I got a picture with Hrefna & Hrönn and Hafsteinn & Kristjen.  I found out that Hrönn also got 6th place for her age group.  Hafsteinn got 3rd place with a time around 22 or 23 minutes.  Kristjen finished a little after my brother and I with a time of 27 minutes.  Here is a picture of them after the ceremony.

After that, it was time to clean up!  I drove back to the Hilton Garden inn with my twin brother, cleaned up in the shower, and said goodbye to our parents, since they were checking out today.   During that time, I met few more twins.  I met the following in the lobby of the Hilton Garden Inn:

  • Lesline & Pauline, identical twins from Toledo, Ohio
  • Claire & Greta, twins from Fort Wayne, Indiana
  • Constantine & Max, identical twins from Stuttgart, Germany
  • Paige & Charlotte, identical twins from Chardon, Ohio

After meeting the twins, it was time to say goodbye to my parents.

A set of twins (which will remain nameless) offered to take a picture of me with my brother and parents in front of the entrance of the hotel using my mom’s cell phone, my cell phone, and my brother’s cell phone.

After seeing my parents off, I wanted to back up to my room and clean things up.  Having spent the entire weekend there, things were pretty messy.  I also wanted to spend an hour working on the post you are currently reading right now.  I didn’t really do anything with the content, but was processing all of the names.

After that hour was up, it was time to go back to the festival grounds.  But first, we decided to have a nice lunch at Sheetz Made to Order (MTO).

Once at Sheetz, we entered and made our orders.  At Sheetz, there’s something that you should know about their food when you order it.  Whatever food you get, you have to say it in autotune.  It’s just for fun!  So, what did my brother and I get?

For starters, we wanted something that was already put together for the most part.  We  both got a Big Moooozzzzzz…We got that with Boom Boom sauce, guacamole, jalapeños, and bacon.  What did we get with that?  Some jalapeño popporzzzzzzz…(Mr. TalkBox, eat your heart out!)  Why?  Because we wanted to hack the Big Moz and make it a Big Poppa.  Two jalapeño poppers instead of two mozzarella sticks right inside the burgery goodness.

But we’re not done.  What to drink?  A frozen caramel brownie mochaaaaaaa….of course!  Sadly, they didn’t have the frozen hot chocolate, so this was the next best thing.  This delicious drink was made with Peruvian coffee beans, and it was good!  Need proof?  These pictures speak for themselves…in autotune, of course!

It likes it when I call it “Big Poppa”!

And some Caramel Brownie mocha goodness!

While I was waiting for my food, I bought another bottle of water.  While I was waiting in line at the register, I saw a bearded man buying a couple cans of Campbell’s soup.  The man looked intrigued at the sight of me and my brother and introduced himself as “Georgie”, a manchild that told me that he was like Peter Pan.  He was very friendly and he wanted a picture, only his flip phone had a dead battery.  After talking to “Georgie”, he left and I got my order.

After the food was eaten, with one-third of the drink consumed, it was time to head to the festival grounds.  To my surprise, the high school was available for parking this year!  I paid the $5 in parking and parked at a spot at the very end, since someone was just taking off.  Perfect timing!

We took the shuttle down the Officer Joshua T. Miktarian Memorial Parkway to the festival grounds.  Once there, it was time to meet some more twins.  I met Jenna & Jessi, identical twins from Cleveland, Ohio.  We all had our sunglasses, so a picture was needed.  Here’s how it turned out!

After that, I met Julian & Manuel, identical twins from Weinfeiden, Switzerland.

After that, I saw Spongebob with his buddy Patrick!  Actually, Spongebob and Patrick ATE a pair of twins!  Their names?  Maddy & Naomi, identical twins from Buffalo, New York.  Poor ladies!  I’ll see if I can get them out, but here’s a picture of the twin-eating monsters…

Spit them out!

After Spongebob and Patrick spit Maddy and Naomi out, I captured them and sent them to Shell City to teach them a lesson.  That will teach you to mess with twins at the Twins Days Festival!

After that misadventure with a sponge that lives in a pineapple under the sea, my brother and I wanted to get our $45 from the research booth.  We took a survey and answered all the questions.  All we got was a 20 ounce bottle of Cetaphil skin lotion!

With it approaching the time for the Sunday group picture, I noticed two other sets of twins. near the research tent.  The first one was Autumn & Rachel Read, identical twins from Fort Wayne, Indiana.  They own an Instagram account called thereadtwins with over 75,000 followers.  So if you haven’t already, follow @thereadtwins on Instagram, and enjoy this picture that I got with them!

Following that was Dana & Grace, identical twins from Cleveland, Ohio.  They seem to know the Read Twins too, so we got a picture with them as well!

After that, it was time for the line up for the Sunday group picture at 3:30.  There was no “darn rain” this time, so it looks like we’ll get a nice shot.  I met all these twins before the picture at 3:30:

  • Amelia & Madison, identical twins from Fort Wayne, Indiana
  • Mallory & Maddie, identical twins from Bellevue, Ohio
  • Emily & Makayla, fraternal twins from Augusta, Maine
  • Sarah & Tina, identical twins from Toledo, Ohio
  • Grace & Sophia, identical twins from Huron, Ohio
  • Hope & Faith, identical twins from Nashville, Tennessee
  • Terra & Karrah, twins from Prescott, Arizona

Before the Sunday group picture was taken, a couple of fun things happened.  While I was standing in the line up next to Skylar and Spencer, I overheard a set of twins talking about Breath of the Wild.  Anyway, I started talking to them about The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.  One of them then goes on to tell me about his favorite way to torture a korok: Use three flame emitters.  Poor koroks!  I wouldn’t ever imagine torturing those poor things!  I mean, would you torture a cute little forest creature like this?

Don’t hurt me!

Anyway, I had a fun conversation with that twin about Tears of the Kingdom.  Now for the second fun thing that happened.  Sunnie and Bonnie were here again!  This time as Mario and Luigi!  While they don’t play the video games, they did see the movie.  Here’s another shot of the LA fun girls!

MAMMA MIA!

After that, it was time to take the picture.  Is everyone ready?

No “darn rain” this time!

Right after the picture, I found out the names of the twins in the cherry-pickers that took the picture every year.  They were none other than John & Charles, identical twins from Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Shortly after that, I met Keisha & Erika, identical twins from Providence, Rhode Island.  I met them in 2022 so it was nice to see them again!

About 15 minutes after the picture, I met Kelsey & Riley, fraternal twins from Atlanta, Georgia.  Here’s a picture of them!

I talked with Kelsey for while, and it was a fun conversation.  They lived in a smaller community that was out of the hustle and bustle of Atlanta, so I could relate to that.  It’s good to live in a small town, but close enough to drive to a city.

I then talked to Kelsey & Courtney, identical twins from South Bend, Indiana.  And from their shirts, they were die hard Twilight fans.  I took a picture of them and Isaac & Enoc, identical twins from Warner Robbins, Georgia (Kelsey & Riley also joined in):

After that, it was time to get our twin pins.  But before we could, it started raining really hard.  Despite the rain, my brother and I were still able to get our twin pins.

When the rain stopped, My brother and I got some food at the vendors.  We decided on a gyro.  After we ate the gyro, we got a mega sized Blueberry ICE-E Dippin’ Dots.  We took that to the entertainment tent and ate it there.

After the Dippin’ Dots, my brother and I got a picture in front of the 2023 sign.  Here is how it turned out.

After that, I walked around and met some more twins.  I saw a cute set of twins that were fraternal.  They were the same age as my niece (four) so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.  Their names were Elliot & Maya from Twinsburg, Ohio.

After that, I met another set of twins that looked like woodland animals.  Their names were Glen “eddy” & Lynn “marty”, identical twins from Oakley, Illinois.

After that, I met Leyna & Klaira, identical twins from Dansville, Michigan.  I couldn’t pass up a picture from a fellow Michigander, so I got their picture in front of the 2023 sign:

And let’s check that attendance again, shall we?

A little behind last year!

After that, I decided to meet a few more twins.  As the festival was winding down, I met the following twins with my twin:

  • Rachel & Matthew, fraternal twins from Twinsburg, Ohio
  • Elijah & Aiden, identical twins from Lorain, Ohio
  • Filipp & Krill, identical twins from Siberia, Russia (They have a YouTube Channel called TwinsFromRussia)
  • Natalie & Nicole, fraternal twins from Champion, Ohio

After that, we were nearing the end of the festival, so I decided to go to one more contest.  My brother and I went to the amphitheater, and that’s when I heard the names “Etienne & Enya” announced.  So they were here after all!  I wouldn’t know since they probably stayed at a different hotel this time!

I hurried to the amphitheater and sat down.  Etienne and Enya got first place in the least look alike contest.  To recap from last year, Etienne and Enya are kind of regulars when it comes to attending Twins Days Festivals.  By kind of, I mean that the father has been taking them to these events every year since they were babies.  With them being adults now, it’s now just a fun reunion with their father every year.  Etienne & Enya are identical twins from Corona, California and Orlando, Florida.  Etienne & Enya have participated in a few contests over the years and have won the “look alike” contest before (including this year!).  Both have gotten similar jobs.  Etienne works at Universal and Enya works at Disney.  This year, Etienne and Enya will be 29, and it’s their 29th Twins Days Festival!  Here is a picture that I got with them.

Congrats for the Least Look Alike!

After the contests, the Twins Days Festival was pretty much starting to wind down.  As my brother and I were leaving the festival grounds, I managed to meet one more set of twins.  Ryder & Xander, identical twins from East Liverpool, Ohio.

So does that mean we’re going to go bowling now?  Not at all!  My brother and I were tired from the long day, so we caught a shuttle that took us back down the Officer Joshua T. Miktarian Memorial Parkway, back to Twinsburg High School.

My brother and I got in my Toyota Camry, conveniently parked on the end and left the high school.  It was a fun Twins Days Festival.  I turned onto Ravenna Road and followed it to the Twin Hills Parkway.  We turned onto the Twin Hills Parkway and followed it all the way to East Aurora Road.  Finally, we turned onto Wilcox Drive and pulled into the parking lot of the Hilton Garden Inn.  There was nothing else left for my brother and I to do than just relax.

We entered the hotel and went back up to the fifth floor.  We entered 522 and lightened our load.  It was time for another swim.  We got our suits on and went down to the pool.

This time, there was just a family down there.  No twins.   Just a younger sister with two older brothers.  And a young dad carefully supervising the kids at the hot tub.

I didn’t want to be rude, so I carefully waited for my turn at the hot tub.  When the little sister and older brothers left the hot tub, my brother and I entered it.  We enjoyed the 103 degree water, while the jets pumped fresh bubbles into the heavily chlorinated water.  After a short while, we left the hot tub.

After we went back up to the room, I spent the remainder of the evening working on the entry that you are currently reading.  Most of it was typing all the remaining names at the end of this post.  I stopped at almost 11:00, since I didn’t want to stay up too late.  I had to safely get back home.

Having worked on this entry in the lobby, I went back up to Room 522 and turned in for the night.  All the festivities were over, and all that remained was the trip home.  I took a shower and then plopped right into bed to rest myself for the trip home…

6:00 a.m.  We didn’t sleep in this time.  I wanted to get everything to the car and work on the entry for a little bit longer.  I got up, and ordered a Takeya Stainless Steel Graphite colored Water Bottle on Amazon, trying their FREE same-day delivery.  I then had my almonds, yogurt, quest bar, and coffee, and we both packed up our bags and got ready to leave the hotel.  I met no new twins this time.

After I got everything out to the car, I continued to work on the entry that you are reading right now.  In the middle of this, I saw Esperanza and Susana checking out, wearing their Spongebob shirts.  I never saw their costume and they they never saw my Jack Sparrow one.  So, we traded pictures and I saw one of them at the parade.  Since they had a flight to catch at 11:00, I bid them farewell.

At around 10:00, I wrapped things up and my brother and I checked out of the Hilton Garden Inn. It was now officially time to leave Twinsburg.  We left the Hilton Garden Inn at 10:10 a.m.

But not without refueling my tank of gas first.  We took our car to none other than the Sheetz gas station and filled up the tank.

Since the Fresh Start Diner was closed, we had Sheetz for breakfast instead.  I couldn’t get a Walker Breakfast Rangerrrrrr this year, so my brother and I settled for something different.  Remember: this is Sheetz Made to Order (MTO), so all food that you order needs to be said in autotune!  I got a sausage, egg, and cheese, breakfast burrrrito….and some Hashbrownzzzzzzzz and ranch dressingggggg…  Here’s a nice shot of that food in autotune:

Right before I left Sheetz, I saw someone wearing a Twins Days shirt!  It turned out to be one last twin!  This twin was half of what made up Richard & Robert, identical twins from Owensboro, Kentucky.

After saying goodbye to the last twin, it was time to say goodbye to Twinsburg.  Enjoy these pictures from last year as we all say a sad goodbye to Twinsburg for 2023.

Over the course of this trip, there was definitely some highs and lows.  There were even things that were lost.  But this is what I learned.  Sometimes, we have to lose things that are important to us.  It is only through that where we end up finding what is the most important.  I lost a water bottle and almost lost my car keys.  My brother almost lost his wallet.  But we all lost ourselves in Twinsburg this weekend.  And what did we find?  Each other.  One of the largest family of twins that you will ever find in the world.  Our annual home, right here in northeastern Ohio.  And now, as we all say goodbye to Twinsburg together, I give you the list of all the wonderful twins that I have met over the course of the weekend (also Jack Sparrow’s crew for the Black Pearl).  Here is the list of 181 twins (and the one that my parents met):

 

Captain Jack Sparrow’s Crew for the Black Pearl

Thursday, August 3, 2023

  1. Tess & Tabitha – Austin, TX
  2. Karen & Sharon – Cincinnati, OH
  3. Sara & Anna – Duluth, MN
  4. Donald & Ronald – Baltimore, MD (Met in 2019)
  5. Lorraine & Loretta – Pittsburgh, PA
  6. Heather & Christina – Charlotte/Cincinnati, NC/OH

Friday, August 4, 2023

7. Hrefna & Hrönn – Hveragerði, Iceland

8. Hafsteinn & Kristjen – Hveragerði, Iceland

9. Aislinn & Leah – Dartmouth, MA

10. Brittany & Brooklyn – Eddyville, IA

11. Remington & Reagan – Wilmington – PA

12.  Connor & Cooper – Green Bay, WI

13.  Geneva & Lena – Wooster, OH

14.  Isaac & Joseph – Greensboro, NC

15.  Skylar & Spencer – Chicago, IL

16.  Jerry & John – Massillon, OH

17.  Nicole & Natalie – Port Huron, MI

18.  Isabella & Austin – Bowling Green, OH

19.  Micah & Mira – Twinsburg, OH

20. Dawn & Denise – Houston, TX

21.  Missy & Mindy – Terre Haute, IN

22.  Wesley & Sloan – Sheffield, OH

23.  Jessica & Miranda – Charleston, NC

24.  Maura & Hannah – Kenah, TX

25.  Marlene & Darlene – Arlington, VA

26.  Sunnie & Bonnie – Los Angeles, CA

27.  Tom & Tim – Munich, Germany

28.  Ken & Kris – Anaheim, CA

29.  Taunasha & Jaunesh – Hanover Park, IL

30.  Natalie & Michele – Pittsburgh, PA

31.  Mike & Chad – Nashville, TN

32.  Kendra & Brenda – Greenville/Belding, MI

Saturday, August 5, 2022

33. Natalie & Rebecca – Troy, OH

34. Esperanza & Susana – Mesa, AZ (Met in 2022)

35. Gina & Tina – San Francisco, CA

36. Anthony & Elijah – Hudson, OH

37. Riley & Emily – Cincinnati, OH

38. Pam & Barbie – Minneapolis, MN

39. Kanna & Kara – Twinsburg, OH

40. Emily & Erica – Utica, NY

41. Aaron & Chris – Los Angeles, CA

42. Kathy & Karen – Elmore/Norfolk, OH/VA

43. Daniel & Sam -San Antonio/Colcord, TX/OK

44. Mark & Eric – Spring Green/Colorado Springs, WI/CO

45. Kathy & Karyn – Buffalo, NY

46. Lorrina & Karla – Kent, OH

47. Lessa & Ivy – Detroit, MI (Triplets, third one didn’t come)

48. Eva & Johanna – Howell, MI

49. Sophie & Aleria – Hocking Hills, OH

50. Jason & Scott – Cuyahoga Falls, OH

51. Jody & Jenny – Kansas City, MO

52. Katie & Maddie – Indianapolis, IN

53. Morgan & Courtney – Rochester, NY

54. Adam & Zachary – Asheville, NC

55. Paige & Bailey – Grand Rapids, MI

56. Rajivi & Rijul – San Francisco, CA

57. Michelle & Mindy – Akron, OH

58. Alex & Ted – East Rutherford, NJ

59. Lauren & Megan – Milwaukee, WI

60. Brook & Beth – Finger Lakes, NY

61. Jane & Janet – Ames, IA

62. Avery & Elina – Chardon, OH

63. Claudia & Luzilie – Lady Lake/Yeadon, FL/PA

64. Victoria & Claire – Pittsburgh, PA

65. Tommy & Timmy – Canton, OH

66. Jay & Neil – Boston, MA

67. Ruby & Willow – Rochester, NY

68. Nathan & Scott – Moore, OK

69. Matt & Chris – Topeka, KS

70. Laura & Rebecca – Pittsburgh, PA

71. Margaret & Monica – Columbus, OH

72. Carolyn & Marilyn – Hartford, CT

73. Shannon & Shelby – Lancaster, PA (Met in 2019 and 2022)

74. Tara & Jordan – Columbus, OH

75. Karen & Cassy – Cincinnati, OH

76. Julia & Maria – Los Angeles/New York, CA/NY

77. Hailey & Tiffany – Whitehouse, OH

78. Christie & Katie – New York, NY

79. Charlotte & Bridget – Eatonville, WA

80. Alexis & Emma – Houston, TX

81. Lexi & Laci – Bullhead City, AZ

82. Marley & Coral – Los Angeles, CA

83. Ronna & Donna – Dallas, TX

84. John & Jack – Las Vegas/Rockford, NV/IL

85. Stephanie & Monica – Seattle, WA

86. Denise & Deanne – Buffalo/Toledo, NY/OH

87. Asher & Rylan – Milwaukee, WI

88. Emmitt & Owen – Geneva/Wilmington, OH

89. Sarah & Bonnie – Greensboro, NC

90. Garrett & Stefan – Howell, MI

91. Julie & Amy – Rockford/Beloit, IL/WI

92. Elva & Elsie – Lancaster, PA

93. Natalie & Nicole – Wananchee, WA

94. Kevin & Ken – Los Angeles, CA

95. Celeste & Cierra – Gambier, OH

96. Andrea & Laura – Windsor, Ontario, Canada

97. Jo & Jackie – Wilmington/Ocean City, DE/MD

98. Lenore & Pauline – Hudson, OH

99. Assia & Daja – Cleveland, OH

100. Hannah & Haley – Buffalo, NY

101.  Erin & Kerry – Chicago, IL

102.  Stephanie & Bridget – Chicago, IL

103.  Rich & Dave – East Brunswick/Hillsborough, NJ

104.  Dana & Delanie – Toledo, OH

105.  Max & Rose – North Ridgeville, OH

106.  Grace & Noah – Middlebranch, OH

107.  Hannah & Sarah – Twinsburg, OH

108.  Aven & Jaren – Parker, PA

109.  Garrett & Michael – San Jose, CA

110.  Kim & Melissa – Richmond, KY

111.  Lorene & Lora – Chicago/Nashville, IL/TN

112.  Jackie & Jenna – West Palm Beach/Flint, FL/MI

113.  Austin & Aaron – Louisville, KY

114.  Lukyan & Dante – Middletown, OH

115.  Ashleigh & Brianna – Streetsboro, OH

116.  Sarah & Emily – Pittsburgh, PA

117.  Courtney & Brittany – Mechanicsburg, PA

118.  Brooke & Taylor – Cleveland, OH

119.  Daniel & Samuel – Houston, TX

120.  Abi & Katelin – North Bend, OH

121.  Ned & Fred – Hollywood, SC

122.  Cathy & Mandy – Warren, OH

123.  Tyler & Cruz – Twinsburg, OH

124.  Maryanne & Trish  – Melbourne, Australia

125.  Emily & Allison – Buffalo, NY

126.  Alison & Margaret – Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

127.  Maggie & Dorrie – Saratoga Springs, NY

128.  Kristin & Meagan – Indianapolis, IN

129.  Katie & Liz – Royal Oak, MI

130.  Sandra & Heather – Scranton, PA

131.  Michael & David – Louisville, KY

132.  Emma & Jessa – Cleveland, OH

133.  Caitlyn & Jessica – Cleveland, OH

134.  Isaiah, Kaiden, and Trevor – Lancaster, OH

135.  James & Oli – London, England

136.  Auden & Everett – Liberty, NY

137.  Grace & Carol – Philadelphia/Manhattan, PA/NY

138.  Harley & Markeith – Akron, OH

139.  Matt & Mark – Cleveland, OH

140.  Jason & Austin – Tampa Bay, FL

141.  Lauren & Emily – Chicago, IL

142.  Alexandria & Alexis – Louisville, KY

143.  Bridget & Brooke – Seattle, WA

144.  Mina, Ally, Claire, and Lauren – Pepper Pike, OH

145.  Sheila & Lauren – Cincinnati, OH

146.  Cassandra & Clarissa – Billings, MT

147.  Alexa & Cailey – Mandiville, LA

148.  Alexandria & Selene – Chicago, IL

149.  Hannah, Laurena, and Casey – Ashtabula, OH

150.  Gianna & Dera – Pittsburgh, PA

Saturday, August 5, 2022 (Mom and Dad)

  1. Foster & Clark – Columbia, SC

Sunday, August 6, 2022

151. Lesline & Pauline – Toledo, OH

152. Claire & Greta – Fort Wayne, IN

153. Constantine & Max – Stuttgart, Germany

154. Paige & Charlotte – Chardon, OH

155. Jenna & Jessi – Cleveland, OH

156. Julian & Manuel – Weinfelden, Switzerland

157. Maddy & Naomi – Buffalo, NY

158. Autumn & Rachel – Augusta, ME

159. Dana & Grace – Cleveland, OH

160. Amelia & Madison – Fort Wayne, IN

161. Mallory & Maddie – Bellevue, OH

162. Emily & Makayla – Augusta, ME

163. Sarah & Tina – Toledo, OH

164. Grace & Sophia – Huron, OH

165. Hope & Faith – Nashville, TN

166. Terra & Karrah – Prescott, AZ

167. John & Charles – Minneapolis, MN

168. Keisha & Erika – Providence, RI  (Met in 2022)

169. Kelsey & Riley – Atlanta, GA

170. Kelsey & Courtney – South Bend, IN

171. Isaac & Enoc – Warner Robbins, GA

172. Elliot & Maya – Twingburg, OH

173. Glen & Lynn – Oakley, IL

174. Leyna & Klaira – Dansville, MI

175. Rachel & Matthew – Twinsburg, OH

176. Elijah & Aiden – Lorain, OH

177. Filipp & Krill – Siberia, Russia

178. Natalie & Nicole – Champion, OH

179. Etienne & Enya – Corona/Orlando, CA/FL

180. Ryder & Xander – East Liverpool, OH

Monday, August 7, 2022

181. Richard & Robert –  Owensboro, KY

 

After twin 181, we left Sheetz.  It was now time to have cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory with grandma and Aunt Kari.  This would be at the Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi.  We left Twinsburg around 10:51. I took the same way back.  I went down I-480 and I-80 on the Turnpike.  I paid $7.25 after leaving the turnpike to go on I-280 North.  After driving into Michigan, it was a little cloudy.  It was official.  We were back in Michigan.

We continued into Monroe County on I-75 North.  Eventually, we passed through Wayne County and got onto I-696 West.  Unlike 2019 and 2022, we actually took the right way!  We kept left at the fork, in the right lane of two lanes that took us onto M-5.  From there, we followed it to the exit for 12 Mile Road.  We then followed 12 Mile Road all the way to Twelve Oaks Mall and eventually found a parking space.  We got out and entered the Cheesecake Factory, and met grandma and Aunt Kari there.  Even though it was a Monday, there was a half hour wait, so I used the bathroom and then talked to my aunt and grandma about the trip.  I shared with them my favorite part of the festival, which was the Double Take Parade, and shared my favorite pictures.  What did I get?  Well, after studying the only menu in the world that’s still a little bit like a novel, I found what I was looking for.  I was hungry so I helped myself to some Fried Mac and Cheese and some Tex Mex Egg Rolls, since the Spicy Tuna wasn’t available.

I then looked at the novel…I mean, menu.  With 34 different cheesecakes, which two will I eat?

Fortunately, I already had in mind what I wanted.  I decided on the Godiva Cheesecake and to be different this year, I got the Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake.

Eventually, the appetizers came, and my do they look good!

Some fried mac goodness!

And some Tex Mex food that’s on a roll!

While I waited for my food, I reflected on the Twins Days Festival with my grandma and aunt.  All in all, it was a fun trip to Twinburg.

After eating the appetizers, we reflected on our trip some more while they prepared the cheesecakes.  When they arrived, they were enormous.  Just look at them!

Lady Godiva!

And a delicious Chocolate Mousse!

Now this was a tough battle.  If you were here for 2019, you should know this by now.  Whenever you’re faced up against two slices of multi-layered cheesecake, the cheesecake is going to win every time.  EXCEPT for this year.  Having eaten no bread like I did in 2019, I was prepared.  Despite the richness of the Godiva chocolate, I took small and careful bites.  I drank water to dilute the sweetness.  And in the end, I conquered the Godiva Cheesecake!  In the battle of Man versus Cheesecake, Man won this time!  For next year, I will pick two totally different cheesecakes.  What will I pick?  Find out in 2024!

After having our cheesecake and getting my take home one packaged by my grandma, it was time to head home.  Since my grandma was going home with my brother and I, my aunt carefully packed everything that my grandma brought into the trunk of my car like a jigsaw puzzle.  After everything was packed and my grandma was situated, it was time to head home.  I took I-96 West toward Brighton, where US-23 North merges.  With that, I merged onto Brighton and continued north, through Linden and Fenton.  After that, I drove through Flint.

There is not much more to say here, besides navigating familiar territory. Vienna Township, Birch Run, Buena Vista Township, Zilwaukee Bridge, Exit 162B to get onto US-10 West. Very straightforward.  I also made a detour in Midland to drop grandma off.  Besides that, it was a very straightforward trip home.

And with that, I have given you every memory that I could think of from one of the most memorable trips that I’ve been on.  You’ve relived it with me and the trip is over.  If you want to relive it again, go ahead.  Scroll all the way up to the top and re-read this entire recap.  It’s really one of those trips that’s worth reliving, and if I could do that, I would totally relive it.  But the best that I can do is capture time, put it into words, and let the words create a wonderful picture.  A picture of a wonderful land full of twins for just one weekend.  A land where every twin gets to be an honorary Twinsburg citizen for the weekend.  This land was truly special and totally unique and it’s something that I don’t ever want to forget.  I’m glad that I shared it with you and I hope to share a different version of this picture with you next year, because it’s something that I will truly never forget.

With the recap over, it is time to eat.  Farewell everyone!

 

Today’s high is going to be 86 degrees and the silver lining is getting this recap done.

To those of you who like retelling stories about your trips, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse:  *yawn*  That was fun…My twin had to go home.  I’m going to miss her…

Me & My Muse – Day 3320: Twins Days Festival – The Recap: For REALZ this Time!

Having had the chance to rest and work a full day at work, I have taken the liberty to think and reflect on my memorable vacation.  Twins Day Festival 2022 was an unforgettable experience for me.  But don’t just take my word for it.  Instead, gaze upon the 7,691 word account and all the words and pictures that really made this convention a memorable one.  I will do more than just describe everything to you.  Instead, I am taking you back to the event, and you are going to relive all of my memorable moments with me again.  Sound good?  Then follow me, as I take you through the recap of Twins Days Festival 2022.

6:00 a.m. Friday morning.  I spring out of bed and turn on the coffee.  I wake up to the alarm.  With my shower taken, all that was left was the devotional.  I get this done and check the fridge for coffee creamer.  Unlike 2019, there was some in there.  I enjoyed my favorite weekend Starbucks mocha coffee with a Truvia packet and some Coffemate creamer.  I eat my Quest bar and I brush my teeth.  I then begin to pack everything.

My mug was already drunk, and everything needed to get into the car – fast.  We get everything in there just in time for us to capture the perfect Kodak moment.  Me and my brother stood there in matching red shirts, shorts, socks, and red shoes, and I took a selfie before driving down to Twinsburg, Ohio for the Twins Days Festival.

 

After the pictures were taken, we were off at around 7:45 in the morning.  I got onto US-10 and we were Twinsburg bound, jamming to BZRK by Family Force 5.

After Auburn, I merged onto I-75 South, towards Flint.  After that, I took the right fork onto US-23 South, towards Ann Arbor.  After Ann Arbor, we passed Dundee, and then Temperance.

Finally, we crossed the Ohio border.

Ohio’s slogan was “Find it Here”.  What I found was the speed limit going down to 65 miles per hour.  We went through I-475 South, I-75 North, and then found myself on the I-80/I-90 Ohio Turnpike.

The Turnpike was an enjoyable ride.  With the speed limit at 70 miles per hour, I felt right at home.  I cruised down it, listening to John Reuben.

And then at 10:26, we stopped at a Service Plaza.  Time for the first rest stop.  After some Instagramming, it was time to resume the trip.

After exiting the Turnpike, I paid $7.00 for it.  Finally, we were on I-480 East. We got off on the Great Northern Boulevard exit, because it was time for some lunch.

We entered North Olmstead and stopped at a Chick-Fil-A.  I was so happy there that I took a selfie.

After that, it was time to order my food!  The food you ask?  It was a mouthwatering crispy chicken sandwich, three chick-n strips, and a medium order of waffle fries.  And why don’t we include every single kind of dipping sauce that they have?  There we go!

Now Midland has committed a terrible sin in not including one of these wonderful restaurants there.  I mean, we have plenty of burger places, but how many chicken places do we have?  Instead of getting this place, Midland gets a Popeye’s, and Flint gets a Chick-fil-A?  That makes no sense.  It’s true that just about every fast food place serves chicken, but not like this.  I would consider this place Colonel Sanders’ cousin.  But no buckets.  No biscuits.  No wedges.  No mashed potatoes.  Just the waffle fries will do.  Plus we’re on our way to Twinsburg.  We don’t have time to sit down for a home-cooked meal.

And what do we do with the trash?  Let’s not forget to throw it away.  In an automatic disposal?  Yes please!

After we got our fill of Chick-Fil-A, we left North Olmstead, Ohio and got back on I-480 East.

Before long, we arrived at Twinsburg and got off on Aurora Road.  Unlike 2019, we did not miss the Twin Hills Highway.  That took us to Ravenna Road.  We turned left on Ravenna Road and then left on the Joshua T. Miktarian Memorial Parkway.  We arrived at Twinsburg High School, only there was one problem.  It was 1:40.  Registration didn’t begin until 2:00!  To kill time, me and my brother took another awesome selfie.

After that, I went with my twin to a line that was forming in front of the high school.  A line of twins from all over the country and world.  A line of twins all waiting to check in for registration.  While we waited in line, I met Anna & Maia.  Identical twins from Cleveland, Ohio.

A few minutes later, they let everyone in about four minutes to 2:00.  Learning that the pre-registration was at the auditorium this year, We all followed the line of twins that were headed there.  Before entering, I met Everitt & Emmitt.  Identical twins from Lousiville, Kentucky.

While I waited in line with my twin bro, I met Semmie & Sammie. Identical twins from Chicago, Illinois.

Following that, the quest began to meet as many twins as possible.  And I was off to a good start.  I met Leeann & Megan, identical twins from Fort Collins, Colorado, Kimberly & Cassie, fraternal twins from Westchester, New York, Kelly & Kim, identical twins from Peekskin and Boston, Massachusetts, and Niko & Marko, identical twins from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

We then found another set of twins at the cafeteria.  Hrefna & Hrönn (pronounced Schefna & Trenn), identical twins from Hveragerði, Iceland.

After that, the meeting of twins continued with the following twins:

  • Ashley & Kimberly, fraternal twins from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Luke & Logan, identical twins from Wooster, Ohio.
  • Jennifer & Lauren, identical twins from Bridgeport, West Virginia
  • Kristy & Jenny, identical twins from Seattle, Washington and Orlando, Florida
  • Leah & Aislinn, identical twins from Dartmouth, Massachusetts
  • Austin & Isabella, fraternal twins from Bowling Green, Ohio
  • Rosalie & Rochelle, identical twins from Covina, California

After that, I met a set of twins that made me star struck.  This was Skylar & Spencer, identical twins from Chicago, Illinois.

When it comes to Twins Days Festivals, Skylar and Spencer don’t miss a single one.  For this year alone, it will be their 28th consecutive convention!  Even during COVID when Twins Days wasn’t held in person, this dedicated duo made their pilgrimage to Twinsburg to keep their streak of attendance unbroken.  They are well known among the regulars that attend and they consider the annual congregation of twins meeting at the beginning of every August to be their family.  After saying hi to Skylar and Spencer, my brother and I continued meeting more twins.

Before leaving Twinsburg High School, I met four more sets of twins with my brother:

  • Bailey & Maddy, identical twins from Wausau, Wisconsin
  • Mitchell & Logan, identical twins from Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Jean & Joan, identical twins from Vassar, Kansas
  • Jane & Janet, fraternal twins from Max, Minnesota and Nevada, Iowa

Me and my twin brother then decided to go and check into our room.  With that, we drove to the Hilton Garden Inn at Twinsburg, Ohio, which was only a short distance away.  I would say about 0.7 miles away.

Upon entering the Hilton Garden Inn, this is what i saw.

 

After checking in, we took the elevators to Room 334.  Inside was a very nice room, as you can see here.

 

 

I loved this room.  Due to a mistake in the reservation, there instead of two queen beds, it was just one king-sized bed.  Along with that room came a sitting chair and a desk for the computer.  There was even a Keurig coffee machine.  I unpacked everything and we chilled in our room.  Unlike 2019, my parents came along separately since they wanted a piece of the Twins Days fun.  Since they were not quite there yet, we waited for them to arrive.  After they arrived, there was still a lot of free time available.  Since we had reservations at Blue Canyon Grill at 7:00, there was a little bit of time to kill.

When it got close to 7:00, we walked up with our parents to Blue Canyon, an upscale restaurant that I had reservations for.  The restaurant was situated on a bluff, which overlooked the hotel.  We entered the restaurant and were seated.

We had a wonderful waiter that assisted us that night.  I wanted to order something similar to the Lobster Linguine from 2019, but they had the Halibut listed as a special instead.  I ordered that with a bowl of Lobster Bisque.  Me and my brother split an order of Prince Edward Island Mussels.

The appetizers came first, of course.

After that, the waiter informed me that they were out of the Halibut, so they substituted that with the snapper instead.

After that was the delicious dish I was waiting for.  The Snapper.

The Snapper was pretty good.  When it was gone, I shared dessert with my brother.  A Chocolate Bomb.  A layered chocolate dessert with filling, cake and covered in chocolate.  A round, delicious chocolatey ball of goodness.

After the food was done, and 20 minutes of waiting, the scary part came.  The bill.  But that’s nothing that my Meijer Mastercard can’t handle, right?

When the bill was paid, I said goodbye to the restaurant with my brother and parents.  Blue Canyon Kitchen & Tavern, you fed us well tonight.  You will be missed.

After we left the Blue Canyon Grill & Tavern, my brother and I decided to go to the Get Go Gas Station for some liquid refreshment and snacks.  I bought a couple of liters of water and some Twix.

Me and my twin brother then went back to the Hilton Garden Inn nearby.  Before we went up to our rooms, I decided to meet a few more twins.  The twins that I met included the following:

  • Natalie & Nicole, identical twins from Wenatchee, Washington
  • Tabitha & Tammy, identical twins from Springfield, Ohio
  • Ann & Theresa, identical twins from Sacramento, California
  • Dana & Jana, identical twins from Cleveland, Ohio
  • Mary & Melissa, identical twins from Columbus, Ohio
  • Hannah & Janae, identical twins from Lancaster, Pennsylvania
  • Becca & Natalie, identical twins from Troy, Ohio
  • Marlene & Monica, identical twins from Sebring and Canton, Ohio
  • Melissa & Christina, identical twins from Bloomington, Idaho and Seattle, Washington
  • Joselyn & Jamie, identical twins from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Esperanza & Susana, twins from Mesa, Arizona

After meeting all the sets of twins, I went with my twin to Room 334.  We brushed our teeth and got ready for bed.  It was going to be a long and fun day for both of us tomorrow.

6:30 a.m. Saturday morning.  I spring out of bed at the sound of my 6:30 alarm.  Having done most of my routine last night, all that remained was my devotionals.  I took care of that and drank my freshly brewed Keurig coffee.  After waiting for the use of the bathroom, it finally became vacant and I brushed my teeth.  I then quickly put on my clothes for the day.  A complete safari outfit with all the decorations.  I then took a selfie with my brother.

All ready for the day, I went downstairs and had a delicious breakfast buffet. While I was at my breakfast table, I met a neat set of twins that were MARRIED to each other!  Alisha & Christina, identical twins from Boston, Massachusetts married Phillip & Stewart, identical twins from Sydney, Australia.  We chatted for a while and I got their picture.

When breakfast was over, it was time to board a bus for the Twins Days Double Take Parade.  Before I boarded the bus, I took a picture with my twin and some more twins:  Amanda & Rachel (who sat at my table during breakfast), identical twins from Kansas City, Missouri, Caroline & Kristen, identical twins from Los Angeles, California, and Donald and Ronald, identical twins from Baltimore, Maryland.

Before the lineup with the twins, I also met Cecelia & Alice, identical twins from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Minutes later, the shuttle dropped us off at the town square for the parade lineup.  As we walked around, I had an encounter with a pair of twin triceratops!

After that, I met some more twins.  I met the following twins as I walked around the parade grounds:

  • Andrew & Edward, identical twins from Lancaster, Ohio
  • Eli & Dylan, identical twins from Streetsboro, Ohio
  • Aurora & Ariel, fraternal twins from Portage, Wisconsin
  • Alexis & Alania, identical twins from Wellsburg, West Virginia
  • Abigail & Hannah, identical twins from Gainsville, Florida
  • Sarah & Allison, identical twins from Wheaton, Illinois
  • Libby & Annie, identical twins from Kansas City, Missouri
  • Lauren & Laeten, identical twins from Appleton, Wisconsin
  • Craigg & Gregg, identical twins from Albion, Michigan
  • Anthony & Elijah, fraternal twins from Hudson, Ohio
  • Isabella & Annika, fraternal twins from Bloomington, Illinois

We then met Michelle & Tonya, identical twins from Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  They were both ready for adventure like we were so we got a picture with them.

Following that, I met a couple more pairs of twins.  Sienna & Samantha, fraternal twins from Queens, New York and Melinda & Melanie, identical twins from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

After that, I met not a set of twins this time, but a unique set of multiples.  A set of quadruplets!  Their names were Nina, Ally, Claire, and Lauren,  50% identical and 50% fraternal quadruplets from Shaker Heights, Ohio.  My brother and I couldn’t resist so we got a picture with this unique quartet.

After meeting the fantastic four, my brother and I continued to meet some more twins.  We met the following before the parade started:

  • Jenny & Jessy, identical twins from Saint Louis, Missouri
  • Derek & Ryan, identical twins from Cinnaminson, New Jersey
  • Kelsey & Emma, identical twins from Dundee, Michigan
  • Jason & Eric, twins from Scranton, Pennsylvania
  • Leah & Anya, identical twins from Saint Louis, Missouri
  • Bry & Bren, fraternal twins from Erie, Pennsylvania
  • Abby & Sophie, identical twins from Durham, New Hampshire
  • Tara & Jordyn, identical twins from Kent and Sylvania, Ohio
  • David & Phillip, identical twins from Queens, New York
  • Deshay & Renee, identical twins from Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Jennifer & Tracey, identical twins from Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • Kaitlyn & Tiffany, fraternal twins from Mount Clemens, Michigan

The parade was now officially underway.  I managed to get these shots as I walked down the parade route with my twin brother.

Peyton & Paige, identical twins from Lafayette, Louisiana

The parade started at 9:00 and lasted about an hour (longer for all the other bystanders watching the entire parade).  It was fun watching all the people on the street smile as we walked on by.  We waved at all the onlookers and crossed our fingers, hoping that it wouldn’t rain.

When the parade was over, we marched into the Festival Grounds.  Unlike 2019, we didn’t need to go back to get the car this time.  Since my wristband was too tight, I needed to get a new one at registration.  After taking care of that, I stayed at the festival grounds with my twin and entered it.

What was the first thing on the agenda?  Twins Pops, of course!  The coolers containing all the Twins Pops were there, but the stands were not set up yet!  This did not stop numerous sets of twins from getting their free Twin Pops early.  My brother and I took advantage of this and helped ourselves to the Twin Pops.  We both got a green Twin Pop and split an orange one.

After the twin pops, we walked around and met some more twins.  We met the following twins as we walked the festival grounds:

  • Jenny & Katie, fraternal twins from Parkersburg, West Virginia
  • Olivia & Sophie, fraternal (unsure) twins from Wellington, Ohio
  • Krista & Kara, identical twins from Yukon, Oklahoma
  • Hannah & Aliza, identical twins from Carlisle, Pennsylvania
  • John & Jim, identical twins from Oshkosh, Wisconsin
  • Abby & Molly, fraternal twins from Berea, Ohio
  • Liz & Ursula, identical twins from Bethpage, New York
  • Ann & Amy, identical twins from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Stephanie & Anne, identical twins from Washington DC and Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • Dylan & David, fraternal twins from Ashtabula, Ohio
  • Aly & Shelly (Not here), identical twins from Ashtabula, Ohio
  • Allie & Cassy, identical twins from Ashtabula, Ohio
  • Rebecca & Laura, identical twins from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Zayden, Zelia, & Zara, 50% identical and 50% fraternal triplets from Mahopac, New York
  • Shannon & Shelby, fraternal twins from Lancaster, Pennsylvania (Met in 2019)
  • Chelsea & Bailey, identical twins from Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota
  • Kristin & Alyssa, identical twins from Jamestown, Rhode Island

After meeting all those sets of twins, we went to a beer garden that was at a basketball court.  We met our parents there and shared our stories of all the twins that we met while we were there.  In the middle of our conversation, we had to deal with a pack of tigers!  Fortunately, they were very friendly!

David & Phillip, identical twins from Newcastle, Australia and Katie & Kristy, identical twins from Manhattan, New York

After sharing these stories with my parents, we each went our separate ways and would meet later for the group photo at 3:30.

The next item on my agenda was to buy this year’s convention t-shirt from the souvenir shop.  On my way there, we met some more twins as we walked the festival grounds:

  • Rodney & Ladney, fraternal twins from Locust Grove, Oklahoma
  • Katrina & Daniel, fraternal twins from Reno, Nevada
  • Tom & John, identical twins from Mountain View, California
  • Claire & Katie, identical twins from Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Kelly & Rachel, twins from Westfield, Indiana
  • Mike & Tim, identical twins from Wilsonville and Corvallis, Oregon
  • Laurel & Charie, identical twins from Saint Mary’s, Pennsylvania
  • Christie & Maddie, identical twins from Madison, Wisconsin
  • Jane & Janie, identical twins from London and Georgetown, Ontario, Canada
  • Allison & Liz, twins from Erin and Georgetown, Ontario, Canada
  • Brooklyn & Brynlee, identical twins from Oxford, Pennsylvania

After that, we met another set of twins that remembered us from meeting them in 2019.  It was Hannah & Haley, identical twins from Buffalo, New York. It was the second set of twins that we met again, so we decided to get a picture.

Then we met a mother with a rather shy set of girls.  They looked about 18 months and I would guess that this is their very first Twins Days Festival.  Their names are Evelyn & Georgia, identical twins from Northfield, Ohio and they looked so cute together!

After that, we met a few more sets of twins:

  • Madison & Christine, identical twins from Melborne and Sarasota, Florida
  • Tami & Marcia, identical twins from Whitby and Kennilworth, Ontario, Canada
  • Azaelea & Ilyanah, fraternal twins from Sterling Heights, Michigan (100th set of twins met today!)
  • Zane & Zoey, fraternal twins from South Point, Ohio
  • Barrett & Gordon, identical twins from Las Vegas, Nevada
  • Marlene & Charlene (Deceased), identical twins from Toledo, Ohio and Orphan Point, Indiana
  • Nicole & Tori, fraternal twins from York, Pennsylvania (Met in 2019)

After that, we were stopped by a pair of Curious Georges. Or should I say Curious Georginas?  Anyway, each had their own monkey on their shoulder and we chatted for a little bit. This would be Stephanie & Lisa, identical twins from Champaign, Illinois.  We got a selfie and a photo with them.

After that, we saw a cute pair of leopard cubs eating Twin Pops!  This was Anya & Eva, twins from Annapolis, Maryland.

 

After meeting many twins,  we tried to find the fried Oreos, but to no avail.  The next best thing?  A mega sized container of chocolate chip cookie dough flavored Dippin’ Dots.  Since the battery on my cell phone was getting low, I had to get back to the hotel, and fast.  Before we did, I made a wonderful discovery.  Near the kiddy rides, I found the fried Oreo stand!  I then got some fried Oreos.  If you’ve never had a fried Oreo, I’m sorry.  You are totally missing out.

After the fried Oreos, we hightailed it back to the high school.  We took a golf cart to the school and hoofed it back, since I didn’t take my car with me.  The first stop was Sheetz, where I wolfed down a quick meal of a build your own burrito and a frozen hot chocolate.  Since the food was taking so long, I grabbed my brother’s cell phone and hurried back to the hotel.

Once back at the hotel room, I was covered in sweat. I could only charge the phones for 10 minutes since I thought that the picture was going to be taken at 3:00. Once my brother got back, we hurried back to the high school with our car and paid the $3.00 for parking.  We got back to the festival grounds and to the soccer field…and that’s when I found out that the picture was going to be taken at 3:30!  The lineup started at 3:00, so that gave me plenty of time.

I went to the soccer field with my twin and found my parents.  We then lined up for the picture, while my parents watched from a distance.

Like every Twins Days, it was actually done with two cherry pickers.  Here is a shot I got of them, 43 seconds before the picture got taken.

After the picture, I went back to the hotel to get my twins notebook (how else could I record all of the twins without it?)  After getting the notebook, paying another $3.00 in parking, and heading back to the festival grounds.  It was time.  Time to meet some more twins!

And meet them I did!  We met the following twins as we walked more of the festival grounds:

  • Meridith & Bethany, identical twins from Fort Mill, South Carolina
  • Erin & Alyssa, identical twins from Portland, Michigan
  • Jaycie & Jordyn, fraternal twins from Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • Alex & Alexis, identical twins from Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Karlie & Cadence, identical twins from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • Haily & Tiffany, fraternal twins from Whitehouse, Ohio
  • Mason & Garrett, identical twins from Finger Lakes, New York
  • Gabrielle & Isabelle, identical twins from Middletown, Ohio
  • Margaret & Laura, identical twins from Sterling Heights, Michigan
  • Jamie & Kristy, identical twins from Bloomfield, New Jersey
  • Jamie & Justine, identical twins from Ravenna, Ohio
  • Gwen & Cecelia, fraternal twins from Canal Harbor, Ohio

After meeting all these new twins, I decided to take a selfie with my brother in front of the registration counter. It just passed 2,000 so this was a well attended event!

After that, it was time to take a picture of the Royal Court for this year’s Twins Days.  Since they met at 5:00, I was able to get pictures of all of them.

First up is the king and queen.  The kings for this year’s royal court are Drew & Noah, identical twins from Farmington Hills, Michigan.  The queens?  Drew & Noah’s sisters that are also twins! Darien & Nina!  Also from Farmington Hills, Michigan!  Identical?  You betcha!

Next up are the prince and princesses.  Noah & Drew, identical twins from Austintown, Ohio are the princes for this year.  Aubrey & Olivia, fraternal twins from Rootstown, Ohio are the princesses for this year.

And let’s not forget the grand marshals!  The grand marshals for Twins Days 2022 are Nate & Jack, identical twins from Twinsburg, Ohio.  Let’s give it up for our 2022 Royal Court!

After meeting the royal court, I met a few more twins with my twin. This is who we met:

Logan & Ryan, fraternal twins from Auburn, Ohio

Taylor & Hayley, identical twins from Los Angeles, California

Kaisha & Erika, identical twins from Providence, Rhode Island

Iveta & Evelyn, fraternal twins from Cleveland, Ohio

After that, we watched a talent show at an event theater.  I got some more water and watched the talent show.  I then met my last three twins for the day:

  • Barry & Barren, identical twins from Cleveland and Willoughby, Ohio
  • Amanda & Catherine, identical twins from Princeton, New Jersey
  • Adele & Abagail, identical twins from Troy, Michigan

With that done, it was time to call it a day and have dinner with my parents.  I left the festival grounds with my brother and we met them at Sushi En.  When we got there, they already had a table ready so we sat down and ate.    I got some miso soup, a Last Samarai and an Ultimate Tuna roll.  The food was amazing!

And let’s not forget dessert!  Because my brother and I were attending the Twins Days Festival, we got a free dessert!  We settled for the mochi ice cream.  That too was yummy.

Since mom and dad both walked there from the hotel, I gave them a ride back.  We all rode back and my parents retired to the room for the night.  My brother and I on the other hand decided to get ready to go to the fireworks that would be at the festival grounds.

When it was 20 after 9, we left the Hilton Garden Inn again and went back to the high school.  I didn’t have to pay for the parking this time, since the events were done for the evening.  All except for the fireworks.

We got out the walked all the way down to the festival grounds, since the golf carts were done for the day.

After that, the firework show started.  It was put on by Meijer and the show was spectacular.

When the show was over, I walked the parkway back to the high school. With the firework show over, it’s now time to live it up at the Bertram Inn right?

Wrong!  With there being a 5K to run in the morning, there was no way that I was going to head to party central when I had a race that I wanted to be rested up for with my twin.

We drove right back to the hotel and I called it a night.  I took a shower and got ready for bed.  The third day awaited us, starting with a 5K race tomorrow morning.  Having that said, the recap is not done yet…

6:30 a.m.  Sunday morning.  I spring out of bed, waking up to the alarm.  Fortunately, everything was done the night before.  Except for my devotionals and the dream that I needed to record.  I got ready for the race and ate my Quest Bar. Once my brother was ready, we went to our parent’s hotel room.

We then went over to Dodge Intermediate School for the 5K race.  With all the workouts that I have been doing from playing Ring Fit Adventure for the Nintendo Switch, I should be ready for this race.  I saw Hrefna & Hrönn (pronounced Schefna & Trenn), the identical twins from Iceland that I met on Friday also running the race.

Finally, the race began and I was off with my twin.  As we got into the race, my pace was burning out quickly.  As we were on the last quarter of the race, I was getting sick to my stomach.  It was getting hot and I felt like I couldn’t go any further…

Then I crossed the finish line with my brother on the race track.  I finished with a time of 27:39.  I placed 60 out of 154.  My pace averaged 8:54 per mile.  Upon finishing the race, I was laying on the grass on the inside of the track.

With the race over, I got a group picture with all the other runners and saw the awards ceremony with my twin.  We then got one more group picture with everyone else that was wearing the 5K shirts for this year.

I drove back to the Hilton Garden inn with my twin brother, cleaned up in the shower, and said goodbye to our parents, since they were checking out today. Before we did that, my parents introduced me to the Ian Family, known for their twin boys.  The twin’s names you ask?  Meet Kenei & Keiden, identical twins from Vernon, New Jersey!

We talked for a while and it was fun getting to know them.  After we finished meeting them, we went to the lobby of the Hilton Garden Inn with our parents to say goodbye to them.

A set of twins from Columbia offered to take a picture of me with my brother and parents in front of the entrance of the hotel using my mom’s cell phone.

After seeing my parents off, I went back with my brother to the festival grounds.  Since the high school wasn’t doing parking on Sunday, I had to park at Dodge Intermediate School.  After that, I did what I do best at these festivals:  Meet more twins!    My brother and I met three more sets of twins as we entered the festival grounds for Sunday:

  • Maira & Karen, identical twins from New York City, New York
  • Luke & Michael, identical twins from Dalton, Georgia and Austin, Texas
  • Anika & Arden, fraternal twins from Akron, Ohio

We then saw Thing 1 and Thing 2, which turned out to be Jayden & Jaylen, identical twins from Lima, Ohio.

After meeting a few twins, I was hungry, so my brother and I found a food vendor.  What was I hungry for?  Stromboli? Why not?

After that delicious stromboli, I decided to get some more Dippin’ Dots.  A chocolate mega size was perfect to get on a day like this.

Following that, I bought some more water and decided to go to one of the tents where Twingo was being played. It’s like bingo, only you’re playing with a twin!  Each round had a cash prize of $120, but alas, I did not win a single round.

After Twingo, my brother and I decided to try to get a photo pin like 2019.  Sadly, we couldn’t since they couldn’t print anymore pins.

Since another group photo was going to be taken for Sunday, we made our way over to the soccer field, like yesterday.  The difference, however, was that there was a lot less twins on Sunday.

But before the picture could even be taken, a downpour began.  My brother and I took refuge under one of the tents and waited it out until it was over.

After the downpour,  my brother and I followed the other twins out to the soccer field, where the twin photographers in the cherry pickers were, once again!

And due to the “darn rain” according to one of the photographers, the picture was taken a minute late.  1 minute and 15 seconds to be exact!

After the second group photo for Sunday, it was time to meet some more twins.  My brother and I walked the grounds, and these were the next ones that we met:

  • Micah & Mira, fraternal twins from Twinsburg, Ohio
  • Savannah & Sierra, identical twins from London, Ohio
  • Carter & Coleman, identical twins from Grosse Pointe and Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • Khris & Kai, fraternal twins from Cleveland, Ohio
  • Kelly & Kristy, identical twins from Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Monica & Rachel, identical twins from Mayfield Heights, Ohio

The rest of the day pretty much consisted of watching contests in the amphitheater.  During that time,  I took a nice nap.  Just kidding!  I met some more twins, of course!  The next set consists of the following:

  • Cameron & Dalton, identical twins from Durham, North Carolina
  • Matt & Mark, fraternal twins from Cleveland, Ohio
  • Hailey & Hannah, identical twins from Aberdeen, South Dakota
  • Noah & Ethan, fraternal twins from Cleveland, Ohio
  • Kennedy & Kenzley, identical twins from Cleveland, Ohio
  • Jeremy & Josh, identical twins from Huddleston, Virginia
  • Briana & Brittney, identical twins from Huddleston, Virginia
  • Samantha & Sarah, identical twins from Portland, Oregon
  • Amber & Jada, identical twins from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
  • Delanie & Dana, identical twins from Toledo, Ohio

Here is a cool pic with my brother and I in front of a few of the sets listed above.

The next set of twins that my brother and I met are kind of regulars when it comes to attending Twins Days Festivals.  By kind of, I mean that the father has been taking them to these events every year since they were babies.  With them being adults now, it’s now just a fun reunion with their father every year.  I am referring to Etienne & Enya, identical twins from Corona, California and Orlando, Florida.  Etienne & Enya have participated in a few contests over the years and have won the “look alike” contest before.  Both have gotten similar jobs.  Etienne works at Universal and Enya works at Disney.

After the contests, the Twins Days Festival was pretty much starting to wind down.  Hailey & Hannah were still hanging around, too.  They kept the theme going for Sunday, since they were dressed up in monkey suits.  With the festival wrapping up, I met Megan & Leeann, identical twins from Denver, Colorado.   I then took some pictures of a few more sets of twins:

  • Laurel & Stephanie, identical twins from Cleveland, Ohio and Brian & Derek, fraternal twins from New York City, New York

  • Brienna & Whittney, identical twins from Danville and Clovis, California, and Nia & Tia, fraternal twins from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Having met those sets of twins, it was official.  The 2022 Twins Days Festival was officially over.  I had a lot of fun, and it’s been real.  See you in 2023!

But with the festival over, it did not mean an end to the fun for the twins that still remained.  From what my brother and I found out, the twins were all heading over to Roseland Lanes at 7:00 for a fun evening of bowling.  The lanes are usually closed on Sundays, but they open them every year privately for all the twins to bowl at.  Having already experienced the Bertram Inn in 2019, my brother and I had to check out the bowling scene.

Before leaving the parking lot for Dodge Intermediate School, I was able to meet one more set of twins.  Gabriel & Garik, identical twins from New York City, New York.

After that, it was off to the bowling alley. We got there and entered, waiting to be assigned to a team.  After we were, we received the information about the evening.  Bowling for the night cost only $7.00 and that included the shoe rental.  None of us bowled right away since it took forever to start.

Once we did, it was a little different than what I was used to.  Two different teams would alternate bowlers for each ball.  Lanes would also be alternated for each frame.  With ninepin rules being used tonight, a strike could be obtained by hitting only nine pins.  I only ended up bowling for two games, since I had enough after that.  Since a pair of female twins were running late, my brother and I allowed them to bowl our frames in our place.  Here are a few pics that I took while at the bowling alley.  Enjoy!

Feeling very tired from the whole day, my brother and I left the bowling alley.  I documented no twins while at the bowling alley so you will not see any added to the list.

At that time of the evening, my brother and I were very hungry.  What could possibly satisfy our hunger?  More Sheetz, of course!  I got a Big Mozz sandwich with Apps Sampler, which included Totz, Jalapeño Poppers, and Fried Pickles. We got it to go and drove back to the Hilton Garden Inn.

At that point, I just wanted to eat so I helped myself to a delicious dinner of fried food.  It was quite filling and satisfying!

I finished my food, feeling beyond tired.  My brother and I went back up to Room 334 and turned in for the night.  All the festivities were over, and all that remained was the trip home.  I took a shower and then plopped right into bed to rest myself for the trip home…

8:00 a.m.  We slept in for a little bit this morning, since check out wasn’t until 10:00.  My brother went for a swim, but I didn’t feel like swimming this morning.  I got up and we both packed up our bags and got ready to leave the hotel.  While I was in the process of checking out, I met David & Bradley, identical twins from Bronx, New York.

After getting everything out to the car, I saw the father of Etienne & Enya.  My brother and I had a good conversation with him, and found out that that they have the exact same birthday as I do, only they are ten years younger than me!  That would put their birthday on August 12th (also my birthday!)  It was neat hearing the stories from the father from some of the past Twins Days Festivals that he took his twin daughters to when they were younger.

After the fond conversation with him, he volunteered to take a picture of my brother and I in the lobby.  I’m going to miss this hotel.  It won’t be until 2023 that I will be able to see it again.  It’s been real.  Hilton Garden Inn, you took care of me and my brother very well this trip.

After the front desk printed off my receipt, I said goodbye to the hotel, but not quite.  Before I left with my twin, I met Anna & Ulrika, identical twins from Stockholm, Sweden!  We even got a picture with them!

After that photo session with the Swedish twins, it was now officially time to leave Twinsburg. I knew that the Fresh Start Diner might be closed, but I wanted to be sure.  Sure enough, it was.

See you next year, Fresh Start Diner!

But the trip wasn’t entirely wasted.  My brother and I got the same pictures in front of Twinsburg Square as last time.

After that, it was time to leave Twinsburg!  But not without refueling my tank of gas first.  We took our car to none other than the Sheetz gas station and filled up the tank.

Since the Fresh Start Diner was closed, we had Sheetz for breakfast instead.  I got a Walker Breakfast Ranger and some Hashbrownz.  Here’s a nice shot of that legendary breakfast sandwich!

And believe it or not, we met one more set of twins while at Sheetz!  Their names were Taylor & Kailyn, identical twins from Twinsburg, Ohio.  They both worked at Sheetz  Having that said, they were the very last set of twins that I recorded for the whole trip.  To recap, I visited 161 twins this weekend.  In case you want the full list again, here is that list:

Friday, August 5, 2022

  1. Anna & Maia – Cleveland, OH
  2. Everitt & Emmitt – Louisville, KY
  3. Semmie & Sammie – Chicago, IL
  4. Leeann & Megan – Fort Collins, CO
  5. Kimberly & Cassie – Westchester, NY
  6. Kelly & Kim – Peekskin/Boston, MA
  7. Niko & Marko – Toronto, ON Canada
  8. Hrefna & Hrönn – Hveragerði, Iceland
  9. Ashley & Kimberly – Philadelphia, PA
  10. Luke & Logan – Wooster, OH
  11. Jennifer & Lauren – Bridgeport, WV
  12. Kristy & Jenny – Seattle/Orlando, WA/FL
  13. Leah & Aislinn – Dartmouth, MA
  14. Austin & Isabella – Bowling Green, OH
  15. Rosalie & Rochelle – Covina, CA
  16. Skylar & Spencer – Chicago, IL
  17. Bailey & Maddy – Wausau, WI
  18. Mitchell & Logan – Ann Arbor, MI
  19. Jean & Joan – Vassar, KS
  20. Jane & Janet – Max/Nevada, MN/IA
  21. Natalie & Nicole – Wenatchee, WA
  22. Tabitha & Tammy – Springfield, OH
  23. Ann & Theresa – Sacramento, CA
  24. Dana & Jana – Cleveland, OH
  25. Mary & Melissa – Columbus, OH
  26. Hannah & Janae – Lancaster, PA
  27. Becca & Natalie – Troy, OH
  28. Marlene & Monica – Sebring/Canton, OH
  29. Melissa & Christina – Bloomington/Seattle, ID/WA
  30. Joselyn & Jamie – Philadelphia, PA
  31. Esperanza & Susana – Mesa, AZ

Saturday, August 6, 2022

32. Alisha & Christina – Boston, MA

33. Phillip & Stewart – Sydney, Australia

34. Amanda & Rachel – Kansas City, MO

35. Cecelia & Alice – Waterloo, ON, Canada

36. Caroline & Kristen – Los Angeles, CA

37.  Donald and Ronald – Baltimore, MD

38.  Andrew & Edward – Lancaster, OH

39.  Eli & Dylan – Streetsboro, OH

40.  Aurora & Ariel – Portage, WI

41.  Alexis & Alania – Wellsburg, WV

42.  Abigail & Hannah – Gainsville, FL

43.  Sarah & Allison – Wheaton, IL

44.  Libby & Annie – Kansas City, MO

45. Lauren & Laeten – Appleton, WI

46.  Craigg & Gregg – Albion, MI

47.  Anthony & Elijah – Hudson, OH

48.  Isabella & Annika – Bloomington, IL

49.  Michelle & Tonya – Eau Claire, WI

50.  Sienna & Samantha – Queens, NY

51.  Melinda & Melanie – Pittsburgh, PA

52.  Nina, Ally, Claire, and Lauren – Shaker Heights, OH

53.  Jenny & Jessy – Saint Louis, MO

54.  Derek & Ryan – Cinnaminson, NJ

55.  Kelsey & Emma – Dundee, MI

56.  Jason & Eric – Scranton, PA

57.  Leah & Anya – Saint Louis, MO

58.  Bry & Bren – Erie, PA

59.  Abby & Sophie – Durham, NH

60.  Tara & Jordyn – Kent/Sylvania, OH

61.  David & Phillip – Queens, NY

62.  Deshay & Renee – Las Vegas, NV

63.  Jennifer & Tracey – Colorado Springs, CO

64.  Kaitlyn & Tiffany – Mount Clemens, MI

65.   Peyton & Paige – Lafayette, LA

66.  Jenny & Katie – Parkersburg, WV

67.  Olivia & Sophie – Wellington, OH

68.  Krista & Kara – Yukon, OK

69.  Hannah & Aliza – Carlisle, PA

70.  John & Jim – Oshkosh, WI

71.  Abby & Molly – Berea, OH

72.  Liz & Ursula – Bethpage, NY

73.  Ann & Amy – Milwaukee, WI

74.  Stephanie & Anne – Washington/Grand Rapids, DC/MI

75.  Dylan & David – Ashtabula, OH

76.  Aly & Shelly (Not here) – Ashtabula, OH

77.  Allie & Cassy – Ashtabula, OH

78.  Rebecca & Laura – Pittsburgh, PA

79.  Zayden, Zelia, & Zara – Mahopac, NY

80.  Shannon & Shelby – Lancaster, PA (Met in 2019)

81.  Chelsea & Bailey – Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN

82.  Kristin & Alyssa – Jamestown, RI

83.  David & Phillip – Newcastle, Australia

84.  and Katie & Kristy – Manhattan, NY

85.  Rodney & Ladney – Locust Grove, OK

86.  Katrina & Daniel – Reno, NV

87.  Tom & John – Mountain View, CA

88.  Claire & Katie – Indianapolis, IN

89.  Kelly & Rachel – Westfield, IN

90.  Mike & Tim – Wilsonville/Corvallis, OR

91.  Laurel & Charie – Saint Mary’s, PA

92.  Christie & Maddie – Madison, WI

93.  Jane & Janie – London/Georgetown, ON, Canada

94.  Allison & Liz – Erin/Georgetown, ON, Canada

95.  Brooklyn & Brynlee – Oxford, PA

96.  Hannah & Haley – Buffalo, NY

97.  Evelyn & Georgia – Northfield, OH

98.  Madison & Christine – Melborne/Sarasota, FL

99.  Tami & Marcia – Whitby/Kennilworth, ON, Canada

100.  Azaelea & Ilyanah – Sterling Heights, MI

101.  Zane & Zoey – South Point, OH

102.  Barrett & Gordon – Las Vegas, NV

103.  Marlene & Charlene (Deceased) – Toledo/Orphan Point, OH/IN

104.  Nicole & Tori – York, PA (Met in 2019)

105.  Stephanie & Lisa – Champaign, IL

106.  Anya & Eva – Annapolis, MD

107.  Meridith & Bethany – Fort Mill, SC

108.  Erin & Alyssa – Portland, MI

109.  Jaycie & Jordyn – Grand Rapids, MI

110.  Alex & Alexis – Charlotte, NC

111.  Karlie & Cadence – Pittsburgh, PA

112.  Haily & Tiffany – Whitehouse, OH

113.  Mason & Garrett – Finger Lakes, NY

114.  Gabrielle & Isabelle – Middletown, OH

115.  Margaret & Laura – Sterling Heights, MI

116.  Jamie & Kristy – Bloomfield, NJ

117.  Jamie & Justine – Ravenna, OH

118.  Gwen & Cecelia – Canal Harbor, OH

119.  Drew & Noah – Farmington Hills, MI

120.  Darien & Nina – Farmington Hills, MI

121.  Noah & Drew – Austintown, OH

122.  Aubrey & Olivia – Rootstown, OH

123.  Logan & Ryan – Auburn, OH

124.  Taylor & Hayley – Los Angeles, CA

125.  Kaisha & Erika – Providence, RI

126.  Iveta & Evelyn – Cleveland, OH

127.  Nate & Jack – Twinsburg, OH

128.  Barry & Barren – Cleveland/Willoughby, OH

129.  Amanda & Catherine – Princeton, NJ

130.  Adele & Abagail – Troy, MI

Sunday, August 7, 2022

131.  Kenei & Keiden – Vernon, NJ

132.  Maira & Karen – New York City, NY

133.  Luke & Michael – Dalton/Austin, GA/Texas

134.  Anika & Arden – Akron, OH

135.  Jayden & Jaylen – Lima, OH

136.  Micah & Mira – Twinsburg, OH

137.  Savannah & Sierra – London, OH

138.  Carter & Coleman – Grosse Pointe/Grand Rapids, MI

139.  Khris & Kai – Cleveland, OH

140.  Kelly & Kristy – Cincinnati, OH

141.  Monica & Rachel – Mayfield Heights, OH

142.  Cameron & Dalton – Durham, NC

143.  Matt & Mark – Cleveland, OH

144.  Hailey & Hannah – Aberdeen, SD

145.  Noah & Ethan – Cleveland, OH

146.  Kennedy & Kenzley – Cleveland, OH

147.  Jeremy & Josh – Huddleston, VA

148.  Briana & Brittney – Huddleston, VA

149.  Samantha & Sarah – Portland, OR

150.  Amber & Jada – Hamilton, ON, Canada

151.  Delanie & Dana – Toledo, OH

152.  Etienne & Enya – Corona/Orlando, CA/FL

153.  Megan & Leeann – Denver, CO

154.  Laurel & Stephanie – Cleveland, OH

155.  Brian & Derek – New York City, NY

156.  Brienna & Whittney – Danville/Clovis, CA

157.  Nia & Tia – Milwaukee, WI

158.  Gabriel & Garik – New York City, NY

Monday, August 8, 2022

159.  David & Bradley – Bronx, NY

160.  Anna & Ulrika – Stockholm, Sweden

161.  Taylor & Kailyn – Twinsburg, OH

 

After twin 161, we left Sheetz.  It was now time to have cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory by ourselves, since unlike 2019, our aunt, uncle, and cousins couldn’t meet us there for it this time.  This would be at the Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi.  We left Twinsburg around 12:17. I took a slightly different way back.  I went down I-480 and I-80 on the Turnpike.  I paid $7.00 after leaving the turnpike to go on I-280 North.  After driving into Michigan, the roads were better than last time, and it wasn’t raining.  It was official.  We were back in Michigan.

We continued into Monroe County on I-75 North.  Eventually, we passed through Wayne County and got onto I-696 West.  Like 2019, we took a wrong turn AGAIN and ended up in Southfield.  We drove through Telegraph Road all the way to 12 Mile Road.  We then followed 12 Mile Road all the way to Twelve Oaks Mall and eventually found a parking space.  We got out and entered the Cheesecake Factory.  What did I get?  Well, after studying the only menu in the world that’s still a little bit like a novel, I found what I was looking for.  I was hungry so I helped myself to some Tex Mex Wontons and some Deep Fried Calimari, since the Ahi Tuna wasn’t available this time.

While I waited for my food, I reflected on the Twins Days Festival with my twin brother.  All in all, it was a fun trip to Twinburg.

After eating my appetizers, the waitress got the novels…I mean, menus back out.  With over 30 different cheesecakes, which two will I eat?

Fortunately, I already had in mind what I wanted.  I decided on the Godiva Cheesecake and the Chocolate Tuxedo Cheesecake.  We reflected on our trip some more while they prepared the cheesecakes.  When they arrived, they were enormous.  Just look at them!

Now this was a tough battle.  If you were here for 2019, you should know this by now.  Whenever you’re faced up against two slices of multi-layered cheesecake, the cheesecake is going to win every time.  Now that Godiva Cheesecake was so rich that I could almost not finish it.  I couldn’t even finish the cream on the Chocolate Tuxedo Cheesecake!  I had to wipe it off, so that it could get taken home.  Now at The Cheesecake Factory, there is one thing that you should never do.  And that’s underestimate their cheesecake.  I underestimated their cheesecake, and now I’m taking a slice home with me.

After having our cheesecake and getting my leftovers, it was time to head home.  I took I-96 West toward Brighton, where US-23 North merges.  With that, I merged onto Brighton and continued north, through Linden and Fenton.  After that, I drove through Flint.

There is not much more to say here, besides navigating familiar territory. Vienna Township, Birch Run, Buena Vista Township, Zilwaukee Bridge, Exit 162B to get onto US-10 West. Very straightforward.

And with that, I have given you every memory that I could think of from one of the most memorable trips that I’ve been on.  You’ve relived it with me and the trip is over.  If you want to relive it again, go ahead.  Scroll all the way up to the top and re-read this entire recap.  It’s really one of those trips that’s worth reliving, and if I could do that, I would totally relive it.  But the best that I can do is capture time, put it into words, and let the words create a wonderful picture.  A picture of a wonderful land full of twins for just one weekend.  A land where every twin gets to be an honorary Twinsburg citizen for the weekend.  This land was truly special and totally unique and it’s something that I don’t ever want to forget.  I’m glad that I shared it with you and I hope to share a different version of this picture with you next year, because it’s something that I will truly never forget.

With the recap over, it is time for bed.  Good night everyone!

 

Today’s high is going to be 76 degrees and the silver lining is getting this recap done.

To those of you who like retelling stories about your trips, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse:  *yawn*  That was fun…My twin had to go home.  I’m going to miss her…

Me & My Muse – Day 3093: Merry Christmas!

Once again, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.  This is, without a doubt, my most favorite holiday.  Christmas morning.  Now it may be early, but I’m up and ready to open my presents.  My parents may still be sleeping, but I’m excited.  If it’s any part of me that has never grown up, it’s the part of me that acts four on Christmas morning.

Muse:  For me, that just happened.  I am so excited!  Tee hee!

Twin Muse:  So am I!  Tee hee!

But for Christmas, how excited are you two?

Muse:  I’m very excited.  Tee hee!  Part of me wants to squeal with excitement, but I will spare you that since I don’t want to wake up your parents.  I’ll do it quietly instead.  *whispering*  Yaaaay!!!!

Twin Muse:  Oh come on, twinnie!  Everyone should be awake by now!  If you want to squeal with excitement, do it!  I know I’m excited!  YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!

I can see that one part of you hasn’t grown up either.

Muse:  Who EVER grows up on Christmas morning?  When I wake up on this day, I feel like I’m five again.  Adulthood can wait for one day, can’t it?

Twin Muse:  You feel like you’re five?  Come on, sis!  We’re Intangible!  We can change our ages to whatever we want!  Besides, I literally can’t adult today…*Twin Muse regresses to a five-year-old girl*  Yay!  It’s Christmas!  When are we gonna open up all the presents?

Muse:  *sigh*  If you want to be five, be five.  I am not changing my age…

Twin Muse:  Suit yourself!  *Twin Muse runs in a circle and squeals with excitement*  It’s Christmas!  It’s Christmas!  It’s Christmas!  Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!!!

As I was saying.  Adulthood can wait.  And I see that you’re cozy with your footie pajamas…

Muse:  I am, and I’m not taking them off.  They feel comfortable and they keep me warm.  You’ve worn them before so you should know, right?

Twin Muse:  I’m in mine, too!  They’re my Frozen footed jammies!  They’re my FAVORITE!

Right.  Getting back to what you said.  Adulthood can wait on Christmas.  Whatever memories I have had when I was younger, they all return on this day.  Now this may differ for some people.  But for most, they can feel some aspect of their childhood calling back…

Muse:  Yes.  And some people fight it and repress it.  They try to hide it, but this is unhealthy.  Everyone.  If you feel excited on this day, don’t hesitate to let it out.  Listen to your memories and set them free.  Remember your youth, and how fun Christmas was for you.  Your memories only want to remind you of this.  Listen to them and recapture the moment.  Take a step back in time.  Christmas only comes once a year!  Tee hee!

Twin Muse:  Or, if you can, change your age back to five!  It’s so much fun!  I can remember everything from kindergarten!

Muse:  Um, sis?  Tangible humans cannot change their ages.  They can only age one second at a time, but can never age in reverse.

Twin Muse:  They’re no fun!  They should learn to do this!  Now when can we open presents?  I wanna open presents!!!!

Muse:  They can’t learn it!  They are not Intangibles!  We are!  Now stop being silly and turn back to your adult age.

Twin Muse:  No!  It’s Christmas so I don’t have to be a grown-up!

Girls!  Let’s get back on track.  I totally agree with letting your childhood run free on this day.  But remember.  There is another side of Christmas.  A side that some people don’t pay attention to.  Christmas is not about presents and Santa Claus.  It’s about the birth of Jesus Christ.

Muse:  Yes.  I also look at the Advent Season when I celebrate this time of year.  We need to know why we give these gifts.

Twin Muse:  I like the story that mommy used to tell us about baby Jesus…

Muse:  Yes.  it’s a great story, isn’t it?

It is.  And we do need to know why we give these gifts.  What can we give to God what he doesn’t already have?  All we can give to him is ourselves.  And while we can’t give anything else to him, we give gifts to others to show our love and appreciation for them.

Muse:  I also think of the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.  It’s the only special where we hear the true meaning of Christmas.

Twin Muse:  Can we watch that?  I wanna watch Charlie Brown Christmas!

Maybe we can watch that later, okay?  And Yes.  We do hear the true meaning of Christmas.  Linus quotes the Christmas story found in Luke.  Matthew refers to the Wise Men delivering gifts to the baby Jesus.

Muse:  What were these gifts for, anyway?  I understand the symbolic meaning behind them.  I believe they were used to pay for the trip to Egypt.

It probably was, for they had to flee from Herod, since he issued orders to kill every firstborn male baby.  Jesus is the reason for the season.  He was born to be the perfect sacrifice.  To bear the sins of humanity so that we may live.

Muse:  It must have been a heavy burden to bear all that.

It was.  Today is indeed a joyful day.

Muse:  Should we make him a birthday cake?  I don’t know what frosting he would like!

Twin Muse:  Maybe we should ask Jesus what frosting he wants?  Let’s ask him!

I think he would be happy with any frosting.

Anyway, I want to wish everyone who is reading this Merry Christmas.  Whether you celebrate one side, both, or don’t celebrate Christmas at all, understand that this is a very special day.  Most importantly because Jesus was born on this day, both for you and for me.  And from this day, many traditions have developed.  The most popular one being the exchange of gifts.

The high today is going to be ?? degrees and the silver lining is celebrating the birth of Christ and the opening of presents.  My parents are still not up.  But when they are, it’s present opening time!

To all of you who celebrate Christmas, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

Muse:  Merry Christmas, Kyle!  My company just arrived so I’ll see you later!  Tee hee…

Twin Muse:  And I’m gonna open my presents!  Yay!

Muse:  *sigh*

Twin Muse:  C’mon sis!  I see it…That look…You really don’t want to be an adult today, do you?

Muse: *sigh*  Urghhh…I can’t…I can’t adult…today…

*Muse regresses to a five-year-old girl*

Muse:  Just for today, sis.  I’m gonna open all my presents!!!!

Twin Muse:  I’m gonna open mine FIRST!

Muse:  No you won’t!  I’m opening mine first!

*both Muse and Twin Muse teleport in a beam of light and run into the living room*

Me & My Muse – Day 3092: Twas the Day Before Christmas…

…and all through the house

Kyle’s got no work so there’s no need to grouse

His Santa cap was sitting on the bedpost with care

Reserved just for Christmas to be crowned on his hair

Kyle’s in the midst of his 17-day vacation

Just 17 whole days of rest and relaxation

Then out of the oven before they get black

I will feast on few a Christmas snack

Then to herald the evening such a sight it will be

When he attends the Christmas Eve service at Midland Free

Then off to my grandma’s house with plenty of cheer

A gathering with snacks. The company’s near

My aunts and my uncles, my grandma too

And three of my cousins, all this I knew

The gathering warm, the noises were loud

The snacking and chatting from a sizable crowd

The day will be merry, the night will be bright

With plenty of snacks on this cold winter night

Then when I get home, I’ll don my PJ’s quick

So we can see a good Christmas flick

Then after that, it is on to tradition

My brother and me must carry out our mission

The time will be jolly, the room filled with heat

When we both watch The Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

Following that, it’s off to bed

Visions of CDs and games will dance in our heads

Looking at this, that’s all I have to say

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good day

Muse: Christmas is tomorrow! Eee! I’m so excited!

I know! Today is another day where I can take a breather. With it being a work holiday, I don’t have to worry about going to work…

Muse: All my things are done too. It’s only a matter of time…I’m so excited!

Wait. You’re a fairy? Why are you a fairy?

Muse: I love this form! And it goes so well with Christmas. You know how that is. Tee hee!

Well, if it makes you happy, go ahead. What about being your other transformation? Are you going to abandon that for Christmas?

Muse: I will. I mean, I’ve been that form for most of the story arc!  And from what I heard from the Dark Muse, I don’t have to worry about her bothering me this year.  Plus we are on a lot better terms than last year…Besides, she’s my sis!

That’s good to hear. Today is going to be exciting. It will be a day to relax before the excitement tomorrow…

Muse: I’m going to shower. Be back in a bit!

Okay. I need to shower myself.

Today’s high is going to be 27 degrees and the silver lining is watching the movie with my brother later tonight. This day is going to be quite fun. Having an extended vacation, I don’t have to worry about work for a while. For today and tomorrow, I’ll be in my next two days of vacation mode. It will be a day of snacking, relaxing and visiting with the family.

To all of you who love having 17 days off, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

Muse: Tee hee! I can’t wait until tomorrow! I wish I could open my presents early! Eee! I’m so excited! Tee hee…

Twin Muse:  Aren’t you excited, twinnie?

Muse:  Yes I am, sis! I see you’re also a fairy!  Tee hee!

Twin Muse:  Why wouldn’t I be? I love fairies!  Tee hee!  Last one to the egg nog is a loser!

Muse:  Oh no you don’t!

Twin Muse:  Too late!  I already got to the egg nog and… *BURP*  I kind of drank it all…

Muse:  Kind of?  No one “kind of” drinks something…

Twin Muse:  I guess you’re right and…eep!  Oh no!  Hang on, twinnie!  I gotta go!

*Twin Muse flies out of the room quickly, leaving behind a dripping trail*

Muse:  *sigh*  I surely hoped that she packed them.  During the last Christmas that I spent with her, I woke up to wet bedsheets.  She’s sleeping in her own bed…I know that it can’t be helped.  I still do love her…Sis?  Are you okay?

*Muse flies out of the room toward the bathroom to check on her twin sister*

Me & My Muse – Day 3091: All Aboard!

If Tom Hanks was a train conductor, this is what he would be shouting outside your house on Christmas Eve.

Now what would Tom Hanks be doing here?  Your train has arrived.  You stopped believing in Santa Claus so you are now greeted by a magical train.  A train bound for the North Pole.  Make your decision quick.  The train conductor is very strict about being on time and he is not going to wait for you another minute.

If your decision was yes, then welcome aboard.  You are on The Polar Express.  A special service offered to help kids who have any lingering doubts about the man in red.  The ride is free, and every kid will meet Santa before he takes off to deliver his gifts around the world.

Tonight, I will be seeing this movie.  If I have said it before, I will say it again.  This movie gets better and better every time you see it.  It’s magical and nostalgic.  Can you remember your childhood memories about Christmas?  This movie will bring them all back, because you, the viewer, are riding that train with them.

Muse:  So you’re seeing the Polar Express?  I LOVE that movie!  Rather than seeing it alone, I think I’ll join you.

Twin Muse:  So will I!  It’s going to be fun!

Please do.  Just remember, miss.  The conductor does not like to wait.  We want to start the movie ON TIME and end ON TIME!  We have a tight schedule to keep tonight…

Muse:  Okay, Tom Hanks.

Twin Muse:  So strict!  We WILL be on time…

Besides that, my brother works at the Post Office.  After he gets home, and we finish having Christmas with my sister, brother in law, niece, and uncle in law with my family, I’ll watch the movie.

The high today is going to be 33 degrees and the silver lining will be watching The Polar Express tonight.

To those of you who love reliving your childhood memories through Christmas Movies, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

Muse:  To gear up for the movie tonight, I’m brewing up a a large pot of HOT CHOCOLATE!  Hot hot!  Oh, we got it!  I love that movie!

Twin Muse:  Hot Chocolate!  I LOVE that song!  Tee hee!

Me & My Muse – Day 3090: The True Meaning of Christmas…

Since I want to make the most out of this day, I’ll cut to the chase.

I’ll be taking it easy at home, going through my devotionals, working out, watching a Christmas movie, and playing more of my game.  In the evening, I will watch The Nativity Story with my brother.

 

Muse:  That is a good movie.  I plan on watching it myself…

Twin Muse:  Yes!  We’ll be watching it together!

I will now get ready.

Today’s high is going to be 26 degrees and the silver lining is watching The Nativity Story with Ryan.

To those of you who look forward to Christmas, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse: Oh yeah!  There’s one more gift that I forgot to wrap!  Better finish wrapping it now…

Twin Muse:  What’s taking you so long, twinnie?  I’m done wrapping all my gifts!

Me & My Muse – Day 2966: Dinner at Grandma’s…

What’s on the schedule today?  After work, my brother and I will be visiting my grandma, since I want to keep her company.

Muse:  That’s nice of you!

I know.  I really want to get out and keep connecting with others.  These are the people that I love and I want to keep showing this more and more.

Muse:  That’s good.  Also connect with your other friend as well!

That’s the plan.  One thing at a time and one step at a time.

I’ll let you all know how it turns out.

Today’s high is going to be 88 degrees and the silver lining is being able to have dinner with my grandma.

To those of you who like having dinner with your friends and loved ones, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse:  Well, it’s the weekend. I think that I’ll join him for dinner…

Midnight Muse:  Tag!  You’re it!

*Midnight Muse enters Muse*

Muse:  Nah.  Don’t think I’ll join him.  I have a different plan.  Hee hee hee!  Ha ha ha!

Me & My Muse – Day 2965: Anniversary at…home

Okay, not really.  I’ll explain shortly

What anniversary are we talking about? My parent’s 43rd wedding anniversary.

Having recently gotten home from work, I wished them a happy anniversary.  For this year, they decided to go and have dinner somewhere, and they took their motorcycle out.  I will also be watching a movie.  What movie?  The latest God’s Not Dead movie.  Gotta love Pure Flix!

Muse:  Yeah.  It’s pretty good!

I know.  The movies have been very good.  It’s nice to relax to a movie at the end of the day.

Muse:  It’s looks like you’re doing better.  Do you think that you’ll be out of this soon?

Most certainly.  It’s been a trial, but one that I’ll surely be able to overcome.  And when that day comes, I will explain everything.  For now, just know that I am making progress.

Muse:  I’m so glad you are.  I have all my homework done for the summer and I’m ready for my senior year.  This summer has been too short…

I know.  With this trial, I feel like a lot of the days have been flying by.  I know that this is not a vacuum.

Muse:  It’s not.  Glad you’re able to leave your island.  You’ll get there…

Anyway, I’m going to cook some Hungry Mans and enjoy a chocolate chip cookie from Aviator Cookie Company.  They have good cookies if you’re ever in Midland.  Check them out by clicking here!  That’s pretty much this day in a nutshell.  Happy anniversary mom and dad!

Today’s high is going to be 88 degrees and the silver lining is being able to enjoy this evening and celebrate mom and dad’s anniversary.

To those of you who like to celebrate milestones with you family, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse:  I’m SO glad he’s making progress.  As for Midnight Muse, I hope that she doesn’t show up.  She’s bad news…

 

Meanwhile…

Midnight Mues:  Urrgh!  There!  I’m free!  It’s going to take more than that to keep me trapped.  A coma in a banished dimension?  Ha.  You’re gonna have to do better than that, Kyle.  Time for a new game.  I’m gonna play tag.  And you, sister, are IT!  Hee hee hee!  Ha ha ha!

Me & My Muse – Day 2957: Happy Birthday!

Once again, the day is here again. I’m another year older. Another year wiser. Getting on the subject of birthdays, I really love them. Most of us love celebrating the day of our birth. This is usually done with presents, a special dinner and the cake and ice cream, with is the staple for most birthday parties.

Birthdays are also the time that you get numerous people coming out of the woodwork. If you have a facebook, you will find a number of people that you normally never talk to wishing you happy birthday. I actually don’t have a problem with this, since everyone who does this are people that I do know. Some, however, are people that I haven’t talked to in years. Oh facebook and your birthday stalkers. You never cease to amaze me…

Muse: Happy birthday, Kyle!

Cake 2

For me? Thank you!

Muse: I am also taking a day off from being a teen, so you won’t have to worry about that.

That’s nice to hear. I wouldn’t want you to be preoccupied on my birthday!

Muse: Actually, I have to go to the mall right now. I’ll be right back.

Really? Not on my birthday!

Muse: Just kidding! I will not turn into a teen. I promise.

I can remember how last year’s birthday was. You were a time traveler and you took the day off so that you could spend it with me. The year before that, you were a tween and you took the day off so that you could spend it with me. The year before that, you were a mermaid and you took the day off so that you could spend it with me. The year before that, you were a Jedi and you took the day off so that you could spend it with me. The year before that, you were were a baby and I wished for you to be an adult for a day. And the year before that, you were brought from the past with Gabrielle so that I could celebrate my birthday with you. And the year before that, you were just getting over your shy tics. And the year before that, you were the Dark Muse…

Muse: You mean the Bad Idea, right? For just that one day, I was normal. After that, the Bad Idea took over again. It was terrible.

What about being a teen? I haven’t seen Midnight Muse lately. She won’t interfere, will she?

Muse: She won’t. There’s nothing that you need to worry about. So, what do you want to do, birthday boy?

Whatever I want. After all, it is my birthday, right? Well, I do have to work, first. Besides that, everything else is fair game.

Muse: Right. It took me quite a while to make that cake, so please eat all of it.

Don’t worry. I will, just for you.

Muse: Don’t I get a piece?

We’ll both eat it. We’ll eat it together…

Muse: What about your brother?

All three of us. We will all eat it together.

Muse: Sounds good to me!

You…look beautiful. Even more so than other days.

Muse: It’s for you. I appreciate your level of creativity. It keeps me healthy. The new ideas that are born. The ideas that eventually ripen into the most delicious of food. There is never a shortage. You always provide for me, and I’m thankful for it. You may be going through a lot, but patient. I know that you’ll get through this…

Well, if I leave you starved, it doesn’t help me at all. I don’t mind going the extra mile to keep you healthy.

Muse: Your food has given me a unique vitality. One that almost blurs the lines of reality and imagination. I long to be a person like you, but alas…There is a wall of separation between us.

Deja vu much?

Muse: I know. I said that last year, and it’s still something that I long for. When you find your wife, you will find me. The REAL me.

Muse: Like last year, I will ask again. What do you want to do on your birthday? Well, after work, of course…

I just want to have a nice dinner with my family. A nice dinner with some cake and ice cream. Before that, I’ll be working at East End. Later on, I’ll head home.

Muse: As you wish. It’s your day, so I won’t sway any of your decisions.

Good. I’m sure that you won’t be swayed by this…

*gives Muse a kiss on the lips*

Muse: Hey. I was just about to kiss you! My turn!

*Muse gives me a big kiss*

That was really good. There’s plenty more where that came from later.

Muse: Not too later. I want to be back by midnight. I don’t want to spoil my beauty rest…

Oh yeah. That’s right. Well, I better enjoy my time with you while it lasts…

Muse: I’ll enjoy my time with you as well. Anyway, I’ll let you get ready. Happy 37th Birthday, Kyle!

*Muse gives me another kiss and vanishes back into my head*

Isn’t she amazing? I love her immensely and I hope to meet her true identity some day…

From that exchange, it looks like my Muse already gave me her gift, and I shared it with her. I will also eat all of that cake with her and my brother. Man, am I going to feel that in the morning.

For today, I will be working and enjoying my birthday early in the day. After that, I will have a nice dinner with my brother, parents, my sister, niece, and grandma at Lucky’s tonight. After that, we will go to grandma’s for cake and ice cream. Today’s high is going to be 88. It’s supposed to be sunny, so that will be nice. The silver lining today is pretty obvious. It is my birthday and my brother and I will be enjoying it.

To all of you who love birthdays like I do, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

Happy 37th birthday, Kyle! I hope that yours is a really good one…

Me & My Muse – Day 2940: Monday Again

Yup. It’s another day completed and I feel optimistic.

What are my plans for this blog? Stay tuned. I haven’t forgotten about all of you

Today’s high is going to be 90 degrees and the silver lining is already being through the first day of the week.

To those of you who unwinding after work on this Monday, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse: Yeah. This Monday is finally over! Time to read a nice book…

Me & My Muse – Day 2939: Back in Town

After driving for two and a half hours, refueling my car and unpacking at my place, I think I’m going to take it easy for the remainder of the day.  That’s about it for this one.

Today’s high is going to be 88 degrees and the silver lining is being able to unwind back at my place.

To those of you who like returning home after a fun weekend, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse:  I glad that you really enjoyed your weekend!  I’m glad it was nice and sunny.  It looks like you’re starting to come around.  Let’s talk some more, okay?

Me & My Muse – Day 2938: Plenty of Saturday GoodNES…

The NES weekend continues, and I’m currently enjoying myself at my friend’s house up north.  Just recently, I played a little bit of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island a game that I haven’t played in a long time.

Earlier, I helped my friend out with folding some laundry for the inn, since he is on duty this weekend in taking care of the inn while his landlord/inn supervisor is gone for the day.

Later on, my brother and I will get some fish and some chicken for our friend.  After that, we will watch another episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and chill some more.  That’s pretty much this day in a nutshell.

Today’s high is going to be 83 degrees and the silver lining is being able to spend some more time with my friend.

To those of you who like spending the weekend with friends, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse: You’re having fish later?  I want some!  Let me know when you’re going!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend! (He’s still kind of copying but it is his third one…)

Me & My Muse – Day 2937: FriNESday Road Trip

If you are reading this, then you know what’s about to happen.  Yup!  It’s another NES post!

But what if you’re new to this website and you don’t know what a NES post is?  Or what if you forgot what a NES post is?  That’s perfectly okay, as I will fully explain the meaning behind this to everyone, both old and new to this site.

Why is it called a NESday?  Quite a long time ago, my friend came over to my parent’s place to hang out.  Or we would go over to his place to hang out.  On the day that he over, it just so happened to be a Wednesday.  With it being Wednesday, we emphasized the NES in the day of the week.  It became WedNESday.  For those of you who are not really into video games, NES stands for Nintendo Entertainment System, a video game console created in the mid 1980’s.  Since my brother, me, and my friend all love video games, NES became that umbrella term.

From there, NES spread to other days of the week.  Whenever he came over or whenever we came over to his place, it was a different NESday.  There was SunNESday, MonNESday, TuesNESday, WedNESday (the original), ThursNESday, FriNESday, and SaturNESday.  Every day spent with my friend was a NESday.

Having fully explained that to all of you, I hope that better clarifies what I mean by a NES post or a NESday.

Getting back to the post, both I and my brother are fully packed and are ready to hit the road.  Our friend now lives up north, so we will be taking a road trip up there to visit him for the weekend.  I will be leaving shortly and should be up there by dinner time.  I will be staying there the rest of today and all of Saturday.  Both my brother and I will be returning late Sunday morning to beat the winter storm that is expected to hit our area.

All in all, it should be a fun weekend, full of Agent Carter and Nintendo Switch games.  I even brought my Nintendo 3DS so I’ll be able to get a little play time in on that… 🙂

So as to not delay my brother, I need to get ready to hit the road.  I am all done with my work so it’s time for a NES-filled weekend of fun.

Today’s high is going to be 79 degrees and the silver lining is being able to spend Friday evening with my friend.

To those of you who like to visit friends that you don’t see often, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse:  You’re visiting your friend?  Enjoy your weekend up there!  I think that I’ll be joining you as well.  It’s going to be busy on the way up, so be careful!

Me & My Muse – Day 2936: The Real Relief of Thursday

How so?  For starters, work is finished for the day and only one day remains: Friday.  After that, the fun can officially begin.

The other relieving part of this day is the brevity of this entry.  To further simply things, this post will be brief.  Enjoy Friday Eve everyone!

Today’s high is going to be 31 degrees and the silver lining is the weekend almost being here.

To those of you who are looking forward to the weekend, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse:  Friday Eve?  That is so awesome!  Tee hee!  Weekend, here I come!  Oh!  By the way everyone.  Psst!  Just between you and me, I think that he’s reusing one!

I heard that!

Muse:  I know.  Just try to be original, okay?  You’re getting there.  Congrats for posting again!

Me & My Muse – Day 2935: Oil Change and Panda Express…

Whoa.  Is he really doing it?  Is Kyle ACTUALLY typing a new entry for once?

Yes I am.  While I won’t reveal much right now, I am still going through some things.

 

Muse:  I’ll say!

Yes.  It’s been a little while and I am still going through some things.

Muse:  Kyle, I really miss you.  I know that you have been going through a lot.  I have been praying every day that you have been absent from this blog.  I always have it in my mind “When is he going to come back?”  What you are going through, I can say, is a whole lot.  Just know and remember this.  God’s got this.  He’s helping you through this.  Don’t forget!

I have not.  For a trial of this magnitude, it requires great patience on my part.

Muse:  I have been praying for patience.

I know.  And I thank you for that.

Muse:  Are you going to get your creative spark going again?  It’s only a matter of time, isn’t it?

I hope.  It’s all up to God’s timing.

Muse:  You are back at your office again.  Isn’t that great?

Yes it is.

Muse:  Don’t sound too excited!

It’s all the excitement I can muster right now.  Don’t you think I would like to sound 100% excited?

Muse:  That was more like 10% excited just now.  I know Kyle.  I know that you do.  Just know that we’re all pulling for you.

I know that you all are.  And in writing this one today, I don’t want to wait until I’m 100%. I want to get back to my creative writing prowess.  Don’t know when that will happen, but I want to get something out.  Anything.  Even if it’s not a work of art. I was given a gift of writing.  I don’t want to lose it.

Muse:  You still have it.  You just haven’t used it in a while.  And with what you have been going through, I’m sure that it has been a battle.

Yes.  Certainly one that I don’t want to lose.

Muse:  You won’t.  Now can we discuss the title?

Yes.  After work today, I went and got an oil change.  Tonight’s dinner plans include a long overdue trip to Panda Express, since there is a birthday card from last year to use.

Muse:  Sounds like a plan.  I hope you don’t mind if I join you.  I haven’t done anything with you in a while.  I know what you’re going through and you’re going to need your friends to help you out of this.  You will get there.  Just hold on.

You can join me.  It’s going to be my brother and I.  There is definitely room for a third person.

Muse:  Then it’s settled.  We leave when your brother is ready?

Yup.  That’s the plan.  (I can’t believe I am finally getting another one of these done.  The spark is there but it needs a fire to thrive.  Hope that I can keep this going once again…)

Muse:  (Don’t worry.  You will!)

So here’s a brief recap.  I worked today and had an oil change.  I will be having dinner with my brother at Panda Express.  My Muse will be tagging along.  That’s pretty much this day in a nutshell.

Today’s high is going to be 75 degrees and the silver lining is having a nice inexpensive dinner with my brother.

To those of you who like eating Chinese fast food, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

 

Muse:  Congratulations on making another entry!  Yes, I know what you are going through but keep it going!  Maybe you will be able to get out of what you’re going through and really make some progress on these!  I hope that your brother ready soon!  My stomach is starting to growl and I’m feeling a little hangry…

 

Me & My Muse – Day 2893: Happy 62nd Birthday, Mom!

While I certainly wasn’t present on your birthday a year ago, I am most certainly present with you now.

Mom is at home and we’ll be able to celebrate her birthday as a family.  She is enjoying her new gift:  A Garmin Vivo Smart 4 Smart Activity Tracker.  I wished her a happy birthday and she has yet to open her card from my brother and I.  I don’t know if she’ll have cake, but I know that there will be ice cream.

Today, I will be going over to grandma’s with mom, dad, and my brother to join my sister, my brother-in-law, my niece, and grandma for a birthday dinner of pulled pork sandwiches.  After that, we will be going home.

So, you’re all probably wondering what has happened to me.  What has happened to Kyle and has he fallen off the face of the earth?  To answer the first question, I will get to that.  There has been a lot of personal things in my life that I have had to sort through.  I will certainly explain it in future posts.  And to answer the second question, no.  I did not fall off the face of the earth.

Another thing that you’re probably going to be confused about is the numbering of the entries.  Why am I skipping 255 entries? (Technically, it’s 256 since I left out an entry in December.)

Muse:  I was wondering that too.  Are you ever going to get back to that?  There are so many missed entries!

I know.  And wow, you’re very small.  Almost the size of an atom!  Fortunately, I can see you with my Creator’s Privileges…

Muse:  I know you have other reasons as to why you haven’t updated.  Just hang in there and know just one thing.  You ARE going to get through this…

I know.  It’s a process that I’m still working on.  So, what’s the plan to restore the Walker Estate and Me & My Muse?  The story arcs will be worked on and written and be separated by post numbers.  It’s a gradual process but it’s all going to happen eventually.

Muse:  Is there going to be a Tower of Muses?  The next one is in a week!

Not necessarily.  The priority is to restore this blog.  The short and choppy posts will be replaced by longer ones.  I may keep the older ones and use post the new ones as “B” entries.  That’s the plan moving forward.  Consider this a trial entry as I am trying to get things back on track.

Today’s high is going to be 88 degrees and the silver lining is it being my mom’s 62nd birthday.

To those of you who like celebrating special birthday milestones, I hope that you all have a fantastic day.

Muse: It’s your mom’s 62nd birthday today? Tell her that I said happy birthday, okay?

Muse: Also, he still is not aware of the truth.  I replaced his Muse at birth to save my twinnie!  I hope that we can get her back soon somehow…