This ain't the simple life but it's the only life I know

So, I've been reading this investigation stuff that another co-worker found at work when I asked for what the original channel of the Cuyahoga River looked like before there was a dam in Franklin Twp.  It does not have what the original river channel looks like but I have some nerdy history friends who have an old plot book from the turn of the century (the one previous to the one we just experienced) and they are sending me the maps so yippie for that (I have the best friends).

Anyway, this stuff, a 1071 page pdf called "NEW ARCHIVES", is my current obsession at work.  I think it's amazing.  It's full of what my nerdy history friends call "primary sources" dating from 1918 to somewhere after 1950 or later perhaps, I'm not done perusing this file.  And it's def an obsession.  I've been reading it two weeks now.  A few pages here, a hundred pages there.  Printing out the interesting stuff.  I seriously want to write a book.  This file is the life story of Akron Water Supply and the Cuyahoga River and the beginnings of the Metroparks and environmental stewardship.  It's so interesting.  I mean, I know I'm nerding out a bit but....I'm 604 pages in and I can't seem to stop myself.  Would you read a book about it if I wrote one?  I was thinking about trying to write a journal article for AWWA on the history of the Cuyahoga River as far as conservation goes or maybe something on the creation of the Akron Water system.  But...do other people care, I mean other than me, my boss and my history nerd friends?      

Every drink, now without Pollywogs!  You know, this is crazy to me.  People who are still alive used to drink water with pollywogs in it.  There's another article somewhere in this mess that states that Typhoid cases are down with Akron's new water system.  And people complain if the water has a slight taste or odor now to it, what did they do when they had small macro invertebrates swimming in their water glasses and bathtubs?  I'm sure they still complained.  By letter.  Or western reserve telegram.  Or to their horse.  

A completely different river....

I wish I had an alternate reality time machine where I could visit and see this crazy Hiram Reservoir, proposed to hold 46 billion gallons of water and be 11 miles long.  This idea was kicked around for at least 40 years.  Probably even longer, I haven't read that far yet.  Land was purchased, industry wars were fought between private water suppliers and the cities of Cleveland and Akron.  It's some amazing stuff.  

This one is amusing to me because they are claiming that the Akron Water Supply (completely a municipality run water supply) was a "sample reservoir" for the Western Reserve Water Company and that they had anything to do with the quality of the treated water coming out of Lake Rockwell, even if they did sort of suggest the reservoir to be built, kind of sort of, at this point it seems like it's a "he said she said" but with more men and less women argument between the City and the engineers at WRWC.  

I obviously have a loyalty to AWS but I think this stuff is awesome.  I could post a ton more stuff and I probably will at some point.  Maybe I'll just take some points and write really well thought out and articulate articles on my blog.  See, that was a joke.  For lots of reasons.  

Factory of Terror, Canton Ohio, Cleveland Haunted House reviews, week 4

This week we went to Factory of Terror, Guinness Book of World Records holder for longest Haunted House in the WORLD!!!!  Yeah...

We went here last year, too, and it had been heard that it was rearranged this year so that they could continue to hold the longest title.  It was rearranged in some places, but it was mostly the same as last year.  The areas where it was rearranged were not beneficial to the haunted house, it just made it seem...tedious.  Like the area with the chain link fence.  If you've been here, you know what I'm talking about.  Just tedious. 

Overall, though, this house is pretty good.  It's def one to visit, though I heard that Saturdays hold an impossibly long wait time.  We go on Fridays and we only waited for a little bit. 

So, what's good about it?  Well, it is long, and that can be good.  It has really good atmosphere (as long as you don't have dumb girls behind or in front of you) and the props are really good.  I think they depend on hydraulics a bit too much but, as my brother said, if they had the staff to work the house they could use that as a good distraction for a good scare.  That brings up my main beef with this house.  It was pretty understaffed when we went.  There were some parts where you just walked around and...nothing.  There was no one there.  But, the actors that were there were pretty good.  They have these two huge guys who work there...well, they are freaking huge.  And creepy.  And did I mention huge?  Also, Satan is my favorite actor in the house.  These actors, they have character.  It's pretty cool.

Other good stuff about it?  There was a pre-house before you even made it to the actual line for the haunted house.  Pretty awesome.  And the mirror maze.  It really is pretty kick ass.  The mirror maze was actually better this year than it was last year. 

So, other than some parts of tediousness and the lack of actors, this is a solid house worth visiting.  Make sure you get the $2 off coupon for max discountage and go on a Friday or Sunday night to avoid the lines. 

Factory of Terror gets 7 out of 10 industrial disembowelments. 

Next week is the last week, which is kind of sad.  We are either going to Forsaken, in Mentor, or we might entertain going to Clay's Park, probably forsaken, though...