Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Rusty Bucket, Chop Shop, Costco

Apparently, we cannot go to Columbus without eating at The Rusty Bucket. It is right near the Bed, Bath & Beyond--convenient and delicious. A new restaurant opened right by Julia's apartment, The Chop Shop. The burgers are grass-fed 100% Angus beef and were so good.

Julia and her pals reconnected. They went to Costco for groceries. Check out Julia's lunch she made for her first day of school. So sweet. Miss her tons; she's the bomb!


Second Year at OSU...First Apartment

I thought last year was the big marker of Julia becoming an adult; however, moving into her own apartment is just as big of a milestone. We are so proud of her--the apartment rocks! The location is prime and convenient; there is just enough space for her and Stephanie to manage without being overwhelming.

My dad would have been so proud of us; we hung blinds and assembled a desk, cabinet, bookshelf, bed frame, and futon. With our (Julia and me) dedication to following the directions and Steven's brute strength, anything is possible.

Apartment furnished by Bed, Bath & Beyond; Walmart, and Target. Julia did a great job decorating it with posters.


Monday, August 24, 2015

Last DC Week: Godiva, Nick's, Beach

Julia's last week in DC was fun-filled and pretty stress-free, given that she was packing to move into her first apartment. She went out with friends and spent some good quality time with family and the pets.

The nearest Godiva Chocolatier to OSU is at Easton Town Center (in the 'burbs, 20 minutes), so check out J's last choco-magic indulgence from Georgetown Godiva. Her friend took her to Nick's Riverside Grill for a yummy last outing, in addition to going to The Beach at the Building Museum...ooooh, strawberry and mint s'mores. Julia reports that despite all the liquor and sweet treats available, the beach ball pit was actually quite clean.


We finished the puzzle! This one was definitely one of our favorites to complete. Meme came over for Julia's last supper, Thursday night. It was nice to hang out and to plan our big Christmas trip to London and Lisbon.

Desk, mattress, and bed frame pre-ordered for delivery and pick-up on Saturday.


Thursday, August 13, 2015

Alborz, Deep Creek, and Jim Gaffigan

Before Julia departed for Deep Creek, we started our new 1000-piece puzzle. I really hope to make some progress before she leaves; otherwise, how depressing to work on it alone. We also had delicious hanger steak from Wagshals. Julia said it reminded her of Poppie's steak--couldn't have asked for a better compliment.

Meme and Julia picked up Emmie from Dulles Airport and made their way to the lake on Tuesday. She is having an excellent time with her cousins and the Breens. Many thanks to the Sarrges and mom for hosting her.

Steven and I went to see Jim Gaffigan (awesome!) at Wolf Trap--hysterical. Before the show, we ate at Alborz Persian Restaurant. Steven got the filet mignon and sausage and I got the beef kabob. It was delicious, a hidden gem in Tysons.



Sunday, August 9, 2015

Goodbye EPA, Hello Duck

Julia concluded her internship at the EPA this week--and it was an exciting one! President Obama announced his backing of the EPA's Clean Power Plan, which aims to cut carbon dioxide emissions from US power plants 32% below their 2005 levels by the year 2030. On Julia's last day, her supervisor took her to NIH to check out the Tox21 project robot. This is a collaboration between NIH and EPA to screen over 10,000 chemicals for toxicity. We also had one last session of hula hooping on the Plaza with her co-worker, Jen.

For the first time, I made--and completely fell in love with--duck breast. So good. We also had a couple of Chipotle meals…yum. There is a nice pic of Julia's ahi tuna too!

And, in other exciting news, Loryn has agreed to take Whisper when we go to Columbus. We are so relieved.