Fun-filled week and weekend. Julia hosted the Buckeye Blackout event, which was a huge success with great turnout. She also went to Piercology; check out her new piercings on her left ear. Very hip and cool. She is working hard at the research lab and still enjoying her classes. I had the pleasure of seeing Pippi Longstocking at Westminster on Friday--adorable! Great job, Kathryn!
Yay, for OSU fall break! It was wonderful to spend time with Julia. That girl…just love her to pieces. We would highly recommend the Sandpearl Resort--great service, amenities, and food. Outside of the resort, the food was hit or miss; although they all had fantastic live music each night. Steven enjoyed some local grouper and we had some delicious mussels. Steven rented a bike and rode everyday; Julia joined him one day. I ran across the causeway for my morning decaf. The sand was white, soft, and stayed cool. The weather was a perfect, mid-80s every day. It was a great getaway.
What a sweet treat to be taken out to dinner to Le Diplomate by our nephew, Nick. It reminded me of a French cafe, with great ambiance and food to match. We enjoyed the steak frites, Norwegian salmon, braised lamb, and scallops nicoise. It was nice to spend time with mom and catching up on the latest with Nick. We are so glad he's in DC and enjoying his job and living setup. I should have taken more pictures of us and the inside...next time.
This week Julia's climate class went on a field trip--yes, they still have these in college!--to the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. Ohio State houses rocks for the federal government. Julia said it was very interesting and would be a great lab to work in, which includes trips to Antarctica.
I was happy to see proof of some healthy cooking/eating, mixed with some other stuff (thank you, Buckeye Donuts and Stephanie). Julia had the wonderful opportunity to go home with Caitlyn to Mentor, OH, just north of Cleveland on Lake Erie. They went to the high school homecoming game, to Dave's Cosmic Subs, and Coventry Village, among other fun activities. Thank you to Caitlyn and her grandparents for hosting Julia. Upon their return, they had their radio show (always sweet to hear her voice) and on Sunday went to the Mac Miller concert.
Perhaps this blog should be more aptly named, Julia's Going Out Guide. She has found some unique places to eat and experience in Columbus. She went with a friend to The Rossi, a hipster destination with good food (salmon and steak below) and atmosphere. She had yummy eats from Blaze Pizza; she compared it to Chipotle, build your own--done in a flash. And, a definite must to make a friend's birthday extra special, they went to Schmidt's for dinner. Oh, I miss the buffet there...carnivore's dream. And you cannot escape without eating a cream puff as big as your head for dessert. A bunch of them attended the Rocky Horror Picture Show; I'm told it is a right of passage. They went to a fall market and enjoyed some funnel cake too. Check out her rearranged living room--very cool. It is definitely more comfy looking, making a sectioned-off living room. The view is from the front door looking in.
Steven and I went to Kazan's. The roast duck and yogurtlu special (lamb with tomatoes, pita bread, yogurt) were outstanding. It brought back sweet memories of my dad and the times we were all there together. He usually ordered the lamb shank or the lamb steak. Steven said the last time dad was there, he shared his lamb steak and it was the best Steven had ever had. The service was impeccable, as always. 
What a nice treat to have the birthday girls together for a party! Julia, we missed you. Instead, she was enjoying burgers at The Thurman Cafe--the tastiest burgers in Columbus, hands down. Check out the thurmanator below.
