Julia was busy working and still cat-sitting--she's actually on a rotation schedule with a bunch of other cat-sitters while Mark's parents are out of town for a bit. Her weekend included thrift shopping, cooking with friends, and checking out Wes's new place. On the home front, Mom successfully completed her choir concerts. She is in the second row on the right side. Another weekend, another puzzle.
Julia presented at the University of Minnesota Earth Student Research Symposium this past week. It is a forum to share your latest research and receive feedback from peers and faculty. On a lighter note, she went with Wes and friends to the casino (lost $73), had a girls' night with Megan and Bailey, hung out with Sam/Hannah/Charlie (their dog), and is cat-sitting Matt's cat (Mark) this week.
In the DMV, Don and Laura were in town. Thank you to the Sarrges for treating us to The Capital Grille. It was so good. Lisa and Tony went to Syracuse this past weekend to see Kathryn. I had the pleasure of joining Vera, Maggie, and Vickie for the season's first Easter egg hunt! Check out the Easter bunny cake (actually cupcakes underneath) that Vera brought. Maggie loved the Easter bunny and I think Vickie would have collected all the eggs if we would have had a bigger basket.
Julia had a good week and weekend with friends. Pictured below: thrift exchange with Ally and Gigi, Megan's birthday dinner, and soup night with Sam and Hannah (only soup pictured).
The DC crew went to American University's production of 9 to 5. Who doesn't love a little Dolly Parton?! We enjoyed the cherry blossoms and puzzled through the weekend.
Julia, Megan, and Trey attended the women's hockey regional championship game this past weekend, and Minnesota won! They will move on to the Frozen Four tournament. Check out Benjamin; he's progressing to the next phase of his helicopter training. Last week, Julia attended a Love is Blind event with friends (the television show was filmed in Minneapolis, and J & I are fans!). Also pictured are some of Julia's meals she making.
On the home front, Lisa & Tony celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary last week. Awesome.
Julia and friends attended the Stand Up for Science rally at the state capitol (hi Jerry!). Unfortunately, what this administration decides to fund and what to cut will greatly influence her research and job prospects. :(
She had "breakfast for dinner" with friends Sam and Hannah. They also went together to get their flu and COVID shots. Additional events included a party at a friend's thrift store, a charcuterie night with friends, and a big snowstorm. Winter is not done in Minnesota. The cow sighting is from her walk to campus.
The best surprise was Benjamin's return to St. Paul with Julia! She had no idea he had taken the week off and planned to spend it with her. They stayed busy working/studying and hanging out with friends. The picture of the girls hanging out is in Julia's living room. The band she is in recorded some songs yesterday at the studio.
A not-so-good surprise was getting COVID just days after returning to DC! It was my first time, and it was brutal. Thankfully, their friend Wes and I were the only ones that got sick.
Back to a good surprise... The one thing I wanted from Atlanta was a souvenir for the 1996 Olympics; I distinctly remember watching the Olympics while riding out contractions at home and after Julia was born. We found nothing while in Atlanta. However, Julia found a sweatshirt online and sent it to me. Score! Thanks, Jules.
