Pumpkins, Hand Brace, Arouse Party, and Voting

Steven could not convince me to join in the festivities of handing out poison to the young ones--he went through almost four mega-jumbo-bags of candy--however, Julia was available via Facetime to join in the celebration and experience the vibe in the hood (lights, costumes, and our neighbor's band cranking out the tunes)! OSU partied over the weekend, so actual Halloween night was quiet. How cute are their apartment decorations and jack-o-lanterns!

Jules and Caitlyn attended an Arouse party. Matt and Julia went to Stack City Burger Bar for their large, 9-ounce burger; she said it was delicious! Also yummy visits to Blaze Pizza and Jack and Benny's. She went to an OSU dance competition that a friend was in. The videos were cool. And, news on the medical front--Julia has carpal tunnel syndrome in her right wrist. The doc recommended a brace to start with...cortisone shots or surgery as additional options. I'm going to set her up with a specialist here in DC over winter break. Oh, that brace is attractive.

It was nice to listen to Alt Expose with Ruth and Rose (Sundays, 3-4pm). Julia shared a bit about her middle school experience at Holy Trinity School--too funny! Where did the time go?

And, now on to the hot topic of today--voting! SO proud of Julia (and Sarah) for getting up and out there to vote this morning at 6:30 a.m. Skip the free donuts, Ohio!

Thank you, Jules, for telling me about Susan B. Anthony's grave in Rochester, N.Y. Very cool that people were going to Mount Hope Cemetery to pay their respects to her--flowers, notes, and voting stickers on the grave. One of her great quotes: "Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less."

Super Bowl Weekend Home and Goodbye to Whisper

Tribe reunited! It was so good to have Julia home. We all ate very well. Mom came over Saturday for some Wagshal's Pitmaster Back Alley BBQ. Sadly, they ran out of brisket; however, the beef and pork ribs were delicious. The fried chicken was nothing special. On Sunday, Aaron, Dana, and Ethan came over for the Super Bowl. Aaron brought lots of yummy appetizers. We roasted a 5.5-pound top sirloin roast from Wagshal's...incredibly good, especially the next day. Steven made red sauce with sausage.

Last week, Julia went to Blaze Pizza for a Buckeye Blackout fund-raising event.

Then we had the sad event of saying goodbye to Whisper, Tuesday night. Julia's Facebook post says it all.

Rocky Horror Picture Show and More

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.