Late 2023/Early 2024 Things That Were Not Trips (Except for one to Chicago)

I would like to get caught up on some things that haven’t been posted yet…

December 23, 2023: Liz and I took a Saturday trip to Circleville to visit Niece Carolyn at her workplace.

And then we enjoyed a few of the Circleville sites…

…before grabbing Lunch #2 at Rex, a nearly extinct regional roast beef fast food chain, the Circleville branch of which has made its home inside a 1980’s Wendy’s. I loved it! Because it was like Arby’s, but also its own thing.

By the way did you know we have a cat?

January 4: After work I drove over to Chicago for the weekend by my lonesome (and none of my family was home in Oak Park at first, so it was extra lonesome)…why? I’ll tell you soon!

January 5: During lunch I zipped down to downtown Oak Park for a little Sweetgreen lunch and a bit of a walk around.

After work I treated myself to one of my favorite treats: Testdriving station wagons! First I drove a Volvo V60 Polestar, a V90, and another V60 — the Polestar is an especially rare machine, so it was cool that there was one in Oak Park and it’s just too bad our itty bitty little drive didn’t afford any opportunities to see what it’s 415 horse power engine could really do. Nice gold seatbelts, too! The “normal” V60 and the V90 were about the same color so they don’t look so different here, but I really enjoy/appreciate the extra length of a V90.

Then I zipped downtown and test-drove an Audi A6 Allroad. Wow! Immediate impression: Way too nice for me. Just too fancy! BUT maybe eventually I’ll feel we’re ready for each other? It’s fun to imagine! That said: beautiful, amazing. Feels like a definite technology and luxury leap over the Volvos. Yet the Volvos have a ton of charm. It’s fun to daydream, right?

I read about a Thai restaurant called “Pho’s Spicier Thai” so I thought I better go try it. And yep. It was spicier Thai food. I didn’t even enter their outrageous spice levels on my order but these two dishes really had my scalp sweating. I loved it, of course.

Now, while out of chronological order, I want to post this picture from our backyard Friday afternoon:

Because this is what it looked like on the morning of January 6!

Everyone was flying in from California that afternoon so, before picking them up from Midway, I had a giant little taco lunch at Los Cuñados (which used to be Los Barrelitos - love them both).

And now…the big reason of my trip to Oak Park…because they’re about to tear down my High School’s old “girls” pool where the varsity team trained and our swim meets were held (the "boys” pool having already been condemned a few years back?), some brilliant organizer organized an OPRF swimming reunion and swim meet. I did not swim, I was “only” reunited with a very little handful of old teammates (primarily Cynthia and Melissa, below) and my old JV coach, Pete, but Oooh boy did it feel great to be back in the building, up in the stands, down on the deck. Loved it. A magnificent revisit to one of the absolute most formative locations in my whole dang life.

(the next day I went to church with the family and then drove on back to Columbus as quick as I could).

January 13: Liz and I took niece Aubrey to dinner, Sam’s Club, and a movie to belatedly celebrate her movie. We saw Migration. It was … fun? and funny.

January 15: Liz and I have begun to undertake and undertaking that is proving to be quite the undertaking. After appointment #1 we debriefed and plan built over breakfast at the Original Pancake House. (Followed by a Target trip).

January 25th: I had the grand opportunity of attending a basketball game where niece Carolyn was cheerleading.

January 27th: Dropped Liz off at a Hyde Park gig and then I walked way up High Street and back. Enjoyed the rest of her gig and then we went to a ho-hum foodhall. Ho-hum is about as good as it gets with foodhalls, it seems.

January 29: I test drove an A4 Allroad on my way home from work. I was surprised by how much I liked it, given its smaller size. Lots of physical controls, good zip on the highway…felt very at home and comfortable in it. Lovely little wagon.

February 5th: We celebrated Liz’s birthday with dinner at Casa Jalisco, which is probably our favorite restaurant? Favorite restaurant for the favorite gal! And before that we took a walk in a park that was colder and darker than we expected.

February 8th: And here’s just a fun pic of Liz at the mall!

Okay, and that’s the post! Thanks for scrolling. Next Time: A trip to Arizona!!