Sunday, July 24, 2011

Well Worth the Wait!

Thurman's Cafe opened in 1942, family run and owned for almost 70 years!
 A Columbus icon located in historic German Village

The last time we visited Thurman's, Alexander was a newborn!  We waited for just shy of 1 1/2 hours, in the middle of the day, to be seated in the cafe. 

The walls are decorated with vintage pictures and awards as well as hundreds of signed one dollar bills.  The bar lines one side of the cafe and there are 5 wooden booths which seat up to 6 patrons on the opposite side.   In addition, a few tables seating two patrons line the window area.  Not a large place, but one that's ALWAYS busy!


The ceiling is lined with vintage Budweiser wallpaper.

Hmmmm....what could Thurman's possibly be known for serving?!  HUGE 3/4 pound burgers!  The Thurmanator (not pictured) has all kinds of "dressings" including 2 3/4 pound burgers!  Now, that's a mouthful.  Trey and I ordered the bleu cheese burger--fully dressed.  And, oh my heavens--that's the best burger I've EVER tasted!  SO worth the wait!

We can't wait to enjoy our Thurman Burgers--yum oh yum!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Thanks Boys!

Alexander played baseball this season and so I volunteered to assist with stocking the concession stands.  Little did I know how much work my volunteering would entail!  I enlisted the help of Noah and his friend Eli.  Two-three days each week since school ended in early June, the boys have been helping me stock the trailer below.  The entire process generally took anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.  Although we did learn very quickly that "many hands DO make light work"!


Each day we were assigned to stock, we picked up Eli at 9:30am and headed to the trailer.  Initially the boys questioned if it was OK to drive on the walking path--they were afraid of "getting in trouble".  However, once they figured how far we'd have to walk carrying heavy crates of drinks and all the other supplies, they decided it was a necessity and very cool to drive on the path!  The list below outlines our responsibility.  We stocked meat, candy, ice cream, condiments, drinks, chips and various supplies.  We perfected a system quickly--one of the boys would call out an item, using the inventory sheet as a guide, and would then mark the sheet appropriately.  After we had an accurate count, we would pile back into the car, head to the storage shed, pack up the car and then return to the trailer to stock with the necessary supplies. 

The boys expected monetary payment from the beginning and I had to remind them that "community service" means volunteering your time and services without pay.  I promised that once our responsiblity concluded, I would reward them for all of their help.  Last night, Noah and Eli enjoyed Rita's Italian Ice--a treat for all of their hardwork.  Boys, thanks for helping me stock the Towers Trailer--it was a fun adventure!

Monday, July 18, 2011

Baseball--Clippers Style

Huntington Park--Home of the Columbus Clippers
Columbus, Ohio
Sunday, July 17, 2011




I offered a few birthday celebration ideas, all of which Alexander declined.  He really didn't want anyone making a big deal about his birthday.  So, after offering my suggestions, he thought for a moment and asked if he could invite a friend, to a Clippers game. 
Absolutely :)--Alexander and Spencer enjoying the Clippers game on a HOT evening in Columbus. 


Looks like Sophie, but it isn't.  This Golden is trained to pick up the bats after each play and,


provide water to the players on the field--very impressive!


The boys enjoyed watching the Columbus Clippers pull past the Indianapolis Indians for a victory at home.  The Clippers are currently in 1st place with the next team 11 games behind! 
WAY TO GO CLIPPERS!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Brothers at the Baseball Batting Cages

Alexander helping Noah select the "right" bat
 
Noah's first trip to the batting cages

Big brother assisting younger brother with proper batting technique

Connection with bat and ball!

Alexander

Practicing before his final baseball tournament game later in the evening

Alexander assisted his brother with batting and Noah listened and accepted his older
brother's advice without complaint.
A successful trip to the batting cages! 


Friday, July 15, 2011

Swimming & S'mores

Unfortunately, while Evan was visiting us in Ohio, the weather was less than stellar!  The majority of time was cool and rainy and each day we had to find an indoor activity to enjoy.  One day we decided to visit the Westerville Community Center for swimming.








Although it was quite breezy the evening we decided to create s'mores, it was Evan's last night with us and well, I had promised they'd be able to make s'mores.  SO...they did!  They were finished within 20 minutes, so I took advantage of the fire and relaxed and read my book until this strong breeze came and the fire danced outside of the firepit.  Ummm...that was enough for me and out went the flames.





Evan and Noah
June 2011

COSI--June 2011

COSI (Center of Science & Industry)
Columbus, OH
June 2011
Alexander, Noah & Evan