Rotate the foodstuffs!

You know, I really like summer in Columbus. On the one hand it is hot, but on the other hand it's really not that hot (I mean, we've barely cracked 90 this summer). And summer is the time of outdoor entertainment!

On Sunday I spent a lot of time outside. First I was helping Elisa and Francis move large items from their old apartment to their new, which... well, sucked, but that's how it goes sometimes. (I'll be glad when moving season's over.) After that, though, Francis, Mollie, and I went downtown to meet up with Aaron, Squish, and Leah (and Meg and Brian later!) at the Jazz and Ribs Festival, which was pretty great. I mean, what could be better than sitting around under a tree in Bicentennial Park, chatting, watching kids play in the fountain, eating delicious smoked meats, and listening to live music? And eat delicious smoked meats we did: Some people had already been snacking all day, but when we got there we ended up with 1.5 racks of pork ribs and 4 GIGANTIC beef ribs, not to mention some french fries. Seriously, gigantic. And the beef was beautiful, succulent and redolent of smoke. Also, the ribs from Open Hands Ministry, a local group, were both cheaper and more delicious than many others, which is cool.

But I had to leave the fest a little before 7pm, because I had still MORE fun to have. A number of English Dept. people were meeting up at Schiller Park to see Actors' Theatre's production of Measure for Measure. So I walked down to the German Village (where I had parked in the first place), and swung by Katzinger's en route. Not to get food, mind you -- I was stuffed -- but to get drinks. You know, in six years of living in Columbus, I've never once set foot in Katzinger's! So odd; I'll have to go back. I grabbed a couple of rugelach, just to have something sweet, a bottle of Frostop root beer, and... a can of Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray soda!

OK, background: Dr. Brown's is a NY regional soda company that's been around since the late 1800s. Of their sodas, arguably their most famous is the Cel-Ray, a celery flavored soda. It's... odd. And I've never had it before, so that was fun. It definitely tastes of celery, which is a little confusing to my palate. Not just because it's an unusual flavor nowadays, but because I often add celery seed to my stews, so the soda kept reminding me of stew :) Tasty, though, and amazing that you can get it here in Columbus!

Actors' did a great job with MfM.  They did a very small cast -- only eight people, I think? -- so there was a lot of dual-casting, especially in the minor roles.  It was very high-energy, definitely a good comic cast.  All in all, a pleasant experience.  And then afterward I wandered the dark streets of the German Village trying to find my car -- even knowing where I parked it, it was a mite confusing since GV looks so different at night (they're not big on streetlights down there).

Of course, I am paying the price for my meaty indulgence.  I probably ate as much meat on Sunday as I did in the entire three months prior, and my gut is UNHAPPY.  I've just been feeling vaguely crappy for the last couple of days (though I think I've finally kicked it now *crosses fingers).  Basically I don't want to eat meat for a good while still -- I met my quota for a while to come!