On Saturday, Mer and I got to catch up with Ombudsman and the increasingly fuzzy Adminion. Ombudsman was bachin’ it, and that is a state of life for the collegiate Adminion (who, shockingly, does not have a blog! What is wrong with young people these days?).

We picked up Adminion and proceeded to a local Applebee’s, where we met up with Ombudsman. There was much contemplation over what to eat (see picture), especially where celebrity chef Tyler Florence was personally going to cook our meals and then juggle for our entertainment. We eventually all settled on “food” and had an enjoyable meal with some actual talking (including getting to see pictures of Adminion in a lime green leisure suit that was made before he was born).

Oddly, Tyler Florence had not done much with dessert, so we decided to drive to Handel’s Ice Cream, voted the best ice cream on the PLANET by National Geographic. Ombudsman and I were manly and got sundaes, while Adminion got some ice cream in a shade of pink not designed by nature. Mer got two scoops of ice cream (different flavors, of course).

Happily full, we then drove (with me in the dubious lead) to Kent State University’s School of Theater and Dance to see Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. I am very fond of this play – it is funny, makes lots of allusions to Hamlet (naturally enough), and has enough tie-ins to ideas from quantum mechanics that I get to do a guest lecture on the subject in Mer’s classes in the spring. Mer had offered extra credit to her students if they saw the play this last weekend. About 10 or so students took her up on it. The play is still plenty fun, but these were kids who have not yet read Hamlet or RosenGuild. I was both amused and sad that they had to see the play like that. I’m sure there were many “what is going on?” moments. Hopefully, it will increase the anticipation for studying both works in the spring (for the seniors – the juniors who saw the play have to wait 18 months).

We had a great evening – it is not often we can get together with Ombudsman socially (he has something called “family” that keeps him busy), and Adminion is off at college gettin’ smart and stuff, so we do not see him much anymore either. Food, friends, and post-modern plays about being pawns of chance. That makes a good evening.

Oh – I should point out (lest my other college-aged friends feel left out of the fun) that this evening of festivities was my “thank you” to Ombudsman and Adminion for helping me hang projectors and wire racks in very hot ceilings for most of last summer. Working with me is its own reward, of course, but I felt they earned a little extra on days when the temperatures in the ceilings went above 90.