Mer has been trying to arrange get-togethers with various colleagues in the form of going out to dinner or dessert on Fridays. Last Friday, Mer got in touch with our friends the Gurnishes. They were game to have supper, but already had plans to go to a Lenten fish fry at the Greek Cultural Center in Akron. Nate and Rachel are not Greek, but they do like a good fish fry. They said there would be other people there, but invited us along.

So, last Friday, we made our way to the Greek Cultural Center near the campus of the University of Akron. Mer and I arrived there first, but Nate’s mom showed up shortly after we did and recognized us. I went to find a bathroom, and after being directed to one by a man right out of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I came back to find that Nate and Rachel and a couple of more people had come in and claimed a table for nine (and two small children). We headed to the food line, where everyone but me got all-you-can-eat fish. I got chicken. We took our food to the table, and Mer and I were introduced to Nate and Rachel’s friends. They were two very funny young couples, one of whom Mer knew of distantly – the husband is the son of Don Bechtel, one of our colleagues. Both couples (and Nate and Rachel) had small children, but the children were very well behaved.

We had a very fun evening of visiting with everyone. I was especially glad to catch up with Nate and Rachel, since I have not had much of a chance to do that this year. Nate went to part-time, so he teaches and then leaves; I don’t get to see him much, and we have only run together maybe twice all school year.

The food was quite good, although the chicken was not all-you-can-eat. As such, once we left, I swung by Handel’s to get a sundae. That was also quite good and hit the spot.