Dec 2013 OHIO East Liberty 3 - Gold Diggers and Frogs Continued

Next stop was the Gold Refinery in Dublin. Kath and I brought with us a collection of old, broken and unused or out of style gold and silver jewelry. We hoped to learn more about its value and the process of selling it. We chatted up Hank, the buyer, and he gave us a lesson in jewelry terms, gold content, if gems were genuine or synthetic, and the process they use to value and "recycle" old jewelry. Between the two of us we ended up recovering about $530 in cash from unwanted, unused items which had laying around for a some time. It feels good to divest.

Then a bizarre coincidence occurred. Kathy had brought in her newly adopted frogs in an insulated cooler (to protect them from the cold weather outside). When K heard how much we were getting back, she said, "Hey, more frog money!" Hank asked if she was interested in frogs. When she said "Yes, there are some right in that cooler," he had a funny look on his face. So I asked if he had some connection to frogs.

He shook his head up and down to say yes and added that his previous profession was collecting rare reptiles and amphibians. He had traveled the world tracking particular species needed for zoos. Kathy offered to show her frogs and he said he would love to seem them. In a split second, we went from a gold/silver/jewelry bargaining to frog/boa/reptile stories. That was a freaky, amazing moment.

As we left the Refinery we headed down the road a little bit richer in dollars and in information. I'm writing this a day later and still cannot believer the twists and turns of this day.

Upon returning home, we integrated the froggies into their new home of rich soil, dried magnolia leaves, green mossy sphagnum, barky limbs, and air plants. These little guys won the lotto of animal adoption situations. Kathy educates herself in the best methods and techniques in keeping her pets happy and healthy and goes beyond the call to keep them that way.

After they found their hidey holes and we had a few appetizers and cocktails, we headed to Doc's Cafe and Wine Bar for a anniversary diner. This restaurant used to be located in a huge Victorian house down the street a bit. It was the best place in downtown Marysville to celebrate a special occasion, but it had been recently sold and was under renovation. In the meantime, the owners opened this place to keep their name in the spotlight.

It was a wee spot, full almost to the brim, and they had lost our reservations. They recovered quickly though and arranged a crowded but intimate spot for us to enjoy dinner. We chowed down on a huge prime rib, grilled salmon, tender pork medallions, and veggie risotto. Beverages included Long Island ice teas (we are always looking for the ultimate ice-T combination), traditional Bombay Blue gin martinis, and a bottle of Italian Sangiovese red wine. We topped the evening off with vanilla creme brulees and cheesecake. All in all a wonderful meal.

We headed back to the ranch just in time to see Michigan State U beat the pants off of Ohio State. Yahoo! A thrill for us Michiganders, even though we are in Ohio country at the moment.

My older younger brother must be in hog heaven, as he is a graduate of MI State. My younger younger brother usually has a great year being more of a U of Michigan fan, but this year the Sparty's are shining while Michigan is struggling.

What a fun, fun day!