Salad c/o Filling Station

Other than doing work and hanging out with my Dad, NCC and J., I didn't really have much on my agenda for my brief Greensboro trip. The only added thing that needed to be done was meeting up with my cousin, S., for lunch. We decided a Christmas Eve lunch at a New Orleans-themed restaurant was the way to go, but neither of us actually checked to see if it was open. I walked there - just a little over a mile - which was the only thing resembling exercise I did the entire trip. It quickly became apparent that the place was closed, but there were a few other restaurants at this specific intersection, so when S. arrived we just went to the Filling Station instead. I became very excited when I saw a salad that included fried oysters, then became very disappointed when our server told me that they were all out of oysters. I went with a salad sans oysters, which was certainly the healthy choice ... but not as satisfying as the fried oyster salad I had already begun to dream about.
S. and I weren't cousins that really grew up together. I think I met her once when I was very small and then not again until many a year later, at a relative's wedding when I was still in college. We share an interest in writing, so we've kept in touch. She only recently returned to Greensboro after a few years' stint in New Orleans. It was good to catch up, talk about writing and jobs a little and enjoy a pint or two of beer. Afterwards we walked to another cousin's house and met up with Dad, NCC and J. at M. and A.'s house. M. and A. have border collies. I'm sorry, but border collies are crazy dogs.
Way too smart and weird for their own good.
A nice visit was had. M. had made self-published books of her mother's 1940s/50s/60s recipes, which I enjoyed seeing very much...it's fascinating how the average concept of dinner has changed. I also now have a booze-filled punch recipe that would serve 50. I wish I knew 50 to serve booze-filled punch.