Good Morning, RVA: Hello Friday!

Who’s ready for the weekend? Let’s do this!

May 9, 2014; 6:53 AM • by Ross Catrow

Good morning, RVA! It’s 64 °F, and I hoped you liked yesterday, because today looks nearly identical. Temperatures will soar into the upper-80s or even 90s, clouds will make scattered appearances, and meetings will move onto patios across the city.

Your weekend weather looks pretty good: not as hot with a small chance of storms throughout.

Water cooler

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, and that means two things. First, do not forget to call the mothers, maternal figures, and women who bore your offspring and thank them for existing. Despite what some may think, “not my mother” is not an acceptable excuse. Second, if you have standing Sunday brunch plans, you may want to skip them this weekend.

In fact, you may want to skip lots of things this weekend as both VCU and UR hold their commencements. Congratulations graduates! Congratulations restaurants that will be packed full with celebrating families!

Sad news for butts: the Byrd Theatre has declined the offer of newish seats from France for a bunch of totally legit reasons.

Last night the Flying Squirrels fell to Erie, 6-5, but funn was had by all. Tonight’s another perfect night for baseball, and tickets are still just $7.

Apple might be looking to drop $3.2 billion to acquire the Beats streaming music service.

Things you need to know from last night’s NFL draft to participate in today’s office sportschat: Jadeveon Clowney from South Carolina went to the Texans as the first pick; Virginia Tech’s Kyle Fuller went 14th to the Bears; and quarterback Johnny Manziel fell all the way to number 22 with the Browns. Just say some of those things out loud, and you should be fine.

If you find your weekend missing that certain je ne sais quoi, look no further than here, here, or here.

This morning’s longread

Chicago’s last tannery

From The Distance, an online magazine that only covers business that have been around for more than 25 years.

After tanning, the hides are carefully shaved, a process that exposes the outline of the inner membrane, and steeped in a second pit of stronger solution for another 30 days. When they come out, they’re hand-oiled. Then, after a three-month rest, they have to be re-wet and shaved again on a machine whose blade is controlled with a foot pedal.

Only three workers at Horween can do this job, which Nick described as one of the most skilled positions at the tannery. Trimming too little results in a rough-feeling hide; trimming too much cuts into the membrane and results in downgraded leather.

Photo by: Will Weaver

This morning’s Instagram

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May 9, 2014 6:53 AM 1