Happy Weekend, RVA: Taste the rainbow

A new month yawns before us, and we wore sweaters this week. Up is down and down is up!

June 6, 2015; 7:00 AM • by Susan Howson

Photo by: teakwood

Sources tell me that the rain has just about dried up, despite today feeling like we are all bacteria living within a soggy sponge. Although, if that were the case, we’d probably be really stoked about it!

Weather.com’s mission to make us very afraid is my new favorite thing. I particularly enjoy the image from today’s homepage, which tells us that, by Sunday, an unspecified area of some country (on possibly another planet) will change from either red to yellow or purple to red or red to purple, and something that looks like a swirling cloud may swirl closer to the green area. I don’t know what any of it means, but I am definitely freaked out.

It also makes me hungry for fruit salad. 

Some clouds and storms this weekend. Low 80s. You know the deal. Maybe next week we will experience vitamin D again. Apparel translation: whatever sponge-bacteria wears. 

In case you missed it

We had a fun time at RVANews Live #003 with a bunch of people asking a bunch of really good questions to a bunch of other people giving really good answers! I’m not lying when I say that hearts and minds were changed and friends made! We literally began work on RVANews Live #004 yesterday morning, but I make a solemn vow to not bother you about it until, like…July. I think that’s a pretty good deal!

Firstly, the Women’s World Cup just began! I really enjoyed Richard Hayes’s explainer. It made me feel like I could just drop in and become a fan now, guiltily, as I don’t pay much attention to any sport until it’s time to party.

I am Heather Waters’s (Virginia film monarch) biggest fan, and I love hearing about every new project she’s involved with. And Maat Free told me many things I didn’t know (as usual) in the third iteration of #untoldRVA. Most importantly, I learned a lot of startling figures, courtesy of Valerie Catrow’s piece about how kids are a lot hungrier than we imagine them to be during the summer. Then I possibly depressed everyone and definitely felt overly exposed and vulnerable by stepping in for this week’s Our House. There were a lot of things I wanted to say but couldn’t find a reason to say them, such as “Sometimes my child says ‘fellas.’ Like, ‘Come on, fellas!’ And this morning he said ‘Running sure is tricky, right?’ So I worry he is from the 1920s sometimes. ”

We also released our monthly picks this week: Live music, festivals, the new restaurants, and a really neat 10-week art project from 1708 Gallery that we’ll be covering each week.

And if you’re trying to figure out how to spend your weekend (which, remember, are your last days before we become a fruit salad), there’s 5 Things, 5 Things for Families, and Marc Cheatham’s preview of Stone Soul. How great is Marc Cheatham, am I right? 

Heads up

Next week involves soccer, more soccer, and some more soccer. You may as well start watching the Women’s World Cup right now, so as to keep up. It’ll be glorious. And, reminder, we are GOOD at women’s soccer, y’all! USA! USA!

Also, we’ve got some reporting on the status of light rail in RVA (don’t get too excited, it’s far from a sure thing), the Arts & Culture Xpo (RIP “Cultsha!”), and Stephanie Ganz will tell us her picks for best market vendors these days. 

Reasons to stay in bed

• To rest your head upon this amazing pillow from the good folks at Hillz 2015. To be clear, RVANews does not endorse one candidate, but we do scoff about the really silly ones. This pillow sure is an adorable idea, though, right fellas?
• I couldn’t stop laughing at this video and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s that the little girl is so good at the job she has been tasked with? Sure hope she doesn’t let this go to her head, L.Lo style.
• Are my sister and me the only people who eagerly awaited this Christmas special growing up? I know, I know, it is June, but my 1920s son was being a brat, and I asked him to stop and think about reasons he was being sad. He stopped and thought for a minute, and then said “Did you just say to think about raisins?” which turned into me imagining he was just thinking about the California Raisins, which turned into too many minutes spent watching this on YouTube. Oh, shush. I spend plenty of time creating content for you people! I can take a Claymation break every once in awhile!
• This is not real, which is good because what psychologist would ever encourage those guys to try to follow in THE LARGEST FOOTSTEPS EVER. It wouldn’t end well. But it also makes me wonder if that site understands satire and how to make it? What’s the point of an article seeming SO real? 

Reasons to get up

• Marc already told us! Stone Soul!
• We want to go to Sabai so badly! Who will meet the RVANews crew there? Oh BTW, RVANews crew, we’re all meeting there this weekend. Work is fun, come on! Let’s do some more of it, fellas! 
• To go to a place and watch soccer upon a screen at that place.
• To walk around during the non-raining times. Your muscles are atrophying and I’m worried about you.

June 6, 2015 7:00 AM 2