Happy Weekend, RVA: We’ve been burned before

Richmond burned this week and you can’t even smell the smoke anymore!

April 4, 2015; 7:00 AM • by Susan Howson

Welcome to a pleasant weekend! The mild, cool, low-60s weather will be punctuated by wind. We are also kinda close to a TORNADO PARADE, which mildly triggers my childhood lilapsophobia. If that big red swathe gets any closer to us, my brother will instantly call me from hundreds of miles away to make sure I’ve heard that I am personally in tornado-danger, and then he will laugh maniacally. He is in his mid-40s. Nothing ever changes, ever. Apparel translation: Whatever one wears in a basement.

In case you missed it

• VCU’s basketball coach has left to coach another university’s basketball team, taking one of our most active and effective community members with him. Aaron Williams has some insightful things to say, and I wish I could say the same thing about my Twitter feed. (Or do I? It’s been a pretty entertaining 48 hours, I must say. You guys make lots of good puns.) My take is that we as Richmonders never expect anyone to not want to be a lifer, because we have a high percentage of lifers. However, the Smarts have certainly employed the campfire rule at RVA–they’re leaving it a better place than they found it. 
• Richmond fell, as told to us (and live-tweeted) by Phil Williams.
• It continues to fall all weekend.
• This one is perhaps my favorite Picture of the Day ever.
• We have launched Kickers coverage for real for real, and I am excited for Richard Hayes to interest me in soccer. I’m sure it can be done. 
• Scott McCloud comes to VCU to do his presentation for THE PEOPLE, and interviewing him was one of the highlights of my week. 
• It’s like London Fog / Stephanie Ganz were both created just for my enjoyment!

Reasons to stay in bed

• My heart breaks for these poor souls.
• The Big Lebowski is on Netflix!! 
• SO ARE WE!!!!
• NO MORE WIRE HANGERS!

Reasons to get up

• The whole schedule of today’s big culmination of the Sesquicentennial looks endlessly interesting, but I’m especially fascinated by the emancipation celebrations beginning at 6:00 PM. 
• A new basketball coach isn’t going to find himself. Get up, pound the pavement, and go door to door to see if anyone is interested. Bonus points if they have a cool, two-syllable name for their approach. I’m thinking like “It’s BLUSTER you fear!” or maybe like “It’s SORROW you fear!” Bedlam, ennui, twisters…all would work and could really scare our opponents or six-year-old me!
• Open a window. Now is the time to turn off heat once and for all and let some fresh air into your house. You’ve gotta get out of bed to do that, but then you’re free to get back in.

Have an excellent weekend, and get ready for another great week of content, including more Earth Day-related stuff (CSAs!) and a bunch of Fascinating People. And, of course, we will keep you abreast of VCU basketball news. Follow @RVARamNews for confirmed news items and zero footage of planes landing at airports.

Photo by: xalphas

April 4, 2015 7:00 AM 0