book a week geek

Yesterday I went on a date with my mom. My mom is fun and pretty hilarious, and we are the best of pals. She is going away for the rest of the month (which makes me sad) so we decided it was necessary to bond to the max. Also I have personal days to kill before June ends, so, alas: best day ever happened.

I am telling you about this day not only because it was the best day ever, but also because you should and CAN live it. Our day began at my parents’ house, where I drank a smoothie and fervently prayed (silently, of course) that my mom had changed CDs in her car since the last time I went somewhere with her. We got in her car and headed on our way down the Turnpike, where I quickly discovered that, no, she hadn’t changed CDs and yes, I still had to listen to Johnny Cash, the Juno soundtrack and La Vie En Rose on repeat over and over again. (Actually, I lied. This is the only part of the day you can’t live, because it would be really creepy if you went to my parents’ house and insisted that my mom make you a smoothie and then drive you to Fayette County).

Alas. We arrived in Ohio Pyle and had a picnic at Cucumber Falls, where I had never been, but am dying to return to, and soon, because it is insanely beautiful and I never wanted to leave. Also, our picnic was delish: rice & jalapeno salad (mom’s specialty??), pickled beets, iced tea, Dr. Kracker’s crackers (these are my favorite), honeydew and baklava. Unconventional, yes, but delicious. Next, we went further down the road to Kentuck Knob, where I had also never been. I’ve been to Fallingwater (literally a hop, skip & a jump away from Kentuck Knob) many a time and always really loved it, but, seriously, I think Kentuck Knob blew it out of the water in loveliness. We walked in the woods for a long while there, and also stopped to visit the Sculpture Garden, wherein my mom entertained me by saying really adorable things about art. I will not tell you what they are though, because making fun of my mom is my thing and I don’t want anyone else to get their kicks at her expense.

Finally, we journeyed to Sandhill Berries, which is pretty much the greatest place ever. They will make you any dessert imaginable with raspberries or blackberries or strawberries on it. Hello, heaven. No trip to Westmoreland County is complete without stopping here. They also make wine there now, and will let you sample many of them.

I was insanely touristy yesterday and took a million pictures. They are here.

Bookwise: this morning I tried to start reading Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief on the bus but the guy sitting next to me kept telling me he liked my nose, so no progress was made there. Oh well.

my life got crazy and hectic. This comes as a surprise to me (and probably everyone else, too) because I barely have a life. I am actually doing my homework & enjoying some of it (just some. Not all of it. Not you, Managing Libraries. You are the death of me), things are oddly busy for the summer at work, and I accidentally took on a part-time job doing research for an old professor of mine who is publishing a book later this summer. It is because I didn’t already spend enough time either in a library or in school learning about libraries that I took on a sweet research job.

So eventually, when I have 8 minutes to sit down and think, I need to write about: Michael Pollan and why he disappointed me, that book about crack dealers and oh!, Thomas Lynch’s The Undertaking, which is fabulous (and I don’t even like to use the word fabulous).

Additionally, I hate summer. I want to cry and move north. Eff you, summer.  I should also note that I haven’t even had enough free time this week to read my celebrity gossip blogs, which concerns and frightens me.  WHAT IS GOING ON OUT THERE IN CELEB-LAND THAT I DON’T KNOW ABOUT????????!!!?!