I was told that DC would be inundated with cicadas by now. While I have seen some of the exoskeletons and tons of holes in the ground, I have yet to see one live cicada. I know they’re waiting for warmer weather but I’m getting impatient.
First, I want the swarm to just be over and done with. People have been complaining/scared/excited about this for months now. Let’s just do this already!
Next, I am excited to see if I can get one in my hand to show my kiddo. This will be her first brood and it’s a fun chance to teach and show her new things.
Third, I don’t mind the cicada noises. It reminds me of summer and those long days when the sun sets late.
I know my opinions aren’t shared. These bugs don’t bug me at all… unlike mosquitos. Mosquitos can just get out.
This week, I started Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary. It's been ages since I read a new book within in days of its release. I binge read The Martian, and greatly enjoyed Weir's sophomore effort, Artemis. This book is, so far, in the same vein. It has an all too smart lead character with a sassy attitude. There is a lot more math than in Weir’s first books and the structure is quite different (current events with flashbacks) which helps this text stand apart from his other novels. I have a feeling this one is going to cause me to read far past my bedtime soon.
Wine: the outer space vintage. [NYT]
Why do we feed animals? [NYT]
A better way to talk (and think) about the declining birth rate. [Culture Study]
Just a bunch of tasty looking bruschetta recipes. [Pure Wow]
Did they actually reach the top? A look at if people really have summited the highest peaks. [NYT]
50 years of Amtrak. [WaPo]
Fun things to see and visit in all 50 states. [Buzzfeed]
The best ways to reheat leftovers. [Huffpost]
Are your memories real? [Every Little Thing]
We need more mud. [Short Wave]
Shopping while incarcerated. [Ear Hustle]
A look at the history (and problems) of food delivery. [Dish City]
There's a lot you don't know about prohibition. [Gastropod]
A beautiful look at watercolor painting during the Renaissance. [Victoria & Albert Museum]
We've hit the halfway point on Netflix's Away. Even when things go (super) wrong in space, this is a quieter show. Don't expect explosions.
While my parents were in town for a visit, I made these chicken parm meatballs for the first time. They were a hit with everyone. I served them with pre-made garlic bread (thank you frozen food aisle) and a salad.
One of our go to vegetarian dishes are these balsamic caprese paninis. Quick, easy, and go well with roasted potatoes.
I feel for a promoted Tweet and downloaded the mobile game Evony. I signed up because I wanted to play the puzzle games, but you have to do a lot of city construction and war gaming to unlock those levels. I know I won't stick with this forever, but I'm having a lot of fun with it right now.
DC has been in a delightful cool snap for a week. We've had our windows open for days. While it's not great for allergies, it's delightful in every other way.
The DC Public Library now offers Wowbrary. This is a tool that sends you weekly FREE alerts about new books (print, digital, and audio) at your local library. You can search by zip code to find your library. I didn’t need another way to add books to my TBR list, but I sure to like perusing the titles every week.
In the next few weeks, I will be presenting at a local library conference and giving and ALA Core Webinar. Slides for all the events are due on Friday so I will be PowerPointing with the best of them for much of this week.