Question: What's beyond graduate school? Answer: Things you've been wanting to do for a long time. I began "post-grad school" by running for the 3rd time on the Jungle Rot team in the
Great Lakes Relay. I had some extra beautiful blisters this year which was one way of keeping me from trying to do everything as usual. I HAD to relax. I did just that in Traverse City immediately after running almost 30 miles across the state of Michigan with 9 other fabulous relay team members. I spent a couple days with one of my favorite gals in the world,
Chelsea Bay Wills, by throwing a bridal shower for her and getting to know other great people in her gorgeous Northern Michigan world at
Left Foot Charley Winery. The yellow paper drawing pictured here was our attempt to figure out how we all know each other. All lines point to Chelsea! It was great to visit the ever-growing artsy corners of Traverse City, including a gallery where a special dress was being made and some jewelry was being custom made for a special occasion...
I soon traveled down to suburban Detroit to try out motherhood for 10 seconds. Elliot looks uncertain in his shopping cart seat. Stacie and Greg graced me with their Royal Oak hospitality and a trip to Hamtramck for meat (oops!) and Polish beer... and later a Gillian Welch concert randomly enough in Royal Oak, Michigan.
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| The best additions to metro Detroit this year. |
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| The grand staircase with cheese being made below. |
Then, I drove on the hottest day of the year yet to Pittsburgh to see an old college friend Becky and her husband Jon. I was told that if I got into Pittsburgh fast enough, I could ride in Jon's cheese delivery truck. That's right, I sweated through 110 degrees in a car with no A/C to see sweaty cheese balls. All the while, I had a wine bottle exploding in the back seat
-It was so hot that when I presented a bottle of wine to my hosts, I had discovered that the heat in the backseat of my car had uncorked the bottle-I did end up getting to witness local cheese,
Arsenal Cheese to be exact, get delivered to bars around town after all. It was worth it!
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| The street where Arsenal Cheese is made and Becky and Jon live. The white truck is the delivery truck! I should also note their was no hipstomatic filter used to create this photo. This part of Pittsburgh is naturally hip. |
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| Jon, the cheesemaker, samples his cheese at a local bar. |
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| Arsenal Cheese is a prominent item on this bar's menu! |
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| My great great great great uncle Franz?! |
We escaped to air conditioning for a large part of my time in Pittsburgh. I had a personal tour by the great art educator, Ms. Becky Utech Gaugler at the Carnegie Museum, giving special attention to the decorative arts collection and to a special Dutch painter Franz Hals. Who needs Vermeer when you've got Franz Hals?! I took note of the peculiar similarities of Vermeer paintings and Pittsburgh backyards.
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| The cheesemaker and art educator in their backyard. |
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| Little Street by Vermeer. (Not in Pittsburgh) |
It was such a treat to stay with friends who make their own sinks in a house from the 1890s. Becky and Jon rock! Eat local cheese!
