Cheese plates and retreats
The summer has felt a bit of a whirlwind of opportunities, new professional connections, and trying to follow through on some previously laid plans at work and around the home. In my work at First Person Arts, I've been developing and editing a podcast for a corporate client, and we're getting very close to a release date. Meanwhile, at Broad Street Review, we're re-examining some of our expectations surrounding funding. That means I get to accelerate some conversations with local funding sources, learn more about our readership (ooh data!), and launch programming alongside the rest of our staff and board of directors. I have a few Bardhan Consulting activities shaping up for the fall, as well. On top of all that, I'm attempting to keep up with the interesting things that keep me amused outside of professional life: spice blends, short stories, silly shows, and jaunts. To follow up on last month's newsletter, no, I did not write 1000 words a day for the spread in June I intended. I wrote more than I normally do, but I hit that 1000-word mark on maybe 2-3 of the 14 days. Perhaps you also noticed that this newsletter is coming out in August. Writing goals are elusive sometimes, eh?
Reading:
I finished no books in July, but hey, I have read a few articles I'd like to share with you! A brief article from New York Magazine tackled a topic near and dear to me: grocery store tourism.
Speaking of NY Mag, if you haven't read this BONKERS weird story about a woman scamming a Harvard Law professor, make some time this weekend to dig in.
The final piece I'll share for now is an older one about Sia, who is sober and dating and fascinating.
Eating:
I'm trying to grill once a week. We've gotten into the habit of salmon kebabs, which is quick, easy, and fun. I've dabbled in grilled pizza, using a standard sheet pan because I worry about the dough sticking. Is that reasonable? Should I try the dough directly on the grates? I've also been enjoying The Best F&$king Grilled Chicken Sandwich Ever from Serious Eats. It's a bit of a project for an evening, though it goes by quickly.
What you see above is a take on an Ottolenghi cake. The original recipe is for hazelnut peach raspberry cake. Based on what I found at the farmers market, I went with almond peach blueberry and it was straightforward and delicious! Invite me over and I'll make it again!
Summer's been a very cromulent time to create cheese plates, regardless of the evening activity or what's available. Here's one from this past week's beach trip and a bit of one from seeing the Philadelphia Orchestra play along with Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire at the Mann Center.
I took some out-of-town guests on a Philadelphia breakfast sandwich tour, and some day I'll deliver an updated version of That Talk with 50 images of BSes.
Beating:
Perhaps the most interesting musical journey I went on this month was rebuilding, on Amtrak wifi, a Train Ride playlist I'd made on iTunes back in 2010 for my first Amsterdam-Nijmegen ride. It's not exactly as it was back then, and neither am I?
Meeting:
I'll perform in N Crowd shows at Philly Improv Theater on 8/16 and 8/30, plus The Interrogation Room on 8/23. I may also appear on Queer Bits on 8/29. In last month's newsletter, I referred to my upcoming episode on the Broad Street Review podcast. If you haven't listened yet, it's out! A heads-up for September is that I'll perform in several nights of the Fringe Festival with The N Crowd. Our show makes use of film noir techniques and tropes. Studying up on that so far has been lots of fun, like watching the Mathnet "Maltese Pigeon" episodes.
Retreating:
This is a new section, and thanks to Sarah for suggesting it! I've been spending more time intentionally stepping away from the city for short trips and I find it valuable time to reflect. This section this time will actually cover ~6 weeks of time. The first “retreat” was to the Wharton State Forest in New Jersey for a hike. Mid-June I was sort of on staycation but mostly bopping around town and being in the house. I needed some nature and quiet time. Through a Zipcar and some goofy fun map usage, I found myself in the Pine Barrens with about an hour for activity. The hike was more of a flat walk, given the terrain, and I'll be darned if I could tell you what trail I was on now. (Sorry! I'll find it again if you're really keen.) When was the last time you didn't see another person for an hour, while you were out of your house? I had hoped to stop and write at some point along the stroll, and that wasn't really possible until the end, when I returned to the starting point and discovered a tent that a wee church had erected for visitors to sit in & cool off.
Two other trips worth noting in the past while include Winterthur in Delaware and Lancaster. Winterthur is a historic house and estate, part of the DuPont family estate, that includes a staggering range of American housewares and horticultural endeavors. Plus, there are FOLLIES galore. Lancaster is in Pennsylvania Dutch country, a part of the world I don't know well. Kelsey & I went so I could speak on a panel over the July 4th weekend. Lancaster was a weird blend of experiences and I'm not itching to go back, to be honest! We did get a rad hike in at the Pinnacle Overlook, though, and we did ride the Strasburg Railroad. I recommend those.
I'm writing this month's newsletter from a rental house in North Wildwood, New Jersey, and I've been here all week! It's been nice to see Kelsey's family all in one place for a while and just hang out, make spritzes, and do crossword puzzles. Plus I've had more beach time than I've had since probably 2003 and did I mention the cheese plates?
Deleting:
I might delete this section in the future, or use it sparingly! The best thing I've got here this month is finally organizing some of my 2010-2013 photos for new projects.
Let's do this again in a few weeks. I truly hope to have finished one of my many in-progress books by then.
Happy trails,
Neil