Mid-May Tune Up
Happy FriYAY y’all,
I’m writing to you from the comfort of a couch in Hudson, Mass, and I’m very happy to be home for a somewhat extended period of time. Sometimes, I need to hit my personal reset button, but flying back home never fails to ground me again. Though the whole “work from home” thing has felt a little different this week. This weekend, my brother graduates from college, so I’m no longer able to say that I “just graduated,” meaning I am officially a full-time adult. And I’ve lived in DC for almost a year now? Time needs to relax.
Here’s a friendly reminder that the NHL playoffs are electric. Each series is having a Game 6, and these teams HATE each other. The Stars-Avalanche series has been the “cleanest” per se, but seconds after turning it on Wednesday night, three guys were immediately knocked off their feet. The Hurricanes have been battling back from being down 3-0, the Bruins stayed alive on Tuesday, and the Oilers and Canucks are only playing offense. It’s about all you could’ve imagined and more. Keep your eyes peeled.
Best of Hudson: Rail Trail Flatbread Co.
I love the rule “no free ads” until I get some food in me. And especially when I’m back in Hudson and stop here.
I worked at Rail Trail for a couple years during high school, getting a walk-in interview as a busboy on lunch break of driver’s ed. Needless to say, I lived off this place my sophomore through senior year until I had a perfectly crafted breakfast-themed flatbread I’d take home. The seasonal menu tastings were the best part. Maybe sometimes I took it for granted at how delicious it all was.
But my goodness it hits different.
It’s one of the biggest highlights of coming back to town for a bit. I’ve been here for two full days and have been there twice, and that’s the opposite of a problem. Their variety of Mediterranean-inspired food is impeccable, paired with flatbreads coming out of the wood-fire oven. My first trip resulted in a spring lamb bowl with chopped potatoes, rice, harissa and some incredible tzatziki, and the second was a half-and-half buffalo chicken and chicken bacon ranch flatbread. My mom ordered a steak & cheese gyro that was melt-in-your-mouth tender. I can’t say enough about this place, but maybe this photo will do it justice.
Hey, they even reposted me on their story. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.
What’s Cookin: Tarragon
I got this plant from the farmer’s market a couple of weeks ago, and (hopefully by the time I return to DC) it’s still kicking. An herb I previously held to a high standard because I’ve only heard Gordon Ramsay mention it, it’s actually quite delicious. Its light flavor makes it a key ingredient in Béarnaise sauce, among other uses primarily in French cuisine. Its thin leaves make for an elegant appearance, and if chopped, release a powerful flavor to top your meal. Before getting this plant, I had never cooked with it or seen it, but that’s what creative cooking is all about: experimenting and trying new things. If you can only get it dried in a small spice shaker, so be it. Try it out and see what you can do with it.
On the Docket
It’s been a string of not-so-typical weeks of work. Last week, I was sort of all over the place, and this week began with the rally in front of Boeing headquarters on Monday at noon. It was a solid turnout and overall, a really cool experience. I also got the opportunity to reminisce on my sports photography days, jogging around the block to scope out some good angles and make it feel like there were a lot more people there. Cropping is a great tool.
Within the scope of my typical responsibilities, it’s time to lock in. With Convention on the horizon, I got to start designing some physical items, such as badges and an event-stylized challenge coin. As the biggest thing we do, it’s important that I maintain a consistent look and feel throughout the materials, and starting with these smaller, handheld ones give me structure but also creative freedom. I’m looking forward to elaborating more in blogs in the near future, but for now, that’s all I got.
Plus, as June approaches faster than anticipated, I will be back in magazine mode. After months of casually browsing Behance and other design-related sites for inspiration, it’s about time to put it to good use. After the last edition, where a good portion of the “reimagined” magazine was refined, we’ll be looking to continue reeling it in while also venturing out of the box with feature spreads. It should be a good one — stay tuned!
Song of the Week: “Shiver” by John Summit & HAYLA
This might be up there in the “Songs of the Summer 2024” category, solidified by bumping it with the windows of my father’s car rolled down driving through downtown Hudson. Vibes at a near all-time high. Everything about this song is just great - it’s something that you can relax to or turn up to. What’s better than that?