Crossing the Mason-Dixon

I am finally free of the semester and have been enjoying not going to New Jersey every day.
This past weekend Brandy and I went down to VA to visit her family. It was a shame that it was this weekend since Eric left for the summer before we got back, and he had his going away party as well, but it was the only weekend we could really take the trip, and Eric and I had gotten some time to hang before we left.
The trip was very nice and relaxing. It was great to get out of the city and enjoy the quiet and fresh air on the farm, and while the farm is in danger of being eaten by disgusting suburbs, their road has thusfar remained relatively unscathed, so it is still very quiet. I am also starting to feel a lot more comfortable around her parents. I must admit that it is a bit intimidating to be a liberal, non-religious, academic type meeting the girlfriend's Southern Baptist farmer parents. It is surprising though to realize that liberals (at least this liberal) and farmers have a lot more in common than I used to think. It is so important to spend time around people who you would never imagine spending time with as it really helps to show how much more complicated people and politics and beliefs are in this world than what the propagandists of our two beloved parties would like you to believe. I have been getting much more interested in farming and food systems lately because I feel like it is so very important, but is not a very sexy topic for academics and politics and intellectuals, so it is left to the corporations. It seems like this is slowly changing with the organic and buy local movements though. I entertain romantic notions of being a farmer one day, but I really doubt that I would make a very good one since I am so lazy. I guess not so much laziness, but the fact that I couldn't commit myself to being tied to the farm indefinitely. You just do not have the freedom to spend a month away, or even a week, although I imagine that depends on the type of farming. I do like the idea though of working outdoors and being a steward of the land and feeding the people. Nothing like throwing away almost a decade of schooling. Jesus god, I've been in college for something like 8 of the past 10 years. If I do a PhD, add a few more to that.
Brandy turned 30 last Thu, and she has been jokingly lamenting the fact that she is now getting "you know your old when..." cards. Had a trapper keeper, know that Michelangelo, Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael are not just artists... That's us folks.
I wanted to throw a surprise party for her, but I knew I would just flub it since the semester was ending at the same time, so we just went out on Wed night. She was worried about not having friends any more because not a lot of people responded to us going out, but in the end a lot of her favorite people showed up and the night was a resounding success. She almost didn't call one of her friends because she had been flaky lately and they just hadn't hung out in awhile, but then she randomly read her horiscope and and it told her to call someone she hadn't spoken with for awhile, and that tonight would work out, although not in the way that was expected. So she called Lauren, and she had just randomly read her horiscope, which told her something about wishing an old friend happy birthday or something, so Lauren came out.
I had my last exam that night, so I didn't get back to the City until 11, when I met them at some stupid bar that some Couchsurfer who had taken over Brandy's birthday post by posting numerous times about this bar and getting CS discounts, etc. The bar sucked and the discounts did not exist, so we went to our favorite hookah lounge, followed by a karaoke bar. At karaoke there was this weird guy who looked like he was from some 80s hair band. He was alone and would sit staring at the screen transfixed and would randomly yell out yeeeaaahhh. We invited Lauren, who is also from Lynchburg to come with us and she accepted. She has a friend who she met on Birthright who lives in DC, so we ended up staying with him and not having to make the 8 hour drive in one shot.
Down in VA we didn't do a whole lot except hang around the farm and visit Brandy's grandma who is in the hospital after falling down some stairs. We did acquire a ridiculous amount of plants for the house.
We got back on Monday night, and then yesterday a German/Hungarian guy I know from Budapest came for the week. After he arrived we went to the sushi bar around the corner where they have free sake, and then afterwards we grabbed some beers and chilled out at the house with the roommates.
Today he went on his own, and I am supposedly working. I have basically just been out enjoying the warm weather while buying hardware and produce and being very happy to be a student. I also had a phone meeting with John, for whom I'm working on the cycling in NYC paper, so I haven't been completely unproductive.
Tonight we will probably go to Brooklyn Brewery. As much as I hate to give a German that mediocre beer, it is only $1 for Bike Month, and I will make it up to him by going to Barcade after.