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AADL 2025 STAFF PICS: PULP LIFE
Games, apps, sports, outdoors, and any other kind of hard-to-categorize cultural and life activities:

CHRISTOPHER B. — LIBRARY TECHNICIAN

Cluster Museum
Cluster is the most exciting new place in downtown Ann Arbor. It’s an active art space including a gallery and a broad slate of art and social events. Without knowing anything about the artist or his work, I went to an exhibit closing for Matt Shlian, trusting that the event would be interesting. I came away more uplifted and inspired than I have been in a long time. Seeing Shlian’s intricate papercraft of undulating forms, giant vases, and geometric shapes, as well as hearing him speak on the relationship between art, math, science, technology, and design, actually gave me hope and reinforced my belief that art is an integral part of life and humanity. I can’t wait to see what Cluster does next. {Website}

ERIN H. — LIBRARIAN

Bingsu in the summer at Yoon’s Bakery
Don’t get me wrong, Yoon’s is a GREAT spot to know about and eat at year-round! This Korean bakery has amazing baked goods. They have delicious, sweet breads filled with matcha, custard, red beans, as well as savory breads, too! They sell whole cakes and fruitades. Go now, but be sure to mark your calendar for next summer when the bingsu comes back! Bingsu (Korean: 빙수; lit. frozen water) is a milk-based Korean shaved ice dessert with sweet toppings that may include chopped fruit, condensed milk, fruit syrup, tteok, and red beans. The portions are huge, so plan on sharing or not eating much before you go! {Yoon's Bakery}

MARISA H. — LIBRARY TECHNICIAN

Being bad at your hobbies
I wanted to learn a new thing and was being a perfectionist, and a dear friend of mine reminded me, “Being bad at stuff is fun, who cares. How often do we get to be bad at stuff?” This is now a repeated reminder to myself when I’ve forgotten the play in what should be a fun activity.

LAT B. — DESK CLERK

American Values Crossword Club
{Website}

Puzzmo
(2023)
Eli covered this for Pulp Life back in 2023, but Puzzmo has only gotten better in the two years since. There is now a friends feature so you can see how well you're doing among your friends, if the main leaderboard is too competitive (similar to Summer Game Leagues). They have a variety of new puzzles, including Memoku (what if Sudoku was also a matching memory game?) and a chess puzzle called Really Bad Chess (what if you had a chess puzzle that randomized the number of pieces you got?). Their crosswords are friendlier, more fun, and have helpful hints. Plus, after the collapse of the free NYT mini, there is a free Puzzmo mini every day! {Website}

Pusheen
{Website}

Skeleton.
{AADL}

ROOSEVELT F.-R. — DESK CLERK

Pho House smoothies
When summer comes around, you'll thank me. Call ahead 15-20 minutes. Mango, strawberry, honeydew, lychee, or taro—you can't go wrong. {Facebook }

Hunt A Killer murder mystery games
Preferred the standalone mysteries over the one "series" we tried. Also makes a great regift for the puzzlers in your life if you're gentle with the evidence. {Website}

Hugging my pet rabbit
He's gotten steadily cuddlier over the years, but this was a major milestone. Maybe someday I'll be able to pick him up without making him think I'm trying to eat him. {Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary}

ELLE B. – LIBRARIAN

First/last episode
If you're bored and looking for something fun to do with a loved one, I highly recommend watching the first episode of a TV series you don't care to watch all of, make predictions on what you think the end will be, and then watch the last episode. Skipping the recap is optional. Some show recommendations are The Expanse, Gossip Girl, The 100, Big Bang Theory/Young Sheldon, Pretty Little Liars, and Lost.

ELIZABETH W. — LIBRARIAN

Pickerel Lake
In the summer months, one of my favorite things to do is head out to the Pickerel Lake Access point to the Potowatomie Trail, over in Gregory. I enjoy a beautiful trail run, then jump in the clear, cool water of Pickerel Lake to cool off. You’ll likely see lots of other folks there enjoying the lake fishing, swimming, and floating. It’s particularly nice that there are no boats allowed. Time things to be there at sunset for the best experience! {Pinckney Recreation Area}

LOREN B. — DESK CLERK

Barton-Bandemer Pedestrian Tunnel, Ann Arbor
{The Michigan Daily}

Ann Arbor Roller Derby
{A2 Roller Derby}

Putt-R-Round, Ypsilanti
{Putt-R-Round}

ANNA C. — DESK CLERK

Doing the NYT Crossword every day
A friend and I started doing The New York Times crossword every day. I started off really bad at it, and slowly I've gotten a lot better. It's a fun addition to my daily routine! If you're a big crossword fan, don't miss the Super Mega! This year, it's a 51x49 grid published in the annual Puzzle Mania section of the NYT. {Puzzle Mania}

Doing things alone
A couple of years ago, I was telling a colleague that I couldn't find anyone to go to a concert with me, and she said, "Why don't you go alone?" What a wild concept! In the past couple of years, I've really been working on doing things by myself, but I felt like this was the year it really became something I enjoy doing. Sometimes, it's a lot easier (and even more enjoyable!) to go to something alone.

AMANDA S. — LIBRARY TECHNICIAN

David Byrne's "Who Is The Sky" concert at The Fox
What a knock-out show. His previous live show for American Utopia was made into a Spike Lee film, and you should watch it to get the idea.

SHOSHANA H. — VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Leslie Science & Nature Center Nature Playscape
Kids (and nimble grownups) can scamper, scramble, and splash around, build forts from logs and sticks, romp through the woods, and run down a particularly long, sloping meadow hill screeching with delight. Walk past the raptor enclosures (and enjoy the thrill of seeing owls, eagles, and hawks up close) and take a rest on a nice flat boulder or swinging bench while the kids explore with abandon. The water play area is great for a cooling outdoor option in the summer months that doesn't require the complexity of packing the pool bag. Easily the best free outdoor nature adventure zone you can get to by bus. {Website}

Ann Arbor Public Works Open House
If you have a kid (of any age) who loves all the big utility vehicles, this event is a dream. Typically taking place in the fall, excavators, garbage trucks, street sweepers, snow plow trucks, and more are parked and gleaming at the Public Works indoor facility on Stone School Road, with straw bales carefully placed to make it easy (well, easier) to climb into these vehicles while blocking off the sharper bits. There are lots of fun activities where kids and grownups can see how sewer pipes get inspected, fix a broken water pipe, actually work a solid waste truck, and watch the tree climbers, well, climb, but getting into all these vehicles is definitely the highlight. This event is also a great opportunity to connect with the workers who operate these beasts and make our city function. Nothing brings more respect for plow crews than clambering up into one of these monstrous vehicles. {A2 Gov}

REENA P. — DESK CLERK

Ren'Py visual novel engine
The last few years of reading visual novels have made me wonder: What if I could make my own? I have since fallen down the rabbit hole of Ren'Py, a free, open source VN engine with a coding language designed to make these kinds of games intuitive and easy to make! It has multi-platform support and plenty of high-profile video games utilizing this engine (Slay the Princess, Doki Doki Literature Club). Although some knowledge with Python can help, it's not necessary to get a small VN going. {Website}

OCTAVIA S. — DESK CLERK

Indoor peppers
Raising peppers is an important part of my daily routine, a piece of my day where I have no choice but to slow down. Peppers, unbeknownst to many people, survive well indoors for years and so offer a practice of mutual care, similar to a pet—though, admittedly, much quieter. I've had success with small, hardy varieties like my Black Pearl and Chiltepin (K'aúasï) peppers, respectively one and four years old. Also, don't forget: Peppers are self-pollinating, but that just means you only need one plant to grow fruit! The pollinating falls to you!

ELI N. — DIRECTOR

The Ribbon at Glass City Metropark
Metroparks Toledo
(2022)
My family loves ice skating, and while we wait for the possible addition of an Ice Ribbon at Broadway Park West, we're making do with The Ribbon at Glass City Metropark. This 1,000-foot curving track in a beautiful riverside setting is a great place to enjoy some outdoor winter fun, with the added bonus of a visit to Waffle House. {The Ribbon}

100 Years of Hockeytown: A Night at the Fox
Olympia Entertainment
(11/8/2025)
We're also big Red Wings fans, and as the Wings celebrate 100 years, there have been a bunch of special events. We attended this special event at the Fox Theater featuring Ken Daniels and Mickey Redmond as MCs, a live band, and 6 segments of reminiscences and tales of hockey moments from Red Wings living legends. Yzerman, Shanahan, Chelios, Federov, McCarty, Osgood, and many more were all in attendance and sharing their favorite stories. For Mathieu Dandenault, it was the time that Gordie Howe spat on his stick before a game at Joe Louis and declared, "You're gonna have a great career!" and for Darren McCarty, it was him punching Claude Lemieux in the face during the infamous Avalanche brawl on March 26, 1997. A fine time was had by all, except perhaps Claude Lemieux, who was not in attendance. {100 Years of Hockeytown}

LAINE K. — DESK CLERK

Karaoke night at Uplift
Every Wednesday, friendly, outgoing queer people (aka, a lot of ex-theater kids) show up to sing a wide variety of songs ranging from Broadway and 2000s pop-punk to Charlie XCX and niche foreign-language tunes. Some of the most fun I’ve ever had has been at Uplift Karaoke. {Uplift}

MARA A. — BOOKSHELVER/PROCESSOR

Mr. Yun's Tower Deli's bibimbap
I am obsessed with the whole menu at Mr. Yun's Tower Deli on Fuller Court, and their bibimbap is probably the best in town. They have different versions, like beef, chicken, and tofu. The service is outstanding, and they will make you feel welcome. {Yelp}

RICH R. — COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING MANAGER

Complimentary chips and salsa
The timeless gift of "welcome to this place you want to be." Enjoyed most thoroughly and recently at Chapala and Maiz. Everything in moderation, including moderation!

Blind Pig Monday Night Comedy
Free comedy on Monday nights at the Blind Pig. A dozen or so comics with five-minute sets, sometimes all new material and sometimes almost ready for primetime. Always a good time. {Blind Pig Comedy}

CRYSTA C. — DESK CLERK

Black Cat: Folklore with Neighborhood Theatre Group
Ypsilanti's Neighborhood Theatre Group created an impressive and spooky Halloween production called Black Cat: Folklore, which was centered on folkloric sketches written by the cast and crew. Everything NTG produces is written in-house by local playwrights and performers. We're very lucky to have such talent here in Washtenaw County! The December show, A Man For Christmas, is back for another round after it premiered two years ago. An "NTG Original Musical Parody," the show is hilarious, and I can't wait to see what the cast does with it this time. {Website}

KIM G. — DESK CLERK
Ann Arbor Book Society
(2016-2025)
I just want to give a huge thank you to Rachel Pastiva and the Ann Arbor Book Society for giving us 10 years of newsletters, road trips, book town promotion, reading encouragement, and an all-around boost to making Ann Arbor a true Book Town. I looked forward to their monthly newsletters, loved taking trips to indie bookstores I never would have found on my own, and had such fun learning about A2's book-laden past. Kudos to everyone involved! 

More AADL Staff Picks:
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➥ 2016