I'm getting faster on my hybrid bike and this morning I decided to really push myself because I've hit a plateau and I want to break it.

I'm riding along 751 thinking I own the road and rule the bike universe and out of nowhere I am not kidding 50 road bikers whhhhhhrrrrrrrrrr past me.

Humbling.

It's kinda neat to watch them move as a unit, particularly when they turn a corner. It's kind of like a snake. Or salamander.

I am at Helio's on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh.
There are cool, young, hip people here. So, they do exist.

My computer starting to hum. Instictively, I hit it (That doesn't sound good, does it? That it's an instinct to hit something that makes noise).

It stopped humming. That's reinforcing.

I am waiting for my pal Barb. Apparently, PowerPoint skills are highly valued at our agency. Seriously, PowerPoint skills are listed as requirements for very senior positions. Personally, I would hire a temp.

My PowerPoint skills are not good. Actually, that implies I have some skill with it at all. I don't. When I interviewed they asked me about my PP skills. I said "If PowerPoint is a dealbreaker for you, I'm not your hire." I got hired.

So, Barb and I are going to learn PowerPoint on a sunnny (but hot so I don't feel guilty being inside) afternoon at Helio's.

My heart really did stop.

10:45 at night.
Brushing my teeth.

And a salamander slighters from the drain.

I screamed.

I dropped my toothbrush, slammed the door and ran out of the bathroom.

And then tried to laugh about it but my heart-rate was still too high.

It's not that I'm scared of salamanders. I just don't expect them to crawl out of the bathroom sink.

I hate nature.

Here are the pics to accompany the previously blogged about Goats on the Loose Story

This is my bedroom window.


Three goats in one garbage can.

There was a big, national news-breaking car wreck in Raleigh this afternoon. It's chilling. It makes me nervous to drive.

I-40 is a mess. I don't take it to get home, but I'm sure there will be I-40 folks on my route home.

Now, it's monsooning outside. The Bulls game just got canceled (I can see the Durham Bulls Stadium from where I sit, cool, no?)

That is why it is 7:00 on a Friday night and I am still at work.

Speaking of work, every morning when I arrive, I am served a Creative Horoscope by copywriter Jenny Nicholson. I've added her Creative Horoscope to my blog-roll.

I finally pulled my pics and videos from my Treo so I have pictures to accompany stories from months ago. I'll post 'em.

Read the banner on the bus window. Funny.

"Cause my long hair just can't cover up my redneck"

Oops. Need some sunscreen. Look at that Redneck. I mean, red neck.

How do you know the girl in the fitting room has been there too long?

When she opens the door to the fitting room she gives you her name and says:
"Let me know if I can help you with anything."

But then,
When she opens the door to go the bathroom she gives you her name and says:
"Let me know if I can help you with anything."

Went to downtown Raleigh for a street fair "Raleigh Wide Open." I think it was the one year anniversary of the reopening of Fayetville Street. Something like that.

Enjoyed music from the Kickin' Grass, a bluegrass band. The lead singer is my friend Barb's sister, Linda. Barb is pictured below.

The stage was a block from the old McKinney office.

Am I tall, or are my friends short?

Somewhere there's someone with a birthday today

I know someone who has one too!

Happy Birthday Geburty.

I hope you have such a terrific birthday that tomorrow you feel all frapped out.

Big Hug from North Carolina.

There were frogs in the house last week.
Last night, it occurred to me that maybe the frogs were actually one kiss short of Prince Charming.
And I chased them out the house.
Sigh.

More pics from Naomi, Jamie, David and Parker's Devil's Lake Adventure

I don't think this is particularly convincing. If a train was really coming, I wouldn't be laughing. But I just can't help it. Laughing, that is.

Trains actually do run on this track. But only twice a day. I think.

Naomi and Jamie are the Seven Dwarfs (Ok, three for now).
From our trip to Devil's Lake, which is in Wisconsin.
Many more pics to be posted.

Grumpy Dwarfs

Bashful Dwarfs

Sleepy Dwarfs

One of my most favorite things about living in North Carolina is the Eno River Quarry. When I'm in the middle of The Quarry treading water I look at my surroundings and think "This is why."

It's been a fun place to share with friends, a fun place to cool off in our very warm weather, a great place to sit on a noodle (flotation device) or try to stand on and dive off of a flimsy float. There are cliffs from which I have yet to jump.

It was quite upsetting when I learned that someone drowned at The Quarry on Monday evening. I had been talking to pals at work about taking an end of the day dip and one of my friends mentioned that she was there on Monday night, leaving the Quarry, when the fire trucks pulled up. The story is also in the news now.

They're still trying to determine exactly what caused the person to "go under" but the quarry is very deep all around and I've been advised to always bring some sort of flotation device. I was a lifeguard (I trained people to be lifeguards) and I consider myself to be a fairly strong swimmer but I know that I'll be extra cautious from now on.

Here's a quote from the victim's mom:
"I want people to know that he had fun there, and he enjoyed it," Bailey said. "It was a happy thing for him."

It's a happy thing for me too and here are some pics:



Arriving at the Quarry in my party dress.


Looking at the cliff from where I might jump in my party dress.


Looking at the cliff from where I might jump in my bathing suit.


Yeah! Rain. An excuse not to jump.

A few more pics. Note all the noodles and rafts in the background.

My mom just left me a message from a Pink Floyd concert.
I am at home reading.
What's wrong with this picture?

Update:
My mom just left me 3 messages from the PFconcert.
I can hear her "Woo-hoo"-ing.
Pocket dialing?

People who live in cold climates have remote car starters to get their cars warm and defrosted by the time they get in them. I think I'm going to get a remote car starter so I can get my A/C fired up before I get in my car.

I woke up at 6:30 this morning to take a bike ride. It was nasty hot. I might have to push back my alarm clock to sunrise in order to ride without feeling like I'm going to fry on the pavement.

But, I must say that I still think the Minnesota cold is worse than the NC hot.

Moving Target

© 1990 Christine Lavin

Lately she feels at home in airports
Feels at home on trains
More comfortable with strangers
Than with those who know her name
She'd rather be herded onto a 767
Hurdled through the sky
Then to be safe and sound on ground
With him looking into her eyes.

One month until you know what.

Little Miss Sunshine a la Myrtle Beach

I am in South Carolina as part of the fan club /cheering section for "The Storm" dance company. As my post heading suggests, it's a lot like Little Miss Sunshine. Even I can't resist the urge to be glamorous and strike a pose (as if it was a difficult urge for me to resist anyway).


Doesn't the sepia tone make it look like this picture was taken years ago and now I might be someone's Grandma or something? The fact of the matter is that I was playing with the settings and inadvertantly saved the photo and cannot restore it to the original. The sepia is the least weird of my remaining options.

Jetta (that's as close as I'll get to naming my car) did really good on her (OK, I also assigned a gender to my car) first big trip out of the Triangle. The car is leased with limited mileage so I'm very careful about keeping it on track but I decided what's the car for if not to drive and I headed down to Myrtle Beach, SC for Fourth of July.

Here are two interesting pics from the road.

Magnolia a la Cary Part Two

Why is there always a Part Two to these stories? I wake up the next morning and there's a frog in the laundry room. Is is the same frog? For some reason I don't think so. My pal Wendy is concerned that the two frogs will fall in love and make baby frogs. I successfully chase this one out of the house and on to the front porch. I am going out of town for a few days and am geniunely concerned that I will return to a Froggyfest at the Farm.

Ellen is in Italy, btw. Someone, these, er, adventures aren't as fun without her.

Magnolia a la Cary Part One

I'm about to go to sleep and head into the living room to turn out the lights. At my feet, I see a frog just sitting there. Now, I went to Summer Camp, and I'm OK with all the outdoor creatures but when I'm not in that mode, a frog in my living room is going to catch me off guard. Once I'm done freaking out I try to chase the frog out the front door. I get as far as the kitchen and he/she? hops underneath the oven. I get a broom to try to coax him/her out. I go to sleep mildly disturbed.