Riveting commentary on stores I visited today.

I hate Kinko’s.
But Target, Target I love.

Bella Mmmmmonica

I’m all dressed up from Client presentation. So at the end of the work day I decide to go to Bella Monica for dinner. Mmmm, chicken parm. I really like that place.

Yes, it is Thursday, which makes it Pizza Night. But for the third week in a row, it passes me by.

I also felt a little messed up after doing that.

Client are in town. And for entertainment we go go-Karting. Not bumper cars like at Playland but the real goKARTs.

I learn that I’m not very good at bumper cars. Check that. I suck. Folks lapped me. Multiple times. I couldn’t remember what any of the flags meant. And when they said move over I never knew which way. I was so bad, it ended up being entertaining for everyone.

I also felt a little messed up after doing that. Like I had the shakes. Had a hard time driving. And I puked.

Also, I was chosen to have the video camera on my head. So, I also looked like an alien on top of being slow.

Burn After Reading.

A little stressed out.
Big presentation at work.
Trip planning and other stuff.

I arrive back from work in Southeast Durham around 8:45pm, and make a spontaneous decision to go see “Burn After Reading.”

Good call.
Funny.
Needed a laugh.

Lost.

After a long hiatus I decide to accept one of Tobias’ invitations to go orienteering at Umstead State Park. I arrive at the park and am greeted by Tobias and his girlfriend, Alexis.

This is Alexis's( just realized both of their names end with S and are trickier to punctuate when using an apostrophe) first time orienteering and I think that it’s sweet that she’s out here to give this beloved activity of Tobias a whirl. And, she’s missing church to do this.

Now, Tobias, being the big deal Orienteer-er that he is decides to do the very difficult Red Course. Alexis and I decide to do the Orange course, which is one up from the easiest. The easiest being you just walk along paths and roads (which, in retrospect, might have been perfect for us).

With confidence, we proceed to look for our first checkpoint. I mean, it’s only 50 yards away from the starting point. We look. And look. And look. And then laugh. Really, where is this damn thing? Then, we spot some boys. About 15 years old. They’ve also been looking for checkpoint #1 for quite some time. We decide to join forces. We’re not sure these teens want anything to do with us but we sort of follow them around. This new alliance doesn’t really help, but we feel better that we’re not the only people still stuck here. The boys find the first checkpoint. We insert the finger stick and move on. Later, our records reveal that this first challenge took us 31 minutes. At that rate, we’ll be out here until after dark.

We continue on with a bit more success, right behind those teens, but around checkpoint #5 we decide to Orient our way back to the starting point. When Tobias returns we attempt to convince him that we’ve been waiting around forever but that illusion doesn’t last too long.

Later on, we learn that there were two boys who didn’t make it back by 3:00, which is kind of the deadline and they sent out a search party. I’m willing to bet they were our boys.

Also, we learn that the orange course was a bit more difficult than usual.

Sure hope I don’t get lost on Kili.

Game Night sans Taboo

I attend a game night where we do not play Settlers or Taboo. And, I actually have fun. Cranium is a great game. Check out this pool table:

Piazza Italia and Party.

Celebrated a birthday tonight (not mine, age of birthday boy, um, man, undisclosed) at Piazza Italia in Brightleaf Square. I've been to this restaurant once before. I still like it. Gelato especially.

After the birthday, head to a party at the house (er, apartment) of Tobias in Raleigh. Tobias takes pictures. Some of me. I'm not having a good photo night so I make him delete them. And then complain when there are no pictures of me on Facebook.

Still full, no Pizza Night.

No Pizza Night. Was still feeling full from the night before, really. Did go dancing at Loafers and cashed in my birthday certificate for a drink at the bar.

Steak with the Qwesties

Dinner with the Qwesties to celebrate Emily's marriage.

We got her some platter-y things from Crate & Barrel.
When (if) my time comes, I'm really going to have to fake it when it comes to kitchen supplies. I'll exchange it all for go-go boots.

Consume what you Burn

13 miles out. 13 miles back.
So, I get some Maple View ice cream in the middle.
Mmmmm, ice cream.
Consume whatever calories I burn.

I've never felt so good about a pack of Twizzlers.

Three weeks until I depart to Africa to hike Mt. Kili.
Took a first crack at the packing list.
The process of having to research, purchase and pack two pages worth of supplies bring out the best and worst in me.
Today was boots day.
And these are the options.
Something old (right), something new (left).
Can I take both?


Also took a bike ride today. Most of it on the American Tobacco Trail. Not my favorite ride, but the ATC can get me where I want to go. And there's not much traffic.

Also saw a few shows up at DSI (Dirty South Improv). Proceeds from the shows this weekend went to the YMCA. Proceeds from concessions also went to the YMCA. I've never felt so good about a pack of Twizzlers.

Pour

I've turned down so many invitation to see the band "Old Ceremony" you might think I had no interest. The truth is, I have quite a bit of interest (having heard so much about this group) but every darn show seems to happen on a night when I really can't make it.

This Friday, the planets aligned and I was able to see the group perform at the Pour House in Raleigh. I think "I get it" (meaning, why people love them so much). Yep, they're good looking guys, in an alternative kind of way, and they're good musicians.

This night also represented another cosmic event. There were work people and dance people all in the same space. Some of them, actually talking together. I enjoy it when worlds meld like that.

I couldn't get McKinney dance people combo photographs. But, I snapped a few shots of folks out.

It was just what I needed that Friday night. It had been a rough week.

Smash and grab

I got some of my shots this morning for my trip to Africa. Ouch. Feels like dead arm. Big time. Also got some literature about my destination. Here are some highlights.

"Street crime is common and includes mugging, vehicle theft, "smash and grab" attachs on vehicles, armed robbery, and burglary."

"Smash and grab." I'm more curious than scared.

"Some Zanzibar newspapers have warned that women who dress immodestly may be subject to harassment."

No short shorts Princess.

"A handful of tourists are mauled or killed by wild animals."

Hmmm, I'll take killed over mauled. Really.

Gloomy.

It's 9.11.
Remembering.
The day was kind of gloomy - my mood, the weather.

No pizza night - just wasn't into it.
I did go dancing, tho.

45 minute flight to Africa

The voyage to Africa is right around the corner.

I dreamt about it last night. The best part of the dream was the flight out only took 45 minutes.

I'm excited. And, I'm scared. I can't wait to have pictures of my own, but in the meantime, the photos of others will do.

He gets the answers wrong, I have to up the watts.

I'm a die hard Dar Williams fan. I saw her when she was playing at the library in the town where she grew up. I got there before she did.

She came out with a new album today - "The Promised Land."

I'm still listening but the most notable song right now is "Buzzer"." It's about the Stanley Milgram obedience experiments - work that has both fascinated and disturbed me. The fact of the matter is that as much as I would like to think otherwise, I would press the buzzer, press the buzzer.

I've cut and paste a few of the lyrics.

The tour doesn't come to Durham, or anywhere in the Triangle. She plays in Charlotte early November so I might try to catch that.

A few lyrics.

At the graduate lab, they were doing some tests,
I pressed the buzzer, I pressed the buzzer.

They’ll be waiting at the lab.

I’m feeling sorry for the guy that I press to shock,
He gets the answers wrong, I have to up the watts.
And he begged me to stop, but they told me to go,
I press the buzzer, I press the buzzer,
So get out of my head, just give me my line.
I press the buzzer, I press the buzzer.

They called me back to the lab to discuss the test,
I put my earrings on, found my heels, wore a dress.
Right away I knew, it was like I’d failed a quiz
The man said, “Do you know what a fascist is?”
I said, “Yeah, it’s when you do things you’re not proud of,
But you’re scraping by, taking orders from above.”
I get it now, I’m the face, I’m the cause of war
We don’t have to blame white-coated men anymore.

When I knew it was wrong, I played it just like a game,
I pressed the buzzer, I pressed the buzzer,
Here’s your seventy bucks, now everything’s changed,
I press the buzzer, I press the buzzer

- Dar Williams, “Buzzer,” The Promised Land

Do-it-do-do

Hello lamp-post, what's cha knowing, I've come to watch your flowers growin'
Ain't cha got no rhymes for me, do-it-do-do, feelin' groovy

Clothing Swap, the Trilogy

And here are the pics. A record number of clothes methinks.

And here are the girls with their favorite swap.

My favorite swap was a dress pajama thing. So comfy. Put it on and wore it the whole swap long and a few hours thereafter before I had to go out again for a movie.

Steak and Drag Bingo

Drove down to Raleigh on Saturday night for two entertaining events.

The first was Alexis' 30th Birthday Party - celebrated at Sullivan's. I think my favorite moment was when I had to go to the ladies room - just me - and five of the ladies at the table came with me - just because. Girl-friends.

I had my leftover steak wrapped up and made a joke to the people at the table about forgetting it. And then I left, and left the steak at the table. A table-mate came running after me. And then folks proceeded to send me txts's and e-mails and Facebook notes to remember my steak.

After Sullivan's headed over to Drag Bingo. Yes, it's just that. A Drag Show and Bingo. It was FABulous and fun.

After Drag Bingo played late night Settlers. Settler's is rivaling Taboo in terms of a game I enjoy playing.

Friday night.

Comedy Show with blank stares.
Work Party.
Happy Birthday to the McKinney Virgos.
Watts Grocery.
Zzzzzzzz.

Pizza Night Part 12, the saga continues

Ate at Piccola Italia Pizza in Cameron Village in Raleigh. Now, if you know where Cameron Village is, that doesn't necessarily mean you can immediately find this restaurant. That place is a maze.

We arrived and were seated in a booth. Now really, I'm not a particularly big girl but these booths were small. Minus points for this place.

But, the company was good and the pizza was tasty.

Loafers afterwards, as is becoming the tradition. My ride home was the DJ and he was staying to the very end. I was concerned that by the very end I would be falling asleep in the corner somewhere drooling on myself. So, I snuck out early with some other Durham bound folks making my overall visit time to Loafers quite short. That was OK. I was a little out of it. Couldn't quite get the beat on a bunch of beat-tastic songs.

And Congrats to Miquelito for passing his test. Hooray! MM studying on the beach for the test.

On Golden Pond. Or Pleasant Lake.

On Monday, we hit the lake. Moose was sad to be left behind on the dock. When we bring him on the boat he tends to jump in after the people who are in the water and this tends to be a problem. Poor Moosey.

Teri, ready to take on the waterski, after a 3 year absence. Contemplating her approach.

Teri on the water. Don't hit the condo!

I look like I'm being strangled, no?

This is Nate. Nate wins top honors for his tubing abilities. The man held on. Fierce.