three miles in my shoes

North Topsail Beach

2010-09-15T23:51:00.000-04:00

There are few things as calming for me as the sound of the ocean. It was a single overnight stay at North Topsail, but we were literally sleeping above the ocean at high tide. There isn't much more that I could ask for... except to go back and never leave.

2010-09-01T22:42:00.000-04:00

I was invited down to the sandhills this past weekend to snap some pics. My friend Jim is the father of the bride...

Life has been busy.

2010-05-25T08:38:00.001-04:00

So things have been somewhat busy since my last update.

I had applied for two different positions that would’ve been a boost up from my current position. I felt equally suited for both, but really wanted one of them. Last Monday, I got the call that the position that I really wanted was where I was placed. So, mark last Monday up as one of the best I’ve had in a long while. It was pouring rain on my way to work that morning, but within an hour of getting here… I had the news.

Good stuff.

This past weekend, my wife and I joined her parents for a day and a half in Wilmington/Wrightsville. It was basically a 1.5 day feeding frenzy. On the way in, we stopped at a pizza place recommended by Tom Gray. Slice of Life pizza has a downtown location and one near Military Cutoff road. We hit the Military Cutoff location and took a white pie back to our room. It was, by far, the best white pie I’ve had in the area. The crust was great and the toppings were fresh. I’ll add my name in with those in open support of Slice of Life Pizzeria.

We spent some time Saturday morning in Oakdale Cemetery and then headed to the Cotton Exchange / Front street area downtown before an extended lunch at Front Street Brewery.

Highly recommend their raspberry wheat or hefeweizen beers. Scotch ale is a favorite of mine, but avoid the smoked porter at all costs. I’m blaming the beer during lunch on our trip to the aquarium at Kure Beach. I love aquariums, but the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores has to be my favorite of the three in the state.

After wandering through the aquarium, we stopped by Apple Annie’s Bakery on Military Cutoff to pick up a few pastries for the next morning… finished off the afternoon with a nice long meal on the deck at The Bridge Tender. I’m a bit disappointed in my pics from this last weekend. Nothing really stood out that was worth posting here, or even saving. It’s kinda tough going on photo-safari when you’re following someone else’s schedule. No worries, I’ll have more time to snap pics this weekend.

2010-05-13T20:41:00.000-04:00

The above sock monkey is the new addition to Bella's toy family. His name is Frito.

Creepy Easter rabbit... but I enjoyed the depth of field.

the star of the show, Bella. She's our girl. We were on the way to see my mom for mother's day and her birthday.

a benefit yardsale

2010-04-16T08:53:00.000-04:00

Alright all, just wanted to toss something out for you to think about.

My wife, a few of her friends, and my mother in law are hosting a yard sale to raise money for the Susan G. Komen foundation. They're doing a 3 day hike later this summer and are raising funds. If anyone reading this has something laying around that you've been meaning to get rid of, or want to donate for the yard sale, please let me know. I would be more than glad to come pick up any donations.

This is the event they're raising money for; click the image below to visit the website.

a few pics from the pacific northwest.

2010-04-06T08:43:00.002-04:00

and a few shots from the trip....

...and here we come.

2010-04-02T13:31:00.000-04:00

...after a successful vacation, we're waiting to board the flight home at portland airport. I should have a handful of good pictures to share with you on the next post... but that will be after the jet-lag has gone away sometime this weekend.

2010-03-25T13:39:00.000-04:00

So we're leaving early tomorrow morning for a week in the pacific northwest. I've never been further than Denver, so this is new to me. We'll fly into Seattle and spend a few days, drive down the coast into Astoria where a huge portion of my childhood was filmed. Thanks to Richard Donner, I believe that Goonies never die... somewhere in the back of my mind, there are a few kids still hunting for treasure under Astoria.

We'll drive out of Astoria into Portland and tour the city before flying back. It's neat, we fly out from Raleigh to Newark, to Seattle. Drive from Seattle to Astoria, then into Portland, before flying back through Houston to Raleigh.

Expect pictures to be uploaded to my picasa link from the previous post. If you have any requests, let me know... I'll do what I can.

"A good photograph is knowing where to stand." - Ansel Adams

2010-02-26T12:29:00.000-05:00

I'm no photographer, but I love taking pictures. There are far too many "photographers" around Asheboro.. and I'm sure it has something to do with RCC and lots of students that have a bigger ego than portfolio.

Just the same, I take pictures. Some of them turn out pretty good. I make every attempt to not do any post-processing as I would rather just shoot a photo and then upload it for people to see.

So... that said. I have my pictures online.Check out my picasa page or my flickr page if you want to see them.

2010-02-21T09:13:00.001-05:00

That's exactly how I feel. No, not dead.. but absolutely at rest. Well rested. Recharged. Beaufort tends to do that to me. More pics will follow soon.

2010-02-20T00:14:00.000-05:00

There is nothing in this world as calming as spending time in Beaufort with my wife. Nothing.

Except maybe pairing the experience with a bottle of good cabernet.

2010-01-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

So...

after a lumpectomy and some exploration of lymph nodes, it's been determined that my mother-in-law is clear of cancer. There's still some radiation to come over the coming weeks, but for right now... we're in the clear.

Go get yourselves checked out and hopefully avoid the stress associated with a surgeon telling your family that "it's cancer."

Cancer, Cancer Awareness and a gripe.

2010-01-19T07:45:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how many of you are using Facebook. I know it's effectively the most annoying of my addictions, behind good food and computer-geek-stuff. A few weeks back, there was a chain letter going around to all of the ladies on Facebook urging them to post their bra color in support of breast cancer awareness. Of course, 90% of the guys on Facebook had no idea what was going on. Believe me, I have nothing against raising awareness for a cause I have always believed in. If you're a woman, go get a mammogram as soon as your doctor will allow it. Men? Prostate exams as soon as possible. Cancer screening and awareness is nothing new... but when folks dilute themselves into thinking that a gender-specific-coded-message on Facebook is helping, we're all at a loss.

I bring this up because I was sitting there yesterday when a daughter and husband were told that their mother/wife (and my mother-in-law) indeed had breast cancer. She was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS for short). According to what I've found in research, and from what the doctor said, it's the most common of non-invasive cancers. Lumpectomy followed by radiation can normally take care of the treatment, mastectomy is another option. I've never sat there for that specific moment in time... when someone is given the news that their loved one has something inside them that could potentially be fatal.

I guess, if I'm trying to achieve anything by this blog post.. it's this: Get yourself checked out. Go to your doctor. Both men and women. Simply having a pink ribbon ball-cap and a Save-the-Tatas sticker on your car doesn't replace a screening.

I sat around trying to figure out why these women on Facebook had digressed back into middle-schoolers with their random color status updates, meanwhile my mother-in-law had a tumor growing inside her. If you want to support a cause that you claim to believe in, make a donation... go to a relay for life and walk... but most importantly, don't be a hypocrite to the cause. Don't dress up in breast cancer awareness garb and never get yourself checked out.

Long story short, they're going to meet up with an oncologist next Monday for a plan of action. If you're a religious person and want to send out a few prayers for Cathy Wood, please do. If you're a secular humanist and just wanna throw out some well-wishing or good karma, that's perfectly accepted too.

2010-01-17T12:43:00.000-05:00

I love transitional meals. Lately, our Sunday morning breakfast hash has found itself stuffed into a tortilla and alongside a black bean soup by later that evening. Today will be no different. The hash is relatively simple. Just dice sweet potato, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion and mushroom. Sprinkle with cumin, pumpkin pie spice, smoked paprika, salt and pepper, and toss it onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or so.

Thankfully, it works just as well later on as a quesadilla. Good times.

Suuuuushi

2010-01-15T22:23:00.000-05:00

a...nd hurray for sushi night with the lovely wife. Let's see here, we had a moonlight roll, cucumber salad, and a boat... and beer. Tasty night. I know there are other places for sushi in Greensboro, but I can't seem to pull away from US Sushi.

2010-01-14T18:27:00.000-05:00

on a side note from everything else...
I love my dog.

Random update..

2010-01-14T13:35:00.000-05:00

So I think we're gonna go see our favorite potter this saturday. If he's around, that is.

Also, there is some kind of plant/factory in Asheboro where their product smells (from a distance) like those pink circus peanut candies.
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

2009-12-21T00:54:00.001-05:00

so here's the sigh of relief.

it's been a while since I last posted anything, but I just wanted to offer up my holiday greetings and well-wishes. Everything in my world is great. The first semester back in college since 05 ended with a 4.0 GPA. Good stuff as far as I'm concerned. The celebrations of the upcoming holidays will surely be a point of some stress, but all's well that ends well, right? It's for a good cause anyway.

Just the same, I'll go ahead and point out that one of my resolutions is to update this with a bit more of regularity. Anywho, Merry Christmahannukwanzikah or whatever you believe in.

a sigh of relief?

2009-11-03T10:07:00.002-05:00

Not yet...

Congrats go out to Bill and Jen on their wedding. I don't think I had ever been to a wedding and reception (other than my own) that were nearly as enjoyable as this particular halloween event. My leg started bugging me last Thursday, but I ate enough ibuprofen to power through it... at least up until Friday afternoon or so. I'll live, I had just walked a bit more than I was used to.
Just the same, the wedding is over.. and I think there is a collective sigh from all of us that were involved. It was a great success, and I think that everyone had a really good time.

On another note, a good friend of mine lost his Dad this past week. We had a few beers in his honor last Wednesday night and the funeral is this coming Thursday. I don't really know how he's feeling exactly.. and probably won't. His dad was a great guy, and one of my coaches growing up through little league. It had probably been close to 10 years since I last saw the guy, but I knew his health was failing. It's strange how time flies. If nothing else, I guess I'm merely trying to push the opinion that we should reach out to those we care about regularly. There's no way of knowing when that last drop of sand falls from one end of the hourglass to the other.

Work. Work is ridiculously busy for the moment.. and will be through sometime next week. School is just the same. At least we can relax during the upcoming holidays, right?

....right?

I guess I'll be able to take a deep breath and relax sometime in January.

my new addiction

2009-10-21T13:34:00.002-04:00

So, I consider myself to be a foodie.. but I just like eating. There's a new restaurant reviews site out that I've grown addicted to. Urbanspoon. I have a profile on there where I've been posting a ton of reviews to places I've eaten, and if you wanted to.. you could sign up and be my friend.

You can either click the link below, or type it into your browser to set up and account, be my friend on there, and read my reviews.

http://www.urbanspoon.com/e/accept_friend/515417/570

2009-10-13T09:30:00.001-04:00

Well, this is an all-good broadcast. Things are, for a lack of a better phrase, all good. The broken leg has been cast free for a few weeks now. The leg that formerly held captive a piece of concrete is healing nicely, and I’ll do you all a favor by omitting a picture. Just trust me.

Work has kept me far beyond busy, considering what we’re all going through here in the office for the next three weeks or so… and what we did for the previous three weeks. The upcoming weeks will be easier with me being more mobile than previous three.

I still haven’t picked my bike back up, but first things first, right? We have to crawl before we can walk over to a dangerous murderous devil-cycle (tongue planted firmly in cheek here). I actually think I’ll have a good friend of the family ride it to the house for me, and then I can spend more of my time practicing. While the ride from Cox’s to the house is pretty simple, consider my nerves to still be somewhat shaken. Fear is a great self-control mechanism, but it doesn’t feel good to rely on it.

Life has been somewhat busy too. My classes are in full swing, and I’m remembering how much time you have to dedicate to become a successful student. I’m enjoying the courses I’m in as well, so I’m sure that helps with actually doing pretty well in them. I was able to get back into the kitchen as well. Being on crutches or in a cast isn’t very conducive to standing in the kitchen… and having a small kitchen doesn’t allow one to sit to do much either. Just the same, I dove into a full-fledged meal Sunday night. We had apples and white onion roasted with honey and apple cider vinegar, rosemary-thyme-salt-black pepper crusted pork chops, and oven roasted seasoned (salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder) sweet potato home fries. It was a successful evening in the kitchen. I’ll have to get back in the swing of uploading pictures for you all as well. A text-only blog can be boring.

numbered news

2009-09-23T15:13:00.004-04:00

alright, so update.

The current state of affairs:

1. When I fell on the steps, a piece of the concrete the held the slate together decided to hang around in my leg. I had my leg cut up a bit this past Friday night to have the leftovers removed. Yeah, I didn't know why it was taking so long to heal. There was the reason.

2. The bike is finished being repaired. That makes me happy.

3. Today is the last day of Levaquin. Not a moment to soon as I'm feeling increasingly washed out and broken.

4. I didn't have an e.coli infection, but there were two different infections. Eschericia Hermannii was one and Leclercia Adecarboxylata was the other. The first is pretty regular, the second has seen as few as 10 cases in the last 15 years. Boy, do I feel special.

5. The cast comes off in one week, and...

6. This semester is going swimmingly. I'm actually enjoying the classes I'm taking online from ECU. It made "talk like a pirate" day that much more fun, sadly, no one was around to hear me talking like a pirate. C'est la vie, right?

the longest month...

2009-09-15T11:03:00.001-04:00

I’m a month and 2 days on crutches… as thankful as I am to be in the situation that I am, this is starting to suck. I have until at least the 30th to remain on said crutches. I took a tumble a week after the crash due to living on a hill, and I fell up some stone steps in my back yard. That put a nice gash in my right shin that called for some heavy duty (Cipro and Bactrim) antibiotics. I was on both for 10 days… twice a day… plus a topical antibiotic ointment (mupirocin) that I apply to the cut twice a day for 21 days. I went back to the urgent care last Friday because the gash didn’t look that much better, and am back on cipro for another ten days or so.
It’s kinda funny. Cipro with Bactrim isn’t that bad. I’ve dealt with it and noticed no side effects. By itself, Cipro is a bear of a antibiotic to take. It almost feels like my stomach lining is peeling away from inside.
…fun times. Apparently, Cipro works by causing your body to stop producing certain proteins that the bacteria likes to feed on. Scary. I’m taking something that halts my body from working.

Remind me to never, ever, for any reason, fall.. ever again.

Boo

2009-09-03T09:52:00.000-04:00

I will admit that a second cast is better than scheduling a surgery. Plus, this is a walking cast... so I can put weight on this one as I feel comfy enough to.

Yay

2009-09-03T09:12:00.000-04:00

1 down

not a serious update!

2009-08-27T14:57:00.002-04:00

Just the same, I discovered that our 1st anniversary weekend is the same as Beaufort's 300th Birthday. We'll be there for both the anniversary and birthday celebrations.

good times, good food, good wine, good company is coming soon...

I'm living out a stereotype.

2009-08-21T09:22:00.002-04:00

3 Visits to a doctor (so far),
2 separate x-ray sessions (so far),
1 bottle of synthetic pain relief,
A cast,
2 borrowed crutches,
A clean break in the left fibula,
A scuffed elbow, knee, and gut,
A seriously bruised ego,
A new fender,
New seals,
New shift lever,
New rear sprocket cover,
New clutch lever,
New engine guard,
New left fork,
New battery cover,
New foot pegs…

But walking away from a motorcycle crash that involved me and my bike only is priceless.

I’m fine, albeit hobbled a bit. My docs have told me that the break was bad, but I was extremely lucky. 9 times out of 10, with the break that I have, apparently it pulls some ligaments loose and normally breaks the tibia as well. I can’t tell you how thankful I am to be the 1/10th that gets away with it. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for insurance that has been very good to me. I can’t tell you, again, just how lucky of an individual I am. I’m a new rider, and fell into a stereotype. Thankfully it wasn’t the stereotype that includes me not getting up at the end of the crash.

Will I get back on the bike again? Yeah, as soon as it’s ready and I’m able. Nothing can compare to being on the back of a bike like that. Nothing.

I'm sunburnt, but feeling accomplished.

2009-08-10T09:21:00.003-04:00

This past weekend wasn't just hot, it was sweltering. Now imagine having to spend the past 48 hours covered in jeans, boots, gloves, long sleeves, and a helmet... sitting atop a 250cc trainer bike... on a shade free blacktop training course. Granted, we weren't outside for the entire training, but for a good 5 hours of the day we were training and practicing a healthy handful of scenarios designed to test our control of the bike. There was a great amount of knowledge pumped into us, but it was definitely within reason.

Good stuff I say. RCC offers the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Beginning Rider's Course. Sure, other dealerships offer their own training, but this is the same course. If you've ever wanted to give riding a bike a try, do yourself a favor and take the course. 140 bucks covers everything that you'll need for the class. They supply the bike, helmet, and materials. Everything else is up to you (gloves, jeans, long sleeves, the willingness to learn.) Some will argue the cost of the class, I'm sure. It's less expensive than the course that a dealership will offer, and MUCH less expensive than repairs on you or the bike that you might lay down while you're learning on your own.

I passed, which I'm pleased with. The test is twofold. It's more than just a measuring of common sense as well. There is a riding technique test as well as a 50 odd question written test. The thing is, if you pay attention, there are no issues with the written. If you listen to, trust the judgment and instruction of the coaches, and follow their lead.. you'll be fine on the bike. If they say to turn your head as far as possible, do it. It works. If they tell you the bike is effectively a gyroscope, listen.. it really is. Thanks again Dom and Paula. I just didn't realize how much tiny body movements affect stability, or attempt to correct it.

That said, you won't see me on the highway anytime soon. You may catch me practicing skills testing in a local parking lot, or maybe riding to and from work.. but if you live outside of Asheboro, be patient as to when you'll see the new bike first-hand.

Also, a funny thing came up this past weekend. Think to yourself how you pronounce bicycle. Then think about motorcycle. Do you pronounce "cycle" differently? why? I caught myself snickering at the "motorsickle" pronunciation, but couldn't figure out why that was.

The only thing left to do now is head off to the DMV, grab an endorsement and pick up the bike tomorrow.

anniversary?

2009-08-05T09:19:00.002-04:00

So yeah, as of yesterday, threemilesinmyshoes has existed for a year already. I can remember posting around the same time as the Asheboro ABC election... and to think, it's almost a year to the day that I started blathering on.

A picture speaks a thousand words.

2009-08-04T15:12:00.000-04:00

Brown ale and witbier. Witbier wins.

2009-08-03T20:09:00.000-04:00

Natty greene's

A Natty Greene's coming to Asheboro?

2009-07-27T09:54:00.002-04:00

So, I overheard a rumor this past weekend. I'm not much for gossip, but if something like this were to happen, it'd be kinda neat. There is an empty building in downtown Asheboro at the intersection of sunset and fayetteville streets. Yeah, with the huge mural on the side that has been there as long as I can recall... that one. Well, according to a bird that I bumped into over the past weekend, there was a rumor floating around that the Natty Greene brewery/brewpub/restaurant was looking to move into that location.

Granted, it's just a rumor, but it would be more growth downtown.. and they have some fantastic food. I brought up the fact that the parking would be a bit to deal with, but was reminded that the original Natty Greene's in Greensboro has to deal with the same parking dilemma.

I guess we can just wait to see if the "FOR LEASE" banner is taken down.

hope you all had your bagels...

2009-07-20T12:39:00.001-04:00

...because another local business bites the dust.

it's a shame, too. Rumor has it that the owner cleaned the shop out over the weekend and has said nothing more about it to anyone.

Some folks kill me.

2009-07-14T08:15:00.002-04:00

We ventured out to David's again last night and only had my thoughts reinforced about how this could indeed be a lasting business venture if the owners maintain the current standards that they have set for themselves.

The food was outstanding, but I failed to snap any pics this time... I was too distracted by this couple with their baby.

10 minutes into dinner, a couple came in with their baby and sat near us. Let me preface this rant with this:

I don't have anything against babies. I do, however, have everything against parents that shouldn't have kids. This couple comes in, takes their menus, plops this tiny child into a kids seat, opens up a DVD player, and force-feeds the child Baby Einstein. So now, instead of a great conversation with my wife, mom, and sister, I get to see and hear (at full volume, nonetheless) flashing repetitive images and random odd noises.

...on a loop.

...during my dinner. The mother turns to a couple sitting near us and spouts off the following logic wiht my replies italicized:

"If she doesn't watch this, she screams. She screamed in the car until we turned it on for her."
Sounds, to me, like you should be paying more attention to your kid. She's chewing on part of the seat that the restaurant has provided you. While I have nothing but the best of hope and faith in the restaurant, to let a baby chew on a child's seat is just asking for trouble. Stay at home, many places do takeout. A few deliver. Better yet, cook for yourself.

"This is our first time here."
...and hopefully the last. I don't want to have to watch Baby Einstein while I have a conversation and great meal with my family. Had I wanted to be engulfed in that repetitive mess, I would've considered having a child by now. I haven't.

"We have a 45 minute drive to church."
I've gotta give her this one. If you're going to try to appeal to the masses in Asheboro, hit 'em in the Bible Belt. Good move on getting yourself out of a situation where you're clearly at fault.

Please, if you're kid screams unless they're being pumped full of Disney, figure out why. If it's an exaggeration to cover your bad parenting, don't toss out random excuses and try to get folks on your side by bringing religion into it.

It's not the norm for me to rant this early in the morning, I just haven't had my coffee yet... nor enough sleep last night.

Flying pig, pt 1.

2009-07-10T19:04:00.000-04:00

They have fat tire on tap...

David's California Burger

2009-07-09T11:37:00.000-04:00

Wow and yes.

Riding boots, done.

2009-07-07T10:20:00.001-04:00

Next up, gloves. Rider safety course after that...then a new bike.

2009-07-05T18:54:00.000-04:00

It never ceases to amaze me at the things I see in parking lots. This was courtesy of the K&W.

Happy 4th from elizabeth's pizza.

2009-07-04T15:18:00.000-04:00

Saturday dinner adventures

2009-06-27T18:22:00.000-04:00

Other than the lettuce, every veggie was local. Crockpot chicken tacos, rice, beans, lizano, margaritas. We also took advantage of fresh tomato and basil for a homemade bruschetta.. I just hope I have the right pictures attached.

Dinner at home

2009-06-24T19:22:00.001-04:00

Summer vegetable gratin.. Details to follow

alrighty.

roasted tomato, squash, zucchini, and caramelized onion. rosemary foccacia and grated parmasean on top.

you couldn't see it, but we did a cucumber salad. Rice wine vinegar, a dab of olive oil, carrot strips, sesame seeds, a little sugar.. and some sea salt.

...as well as a salad with dried cranberries, vinegar/olive oil dressing, chopped almonds and walnuts.

Moms home cooking

2009-06-17T18:27:00.001-04:00

Feast your eyes here

Cucumber and Tomato marinated salad, sauteed squash, new potatos, corn on the cob, marinated and grill-panned chicken thighs, with watermelon and canteloupe to finish everything off.

Hungry yet?

I knew that felt familiar...

2009-06-16T08:39:00.005-04:00

We went to watch "The Hangover" this past weekend, and I have to admit that I really enjoyed it. Kristen and I don't get out to see a movie in the theater often enough... we normally rely on netflix to take care of our movie needs. Ever since there was a shooting at the blockbuster, I haven't exactly felt compelled to spend any amount of time there. Yeah yeah, it was a while back.. and could happen anywhere, but I don't see the point of going to a physical location for a movie if they will ship it to me.

... and back on track.

So the movie tracks three guys in vegas making an attempt to track down a their fourth pal. You see, he's getting married in 48 hours and somehow they have lost him during a night of drunken debauchery in Vegas. While you never see exactly 100% what happened in their room that night, you get a few ideas.

Just the same, the movie felt familiar. It was, for lack of a better comparison, a combination of these two films:

Take the worst (or best, however you view it) drug binge in history and add in a wholesome buddy comedy and you'll wind up with"The Hangover."

I think I still prefer Hunter Thompson's tale over the hangover, but I tend to have a penchant for awkward humor.

2009-06-15T14:26:00.001-04:00

...since when is Asheboro getting a Waffle House?

I was shocked to death to not only see one almost completely built, but to see one that far from 220. I guess they're hoping to capitalize on the fact that traffic is stupid-busy on Dixie drive and will stay that way until the 64 bypass comes to pass.

The bagel shop is great, so is updating at a computer.

2009-06-15T09:30:00.003-04:00

First things first, the bagel shop is great. I dropped by Saturday morning to pick up a handful of bagels and some cream cheese for our breakfast. Kristen manned the coffee pot at the house while I ventured out to pick up the wares from the bagel shop. It looks to be a rather simple setup. A huge pot to boil and a nice oven to bake. I fell in love with their hardware too.. it isn't often that you see Viking/Sub-Zero in their natural habitat.

I'm an everything bagel fan, and they do it right. Until Saturday morning, I had never tried a chocolate chip bagel, but they're rather tasty. More of a dessert bagel-type-thing for me. The Asheboro bagel shop does their fruit (cranberry/blueberry/cinnamon raisin) bagels a little differently. Instead of mixing the fruit in with the batter, it's formed more like a pocket. It works out quite well, though, and I think I prefer this preparation to that of the standard setup.

It would appear that my blog is turning into nothing except a showcase of what we eat. I have no problems, outright, with that... but I like to sit down at a computer every now and then to update as well. While blogging via blackberry is a lot of fun, it isn't quite the same as sitting at a full sized keyboard to pour out some thoughts.

I was a bit surprised to find an already-built Waffle House at the intersection of Dixie Drive and Cox Street... where the laundromat stood for years.

It was a productive weekend... in the sense that we were able to recharge our collective batteries. It was the first weekend that we had been home, together, in more than a month. Either Kristen was busy, I was busy, or we both were out.

We ate too much, didn't get involved with too much, and had a blast. The turkey burgers I posted yesterday were OUTSTANDING. If you want to give it a shot, toss a slice of

It's nice to sit back and focus on the fine art of enjoying the weekend.

Turkey burgers

2009-06-14T18:18:00.000-04:00

99% fat free ground turkey with a, and I didn't think it would work, pack of ranch dip in the meat.

Good stuff for dinner. It helps when you have an ice cold fat tire to go with.

Happy sunday everyone.

the mayflower

2009-06-14T17:40:00.000-04:00

This is the boat fed many. There was salmon, hamachi, tuna, and a few other variants of sashimi. There were crab, salmon, tuna, shrimp, and other nigiri and then 5 different rolls to go along with it.

It was a good night for me, bad night for fish.

The moonlight roll

2009-06-14T17:34:00.000-04:00

Salmon, tuna, crab meat and cream cheese. Wrapped in cucumber and sitting in a pool of ponzu sauce. There's a dab of sriracha on the top to add a bit of heat with the fresh taste of this roll.

Good stuff

2009-06-13T18:32:00.000-04:00

Korokke. Basically fried shepherds pie with hoison sauce on the side.

Us sushi

2009-06-13T18:27:00.000-04:00

Cucumber salad goodness. Cucumbers, carrots, sesame seeds, and rice wine vinegar..

Tuna melt tuesday

2009-06-09T18:12:00.000-04:00

Homemade tuna salad with provolone and sharp cheddar, cucumber chips with cracked pepper and seasalt, and some triscuits. Good stuff

beware of random upcoming posts

2009-06-08T16:25:00.002-04:00

so.. a few updates.

I recently bought a blackberry. I'm a geek, so it fits. It allows me to post here, with pics.. instantly. I dig that.

Friday was a good/bad day. I tore a hole in a favorite shirt of mine, that was the bad. The good was that I got an acceptance letter from ECU. I was applying there to finish my degree through their online program. I hadn't heard anything back and was getting a bit antsy... but here we go.

I've never been so excited to fall back into debt.

Burrito brothers is my hero

2009-06-07T14:04:00.000-04:00

This is the alpastor soft taco goodness. Bbq pork, cilantro, avocado, and onion.. With a little lime on the side.

Yes. Please, and thank you.

Sir Pizza!

2009-06-04T11:45:00.001-04:00

Lunch at sir pizza makes me happy.
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

2009-06-04T11:00:00.001-04:00

So this is a test blog post from a blackberry... If this works, we are in business
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

a big upcoming wedding season

2009-05-27T08:52:00.002-04:00

So we were married last September. We were planning on a Nov 1st wedding, with a rehearsal dinner on Halloween.. but it didn't work out. Actually, everything worked out better as it was.. so that's a plus.

Weddings are wonderful things to be a part of... until you get into the logistics behind them. We had a relatively small wedding, but you would've thought we were planning for 300 or so folks coming out... and now two of my friends are jumping into the same exact situation.

Adam Brown, a groomsmen, and buddy of mine from high school is getting married late this september in Florida. Thankfully, I don't have to dive into a tux for this one. Also, it's a nice trip to Florida for us. We'll be in Bradenton, over on the western coast of florida.. during prime hurricane season. Fun times. I know they're planning an indoor (in a church, nonetheless) ceremony, so that will help.

Bill and Jen (our pals in New Bern) are tying the knot on Halloween day.. outdoors.. in New Bern. I'll be the best man for this one, and I'm still avoiding a tux.. amazingly. They're planning on a rather large (in my opinion) ceremony of 150+ folks on the invite list. I know that the New Bern Convention Center is on hold for the reception, and that they're looking at catering options from this point. I'm a little jealous that they get to go through with a Halloween wedding, but I'm happy for 'em just the same.

Please, though.. no more weddings this fall... m'kay?

random.

2009-05-26T16:55:00.002-04:00

I am entirely convinced that James Blunt is actually a leprechaun in a man-suit.

so last night kinda sucked...

2009-05-14T10:44:00.002-04:00

6 months ago I had my wisdom teeth removed under the expert care of William Rabe. He's a great oral surgeon and I would recommend him highly... so don't think that my rant has anything to do with him, his practice, or anything like that.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way...

After having my teeth removed, I knew that there was the possibilty that the remaining teeth could shift around a bit after having opened up a bit of space in my mouth. What I didn't realize is just how bad it would hurt if, say, a molar decided to run amok.

Last night, I think that's what happened. The top left molar (I think that's the #1?) started hurting above the tooth up into my jawbone/ear/eye/etc. I've never had something persistantly hurt like that before... and that's even comparing it to post-surgical pain from the wisdom teeth. The only comparison I can think of would be someone banging a wall anchor into my molar and slowly spreading it open over the course of a few hours.

I thought that I would take advantage of the last percocet that I had from the oral surgery to help me doze off last night, but it didn't work. Yeah, a percocet didn't really cut through much of the pain at all. Not fun. After 3 or so hours with very very mild relief, I finally took 2 more advil and tried to sleep it off.

Miraculously, it isn't throbbing in my head this morning so far... but it does indeed feel... different. Here's hoping that tonight won't be a replay.

mother's day weekend...

2009-05-11T10:08:00.003-04:00

As far as Mother's Day goes, I think we did right by our folks.

Kristen and I took mom and my sister out Saturday to Ganache in Greensboro. If you've never been, I can absolutely recommend both lunch and dinner menus. I opted for a cup of she-crab soup with a bit of sherry on the side, and then a bowl of shrimp and grits. They were local stone ground grits and freshwater NC prawns with a few medallions of incredibly tender andouille sausage... and it was swimming in a red gravy and smoked gouda. I only wish I had carried my camera in to document it all. Kristen with with a gourmet Bayou mac and cheese: Fusilli pasta with smoked cheddar bechamel, sauteed giant prawn, and cajun breadcrumbs. Sis had their crabcakes served with Old Mill grits, a creole remoulade, and collard greens. The crabcakes were more spherical than I had imagined and almost convinced me that they were hush puppies.. until they were broken open to reveal some jumbo lump crab meat. Finally, mom dove in to a Tartlet Ganache. Veggies, egg, and cheese with a side salad. We were all sharing bites here and there from all of the plates, and I can outright openly recommend any of those four plates mentioned.

Dessert was a different world... 4 cups of Kona came out, followed by a 5 plates. We split one macaroon which was easily the size of an open hand. Sis had a piece of white raspberry chiffon cake, Mom went with a Mocha Cake (with kahlua laced buttercream), I had a piece of Bailey's chocolate crunch cake, and Kristen went with a piece of really good Key Lime Pie. We rambled around Greensboro for a bit longer, taking care of an ipod return at Best Buy and picking up a few things at Harris Teeter.

Again, I need to get my camera back out. Dinner saturday night was homemade hibachi steak and shrimp and fried rice with a local egg scrambled in it.

Yesterday was an outing to Bonefish and Henry's Gelato (try the chili chocolate if you go) in Aberdeen with Kristen's folks... and that's the reason I'm going try to put together my own version of Bang Bang shrimp for a salad tonight.

... maybe this time I'll have the camera out. I kinda need to snap some pics of the new truck too.

trucks and eggs.

2009-05-08T17:28:00.003-04:00

I have a new truck! Well, new to me anyway. Excitement reigns in my little world right now. I'll post pics up a little later.

To celebrate, tomorrow I cook hibachi steak and chicken...

preceded only by a breakfast of incredible eggs, local bagels, and coffee... and a lunch (for mom's day / mom's birthday) at Ganache. Sunday will be more amazing eggs and an early dinner at Bonefish to do mother's day with Kristen's folks.

This weekend, I will be fat and happy.

Where did I go hide?

2009-05-05T08:25:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure I could really say I've been as busy, but I've been slack. Things have been kind of busy though:

Back in mid april, we set out on a trip to Kitty Hawk. I had a work conference there, and Kristen made the trip out with me. Contrary to popular opinion, it's actually an awful location for a work conference. Being couped up for 7 to 8 hours a day in meetings and seminars wouldn't be as bad if I didn't know that the ocean was a stonesthrow away. It has been over 15 years since I've been out to the upper banks. I'm normally a southern banks kinda guy. Give me a quiet beaufort corner any day. The northern banks have turned into a "little boxes on the hillside" community from kitty hawk north. Every McMansion looks the same... and it's sad being able to pick out the home that have been there for 15 years. We climbed up the currituck light and the wild horses that used to run about have been replaced with tile rooftops, bmw's, and swimming pools.

Seriously? Swimming pools? You have water on both sides of you. I'm going out on a limb with the assumption that 60+ % of the homeowners in corolla/duck aren't exactly "local" either.

Despite my complaints, the trip was enjoyable. Kristen got to see Jockey's Ridge, we had great food, and effectively had a free room. No real copmlaints, aside from the 39,000 knowitalls there from new england while we were there.

I'm also shopping for a car... er, truck. I've been looking around for something different to drive for a while now, and thought I had settled on getting a motorcycle. Even had the color, make, model, specs and everything else figured out. That's what wish lists are for though. So yeah, a new vehicle. New to me, anyway. My honda has served me well. It saw a cross country trek to and from Denver, carried me back and forth to college, stood up to two different awful work commutes (from troy to biscoe, biscoe back to troy, troy to asheboro, asheboro back to troy all in a day / asheboro to candor) and is still rolling along. I've put 188k miles on it. It has never seen an accident / wreck. I'll surely miss it. On the upside, I've tracked down a 2007 Nissan Frontier. Odd, I've been having the most difficult time typing out "frontier" too... Hopefully, everything will be said and done by either the end of this week, or early next week.

Let's see here, what else have I missed:
- Petunia had been sick, and we think that it may be bladder stones. The vet has sent us home with some painkillers/anti-inflammatory meds for her.
- Go to the mellow mushroom if you're in greensboro and want better pizza than what you can get at some places. I still like Elizabeth's equally as well, but the mellow mushroom is a beautiful building down on S. Elm st.
- I've applied at ECU online to finish out my degree, so that's a plus.

Next time, I'll try to update more often.. that way I don't lose the tiny details.

thanks to my sister..

2009-03-16T08:49:00.003-04:00

So my sis is turning another year older today. I did the same thing 15 days ago. I'll have to upload a pic or five of the cake she made for me. As my wife and I are on a diet, she put together a cake that resembled a salad.

Happy Birthday Sis. You're a quarter of a century old today...

Also, thanks to her ridiculously creative side, I now have a new desktop image on my computer at work. Her birthday cake was from Creative Cakes here in Asheboro. While I would've loved to have made her a cake myself, I couldn't find the time (or enough modeling chocolate) to do it justice.

She had babies riding carrots. I love it. I think it's absolutely hilarious... and tasty too.

Speaking of computers, any of you folks that leave your computer running all the time.. or have constant internet access, I ask that you look into Folding. It's a distributed computing initiative that has been around for a while now. I know SETI had a program years ago, but I'm folding for Stanford University. Basically, they have a program where they send out different proteins to analyze to all of these folks that sign up for folding. The results of folding are helping advance the understanding of certain maladies (MS, etc). If you're interested in joining the cause, check out http://folding.stanford.edu

Ah, Spring!

2009-02-17T09:28:00.003-05:00

Ah, spring...

while it may be a time of odd weather, it's been a time of not feeling too terribly good, dieting, chipping a tooth, staying busy at work, valentines day trips to wilmington, gorging on food at the front street brewery, road trips, and getting back our official wedding pics (make no mistake, the delay was on us, not Julie).

If you'd like to take a look, I'll post a link to our photographers blog:

Our pictures!

Her name is Julie and we worked together for a bit at the Coffee Xchange back in the day. I dig her photo-style and that's why we hired her.

As for the Valentines trip, Kristen and I took a long road trip from home to the aquarium at Kure Beach, had dinner at the Front Street Brewery in Wilmington, and milled around on the waterfront before returning home. All in all, one of the best 12-hour-long days I've had.

super-duper-mega-update.

2009-01-05T09:36:00.003-05:00

Over the past month and a half, it's been a whirlwind of activities for my household:

We adopted a new kitten. His name is Charlie and he was a FCAP kid. Well, we call him Charlie.. but they called him Hughie. Yup, he had brothers Dewey and Louie. He was one of those "I'm going to stay under the bed for 9 days or so" cats, but has lately grown to be a bit more interactive. I say that because he's most likely climbing the curtains and taunting Bella the pug right now.

My motherboard burned out on my computer at home a while back. I build computers. I used to obsessively play games on said computers. I've spent a solid week and a half trying to get all of my components ported over onto a new motherboard (evga 750i SLI for you geeks out there) and then tucked into a newer and much smaller case (coolermaster 330, again for the geeks). It's been a constant tinkering. I don't really have a "shop" that I can work in. I'd love to build things for around the house and fulfill my stereotypical husbandly duties... everyone needs a crooked spice rack afterall. Instead, i'm putting together a computer so we can watch Netflix on our TV now instead of paying the time warner overlords.

A good pal stayed with us for a few days during the holidays as well. Joey came down from Elizabethtown, PA to hang out with us for a few days. We demolished other folks with a bit of online Mario Kart Wii racing, ate way too much, enjoyed the wonderful world of Harry Potter in HD, and basically wasted a few hours of time together every afternoon.

I was able to swing by and see Tom Gray and pick up a few Christmas gifts while there. Thanks again friend, you've added smiles to our Christmas. The salt pig is a permanent fixture now, and we've already made use of everything we picked up.

I'm going back to school as well. As much as I've thought about it, if there is no addition to my education field on my resume within the next few years, I'll be disappointed. Experience only speaks so loudly against those holding $40,000 piece of paper with "they're more qualified than you" on it, right?

We got a new coffee grinder for christmas. My old grinder died and I was stuck back into the world of preground coffee. I need to get back into roasting my own again. Small batch coffee roasting and grinding makes the world go round. Plus, I figure I'll need more coffee if I'm up working on a degree.

So let's see here, what else?

Oh, if you know someone that needs a PA System, let me know okay? Post a comment with your email address or some way to get in touch with you.

I should have my glasses in one day this week... and because my forehead is continually growing, I think I may dive again into the "no hair" phase. I've shaved my head a few times since 2004 and really like the fact that I don't have to shampoo in the shower. Plus, there's never any worry about how my hair looks.

I just wish I could come to the head-shaving decisions when it isn't 34 and windy outside.

I guess that's what toboggans are for after all.

Hurray for a new year, right?

Wedding Pics

2008-12-07T23:44:00.003-05:00

So I put together this slideshow of some of our wedding pictures. Since things have, for the most part, calmed down a bit... I may be posting some older pictures that I haven't had the opportunity to until recently.

These pictures come from two of our friends who just happened to bring along cameras and snap away. I downloaded, sorted, and uploaded them through picasa. I love the simplicity of google.

Enjoy!

let's see here...

2008-12-07T14:57:00.003-05:00

So I now have four nicely healing holes in my head. The wisdom teeth extraction was actually a breeze for me. I followed the recommendation of many folks and saw Dr. William Rabe here in Asheboro. There is an inherent and collective hatred for dentists between my sister and I, partially because our childhood dentist was a nutjob. That being said, I dig Dr. Rabe and his approach. The last part of the last stitch came out yesterday afternoon and I think the healing process is well underway.

Also, it should be noted that while I'm fawning over the care that I recieved, I certainly hope that my mouth doesn't need more services from the good surgeon... my wallet may not recover as well as my jaw has.

I'm happy though, I'm actually had a steak last night (Pittsboro General Store Cafe - local produce, great food, but the service can sometimes really suck) and I'm feeling good about food again.

Kristen and I adopted a new member into the family.. and as soon as he has adjusted, I'll get you some pictures of Charlie. He is an FCAP (feral cat societ) adopted cat and is taking home under our bed for the time being. Beautiful cat, he just needs to get himself acclimated.

...but at times, don't we all?

2008-11-26T08:42:00.002-05:00

I hate it when I sit down to put together a blog and time gets away from me...

...I'm sure it's happened to the best of us though, right? October just passed me by without as much as a single update... but having accrued over 250 hours in overtime alone, I think I was a bit beyond busy.

Things have been going along swimmingly. After the election was over, I decided to take care of a few things I had been putting off:

Home repairs and improvements.
Matt repairs and improvemenets.

I still have a way to go on both horizons, but friday is a big day in the Matt repair field. I'll have my wisdom teeth hacked out Friday morning. No leftovers for me, eh? At least not in solid form anyway. I hate dentists, but after meeting up with my oral surgeon, I'm a bit more at ease.

Getting back into a healthier lifestyle is going to come next, and I figure if my ability to eat is hampered, maybe that will lend itself to me starting back over on a new foot? I can hope as much anyway.

Everything on the homefront is great though. We're preparing for the holidays, and trying to survive the "we must do everything with both families" syndrome that most young married folks go through. We're making it though... this will be the second year of trying to make everyone happy and still keep some time for ourselves to enjoy the holiday season.

I still haven't had a chance to get out to see Tom Gray... and I still have that bottle of Lizano for you. I've yet to find anything (within reason) that doesn't go well with Lizano either. I haven't had the opportunity to get any pictures off of my cameras and get them edited or uploaded. Last night was the first baking that we had really done in the house since... well.. it's been a while. I wish I could share it all with you... but we only made 2 dozen.

homemade (from scratch) cupcakes with a coconut custard filling, homemade butter cream icing to top it, a fresh ganache to top that off, and then slivered almonds.

I guess I eat these solid foods while I still can, right?

I'll update more frequently now that things have somewhat calmed. Here's to hoping that everything is going well for all of you.

so we didn't fall off of the planet during the honeymoon.

2008-09-19T10:07:00.003-04:00

so I have SO much to tell you guys...

but it'll have to be later tonight.

as for the shorter update:

the weather was beautiful for the wedding
the honeymoon was great
naps are wonderful things
coming back to work after a week off sucks like life out of you
people are annoying

that's about it. There's more detail to be added tonight/this weekend.

Tom, I have some Lizano for you. I haven't found it in asheboro yet, but I picked up a bottle of it in wilmington at the hot-sauce shop in the cotton exchange.

all the planning in the world...

2008-09-02T08:37:00.002-04:00

So the wedding is this weekend. We're on deck on Friday and batting on Saturday. We've planned, for all intents and purposes, everything down to the "t." The food is prepared... photographer... attire... lodging.

The only thing we didn't plan on was Hanna. We didn't invite her either. It just looks like she's headed this way...

It's alright though... the venue we chose has an alternate indoor location. Believe me, we appreciate all of the updates (either by text message, email, myspace/facebook, phone calls), but trust and believe that we know she's coming this way.

The pessimism is the biggest issue for me though. See, at this point, there's absolutely 100% nothing that we can do about the weather. In fact, we knew it was going to be hurricane season when we picked the date. Our venue can easily host everyone inside if it comes to that. There's room for folks to change into dresses and tuxedos, mingle about, have some wine if they want... there's room for the food and dancing.

And when it all comes down to it, what's the most important part of the day itself? Is it the dress? the catered meal? the cake or pictures?

... no. It's the fact that I'll be married to the woman that I love. Come rain or shine, that's all that matters in the end.

Google Earth!

2008-08-27T10:52:00.002-04:00

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2214504/google-remolds-earth

take a read folks... Google Earth has added the street view (what everything actually looks like from ground view) and put in better (3D) navigation to the program.

So what's the big deal?

If you have a mobile device that can access the internet (pda/smartphone) who would need a GPS anymore? You can actually get turn by turn directions, see the actual buildings around you, and get the most accurate digital depiction of.. well.. the world.

But why would google use street view here.. I mean, we're just Randolph County right?

You'd be shocked and amazed folks. A little over a month ago, I noticed the odd elongated white van (with an omnidirectional camera) parked in the Walmart parking lot. It was actually parked in a space, thankfully. Sections of Asheboro are already on the google streetview layer.

This (I would imagine) is going to be applied on a global level too.. and for a simple blue-collar worker like myself, this allows us to see parts of the world that I may never be able to see. Imagine the benefit to school children. Why just talk about the pyramids or the Eiffel Tower when you can see it and the surroundings on the screen right in front of you... interactively.

I've used google earth to help me lay out some plans for the upcoming honeymoon. It can show you gas prices, hotels, things to do, restaurants... etc.

If you haven't yet tried this program, jump all over it here: http://earth.google.com/

I've yet to try out the plus version, but I'm half tempted to give it a shot.

too much sleep..

2008-08-26T10:20:00.002-04:00

that's what I wish I could say I've had over the past few days, but it'd be a lie.

So hurray for Sagebrush and Timothy's.. oh.. and.. uh... Sherwood? Okay? I never figured Sherwood would be looking for beer sales, but more power to 'em... right? Maybe this will lessen the load on those overworked folks at RockOla. Seems that they've all been ridiculously busy and since the election was certified. Funny, sounds like someone may have been right about more money being spent in Asheboro.

I know I haven't picked up anything in Randleman since...

Wedding planning has been the word of the day since this past October, and the time is drawing much closer. Am I nervous? Not really. Is She? I hope not. I think it's a shared anticipation to have it behind us. There's nothing quite like spending 11 months trying to plan a wedding. Well, I take that back. There's nothing like having 11 months where you only really have about 4 months of time to use to plan a wedding.

The beauty, though, is that we'll be on our honeymoon in 2 weeks from right now. In fact, there should be sand between my toes in exactly 2 weeks. I'll be able to get back into Picasa and start add some pictures to the blog. Visual stimulation is always a plus in maintaining an audience. Well... pictures or sheer insanity.

Those of you that are fans of beer and head to/from Raleigh occasionally, stop in Apex at the Tyler's Taproom. I recommend Lion Stout or Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout if you like a good dark beer that isn't local... oh, and have the Garlic Fries.

"He gave up his ghost to heaven and we will miss him always"

2008-08-20T08:34:00.004-04:00

I've spent years as a fan of the Dave Matthews Band... and I'm keeping that as a conservative description. As a musician, I kept it my goal to learn every song they've churned out... released, or unreleased.

It's hard to explain in a blog what the music that these guys produced has meant to me. It has pulled me through rough times and helped me celebrate wonderful little moments in my life... and one of the founding members of the band has left us.

One of the multi-instrumentalist for the Dave Matthews Band, LeRoi Moore, has passed away. He hadn't been on this past tour due to injuries that he received after an ATV accident in June. My fiancee and I attended a show on July 4th of this past year, and was astounded... as I tend to be at their shows.

We left the show, talking about the next one that we could go to. We left with a sense of anticipation and joy...

and it has since been, as of 8:12 this morning, completely emptied out with nothing to take its place.

what a sad, sad day.

Rest high above the clouds my friend, no restrictions.

A few notes from the weekend..

2008-08-19T10:28:00.003-04:00

- it's impossible to find the natural paper with embedded leaves/twigs/nature things.
- red robin charges way too much for a burger.
- carolina coffee always rises above my ridiculous expectations.
- tux fittings suck the life out of you.
- the lowes foods on 64 has the best beer selection in Asheboro.
- wisdom teeth are the devil.
- wheelies-shoes are sitting on the right hand of the devil known as wisdom teeth.
- everyone should follow the slow roma tomato roasting idea that Tom Gray posted

Everything else was a blazing success this past weekend though. I spent some free time putting together a template for the wedding programs... and we're getting everything in order. The marriage license is in hand, all we need now is to go through the motions and have everything signed.

As for the tomato roasting thing...

We played host to a few folks Sunday afternoon and I love putting together finger foods. I remember seeing the post that Tom had out and wanted to give that a try, so we popped a few slices of tomato in the oven. Instead of any sugar, I added two cloves of roughly diced garlic, olive oil, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper. They hung out in the oven for about 4 and a half hours instead of the full 12. While they did their thing, I pulled together a basil infused mayonaisse, toasted some sea-salt and rosemary bread, and sliced some polly-o mozzarella cheese.

They turned out to be, effectively, two-bite french bread pizzas.

Good stuff.

so with everything said and done, the wedding is a little over 2 weeks away... and our to-do list is shrinking daily.

...gah. I need a drink.

working for the weekend

2008-08-13T10:20:00.003-04:00

The very idea of starting off my saturday morning at Carolina Coffee and Tea is something that thrills me beyond compare. Being a coffee snob at heart, I've been hard-pressed to find a more outstanding cup of coffee anywhere around the Piedmont.

No, no... I'm not talking about Lattes or Cappucino.. I'm talking about a cup of coffee. Just hot, filtered water over freshly roasted and ground coffee beans. That is the essence of the cup. If you can't get a good cup of coffee, how can you expect a good latte? Just the same... I'm fully expecting a double espresso first, and a medium mild blend coffee afterwards.

...it's all about the crema. You won't find anyone at a big-box coffeeshop, or many mom and pop places that can pull a great shot of espresso. I could... but that's why I'm a snob now.

That would explain why I'm ridiculously happy about the espresso and coffee that I'll have Saturday... I know it's quality.

I get fitted for my tuxedo this weekend as well.

...and we put together wedding programs.

I'll try to get some pictures of the odd parking that we have now too, I'm tracking down the charger for my other digital camera.

With all of this to look forward too, I admit to working for the weekend as of this moment.

who's next?

2008-08-12T11:36:00.003-04:00

Any running bets on the next restaurant that will actually serve? There have been quite a few gas stations/locations for off-premises sales, but we've yet to see another restaurant jump on-board.

Who is going to give those hard working (a lot of wait-staff working double shifts, 7 days a week to accomodate the change) people at Rock-Ola a break?

Chilis?
Sagebrush?
San Felipe?
Burrito Brothers?
Timothys?
Something Different?
Pizza Hut?
Olde Towne Deli?
Bamboo Garden?
Blue Mist?
Mayflower?
Sapporo? (beer and sushi go well together...)
Tuscany? (Wine and italian food? who would've imagined!)
Quotables? (miiiiight have to stay open longer than just lunch though...)
Coaches?
Zekos? (beer and pizza work well too...)

Just a few examples to ponder...

I know Sir Pizza has vowed to never serve... and there are few places that I don't think would consider it. I've never seen alcohol served in a buffet style restaurant, and I really don't think many people want an Asheboro Libre with their Biscuitville bacon platter.

Just the same, who do YOU think is going to be the next to dive in?

awkward parking in downtown...

2008-08-11T10:17:00.002-04:00

Since when is it necessary to redo all of the parking downtown near Monroe's/the old courthouse? I can admit that the parking change near First Nation...er... Community One made a bit of a difference.

The biggest difference is not being able to see oncoming traffic until my car is halfway backed out onto Sunset Ave.

So why change things at the old courthouse/register of deeds? It's a blind turn and if you're the lucky winner of the "parking in the spot nearest the intersection", things may grow to be a bit hairy when backing out to leave. Does Asheboro need that much parking?

Pics to follow.

also, all four quik chek locations in Asheboro have their ABC permits... as well as both of the Lowes Foods stores.

2008-08-08T22:52:00.002-04:00

So aside from blogging, and enveloping myself in the hobbies that I listed on the brief self-description... I enjoy games. No, not mind games. Not drinking games, either. I'm a video game nut at times. I built the PC that I'm on now to the specifications that I wanted a few years ago, and would love to boost up a new machine overall. Some people argue about video game consoles. Not me, I've one of each... but the Wii sees more play time than the PS3. I haven't even hooked up the 360.

Tonight, it's PC gaming though. There's something addictive about first person shooters. I used to be a COD guy.. including all of the variants. I bounced around to BF2, Quakewars, Quake, Half Life2, and now back to Call of Duty 4.

I can't help it. I played "army" with my cousins 20 years ago... and don't care to enlist considering the current quagmire. Besides, digital bullets hurt much less... and are a lot cheaper too. Then there is the whole "hit enter to spawn again" deal that you can't really get in real life.

so hurray for the weekend. Yard work is waiting for me in the morning... and the poor yard needs it. The Fiance and I have been much too busy for our liking, so this could be both therapeutic and productive...

til then, folks.

2008-08-08T14:44:00.005-04:00

...and now Walmart gains their temporary permits.
So I'm curious where all of the folks that were going to boycott alcohol-supporting business are going to shop now... I'm not trying to be facetious, just curious if these folks are going to stick to their testimony.

Both Wilco-Hess stations also picked up their permits yesterday. It will be interesting to see how these places change their layouts. What is going to go? I know that Lowes Foods (well, I've been told) is going to relocate their card section in order to put in new cooling units for their beer sales. I am just a bit curious about the walmart layout. Will they mimic that of the Randleman walmart? I've no idea.

I'd just be happy if they cleared the cars out of the fire lane/no parking zones.

Also, thank God it's Friday.

the low price kings begin battle..

2008-08-07T09:07:00.002-04:00

J&S Independent and 786 Mart both have their temporary permits. 786 Just picked theirs up a few minutes ago....

I just wish there was a station a little closer to downtown that could compete with those gas prices... whether they have beer or not.

It may come as a shock...

2008-08-07T08:10:00.003-04:00

...but my existence on Blogger isn't going to only revolve around alcohol, red oak, rockola, or abc permits. Just the same, as long as I can update that information, I will. However, there is a multitude of other things going on right now. For one, I'm within the 30 day countdown for my wedding... and in a month from this moment, I'll be on my way to Manteo for the beginning of the honeymoon.

It's been years since I've been to the banks, but the salt in the blood is rising with the anticipation. The last time I was there, I tried hanggliding. That didn't work out too well the first time around, but there's always hope. I just don't think I'm meant to fly.

I've been reading a ton of reviews and forum posts from roadfood, and I think that the honeymoon will be an adventure.

As a recommendation: If you've never been to the Beaufort Grocery restaurant in Beaufort, NC... please do.

Have the Saganaki and Gougeres.

have a beer at Rockola...?

2008-08-06T08:44:00.003-04:00

It was interesting to see the Red Oak van on the news last night... sitting out in front/beside of the Rockola.

My Fiance and I had our first date at the Red Oak Brewpub in Greensboro near Guilford College.

good times, good nachos, and great dark beer.

Hopefully the Easy Mart will have it... since they've applied for their permit.
http://www.ncabc.com/search/business.aspx?bid=148153

If they don't, I'm sure Food Lion won't let me down.
http://www.ncabc.com/search/business.aspx?bid=148164

then again, if they don't have the Red Oak beer, at least I can have a wine tasting at Oakie Mountain Shopping center.

or over at the other Food Lion on 49.. since they apparently have it permits too...
http://www.ncabc.com/search/business.aspx?bid=148166

that said, any of the 200 people that were at Rockola last night, what beers are they offering?

and thus it begins.

2008-08-05T14:31:00.004-04:00

as of 2:32PM, the July 29th ABC referendum has been certified. So who is heading out for that beer that Rockola has been waiting to sell since 1999?

...~~also, there have been no updates to the ABC Commission permit list.~~

Update.

Quick Quality Gas Station has been added to the list.
http://www.ncabc.com/search/business.aspx?bid=148144

so who is in? update!

2008-08-05T10:59:00.005-04:00

http://www.ncabc.com/search/business.aspx?bid=79024

Rockola has acquired temporary permits to serve all four types of beverages. expect to see taps flowing soon.

http://www.ncabc.com/search/business.aspx?bid=148132

It would also appear the J&S Independent (of J&S Wholesale and Rentals, LLC) is in for all of the off premises sales optinos.

http://www.ncabc.com/search/business.aspx?bid=148144
And the Quick Quality Gas station on South Fayetteville Street is in for Malt Beverage and Unfortified Wine.

to echo this morning...

2008-08-05T10:29:00.003-04:00

Election results will be certified within the next few hours.

Keep an eye on the NCABC commission website folks, I'm sure things are going to be showing up quickly. Also, the NCABC is hosting a RASP (responsible alcohol seller program) workshop on 8.14.2008 at the public works training room. 1312 N Fayetteville Street in Asheboro. There's a morning session from 10 am to noon, and an afternoon session from 1:30-3:30. The training is free...

it might not be a bad idea for prospective employees of Rockola/Chilis/Sagebrush/any future restaurants that might be opening to drop by and attend on of these seminars...

...but you have to register for the workshop.

ABC? Who's in?

2008-08-05T06:45:00.003-04:00

Aunt Betty's Cafe... The Alphabet Store...

I've heard it referred to as a few other code-names in my time, but the curiosity surrounding the ABC for today is simple... and has nothing to do with the retail location itself.

In the megalopolis that is Asheboro, who is applying for ABC sales and who isn't?

With the impending certification of the ABC referendum on tap (pun completely intended) to go through early this afternoon, there is an online database of all ABC permits that have been granted throughout the state for the past 15 years or so. The majority of permits have gone to individuals, but there have been a few businesses that have been listed as well.

The big news will be what names are being added to the list of permit applicants / temporary permit holders over the next 24 hours. It might make it a bit easier to squash those nasty little rumors floating around about who is and is not supporting sales of alcohol in asheboro.

curious? click here to search the database.

So what are we looking for...?

2008-08-04T20:40:00.002-04:00

I know there has been much in the way of assumption and supposition following the passing of the alcohol referenda here in Asheboro. A lot of folks are keeping their eyes peeled for what may be on the horizon for this sleepy city...

... so what is going on? What happens now? The election is to be certified within 16 hours and temporary permits will be assigned to local businesses. Rumor has it that Sagebrush, Rockola, Chilis, a few grocery stores, and convenience stores will be applying for temporary permits.

There's also a rumored sports bar and grille coming to the food lion shopping center on 49.

What would some of you like to see in the way of progress. I know there were a few good ideas posted on the highly commented on Randolph is Talking thread. Someone had mentioned the idea of a Microbrewery in Asheboro. A lot of folks shrugged off the idea, but take a look at Pittsboro. You'll find a microbrewery and a restaurant with an exceptional menu, live music three days a week, and ... of all things, a bar inside.

Could a brewery survive in Asheboro? It's possible. Probable? It's hard to say. One of my favorite breweries closed their restaurant in Greensboro. Red Oak Brewery is no longer open on the restaurant side of things, but they still sale and distribute their brews locally. If there was a tie in to the Zoo, and able to be sold to/from the local restaurants, a brewery could survive.

Me? I'd love to see a brewpub come into play. At one time, there was a coffeeshop downtown where Quotables is now. Bailey's Coffee and News was one of the closest thing to.. well.. if you ever watched Cheers... it was like that. Everyone that came in knew everyone else, and if a stranger walked in the door, they left as a friend. I'd love to have that aspect come back to somewhere here in town. Live music... open for longer hours...

...but that's just me.

Any word on the old Sir Roberts restaurant near the high school? Have any of you bloggers heard who is in contract with this particular spot? Color me curious.

also, what would you like to see move in to Asheboro now that the city is wet? Live music in the city park? Different restaurants? Where in Asheboro do you see the change?

the first of... many?

2008-08-04T11:00:00.001-04:00

Well... here we are. Let's see how well I can keep up with this. After years posting to Livejournal, I'm going to try this particular flavor of blogging.

Thanks to Rob over at RIT for sparking the ever-present urge to blog.