Life in the Triangle

The Sleep Inn of Boone, NC – Review

2011-07-07T21:25:00.002-04:00

My wife and I struggled to find last minute accommodations over the July 4^th holiday after other vacation plans fell through. All the beaches were booked, so we thought we’d try the mountains. Boone seemed to be an interesting city, so using one of those Veloci-Pedia hotel room finders, I came across The Sleep Inn, one of the Choice Hotels line of hotels (Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Clarion, and others.) The hotel was within our price range for the accommodations we desired.

Upon arriving at the hotel, I found it to seem much nicer than I had expected for the money over a holiday. The lobby reminded me of the high-end hotels at which I’ve stayed during business travel. Oak permeated the area. Over the few days we spent at The Sleep Inn, we visited or called the front desk about seven or eight times, not for problems – just for information, extra towels, etc. On every occasion I felt the front desk and housekeeping staff went the extra steps to be courteous and helpful. They always made us feel as if we were the only guests at their facility.

When we first entered our room, once again I found it to be nicer than I had expected for the price. In fact, we’ve stayed at much more expensive hotels with rooms not as nice as this room. First, it was very spacious. How many times do you remember rooms for which you overpaid yet found yourself tripping over all your belongings? Both our bedroom and bathroom felt large. Even the walls were painted a nice color rather than the typical drab colors found in most hotel rooms in which we’ve stayed. And to add some space, our room had a large-radius curved wall rather than a corner one usually finds in a hotel room. A design of form and function.

I think the thing that impressed me the most about the room was the genuine granite vanity in the bathroom rather than the off-white cultured (fake) marble one usually finds. Even both night tables and the large work table were of the same pleasantly colored granite. The doors were heavy and resembled oak, rather than steel.

Of course, no room is perfect. Our refrigerator was VERY small. Though it looked like a full sized hotel refrigerator on the hotel’s website pictures, on the inside we noted that a great deal of space was “missing” - about the size of a 12 pack of beer cans. Though the door held a lot, there was hardly any shelf space at all. And forget about the freezer. It was just one of those flimsy metal boxes covered in about a half inch of frost with a drip tray underneath, also taking significant shelf space. It was large enough only to hold an ice tray, which was missing in our fridge. The remaining space barely held a small container of leftover wings from Bandana’s.

The TV was fine, though somewhat “dated,” but the WIFI was really a nuisance. It was slow, which, to the hotel’s credit, was probably due to the holiday traffic. Also, and this is probably Choice Hotels’ practice rather than a fault of The Sleep Inn of Boone, was the complexity of getting to the Internet. After calling the front desk to find out the userid and password and entering those to login, we were taken to another screen to agree to the terms, and then, of course, taken to The Choice Hotels website. Finally I was able to get to Google, though sometimes it took two iterations of this routine to do so. But the real pain was that the session would time out if you were away from the computer for a while. I guess in this day of others “stealing” WIFI time, all this is necessary, and it doesn’t specifically ding The Sleep Inn of Boone or Choice Hotels, but it was no less a nuisance. I’ve certainly gotten better response at our local donut shop.

Oh and by the way, if your idea of family fun is to hang out at the hotel pool, you may not find so much here. This outdoor pool was about the smallest I’ve seen at a hotel – only seeming about the size of a large home living room or two standard bedrooms. It felt smaller than an 80+ room hotel should have – almost just big enough so the ads can say, “We have a pool.” The irony is that our view from our room included the nice, large indoor pool at the adjacent La Quinta Inn.

The Continental Breakfast area was typical, but very nice. A suggestion for this hotel, or for that matter ANY hotel, would be to help sleepy-eyed guests by providing enhanced directions to get coffee or to make waffles. This is a rant, I know, but it is not natural for one to approach a coffee pot with black PRESS HERE embossed on a large black button atop the unit. How many times did I hear guests say, “Just press the top,” to other dazed, confused, and otherwise decaffeinated guests. Paint the letters white or put a fluorescent sticker on the top that says PRESS HERE. And although the waffle machine has instructions on a tiny plate with burnt waffle mix stuck to it, it wouldn’t hurt to put a big sign on the wall that says, “To make a waffle …” How many times did I hear, “Just flip it over.” They have signs three feet tall that say, “No Lifeguard at Pool,” but you can’t get a darned waffle and a cup of coffee.

But seriously, and with those nit-pickings aside, The Sleep Inn of Boone was a great hotel, a terrific value, and a lot cheaper than the hotels at the beach. By the way, if you go to Boone, be sure to check out The Mast General Store in Valle Crucis. It’s only about 20 minutes from the hotel, has fun memorabilia, and great merchandise as well.

The Sleep Inn of Boone – a great value, and I recommend it for your next visit to the mountains of North Carolina.

I learned my Olympus E620 – using the Manual!

2010-07-09T21:06:00.006-04:00

This doesn't apply specifically to the Triangle region of NC, but I had no other of my blogs to put it, so, here's to reading the manual!

There's a tired old expression, "When in doubt, read the manual." I was of the type who would say," Well let me try this first …" before opening the manual. However, I knew that the Olympus Instruction Manual would be of great value in order to master this "newfangled contraption" of DSLR. Here's how I learned my Olympus E-620 - using the manual!

As did many others, I too came to DSLR from the OM film camera days. I didn't need to learn the dynamics of shutter speed priority, F-stops or backlighting, - I needed information specific to my DSLR.

When my new Olympus E-620 arrived, and while the battery was charging, I started familiarizing myself with the overall layout of the manual so I would know how to get to the correct section when I would need it.

While holding the manual in one hand and the camera in the other, I located and identified the various external controls. I had no idea what many of them did, ("I wonder what IS is,") but I practiced "pushing the buttons and turning the wheels" anyway.

Once the fresh battery was installed, I did all the preliminary tasks, (loaded the card, set the time/date, etc,) shot and viewed the first few photos, deleted them - you know, the basic stuff.

Then I casually perused the manual to find out what individual controls did. I'd look at a button on the camera, oh, let's say the 'flash' button, flip to the page cross-referenced from the parts and functions chart, and briefly scan to get a "look and feel" of the chapter when time came for me to study it more closely. I wasn't there to learn yet, just to walk the hallways and peek into the classrooms.

I'd select another button, say ISO. I remember using ISO, (I believe they called it ASA,) for the film camera, so I jumped to the ISO section, skimmed over it, and said to myself, "I think I'm going to enjoy DSLR."

Upon browsing the instructions for the AEL/AFL button, I said, "Uhhh … I think its time to move on to the viewfinder." Basically I performed the same steps for all the major areas of the camera: locate - scan the manual - move on, with the viewfinder, the Super Control Panel, the menu structure, etc, just to see what I was in for.

Once my high-level overview was completed and a bunch of test shots were taken, I was ready to dig down and deep into the manual to get a more comprehensive understanding of the controls. As I became more comfortable using the camera for common tasks, I studied the manual on some of the less familiar functions.

Eventually it was time to attempt/practice some of those features that were new to me to see if I understood how they worked. I must have taken about 68 pictures of my stocking feet and the back of a chair while learning things like white balance, live view, navigating, setting and testing menu options, etc.

Outdoors, when I saw incidents that would make good practice for certain camera settings, let's say C-AF or maybe sequential shooting, I'd see how rapidly I could setup and take the shots. I might end up with a bunch of photos of the neighbor's dog coming to lick my face or the passing of a stranger's SUV, but at least I was practicing.

Today, I'm surprised at the agility with which I can navigate the controls on this camera - it's starting to feel like an extension of my hand. I still make mistakes though, like pressing the 'drive' button instead of 'flash' and missing the baby kissing the dog, but you can't get them all. And as can be expected, I still return to the manual many times to better my understanding of certain functions.

Of course, the Olympus Owner's Manual isn't the epitome of perfection and clarity. When certain topics just didn't make sense, I located and began asking questions on Olympus forums. Also from the forums came pointers to a bunch of sites that had reviews and/or further explanations of the camera. Sometimes the aggregation of three or four different references helped me grasp concepts I just wasn't getting. (So THAT'S how to use that button!)

I've had the camera for only a few months, but the manual already looks tattered. In my opinion, (having formerly been a technical writer,) the Olympus E-620 manual was very well written, illustrated, cross-referenced and organized for as complex a product (for me) as is this DSLR. Anyway the point of all this, as mentioned by several forum members, is that "it's all in the manual!" I can only add, "And while you're studying the manual, practice, practice, practice!!

That's how I learned how to use my Olympus DSLR - by using the manual!

.

Diversity Concerns in Chicago Schools

2009-12-22T04:45:00.008-05:00

Well boys and girls, it would seem that Wake County is one of many across the country struggling with reassignment to achieve diversity. Check out this article about Chicago's take on this concern:

School officials have turned to socioeconomic data to assign students because research suggests a close association between race and those measures. Still, parents fear that the shift in admissions policy, accompanied by a decision to give siblings and neighborhood children preference for admission to magnet schools, could erase even the modest gains in school diversity.
Parents of minority children also fear that the changes will reduce the chance that their children will gain admittance to high-performing schools.

Well, I suppose they could always move into a poorer neighborhood.

Experts in social policy say the use of social and economic factors does not compensate for the fact that the neighborhoods from which special-enrollment schools draw their students are themselves not integrated.
“Until we have a world in which housing is more integrated, it’s natural to believe we’ll see schools pretty segregated regardless of the intent or the policy actions of school administrators,” said [....] a professor of education and social policy at Northwestern University.

So is this professor suggesting that some citizens may be forced to live in poorer neighborhoods, while some others may be assigned to live in the richer neighborhood's houses??

Neighborhood Schools

2009-10-29T05:35:00.003-04:00

Well, congratulations, Wake County, you just may get your neighborhood schools. Since you don't want your kids bussed to the county's existing schools, I guess WCPSS will just have to build schools in your neighborhood.
.

You Think Wake County School Reassignment is Bad?

2009-10-13T07:59:00.006-04:00

If you think Wake County School reassignment is bad, be glad you don't live in Chicago.

Since 2005, dozens of Chicago's public schools have been closed and thousands of students reassigned to campuses outside their neighborhoods - and often across gang lines - as part of Renaissance 2010, a program launched by Mayor Richard Daley

So imagine this: Your kid is caught up in a reassignment that puts him and a group of his classmates who happen to belong to, let's say the RED gang, in a school mostly attended by members of, oh let's say the BLUE gang.

That's crossfire that NO parent would want their kid caught in.
.

Crystal Ball Knew About Recession??

2009-10-06T05:41:00.005-04:00

A reader of the News & Observer observed that a "letter-writer criticized Wake County schools for missing the mark on 2009 enrollment forecasts, which were used as a basis for the 2006/07 bond referendum. Somehow (back in the day when the Dow was approaching 12,000, the school system was growing by 6,000 students per year and unemployment was half of what it is today), the school system was supposed to forecast our current recession and the effect it would have on student population growth." She further states that she would have liked to borrow such a crystal ball "before my 401(k) took a nosedive."

Very well said!

.

Let's Be Patient, Shall We?

2009-10-03T09:13:00.006-04:00

This, from a Letter to the Editor in the News & Observer, after an incident at an intersection in Apex:

Traffic had slowed and then stopped for a scared, confused puppy trying to find her way to her house nearby.

The brief wait proved too much for one driver who sped around the waiting traffic in the wrong lane and proceeded to strike and kill the puppy.

The owners watched in horror as the incident unfolded. And then ... the driver checked his rearview mirror and sped away.

My heart goes out to the owners of that poor, unfortunate dog.

And to the driver, well, may you never become impatient while waiting for a stopped school bus.

.

Ninety-nine and fourty-four one hundredths percent pure

2009-05-06T06:44:00.004-04:00

Do you remember those old Ivory Soap commercials that stated their product was 99 44/100% pure? 99.44 is a pretty high number in my opinion. Darned close to 100%, don't you think?

North Carolina State Employees were told they're getting a mandatory 0.5% cut in their salary this year. So let me do the math: Job layoffs across the state yields salaries of zero percent. Job preservation by the state of North Carolina yields 99.5% salaries paid to State employees.

Those State employees who complain about not being able to absorb a pay cut that amounts to all of five dollars per thousand they earn should get over themselves.

UPDATE: The new State Health Plan rates have just come out. Family deductibles for the Standard 80/20 plan have doubled to $1800 over last year's $900. A pay cut of one half of 1% of a State Employee making 40K a year is $200. Yet when the same employee is asked to cough up an additional nine hundred bucks for health care deductible, where's the outrage over that??
.

Large Class Sizes

2009-04-29T07:08:00.005-04:00

The good news is that we have finally completed Attendance. The bad news is that the bell is about to ring, so get ready for dismissal.

Crazy North Carolina Weather

2009-03-15T10:31:00.004-04:00

What a crazy week we had last week in the Triangle Area. Monday it snowed, (a rare "treat" here in the South,) and schools were closed. The following Saturday temperatures hovered around the 80°F mark. In less than a week, snow to eighty degrees. All this in a region that normally sees about 60-65° temperatures this time of year. Wacky.

.

Discrimination by Amendment

2009-03-09T06:57:00.003-04:00

In North Carolina, homophobes want to write discrimination into our state constitution by amendment that defines marriage as between a man and a woman ONLY.

Why stop there? Let's define a family as a married couple and their naturally born children ONLY. No in-vitro fertilization, "Octomom." And no adoption, either.

So if you are unable to have children, you're out of luck. Should've thought of that before you decided to become barren.
.

Competing with Father

2009-02-12T06:26:00.012-05:00

We had one of those "Father-Daughter" dances this week here in the Triangle. You know the type - Dad's getting the opportunity to connect with their daughters - often in an age where Dad's too busy trying to hold onto his job, and the girls are too wrapped up in a digital world at the expense of quality time with Dad. From the News & Observer:

The 12th annual Father-Daughter Dance was a sequined study in contrasts, part high school prom, part wedding reception, part disco romp. The event ... was intended to give fathers and daughters an opportunity to spend an evening together.

But since it was held in a church one week before Valentine's Day, it had the additional mission of modeling for girls what courtship, chivalry and dating are supposed to look like.

"It's a good opportunity for girls to get a standard," said Gerry Hubbell, a member of Millbrook and one of the organizers. "It sets a bar."

For the dads, that meant being on their best behavior. Nearly all the men wore jackets and ties, or even tuxedos and corsages. They opened the door for their daughters, indulged them at the reception tables with all the cookies, M&Ms and popcorn they could eat, and generally allowed them to be princesses for the evening.

That's great and all that dads can get together with their kids for a few hours of father-daughter time. What's distressing is to consider it "setting the bar as a model of what courtship, chivalry, and dating are supposed to look like."

How many young men could come close to such a standard? So let's say these girls start dating, some as early as thirteen. If they were to compare the boys' attitudes and behaviors to those of their fathers, the kids are in for a big awakening.

I'm not against the holding of get together events for dads and kids, and I'm certainly OK with girls spending quality time with their fathers. What I'm uncomfortable with is to present the occasion as some sort of "bar" or "standard" against which the girls' future dates are supposed to look like.

So guys, if you're reading this - beware of your first few dates with girls who may have attended events such as these with "dear old Dad." You may be expected to act like a prince.
.

Wake vs Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Policies for Disadvantaged Families

2009-02-08T12:57:00.006-05:00

Much has been said in recent months about which policy is better at assisting disadvantaged students in the county school system: Wake County School System (WCPSS) with its reassignment program based on family income and a heavy reliance on bussing at the cost of fractured communities in the name of diversity, or Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) with its increased spending on education for the academic needs of low-income students, and community based schools which help to foster community harmony.

Reassignment vs better spending

The Sunday (02/08/2009) edition of The News & Observer has a front page article Whose Schools Work Better? subtitled "Wake disperses low-income students with busing; Charlotte gives high-poverty schools extra money."

The article seems swayed towards having the reader believe that Wake County's solution is better. Consider the graphics within the paper edition of the article:

Even though WCPSS exceeds CMS in passing math or reading EOGs by 9.4% overall, the bar graph illustrates that the difference for black students was only 1.8% higher for WCPSS, and for low-income students only 1.3% higher for WCPSS. The difference for Hispanic students was actually 0.4% lower for WCPSS. As the article states, "[T]here's little difference in how minority and low-income students are doing in either school district."
In the "By the Numbers" table, funding from the county for WCPSS is 90% of the county funding for CMS; an indicator that Mecklenburg County is spending more for education.
Even though WCPSS has 18% fewer bus riders than CMS in the table, and CMS spends 20% more per student for bussing than WCPSS, the bussing cost per mile is 4% greater for WCPSS.
The table also tries to show WCPSS superiority by claiming greater SAT scores by only 5% and high school graduation rates greater by 18%.
That the article tries to demonstrate the benefits of the WCPSS diversity policy by illustrating in the circle graph that the number of schools with a passing rate of state exams above 60 percent is 83% for WCPSS vs 46.5% of CMS schools is debatable.

Other numbers to look at

Whether or not The News & Observer's article sufficiently justifies which, between reassignment or greater spending in high poverty neighborhood schools, is the better method, there are other numbers that can be telling.

It may seem that one indicator of which is the better way to educate our children is to look at the job rates between the counties. After all, what do our educated kids do after leaving the school system? They get jobs, of course. Granted many who graduate from school may go off to college in another state, and some who leave school may get jobs out of state or may even remain unemployed.

According to the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, the employment rates for this past December for Mecklenburg County was 91.7%. The county had a labor force of 447,953 in December, and 410,948 of them had jobs.

Wake County, on the other hand, had a labor force of 439,480 and 412,468 of them were employed. This rate of 93.9% represents a difference of only 2.2 percentage points from Mecklenburg.

Conclusion

The school systems and their families may never agree on the best way to educate the next generation of future salaried employees and wage earners in Wake and Mecklenburg Counties. Is reassignment in the name of diversity better than spending more in high-poverty schools? Who can tell. But numbers can be revealing.

Let's "Do the Math," as they say, shall we?

SnowBama

2009-01-22T07:11:00.002-05:00

According to our local paper, The News & Observer, the Triangle Area had a good percentage of viewers watching the Inauguration:

What do you get when 6 inches of snow collides with a historic presidential inauguration? Eye-popping television ratings in the Triangle.

Nielsen numbers show that more than 51 percent of the households in the Raleigh-Durham TV market were tuned in for the daylong festivities -- the highest concentration in the nation and a higher percentage than even in President Barack Obama's hometown of Chicago.

Here we go again

2008-08-03T09:09:00.001-04:00

Once again, the Triangle Town Center is the stage for controversy.
.

Triangle Town Center Brawl is Gang Related

2008-07-27T17:16:00.008-04:00

There was a big fight among what's been reported to be over 200 teens this week at the Triangle Town Center in Raleigh. Police have indicated the altercation was gang related.

Yeah. Who could've seen THAT one coming, eh?

Walk into the Triangle Town Center any Saturday evening and this is what you'll see. If you're in any of the stores, you'll find the typical mix of people: age and gender appropriate shoppers for whichever store you're observing.

Walk through the corridors of the shopping complex, however, and you'll see a different picture. Over-represented by a significant degree are teens and young adults who seem to be doing anything but shopping. One might even describe their behavior as loitering.

I mean, how can anyone call this presence other than loitering? After all, if they're all shopping, how come only a small percentage are ever seen carrying bags containing purchases?

Next time you're at Triangle Town Center on a Saturday night, (if you dare,) stand in the central part of the mall by the fountain and escalators where you can see both levels. Observe how many actual shoppers you see compared to the number of teens and young adults walking around, (somewhat slowly, I might add,) with no purchases in their hands.

I cannot help but imagine that this incident will have an impact on the merchants in the Triangle Town Center. Hopefully they'll beef up security, at least until this whole 200 person gang related altercation thing blows over.

And if you're a teen or young adult roaming the walkways of the Triangle Town Center on a Saturday night, be prepared for a level of scrutiny like you've never experienced before.
.

Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre, Henderson, NC - "Drive-in Movies" Review

2008-06-04T11:53:00.004-04:00

Do you remember the old days when you'd take your sweetheart to the drive-in theater for a few hours of hugging and kissing? Or perhaps your memory of the drive-in is more likely to contain scenes of your children swinging on the swing set under the big screen.

Maybe your history contains a bit of both.

Anyway, today the drive-in theater has pretty much gone the way of the VCR - a distant memory of the bygone days.

Well, if you live in the Triangle region of North Carolina, you still can enjoy one of the last vestiges of what was once a Saturday evening staple in many of our pasts. Kathy and I live in Wake Forest, and the Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre in Henderson, NC, is just a short half hour drive from our front door. Here are our experiences from our first visit to this blast from the past, where we saw the latest Indiana Jones iteration, followed by a summary and details of the theater.

Welcome back to the Drive-in!

As soon as we drove up to the entrance we were thrown back to the days of hot, sticky summer nights when we saw that marquee on street level inviting us in to see no less than two movies for a price that's about what some pay for a single ticket at the megaplexes at your local shopping mall.

The Raleigh Road theater has a down-home atmosphere and a friendly, courteous staff. When we pulled in, we saw one of the ticket takers engaged in conversation with what appeared to be some regular attendees of this establishment.

In the drive-in theater's heyday, you would pull up to the dual speaker pole and hook one of those heavy, grey, crackly, monophonic speakers onto one of your windows. Not any more. The Raleigh Road theater uses state-of-the-art FM broadcasting to bring the movie into your car in as clear and robust stereo sound as your vehicle's sound system is capable of delivering. (However, they will let you borrow a radio if for whatever reason you cannot use one in your car.) You might not get much of an effect watching some weepy chick flick, but listening to Indiana Jones through our six speaker stereo adjusted to my specifications, (loud and bass-heavy,) was a blast and made the experience a much more personal one than that of the indoor theater.

They had signs for separate parking for cars versus taller vehicles such as SUVs and trucks. This helps to prevent today's popular taller vehicles from blocking the view of ordinary sedans and coupes; a point I found myself needing to emphasize to a family in an SUV who pulled into Row #1 in front of us, and who later left after our brief dialog. Of course you also had your usual cars pulling in backwards with lawn chairs set up to face the screen.

The Playground

No drive-in theater would be complete without a playground underneath that great big screen and the Raleigh Road theater was no exception. This arrangement contained swings and a jungle gym style playset with a roofed play area among other things geared towards the younger crowd. The playground was filled to capacity with kids tossing Frisbees and softballs, and there were even kids working a hula hoop and a pogo stick. A couple kids were throwing a football back and forth, and I suspected it was only a matter of time before that ball hit a car. But at the Raleigh Road theater, I imagine the driver of such a victim car would have just smiled and waved at the kids as they rushed to retrieve their errant ball. Of course there were the requisite pair of lovers smooching in a seating area within viewing range of the big screen.

The only thing I missed was that "twirl table," for lack of a better description, I remember from my youth. But other than that, this play area was amazingly reminiscent of the days of going to the drive-in, both as a kid and as a young adult.

The Bazaar

One thing this theater had that I do not remember from other drive-ins is a bazaar. After parking our vehicle we got out and walked towards the concession stand. Before we got there, two boys approached us selling punchballs, soccer balls and wristbands in support of cancer research. They also had tables with a bunch of people selling raffle tickets, shirts, and other items in further support of that worthy cause.

The Concession Stand - Visit One

Our first visit to the concession stand really emphasized that we were going to have a memory of a lifetime of the Raleigh Road theater. Once the line finally got us into the building, we were hit with the hustle and bustle we remember from our youth. They had an amazingly robust selection of food and soft drinks and a cashier with a dead-on memory of what everyone ordered and which patrons were waiting for which food items as the staff busily hurried to get all the orders filled. We ordered a hamburger, a hot dog, drinks, and popcorn. (Gotta have popcorn at the movies, right?)

Before the movie started

While we waited for the latest Indy flick to begin, I decided to take up the theater's website invitation to tour the projection room. There one of the staff members courteously showed me the "works" of the movie presentation system. When I saw the size of the horizontal platters on which the movie reels resided, (about three feet in diameter,) and the yards of film stretching across to and from the projector, I mused about how everything seemed so quaint, specially in these days of full featured films on a single compact disc. I can't imagine running this equipment in such a noisy, hot, and cramped environment.

Outside the projection room some kids had set up lawn chairs to watch the features. Only now, in an updated version of days remembered, this generation of youth listens to the movie through earbuds connected to portable FM radios tuned to the theater's movie station.

A staff member talked to us through a wireless mike to give announcements, such as the one to let us know this Saturday show, (over the Memorial Day weekend,) was the first sellout crowd in the three years they have been managing this theater. All 250 or so vehicle spots were taken.

The Concession Stand - Visit Two

While Kathy continued to enjoy the movie, I found myself making the requisite second visit to the concession stand for our mid-movie snack. It was at this time I noticed there was a second, mobile concession stand present. (Was that there all along, or did they wheel it in to handle the crowds!) Speaking of crowds, there was quite a line at both concession stands, and at both bathrooms.

Once inside the stand, which was still bustling as before, there were barefooted kids waiting to purchase their goodies. Where else but at an old-time drive-in can you let your twelve year old kid safely stand outside at 10:30 at night unattended with no shoes on? I got a drink and some Raisinets for Kathy and for myself an ice cream cone. (For me, no drive-in theater experience would be complete without a Nutty Buddy.) When I departed the stand, I heard a roar of laughter simultaneously emerging from the open windows of dozens of nearby cars over one of Indiana's antics, which brought back another wave of distant memories I thought had long past.

Intermission

After the first feature ended, the theater showed intermission clips from the old days of drive-in. Think of the vintage scene in Grease of a gyrating hotdog in the background while Danny bemoaned in song his loss of Sandy and you'll know what I mean. They even had the classic one with cartoon characters entering the concession stand and leaving with armloads of goodies while a deep-voiced announcer counted off "Three Minutes Till Showtime," and a great big "3 MIN" displayed, presumably so people who are actually at the concession stand knew how much longer they had.

Intermission is also the time when the whole atmosphere changes at the drive-in. After two hours or so of sitting in your car pretty much undisturbed, now you have splashing across the screen headlights, shadows of walkers in front of the projector, and the perennial no-no laser pen, along with dozens of people walking past your car to get to the stands.

One other event the Raleigh Road theater had that I don't remember from the past was to play games during Intermission. We couldn't see from where our car was located, but they played some sort of game involving frozen t-shirts. The players stated their names and hometowns, (which invariably included Henderson and nearby Youngstown, further emphasizing that most of the patrons are probably locals.) They also announced that this was the sixteenth birthday of a local lad who had chosen the drive-in theater this evening to celebrate with his friends.

The next feature - almost

Kathy and I intended to leave without watching the second feature, but out of curiosity we stayed just to experience the transition. However, that transition got off to a few false starts, as there were some glitches in getting the next film up and running. As I generally enjoy "behind the scenes" moments when I can find them, I sauntered over to the projector room, expecting the door to be closed while they fixed the film. The door was open, and as this theater seems to have an "open door" policy with regards to their projection room, I imagined I'd hang outside and watch, at least till they chased me away. (They never did.) What started off with one guy madly working to refeed the footage turned into five guys, including the manager, all desperately trying to get the machine to cooperate. In the meantime, 16 year old birthday boy and his pals fretted over whether the second feature would be shown. After some reassurance from management, they resumed their 16 year old playful antics.

When it became evident that this was turning into a fiasco, I left to return to the car to prepare for our departure. As I walked to my car, I was reminded of yet another memory from our old days at the theater - cars honking their horns in dismay when there was no picture on the screen. However, I was most amused when I saw two kids sitting in chairs near the projector room. Wanting to be a part of the festivities, they shouted "Beep Beep," while the projection team worked fervently into the night. They giggled when they realized I had heard them.

Summary

Kathy and my experiences at Raleigh Road Outdoor Theater really made our Memorial Day Weekend something to remember. The drive-in is located at 3336 Raleigh Road on the left one mile after turning left onto Rte 1 Business exit off Highway 1 in Henderson. It is within a 60 minute commute to most of the Triangle via Hwy 85 or US-1, and within 90 minutes from more remote areas. Trust me, it is worth the trip.

Visit their website at raleighroaddrivein.com to learn more. And be sure to call their Movieline at (252) 438-6959. If you're lucky, you may get one of their classic announcements that last about three minutes and will surely bring back memories. But don't bring your own food and drink! In order for Raleigh Road Outdoor Theater to keep providing old-time family entertainment for years to come, they depend on you making visits to their concession stand for much of their operating expenses.

If you want to experience once again the charm and pageantry of the drive-in theater, (or want to introduce the thrill to family members unfamiliar with the drive-in,) come to wonderful Henderson, NC and enjoy a blast from the past you and your family will never forget at Raleigh Road Outdoor Theater.

Triangle finally shows drought relief

2008-05-12T18:49:00.002-04:00

We can wash our cars again! And no more need to reserve "flushes" for special occasions.

Of course you remember the poem they wrote for us:

Let it Mellow if it's Yellow,
Flush it Down if it's ...

well, you get the idea.
.

Disappearing From the Face

2008-02-26T16:28:00.001-05:00

For those who may be interested, here's where I've been the past few months.
.

Selling a Used Car

2007-12-02T16:46:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting experience recently while trying to sell a car on a particular free on-line classified ads facility that rhymes with dregslist. I got a response from a guy, let's call him Jerry, that said, "would like to see your car, please call jerry at xxx-xxxx or page at xxx-xxxx thanks"

So I called the guy and he stated he's retired from the automotive industry but he helps his brother who is currently still working with cars here in the Triangle Area. He and his brother occasionally help customers who are looking for good cars by searching ads and pre-inspecting well-maintained candidates on behalf of those customers.

I asked him if he was a dealer, and he said, No, he was just helping a customer who wanted to buy her daughter her very first car.

So he came to my house to see the car. He was very personable and easy going. While he went over my car, (with a fine toothed comb, I might add,) he was telling me about how he had retired after having had three heart attacks, and other related maladies he and his loved ones had suffered.

He told me he provides this service because many cars he and his brother had seen advertised privately are somewhat "less than" what the sellers are representing. I said I believe my car is a good one and is adequately represented by the wording in my ad and by my asking price.

At one point in the inspection he had asked me if I had had the timing belt replaced. As that job is usually recommended at about 90K miles for my car and mine only had 76K, I had told him it had not yet had that part replaced.

After a bit more careful inspection and a test drive, he stated that this car was a fine example, and that I did a great job of caring for it and presenting it as such. He told me he's prepared to pay cash for the car, and whipped out two wads of hundred dollar bills to prove his point. So began the process of negotiation.

As we discussed price, I noticed he kept bringing up the timing belt issue. He said that he would feel bad about having sold a car to this woman only to have her daughter need to spend another $500 on a timing belt soon after. Also, she has to pay for the three Ts, (taxes, title, and transfer.) I presume he wanted me to lower my asking price to account for these costs.

I'm thinking, first of all there's no way I'm paying in advance for a future repair on a car I will no longer own, specially a repair that's 14,000 miles into the future. And how is it my problem she has to pay the three Ts? Everybody who buys a car has to pay the three Ts. But I figured this is just part of the negotiation process. Every buyer wants to chew you down by giving their sob story. I had a price range in mind and I stood by that range. Eventually we shook hands on a deal that was within that range.

In North Carolina, you need to have the title signatures notarized, and that's usually when the transfers of the payment and the keys take place. He said my wife and I could come to his brother's shop where we could complete the sale using their notary. I said, I hope you're not going to change your mind once we get there. He said, "No, my handshake is my word. You'll get what we agreed upon for your car."

After a horrendous drive in two cars through several agonizing detours after a major truck accident in the city, we finally arrived at the shop. Jerry invited us to sit and wait a short time for the notary to arrive.

In the mean time, and this is where it gets interesting, he told me his brother, let's call him John, (the proprietor,) wanted to put my car up on the lift to check it out.

I'm thinking, Check it out? For what?? We had already agreed upon a price after a careful inspection; there should be nothing additional to check out. I asked Jerry, You're not going to change your mind, are you? He assured me, No, John just wants to determine what he will need to do before turning it over to the woman for her daughter.

So there we sat. Soon after, the notary showed up, and she sat with us and waited. And waited. I kept getting up to see what was taking so long with the car. The notary's here, so Let's Go! Jerry was nowhere to be found.

It Needs What?!?

After several more minutes, a very big man storms into the room and declares, in an equally big voice, "Your car will need brakes all around so there's three hundred dollars right there and there's also a leak in the power steering hose so that will have to be replaced as well for another hundred or so." At this point, Jerry joined us.

I'm thinking, So?? How's that my problem? You buy a car, you fix it up for YOUR buyer. Let's get this paperwork signed and give me my agreed upon cash so we can get out of here.

I said, "And you are ..."

He said, "I'm John, the manager. I realize no car is perfect, but I wouldn't feel right selling this car to this woman for her daughter needing brakes and a timing belt at the price you are asking."

I looked over at Jerry, and he was looking down with a sullen, downtrodden look as if to say, Well, what can I tell you? My brother makes a good point.

I said to Jerry, "So. You've changed your mind." He said nothing. I asked, "Where is my car?" He said, Right out front. I asked, "And my keys?" He held them up into my view.

I took the keys, SHOOK HIS HAND and said, "Thank you," and my wife and I walked out, got into our two cars, and drove back home through that horrendous series of detours due to that accident in the city.

UPDATE:

I took the car to Sears the next day to have the brakes checked out. The brakes were fine. I guess that "woman" will have to find another car for her "daughter."
.

Who Let the Dogs Die?

2007-08-27T06:31:00.000-04:00

In Chapel Hill, North Carolina animal shelters are strained by incoming dogs seized from fighting operations and held as police evidence.

The shelters are euthanizing adoptable animals to make room for these fighting dogs, which they are required by law to shelter, sometimes for months, at much greater costs than the adoptable animals whose cages they're occupying.

"The Johnston County Animal Shelter housed 47 pit bulls seized in a giant dog-fighting case last year,

"The shelter, which could hold 65 dogs, euthanized 15 to 20 animals after the pit bulls arrived for lack of space,"

Most of the animals seized in dog fighting raids eventually get euthanized.
.

Overcrowding Expected at Several Wake County Traditional Schools

2007-08-23T10:19:00.000-04:00

This morning The News & Observer reported that the following elementary schools would feel the most significant overcrowding as measured by a percentage of capacity:

153% Olds
132% Underwood
127% Dillard Drive
125% Hunter
122% Cary
122% Bugg

One hundred and fifty three percent of capacity. That's over half. So a school with, say, 16 grade level teachers would need to add eight new teachers and two to three teacher assistants to handle the crowd. They'd have to find room for five to eight additional classrooms via converting teachers' work areas, the gym, the media center, the cafeteria, the computer lab, the art or music room, the broom closet, or by adding modular units.

Those schools gaining a fifth to a third more students would face similar dilemmas.

Myth:
The Wake County Board of Education, (BOE) is trying to punish parents and students by making the transition back to traditional schools as unbearable as possible.

Theory:
I don't believe the BOE has little better to do than to plot revenge on the populace. I think the School Board is bound by budgetary restrictions that hamper necessary changes. It costs money to convert 22 schools to Year Round and this late in the game, much of that money had probably already been spent or was allocated.

It was most likely not an option to abort the conversion, specially considering the fallout when the 2007-2008 budget is looked at and the BOE has to answer to the lost funds due to a halt in the production.

Considering the possibility that those 22 schools may have eventually converted in the coming years anyway due to undeniable growth trends this county has seen, I couldn't blame the Board for wrapping up the expenditures in the nearly completed conversion, even if it forced them to scramble to fulfill their commitments to the parents wanting to remain traditional.

Face it - Here We Are. Pointing fingers will help nobody at this stage. Work with your Board as they struggle to make ends meet with overcrowded (and undercrowded) schools, teacher and other resource shortages, and hammered bus schedules. I may be in the minority with this belief, but I feel that the Wake County Board of Education is on the right track in their attempts to make the system work for ALL our kids. Let's cut them a break, shall we, and let them attend to the matters at hand.
.

Griffin Ceramic Tile

2007-08-20T10:56:00.000-04:00

Along with brand new kitchen countertops and new appliances, we also had a new tile backsplash installed.

After working with design consultant Laura Eaton at Byrd Tile to put together a fantastic pattern, I needed to find a qualified installer to do the job. Laura presented me with a list of installers with which her customers have had good luck, and the one I selected was Eric Griffin of Griffin Ceramic Tile.

His mature demeanor and professionalism seemed evident in my initial consultations with him. The quality of his workmanship was apparent when he showed me photo samples of his work during his first onsite visit.

Eric took away drawings of our backsplash pattern and some measurements, and e-mailed me a few days later with a bid that came in about $100 lower than the average of other installers I'd contacted.

On installation day Eric arrived well prepared to spend the entire day at our homesite. He carefully laid out paper over our new granite countertops and across all areas of our hardwood floor upon which he would be traversing. As I happened to be off of work that day, I watched as he carefully and competently laid all our tile.

As our design presented what I thought was somewhat of an intricate challenge to an installer, Eric managed through without missing a beat. In this case, he handled the positioning of many random stones in such a manner as to avoid making unnecessary cuts. Discount tilers would have just done it the easy way.

He also had some clever maneuvers to tame some of the trickier aspects of laying tile. For example, he made the pattern sort of "bend" around a corner so it was less evident that a change in direction was present. Not all installers are willing to go the extra mile to make the results so attractive but you can tell that Eric takes pride in his work and doesn't see it as just a job. There is a certain artistry that a good tile installer should possess, and it's clear that Eric's a master.

When he was finished for the day, he pulled up all the paper and cleaned up after himself. When he returned the next day, he started by again laying out all the paper on our counters and floors. The grouting job went well, and when we saw how the pattern jumped out at us in the finished product, we knew we would have a tile backsplash we would enjoy for years to come.

If you live in the Triangle Area and are looking for an expert tile installer who's not afraid of a challenge, look no further than Eric Griffin at Griffin Ceramic Tile. Eric can be reached at (919) 359-3042.
.

Hot Enough For Ya?

2007-08-09T06:32:00.000-04:00

Yesterday the temperature in Raleigh reached 102 F. The temperature in Orlando was 96 F. Who'd ever think one would consider a trip to Florida to "beat the heat"?

The Triangle Area suffered from heat like this about a year ago.
.

Garner TV and Appliance, Part II

2007-07-22T11:08:00.000-04:00

In a previous post, I talked about updating our kitchen and purchasing all the new appliances at Garner TV and Appliance. As it turns out, we did just that. After visiting the store at my convenience to see what they had to offer, and after speaking to sales representatives at Garner TV and Appliance, I went home to do my homework.

I knew that much of the research I needed to do I could do at home on the Internet - that's just the way I get my information. Any questions I'd have I could wait till I spoke to the salesperson on the floor.

So using the data from Garner TV and Appliance and the WWW, I made my final choices. We were prepared to buy a microwave, a dishwasher, a range, and a refrigerator.

Salesperson Rich Holland, the gentleman who was so helpful during our washer purchase, was happy to help me understand all the features of the selections I had made. He worked with me through the ordering process, during which he and his colleagues presented an air of professionalism and courtesy one would expect when making such a relatively large personal purchase.

I had a rough idea of what the total was going to be based on Internet prices. Given our experience with the washer, I now had somewhat of an expectation that the costs for the four appliances may be around or even slightly less than the Internet totals. Sure enough, that was the case. With the exception of the range, the remaining costs were about the same as the prices I could get on the Internet. The range was slightly higher, but certainly not enough to make me want to purchase this or any other appliance elsewhere than Garner TV and Appliance.

Rich was also able to work with me for a particular delivery concern I had, which shows this establishment's willingness to go the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction. Speaking of the extra mile, Rich actually drove out of his way to my house to deliver to me a broiler pan after I learned the oven was missing the part. (It turns out, GE stopped shipping the pan with the oven, but the owner's manual still referenced it.) How many appliance salespeople do you know who make house calls?

Bottom line, you probably can't get any better than Garner TV and Appliance for your appliance purchases if you live in the Triangle area. Do yourself a favor next time you're in the market for good service and prices on your appliance purchases and give Garner TV and Appliance a call at (919) 772-3757.
.

Mogastone - Granite Countertops

2007-07-01T06:55:00.000-04:00

Kathy and I had always wanted to get granite countertops in our kitchen. We finally decided to give it a go this year. Knowing practically nothing about the process, we thought we'd attend the Southern Ideal Home Show at the Raleigh Fairgrounds to learn more.

The first place we hit was the Mogastone display, which was run by Constantine and Anca Moga that night. We were really impressed with that which they had to offer, and their prices seemed reasonable as well.

We had also looked at several other counter fabricators at the home show.

After the show, I visited a granite wholesaler, Marva Marble and Granite, Inc, where Regional Sales Manager Craig Johnson provided me with a list of other fabricators. (Craig would eventually help us choose from his large collection the slab from which our counters would be made.)

The Homework

Then the real research began. In all, I had consulted with and had received quotes from the following granite fabricators:

By the time I was done, I believed I knew more about granite countertops than I would ever have thought I would want to know. Most, but not all, of the fabricators were very knowledgeable and seemed good candidates for our kitchen project.

The decision was toughened by the fact that most of the bids came within just a few hundred dollars of each other for the particular granite we had specified, when the costs of "extras" were considered. The quotes varied depending on the inclusion/exclusion and costs of the following:

Teardown and removal of old countertops
Plumbing and electrical work
Undermount cutout of sink
Edging

When apples were compared to apples, Mogastone came in at the lowest bid, by less than a hundred dollars. However, I had a $300 discount coupon from Moga for having seen their display at the Home Show, so that brought the total to become a significant enough difference to shoot them ahead of the pack. Plus I felt I could work with the Mogas - not every countertop company made me feel that way.

So Mogastone was to become our granite fabricator.

All in the Family

Moga is a family owned and run business. Anca Moga, the daughter-in-law, is in Sales and answered all my questions with competence and compassion. She is friendly and courteous. I was impressed when she recognized me from the Home Show the moment I walked in the door.

Nick Moga, the father, arrived to measure our counter requirements and draft the contract. He is a solid businessman with a good eye for high quality results.

Emil Moga, a son, came on installation day with a crew of three. He is professional and highly knowledgeable and capable. He didn't only supervise the installation, but also put in some muscle where needed (and when it comes to granite, you need to have muscle.)

Constantine Moga, a son, also came by to take a look at the installation. He showed the same professionalism and enthusiasm of the project as his brother.

Emil's crew was courteous and took great care to keep our kitchen damage-free during the installation. One thing I noticed was that they did not make me feel like I was in their way as I traveled about. It was as if they were guests in my kitchen. Only unlike most houseguests, these guys swept up after themselves. When they left, there was no sign that a deconstruction/construction crew had been present - just great countertops.

Turn Around

One thing that startled me was the turnaround of this project. Nick showed up on my doorstep on a Wednesday to take the exact measurements, and we had our countertops completed Thursday, THE VERY NEXT DAY!

That said, a disclaimer. First of all, Nick and Company told me they usually try to turn a project around in a week or less. We were leaving town that Friday and Nick had concerns over our proposed install date, so he offered to bring in the date. I think we lucked out on our 24 hour turnaround - perhaps they had a cancellation or maybe they had a huge job the next week and wanted us to avoid a big delay. If you are considering Moga for your countertops, expect that there will be several days between measure and install. Still, that's better than the two or three week estimates given by some of the other installers. And a few of them require the old counters to be removed in order to measure. Not so Moga.

Summary

Nick Moga and his family seem to have a rock solid hold on the countertop business. Unlike most of the other fabricators, Mogastone does not charge extra for undersink mounts, old counter tearout, and edging treatments.

If you are in the market for granite or marble countertops in the Triangle area, and get the chance to visit their Cary office, don't look for a fancy building like some of the other fabricators. Mogastone concentrates its resources on providing good service and quality workmanship at a great value. So if you are looking to upgrade your kitchen or bathroom to granite or marble, look no further than Mogastone to get what you want.
.

Garner TV and Appliance

2007-05-19T08:42:00.000-04:00

If you haven't yet done so, why don't you check out Garner TV and Appliance for your next appliance purchase? We went to the most recent Southern Ideal Home Show at the Raleigh Fairgrounds last month. While seeking information about a new kitchen we are considering, we were pointed to Garner TV and Appliance for good deals on appliances. I'd never heard of the place before, but I snagged their business card, "just in case."

Flash forward about a week later. Our washer decided to go on the fritz, and I called our appliance repair person. The costs to repair this washer would have been greater than to get a new one, and when asked to provide a reference for appliance replacement, who do you think he recommended?

Garner TV and Appliance.

So that was two completely independent recommendations in a week.

I guess it was Garner TV and Appliance to visit for our new washer. The salespersonnel were courteous, knowledgeable, considerate, and made darned good listeners as well.

Salesperson Rich Holland set me on the right path to purchase a new washer that met with my specifications.

The installers were professional, courteous and efficient.

After all was said and done, I tried to resist the temptation to go online and check what this washer would have cost had I gotten it at Lowes or at Home Depot. I figured it was probably going to be a little more expensive at Garner TV and Appliance, given they are not one of the big box national chains. But curiosity got the better of me and I checked. That particular washer was $110 MORE at Lowes. In fact, I did a general Internet search and found that the least expensive cost for that washer was $30 more than what I paid at Garner TV and Appliance.

Garner TV and Appliance is easier to find than ever now that the new Outer Loop reaches HWY 64. Take 540 East past the 64 Business exit to HWY 64 West. Follow 64 to the Inner 440 Beltline past HWY 40 to the Hammond Rd exit. Go south on Hammond, make a left onto HWY 70 and it's just on your right.

Now we are considering ordering all our appliances for our new kitchen at Garner TV and Appliance, and perhaps you should, too, if you live in the Triangle area.
.

UPDATE (07/22/2007) See what happened when I returned to the store for our kitchen upgrade.
.

Wake County Judge Blocks Year Round Schools

2007-05-04T06:51:00.000-04:00

Well, Wake County parents, you got what you wanted. I hope you're prepared to stand at the bus stop with your toddler in the dark at 6:15 AM, or to eat dinner with your child at 8:00 PM if your traditional calendar school goes to split shifts.
.

No Need 2 Speed in North Carolina

2007-04-05T07:34:00.000-04:00

The N.C. Highway Patrol and local police across the state are stepping up speed-limit enforcement this week as part of a statewide campaign called "No Need 2 Speed."

The News and Observer showed penalties for breaking posted speed limits. For example, if the speed limit were 55 or above, and a motorist were found to be traveling 0-5 MPH over that limit, the fine would be $120.

Excuuuuse me? "Zero" to five miles above the limit? So let me get this straight. If the limit is 55 MPH, and I am going fifty-five miles per hour, I am subjecting myself to a fine of a hundred and twenty dollars?!?

I hope I can prevent myself from getting caught Three Times In A Row.

.

West Coast vs East Coast Housing Prices

2007-03-31T07:49:00.000-04:00

When we lived "Out West," we felt we couldn't afford a house, or certainly not one within a reasonable commute to work, so we rented. One of the reasons we came Back East is so we could buy a home again. Which we did. The housing prices in the Triangle were still quite reasonable in 2000, and we are pleased with our home.

A few years ago, a landscaper we hired asked us where we were from. I said California. He told me he had wanted to move to CA, maybe to San Francisco. I said, Well, you know, it's really expensive to live in Calif. That's one reason we moved back here.

He said, Really? Well about how much would a house like this one cost there?

I thought about it for a moment, and then told him that a single family detached home with our square footage on a quarter acre lot would probably cost about eight hundred thousand dollars in San Francisco - if you can find one.

He said, Wow ...

A Blast From the Past

I had a co-worker come visit us from the Silicon Valley. His first comments upon walking into our home was how magnificent everyone's homes seem to be in the East. I never thought of our modest home as magnificent, but his comparison to his five hundred and fifty thousand dollar condo in Sunnyvale made him use that word for our home, so who am I to argue.

As the Triangle grows, housing prices have had their peaks and valleys since we bought our house in 2000, but no matter what, they are still much more reasonable than what we saw in the Silicon Valley/Bay Area.

.

What? No Crème Brûlée??

2007-02-11T06:47:00.000-05:00

Last night we went to one of our favorite Italian restaurants in the Triangle Area. Our Italian haunts include:

Of those, only Casa Carbone is not a chain, but these are the places we go to when we feel like Italian in the North Raleigh region we live in here in the Triangle.

Anyway, last night we hit Carrabba's on Capital Blvd. When we walked in at 5:30 on a Saturday night, we were told the wait would be an hour to an hour and ten minutes. No Prob, we thought, as when they say there's a 60-70 minute wait, we're usually seated in about 25 minutes.

Well, guess what. Last night we were seated at 6:40, exactly an hour and ten minutes after we arrived. That's cool, I guess ...

Our server, Jason, I believe, greeted us kindly and asked how we are doing this evening. I always have to bite my tongue to avoid saying, We're famished, thank you very much, due to the wait for this table. But how could I? They warned of a 60-70 minute wait, and that's how long it took. Instead, we gave him a generic, Fine, and you?

Anyway, one of the first things he said to us, in addition to the daily specials, was that the dessert of the day was Crème Brûlée, however, it was so popular that it was already sold out.

I am somewhat of a sarcastic person at times, so I said, "What? No Crème Brûlée?? WELL, then..." Like we were going to walk out then and there. Of course, I was just joking. Truth be told, although I have heard of Crème Brûlée, I don't really know what it is, nor do I really care because we usually don't order dessert anyway in a restaurant. Who has room after all that bread, salad or soup, and the dinner?

Soon after Jason left to get our drinks, I said to Kathy, Why would he tell us that they were out of the dessert of the day? What's the point if we cannot order it? Was he telling us in the event we were told, Be sure to go to Carrabba's and get the Crème Brûlée, in order to spare us from the agony of waiting an hour and ten minutes, (in spite of being warned,) only to find out later that they were out? If that were the case, they should announce that right at the door. "Welcome to Carrabba's. The wait's about an hour to an hour and ten minutes, and by the way, there's no Crème Brûlée."

The drinks soon arrived, and that's the last I thought about the Crème Brûlée while we were there. (There's something about the arrival of the drinks that causes one to forget about a LOT of things.)

Anyway, it was later in the evening after we had came home that the thought of the mystery surrounding the announcement of no Crème Brûlée that it hit me. Jason was simply explaining, in a round-about way, why our seating was so delayed. More people than usual were ordering dessert last evening. And of course, when more desserts are served, it pushes out all remaining seating.

Any restaurant personnel care to confirm or deny my theory?

.

Former Californian

2007-01-21T09:22:00.000-05:00

As stated in my earliest posts, my wife Kathy and I came to the Triangle Region of North Carolina from California, specifically the Bay Area, more specifically the San Jose region, and even MORE specifically, Morgan Hill. Morgan Hill is a quaint little town just south of San Jose and just up the road from Gilroy, the self-proclaimed Garlic Capital of the World.

We originally moved to San Jose in December of 1988, having tired after two decades of the snow and ice in the northeast, specifically Pennsylvania. We rented an apartment in that massive city for a year while we scoped out the area to find a house. During that year in the big city, we had our car broken into, which cost me a radio and a tool chest, and we had our bicycles stolen from our second floor deck. It was time to leave.

In 1989, we moved to a rental house on the lake in Morgan Hill - quite a departure from that apartment in the city. 1989 was the year of great earthquake that caused massive devastation in the San Francisco Bay Area. We experienced many quakes during the ten year tenure California had on us.

But it wasn't earthquakes that shook us to want to leave the state - it was the ridiculous cost of living. Granted the weather was fantastic, but the housing costs were astronomical, and the longer we waited to build enough equity to afford a down payment, the higher the costs to take the plunge became. We were literally priced right out of the market.

Finally we decided that if we were to have the chance to own our own home at all, we'd have to leave the state. Home prices, taxes and the cost of living in general is much better here, and in 2000 we bought our first house in over twenty years. We may have lost a decade of nest egg growth, but in the several years we've been here, we've already amassed a bit of an egg just from being in the right place at the right time.

Those considering moving to the Triangle Area had better do so quickly. Real estate prices are climbing, and they're probably not going down any time soon.

A good night's sleep

2007-01-06T08:12:00.000-05:00

About two years ago, NC's Triangle city Raleigh got a bad ice storm that clogged traffic for hours as motorists struggled to navigate slippery roads that city workers couldn't effectively clear.

More about that in a bit, but first, let's talk about one of my favorite pastimes: sleeping.

I need at least six things to get a good night's sleep:

The bedding needs to be (1) warm, (2) soft, and (3) not too short for my body, and the environment needs to be (4) dark, (5) quiet, and (6) safe.

I CAN sleep with less than that, of course - after all, I have slept at relatives' houses with one or two missing. But if I want to get a REALLY good night's rest, it's most helpful if I can have all of the six ingredients. I didn't get that one night in the winter of '05 when a freak ice storm hit Raleigh and the surrounding areas.

Weather services were calling for "a chance of light snow," but what came in its place was an ice adventure residents would not forget any time soon. All roads were covered in a thin sheet of ice that made driving nearly impossible. Southerners are not used to driving on slippery roads as they are in the northern states, so there were quite a lot of accidents and near accidents that day.

Eight hours?

The media would report that it took some motorists 8 hours or more to travel just a few miles to get home from work or school that day. Traffic barely crawled. I left my office at 1:30 that afternoon and at 7:00 that evening I had only traveled five miles. I still had another five miles left. The later in the day it got, the slower traffic would become.

The last straw was when I had gotten to one of the main roads in the city. It took 45 minutes to make the left turn onto the road - (I think I counted about 7-10 traffic lights I sat through trying to make that turn.) Then I sat on that road for three hours, traveling only 2/10 mile. Two tenths of a mile. That's a bit over a thousand FEET. I called my wife three times in the three hours and told her I was still trying to pass a certain automobile dealership.

Finally, I got sick of waiting and cut down a side street that took me to a local shopping mall. I figured if I crashed there for the night, I could try to tackle perhaps a clearer road in the morning. After sitting in my car for eight and a half hours, I was exhausted and hungry. I called my wife and told her I'd be there in the morning. It was ten o'clock.

As luck would have it, the local sports bar took pity on me and served me a chicken platter five minutes after the kitchen had closed, so at least I finally got a good hot meal that evening. I checked traffic after my dinner, but found it was still backed up, so I returned inside the mall to try to get some sleep.

Sleep?

Getting that sleep, on the other hand, proved to be elusive. At first I sprawled out on one of the sofas the mall has strewn about within the interior hallways. But I wasn't there five minutes when security informed me that all stranded motorists were asked to stay in the food court area if they intended to spend the night. There were many mothers and kids there with blankets they had in their minivans, but otherwise there were no really good places to lay down to try to get some rest.

All I had in my car was an additional heavy jacket, so that was to become my bed, or half-bed as it were. The food court floor was hard and cold. The area was somewhat well-lit and still quite noisy with mothers tending to kids and people walking about. It didn't feel too safe for sleeping, either.

But sleep I did get, for at about 2:00 I awoke and realized I had indeed fallen asleep. I got up, "refreshed" myself in the men's room and returned to my "bed." I tried to sleep again, but then I had a thought. It occurred to me that unlike when I entered the mall, now I was well fed, and somewhat rested. Why not give it a go and hit the road again?

Sure enough traffic had cleared by then. In fact, in the remaining five miles to my home, I think I saw only about three other cars on the road. (I did see, however, many cars OFF the road and abandoned - victims of the bad icy conditions.) It took the usual 15 minutes or so to travel from the mall to my house.

I walked in the door at about 2:30 in the morning, thirteen hours after I had left the office.

Back to sleep

It was later it occurred to me the things I truly desire in order to get a good night's sleep, because that night, I had none of them. Unlike having bedding that's warm, soft, and long enough for my body, and an environment that's dark, quiet, and safe, my bed was cold, hard, and too short, in a place that was bright, noisy, and potentially unsafe. But for the remainder of THAT night, I had everything I needed. I can't recall the last time I felt so comfortable in a bed.

I also don't think I'll ever forget that night.

Make up your mind, please ...

2006-11-06T21:07:00.000-05:00

Here's a photo of a sign at a popular drug store in the Triangle. This is what you see as you enter the parking lot. Is it any wonder some senior citizens complain about being confused?

Ted's Montana Grill - Review

2006-10-08T12:58:00.000-04:00

My wife Kathy and I were roaming the corridors of the Triangle Town Center shopping mall one day and we decided to check out the restaurants the Center had to offer just outside their doors. One that caught our eye was Ted's Montana Grill. We stepped inside at about 4:45. The atmosphere seemed to be of western flavor, characterized by a great bust of a bison mounted on the wall.

The host was rather unenthusiastic, and seated us in a booth against a wall near several other already seated groups of guests, even though the restaurant was sparsely patronized at that early hour of the evening. I can understand that servers have their "stations," and that early evening staffs are probably few in numbers, but it always amuses me how the hosts will cluster all newly arriving guests in the same spot in a relatively empty restaurant. I guess it's more convenient to THEM than to consider that early evening guests of a restaurant may want a bit of privacy.

Anyway, I digress. Once we were seated, the server who greeted us was very enthusiastic - one of the most memorable we have had in recent months. We soon found out why the bison was so prominently represented throughout the dining area. It turns out that Ted's offers bison versions of most of their entrees as well as more traditional beef versions. Kathy and I were in the mood for hamburgers, and the server asked if we had ever tried bison burgers. We had not. She said we should try it, as bison is much less fatty and more flavorful than beef. She offered to bring us a sample taste. We said why not - bring it on. She returned a moment later with two toothpicks, each containing a bite of bison burger on a plate. She waited as we tried the bite and savored its taste. Simultaneously, we both nodded our heads in approval, as the server might have expected, and she asked our opinion. We both stated it was good, and ordered the bison burgers as our entree. It was a great meal. We knew we wanted to return to Ted's.

Our Second Visit

Our second visit to Ted's was somewhat regrettable. Though we thoroughly enjoyed the bison burgers on our first visit, we did not have such luck on our return. We were celebrating our anniversary and wanted to do something special, so we decided to return to Ted's to try the bison steaks. After all, if the bison burgers were so tasty, it was no extension to assume the steaks should be equally as enjoyable. Not so, it turns out. I could definitely taste a difference between the bison "Kansas City" steak versus the less expensive beef version, but to me, the taste was somewhat bitter and I did not care for it. Kathy found her platter equally disappointing.

We both felt a bit short-changed, given we had a less than great experience with our meal, combined with the fact that we were celebrating a milestone and this kind of ruined it for us. Next anniversary, we planned to choose a more reliable destination. We decided we had given Ted's its due, and perhaps it just wasn't for us, at least not for steaks.

Our Third Visit

But to Ted's we were destined to return, for we had been the recipient of a gift card to the restaurant.

This time, I elected to give the place a thorough review, perhaps to assist others in their quest for a new dining experience in the Triangle. For what it's worth, here is our most recent experience with Ted's Montana Grill in the Triangle Town Center.

As we approached the establishment, we saw a staff member standing at the outside door preparing to open it for our arrival. He greeted us kindly, and as we stepped past him, he said in a hushed voice, "Short Ribs - Short Ribs." I hadn't heard what he was saying, so I asked and he told me he was encouraging people to order the short ribs. I was amused, but I'm uncertain all guests would feel that way.

Once inside, we were greeted by the hostess, who was polite and courteous.

The server came within the expected timeframe and welcomed us. She failed to give us her name, but that could have been because she might have been distracted by my first statement, a request to have the balance confirmed on the gift card. She returned after several minutes, apologizing for the delay because she had never performed that operation before, but said indeed the card had the value we expected.

The ordering process was typical, with the efficiency I would have expected. I ordered the beef Delmonico with mashed potatoes. The bison chili piqued my curiosity from my first visit, so I decided to try it as an appetizer. Kathy somewhat surprised me by ordering the short ribs, which only comes in bison, (given our fateful previous experience with the bison steaks,) so I guess the staff member's suggestion at the door worked. She ordered a salad as well.

The bison chili was very good, though I am not sure I could tell whether or not the quality was from the bison, through the usual spiciness of chili. I could only assume it was. Kathy couldn't finish her salad, so she requested a container, which was swiftly brought to her, including an instruction to place the foiled side of the lid towards the food for maximum freshness - a welcome gesture.

This has nothing to do with our meal, but it was interesting to note that two servers arrived at the table next to us asking, "Who gets the prime rib," etc. Everyone at that table was looking about in confusion, because nobody had ordered what these two were serving. Turns out that order was destined for the patrons at an adjacent table, who were patiently watching their food going through the motions. Our food, on the other hand, was placed in front of us by a server who did not speak, although she did place the correct plate in front of each of us without asking who got what. It was unclear whether that was an act of competence or just luck. The food came within a typical timeframe.

My beef Delmonico, though it was tastier than the bison KC steak I had previously, was unremarkable in flavor. Her ribs were just OK, and she told me she prefers the taste of pork over these. We agreed the mashed potatoes were dry. She needed to borrow my knife as the server took away hers with her salad plate - a forgivable error.

A nicely dressed gentleman came around to various tables and asked us and others if our food was "great." We fibbed just a little in our response.

Our server returned, stating she hoped we reserved room, because they have a "killer" strawberry shortcake, (not a word I usually want associated with food,) and it serves two. Normally we choose to find whatever we have at home for dessert, but because this meal was on a gift card, we took her up on her shortcake. We ordered coffee as well.

The dessert came in the expected time, and the coffee was promised "in ten seconds." A short time later, the coffee arrived and, although we were congratulated for having received the first two cups from a fresh pot, she admitted she forgot to ask if we needed cream. I stated I did. The only unexpected delay that evening was for that cream. She returned with a small cup of cream, apologizing for having run out of "those little creamer packs." I found her solution industrious and acceptable, but I pitied future customers, as the night was still young.

The shortcake was very good, and easily served two, as promised.

The server came by about three times over the courses of our meal to determine our level of satisfaction. The "closing" service was typical and efficient. A staff member was available at the door, smiling as she encouraged us to return.

Summary

We believed we had a better experience at this restaurant over our second visit. However, even though the staff was courteous and capable, we go to a restaurant for the food, and the food at this location is unremarkable. I believe we get consistent, high quality food at The Outback, Lone Star, and Texas steakhouses in the Raleigh/Wake Forest area at a greater overall value. We agreed that the quality of the food does not justify the costs at this establishment. However, we do remember the bison burgers were very tasty from our original visit, and we agreed we would probably be returning to Ted's Montana Grill, if just for the bison burgers, either for lunch or for dinner.

Here is how we rated this establishment, first mine, and then Kathy's:

Server: B+ and B
Entrees: C and C
Food overall: C and B-
Overall Staff: B+ and A
Atmosphere: B- and A
Value: C and C

A note: I gave the atmosphere a B- because of the music. I "get" that the dining area is supposed to be reminiscent of a '20s Cattleman's Club/Saloon or whatever, (thanks to guidance from the server from our first visit.) But nobody is around from the '20s anymore, so I think that having music that's more neutral but dinable would be better appreciated. Just my two cents.

Frankie's of Raleigh - Review

2006-07-01T06:51:00.000-04:00

My wife and I had the opportunity to visit Frankie's Restaurant recently. If you haven't yet heard of Frankie's, you probably will. Frankie's, already a staple in South Carolina, has just opened a new "fun park" in Raleigh. There are arcade-style amusements such as video games, manual games such as air hockey and basketball toss, as well as virtual experience games like auto and motorcycle racing. They have laser tag, miniature bowling lanes, and all kinds of games of chance, (including horse racing!) so you can win a boatload of tickets to cash in on valuable prizes such as a teddy bear for your sweetheart. For the smaller guests, there are "crawl around/climbing" adventures, and for those a bit older, a very tall "dropping" style ride sure to help the kids enjoy their lunch again and again.

All this is in a gigantic indoor arena about the size of your high school gymnasium. Outdoors they have mini-golf, bumper boats, a huge batting cage, and no less than three racing tracks.

Let's Eat

But I digress. Amid all this amusement is a full service Italian-style restaurant which boasts a menu that could stand alone against other similar restaurants in the Triangle. Always looking for a good Italian place, I decided to take my wife Kathy to Frankie's one recent Saturday to check it out. I pass Frankie's on TW Alexander Blvd off of Hwy 70 in Raleigh on my way to work at RTP every morning and so I was curious. I didn't tell her about the amusements.

She didn't quite know what to think when we first entered the complex, as you have to walk past quite a number of "amused" guests to get to the restaurant, which is situated inside the main arena of activity. But once you enter the foyer of the dining area, you feel like you are in more familiar surroundings. The entrance is inviting and tastefully appointed.

The host

I was somewhat taken by how young the host was - he didn't look like he was any more than about 16. Nothing wrong with that, of course. After all, this is all part of a "theme park" atmosphere, but his youth made it difficult to hide his lack of experience in greeting restaurant guests who may expect a more enthusiastic welcome. This young man will make a wonderful host in just another year or so - I could feel it. Youthful inexuberance aside, he seated us quite professionally.

I'll always remember good ol' what's-'er-name

I had similar sentiments over our server. I wish I could remember her name … oh wait. She never gave us her name. Unlike most restaurant patrons who may forget their server's name a few moments after it falls off their tongues, I try to make a point to remember our servers' names. It's a lot easier to get their attention when you can call them by name rather than to request, "that dark haired server" from a passing staff member. Alas, tonight that was not to be.

Like the host, this server lacked the enthusiasm one expects at a nice restaurant. She spoke quite softly and rarely made eye contact with us. Though we were two patrons sitting at a table with settings for four, I thought it was unusual that she did not take away the remaining two place settings. I don't know if that is her job or that of the host, but anyway, I was glad I had an extra set of napkins because I tend to be somewhat of a sloppy eater, especially when I am eating Italian.

As the server left our table to fill our drink order, Kathy and I pored over the menu. I should more accurately say that Kathy pored. I just glanced. I order the same thing whenever I go Italian - spaghetti and meat sauce. If they have S&MS, I am good to go. They serve it, however at $10.95, it seemed a bit on the high side, I thought. Any time I pay eleven bucks for spaghetti, my standards go way up and I expect a lot from that bowl of pasta. Anyway, Kathy spotted the lasagna, (about twelve bucks,) so she was good to go, too. Miss No Name returned with our drinks, took our order, and left.

A bit later, our bread and Kathy's $1.75 salad came. The bread was served with olive oil on a small dipping plate with about a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese on top.

The entrees

Then the food came. Kathy tried her lasagna, and at first she said it was good, though she later told me that it lacked "staying power," in other words, the first few bites are great, but then the remainder gets pretty bland and "boring" the rest of the way. This can happen if the spices are a bit overwhelming at first. It dulls the taste buds and affects the rest of the meal. She also mentioned to me that they didn't seem to give her enough sauce.

My spaghetti was good. Not eleven dollars great, but good. It was thick spaghetti, somewhat al dente as I like it. The meat sauce was pleasant, but unremarkable. Overall we both felt that the quality of the entrees we ordered did not justify their prices.

We still good here?

Other than that, the meal was enjoyable. However, the server never came back to ask us "How is everything?" as we have come to expect. Had she done that, she would have noticed that Kathy's sweet tea glass was completely empty. But alas, that fact was to remain a mystery behind those swinging kitchen doors. The Unknown One did eventually come back, and even though we were both clearly finished with our meals, she only took away Kathy's plate, leaving me to stare at my empty eleven dollar bowl for the remaining part of our visit. Then she returned to inquire about dessert, which we declined, and presented us with our check.

Closing ceremonies

In our minds, a thirty dollar ticket plus tip for two pasta meals, a salad, and two non-alcoholic drinks at an amusement park seemed a bit over the top. We think the planners of Frankie's wanted to give the parents someplace nice to go while their kids burned off their energy playing games and eating Frankie's snacks (consisting of the fare more typical of their age group: chili dogs, pizza, fries, tacos, and nachos.) However, I can sympathize with a family of four who may have wanted to eat together as a unit before sending the kids out for a few hours of wallet-burning enjoyment. A full night at Frankie's can turn into one memorable trip for which you may need to budget more than just your time. I placed the fancy black leather carrier with two twenties visible at the edge of the table.

A few moments later, our As Yet Unnamed server picked it up, and mumbled something we could only imagine was, "I'll be back with your change." I can only assume that's what she said because that is what servers typically say when they take your money at the end of your meal, but I wasn't sure. For all I know, she could have said, "Sorry you're still staring at your empty plate," but who knows? On her return, she somewhat startled us because she smiled broadly and rattled off, almost by memory, something like, "Thank you for visiting us at Frankie's! Come back and see us again, and have a nice afternoon!" Even though it was already about 7:00, our afternoon had actually been quite nice.

All in all, our experience at the restaurant was a good one, and I am sure that the service the staff provides will improve over time - after all, Frankie's has just opened recently in the Raleigh area and they are still "green behind the ears," as I am fond of saying.

The arcade

After our meal, Kathy and I circumnavigated the arcade area and observed some of the activities. We were too stuffed from our meal to want to participate in anything, but there certainly was no lack for things to do. It was enjoyable just watching the participants having fun. One memorable experience occurred at the batting cages. A father was coaching his son, who probably played after-school baseball, while the machine tossed variously placed baseballs towards the boy. With each pitch, the dad would toss his son a tidbit of advice.

"Choke up a bit on the bat, son!" or "Keep your eye on the ball, son!"

The look on the boy's face told a different tale, as if to say, Dad, I thought we came to Frankie's to have FUN.

But there is plenty of fun to be had at Frankie's. Visit Frankie's on line at www.frankiesofraleigh.com, or better yet, come see them in person.

Place: Frankie's

Location: Raleigh, at TW Alexander Blvd & Hwy 70

Atmosphere: Fun park and restaurant

Dress: Casual

Cost: Reasonable

Host: B

Server: C+

Entrees: B

Atmosphere: B+

Value: C

Overall Rating: B+

Characteristics of a Good Telecommuter

2006-06-01T22:11:00.000-04:00

A memo came in my inbox at work recently with the subject "Characteristics of a Good Telecommuter." Basically, the memo described the company's goal to increase the awareness of telecommuting as a form of performing my duties to the corporation at great savings to the company by working from home. Presumably, if I am working from home, I am using my own electricity and other resources rather than if I were to be in my cubicle at RTP. However, with today's gas prices at staggering levels, working from home has its advantages on my pocketbook as well as that of my boss's.

The drafters of this particular memo know, though, that telecommuting is somewhat on the honor system. Face it, you're sitting in your PJs, (or less, perhaps,) claiming that you're performing duties related to your work, but in fact, the boss is not going to be coming around the corner any time soon to see check up on you. Therefore, recognizing that not every employee has got what it takes to be an effective telecommuter, and to clarify the company's stand on this strategy, they have formulated a handy description of the ideal candidate for telecommuting.

Here, in part, is what the memo had to say:

"Employees who possess the following characteristics make good telecommuters:

· High level of productivity

· Strong time-management skills

· High level of skill and knowledge of work-related responsibilities

· Self-discipline

· Organization and planning skills

· Self-motivation

· Supportive home environment

· Flexibility

If you feel you possess such characteristics and would like to participate in the Telecommuting Program, please discuss your candidacy with your manager."

I looked over the list and said, "Wow, I'm all of these. This might as well have been my most recent Performance Evaluation, because they have described me top to bottom."

Feeling like I might have somewhat of a higher opinion of myself than perhaps my manager does, I decided to take a more objective look at the memo to see if I indeed have what it takes to be a good telecommuter. I analyzed each point to determine what message they were trying to convey, specifically as it relates to telecommuting, and considered whether or not my talents fit the bill. What I learned about myself amazed me. Here, for your benefit, is my analysis.

Characteristics of a Good telecommuter

High level of productivity

Translation: can do a little bit of work and still have plenty of time to do all the household chores.

Strong time-management skills

Translation: actually spends time at the computer to do work-related items.

High level of skill and knowledge of work-related responsibilities

Translation: knows the difference between doing REAL work and watching TV.

Self-discipline

Translation: actually DOES work-related items on occasion.

Organization and planning skills

Translation: can schedule a few moments a day to do work.

Self-motivation

Translation: can get self off butt to do work without manager on butt.

Supportive home environment

Translation: can break away from home-related duties every once in a while to do some work.

Flexibility

Translation: can do eleven things at once, just like at the office.

What I found out about myself is that I rock at all of this. Nailed each and every one of them. I'm signing up for the program next week. Now that you know what the boss is looking for, see if you have the characteristics it takes to become a good telecommuter!

Everything's Green!

2006-05-03T18:08:00.000-04:00

In my previous post, I talked about how we came upon Raleigh as a place to live. In early 1999 I was offered and had accepted a very lucrative position in "The Triangle" that was a great match for my skills. It was now time to find a home.

When Kathy flew out with me from the West Coast for our househunting trip, the first thing she found remarkable was how green everything is in North Carolina. Out West, we had several years of drought during the '90's so there was a lot of browns and oranges there. Here, (Back East,) the blues and greens stood out as quite a distinction over what we were used to.

We figured we would rent for the first year or so in order to get accustomed to the area before we settled in on a town to buy a house. My company's relocation firm set us up with a really nice agent to help us find a place to live. One thing we found unusual, having been out of the housing market for so long, was that every relatively new house is in a subdivision of some sort. Restrictive covenants? What the heck are those? We were told that in a metropolitan area such as Raleigh/Durham, expect to live in a subdivision. In California, we lived in a town called Morgan Hill, south of San Jose in the Silicon Valley of the Bay Area, in a little bungalow by Lake Anderson. A boating, fishing, and swimming community that had little restrictions, if any, that we were aware of. But I suppose we could get used to living in a subdivision if that's what The Triangle was offering.

The agent finally helped us find a brand new house for rent in West Raleigh. The home was between the CarMax and the Hertz Car Sales on Glenwood Ave near Umstead Park and the Pines of Carolina Girl Scouts Council. It was great because it was close to RDU Airport and Crabtree Valley Shopping Mall.

The best part was that it was only about ten miles from my office, and Kathy was also able to find a job she enjoyed which was also only about ten miles away. In the Silicon Valley, it is not at all unusual to have to drive on the 101 freeway for thirty miles or more - one way - to get to work.

So now we had a place to live. Welcome to The Triangle!

Let's move 'Back East!'

2006-04-01T08:11:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed when some people talk about where they or their relatives live it's Back East, or Out West? It's never the other way around. It's not Out East or Back West, because the assumption is that if you live in the West, you're originally from the East, and if you live in the East, then "out there" is Out West.

"Where is your daughter living now?"

"Oh, she lives out west!"

"Really? Do you think she'll ever move back east?"

Anyway, Kathy and I lived in Pennsylvania for over twenty years before we moved "Out West" to California, so when it was time to consider moving again during the late '90's, we decided to head "Back East."

We didn't really want to return to the climate of the North East, having "been there done that" with the snow and ice. So we looked along the Southeastern seaboard to find a place to live.

I did job searches for Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, but found little opportunities to make good use of my skills. Then I tried North Carolina, and BAM. I was hit with all these job opportunities, specially concentrated in this area called RTP - whatever that was.

"What the heck is RTP?" I asked Kathy. She had actually heard of Research Triangle Park, having shipped packages to this NC town while working in the Silicon Valley.

"It's some big industrial park out in North Carolina," she answered.

"Well, they've got a ton of jobs out there, so I think I'll check it out," I said.

"Go for it," was her unhesitant response. Kathy was actually kind of getting weary of California, and had somewhat of a "been there done that" feeling for the West. Honestly I think she just missed her family "back east" and wanted to return to the land of normal after ten years of "out west" living.

Plus, we wanted to be able to afford a house once again. We hadn't owned a house for about twenty years, West Coast housing prices were through the roof (pun intended,) and paying rent for ten years really takes its toll on trying to build a nest egg.

So right there, I said if RTP had something to offer me job-wise, then we were moving to Raleigh, North Carolina, sight unseen.

Triangulation

2006-03-18T11:36:00.000-05:00

So, what is the Triangle?

Quoting Wikipedia,

"The Research Triangle, commonly referred to as 'The Triangle', is a region in the piedmont of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. The major research universities of North Carolina State University, Duke University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are also located in this region respectively."

This Wikipedia entry compares The Triangle to the Silicon Valley, which coincidentally, is where my wife Kathy and I lived prior to moving here.

I guess we just can't keep away from high tech Research and Development centers.

Either that, or we just want to be where the cool people go.

Intro to Life in the Triangle

2006-03-18T10:40:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Life in the Triangle. In this and in future posts, I hope to give you a sense of what it is like to live in the Triangle region of North Carolina from the perspective of a transplant from California. The Triangle is a growing area and more people from all over the country are moving here to enjoy warm climates and good ol' southern hospitality. I hope you enjoy learning about our experiences in this fine part of the country.